Sorry there wasn't a response to this sooner...photography is a relatively newer (and less popular) area of the forums, and sometimes I feel like I'm the only one answering these, lol. Would have seen this sooner, but I've had family things.
Anyway, they're both very similar. Each of them have similar sensors...the Nikon will slightly outperform the Canon, but not by a noticeable amount. Not to mention, it's rendering images at a lower MP, so there's bound to be a bit better quality.
Main differences:
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Both have this spiffy live-view mode, but the Nikon doesn't have it available in Manual-M mode. This would be a deal breaker for me in your position, since it's the easiest mode to use for learning about how different settings affect pictures, like exposure and ISO. A lot of people just pick up cameras and start taking pictures (nothing wrong with that) but I HEAVILY suggest you learn about the actual "manual process" as I call it. Knowing how things like aperture, exposure, ISO, metering, etc etc really helps you understand how each setting affects your shot, and you learn to either compensate for limitations or you learn to mess around and have fun, like I do.
For example, a higher aperture, longer exposure, and lower ISO will make really nifty pictures if you set up a tripod around traffic at night. Or you could make people look like ghosts by playing with portable lighting in a dark environment with a low to medium aperture with a longer exposure. You can't tell I like long exposures, right? Lol. I use this feature a LOT, especially when trying to see how different settings will turn out using the Manual-M mode. Sometimes it's the easiest way to take a picture, especially if you're in a darker area.
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There's a difference in the spot metering for focusing, but it's a personal preference. Here's the examples:
The one on the left is the Canon, on the right Nikon. I personally like the Canon one better, but again, it's personal preference. The autofocus does have 2 more points on the Nikon, but 9 vs 11 points isn't really too big of a deal.
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The Nikon doesn't allow for manual exposure settings during live video recording. Not a big deal if you aren't all that serious about video, but still. No reason to miss out on this feature.
- The Nikon kit (18-55mm lens included) is $700, the Canon version (same length lens) is $600.
So in my personal (informed) opinion, I'd go with the Canon. Overall it's the better deal. Also, the 18-55 kit lenses in the past few years have been really sharp on Canons, so I suggest getting the kit. I think the body is close to the same price as the kit anyway, so may as well get a lens with it.
Hope this helped, feel free to ask more questions. I'll be paying a bit more attention now that other stuff is done with.
