illininitt

Go to Greentoe.com and buy a Canon T7I! Thats where I bought mine.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Go to your local camera store, handle the model of each that’s within your price range, and purchase the one that feels best to you, has the most intuitive menu structure, etc.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Neither...

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Concur.

PeterBergh

The first thing you want to decide is how much weight you are willing to lug around. A small camera with interchangeable lenses would be a Micro 4/3. Such a camera is much lighter (on the order of half) than a so-called full-frame camera and the lenses are light in proportion. The APS-C cameras are somewhere in the middle, weight wise.

With today's technology all of them produce images of similar quality although, the bigger the sensor the better the image quality tends to be.

The second consideration is the total system (cameras, lenses, and accessories) available for a given brand and how much you expect your needs to change over time. If, for the foreseeable future, you don't see yourself getting more than one or two lenses, then almost any brand will do. If you see yourself buying a "zoo" of lenses, Canon and Nikon have the biggest assortment.

The third consideration is whether you want a DSLR or a mirrorless camera. Today, the DSLRs give you the most flexibility. A couple of years down the road, things may be different.

Finally, you should check ergonomics: how well the cameras you are considering fit your hands, how well you can access the controls, etc.

repleo Loc: Boston

Janet, before you try to decide between Canon and Nikon you should educate yourself about DSLR vs Mirrorless. The camera industry is moving towards mirrorless for several reasons. If you are coming from a compact or 'bridge' camera, you should find the transition to mirrorless easier than a DSLR. A Sony A6000 with the 'kit' 16-50 mm lens would be a great choice for you and would be pretty close to your $600 budget. Sony lenses do tend to be a bit more expensive than equivalent Canon /Nikon lenses because they are nearly all newly developed lenses with the latest technology. However, the beauty of the A6000 is that you can put nearly any lens you want on it with a cheap $10 adapter. There are many great film era lenses available on eBay and thrift stores for very small money. Manual focus is very easy on the A6000 and for exposure you get to see exactly what you are going to capture in the viewfinder.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Nicely said! I have been watching that with some amusement!

10MPlayer Loc: California

Don't often agree with Ron but REALLY? Really? Geez! Do you have any effing idea how many time this question has been asked. Ever heard of Google? What amazes me is that anyone actually takes the question seriously enough to give a sincere answer.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

What?! Your camera doesn’t speak to you?

jdub82 Loc: Northern California

The OP is brand new to UHH. There is no reason she would be aware of the endless discussions that have occurred here on the Canon vs. Nikon debate. She simply asked a sincere question.

jdub82 Loc: Northern California

Janet, Welcome to the forum. As others have said, either brand would likely serve you well. Both brands offer refurbished cameras that come with a factory warranty. Canon sells refurbished DSLRS with a full one year warranty at some great prices on the Canon website. For instance, Canon is currently offering an EOS Rebel T6i with 15-55mm kit lens for $578.00. Nikon is offering a refurbished D5600 with an 18-55mm kit lens for $599.00. Nikon offers a 3 month factory warranty. Both of these cameras are a step above their entry level DSLR, and offer more features. Cameta Camera sells factory refurbished Nikons and extends the warranty to one year. The reason I suggest considering refurbished, is that you may be able get a bit more advanced camera within your $600.00 budget. cameradecision.com provides an opportunity to compare the features of each camera side by side. I would also encourage visiting a camera store to handle each model and see which one you might prefer.

JDawson Loc: Boise, Idaho

Since you're not yet caught in the Nikon vs Canon trap, you're free to start in mirror-less. Add $50 to your budget and look at the Sony a6000.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I8BICB2

I'm a Nikon guy, but mirror-less is clearly the future. Don't get sucked into this age old argument.

John

Trustforce Loc: Chicago, Illinois

Janet, first of all, welcome. Any entry level dDSL will work in your budget. Don't worry about Canon vs Nikon, just pick which seems more comfortable for you to hold.

Right now, Costco is selling just what you need for either company and they have them on display so you can hold them:
https://www.costco.com/Nikon-D3400-DSLR-Camera-2-Lens-Bundle.product.100313565.html. Price $599
https://www.costco.com/Canon-EOS-Rebel-T6-DSLR-Camera-2-Lens-Bundle.product.100288979.html Price $549

Great way to get started with a digital single lens reflex camera. On the other hand, I could make a convincing case for you to buy a better camera either well cared for (with a relatively low shutter count) or factory Refurbished. I could make a strong argument for that choice if you were interested.

duane klipping Loc: Bristow iowa

I also researched on the Internet on the two brands and Nikon edged out Canon based on my research for what I wanted.

In the end it is your decision and your money don't depend on this post you made here deciding for you. Either brand is good and neither one will make your pictures again only you can do that.

Susan2 Loc: Iowa

Oh, dearie me!! I am laughing!
Thank you so much!

Susan