Thursday, January 14, 2010

canon or nikon?

that is the question.

i'm ready to get a digital SLR.
i've been ready...
but canon or nikon??











i currently have a point & shoot nikon.
which replaced my point & shoot canon.

my original film SLR is a canon...
so i don't know what to do...


you have to watch this video.
too funny.






& tell me.
what do you use
& why.
no just cause answers allowed.

45 comments:

Angie said...

I bought a Canon 20D in 2005, knowing pretty much nothing about dslr. At the time, Canon was the main dslr that I seemed to read about. Also, my SIL had the same camera and was happy with it. I've since replaced it with a 50D. I honestly couldn't compare it to a Nikon, because I've never even picked up a Nikon. However, I am very happy with my Canon.

Jan said...

I use canon; I still use a point and shoot. I figure as long as it does what I want, the brand doesn't matter.

Anonymous said...

I have a Nikon D200, after having given my D100 to my college daughter. We bought our Nikon because it was available at the time and the comparable Canon wasn't. I don't think there is a wrong choice. If you're looking for more info, go to www dot kenrockwell dot com. Lots of info!

Karen said...

I just bought a new camera last year. I upgraded from a point and shoot to a bridge camera (somewhere in between a point and shoot and a dslr). I got a Panasonic and I love it. My old point and shoot was a Nikon. It was a good camera and my son now uses it. I found this super good blog and looked at all the similar models available. The reviews were very detailed but true. Theer is also comments from other people who have those cameras. The site is called http://www.photographyblog.com. If they have a review of your cameras it might help you make up your mind. It certainly helped me. Good luck.

Strlady said...

wow! Can't believe you posted about this today. I just received my Nikon D80 in the mail today. Why Nikon? Well PW & Camille use it. But mostly because my Dad always wanted one. He was a Minolta man but dreamed of a Nikon. I had a Canon Pro 1 that really was a disappointment. It never grew on me. Never became my friend. I eventually picked up a Nikon Coolpix to put in my pocket and really loved it. When I started looking around for a 'real' camera, I decided to go with the brand that I trusted to give me the quality I was looking for. When I pulled it out of the box today I realized it was a big girl camera and it will take me a long time to take wonderful pictures with it, but with this piece I now have the potential for great photos, I just need to work at steering it in that direction

audrey said...

I was a canon girl all the way! I had an XTi but sold that and all my lenses and the rest of my gear to help pay for school. The T1i is supposed to be a fabulous camera for the price. I would love the 7D that just came out though!

Also, if you have any additional lenses from your film SLR chances are good they will convert over to your digital as long as the mounts are the same.

My best recommendation is to go to the stores, hold the cameras up to your face, play with the menus, play with the buttons, which ever one feels most comfortable to you go home and do more research on that model.

I hated how Nikon fit my hand, it was too bulky for me, olympus and sony felt like toys, but the canon felt good and was of a comfortable weight.

Tracey Jacobsen said...

I use a Nikon because it was for sale at Costco with an anti-vibration lens with it.

They're both good cameras. I'd probably get a Canon if I was to do it again, because it has more focal point options (9 vs. 3 for the basic models)

Lynds said...

Canon. Especially if you have a Canon film srl. We now have both a digital and film srl from Canon and it's very
convenient that most of the lenses are interchangable!

roseylittlethings said...

Canon.. this is my fourth canon over the years. I don't think you can go wrong either way though:)

Thimbleanna said...

Thanks for the video -- too funny! By my count, you listed 5 canons and 7 nikons -- Nikon wins! (I'm a Nikon girl just because. No, because my film SLR was a Nikon and all the lenses are interchangeable, which I LOVE!) Nikon. You know you want it.

Karin said...

I use a Canon and not because your brother makes me. My film slr was a canon and so was my dad's. Going from it to the digital was pretty easy transition because I already knew the camera more or less. Plus with a pro in the family I can always get assistance on the camera I am using without him stealing it and fiddling with it to figure out how to help me. Plus we both love canon lenses and it is nice that we can use from each others collections to not have too many duplicate of the same lens for a different brand.

If you went Nikon you could never borrow lenses from Brad or your old camera so you would have to completely collect new glass for your camera.

Unknown said...

So I am a Canon Girl and recently did a post on it on January 5. I put a really good link to a sight that may be very helpful to you when choosing your camera. Go and check it out, it really is a fantastic site and a must read for those looking for a new camera of any kind, point and shoot to SLR.

Beth said...

OOOHHH, I'm not going to be much help, I'm saving for a Pentax. Why?? My film SLR is a Pentax so my lenses will work and the lower level Pentax SLR has bells and whistles that you have to pay more for with Nikon or Canon to get (in particular a sealed body and in camera image shake reduction).

Kris said...

I just got a Canon Rebel because I heard the colors come out slightly better than Nikon. For someone who takes a lot of pictures of quilts and sewing projects, the more accurate the color rendering sold me.

If you have an old Canon film slr, you also might want to consider whether your old lenses will work on the new camera. My boyfriend's sister got a Canon Rebel DSLR because her old film lenses could work with the new camera.

Aimee said...

I have had a Canon for years and love it, but I have used a Nikon and really like it, too. The reason I went with Canon is because I got a great deal and already had some Canon lenses. Why don't you see if you have a camera dealer in your area that rents cameras and try them both out? I have heard of people doing this and thought it was a pretty smart idea.

Heidi said...

I love my canon rebel! I am a Canon girl - Canon power shot 35mm, canon slr, and now Canon dslr. I really like the richer colors that I get from my camera - it saves me some time in photoshop and gives a great base to start from when editing.

Good luck choosing, a new camera is always fun! Love your video haha :)

Jennifer Blosser said...

I have a Canon rebel. It has so many lenses and I can zoom x10. It is a very high megapixel. It also has many different settings, like for portraits, outdoors, and night photos. It also has a feature (don't remember what it's called?) where it takes repeated pictures. With kids and a traditional camera, you point, focus, hold the button down and there is a delay and by the time it snaps they are in a different position.

I would only use a Canon.

Angela Nash said...

Are you looking for a fight? Canon and Nikon people never seem to have good words for each other. My husband, who has more glass than I have fabric (yikes!) Says that in-body image stabilization is the only way to go. That's why he uses Sony (which was Minolta when he started a few years ago). Also, Sony has a great 'live view' - Mark said that's useful.

Feb/Aug are the new-model months for most cameras. Go out and hold them, find one that feels great. The rest will drive you nuts (that's my opinion, not Mark's!) Besides, you can Photoshop just about anything if you shoot RAW. Good luck!

Anne at Film and Thread said...

I have a Nikon D80. I had Nikon film SLRs before this. I stayed with Nikon because the Nikon mount has stayed the same so
I can use my old lenses in manual mode on it. Also, it just felt more familiar. Whatever you get, I would recommend a lens with vibration reduction.

Angela Nash said...

Oh, and LOVE the video!

Anne at Film and Thread said...

Sorry for the second comment, but I should have added one more thought - think of the size and weight of the camera when choosing. I ruled out a lot of cameras because they they were too big and too heavy to stick in my purse and keep with me. And having your camera with you is THE most important thing. Good luck!

Jessica P said...

Both my brothers have Canon Rebels. My dad has the new canon that can also record videos...not sure the model. I bought my guy a Nikon D80 after a lot of research because I went for the better price at the time between the two comparable cameras from each brand and we went to best buy to touch them and liked the way the nikon fit in out hands. You can't go wrong with either camera, I pretty much love them all.

Jewel said...

I have a Canon. There are a few reasons I bought it. All of the poeple I knew at the time that did photography had Canons so advice and tutoring was easy to get. The Canon usually comes standard with two pretty nice lenses and getting extra lenses is easy. Mostly though it was the one I came back to time and again in real life... if I want to a store that had camaras it was the one I always picked up.

Eleanor said...

I use a Canon XSi because a friend recommended it to my sister when she bought me the camera for my birthday. The fact that it comes with a good kit lens was definitely a bonus. Also, we had great success with Canon's support (the camera got wet but the Canon warranty meant we sent it back, got it fixed free, and in a really timely manner).

Congratulations on getting a DSLR!

Jared Polin said...

Dear Julie, i dont know if you remember me but my name is Jared and I have been a nikon shooter since the 90's. I dont know if I would be allowed to associate with a canon shooter or my nikon pro membership would be overturned. But if you go with a canon i will risk losing my nikon pro membership to help you out.

If you go with Nikon, there are 8 lovely pro lenses just waiting to fit into a nice nikon F mount.

Talk to you soon,

JP jaredpolin dot .com

Deb said...

I'm pretty loyal to my Canon Rebel, although when I see all of Camille's pictures on her blog I wonder of it's because she has a Nikon or because she's a much better photographer than I am! My daughter has a newer Canon than mine which seems to take pictures with greater ease. She says she really likes the image stabilization feature on hers and that it takes better pictures in low-light situations. I noticed that Costco has a good price on Canons with a rebate until tomorrow 1/16. I sure would like to upgrade mine with that deal. Still thinking about it...

Unknown said...

I use a Nikon D50 - my hubby did all the research and bought the body without a lens, because with most kits they add the cheapest lens. He then found, via research, the best overall lens 28-200mm (we would love to buy more lens, but. . . ) I can't think of the site where he bought the lens (I'll ask if you want me to) but the body he found on ebay! Also, do you know this blog - http://digital-photography-school.com/ he's good :)

School of Crafts said...

Oh that it's so fun to shop for a new camera. I have a canon and LOVE it. I have to let you know also that since you have a canon film SLR you will be able to use those lenses with your digital canon SLR... that is what influenced my buy.
Can't wait to see what you end up getting :)

Vicki W said...

I have the Canon EOS Rebel xti and I love everything about it. But you really have to go and try them out. It's important that it fit your hand. They all take great photos but the camera needs to feel right to you.

Alyson said...

You are opening up the floodgates here! I'll put in my 2 cents though. Just bought a Canon Rebel T1i. I too had a Canon film camera, and it feels comfy. That said, I love this camera. I love the HD video and the color quality. I have been very impressed so far! Good Luck...

Marge Gordon said...

Have to comment… I own a Canon Power Shot SD 800 IS which is my in my pocket (or purse) carry around with me all the time camera. I got it because sometimes I need that Image Stabilization and I need a small carry around camera. I have thousands of terrific wonderful photos taken with this little camera and I love it. Quilts, scenery, fireworks, people, day time, night time, rain, sun, snow, indoors, outdoors, theaters and everything.

My SLR digital is a Pentax K100D Super which I also love. I went with Pentax back in the 70s and have used other SLRs and keep coming back to the Pentax. I upgraded to the digital SLR a few years ago, and gave up film forever.

Good luck with your decision, it’s one of those pre-wash or not decisions to make in my opinion!
Marge
Delaware Quilts

Melanie said...

I have a Nikon D90. I did my Canon vs. Nikon research before I bought and just finally settled on Nikon. I know a couple of professional photographers personally who shoot Nikon and my father-in-law is a Nikon guy, so I think they had a lot of influence on my decision.

I'm happy with the camera. Sometimes I find operation a little overly complicated. If the Nikon D5000 had been out when I bought my camera, I would have bought D5000 over the D90.

No matter what you choose, I've had bad luck with the Tamron brand third party lenses. They are cheap for a reason and should be avoided in my opinion.

Can't wait to hear what you decide on!

Karamat said...

I have the Nikon D60. I talked with friends, professionals, read reviews... and it finally came down to price and availability. I was able to get a good deal on the Nikon from a good shop with good support/classes.

Growing up I always had Cannon SLRs - My father was a Canon man and I always got his hand-me downs, even though I really wanted a Nikon (who knows why my teenage brain wanted a Nikon - maybe it my rebel side?!?)

~Michelle~ said...

I have a Canon Xsi, in part because I was able to poach the lenses from my old film Rebel to use until I can afford better lenses. I saved a decent chunk of change by buying a body only.

Melissa said...

I have a Canon that I absolutely love. The deciding factor for me was that, like you, I was converting from a film Canon, and wanted to be able to use the lenses interchangeably. The thing is, neither camera will be the wrong answer per-se. The best advice I was given was to go to the store and play a little with each one and see which "felt better." I thought it was crazy, but the Canon fit my hands better (maybe because of the film camera I was used to.) Good luck- this was a decision that I deliberated over for months!

Stephanie said...

I'm a canon 20D user and love it. I wasn't sure which brand of camera to go with either, but what sold me is the fact that my husband has a canon camera, point and shoot that had taken a huge fall, got some water on it, and just had it's share of abuse, but still works like the day he bought it (it's 15 years old). The best advice I can give you (because I think both brands are just as good) is figure out what you want to spend and then compare both cameras in that price range, then pick which one has more for the price. Hope that helps!

Anonymous said...

I am a Canon girl. Have been since 1999. I bought my first Canon SLR (film) with money that I got for graduating from college (the Rebel 2000). At the time, I'm sure I picked Canon and the Rebel purely because of advertising. It wasn't until 2007 that I got a DSLR (Rebel XTi). I was happy with that. After taking many, many pictures, I wanted more out of my camera and last month upgraded to the new Canon 7D body plus I got a new lens (a big upgrade for me and I still have a lot to learn!).

A lot of what makes a good picture good, is the lens. Know that you'll need to invest some money into more than just the camera body. I wouldn't buy a camera kit (body + lens) if I were you; I'd just buy the body, then order your lens(es) separately. You'll be happier in the long run, I promise.

*People* say that one brand isn't necessarily better than the other. Every year or so, each brand comes out with a new camera with features that supposedly trump the features of the other brand's latest camera. So, what you get will depend on who has released what/when and if those latest features are the features YOU are looking for.

It also depends on what feels good in your hands and which camera seems most intuitive for you to use. Go to a local camera shop and try both out. Go touch and feel. Many local shops will even price match online stores like B&H, so you may be able to buy there too and support a local business (our taxes are too high for me to do that with a big purchase!).

It's a big decision to make... one that's hard to switch later because of the investment of lenses and accessories which only work for that one brand.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Kathryn said...

I bought an Olympus digital SLR this spring at Dan's Camera City in Allentown. They are a wonderful camera store that I'd recommend if you have the time to drive up here. I bought it used (there are those people who need the latest and greatest and who trade in great cameras there) and have been very pleased. The staff is wonderful and I took their recommendation.
Kathie L in Allentown

nabibiddi said...

Nikon D80 and I love it!
You can visit our blog to have a look at some pictures.

ellen said...

Canon. I brought my first one because the flash popped up automatically and I've been hooked.

Brad Herman said...

Canon
I shoot with a 5d mk2, 40d before that, & 300D Digital Rebel before that. I shoot canon for many reasons, one is that I have more than a dozen lenses and 5 canon bodies. Overall I have tested some friends Nikon cameras (d700, d300) and found them nice enough but no reason to switch. I like the quality of canon L glass over the nikkor glass, I also prefer the color data off my raw files. Granted that's a personal choice. Both make good gear, but you already own a few canon lenses and if you go canon you can borrow and use my gear too. I also
Personaly prefer the feel and use of Canon cameras, I find the interface on the nikons to be not to be my style. I do like the nikon CLS flash system and their SB800 flash has a lot of pros over the canon 580ex2. I shoot with pocket wizards so the gap on the flashes has become minimal. One big thing that I like about the canon gear is that all EF lenses work with all canon cameras. With nikon you have to have a d90 or better class camera
to use all nikon lenses. This is because the low end nikons lack a focus motor drive in body and have to use special lenses that have built in motors. With canon you can rent a $1800 lens for the weekend ($35) and put it on your $450 camera body to try out the good stuff.
Those are my 2 cents.
-Your Brother.

Rose said...

I have a canon digital elph point and shoot and I love it. I bought a Nikon D90 as it was the first DSLR that had video capabilites. The camera itself is great, I love the photos I'm getting, I have a few different lenses and love to play. I love how fast it is, as I have kids and I get those shots that are gone in a split second. Although, the video on the D90 is only ok in quality, and I now wish that for the price I had maybe gone with a more professional DSLR for the same price and skipped the video altogether. (It doesn't autofocus, and I find the picture too dark or grainy much of the time.) I also wish I knew how to get off the auto setting, trying manual anything would be difficult for me. I think quality wise if you bought a similar price range Canon, the photos would be similar, I think the most important thing is knowing how to use the equipment that you purchase! I could take way better photos with this camera if I knew how to use all the functions! P.S. That video is waaaay funny!

WendyLou said...

I use Canon. The first two digital point and shoots that I had were Canon, so when I purchased the digital SLR, I stayed with Canon. Why change a good thing?? I've also heard that the Canon lenses are second to none. But Nikon devotees are equally as passionate about their D-SLRs as Canon folk, so I'm sure you can't go wrong :)

Kris said...

Just saw a link to what seems to be a great camera comparison site and thought of you: http://lifehacker.com/5451949/snapsort-does-detailed-camera-comparisons

Marlene said...

I bought a Nikon 90D and just love it. I too went back and forth between Canon and Nikon. I have a Canon Ftb Film camera, and I love that too... but when Canon changes camera styles or up date them,they often change lens mount too. Which mean all the lenses I own for my Ftb will not the newer digital Canon cameras. Nikon on the other hand still uses the lens mount. If I had only purchased a Nikon 30+ years ago, I could use those lenses with my new camera. By the way, Cardinal Camera in Lansdale has a no tax sale a couple times a year.(no affiliation)