The Canon 60D is Better than the Nikon D7000 for the Casual Photographer

There are tons of articles and videos out there about the competition between the Canon 60D and the Nikon D7000 DSLR cameras. The reason I feel the need to contribute another one is that I think most of those other reviews tend to favor the professional or semi-professional photographer. I admit to having spent hours and hours reading and watching videos trying to figure out which camera would be the better one for me and my wife, 2 definitely non-professionals who tend to use our cameras to take pictures of family and friends most of the time.

So where were we coming from? We were upgrading from a long line of point and shoot cameras, mostly from the Kodak Easyshare line. They've taken decent pictures over the years and the last one we got even records high def video! That said, there was always something laking in the final shots and we just decided that, since over the last 8 years or so we've definitely spent over $1000 on 4 different cameras, we should just take the plunge and spend over $1000 on one really good camera.

So how does one decide whether the Canon 60D or the Nikon D7000 camera is better? Some would argue based on specifications. The 60D is higher megapixels but the D7000 takes faster continuous shooting. The 60D records better video but the D7000 has better autofocus while recording video. The Canon 60D has the articulating screen but all the articles tell you never to use the "live view" anyway.

Another option is to go to a serious camera shop and demo the units and talk to the staff. Check and check. At the end of a lengthy session explaining all the ins and outs to this noob, I finally asked the pro for a recommendation. He pulled out a quarter and told me to flip it. As far as he was concerned, they are basically about equal.

Yet another way to do research is to read the reviews. This was ok, but probably not as useful as buying your average product. It seems that there are serious Canon and Nikon fanboys and girls out there. As a result, lots of the reviews get slanted one way or the other.

The final way to figure this all out? Buy both cameras, test them out with shot for shot photos and then blind test your wife to see which set of pictures (both on the computer screen and developed) looks better.

We did this using full auto for both cameras and at the end of the day, the Canon 60D had produced much better pictures than the Nikon D7000. The colors were richer and the images crisper. This was contrary to what virtually every personal friend I'd asked told me. Everyone said the Nikon is going to take the better pictures but it just wasn't the case. Now, I did read one really helpful bit of info (and I wish I could credit the author) about this. I remember reading a comment that said something like "The D7000 will take the better pictures but you have to work harder to get them." That was a statement that made all the sense in the world to a person like me.

As for other intangibles, I think the grip is much nicer on the Canon 60D and it just felt better in my hand. The controls were really intuitive so even figuring out how to selectively focus was a snap. The camera has an easy to use dial with the major defaults for portraits, landscapes, and sports which is just like the old point and shoots and this makes the transition super easy. I haven't really shot any video yet but I didn't use that as a deciding factor anyway. I'm taking photos with this camera, after all.

I hope that for anyone like me out there, this short write up may prove helpful in making that final decision. .

Here are a few links to pages that I found useful:

• Gizmodo Canon 60D Review
• CNET Canon 60D Review

And a couple of useful videos as well:

DigitalRevTV: Nikon D7000 vs Canon 60D

Jared Polin from FroKnowsPhoto Canon 60D Tutorial

Lastly, once you get the Canon 60D, you will probably want to grab a few more accessories. The most recommended are:

• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens for shooting high quality portraits
• Canon Holster Style Case will get used a lot and is a great case when you only need 1 lens. You can use it while you figure out how much space you really need for all the gear you will buy.
• Tiffen 67mm UV Lens Filter is a $15 must have to protect your kit lens from basic damage to the front glass.
• Canon Lens Hood to control light flares better and add yet a bit more protection to the lens.

If I can think of anything else, I'll repost. At this point though, after having the camera for only a few weeks, I am still marveling at the quality of the photos and at how easily my wife has picked everything up.