hey photographers!

[qiphlow]

i'm gonna pull the trigger on a digital slr in a couple of months. i've narrowed it down to 2 choices: the olympus e-520, or the canon rebel xsi. does anyone use either of these brands of camera? any opinions? i've read all the big review sites, so i'm looking more for actual user experience. thanks, gang.

[Felipe Bidó]

I'd recommend Canon Rebel. I have seen some Olympus and, their digital versions are a bit slow.

[mrtoes]

i'm gonna pull the trigger on a digital slr in a couple of months. i've narrowed it down to 2 choices: the olympus e-520, or the canon rebel xsi. does anyone use either of these brands of camera? any opinions? i've read all the big review sites, so i'm looking more for actual user experience. thanks, gang.

I'm a pretty serious photo nerd and I say this:

Forget the tech unless there is a feature you are specifically after, go into a shop and try them out. The one that feels best in your hands after 60 seconds is yours. Seriously.

All digital SLRs these days are awesome technically, the only thing left is finding the one that feels like an extension of your hands, and that's personal. For me, I find the cheapo Canon Rebels a bit plasticy and slow, but lots of people love them and make some stunning prints out of them. Do try out the competing models from other brands, both Nikon and Sony are very respectable choices as well. (I'm a Nikon man myself)

[Darth Rock&Roll]

go canon, head and shoulders above the olympus in my opinion.

I too am a Nikon guy. Looking at a D90 soon seeing as I only use a D70 currently and didn't upgrade to the D80
I hate Sony because of their damn proprietary crap that makes offloading photos a tiresome and tedious process.

If you got a wad of cash, go Leica (high end) or Hasselblad! lol

[Dmitri]

I would say Canon but I haven't had direct experience with an Olympus SLR... the reviews of the model you mentioned aren't bad at all, so who knows.

Here's a good website for your research: http://dpreview.com/
Go under 'buying guide', then 'side-by-side' menu -- here are your two models:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare ... 0&show=all

Make sure to read the reviews; can also see samples.

[qiphlow]

thanks, dmitri. i've pored over that site alot lately. didn't know about the side-by side, however.