which one is the best? cannon? or nikon? im sooooooooo confused plsss help me guys i need your expertise thank you... ill just wait for your suggestions thanks =)
@rhyan but you'll get as many people saying nikon's better than canon and vice versa, so what's the point? Every camera is slightly different, so you do need to determine a) your budget and b) what camera 'feels' better in your hands.
The one which is better is the one which feels "best"in your hands...after all...that's where it should be living! For me this is Nikon; but that really is only because I've used Nikon cameras for so long that they just 'feel'right. If I didn't have that history I miught buy something totally out of the box (I'm still pretty happy with what I have though).
My vote will always go with Canon because I'm comfortable with my camera and know how to use it. Doesn't mean Nikon is rubbish; just not something I've invested in.
canon: if you want to make movies, in my opinion better menu layout, nicer design and more comfortable in the hands, best lenses available
nikon: best autofocus, best iso performance, cheap lenses available (because the nikon mount has been there forever and the older lenses still fit)
I'm a canon user, switching to nikon soon because my gear got stolen and the nikon d90 is a very good deal these days. I've played with both entry and professional models from both brands and the choice is just personal. There is no best brand, there is only a better brand for your needs
@indiannie_jones cannon 2 - nikon 1 thanks =) @easley : thank you =) @vuokkovuorinnen : thanks for making me understnd, now i got an advice from you, id rather choose one which soothes my taste thanks for the info!!!! appriciated it sooo much thanks
Here is the down low on the Nikon vs. Canon debate: Nikon bodies are better, Canon lenses are better, Nikon bodies are cheaper, Canon lenses are cheaper. Now for the long version.
Nikon's sensor technology is at least five years ahead of Canon's. Their sensors can shoot at higher ISO ranges with less noise, they are sharper and hold true colors better, and they have great color saturation.
However, Canon lenses are better. They are slightly lighter (which is important when toting around a 600mm f/4 for a day), they are just a tad bit sharper, and a good deal cheaper, about 10-20% cheaper than the Nikon equivalent.
On the flip side, though, Canon has changed the way the lenses mount to the camera every five years or so. The lenses still fit, but Canon has been changing the electronic connections. So, some older lenses won't work at all on new cameras. A lens you buy today from Canon may not be worth much in 10 years.
Nikon, however, has used the same mount and electronic connections for the past 30 years. I have an old 300mm f/2.8 manual focus lens from 12 years ago that works just fine, it just doesn't have autofocus (didn't exist then on such lenses).
At the end of the day, there is not enough difference between Nikon and Canon to make a difference. I became an avid Nikon user for one very simple reason: the first job I ever had in photography, as a student photographer for my university, my boss told me if I bought my own Nikon camera body I could use all the lenses the university owned, at any time. I couldn't pass that up.
There is no rule of thumb. There is no division. You can't say all sports photographers use Canon, because they don't. You can't say all wildlife photographers use Nikon, because they don't.
One thing is certain, however: if you want to take photography seriously, if you want powerful, fast lenses, if you want to sell prints or licenses to newspaper and magazines, do not buy any brand other than Nikon or Canon. Sony, Olympus, Pentax, no other brand of DSLR can match the lenses Nikon and Canon offer (through their own brand or Tokina, Tamron, and Sigma)
I went through this debate recently and just purchased a Nikon D5000 based on how it felt in my hands, how intuitive the menus felt to browse through on the camera, the built in features, etc. I have had it for about 2 weeks now and I am very very happy with it. I did also pay attention to the lens issue and since I could be getting my hands on my grandparent's old gear, I could still use their lenses with my new Nikon. The same cannot be said for Canon.
My opinion? You're wasting your time asking this question on a message board. Sit down, and list out exactly what features you want in a new camera. Then find the Nikon and Canon models that most closely match your list. Print out the detailed specifications for each of them, and go down them line by line. Decide for each and every feature, which camera will better fit what you want to do with it. If you can get somewhere to actually hold each model, decide which one works better in your hands - which one has a better button/control layout and thus would be easier for you to use. Look at the prices of each. Which one gives you the most features YOU will use for the price? (In other words, if you pick out a $1,200 Nikon and a $1,000 Canon, but the Nikon comes out much farther ahead in your personal comparison, buy the Nikon)
Asking a question like this on a photography board is like going to an outdoors forum and asking which shotgun you should buy, a Remington or a Mossberg, or asking if you should buy a Chevrolet or a Ford pickup. The answers you get are going to be largely personal opinions - as that is what 95% of those decisions are based upon. In my circle of photography friends, two of us shoot Nikon, two shoot Canon, and one shoots Olympus.
In short, buck up, do your homework, and YOU make the decision based on what YOU want, not what a bunch of strangers on the internet tell you.
I use Nikon and have been mostly happy with it. My one issue I have with it is the white balance. I can never seem to get the colors right and FORGET using the auto white balance... it never looks good.
I use a Nikon and I love it. I picked a Nikon because I grew up using my moms Nikon and have never used anything but Nikon. My 35mm film camera, my little point and shoot and dslr are Nikons. My biggest thing with their slr is that you can use any old or new Nikon lens on any Nikon camera. It really just depends on what you want in a camera.
Sorry, got to put in my two cents. Narrow your choice down to two or three bodies. Go to www.dpreview.com and compare the specs.
I personally have never liked Nikon's AF system. Canon's AF system is much better but after a bad 10D experiece I switched to Olympus. Currently I shoot the Olympus E30. I love my camera and the IS is in the body, three IS options. Don't get sold on the Canon vs. Nikon debate. Shop around and look for the features you want in the camera. Price is obviously an issue as well.
@tamallamma saving your photos as RAW will help you out, if you can bear the extra legwork in post-processing - with suitable RAW editing software you can change the white balance after the fact :)
@rhyan Nothing to add that Jason and Vik haven't already, really. Also second vote for dpreview.com as mentioned by Lisa; it's an excellent resource. I suggest deciding on a budget, figuring out which from Canon and Nikon's range you can afford, then going to read the full reviews of each on dpreview, before heading into a shop.
@meggageg Oh, fully agree (although I'm partial to my Ruger Red Label). I was nearly killed by a Mossberg when the safety malfunctioned, so I've got a bit of a sour taste in my mouth for them.
@eyebrows I do shoot in RAW thats what saves most of my pics. Just, like you said, its extra work in post processing. I still love my Nikon though. = )
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@swilde : thanks sue ... 1 nikon - 0 cannon hehehe
nikon: best autofocus, best iso performance, cheap lenses available (because the nikon mount has been there forever and the older lenses still fit)
I'm a canon user, switching to nikon soon because my gear got stolen and the nikon d90 is a very good deal these days. I've played with both entry and professional models from both brands and the choice is just personal. There is no best brand, there is only a better brand for your needs
@easley : thank you =)
@vuokkovuorinnen : thanks for making me understnd, now i got an advice from you, id rather choose one which soothes my taste thanks for the info!!!! appriciated it sooo much thanks
Nikon's sensor technology is at least five years ahead of Canon's. Their sensors can shoot at higher ISO ranges with less noise, they are sharper and hold true colors better, and they have great color saturation.
However, Canon lenses are better. They are slightly lighter (which is important when toting around a 600mm f/4 for a day), they are just a tad bit sharper, and a good deal cheaper, about 10-20% cheaper than the Nikon equivalent.
On the flip side, though, Canon has changed the way the lenses mount to the camera every five years or so. The lenses still fit, but Canon has been changing the electronic connections. So, some older lenses won't work at all on new cameras. A lens you buy today from Canon may not be worth much in 10 years.
Nikon, however, has used the same mount and electronic connections for the past 30 years. I have an old 300mm f/2.8 manual focus lens from 12 years ago that works just fine, it just doesn't have autofocus (didn't exist then on such lenses).
At the end of the day, there is not enough difference between Nikon and Canon to make a difference. I became an avid Nikon user for one very simple reason: the first job I ever had in photography, as a student photographer for my university, my boss told me if I bought my own Nikon camera body I could use all the lenses the university owned, at any time. I couldn't pass that up.
There is no rule of thumb. There is no division. You can't say all sports photographers use Canon, because they don't. You can't say all wildlife photographers use Nikon, because they don't.
One thing is certain, however: if you want to take photography seriously, if you want powerful, fast lenses, if you want to sell prints or licenses to newspaper and magazines, do not buy any brand other than Nikon or Canon. Sony, Olympus, Pentax, no other brand of DSLR can match the lenses Nikon and Canon offer (through their own brand or Tokina, Tamron, and Sigma)
Asking a question like this on a photography board is like going to an outdoors forum and asking which shotgun you should buy, a Remington or a Mossberg, or asking if you should buy a Chevrolet or a Ford pickup. The answers you get are going to be largely personal opinions - as that is what 95% of those decisions are based upon. In my circle of photography friends, two of us shoot Nikon, two shoot Canon, and one shoots Olympus.
In short, buck up, do your homework, and YOU make the decision based on what YOU want, not what a bunch of strangers on the internet tell you.
I personally have never liked Nikon's AF system. Canon's AF system is much better but after a bad 10D experiece I switched to Olympus. Currently I shoot the Olympus E30. I love my camera and the IS is in the body, three IS options. Don't get sold on the Canon vs. Nikon debate. Shop around and look for the features you want in the camera. Price is obviously an issue as well.
Happy shopping and good luck.
@rhyan Nothing to add that Jason and Vik haven't already, really. Also second vote for dpreview.com as mentioned by Lisa; it's an excellent resource. I suggest deciding on a budget, figuring out which from Canon and Nikon's range you can afford, then going to read the full reviews of each on dpreview, before heading into a shop.