Originally Posted by mikesouth

the bottom line is that in the hands of a pro any digital slr with a decent CCD and optics is a good choice because we primarily shoot in manual mode

I shoot print magazine layouts with a D100 but could get identical results with a D40

exposure is exposure it doesnt vary from camera to camera so when it comes to more expensive cameras all you are paying for are the extras like exposure modes and metering and whatnot...if the glass is comparable and the CCDs are the same size as long as the camera is calibrated properly any manual mode DSLR is as good as another

if you arent a pro this stuff matters a bit more...if you dont already have lenses then Id use this as my guidline:

where will you be shooting?

If you only shoot in clean environments like studios etc go with either one

If you are going to shoot in harsh environments (the desert, the beach etc) FOR sure go with the Nikon Nikons are known for their durability,,,theres a reason the F5 was the camera of choice for photojournalists....you couldn't hurt it.

I shot in the desert outside vegas once an all day shoot had a Nikon DSLR and a canon DSLR also had a sony minidv cam (dx1000) and a canon (xl1)

The sony and the nikon survived the shoot both canons got sand in them (from the wind) and died

that told me all I will ever need to know.