Nikon or Canon DSLR?

[TWiTCHY]

Originally Posted by Septro

1. Canon owners own a Mac while most Nikon owners run a Windows-box
2. Canon owners drive an environment-friendly car, Nikon owners don't focus on it (outside of this forum obviously)
3. Canon owners are Democrats, Nikon owners Republican
4. Canon owners are Runners, Nikon owners are Gym-rats

Hmm, I use Nikons, and...

...I use Windows
...I don't have my own car, but my mom drives a Yukon Denali XL
...my parents are republican, but myself? I don't really care about politics
...I don't really work out, I'm pretty thin

KINDA close, haha.
And WOW, what a surprise! Nikon is in the lead.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Septro

Some trends are just aligned to each other along Camera lines. A few empircal points I've gathered about the two:

1. Canon owners own a Mac while most Nikon owners run a Windows-box
2. Canon owners drive an environment-friendly car, Nikon owners don't focus on it (outside of this forum obviously)
3. Canon owners are Democrats, Nikon owners Republican
4. Canon owners are Runners, Nikon owners are Gym-rats

The list could go on and on, but just from pure observation - they tend to fall along those lines. What does it mean? Nothing.

Sorry for the slight /OT Twitchy..

I use a Canon 5D MkII and a Canon G9 and:

• I use a PC with Windows Vista
• I drive an M3
• I'm Republican
• I've never been a runner

Explain how your observations are "empirical".

Dave

[Driver72]

Canon without a doubt.
I know an awful lot of professional photographers, an awful lot, and 90% of them use Canon.
Their IS a reason for that.
And for that reason, I got a Canon myself.

Nikon at one point was the leader in film SLR cameras and made them quite well.
But when digital came around Canon jump on it early while Nikon arrogantly continued on the film route. When their sales started to drop majorily to Canon, Nikon then started to put R&D into digital.

But Canon is still ahead of the game. And their lenses are better too.

[Driver72]

Originally Posted by Arizona_Steve

Voted Nikon. Neither is better, both take excellent pictures. The most important part is the twelve inches or so behind the camera.

If you are 12 or so inches behind the camera when taking pictures, you are doing something wrong.

I know what you meant though and to an extent you are right. But I think you should of said 1/2 inch or so behind the camera.
But still the best equipment helps give the best results, no matter what field you are in.

[rodi]

Originally Posted by Driver72

Canon without a doubt.
I know an awful lot of professional photographers, an awful lot, and 90% of them use Canon.
Their IS a reason for that.
And for that reason, I got a Canon myself.

Nikon at one point was the leader in film SLR cameras and made them quite well.
But when digital came around Canon jump on it early while Nikon arrogantly continued on the film route. When their sales started to drop majorily to Canon, Nikon then started to put R&D into digital.

But Canon is still ahead of the game. And their lenses are better too.

where've you been the last couple of years??
ha.

[Driver72]

Originally Posted by rodi

where've you been the last couple of years??
ha.

Around a lot of professional photographers, every day, and different ones all the time.
And again, nine times out of ten, they are shooting with Canon.
I'm not a professional photog myself, but most say the Canon lenses are just better. Quieter, faster and from what I hear sharper.

Watch a sports event and look at the photogs on the sidelines.
Once in a while you get a good close up of a line of them and the majority of the time, the vast majority of them have Canon's with the canon straps around their necks.

[dcstep]

For most people I don't think that it matters, they're both generally excellent.

Advanced amateurs and pros can have specific needs, such as focusing on portraits, certain sports, landscape, large prints, etc., etc. When you start to consider such specific needs, then one will hold an advantage over the other. One might have better lenses at certain focal lengths, or better full frame sensors, or a faster rapid fire capacity, or smaller body size, or better weather sealing.

With my 5D MkII, I give up some rapid fire capacity, but get an excellent sensor for landscapes (a prime requirement) and exceptional high ISO performance.

I've also noted, whether it's Canon first or Nikon, one will come out with an innovation and the other will match within months.

I think they're both great companies and can't understand how anyone could diss either one.

Dave

[asdflkijd]

40D, and lamo.. Septro, I do have a mac.

[TWiTCHY]

Originally Posted by Driver72

Watch a sports event and look at the photogs on the sidelines.
Once in a while you get a good close up of a line of them and the majority of the time, the vast majority of them have Canon's with the canon straps around their necks.

Or white lenses, HAHA!



I count about 4 Nikon guys. The guy with a single white strip on his lens is using a Canon. The lens is a Sigma. High res: http://dforum.de/Fotos/galerien/originale/03-foto07.htm

I've always wondered why Canon users outnumber Nikon out in the field... and I still don't know why.

[Driver72]

Originally Posted by TWiTCHY

Or white lenses, HAHA!



I count about 4 Nikon guys. The guy with a single white strip on his lens is using a Canon. The lens is a Sigma. High res: http://dforum.de/Fotos/galerien/originale/03-foto07.htm

I've always wondered why Canon users outnumber Nikon out in the field... and I still don't know why.

Yup, just as I said, 90% of the photogs I know or have seen use Canon.
You could post dozens of photos like this the the Canon's with the white lenses will easily outnumber Nikon in everyone of them.
Not saying Nikon is bad, but again, there is a reason the professionals who make a living shooting photos overwhelmingly use Canon.
Even the vast majority of paparazzi guys use Canon too.

I just don't see too many Nikons used in the professional realm too often. Whether that be paparazzi, sports shooters, publicity shooters, fashion photogs, you name it.

[TWiTCHY]

I might switch over to Canon one day, and that opportunity is coming fast. I'm selling a few of my things right now for Nikon and figured that if everything gets sold, I can either stay with Nikon or go the other way with Canon. I just don't have clear reasons to stick with Nikon, but also no reasons to switch. I'm stuck!

Some of you may be interested in this CNET poll, too. Despite the popularity of Canons out in the field...



Not sure when "today" is...

[scollins]

Originally Posted by TWiTCHY

Or white lenses, HAHA!

You can find Nikon lenses in white sometimes too.....

I've always wondered why Canon users outnumber Nikon out in the field... and I still don't know why.

This has roots that began back way before the digital age. Nikon used to be "King Shit" when it came to film cameras. That's what people wanted, and Nikon knew it. I can still remember back in high school what my "dream camera" was, a Nikon F4 (introduced in 1988.) Then Canon introduced the first pro model EOS in 1989 (EOS-1.)

The introduction of the EOS was a bit of challenge for Canon, as the EOS lens mount was different than previous Canon SLRs. That mean all those "legacy" lenses wouldn't work on the EOS. That was a gamble they took, and it has (until recently) worked out well for them in terms of market share.

Quoted from this website: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography...OS-1/index.htm

The introduction of the EOS-1 in 1989 was timely as it served many of the marketing objectives Canon had. It was the camera that truly that helped turned the tide over to Canon's favour and also in generating users' confidence in the new EOS system. As a comparison, back in 1988 at the Summer Olympics Games in Seoul, photographers who surrounded Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson over his upset 100m win (which was later disqualified) against favourite American Carl Lewis, were seen on TV shooting with Nikon F3s. Fast forward to the 1992 Games, the situation has turned around as the photographers covering the event were seen shooting with EOS-1s and it was hard to find a single photographer using a Nikon F3 or F4 (Nikon shooters were there but not prominent). Such scenes between the two Olympics were the evidences that Canon and its team of engineers needed to prove that the professionals have accepted their products over that of the competitors.

Now, once you get someone "married" to a lens system, especially at the pro level where they are spending thousands and thousands on glass, you have an easier time KEEPING them in system. Since many pro sports shooters had turned to Canon in the film days, they are still with Canon today in the digital age. Canons were known for faster frames per second than Nikons, and in the sports world, that is king.

But that might be slowly changing, as Nikon is now taking share from Canon. Full Frame Nikons are scoring better than full frame Canons on DXO Mark's website, with the top 3 spots held by the three FF Nikons. Also, these FF Nikons take more FPS than their Canon counterparts. The Nikon D3 will do 9 FPS at FF and 11 at DX Crop. The top Canon FF will do just over half that speed (5.)

DXO Mark's website with the digital sensor scores:
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/eng/DxOMark-Sensor


I personally like Nikon's ergonomics better, which is why I went for the Nikon. If I were buying a new DSLR today, I'd be very tempted to buy Canon, mostly because their premium glass is quite a bit cheaper than Nikon's premium glass now. Since I was coming from neither Nikon nor Canon, I wasn't married to a system. I'm still not, having only the body and one lens right now. No plans to change over though....

[TWiTCHY]

Originally Posted by scollins

You can find Nikon lenses in white sometimes too.....



This has roots that began back way before the digital age. Nikon used to be "King Shit" when it came to film cameras. That's what people wanted, and Nikon knew it. I can still remember back in high school what my "dream camera" was, a Nikon F4 (introduced in 1988.) Then Canon introduced the first pro model EOS in 1989 (EOS-1.)

The introduction of the EOS was a bit of challenge for Canon, as the EOS lens mount was different than previous Canon SLRs. That mean all those "legacy" lenses wouldn't work on the EOS. That was a gamble they took, and it has (until recently) worked out well for them in terms of market share.

Quoted from this website: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography...OS-1/index.htm




Now, once you get someone "married" to a lens system, especially at the pro level where they are spending thousands and thousands on glass, you have an easier time KEEPING them in system. Since many pro sports shooters had turned to Canon in the film days, they are still with Canon today in the digital age. Canons were known for faster frames per second than Nikons, and in the sports world, that is king.

But that might be slowly changing, as Nikon is now taking share from Canon. Full Frame Nikons are scoring better than full frame Canons on DXO Mark's website, with the top 3 spots held by the three FF Nikons. Also, these FF Nikons take more FPS than their Canon counterparts. The Nikon D3 will do 9 FPS at FF and 11 at DX Crop. The top Canon FF will do just over half that speed (5.)

DXO Mark's website with the digital sensor scores:
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/eng/DxOMark-Sensor


I personally like Nikon's ergonomics better, which is why I went for the Nikon. If I were buying a new DSLR today, I'd be very tempted to buy Canon, mostly because their premium glass is quite a bit cheaper than Nikon's premium glass now. Since I was coming from neither Nikon nor Canon, I wasn't married to a system. I'm still not, having only the body and one lens right now. No plans to change over though....

Thanks for that. Makes a lot more sense now!

[Septro]

Yes - I agree. Once they get you in with the lenses/glass, you'd have a helluva hard time justifying going to another brand unless you can unload your investment.

[SpecC]

during the obama inauguration, most people there had canons too

yes, that is what i used the super zoom thing for

[sc_tr0jan_m3]

interesting replies so far...

[BMW F22]

Since Nikon has quite a bit more market share than Canon so based on that, the poll is not really surprising. The thing that is weird is that there seems to be more Canon users on here yet the poll shows exactly the opposite. Perhaps it just seems like there are more Canon users because we (read: I) tend to notice things that are similar to what we own (just like how we notice there are a lot of 3 series out on the road).

[SpecC]

i have a nikon

friend has a canon

another friend has a pentax

we have the trifecta of major dslr companies

[scollins]

Originally Posted by BMW E90

Since Nikon has quite a bit more market share than Canon so based on that, the poll is not really surprising. The thing that is weird is that there seems to be more Canon users on here yet the poll shows exactly the opposite. Perhaps it just seems like there are more Canon users because we (read: I) tend to notice things that are similar to what we own (just like how we notice there are a lot of 3 series out on the road).

This is 2007 data, so somewhat dated, but Canon had the SLR lead over Nikon (3.18 million vs. 2.98 million.)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13580_3-9882670-39.html

As to why it seems there are more Canon users here, I'd say that the Canon users are a somewhat more "vocal" and "contentious" group......

[cough]udubbadger[/cough]



[just messing with you buddy!]

I also notice there are a few that haven't voted: ANILE8 for Nikon and Teshi for Canon right off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are a few others too....

[TWiTCHY]

Originally Posted by scollins

As to why it seems there are more Canon users here, I'd say that the Canon users are a somewhat more "vocal" and "contentious" group......

[cough]udubbadger[/cough]

Haha x1000!

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by SpecC

i have a nikon

friend has a canon

another friend has a pentax

we have the trifecta of major dslr companies

I was a Pentax guy for decades. My first 35mm was a Spotmatic and I had some great prime lenses for it. When it was time to go digital they just didn't seem to have near as many options. I was particularly interested in getting back to full frame, which kept steering me toward Canon and Nikon, ultimately buying the 5D MkII.

Dave

[TWiTCHY]

The only thing that seems appealing to me from Pentax is their built-in vibration reduction. Instead of being in the lens, it's in the camera body itself. I have no idea how it works and whether it's effective or not, but it's a good idea that I hope Nikon and Canon will pick up in later generations.