Canon/Nikon differences

I have the following dilemma: My Canon 40D is great, I'm happy with it, but my close uncle and a close friend have both Nikon, with many lenses and accessories. So I was thinking of switching to Nikon, also because I prefer a couple of things above my Canon. If I'd switch, it would be a D300.

So I was wondering if you could comment and help with the following things.

Canon
+ big thumbwheel
+ easier menu

Nikon
+ many dedicated knobs
+ looks
+ handier on/off knob
-no ISO-value in top LCD

-no instant AF-point selection with multiselector without pressing any extra knob

So this is not about the specs 40D vs D300, but about these personal things. I'm not sure about the last Nikon thing, maybe it is adjustable in the menu? And if you have other things that could be worth mentioning about Nikon or Canon I'd like to hear them!

Thanks a lot in advance!

artnaz said:

I have the following dilemma: My Canon 40D is great, I'm happy with it, but my close uncle and a close friend have both Nikon, with many lenses and accessories. So I was thinking of switching to Nikon, also because I prefer a couple of things above my Canon. If I'd switch, it would be a D300.

So I was wondering if you could comment and help with the following things.

Canon
+ big thumbwheel
+ easier menu

Click to expand...

I'd say it's just that you're used to the menu. From a UI design, the Nikon menus are pretty good.

artnaz said:

Nikon
+ many dedicated knobs
+ looks
+ handier on/off knob
-no ISO-value in top LCD

-no instant AF-point selection with multiselector without pressing any extra knob

Click to expand...

The multiselector defaults to AF point selection. If the D300 you tried behaved differently, someone had changed the mode.

artnaz said:

So this is not about the specs 40D vs D300, but about these personal things. I'm not sure about the last Nikon thing, maybe it is adjustable in the menu? And if you have other things that could be worth mentioning about Nikon or Canon I'd like to hear them!

Click to expand...

Do you shoot a lot of macro, product, or still life, or do you shoot wildlife with long lenses?

Nikon D300 cycles the mirror right before exposure when using liveview. So, although liveview is useful for precision focusing, it doesn't help with vibration problems. Canon (40D, 50D, 5D II) does not cycle the mirror when taking a photograph with liveview. Liveview effectively supplants mirror lockup mode. The "Silent Mode" electronic first curtain also eliminates virtually all shutter vibration. Together, these features are invaluable for macro and long lens use.

artnaz said:

Thanks a lot in advance!

Click to expand...

--
Rahon Klavanian 1912-2008.

Armenian genocide survivor, amazing cook, scrabble master, and loving grandmother. You will be missed.

Ciao! Joseph

http://www.swissarmyfork.com

You choose a camera for its looks?

i have been a long term Canon user but i bought a D300 early last year because it was a better camera than the 40D (imo) however i sold it to a friend in June because of these reasons

a) the IQ was not as good as my 5D, so i replaced the D300 with a 5D2

b) i really could not get used to the Nikon ergonomics.

c) Nikon does not have the F4 lenses that i have for my Canon, i like there quality and lightweight

and d) the i really dont need the AF that Nikon seems so hard to be trying to persuade everyone that they need.

http://www.pbase.com/briandavidaitkenhead

Besides what the rest mentioned the D300 has an AF auto tune which can help focusing issues which prevailed in my 40D.
--
Regards,
Hank

you need to decide whether to continue using Canon because you have the lenses and eventually upgrade to the 5D or to completely switch systems. Ergonomics...one poster couldn't get used to Nikon, I dislike Canon's feel, but what do YOU think? Overall, the D300 is probably the better camera, butt the choice has to be yours.

Thanks guys!

artnaz said:

I'd say it's just that you're used to the menu. From a UI design, the Nikon menus are pretty good.

Click to expand...

Very true, I guess that's all right then.

artnaz said:

The multiselector defaults to AF point selection. If the D300 you tried behaved differently, someone had changed the mode.

Click to expand...

You're right, I found it! However, I could not find (even with the manual) how to "reset" a selected AF-point to "automatic". It should be possible with a single knob I guess (at least Canon has it), but I couldn't find it...

artnaz said:

Do you shoot a lot of macro, product, or still life, or do you shoot wildlife with long lenses?

Nikon D300 cycles the mirror right before exposure when using liveview. So, although liveview is useful for precision focusing, it doesn't help with vibration problems. Canon (40D, 50D, 5D II) does not cycle the mirror when taking a photograph with liveview. Liveview effectively supplants mirror lockup mode. The "Silent Mode" electronic first curtain also eliminates virtually all shutter vibration. Together, these features are invaluable for macro and long lens use.

Click to expand...

Also very good point, I didn't know that. I don't use Liveview that much though, so it's not very important to me.

artnaz said:

artnaz said:

You choose a camera for its looks?

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Of course not, but it's a personal difference between the cameras.

artnaz said:

Besides what the rest mentioned the D300 has an AF auto tune which can help focusing issues which prevailed in my 40D.

Click to expand...

Good thing, thanks for sharing!

artnaz said:

artnaz said:

You need to decide whether to continue using Canon because you have the lenses and eventually upgrade to the 5D or to completely switch systems. Ergonomics...one poster couldn't get used to Nikon, I dislike Canon's feel, but what do YOU think? Overall, the D300 is probably the better camera, butt the choice has to be yours.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I don't think I'll switch to FF in the nearby future, and if I stay with Canon I probably will stick to my 40D for a couple of years. About the feel, I tend more to Canon, but that's probably because I'm used to it. I remember preferred the feel of my right index finger with the Canon at the time of choosing for my 40D, but the overall grip and position of the thumb of the Nikon felt a tiny little bit better. So it's pretty even. And off course I'm pretty "grown" with my 40D now, I can change anything in little time, but I can "learn" a Nikon as well. Plus I very much like all the dedicated knobs and switches Nikon has.

I found out it is possible to view the ISO-value in the top-LCD with a Nikon, it's in the menu.

But a new thing popped in my mind: I very much like the Custom Modes on the Canon (C1, C2, C3), it's possible to switch to a much-used setting with one click and change lots of parameters that way. Does Nikon have a similar thing? I didn't find it...

artnaz said:

But a new thing popped in my mind: I very much like the Custom Modes on the Canon (C1, C2, C3), it's possible to switch to a much-used setting with one click and change lots of parameters that way. Does Nikon have a similar thing? I didn't find it...

Click to expand...

Setting banks. Four of them. You can even assign them names. The "hard way" to select them is from the menus (although using the "My Menu" feature can make that a little easier). The "easy way" is to set the "func" button to cycle through them in combination with the command wheel.

Personally, I don't find "setting banks" (either Nikon or Canon style) to be useful enough to use. I actually find them quite frustrating, due to the "overwriting" problem.

Lots of detail about that in a different thread, if you're interested.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=33088510

--
Rahon Klavanian 1912-2008.

Armenian genocide survivor, amazing cook, scrabble master, and loving grandmother. You will be missed.

Ciao! Joseph

http://www.swissarmyfork.com

Most have been covered, but i have a couple. I moved from a Canon 30D to a Nikon D90. Except for canon's new 7D, Canon doesn't do wireless remote control of off camera flash as well. Nikon uses the pop up flash as the "Flash Commander" and you can adjust the pop up's output as well for a third channel. Canon cameras need either a 500 series flash in the hot shoe, or the ST-E2 controller in the hot shoe to act as the controller. I much prefer the nikon system, and i think it works better.

Second, Nikons from the D90 and up correct for lateral chromatic aberration, making the lenses better and the images cleaner. depending on the lenses you use, that can be a huge benefit.

Third, I believe Nikon does a better job of automatic contrast control (Auto D-Lighting) than Canon's version.

I also find the D90 balances better in the hand than the wider 30D/40D/50D body.

On the negative side, I do prefer the Canon menu system in most respects. I could set up the 30D so I hardly ever had to use a menu. Can't seem to do that with the D90.

Live view and video have never been used on my D90 - that's wasn't why I bought it.
--
Jerry

Thanks a lot guys! I think I got the main picture.

In my opinion a x0D is more comfortable in the hand than a D90 though, but compared to a D300 it's just "different". So judging on your comments I'll switch to a D300 when I have the change, it seems it has everything the Canon has, despite their "overall difference".

I made the switch last year from a 40D and several L lenses to the D300 and comparable f/2.8 lenses and couldn't be happier.........After reading about Nikon's AF auto tune I was convinced since my problem with Canon was their QC, having several issues with front focusing and exposure problems with the 24-70f/2.8. Canon's repair center took care of all the problems but I was always concerned about my next purchase.
--
Regards,
Hank

Could you elaborate on the 40d issue?

techiecool said:

Could you elaborate on the 40d issue?

Click to expand...

I always thought a few of my f/2.8 lenses were soft wide open and after exchanging a couple the issue never got any better. One day I was shooting my new 400f/5.6 wide open at a nearby squirrel and noticed that the grass a few inches in front of him was tack sharp.....much sharper than his fur..... so I realized then that the 40D was front focusing. I sent the body with my 24-70f/2.8 that had error codes displaying exposure issues which Canon quickly repaired. It worked well after that but I was disappointed in their overall QC and concerned about my next lens purchase.

My D300 has the AF auto tune that could have resolved those front focusing issues but Canon followed suit with a similar feature in the 50D, but I had already made the switch. All the Nikon lenses were tack sharp from the factory and I never had to use the AF tune feature but it's nice to know it's there.
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Regards,
Hank