dirty dave

A friend of mine teaches photography at college level. This was a guestion that he has heard hundreds of times so he had me help him with a expeirment with a canon, nikon, and sony. First we used the same setting on all 3 can't remember the exact settings at this moment but we did use the same focal length lens on all 3. First we shot an egg against a white sheet, then shot a building, shot a landscape, then a potrait. After about a dozen of us judge the prints with no post processing we decided that the nikon shot the sharpest, canon had better tones and sony was about even with canon on sharpnest and nikon on tones. Then about a year after that I found sony parts in my old 10d canon when I replaced the power supply. So at this point in my opinion they are all the same but if you have nikon lenes it would be best to stay with nikon I use canon but if a american company would ever start making a dslr I would sell it all and go with it, just tired of japanese crap. (we did our comparison test in 2007 so I forgot alot of the details but I do remember most of the results) good luck

warrior Loc: Paso Robles CA

If you have the $$$$$$ use both!!

DennisK Loc: Pickle City,Illinois

I'd suggest going with full frame.....both brands have them.

GEARHEAD6PACK Loc: FAIRFIELD, TX

Hey, oneeyedjack*ff, lighten up. That's why we have forums. I've been in the car repair business for 50 years, but if I run into a problem I don't have the answer for, I'll ask someone who might know.

Jody

You should try renting the camera your thinking about buying before you make your decision. There is a lot more to a camera than skin tones (which can be manipulated easily post process). Either of those companies make beautiful equipment but Canon is a much bigger company and Nikon took a real manufacturing hit with the earth quake in Japan and the flooding in Thailand. This has affected the release of new Nikon models i.e. D300S and D700 replacements. I'm a Nikon user but have a Canon also. I find that my comfort level with the ergonomics of my Nikon is a much better fit for me but you might be different.

Michael O' Loc: Midwest right now

I don't do enough serious portrait work to be able to offer an opinion. But I have done sports work for some time -- Italian motorcycle races in N. Africa, Horse races on Germany, soccer in the US, etc. I converted from Nikon to Cannon and am very glad I did. If you want a more surveyed result, just watch most any outdoor sporting event such as the NFL or the Pro Soccer leagues in US or Europe and you will see a sea of white-barreled (virtually a Cannon trade mark) red-line circled L-series (pro) lenses on photographers' row. I would guess that 90 percent of the pros use cannon for these outdoor events -- from LA to San Fran to Seattle to Chicago to Boston to Pittsburgh to Miami. And I think they're right. I can mount a crossbar on a monopod and then a 70-200 lens on one and a 600 on the other, with identical bodies, and shoot at either end from my corner of the field, taking up very little space so that I don't bug the other photographers on photog row by being a space hog, but I can capture any place on the field. Cannon has a fantastic array of pro lenses (as well as mid and low priced) That will mount on film or full frame digital (except for a few newly developed "shorties" developed as shorter lighter lenses. The full array of pro lenses that will work on old or new bodies must number at least 100. If they don't have it, you probably wouldn't want it anyway. And superb quality. and with every imaginable attachment you can dream of -- and more than you'll want to buy. You want a 1200mm pro lens ? They have one, and it is a honey, if you like spending about an Audi sports car worth of green. That one they build only to order. They also have such as an f 1.0 50 mm lens for their 35 mm bodies. Don't see those every day either. And a beautiful 1.2 85mm portraiture lens that as a dream. They have the big glass that you'll find invaluable outdoors when flash is a pain, although they have electronic flash equipment. 300, 400, 500 mm in f/2.8 and their IS feature available in most all of their lenses effectively gains you an additional f-stop.Their 600mm is an f/4, with IS too for an effective one f-stop down. They have the 1.2 and 1.4 lengtheners to mount on the back of their teles, but of course you lose f-stop for that extended reach.

Call 800 / 555-1212 LD-info for Cannon's US number and they will mail a complete catalog to you, and a separate one on just their lenses if you ask. Get this tech data and you will likely sell yourself. Their lenses have many many features I won't go into that I think set them apart, but you'll read about them all in the complete Canon literature. And I usually buy from B&H in New York because their pricing is good and their support in absolutely the best. And their tech people will talk to you as long as you have questions, and without pushing you to buy. Their NY store is a two story covering a city block ! Their photography number is 800 / 947-7785. They will send you their 425-page quarterly catalog too, if you ask. Being also a math and pro management major degreed engineer, I'm programmed to obtain all the possible facts before making a decision. If I've bored you, I'm sorry, but now you know why. Good luck with your analysis ! ..........Michael O'.....PS: B&H inspects and handles used equipment too, so they would likely work out a trade on you Nikon equipment. Ask!

photosbysexton Loc: Knoxville, TN

I think this question comes up way too often, leaving other manufacturers out of the equation due to marketing. Canon and Nikon both market their equipment very heavily, while others leave it to word of mouth. I use Olympus, my bride has a Nikon. Personally, my equipment outperforms hers 10 to 1. I've done several tests using her D3000 and my E-420 with kit lenses (both in same price range), shooting raw and large, super fine jpeg and the Olympus is so much sharper with better color in both formats. If it were me though, I'd stick with what works and it seems to me that film works wonderfully for you. However, if you are loaded up with Nikon lenses, there's your answer, that is if your film lenses work with the new DSLRs.

treadwl Loc: South Florida

IT IS NOT THE CAMERA, OR THE LENS---

It is the person BEHIND the camera and the lens that makes the photo

Then there is the post processing techniques---now a days you have to be as good working in post as you do with the camera.

I'm shooting Nikons, professionally (nature, wildlife occasionally people---but no product) I like the nikon flashes, I think they are better than canon, that is the reason I use Nikon.

Larry

bfphoto Loc: Houston, TX

I know some Nikon shooters who switched to Canon and some Canon shooters who switched to Nikon. I am a Canon shooter and my best friend is a Nikon shooter. I would never consider switching to Nikon, but that's only my opinion.

Hando Rei Loc: Long Island New York

I have solved that problem ...I shoot Nikon and Canon !

LAObserver

IMHO I would go with Nikon. I am used to their logic - the way they use menus etc., so don't have to undergo a new learning experience. Both Nikon and Canon camera/lenses can produce excellent results, it's more a question of what you are comfortable with. I do think Nikon has a slight edge in the full frame market, but it is really close. I have a D3 and a D90 with a good range of lenses and doubt I will ever move away from Nikon. But, I also cary a Canon S95 in my pocket for non-pro use, and will buy the S100 as soon as it becomes available.

mezeus Loc: Texas

As a photographer I would never rely on someone else to tell me what camera I should use. I believe that, without a doubt, I would be the best judge of that.

Canon and Nikon both make great cameras.

Fotog78155 Loc: Texas

One reason so many photographers went to Canon (film to digital) is that they had $$$$ invested in lenses and were able to use on digital bodies, not so much the case today .. Now to skin tones difference between Nikon & Canon is rubbish... it's all controlled in post production. One thing to consider is what camera your friends are using? Advantage ate, fast learning curve and the ability to exchange lenses within your group ...

rodpark2 Loc: Dallas, Tx

To me the issue is more about lenses, and which you may already have. I deal with cameras year round and have a slight preference to Nikon because the lenses made as far back as the 60's can be used, at least to some extent. The older Nikon lenses were beautifully built, often all metal construction. Canon on the other hand uses only lenses made since autofocus came out in the 80's. Also, Canon lenses tend to be more expensive, probably because of the availability.
Quality wise, every manufacturer makes some great stuff and some "plastic junk."

Jfwalkr Loc: Columbus, Indiana

I shoot with and prefer Canon, however, in my opinion the person behind the camera makes for the greatest difference. It is whatever Lens system you buy into. There may be a slight difference in digital processors, however, since most all people I know use Photoshop or Lightroom to edit, they adjust them they way they prefer.