Canon vs Nikon
I'm a Canon shooter. No, it doesn't mean I work at a fort...that's a different kind of cannon. It does mean that I am squarely on one side of the Canon vs Nikon war. Like most people, it's not because I'm passionate about the superiority of my chosen brand, but merely because that's the side I became used to, bought the lenses for, learned the feel of, and nothing more. The two industry giants seem to alternate back and forth which one has the most advancements at any particular time. The good news is that this battle keeps everyone sharp, and all consumers win as a result.
I happen to like the Canon line. I have a few Canon point-and-shoots, an older DSLR (XTi), and a more modern one (7D). They all take pictures when I push the button on the top. The Canon lighting system is definitely behind Nikon's, but I've compensated by adding a wireless flash trigger (the ST-E2), and the 7D has it built in (although it doesn't do high-speed sync, so it's slightly less useful). We could equally compare low-light performance, etc. but they're both 100x better today than they were a decade ago.
The worst part about the rivalry is the terminology around them. Canon's Image Stabalization technology is called Vibration Reduction on Nikons. Canon's RAW files are called NEF with Nikon. Even their product names are similarly confusing such as Canon's 40D vs Nikon's D40. This is where consumers lose in this war. It's all more confusing than it needs to be. Like the PC vs Mac war (press 'CTRL' on a PC, 'Command' on a Mac), it really doesn't add any value to the conversation.
I think I'll stick with Canon. For new buyers out there, it really doesn't matter on what side of the fence you land. The key thing to keep in mind is that you almost certainly want to land on one side or another. Lenses are very expensive, and not easily transferable between brands. Make your choice and forget about the competition. Of course, there are other players as well (Sony, Panosonic, Olympus, etc.) but let's not worry about the also-rans at the moment.
Which brand do you use?
Don
Reader Comments (2)
Hey Don - As far as DSLR goes, I"m a Nikon guy. For 20 years I was a Canon guy. Specifically, a Canon AE-1 guy. But when I went shopping for a DSLR, I tried out both. I chose the Nikon (a D60) because it felt better in my hands. The comparable Canon felt cheap.
I'm currently using a Canon. Not happy with my current 5D Mark II. I would love to make the switch to Nikon but too much invested in lenses at this point.