i highly doubt that beginners really care whether or not the sensor in their camera is ccd or cmos. i've never run across a person that didnt buy a canon because it had a cmos inside or didnt buy a nikon cuz it was using ccd. i bet that half the people that buy digital cameras dont even know what their camera is using.
what do we care about audio equipment? this is a dslr thread. and if photographers create photos what does it matter if they buy a nikon or canon or any other brand of camera?
Last time I checked the header, this was the DSLR thread, not, "The beginner's DSLR thread."
Specifications-wise, you're right, but I sure wouldn't argue that canon technology and/or nikon technological jargon doesn't get translated into layman's terms for the average customer. Just because people who buy digital cameras may not know what goes on inside their camera doesn't mean the salespeople don't. I mean sure, salespeople are all about maximising profit margins, but i'm pretty sure the average semi-decent sales guy would recommend a canon DSLR if you told him you were going to be shooting sports, and a nikon if high ISO shooting wasn't your main priority (or you used your camera in areas with halogen based white balance, which i've found the EOS-40D to be rather poor in). And for a DSLR beginner to progress, they'll need to improve technique and knowledge, and what could be more basic than a lesson on the difference between a CCD and CMOS sensor in the camera you're using?
I'll make clearer my sentence that said
"As with all purchases, it comes down to what features you want, and the price point that's relevant." It's one of the first lessons you learn when you invest in technology, especially with something as expensive as audio equipment. Why get a 32-channel mixing console (at 3x the price) when you can make do with 16 channels? Carrying the analogy over, "why make use of [insert canon/nikon marketing fluff] here when you'll rarely use it and instead learn how to get that one good picture?" Those sorts of lessons can filter down into lesser expensive pursuits such as photography.
As an audio engineer, I've learnt that I only need what I need, and that anything else is a luxury that makes life easier. If you plan on shooting sports often, or need that constant f/2.8 lens for indoor no flash locations such as a church, then by all means, that's great and congratulations on getting yourself a nice piece of gear. But if you're planning on shooting in daylight or a "beginner" as so many like to call themselves here, anything more than the standard kit lens, or maybe one or two steps up from that is just for pure bragging rights.
