Canon to Nikon – Switching Update
I still love my Nikon. I’ve shot about 4,000 images and never been disappointed with the camera. The only failures have been mine.
Apparently, my respect for Nikon cameras is also shared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In December, they orderd eleven Nikon D3S digital SLR cameras and seven NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lenses.
These new additions will join a growing array of Nikon equipment being used by NASA aboard the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS). Since 1971, NASA has used Nikon cameras to take more than 700,000 images. (Information courtesy Nikon Press Release)
I don’t plan on taking any photos in a sub-zero vacuum anytime soon, but it’s nice to know my camera can take it! :-)
So far, my favorite lenses, in order, are the:
- AF NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8D – Small, fast, and sharp; and a great all round focal length for portraits. This lens is on my camera more than all the rest put together. :-)
- AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED – This is a BIG piece of glass, but fast and very sharp. It still amazes me what you can do at 14mm!
- AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D – Like the 85mm, this lens is also fast and sharp, but even smaller. 50mm is considered the focal length that most closely approximates the human eye’s perspective.
The D700 is truly “feature loaded”, but my favorite is the ability to customize the function button on the front of the camera. I’ve set it up so that by a simple push of this button and a few clicks of the wheel by my thumb (Officially, the “Main Command Dial”), I’m set up to bracket any where from 3 to 9 images. Very handy when doing a lot of bracketing for HDR work.
So, as I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, what continues to impress me about Nikon DSLRs is their ease of use – especially when making the normal minute-by-minute changes that photographers must make to capture the moment.
I got a Nikon D80 as a gift in July 2008, I am still very much learning, but this is a truly great camera! It took a lot of research and comparing before I decided upon Nikon and I’m glad I did. Now, all I need to do is get better lenses! (and keep learning..)
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I’ve got a Canon 500D and quite like it. But have used Nikon too and I must say in terms of picture quality I love the Nikon. There are certain features that I prefer on the Canons though. Such as the bracketing and the auto-timer that releases all three shots without the need to touch the camera. For HDR I like that more.
But I seem to find less noise on Nikon shots even smaller models like the D90 (comparable to the Canon 500D).
Plus the Canon being quite a lot lighter is something I like too.
I was a “Canon guy” for many years before switching to Nikon and I loved my Canons. They are both excellent cameras with little difference in overall image quality.
The lack of a good timer interface is my biggest complaint with Nikon. When the timer is used it should automatically raise the mirror early if mirror lockup is selected, and it should fire off all of the shots if bracketing is selected. It seems to me that is merely a software fix and shouldn’t be that hard!