How different are Canon versus Nikon Camera Controls?

I currently own a Nikon D5100, and I am very used to its controls and menus. I do plan on moving to a Full Frame System over the next year, and wonder how different the Canon controls are from the Nikon ones. Is this an easy switch? I have held the 5D and 6D briefly, and like the way they feel in my hands. However, I have not had a chance to play with their controls.

My main reason for no longer considering the Nikon D600 or D800 are quality control concerns and service issues. If the Nikon reviews were as favorable as the Canon ones are, I believe that I would stay with Nikon. Also, I found that the Canons feel more comfortable in my hands.

Thank you,

Christian

Although they may be slightly different it will only be a short time before you're acclimated to the Canon. Years a go I switched from the D300 to the 7D and it took less than a week to feel totally comfortable. I also preferred the Canon's menu system which seemed more intuitive......

Going from Canon to Nikon is the real pain, by comparison, you can use a Canon straight out of the box, just put a lens on, you cant do that with Nikons, D700 & D800.

curlyone said:

curlyone wrote:

Going from Canon to Nikon is the real pain, by comparison, you can use a Canon straight out of the box, just put a lens on, you cant do that with Nikons, D700 & D800.

Click to expand...

That is one of the most ridiculous comments I have ever heared. It is just as easy to go from Canon to Nikon as it is to go from Nikon to Canon. You can get used to any camera and you can use a Nikon right out of the box.

Sometimes it's harder to go from Canon to Canon.

I think both are fine brands. When I use my friend's Nikon, I find everything sort of backwards to Canon as if they are trying to make it incompatible to each other in everyway they can.

curlyone said:

curlyone wrote:

Going from Canon to Nikon is the real pain, by comparison, you can use a Canon straight out of the box, just put a lens on, you cant do that with Nikons, D700 & D800.

Click to expand...

Well, in the automatic modes, you can use either brand straight out of the box. Point and shoot! How can that be a "pain"? You make it sound like you need to run through a checklist just to turn the Nikon on!

Each brand has their own way of doing things. ISO control is irrational on most better Nikons (changed via a button on the LEFT side of the camera (and command dial), so it can't be used without taking the camera away from your face), while Canon's manual control can seem weird if your coming from a Nikon with 2 command dials (using one for aperture control and one for shutter speed).

For the OP, who's coming from a D5100, it would be as big a jump to go to a D800 as it would to a Canon, since the controls are very different on the pro Nikons.

Overall, there's nothing so complicated about either brand. Both work well, and it'll only take a few hours to get used to either.

SB

From model to model Canon controls vary, I've never played with a Nikon camera but I suspect that controls change over time with Nikon as well. So to go to Canon or Nikon doesn't mean much because you need to know which Canon and which Nikon.

I own three Canon DSLR's, yet when I helped some one take a group shot, I didn't know how to turn the flash on since it was different than my three models.

Different menus and sub menus, i much prefer canon.

The main difference used to be based on different UI paradigms - Nikon favouring hardware-based switches to select a number of settings, Canon favouring soft buttons + dials and custom modes (custom modes are rendered less and less useful as you increase the number of hardware-based controls as those can't be registered, so they usually are exclusive UI paradigms).

This to me, used to be the most important thing to consider when switching brands in terms of UI, since they require the user to think slightly differently. Custom modes make it possible to change several settings all at once, but they require the user to think preemptively what situations he's likely to be in, while hardware switches are, IMHO, very good at "reactive" setting changes, but become a pain as soon as you have to quickly change several settings.

In recent times though Nikon has progressively moved away from hardware-based controls (ex : the AF control) and started to implement custom modes on its lower models (although for some obscure reason the D800 and D4 still have to make due with their rubbish dual memory banks). In the meantime Canon has also cleaned up its UI (for example the relocation of the ON/OFF switch to a more sensible location, or the DOF button) but also introduced several new conceptual ideas, especially on its two higher end cameras (ex : the ability to change SEVERAL settings while pressing a button, ex : the Registered AF function (5D III, 1DX) or the Registered shooting function (1DX)).

Then there are the more obvious control differences (dials, etc.).

Could you rent a Canon camera for a while to see if it suits you ?

Chrasmus said:

Chrasmus wrote:

My main reason for no longer considering the Nikon D600 or D800 are quality control concerns and service issues.

Click to expand...

I don't know how it is in the States, but Canon service in the UK is nothing special.

Chrasmus said:

Chrasmus wrote:

I currently own a Nikon D5100, and I am very used to its controls and menus. I do plan on moving to a Full Frame System over the next year, and wonder how different the Canon controls are from the Nikon ones. Is this an easy switch? I have held the 5D and 6D briefly, and like the way they feel in my hands. However, I have not had a chance to play with their controls.

<Snip>

Click to expand...

I've been on Canon for the last 20+ years, and my brother is the same on Nikon. I can grab his cam any day and do ok with it. Takes a second longer to switch on and to AV, and then does what it's supposed to do.

no magic with both, try it and you should see you will be doing fine

I switched less than a month ago and couldn't be happier!

I sold all my Nikon stuff including the d800, tons if lenses, and flashes. I lost a lot if money, but switching to the 5d3 was worth it!

This is what the d800 should have been.

I've just switched from a D7000 to a 5D MK III for much the same reasons as you. Apart from being very happy I did so, I found it extremely easy to switch as it's very intuitive. Sometimes I find pressing one of the top buttons while rotating the top dial can be a little clumsy, but I never find myself hunting for the right control...

[No message]

I find the current Canon 7D and 5D Mark III more comfortable in my hands than the current Nikons. This was not always so; the D200, D300, D300s, D700, and F6 are good fits for me, whereas the newer Nikons, except for the D4, are an ill fit. The semi-pro Canons allow me to securely hold the camaera with a relaxed grip

I started learning about DSLRs with a D300s issued to my wife by a government entity. I then continued with a Canon XTi (400D) that my wife had bought, pre-owned, from a co-worker. I soon upgraded to a 40D, and then a 7D. Later, I added a 5D and a couple of older, pre-owned D70s cameras, the latter for a specific purpose that took advantage of the faster flash sync speed. Each new camera presented new controls to be learned, and all were easy enough to learn. My wife's D7000 seemed quite complex when I tried it; quite different from the older Nikons, and, of course, far different from Canon.

This does not mean I know each of these cameras intimately enough to use without having to stop and think, sometimes. The 7d and the 5D are the most familiar, rarely requiring extra thought or consulting a cheat sheet.

Hi Chrasmus (OP), I have D7000 and I have played with 5DM2, 5DM3, and 6D.

D7000 is a bit different than D5100 in that almost all major shooting settings are accessible by button on D7000, whereas D5100 requires going into the menu. I'm not sure about the detailed customization difference between D5100 and D7000.

Canon does lack EC in Manual mode. There are already threads on this topic. If you are a Nikon users who do use this feature with AutoISO, there is no workaround on Canon.

Comparing D7000 to Canons (5DM2, 5DM3, and 6D), D7000 is more customizable. Details below. It depends on individuals if they care about these customization. Customization helpful and is something users get used to. But I don't think it is deal breaker; it just take some time to adjust.

On D7000, Aperture and Shutter dial can be customized to either dial in all modes. In Manual, Av, and Tv modes, main dial and secondary dial can be customized to control Aperture or Shutter. On Canon, main dial controls Aperture in Av mode; main dial controls Shutter in Av. I don't see a way to swap between main control dial and quick control dial on Canon. For people who shoot using all 3 modes (M, Av, Tv) in different situations, they might prefer Nikon's customization. Users do not have to think about which mode their in. The same dials changes aperture and shutter in all 3 modes. For those who always shoot in 1 mode (whether Manual, Av, or Tv), then it doesn't matter.

On D7000, each dial direction and exposure meter direction can be flipped. So I can match the direction to turn the dial for Aperture, Shutter, and ISO to the direction indicated by the meter. Canon does have flip rotation function, but I cannot get all 3 controls to match the same direction as meter; unless I missed some function. Let's say the meter is set up with - (underexposure) to left and + (overexposure) to right. On Nikon, if I'm underexposed, I can make my aperture larger (smaller f number) by turning my dial to right, or decrease my shutter speed by turning my dial to the right, and increase my ISO by turning toward right. On Canon, at least one of A, S, or ISO is going the reversed direction as the exposure meter.

On D7000, Bracketing and WB Kelvin settings can be set using HW button. I am not sure whether D5100 has hardware button access for these 2 features. On Canon, need to go into menu. Can be a big factor for Kelvin shooter.

Chrasmus said:

Chrasmus wrote:

I currently own a Nikon D5100, and I am very used to its controls and menus. I do plan on moving to a Full Frame System over the next year, and wonder how different the Canon controls are from the Nikon ones. Is this an easy switch? I have held the 5D and 6D briefly, and like the way they feel in my hands. However, I have not had a chance to play with their controls.

My main reason for no longer considering the Nikon D600 or D800 are quality control concerns and service issues. If the Nikon reviews were as favorable as the Canon ones are, I believe that I would stay with Nikon. Also, I found that the Canons feel more comfortable in my hands.

Thank you,

Christian

Click to expand...

...between the D800E and D3x and the Canon 5D2. I can't speak to the D5100 or the 5D3 and 6D but I would think things would be similar. I've read comments on the Nikon Forum such as "Nikon cameras are designed by photographers, Canon is designed by [non-photographer]". In terms of controls, I think the hyperbole is actually the opposite. And anyone who has trouble with any of the menus in any DSLR is possibly just computer illerate in general.

Hi Rick, the word is ILLITERATE, Funny you know ,i copped a gob full for my earlier post here, about which camera was the easiest to set up from start, i still reckon the canon's are easier, but being born with canon and only bought my first nikon D700 about 3 years ago, that would be understandable. CHEERS