The Canon has a 12 megapixel sensor, the Nikon only has 10. If you think this makes any difference, think again. The difference in linear dimensions is only about 10% (4272 vs. 3872 pixels) and 10MP is already plenty resolution for printing at sizes most people consider reasonable. People who print larger are not going to use an entry-level DSLR anyway.
Both cameras have auto-ISO (sensitivity). This is very important, as it allows you to shoot in situations where the lighting is going to change dramatically between shots. Set the camera to P (Program mode) or A (Aperture priority) and auto-ISO and shoot away without adjusting sensitivity when going from brightly lit areas to darker ones. Reportedly, Canon’s auto-ISO setting only covers the 100-400 ISO range, which is somewhat limited. The D60’s sensitivity can also be set as high as 3200 ISO, probably owing to the lesser pixel density. The Canon can only go as far as 1600. It’s hard to say whether this makes any difference in practice, as ISO 3200 might produce images so noisy, or so dull from excessive noise reduction, to make it almost unusable in practice.
The D60 has Active D-Lighting. This is the same feature that is available on the D300 and the D3. As Ken Rockwell says: “This feature automatically identifies highlight areas that will be lost, and does its best to bring them under control. It works, and it works automatically.” If what matters to you, in photography, is getting good tonal rendition and great shadow/highlight balance, then this is the feature that could tilt the balance in Nikon’s favor.
The Canon has Live View, meaning that you can view the image in the rear LCD while composing, just like people are used to be doing with a point&shoot camera. This can be useful in some situations, but it’s hard to say how often this will be used by the amateur who is the typical target market for this range of cameras. The Canon also has a larger (3″ vs. 2.5″) LCD, even though both screens only comprise 230,000 pixels. Too bad the D60 doesn’t sport the gorgeous 920,000 pixels screen of the D300.
The Nikon does not have a focusing motor in the camera body, meaning you can only use newer AF-S (Silent Wave Motor) lenses with it. This is not a big deal if you only have AF-S lenses or are going to buy new ones anyway, since all new Nikon lenses are AF-S, but older AF and AI lenses will have to be focused manually, so watch out.
There are many other elements that could be compared between the two, but these are the most relevant ones, in my opinion. Both are probably very good cameras and you won’t be disappointed with either one. Personally, I would go with the Nikon because of the higher auto-ISO range and the Active D-Lighting, but that’s just me. You might be a big fan of composing and reviewing using the LCD, so the larger screen and the Live View feature of the Canon will certainly appeal to you.
I can’t certainly say more about this comparison without having tried both cameras personally. If you want to help me do this, you can click on this affiliate link
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here people are focusing on cameras but lenses are what matter and keep their value over long periods of time unlike SLRs
To decide between a 450D or D60 is really very simple as they are both superb cameras.
Just take a trip to the local camera shop and pick them both up, the one you want will become instantly apparant to you in about 2 seconds! … Then buy it. voila! – you have just made the perfect decision.
I have similar concerns as most of the people who commented on this page. I did my research and compared photos taken by 450D and D60. After some thought, i came down to these decision points:
D60
- is cheaper
- captures colors better than 450D >> good for the “purists” (i.e. those who wants their pictures raw. No editing.)
- most Pro’s(at least those that i have consulted) prefer Nikon because of the vibrant colors. Not necessarily D60 though >> but then again, they are pro’s. Their camera bodies have all the advanced features which might not be in D60.
450D
- captures natural colors >> not so vibrant as Nikon though – but there’s always digital editing
- has live view which is useful for shots that cannot be captured using the viewfinder (ex. shots from the ground) >> the Pro’s who chose Nikon over Canon have camera bodies that have the viewfinder feature
- more frequent price-down’s than Nikon >> this can be good if you’re willing to wait for the price to go down (but you’ll miss a lot of moments!), or this can be bad if you just purchased a camera and then the price goes down (you should’ve waited a little bit longer!)
Lastly, i looked at photos taken by D60 and by 450D. My conclusion: it all depends on the photographer!
I guess i’ll opt for 450D for the more advanced body.
Hi i`m not much of a pro myself but i did some research … and have handled both cameras… and i believe that the final result attainable by both is very close..
to close to pay an additional 770€ to go for the cannon with only the normal lens when the nikkon kit comes with 18-55 + 70-300 lenses and costs only 562€
i was previously canon prone but the massive difference in price tipped my scale.
i have a 450D, it’s alright but i had a go of a d60 and it felt way more solid and reliable. The 450D is a bit wobbly, the lens and the fl;ash both rattle a bit.
Also the auto iso on the 450D is hard to predict what it’s going to do, but i think the auto iso on the D60 is controllable, and going up to 1600 is a big plus that the 450D auto iso won’t do.
Also the 450D makes a really annoying high pitched squeak when the pictures been taken, drives me nuts.
Anyone agree?
I have recently bought my Nikon D60 in Thailand. I just ingored the fact that it was made in Thailand — the quality check is still that of Nikon. I also ingnored the liveview advantage of Canon 450D and XSI as the view finder is more realistic and helps save the battery big time so you could take more photos. Nikon eye sensor also helps save battery life. For me the real seller was Nikon software. I loved its crop, red eye reduction and touch up features.
I actually also felt that the picture taken from Nikon D 60 were sharper than comparable Canons.
I would infact compare D60 with Canon XSi and mention hat Nikon at $ 560 is real great value for money.
after spending a lot of time reading through this, looking for help, i somewhat got a little bit help, but still, desided to not purchase a dslr, since it looked more like a debate between nikon fans and cannon fans.. the “flip a coin” was the best advice i extracted from here.
-noobie
Please…
I have a Fuji S9600 at the moment and I want to upgrade to a DSLR. Reading the comments on here no one seems to have concluded which is best. Given that the D60 is cheaper to start with, and the cashback offer they are running till end of March makes it even cheaper I am swaying to become a “Nikonian”. Are the extra features here and there really worth an extra £150?
Basically I purchased the Fuji when my son was born as I wanted to be able to take good quality photographs. The overal quality of the S9600 is excellent, however shutter lag is an issue. I want a DSLR so I can focus on the baby and take several shots with little shutter lag. I will probably never get another lense and just settle for the anti-vibration lense that comes with the D60.
Would I be making the right choice for my requirements? Or should I invest that extra £150 and go for the Canon?
I’ve been the very satisfied owner of a 450D for about a month now. I too was caught up in the 450D vs D60 0r D80 debate. I know that alot of people say they like the feel of the Nikons better, but for me, the opposite was true. The Canon felt more substantual when I held it and I also love the more ergonomic placement of the shutter button.
Countless reviews have concluded that the 450D will give you somewhat better picture quality. My personal experience confirms this. The vast majority of the photos I’ve taken are tack sharp with incredible detail, and extremely well exposed. The handful of exceptions have been due to user error. I also like how it handles high ISO noise better than the Nikons do. Noise is pretty much nonexistant until 800 ISO, and even then it is very fine and has a very film like quality to it. In fact, my only gripe with the camera so far is that it is limited to a max of 1600 ISO. Seeing how well it handles that, I believe that 3200 ISO would have been very usable. I also have concluded that 12 MP seems to be the sweet spot for cropped sensor camera resolution. Any more than that seems to have a negative effect on image quality, due to the smaller size of the pixels. But, I will grant that the difference between 10 and 12 MP is slight and only noticable if you print 13×19 or larger…which I do, or if you do aggresive cropping.
Alasdair Thom, if I were you, I would exchange your camera for another 450D. Yours may be a dud. My 450D is rock solid. No wobbling or rattling of any kind. The only noise it makes, outside of the sound of the mirror flipping up, is a slight high pitched sound when I use the Image Stabilization of the EF-S 55-200mm lens.
I also find the Live View feature to be quite useful to verify that focus is tack sharp when taking macros and when taking pictures in low light when using any kind of long telephoto glass.
I also like the new Digic III Image Processor. It is very fast, and although the enhancements are subtle, when added up, they make a noticable difference. The superior technology used in the Canon also helped me to make my decision. The D80 is still a fine camera, but in today’s constantly shifting tech landscape, it is old. the D60 is also a very good camera, but, other than the jump from 6 MP to 10MP, I just didn’t see enough that differentiates it from the D40x.
That leads me to my last point. Many of you seem dismissive of the small tech and spec advantages that the 450D holds over the D60. But, those small advantages truly do add up. All of these cameras are great. There is no such thing as a bad DSLR any more. So, when ranking them all, the difference between the one at the top and the one at the bottom is going to be decided by those very details and subtle enhancements that many people dismiss.
Look, either way, you really can’t go wrong. Chances are that anyone who’s new to DSLR’s who buys either of these cameras is going to be thrilled with the results, once they get past the learning curve. But, when it comes down to it, when compared to the D60,or the D80, the 450D is the superior camera body. But, even after coming to that conclusion, you have to consider the fact that you’re not just buying a camera. You’re buying into a system. And, for me, the Canon system is the more appealing one. Good luck to all.
Joe
If you’re thinking of buying a Nikon D60, I’d hold off until next week. A lot of rumors are circulating the web that Nikon will release a replacement for the D60 at PMA 2009 (March 3 – 5). I for one am waiting to see what happens next week before buying.
Jake
Compare to both D60 vs D450, I think it is up to photographer. They are very compatible in spec.. However, D60 price is more reasonable. For someone who considers about budget, D60 is the right choice.
I own both now and the Canon is by far the better. the nikons colour is so dark and grainy even with noise reduction on. the colour representation on the canon is definatley the best. the half a frame a second more is actually much better. i didnt think it would make much of a difference but it is pretty good. and the extra mega pixels mean i get to crop much further. people need to remember mega pixels are not just for printing. the lenses are so much better for the canon.
i think these results are all reflected in the pricing. the canons more cos you get so much more for your money. simple.
settle it with one question, which one gets the best picures of the moon ?!
I just bought my D60 last week, and Im not satisfied with it’s picture quality. and I have’nt try the canon 450d yet. Im still thinking if I will be upgrading to 450D. Need to work for some cash though. But I recommend you guys not to buy D60, Yes it is cheap but it’s not that great cam as most of us think. Now I tried Nikon, I can say thar I will still go for Canon SLR, though Canon is quite expensive than Nikon. But you will have picture perfect photos with it. Im pretty sure with that.
Its good to have a thread like this. Till next time.
Rather than mindlessly comparing specs and features I would suggest that you consider how the distinguishing features are likely to (1)enhance the quality of the photo itself, (2) create more opportunities for you to get a precious photo, and (3) enhance the photographic experience itself. Examples of each:
(1) A bread and butter issue: Nikon’s matrix metering system is reputed to produce very reliable exposures, which is a huge plus for beginners who will be trusting their meters. As the owner of a Canon 1000D/XS, I can tell you that the evaluative metering in this camera is not terribly reliable. I have not compared each side by side, but I think this is one area where Nikon stands out.
Active D-Lighting/Highlight Tone priority also fall in this camp. Which one is more effective? Do some research.
(2) Lenses lenses lenses. More than your camera body your lens is the single most important factor in getting amazing photos. Your kit lens will only get you so far before you yearn for something different/better. Personally I enjoy prime lenses. For this reason the D60 was not an option for me, as AF with older primes is not possible on that camera. Since the release of the new SWD Nikon 50mm f/1.4 and the 35mm f/1.8 lenses this seems to be less of an issue, but there are plenty of existing Nikon lenses that require the in-body motor not present on the D60.
Live view also belongs here. It has allowed me to get sharp photos where the AF system was limited (shallow depth of field situations).
High ISO capability: Image quality at ISO 3200 may not be great, but it might be just what you need to capture an amazing scene that would otherwise be impossible to photograph.
(3) Build quality, hand grip, viewfinder, overall ease of use – I didn’t give too much weight to these factors, but I would consider them more if I were buying now. At first I thought I could live just fine with the grip on the 1000D/450D (they’re the same shape with different materials), but the more I use it the more it bugs me. Also, the buttons on the Canons seem a little cheap and plasticky to me. In general, I’m more impressed with Nikon in this respect. That said, the Canon has lots of external controls and makes changing settings pretty straightforward. Spend some time holding each camera and truly consider which one feels best. This may be more important than you think.
what’s the point of comparing a Nikon D60 to a Canon XSI. Canon wins hands down. D60 from my opinion is simply 1/2 tier lower than the XSI. I own a D200, a D90, a D60, and I used Xsi, Xti, 5D, let me tell you, D60 is the worst of them all in terms of tech specs, but for a real photographer none of them make too much difference than the others. Period.
I have recently purchased a brand new XSi. If I had to choose between a full priced D60 and a full priced XSi, I’d take the D60, except if the XSi is at +50$ max for the bracketting feature.
The review felt quite biased, but it doesn’t change the fact it has good points. There’s many features on the XSi which are not worth the price.
I got lucky and got my XSi from someone who won it and didn’t want to learn dSLR. There’s always good deals running around. If you can get a super lens deal, buy the body for it. If you can get a super body deal, get it. If you can have both, even better!
I also got a brand new flash for almost half the price. The choice was obvious.
What I am unsure of now is the XS vs D60.
I bought a 450D a month ago and am very disappointed. It is very hard to get a crisp shot either with the 18-55 or with a 50mm lens. I have read on several places over the net that there is a problem with the autofocus on this Canon. I regret I didn’t get the D60 because with my previous D40, I never got those blurry landscapes I get with the 450D. If I can bring it back to the store, I will get a D60 for sure.
“canon are built by engineers and nikon are by photographers”
Actually. I have been into photography for about 4 years, and have used the D40,60,70,80, and 200. Its a lot more user freindly and the live veiw is useful for experimenting. (If you’re into that of course) The starter lens is aweful though. Take that into account if you’re just starting out. You’ll have to spend at least 200 to get a good enough lens to adequately compete with the D60,80 and D200.
Hmmm…
I own a Nikon D40 (6.1mp and proud of it) and I could not be happier with it! Please keep in mind that it’s not really so much the machine that matters as is the person holing it and shooting with it… I used to work at a local retailer in the imaging department selling cameras and it always made me laugh (inside) when people (some claiming to be pros) who knew absolutely NOTHING about cameras but they went with Canon or Nikon because this had X megapixels or that had Y focus points, etc and yet they had no clue what those things even meant! Buy what you can afford and develop your skills by practicing and having fun. Your pictures will not look any better because you are shooting with a 10mp camera vs a 4mp camera, etc. Certainly if you reach a certain skill level, you may want to get a camera that matches your needs, but let’s face it – most of us will be entirely content with something that will just take awesome photos! Cheers!
“most of us will be entirely content with something that will just take awesome photos! Cheers!”
Both the 450d and d60 will probably do this and are certainly good choices for people who are just learning the ins and outs of photography. I happen to be one of those people and researched quite a lot on both cameras and the newer 1000d too.
These cameras are so close to each other on the technical front that it really doesn’t make a big difference for a beginner. Time spent on pondering which one to buy could be spent on learning the basics of photography and actually taking nice pictures.
Sure you might hit the limitations of these cameras and the kit linses in the future but then you have advanced to a point that you actually know enough on the subject to know what you need. Then you can base your future purchases on that knowledge.
As a beginner you can only research that neither of these cameras has obvious flaws and both will probably suit your needs for some time. Then just go with you heart (and wallet), and pick the one that looks nicer, is cheaper, feels better on your hand, sounds nicer, won the coin toss etc.
I’ll be going with the d60 18-55 kit mostly because of the lower price, active d-lighting and the less plastic feel of the actual camera. Sure, both are made of plastic but the finish was nicer on the d60
I don’t know if it was the ultimate best choice for me, but it was a choice never the less. That means that I will be actually holding my own new shiny camera some time in the near future and do what I really want when it comes to photography: be in the outdoors taking pictures, not sitting on the computer comparing spces
Thank you
Hi all -
Excellent feedback by everyone. I too, am plagued with the decision between the two and being a newbie to DSLR. The two seem very similar. I was originally put off with the no AF on the Nikon, however will just buy an upgraded lens with one anyway. I don’t intend to be a professional photographer by any means and won’t move beyond novice (or what I consider above beginner). However I have few questions which would make my decision for me.
1) Which is better suited for sports/action/wildlife pictures (out of the box). I intend to use the camera on many trips with the kids as well as many outings to extreme/action sports events.
2) Which produces better immediate Jpeg pics (without the need of a photo editor of sorts)? I thought I heard/read somewhere that the Canon’s Jpeg pictures are too bright and too much contrast and some prefer to use RAW. Me personally won’t be using 3rd parties to truly edit the pictures (as I don’t know how). I’m the type of shoot it and use it so immediate quality picture is big for me.
Thanks much and look forward to hearing you thoughts/advice.
I am a novice in DSLR cameras but decided to upgrade from P&S. One of my brother has D40 and the other one has XSi and after comparing the pictures they sent me, i decided to go for D60 (without checking the specifications).
Reason was that the D60 pictures were crisp and sharp with natural colors while the cannon pictures were bright and kind of saturated.
As i have to take almost 100% shots keeping the camera on Auto, I decided to buy Nikon. (Mind you I am a big fan of Canon)
After i read all this comments before i had my first DSLR, than I go to local camera store, I’ve tried and compared 450D x D60 ’bout specs, body, lens, prices, and finally i decided to become Nikonian and take home D60 with me, it more handly, cheap, more variant’s for the lens and have a great pict with it.
there’s no doubt like Kenzo said up there:
“canon are built by engineers and Nikon are by photographersâ€
Dear all..
Before i had my first DSLR, i’ve read all this comments ’bout 450D vs D60 , than I go to local camera store, I’ve tried and compared 450D x D60 ’bout specs, body, lens, prices, both of the cams are great cams, but i’ve to choice and finally i decided to become Nikonian and take home D60 with me, it more handly, cheap, more variant’s for the lens and have a great pict with it.
there’s no doubt like Kenzo said up there:
“canon are built by engineers and Nikon are by photographersâ€
Trims..
Dear all..
Before I had my first dSLR, I’ve read all this comment ’bout 450D vs D60 than I went to local cams store, I’ve tried and compared 450D x D60 ’bout the specs, body, lens, & prices, both cams are great, but I’ve to choice finally I decided to become Nikonian and take home D60 with me, because it more handy, more variants lens, cheap, and have a great Pict with it
there’s no doubt like Kenzo said up there:
“canon are built by engineers and Nikon are by photographersâ€
Trims..
focus focus focus = Nikon Nikon Nikon
Before I bought my first DSLR camera, i made many many research(google, yahoo, some blogspots) what is the best entry level camera and brand, and I ended up choosing NIKON SLR. Got my d60 last April and im very much satisfied with it. In short, better camera quality (NIKON!!!! NIKON!!!!) and best hand of photographer equals great great photo.:D
To all,
It is good to hear that everyone is doing his/her own research and finding which one is better. Comparing Nikon with Canon is a debate that has been going on since don’t know when and will continue to do so. Reviews today is pretty much biased and/or lack of other information. The reviews are pretty common method through out, one model with another model. However, there’s a few more things to remember when doing review. It is GOOD to review model with another model. I just want to ADD a few more variables in making decisions.
What is your goal in photography?
If you’re just a standard person who wants to have a DSLR to play with, AND not thinking of going further into photography? Then either one would be fine.
If you’re thinking of doing it for a longer period, meaning perhaps to earn a living one day (part-time or full time) THEN more things will need to think about. Lenses (types and money).
Canon has way more lenses than Nikon but that’s not the main issue is there? I mean, you have a wider selection but you’re just using one. Example, Nikon has 70-200mm (previously one single model but now two), Canon has FOUR models of the same lens. So? If that matters to you, then you can make things out. So many Nikon users are fine with even one (previously).
Flash systems (wedding photography or other events comes to mind). If you’re into photography and would like to excel in Flash photography discpline, may change your mind once again. Everyone knows, including Canon users, the Nikon cameras have easier flash control systems than Canon.
Lastly, if you’re a consumer who is “very concerned about customer service”, you’ll find it EVEN harder to decided. If you “Google” for “Customer Service Nikon” and “Customer Service Canon”, the horrors on BOTH sides can make you change your mind. However, bear in mind, there’s only a small percentage of such happenings. If not, either company would have folded.
Remember when you do a comparison on cameras, it’s NOT only the model that you’re getting but the ENTIRE SYSTEM.
Wow… after reading all of people opinions in this forum.. I have come to a conclusion that either nikon or canon will do fine. There is no right or wrong choices between these two. My brother has Canon 450D and my father has Nikon D60, both of them are very happy and proud of their photos taken by their cameras. As a middle man who is still researching which camera to go with, I will have to say that I like the picture quality better on nikon, it has a better colour and sharper feel in the image itself. After all, picture quality is what you are aim for as a photographer… So, I decided to buy nikon D60… wish me luck
“Canon has way more lenses than Nikon but that’s not the main issue is there? I mean, you have a wider selection but you’re just using one.”
I have to say, I find that a slightly odd statement. Perhaps you mean that Canon have more models than Nikkor currently? In the wider market, I can buy any Nikon-fit lens from after 1967 and drop it into my D60 in manual mode. EOS lenses are much more recent. On the other hand, for a user who wanted an “upgradeable point and click” I would possibly recommend the 450D.. At least till the D5000 came out!
I have a Nikon D60 which I bought about 18 months ago. My son has a Canon 450D and I must say I prefer the colour rendition of the Canon. The other thing I find is that you don’t have to dive as deep into the menus to change the f number on the Canon as you do on the Nikon. It was a surprise, coming from an SLR, to find how awkward it is to change such a basic feature.
I find the colours on the Nikon are a bit vivid and have to be toned down afterwards.
Let’s rethink this for just a little bit… We are talking about entry-level cameras right? And for entry-level, most are novice and soon-to-be photographer wannabes. Nikon and Canon hold several differences as well as similarities. While the Nikon D60 holds true to more vivid colors, the 450D’s AutoFocus function and Live View would be the clincher here. I was once a beginner at taking photographs and the AutoFocus function taught me what a quality picture should look like. After moving up the ladder on DSLR bodies, and having tried Nikon’s as well. Functionality will point you towards the Canon 450D. Nikon’s D60 is not as user-friendly like the 450D given that you have to dive in to the menu to make changes to your settings. The 450D’s user-frienldy feature makes it easier to make changes without going to the menus – and again, we are talking about entry-level cameras and functionality.
Hence, the conclusion that the Canon450D is better than Nikon’s D60. Photo manipulation when taken RAW can also spell the difference in picture quality.
My two cents…
I’m an amateur so i’m gonna be objective here.I used a Nikon D40 (my friend’s) and let me tell you that it’s hard to take photographs at night without LIVE VIEW. It hurts your eye believe me!!!! Imagine looking into a tiny hole without light and trying to focus. This is the main reason I want the XSi.
Wow that really is a useful list. I know what I want to do but I can see it being useful for others. Loved it!
not a bad way of putting it haha