smf85 Loc: Freeport, IL

I have shot Nikon since 1971. The oldest lens I own is a F mount 13.5cm 3.5 Nikkor c.1963. Which I purchased used as my first 135mm. My first 50mm 1.4 was also purchased used - made in 1969. They mount and operate on my Z9. Kinda clunky but works correctly. And on my Z7, Z6, D850, D200, and my F. Most of my AF, AF D and previous lenses will mount and operate manually on the F. Even the old F mount intrusive fisheyes will (mostly) mount and operate properly on the Z camera’s. I’m annoyed that my screw AF lenses don’t autofocus on the Z series with the FTZ. But otherwise they work fine.

During the same time period Canon has had the following lens mounts:

1959 R
1964 FL
1971 FD
1987 EF
2003 EF-S (EF compatible)
2012 EF-M
2018 RF (EF lenses can be adapted for the the R camera’s.).

I went with Nikon originally because the Canon FL to FD mount change seemingly left the FL user base abandoned. More specifically, the FD used market was non-existent.

That was then. To give Canon it’s due were I to have started serious photography in 1991 or later I might have gone with them. They’re offerings have always been impressive.

Drbobcameraguy Loc: Eaton Ohio

I went with Nikon for the same reason.

gouldopfl

I went with Canon many moons ago and haven't really had problems upgrading. I have Canon EOS R (RF). My biggest problem now is Canon going after a third party lens manufacturer for making a RF mount lens. This has caused Tamron to drop plans to make any RF mount lenses and we haven't heard from Sigma. I don't like monopoly and the RF lenses are very expensive except for a 50mm f/1.8 cheap 150.00 lens. I would sell my rig but I don't want a gas approach to this.

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Don

jack schade Loc: La Pine Oregon

It's great when a company supports their products.

jack

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

You seem to be confused about some relevant facts in your Canon time-line.

1, The FL lenses were / are fully compatible on FD-mount bodies. Did you actually drive off the road to success as far back as 1971?

2, The EF-S mount really doesn't rise to the level of a mount change. You're probably familiar with Nikon's DX lenses and cameras, similarly the EF-S mount is specific to cropped EOS bodies, a line of cameras that also can use every EF-mount lens ever.

3, The EF-M mount is very specific to a line of cropped mirrorless bodies. Both EF and EF-S lenses are fully compatible with these cameras via an EF-M adapter.

4, You've probably heard now about Nikon's mirrorless Z-mount? You mentioned it. That's the RF mount for Canon EOS full-frame mirrorless. What you probably don't know is that every EF lens ever is fully compatible with the RF cameras, via the Canon adapter. None of the EF / EF-S lenses are downgraded to manual. N O N E. None of the EF / EF-S lenses operate differently on different mirrorless cameras. None, nil, nada, zero, zilch. Maybe when you started this post to pat yourself on the back, you had a small nagging fear EOS technology has displaced Nikon as the upwardly compatible digital platform?

5, For all those EOS mirrorless options, now the age-old R, FL and FD lenses are ready to live on as manual focus lenses on digital mirrorless cameras with the appropriate adapter. So, if you'd gone with Canon way back when and stayed, all that Canon technology can be integrated onto a single digital mirrorless platform.

Falsely denigrating the global leader seems like an odd way to justify staying with the now #3 brand.

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

After I retired from the Air Force in June 1988, I was shooting a Canon AE-1 Program. My 1st job was working in a camera shop in Monterey, CA. Some of you might remember Russell's Camera West. My retirement gift from my wife was $2000.00 to buy a new system. I lined up the Nikon 8008 (the 8008S wasn't out yet), Canon EOS620, & Minolta 7000i. The 8008 was out because it didn't have a spot meter function & the EOS620 felt clunky. The 7000i had a spot meter & the controls felt in the right place. The 2 grand allowed me to purchase the body, 4 lenses, flash, & a Tamron bag with a little left over. Minolta had an employee purchase program that allowed me to purchase everything at almost 50% off. If the 8008S had been available when I pulled the trigger, I would also probably be a Nikon shooter to this day. When Minolta exited the camera market, I switched to Sony. First with an Alpha 850 & now with an A7RIII. Haven't regretted the decisions I made along the way.

smf85 Loc: Freeport, IL

1. At the time, meaning when I made the decision, that wasn’t obvious. By your lights I probably did drive off the road to photographic success then.

2. You fail to point out that an EF-S lens won’t mount on an EF camera while a DX lens will mount on a F camera and work normally.

3. Wasn’t including non-Canon OEM adapters.

4. Every AF-S and AF-P Nikkor also works fine with the FTZ adapter. Nikon continued to make older lens types to serve its established market - specifically its older film cameras. Yes, I can still get new lenses for my F. That they won’t work with my Z fully is besides the point. And I don’t have to haul around an AF motor I can’t use with the F.

5. True but you need multiple non-Canon adapters.

Hardly degrading anyone. The leader is irrelevant to me. Nikon makes good equipment with a long history of not abandoning its user base. I went Nikon a long time ago and accumulated a large amount of glass some of it highly specialized (and not available in Canon mount). I kept using the F because it worked the way I want.

When I started looking at digital in 2006 I hesitated a long time because Canon was highly attractive. Eventually my wife decided that for once she could get me something she knew I’d like for my birthday. So she went to the camera store and bought me a D200 and gave it to me. So I wound up sticking with Nikon. I don’t regret it; equally so had I gone with Canon I don’t think I would have regretted it either. But I really do like the fact that all the D glass I have works great on the F. That fact kept me shooting film until this year.

I’m not a fanboy of any company. I neither like nor dislike either Nikon or Canon. They’re just tools - like this made by Milwaukee or Bosch - that enable me to create my art.

Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal

I already had a slew of Nikon cameras and lenses.
But I had a friend who liked Canon- it was his 6mp Canon
that "groomed" me towards digital.
This is LA, CA. There's a pair of Samys, a Pauls and a Silvios close by.
Silvios is closer I go there first. A Canon and a Nikon kit are both on sale.
Same at Samys and Pauls. The Nikons had more mp and a second battery.
The Canons needed a clip for the viewfinder to keep the sun from
bleaching photos, and overheating the circuitry. ?!?! $12, not included.
Bought the Nikon kit, been happy since. Never thought I was wrong.
BTW, I had upgraded to the D200 when it game out. Still have it,
and lerv that sensor! Looks purty with that silver 28-80!

gwilliams6

Starting in prep school back in Newport , Rhode island in the late 60's ,I was introduced to Nikon F and Leica rangefinder cameras by my English Professor who was also a world-class sailor and freelance photographer for Sports Illustrated Magazine covering America's Cup and Olympic sailing. Nikon and Leica were my brands as i went off to R.I.T. tp get my BFA in photojournalism/photo illustration.

As a summer intern photographer in my R.I.T. junior year with Newsday Newspaper on Long Island, New York, we were right across the street from Ehrenreich Photo, the first USA importers/distributors of Nikon cameras and lenses. We could just walk any gear across the street for priority servicing. We also had Leica rangefinders in our gear locker.

At R.I.T. we had all brands to use and learn with including everything from 35mm to 11X14 inch view cameras. Bought myself a 2 1/4 in. Mamiya C330 twin-lens reflex to go along with my Nikon F.

I went on to freelance for Newsday in upstate New York and then briefly interned at the White House in Washington D.C. under Presidential Photographer David Hume Kennerly. Continued my Nikon use there.

After running my own studio in D.C and working as the Assistant Director of the 10pm late Night TV newscast at WTTG TV in D.C, , Newsday offered me a fulltime staff position covering Long Island and New York daily.

Canon USA, based in Lake Success, Long Island came to Newsday and got us to be the very first top newspaper staff to switch from Nikon to Canon gear. We traded in our used Nikon gear to Canon and got Canon gear at a deep discount , and gave away our Leica gear to the staffers. We started Newsday's Canon adventure with Canon A1, and AE-1 cameras, which made great photos but had terrible weather sealing and often shorted out their circuits in heavy rain use, lol. I still had my own personal Nikon gear, but used Newsday Canon gear too.

Then I moved on to be a staffer at the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1979 through 2008, using both Nikon and Canon gear, both my own and the Inquirer's gear. I used every single model and successor from both, as Nikon and Canon went back and forth having the latest innovations and performance. I owned and used every great lens in their lineups.

I have been honored to have won over 150 and counting National and Worldwide Photo Awards using both Nikon and Canon gear covering every subject around the world including war conflict. With Seven Pulitzer Prize nominations with three times a finalist, and also being nominated for the Robert Capa, Oversees Press Award.

Both Nikon and Canon have been equally loved and used by me for over the past 48 years as a pro. I have used every top pro models of both. They are just tools and they have done their job and at times also been cursed by me when something didn't work or broke, LOL

After leaving the Inquirer in 2008, I have gone fulltime freelance and also went back to school and I got my Master's Degree in Digital Photography from SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design) and as a Professor of Photography have also been teaching courses for many years in Photojournalism, Digital Photography and 35mm B&W film photography at a state university. And my photo students use school-supplied gear from Nikon, Canon and Sony.

While I still have kept one Canon SLR and one Nikon DSLR, I did sell off all my other Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras and lens collections and moved over to the Sony mirrorless system in January 2017 and have no regrets.

I have owned Sony A6500, A7RII, A7RIII, A7III, A9 and currently own A1, A7RIV, A7SIII. I currently own 12 E-mount lenses covering from 10mm to 600mm from Sony, Sigma and Tamron. I kept one of my Canon lenses the superb specialty lens, Canon TS 17mm f4 Tilt-Shift lens, which I use on my Sony bodies with the Sigma MC-11 EF-mount to E-mount adaptor.

I applaud Nikon and Canon for finally seeing the light and coming out with their own decent fullframe mirrorless cameras. But I am sticking with the fullframe mirrorless experts and the creator of the fullframe mirrorless camera, Sony.

Love your Nikons and love your Canons or whatever brand you prefer and be happy. I am a fanboy and loyal to whatever works best for me and gives me the best performance for my professional and personal work.

Oh yes CHg-Canon ,yes Canon sells the most cameras (all formats and types) but Sony still sells the most mirrorless cameras in the world and in the USA market. It really doesn't matter, but just setting the record straight.

The top Worldwide News Services have given up their DSLRS and gone mirrorless for their staff photographers and staff videographers worldwide in the past 20 months .

Most going to Sony "for its pace of innovation and complete systems" (not for any monetary reason), Going to Sony are Associated Press, All Gannett media, Canadian Press and UK Press. Going with the Nikon Z9 is AFP (Agence France Press).

https://alphauniverse.com/stories/why-the-associated-press-just-switched-to-sony/

https://petapixel.com/2021/11/17/sony-is-now-the-exclusive-camera-provider-for-gannett-and-usa-today/

https://www.dpreview.com/news/4545693607/the-uk-largest-news-agency-partners-with-sony

https://petapixel.com/2022/01/31/canadas-largest-news-organization-moves-exclusively-to-sony-cameras/#:~:text=Canada's%20Largest%20News%20Agency%20Moves%20Exclusively%20to%20Sony%20Cameras,-Jan%2031%2C%202022&text=The%20Canadian%20Press%2C%20the%20largest,provider%20for%20the%20media%20company.

https://petapixel.com/2022/06/09/how-pro-photographers-helped-make-the-z9-from-prototype-to-flagship/

Use what you love and what works for your needs, be happy and ignore any unwanted GAS attacks.

Cheers and best to you all

(Download)

ELNikkor

In the late '70s I was considering Canon or Nikon. Of the ones I could afford, only Nikon had a multiple exposure lever. Since I did a lot of "trick" photography, I needed that feature, so I bought the FE/FM pair, and the rest, as they say, is history.

PhotoDerek Loc: County Durham, UK.

I had a Pentax LX pro film camera, and it was stolen. The insurance company replaced it with the Nikon F4 and a few lenses. It was superb, then upgraded to the F5, then digital DX2, then D3 and now D5. Very happy with all cameras and lenses. I had an offer from Sony to part exchange into their equipment and would have cost me £4k and saved 2lbs in weight decided against since leaving work have lost 17lbs from body weight.
Grays of Westminster run the Nikon Owners magazine and regularly attend the lectures and days out. One day will go Nikon mirrorless when my equipment breaks or just too old to carry 1 body, 2 zoom lenses and assorted filters etc.

agillot

Back in the 60/70 s , Pentax had the best mount , you can still mount old pentax lenses to newer cameras .

Celtis87

In 1971, if memory serves, if you were looking at a SLR camera, Nikon was top of the line. I bought a Konica Autoreflex T because I couldn’t afford a Nikon. But I always wanted one. Finally got one as a DSLR. D80, then D7000, and then D750. May not be the best equipment, but I’m not being held back by my equipment at this point. Mostly operator limitations.

whfowle Loc: Tampa first, now Albuquerque

Yikes! The brand wars are back. In the end, they are all cameras that take pictures. Have fun doing that.