My Personal Canon vs Nikon

[Spleenrippa]

I have a dilemma, and really, it's probably not even one. I think I'm just looking for someone to tell me I'm silly and to leave things as they are...

So, my digital gear is all Canon- a 1D MK IIN and a T2I, along with a handful of glass (some L) that doesn't get used nearly enough.

My film SLRs are Nikon. I bought them all after having chosen Canon as my digital go-to. Silly, I know- but there's just something about film Nikons (and those old Nikkors!) that I love more than puppies 😛

I blame my brother's recent switch from Canon to Nikon as having planted the idea in my head that the grass is greener over there.

Selling the Canons (for, say a D300 or 7000) and consolidating my collection makes sense. But at the same time, I can use MF Nikkors on my current digitals via adapters- so why bother?

Sigh 😱

 

[Roger Hicks]

You're silly. Leave things as they are.

(That's probably the best advice, too).

Cheers,

R.

 

[migtex]

My heart just say "Dump the Kwannon" but, you already said it... with both you have more options, and options is good.
Besides Mr. Roger said it....

 

[Nikon Bob]

I'll give you the opposite advice and say get a Nikon D700 and flog the Canon gear. Manual focus lenses work great on the D700 with no crop factor to bother with and full in camera metering without having to resort to stop down metering.

Bob

 

[dexdog]

I think that you should keep what you have and use it. You will not get significantly different pics by trading in all the Canon stuff for Nikon stuff. If you have old legacy lenses that is fine, but why anyone would want to use 1980s vintage lenses on a digital camera is beyond me. Soumds like you have some really good quality Canon lenses- those L lenses are expensive for a good reason.

 

[Keith]

I'll give you the opposite advice and say get a Nikon D700 and flog the Canon gear. Manual focus lenses work great on the D700 with no crop factor to bother with and full in camera metering without having to resort to stop down metering.

Bob

I second Bob's opinion here. 🙂

 

[coelacanth]

I was a Nikon guy of 15 years, including several film and digital bodies. Done some small amount of paid work several years back.

For personally use, I now use rangefinder 90% of times, got rid of all Nikon gear, and keeping OM system "just in case."

Recently, I decided to "switch" to Canon for very occasional paid gigs and some work shootings. There were two reasons (two levels) for this decision:

• Nikon and Canon are the only choices taking advantage of very broad range of equipments that I can rent for specific tasks.

• 5D is by far the cheapest full-frame body I could buy.

Because I don't make enough money from digital system, Canon 5D centered system was the most logical and only affordable choice at the moment.

If I were to get back to film SLR, I think the choice will be Nikon though.

 

[gavinlg]

Keep your gear and get an original 5d (if you don't want to spend too much) or a 5d mkII. They're both incredible cameras and leave nothing to the nikon in terms of handling or image quality (even the original 5d is as good as the d700).

Nikon or Canon - they're both good, they both have downsides. I did the switch 2 years ago - went from a 5d to a d300 (intending to get a d700 a few months later and move the d300 to a backup). The things I learnt were:

1. Crop cameras are never as good as full frame ones - doesn't matter who makes them. My 5d blew away the d300 in IQ.
2. The nikon menu system and custom bank system is horrific in it's complexity and doesn't really make sense - the 5d has a simple custom bank mode on it's mode dial and everything works perfectly and simply.
3. Nikon glass isn't actually better than canon glass, despite what all the nikon guys will tell you. Each company has their star lenses and each company leapfrogs the other every now and then with revisions and new lenses. I found out the hard and expensive way that that grass wasn't greener in this aspect and I actually prefer canon lenses.
4. The color output from the sensors is probably the biggest difference. Nikons are warmer, brighter, and have more saturated skin tones. The canons are more neutral.

To sum up, you won't be getting anything more by going Nikon, except having to shuffle around all your perfectly good equipment. The 5d - even the old one - is still used on a large scale worldwide by all sorts of awesome photographers - I know in the fashion industry it's probably one of the most popular cameras.

 

[Nikon Bob]

I think that you should keep what you have and use it. You will not get significantly different pics by trading in all the Canon stuff for Nikon stuff. If you have old legacy lenses that is fine, but why anyone would want to use 1980s vintage lenses on a digital camera is beyond me. Soumds like you have some really good quality Canon lenses- those L lenses are expensive for a good reason.

I would never intimate that one would get significantly different pics by changing optics brand, you won't. From personal experience with using those old 1980s vintage, and in some cases older, lenses on a D700 I can see why it is very viable. If you already have the older glass, I did, you may not necessarily need to go to more modern optic unless you want AF. As far as why pro glass cost more, that is another can of worms altogether.

Bob

 

[RF-Addict]

Just buy an adapter and use your manual Nikkor lenses on your Canon digital gear - voila, your problem solved. That's exactly what I do as well. I switched to Canon from Nikon many years ago when the 5D came out and Nikon proudly announced they;d never make a full frame digital camera (how things have changed since then). I have never looked back. I use Nikon cameras (F5 and F100) for my film lust, but all my digital gear is Canon.

 

[Alpacaman]

If Canikon was really any better than Nikanon, one of the companies would have out competed the other long ago. Honestly, they are pretty similar, and the small stuff isn't worth sweating a lot of the time anyway.

 

[Spleenrippa]

Thanks, everyone.
The smart thing to do is just forget about the whole thing and stick with what I have. Suggestions like Nikon Bob and Keith's seem to be lowering my IQ. Going full frame would be quite the thing!

 

[Spleenrippa]

Mayhap I will order one of the aforementioned Nikon->Canon adapters and test out my older glass on the digitals before I make a decision either way...

 

[Nikon Bob]

Thanks, everyone.
The smart thing to do is just forget about the whole thing and stick with what I have. Suggestions like Nikon Bob and Keith's seem to be lowering my IQ. Going full frame would be quite the thing!

You know I never let common sense stand in the way of doing something really silly so understand where that advice comes from.

Bob

 

[NickTrop]

I second Bob's opinion here. 🙂

I third Keith's and Bob's opinion. Canon/Nikon DSLR, meh... both good. This is really the silliest of camera debates. Both make great DSLRs. Not a debate worth having - one does this better, one does that better - both will take great pics. You will be able to finance your Nikon with your Canon stuff and get more use out of the Nikon glass on both film and digital bodies.

 

[Keith]

Used D700s will have to start dropping in price soon surely ... aren't Nikon about to release a new version with video capability which is what the masses seem to want at the moment?

The problem may be that the camera is that good that people aren't moving on from them because frankly, what else is better that doesn't cost a fortune? The D70 held it's value for a long time because it did everything that was needed in a prosumer DSLR and I think in this full frame era the D700 is the new D70 ... a Nikon milestone.

Totally biased opinion of course because I have one! 😀

 

[shadowfox]

I can use 5D (and now 5D Mark II) anytime because my wife use those for her kids and event photography.

But I still want a D700 🙂

Also, crop sensor DSLR (to me) makes no sense for a main body, but they are perfect for a backup body.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Most people either go all the way Canon or Nikon. Right now, you have both, which shows you have an open mind. If it never bothered before... why change that?

Go out and take some photographs! 🙂

 

[Armoured]

You say you don't use your Canon that much (or enough). I agree with those that say the glass is comparable and both are good enough.

The thing that makes the difference to me is how they handle. The Canons handle fine, I just can't get used to them. The Nikons all feel right. To me.

Borrow one and see if that makes a difference and makes you want to use it more. And then choose between them and stick with it and stop worrying about it.

Oh, and for film, an F100 is sweet.