Member of the Month

KilaTsunami
October, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Nikon D3100 vs Canon Rebel t2i

profile picture
simon44
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 1,185
I am considering both cameras. They appear to have very similar features except the nikon is 100 dollars cheaper. Anyone have any suggestions to lead me in a certain direction. I am also gonna be getting a 50 mm prime and a wide angle lens.

Your input is much appreciated.
Jan 6 2011 10:42PM
0 0
profile picture
SeanTom
Posts: 7936 - Karma: 1,747
what are you using it for?
Jan 6 2011 10:43PM
0 0
profile picture
simon44
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 1,185
mainly video with some photography.
Jan 6 2011 10:52PM
0 0
profile picture
jibbinc.
Posts: 3355 - Karma: 2,497
i can tell you now simon that the video from canons is alot better then video from nikon.

+ if you get the t2i we can share lens's and share video clips ( two angles :) )
Jan 6 2011 11:30PM
0 0
profile picture
simon44
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 1,185
which lenses do you have

Jan 6 2011 11:41PM
0 0
profile picture
MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
Nikon for photo, Canon for video. That's all you really need to know for this decision.
Jan 7 2011 12:17AM
0 0
profile picture
jibbinc.
Posts: 3355 - Karma: 2,497
50mm f1.8
75 - 300mm f 4 - 5.6
17 - 50 f2.8
Jan 7 2011 12:43AM
0 0
profile picture
simon44
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 1,185
nice. ya im leaning towards the canon right now but I'm still gonna do some research
Jan 7 2011 12:51AM
0 0
profile picture
CK.
Posts: 1615 - Karma: 110

im looking into the same thing...

and correct me if im wrong but isnt the t2i 18 megapixels over the d3100s 14...?

Jan 7 2011 8:11AM
0 0
profile picture
SassySloth
Posts: 3753 - Karma: 2,095
The nikon d3100 does not have a mic input plug in and the buiilt in mic sucks.

the T2i does have one.
Jan 7 2011 8:55AM
0 0
profile picture
MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
You're right. But the Nikon takes far better pictures than the Canon in my opinion. I used both, and went with the D3100.
Jan 7 2011 9:41AM
0 0
profile picture
simon44
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 1,185
And I was told that unless you blow up an image to a billboard picture, your not gonna notice the difference between 14 and 18 megapixals
Jan 7 2011 10:52AM
0 0
profile picture
jibbinc.
Posts: 3355 - Karma: 2,497
thats true, but if your printing it out even for a picture frame you might notice.


Depends if your more into Photo or Video. If your taking both the i suggest the T2i or 60Pr
Jan 7 2011 12:01PM
0 0
profile picture
Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
unlesss your picture is 16 feet X 20 feet, or you are cropping down to a tiny tiny portion of your image, no you wont.
Jan 7 2011 12:06PM
0 0
profile picture
blakroc
Posts: 2323 - Karma: 28
canons better for video and the nikon has auto focus on its video which you dont want, takes the artistic aspect out of it
Jan 7 2011 1:04PM
0 0
profile picture
Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
right because everyone knows you cant just turn autofocus off.......



please dont give advice if you dont know what you are talking about. camera's are expensive, it sucks to buy the wrong one because you followed inaccurate advice.
Jan 7 2011 1:38PM
0 0
profile picture
CK.
Posts: 1615 - Karma: 110

hahah exactly!

its the same switch for pics and video

Jan 7 2011 4:05PM
0 0
profile picture
jason...
Posts: 9006 - Karma: 780
you keep saying nikon takes better pictures than canon but never listing any real reasons as to why. are you simply biased because you own a nikon?
Jan 7 2011 5:42PM
0 0
profile picture
CK.
Posts: 1615 - Karma: 110

agreed, sorry to thread jack but im in the same boat camera wise...
like to my knowledge isnt the canon better overall..?

what makes the nikon "better" than the t2i in any way...

Jan 7 2011 5:54PM
0 0
profile picture
Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
i hear the d3100 has really really good high ISO performance (i havent shot with one personally).
Jan 7 2011 10:51PM
0 0
profile picture
MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
Farrrrrrr better high ISO performance, truer colors, less grain. I think the Canon's are overly vivid and get grainy. But it's just my opinion. And for the record I spent a ton of time on both Canon and Nikon before I bought.
Jan 8 2011 1:13AM
0 0
profile picture
MatRich
Posts: 4789 - Karma: 1,813
the ISO is fine on the t2i. is the D 3100 still automatic video? is there full control over exposure? the mic in those cameras is pure garbage, and you dont have the option of geting a mic plugged in. The autofocus with the 3100 is pure and total bullshit. it does not have af in video, dont let anyone tell you otherwise. Only the alpha 33 and 55 from sony have this option based on a physical limitation (miror) that they removed. You have more frame rate options on the t2i. there is no video reason to switch to nikon. the truth is they are far behind even in their best models. And to the people who swear nikon makes better images with no proof: stop being little fanboys and actualy compare. its a different look, not one that is amazing and the other that is not.
Jan 8 2011 8:14AM
0 0
profile picture
MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
Take your head out of your ass and read the first post I made in this thread. If you knew anything, you'd know that the D3100 does in fact have AF during video. And if you read what I said, you'd notice that IT IS MY OPINION that Nikon takes better pictures, although it is fact that Nikon's glass is sharper, Kikon has better AF, Nikon has better ISO performance etc. OP and everyone else, PLEASE do not listen to this ignorant fuck. He's giving you false information.
Jan 8 2011 9:29PM
0 0
profile picture
WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
it doesn't really have AF during video. it's a fake "AF" that Nikon uses as a gimmick to make it seem better. Here's why:

On the T2i, you can autofocus during video. However, it involves pressing a button which makes the focus go crazy for a second before becoming focused. The "autofocus" on the D3100 is basically the equivalent of repeatedly pressing that button on the T2i . True video autofocus, especially on a good video camera, usually won't act like that. Much of the time, depending on the shot, you can't even tell a real video camera might be using autofocus. It's very subtle and very fast. Here's an example of the D3100 autofocus and I think you will see what I mean. It's really useless.



to the best of my knowledge, Sony is the only DSLR manufacturer to include true video autofocus as of right now.


Jan 8 2011 9:44PM
0 0
profile picture
WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
wow serious embed fail. let's try that again




Jan 8 2011 9:46PM
0 0
profile picture
MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
Haha word, but he said it lacks it, which it does not. It's just pretty useless as you said.
Jan 8 2011 9:51PM
0 0
profile picture
WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
true true. although if i had to guess, i think he meant what i did. the autofocus is so bad and pointless, it basically doesn't have it. until nikon and canon include autofocus like Sony's, I'll keep saying that nikon and canon don't have autofocus so people don't get the wrong idea.
Jan 8 2011 9:54PM
0 0
profile picture
MatRich
Posts: 4789 - Karma: 1,813
stop being such a know it all little bitch. The fact of the matter is, their autofocus is a gimick. Its still doing contrast focus by sweep searching like the t2i. it just dissabled the exposure compensation to find focus and has a quicker af processor. It is still not autofocus since it clearly sucks, the lens is jittery and uncostant.

Once again the a33 and a55 from sony are the only cameras on the market with REAL af. Your going around calling me an idiot for not knowing anything, this might teach you a few things. why DSLR's cant focus during video: they read focus off of the miror... and the fucking miror is lifted for video: NO AF! what most cameras do is do a sweeping af: the sensor calculates the contrast information while the lens sweeps in and out of focus. it finds its way eventualy to the sharpest point by sweeping pas perfect af a few times. This is what nikon does but it just does it better than most other cameras. The only way to have real af on a DSLR is the way sony does it. Sony has a miror that is semi translucid so that it can read the focus information on the miror while still letting light pass through to the sensor.

things you stated as facts which are in fact opinions: sharper glass, when compared in general, maybee, but model to model... no, not always. better af: Im sorry I prefer my 9 point af, Im sorry its not enough for you, but its realy all you need and its easyer/ quicker for me to manage... once again opinion. yes it does have better ISO but it doesnt have 60fps, it has a smaller dynamic range, theres no way to preview your video in 16/9 before recording. Im still not 100% sure but it looks like there is no control over ISO during shooting, which would completely destroy the advantage of low noise since it can boost the ISO to a noisy setting without being stopped.

thank you, fuck off.

fuck off with your false information bullshit, Im actualy giving information not opinion, you dont understand anything you say, you just repeat what the webz people are saying.
Jan 8 2011 10:07PM
0 0
profile picture
MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
Haha I lol'd. I'm pretty sure my dog understands how AF works and how a semi-translucent mirror works. And when did I say Nikon had 60fps? If you read my first post in the thread you'd know how I stand. No, 9 AF points is not better. I'm sorry you don't have the mental capacity to handle more. Sharper glass is not subjective. It's objective, which makes it fact and not opinion. You can measure it.


Please, stop making an ad hominum argument, and blow me. You can take a video of it if you want. Because your Canon shoots 60fps you can show it in slomo to all your friends after you edit it to some biggie smalls and shit.
Jan 8 2011 10:33PM
0 0
profile picture
simon44
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 1,185
thanks to all who have put in their input.I am pretty sure that I am going to go with the t2i.
Jan 8 2011 10:41PM
0 0
profile picture
LuminatX
Posts: 197 - Karma: 40
Good choice my man
Jan 8 2011 10:44PM
0 0
profile picture
MatRich
Posts: 4789 - Karma: 1,813
your clearly dummer than a dog then if you thought it was good AF. No 9 point af is not less good, its just not overkill, I dont need more than those points since I know how to frame a shot with focus in mind, I dont just need to point and shoot which is what the nikon af system is made for, and theres only a 2 point difference between these two cameras. Sharpness isnt subjective but dont say that all nikon glasses are sharper in all cases, they are generaly sharper but when you compare specific glasses, canon also comes out on top from time to time. so what you said was a generalisation. And the 60 fps wasnt to refute your arguments, I am still responding to this thread and stating strong pointes the camera has. and stop bullshiting me about the quaility of my work and go have a look.
Jan 8 2011 10:45PM
0 0
profile picture
MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
Lol. I rest my case.
Jan 8 2011 10:55PM
0 0
profile picture
simon44
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 1,185
End of thread. thank you
Jan 9 2011 12:51AM
0 0
profile picture
erikK
Posts: 3245 - Karma: 2,328
I'm the guy who you asked if my camera was a D3100 on the gondola the other day.  Megapixels hardly make a difference at all, once you get past 6 or 8 you can't see the difference unless the picture is wall sized.  I never knew the 3100 has no mic input, but depending on what you're filming you might not mind if it has bad audio or not.  (FTR, the D7000 has a mic input)  The 3100's ISO range is probably far better than the t2i, but the t2i has 60p and I THINK better manual video controls.  Neither of the camera's will be able to use old lenses, but if you make the step up to the D7000 you will be able to. 
IMO it comes down to whether you have anything already that will work with the camera, but I would recommend looking into the 7000 if you want to get more into photography as well, as it will blow both those cameras away, then again, so will the 7D.
I can show you my camera if you ever see me on the hill if you want to try it a bit or whatever.

Spark notes: 3100 has better ISO, t2i has better manual control, and 60p.  would recommend stepping up to the D7000.
Jan 11 2011 1:17AM
0 0
profile picture
MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
Uhhhhhhhhhhhh I know the thread is dead, but that's not true. I'm using a lens from 18986 on my D3100, it just doesn't AF, but you shouldn't be using AF taking video anyway soooooooooooo...
Jan 12 2011 12:09AM
0 0
profile picture
erikK
Posts: 3245 - Karma: 2,328
Hmm, I originally thought that was how it worked, but then one time in a camera shop some guy told me that the camera would shut off or something when you tried to use it.  I wouldn't know because I haven't owned a Nikon without the motor in the body.  Apologies
Jan 12 2011 12:41AM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)