I found that the canon left out fundamental features that I wanted, and to be fair, if you are looking at this level of camera you probs wont notice them.

Nikon’s inclusion of a top LCD, a pentamirror viewfinder w/ grid, and two click-wheels on the D80/90 shot it above the 400D/450D for usability imho, and If you like shooting manually it is far, far, superior. Just no comparison, it’s especially not fair on the canon to compare the two.

Nikon’s interface is also far superior, I have used many DSLRs, read reviews, and talked to owners; Bottom line is Nikon are very good at designing menus.
If I was in the market for this sort of camera I would take the d60, or if possible the D80.

The D80/90 essentially for one reason, it doesn’t feel like it puts limitations on a prosumer dslr photographer, the others do, to me.

The D60, well I find the grip on the canon competitors feels a lot smaller, I can’t grip them as well

In this market… Image quality wise I prefer the Nikons, the canons are different, and there isn’t even that much in it. Didn’t like the noise from the Sony Alpha competitors.

Pentax and samsungs, can’t remember if they both do it, use of weather proofing Is admirable, but the Canon and nikon have their mighty family of products.. buy a good lens for a D60, get the money and use it on a better camera, very appealing.

Here was my contribution:

@Spy to die 4: Canon is what "most people use and what most profis use?" This is true if you mean 2-3% more than Nikon. Also it’s the plurality but not the majority. Finally, the most popular brand actually depends on the market: I bet Hasselblad, Sinar or Pentax have larger marketshare in fashion photography. I bet Nikon has a much larger marketshare in nature photography. Sport photography, OTOH, is nearly entirely Canon.

But whatever it is, who says that the right brand for them is the right brand for you? These are cameras, not computers.

Here is my take.

Some entry cameras you may want to consider: Canon Rebel XT, Nikon D50, Olympus E330, Panasonic L1, Pentax *st DL2:, Pentax K100D, Sony Alpha. IMO, they’re all great cameras with a great future. If you buy the one we tell you, you’re only hurting yourself down the road.

Are they taking the photographs, or are you? A great camera is the one you love to carry with you.

As for lens selection, that’s usually a function of what sort of photos you take and what sort of needs you have. Don’t know the answer to that? Then a kit zoom and a cheap 50mm prime will probably be a good place to start.

I think that is exactly the sort of thing I mean when I say: “I think one [camera] will get you there better. The problem is I don’t know that way—only you do…It is my fundamental belief that… one of these cameras to speak to you more—for you to form a connection with it on a basic emotional level.”

Personally I chose a D70 because I chose the Nikon religion 9 years ago and it would have been silly for me to switch.