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Do pros prefer Nikon over Canon?

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Darren Chang said:
Hi,

I don't know if this has been a cliche topic since I'm new to
photog as well as to this forum. Why when I look around, it seems
the serious pros use more Nikon cameras than Canon. I myself own a
Canon DSLR. And I noticed in the ranking of dpreview Canon digital
cams definitely beat Nikon overall. But when I read books like
National Geographic Photography Field Guide, it seems everybody in
the book uses a Nikon, and Canon can be found nowhere. :(

Does Canon hold the lead only in digital cam field, and Nikon leads
in the traditional film cam?

Darren
Click to expand...
 
Considering how well you research, I think you should at least mention that. Moose still shot Nikon after his 1D "test". I can't say about the future but last time I checked, he still does.
Peter Phan said:
You even have dedicated Nikon guru Moose Peterson giving Canon a go:
http://www.nikondigital.org/reviews/1d/canon_1d_review.htm
Click to expand...
If you dig up some of his posts in nikondigital, one of the things he did not like about the 1D is its slow start up time vs. the D1 series. Fancy that, a Canon too slow?

Canon continued to be popular
Peter Phan said:
with the addition of the advanced Canon 1V as an answer to the
aging Nikon F5.
Click to expand...
One can only expect the 1V to leapfrog the F5 considering it took four years to come up. But I always wonder whenever you mention this "advanced" thing (since it's already repetitive), considering the F5 is pretty much an advanced SLR in itself, how far has the 1V really advanced SLR design?

Now before you mention weather sealing, understand that Nikon pro SLRs are far better weathersealed than their own marketing dept would indicate. How else would they survive those places Moose and Frans Lanting and others took them?

As for magnesium construction, note that the F100 was there first. Obviously not the F5, but again, it's a 1996 model, the F100 came out in 1998.

AF, it's a toss up, at least when you test them side by side in the hands of pros familiar with how they work and using AFS/USM lenses.

Metering. Is this even up for discussion?

I'd allow that Canon has the edge in wireless TTL flash, but that's something Nikon knows it lacks and has just addressed with a new SB800.

So how far more advanced was the 1V really, when it appeared 4 years after the F5 debuted?
 
Actually i was joking about polling 177 Pj's. It matters none to me but in my area i've yet to see a Canon in a PJ hands. Probably due to the cheap newspapers not willing to change cause of their lens stock.. Boy ,are those DX's beat up.
Must be damned rugged cameras.
John
Abu Mumia said:
I'm up here inside the Arctic Circle, editor of the northernmost
newspaper in the western hemisphere. There are no other journalists
closer than 300 miles...so I can't look around to see what the
competition is using.

But checking with an AP staff photographer at the San Francisco
bureau, I got this reply:
"Nobody uses Nikon."

I'm surprised that photographers in your area use Nikon. Are your
sure you're not seeing dentists masquerading as photographers? I've
noticed that a lot of dentists choose Nikon because somebody told
them that's what pros use.

Abu Mumia

--
'He's out there operating without any decent restraint, totally beyond
the pale of any acceptable human conduct.'
  • Apocalypse Now
Click to expand...
 
He merely said that Moose gave the 1D a go.

Teski
Otel Garcia said:
Peter Phan said:
You even have dedicated Nikon guru Moose Peterson giving Canon a go:
http://www.nikondigital.org/reviews/1d/canon_1d_review.htm
Click to expand...
If you dig up some of his posts in nikondigital, one of the things
he did not like about the 1D is its slow start up time vs. the D1
series. Fancy that, a Canon too slow?

Canon continued to be popular
Otel Garcia said:
with the addition of the advanced Canon 1V as an answer to the
aging Nikon F5.
Click to expand...
One can only expect the 1V to leapfrog the F5 considering it took
four years to come up. But I always wonder whenever you mention
this "advanced" thing (since it's already repetitive), considering
the F5 is pretty much an advanced SLR in itself, how far has the 1V
really advanced SLR design?

Now before you mention weather sealing, understand that Nikon pro
SLRs are far better weathersealed than their own marketing dept
would indicate. How else would they survive those places Moose and
Frans Lanting and others took them?

As for magnesium construction, note that the F100 was there first.
Obviously not the F5, but again, it's a 1996 model, the F100 came
out in 1998.

AF, it's a toss up, at least when you test them side by side in the
hands of pros familiar with how they work and using AFS/USM lenses.

Metering. Is this even up for discussion?

I'd allow that Canon has the edge in wireless TTL flash, but that's
something Nikon knows it lacks and has just addressed with a new
SB800.

So how far more advanced was the 1V really, when it appeared 4
years after the F5 debuted?
Click to expand...
--
Teski

'Remember that DSLR bodies come and go, but the lenses stay forever.'
 
Anthony said:
Darren Chang said:
Hi,

I don't know if this has been a cliche topic since I'm new to
photog as well as to this forum. Why when I look around, it seems
the serious pros use more Nikon cameras than Canon. I myself own a
Canon DSLR. And I noticed in the ranking of dpreview Canon digital
cams definitely beat Nikon overall. But when I read books like
National Geographic Photography Field Guide, it seems everybody in
the book uses a Nikon, and Canon can be found nowhere. :(

Does Canon hold the lead only in digital cam field, and Nikon leads
in the traditional film cam?

Darren
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Teski

'Remember that DSLR bodies come and go, but the lenses stay forever.'
 
Just that a longtime Nikonian tested the 1D based on the hype of it and that he liked it. Anyone that reads the article, or who even knows Moose's name knows that Moose shoots Nikon.

Teski
Otel Garcia said:
Teski said:
He merely said that Moose gave the 1D a go.

Teski
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Teski

'Remember that DSLR bodies come and go, but the lenses stay forever.'
 
As a postscript to this thread I'd like to note that those white lenses tend to stand out in any photograph, digital or otherwise, whereas the black lenses tend to fade into the background. Take a good look at that low res photo, and I'll think you'll see plenty of black.

Pherhap yet another area of Canon inovation, the self-advertising lens.
Anthony said:
Darren Chang said:
Hi,

I don't know if this has been a cliche topic since I'm new to
photog as well as to this forum. Why when I look around, it seems
the serious pros use more Nikon cameras than Canon. I myself own a
Canon DSLR. And I noticed in the ranking of dpreview Canon digital
cams definitely beat Nikon overall. But when I read books like
National Geographic Photography Field Guide, it seems everybody in
the book uses a Nikon, and Canon can be found nowhere. :(

Does Canon hold the lead only in digital cam field, and Nikon leads
in the traditional film cam?

Darren
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
When I switched to Nikon, I was glad I did. Canon brought out stupid battery dependent cameras that used lithium one time use cameras, and Nikon used AAs...rechargeable ones. I viewed this as a big plus for the Nikon, as AAs were available worldwide, and the 6v lithiums were both expensive, and hard to find at first.

Then Canon dumped their mount...the FD, and I was glad again. I am sure that lots of pros felt the same way on both counts. as did their bureaus/bosses, who had Nikon glass already.

So I think lots of people didn't much trust Canon for quite a few years...hence one of the reasons that so many pros continued to use Nikon.

When new people entered the profession, all the "pros" were using Nikon....so they got Nikon too. I have heard for years that lots of decisions have been made with regard to what the people around you are using...and what you can borrow....as much as what the equipment is capable of.

Times change, and the lenses are ALL changing......if I was to upgrade all my Nikon stuff to the latest and greatest....I would still now have to upgrade all my Nikon lenses.....so my current change to Canon was no more expensive than it would have been to change over to the latest Nikon equipment and it was time for me to upgrade.

My eyes aren't getting better, and the AF is looking good.....and Canon has implemented it better, quieter,and for a lot less. Their lens mount is larger (more versatile) electronic (theoretically better), and their camera was quieter....also something I was looking for.

They all now use rechargeable lithiums, reasonably priced, and compact.....and Nikon....by changing their mount/camera compatability with their latest G lenses....is now in the position of being the brand that is "abandoning" the entrenched lenses.......

They are both good systems, and I will probably not dump all my Nikon stuff....the D2 looks like a good counter to the 1D, and they will both bring out far better cameras within the next three years...look at the new sensors anounced in the last two weeks....but Canon seems to have made the lens changes earlier, and so...for the moment seems more stable, and has more existing USM lenses than Nikon has AFS lenses.

Just my thoughts on why..Nikon vs Canon, and how and where it is all going.
Hugowolf said:
Hugowolf said:
Hugowolf said:
Hugowolf said:
Why when I look around, it seems
Click to expand...
the serious pros use more Nikon cameras than Canon. I myself own a
Canon DSLR. And I noticed in the ranking of dpreview Canon digital
cams definitely beat Nikon overall. But when I read books like
National Geographic Photography Field Guide, it seems everybody in
the book uses a Nikon, and Canon can be found nowhere. :(

Does Canon hold the lead only in digital cam field, and Nikon leads
in the traditional film cam?

Darren
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Richard Katris aka Chanan
 
Emphasis is on the writing, even though the photogs win national awards. The paper has been spending money moving from Mac to PC - not on cameras and lenses. They use Nikon DSLRs because they are compatible with the lenses they already had. I bet this is the case all over, Nikon stuff in the equipment pool. The PJs out there using Canon are typically using their own equipment.

--
Jason
 
Ed Shropshire said:
I heard the last 10 Nikon pro sport photographers were pretty
excited about the new Nikon DSLR. Maybe you might actually see a
non white lens at a pro sporting match now.
Click to expand...
................ Nikon’s heat reflecting coating is SPECIAL ORDER!!!!

But that D2h looks cool but some on the Nikon forum are expecting 1DS quality from it dreamers!!!
 
As a long time Nikon shooter (currently F100) and used the EOS 1V for a year, and occasionally used the F5 and EOS 3 that were owned by my friends, I could say Nikon is better in less shutter/mirror shake, more accurate AF, faster AF in low light, Canon is better in more usm lens choices, more flexible multi-AF points setting to suit tracking small and fast moving objects like birds.

In many local events like flower exhibition and parade, I saw more Nikon users than Canon users. In the TV, more Canon user in sport field and more reporter using Nikon with flash in indoor events.

After serious testing both N & C AF accuracy (initiated by the 10D AF issue), I found Canon is not so reliable, especially in low light situation.
Teski said:
Teski
Otel Garcia said:
Teski said:
He merely said that Moose gave the 1D a go.

Teski
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Teski

'Remember that DSLR bodies come and go, but the lenses stay forever.'
Click to expand...
--
My favorite Cameras -
Nikon F100, Nikon FM3A, Canon EOS 1V, Fuji S2 pro
Amateur Radio call sign VR2XEE
Favorite handhekd ham transceiver - Yaesu VX-5
 
Seems like from all the posts, there is not a whole lot of difference between bodies (atleast with non-quantified AF issues aside) - mainly personal pref, the 1D definatly seems the bomb in sports at the mo, the 2Dh may / should change this, on every other front the both seem close, but there seems to be a bit of an advantage to canon on the lense side of the fence, which of course means canons may have the benifit overall at the moment.

One must also remember that with the way TV has been going over the last 2 decades, sports are taking up more and more air time, which only compounds Canons effect on the lense market, with such high visibility.

Imagine the turmoil these forums would become if canon were to release their lense range to fit on a Nikon???? Whoa!!

If i were a merketing person at Canon, with the popularity of those big white lenses at the moment, i would definatly be looking down that route.

Cheers,

Ben
[email protected]
Darren Chang said:
Hi,

I don't know if this has been a cliche topic since I'm new to
photog as well as to this forum. Why when I look around, it seems
the serious pros use more Nikon cameras than Canon. I myself own a
Canon DSLR. And I noticed in the ranking of dpreview Canon digital
cams definitely beat Nikon overall. But when I read books like
National Geographic Photography Field Guide, it seems everybody in
the book uses a Nikon, and Canon can be found nowhere. :(

Does Canon hold the lead only in digital cam field, and Nikon leads
in the traditional film cam?

Darren
Click to expand...
 
I really don't know if more pros use Canons. I really don't care either. I use Nikon film cameras. I have one digital and it's a Canon G3. Why? Because it offered features that the comparable Nikon models didn't. However that doesn't mean that I would buy a Canon DSLR rather than a Nikon one. I don't have a lot of AF lenses. Only 1 actually. And the biggest feature that Nikon has over Canon, as far as I'm concerned, is ergonomics. I feel, and this is strictly personal, that the F100 is the best handling camera I've ever run across. The Nikon F2 is a reasonably close second. Guess which cameras I own?

By the way, I'm not a pro. However I have been shooting for over 50 years. I do know something many of you may not. In the 1930's and early 40's, Nikon made lenses for Canon rangefinder cameras. SLR's didn't exist in Japan then. And the Nikon F was the first "system" SLR, which is why it was adopted by the pros. The system had nearly everything a photographer could ever want or need. One further thing. Canon is a much, much larger company than Nikon. It's almost like Microsoft vs. Apple size wise. Therefore Canon has a much larger R&D budget and more money to work with overall. Also, Nikon is fairly conservative technically, going more for the long term. That's perhaps why my Nikon SP is still in tip-top condition even though it's now 45 years old.

When I buy a DSLR, it will probably be a Nikon, but there is no guarantee of that. As far as features are concerned, the most important one is located just above the shoulders.
 
In the 80s, Canon technology was completely killing Nikon for sports photography. The autofocus and motordrive were fast--something Nikon could not even come close to. But for photojournalism and fine art photography, Nikon had an incredible lead built on their technology leadership from the 70s. Unless photographers needed fast autofocus and multiple frames there was little reason to switch. So photogs like Nat. Geo., travel, and war photogs stuck with Nikon (and Leica).

Now the film systems are almost completely equal in capability. By all accounts a Nikon pro body with an AFS lens is just as fast at AF as a Canon pro body with USM lens. The multi-sensor metering is good. The bodies are rugged and durable. For a photog of any stripe in the last 5 years, the choice between the two was going to be arbitrary or based on some detail (such as Canon's IS lenses, or the F5's multiple viewfinders, etc).

As far as digital is concerned, Nikon got a huge jump on the pro market with the D1, which pretty much stunned everyone. But Canon came roaring back with the 1D. D1X/H, 1Ds, and once again the systems are neck in neck. Again the choice is going to be based on a detail rather than a clear superiority from either side. 99% of the bitching from each side on these forums are people who are rooting for a company like it's a sports team or something. Just buy the camera that can do what you want for the best price.
 
Peter Phan said:
Click to expand...
...

from the pic it look like they mostly all use Canon white lens. But then, how do you differentiate a Canon white lens from a Nikon "off white" (light grey) lens ? I'm sure you are aware that Nikon offer this option for some long lens.

--
Gaetan J.
 
The large number of pros who do use Nikon, as well as questions like:
  • Why is the AF of the latest EOS bodies no faster or more reliable than the F5 or D1, despite the fact they were all released more than 4 years later?
  • Why are so many people complaining about the 10D autofocus?
  • Why do Canon users have to spend $6000 on a FF body to get wide angle?
 
Had one from the Minnesota Star Tribune come by my house, had a Nikon.
Abu Mumia said:
I'm up here inside the Arctic Circle, editor of the northernmost
newspaper in the western hemisphere. There are no other journalists
closer than 300 miles...so I can't look around to see what the
competition is using.

But checking with an AP staff photographer at the San Francisco
bureau, I got this reply:
"Nobody uses Nikon."

I'm surprised that photographers in your area use Nikon. Are your
sure you're not seeing dentists masquerading as photographers? I've
noticed that a lot of dentists choose Nikon because somebody told
them that's what pros use.

Abu Mumia

--
'He's out there operating without any decent restraint, totally beyond
the pale of any acceptable human conduct.'
  • Apocalypse Now
Click to expand...
 
It's investment in Nikon glass that keeps the pros using Nikon.
I'm surely sticking with Canon with the investment I have in glass.
 
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