18. Lenses: Not Really Comparable

The basic lens supplied with the 350D is the EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 II zoom, an improved version of the model that came with the 300D. This is clearly an economy model; aside from the light, plastic construction, it doesn't even have a distance scale. Also, the front lens turns during focusing, which can be bothersome for certain applications - such as using a polarizing filter - and makes it impossible to use a "tulip" lens hood. As a matter of fact, no lens hood is provided with the lens. The positive side is that buying it as a kit with the 350D doesn't add that much to the price.

Nikon usually outfits the D70s with the Nikkor AF-S 18-70 f/3.5-4.5G ED. This lens has an internal AF-S focus system that's fast and silent. Its appearance is quite pleasing, and the front lens doesn't turn during focusing. It comes with a tulip-type lens hood with bayonet mount, and also has a longer reach and wider aperture at the long end. This is a more expensive lens than the one on the Canon, but it inspires a lot more confidence and seems more likely to stand up over time. Note that it costs close to $400 when purchased separately, and so it's preferable to buy it as a kit with the body, unless you've made a firm choice in favor of another model. Note that Nikon has just begun offering a new economy zoom lens for their digital SLRs - the AF-S DX 18-55 f/3.5/5.6 - to be able to offer reduced-price kits like Canon does.

Looking at the shooting capabilities of the two lenses mentioned here, you have to note first off that their field-of-view angles are different. While the shortest focal length is 18 mm for both, the crop factor is 1.6 for the Canon and 1.5 for the Nikon. The equivalent 35mm film focal length then is 27 mm for the Nikon and 28.8 mm for the Canon. That may not sound like much difference, but it's clearly visible in the viewfinder, and, obviously, in the pictures. At the other end of the range, the Nikon boasts 105 mm and the Canon only 88 mm. The Nikon clearly has the advantage, which is due to the 70mm long end on the Nikkor lens compared to 55mm on the Canon. On the other hand, the minimum focusing distance is about 13" (38 cm) for the Nikon but only 9" (28 cm) with the Canon, which gives the latter a clear advantage if you want to make extreme close-up or "macro" shots. The minimum focus area for the Nikon is approximately 5.1"x3.4" (13x8.6 cm), whereas it's just 2.5"x1.7" (6.3x4.2 cm) on the Canon.

The EOS350D's 18-55 has some very interesting macro capabilities (photo not reframed). 55 mm, 1/640s f/11, ISO 400