Bill Emmett Loc: Bow, New Hampshire

What made you originally decide on the Canon 5D Mark IV? Seems odd you must have used some decision method to choose the Mark IV originally. Nothing has changed with the Mark IV, so why not give it a chance. As you probably already know, Canon has the largest lens selection, both in "L" quality, and EF lenses. Join Canon Professional services, and take advantage of their support and information. You'll get a nice package including free cleanings for cameras and lenses, plus a direct line for service and questions about their products. Enjoy your new camera.

B

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Both are absolutely powerful tools. But more important than the camera system is how it meets your needs!

For me, it would come down to the answers to this set of characteristics and questions:

Ergonomics — feel in hand, handling, speed and ease of use

Menus — logical arrangement and ease of navigating their layout

Control placement — are there enough buttons and dials to keep me out of the menus, and are they in the right places?

Skin tone rendering in JPEGs

Raw file manipulation range in Lightroom

Dynamic range and noise

Lenses available in the product line

Lenses I already have

Lens adaptability to mirrorless cameras (How much automation is retained? Canon wins that race.)

Video and audio features (Important if I need to record lots of video)

Weight of camera, lenses, accessories I will travel with

Can I fit my rig under an airline seat?

Do I regularly make prints larger than 30x20 inches?

Will dSLR mirror slap and shutter noises disturb people around me when I’m working?

How far, for how long, will I lug my gear when I’m on a photo mission?

Am I a working pro, or a hobbyist with at least 10,000 hours of photography behind me?

Will I keep this beast for at least five years?

I could go on, but I think you can and should make your own list. My sophisticated wild-a$$ guess (SWAG) is that the “whether or not you know how to make it do what you want” factor is FAR more important than what you buy.

Rent the D850 and the lens you would use most with it, and compare it with the 5D IV. That will answer your question!

GAS496 Loc: Arizona

It is a much simpler answer than many above. You are spending a lot of money. Get the Nikon if you are already regretting buying the Canon.

Desert Gecko Loc: desert southwest, USA

I'll not read five pages of replies, so if my thoughts echo another's, I apologize.

It really depends on your needs. If you need to say "I shoot Canon, and most pros shoot Canon, so I'm a great photographer" then keep your Canon. If you need dozens of specialty lenses, keep your Canon. If you want to take a chance on investing in a produce line that has only once produced a camera with a sensor that approaches the quality of a Sony or Nikon sensor, keep your Canon. The 5D4's sensor offered hope that maybe Canon finally would produce a sensor rivaling current sensors by Sony & Nikon, then it showed us it just got lucky when it released the awful 6D2. So think about that. If you keep your 5D4 and invest in other Canon gear, are you going to want to upgrade in a few years? And if you do, will Canon have anything worth considering?

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Gee, are you a Nikon fanboy by chance?

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Nikon may be number two but right now it seems like they're trying harder.

jmvaugh Loc: Albuquerque

If you have mostly Canon lenses, it would be rather expensive to send it back and go with the Nikon. You might be suffering from what I call “big purchase second guessing”.
I go through it any time I order anything for myself over a couple hundred bucks, especially for a hobby. The only cure is to review my feature/specification comparison notes or spreadsheets on why exactly I bought it. Also, I thoroughly test each and every feature to make sure absolutely everything works, which is why I like a 30 day return policy.
If everything works and I’ve reviewed all the features that convinced me to buy it in the first place, my doubts magically disappear.

Best of luck!

Haydon

A little research says he's a Sony shooter or were you asking yourself that question :)

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Thanks. The question was rhetorical! It's distressing to see people bash brands. I am a Nikon owner, but I see no need to bash Canon as they are just as good. When Sony has the lens variety of the big 2, then they may become serious competitors as well.

Haydon

I read somewhere that Sony took number 2 away from Nikon in FF a short while back. That might change with the D850 but I really believe it's all about marketing. Canon for almost a decade has produced a sensor that doesn't fair well at low ISO to the competitors but it hasn't changed their marketshare. If anything, it's strengthened.

nikonbrain Loc: Crystal River Florida

I am a nikon shooter , but that is not going to influnce my answer . Canon makes wonderful glass , without a doubt and some very desireable lenses , For one the fine 17mm tilt shift , a beautiful landscape lense , so that buying an older fast pro canon on ebay for unbieliblibly cheap dollars is a no brainer. Why can't a photographer shoot more than 1 brand today ? You have to remember that probably before Christmas Canon will counter with something so close it will make your head spin why didn't I wait .I shoot a Nikon d 7100 and a d 810 would love the stack focus option . Hell I just got the d 810 , at Christmas past , it takes 2 years before I would even be able to consider to move up when the price drops . Just for a handfull of extra features . Just saying if you can afford it and no one to say no in your life buy the Nikon BUT keep the Canon shoot both and enjoy the best of both worlds . Hell I also have a Pentax 645n for velvia 50 not even digital...and would not be adverse to getting a 40 megapixel 645d it has bigger and better pixels than any 35mm by any Nikon or Canon . I have used that camera , it is only 1.5 frames a second but oh what beautiful big pixels it has ...

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Won't be selling my Nikon equipment any time soon regardless. Honestly, I could care the ranking order! When I retire from Sports Action work, I will look into something smaller and lighter. My D500 may fit that bill perfectly.

Desert Gecko Loc: desert southwest, USA

Not at all a Nikon fanboi. I actually prefer (and currently shoot) Sony. A few years ago when I finally got into a DSLR, I did a fair amount of research. I even created spreadsheets to keep track, and I started out thinking I'd end up with Olympus because that's what I shot with in film and later, point & shoots. Olympus made great film cameras and was the clear innovative leader in its film days, so I expected the same in digital. I quickly realized that Oly was limited to M43, so I looked on and expected to end up with Canon because it seems Canon cameras & gear are ubiquitous -- plus several good friends shoot Canon. As I researched every conceivable aspect of DLSRs, I also prioritized features, giving more weight to IQ than anything else. Nikon started to outpace Canon, but even Nikon was overtaken by Sony overall in my spreadsheet -- and this was before Sony launched its a7 series of full frame mirrorless. I was reluctant to go with Sony, but I did, and so far I am glad for it. Still, I am pleased with what Nikon is doing, although I am generally more pleased with Sony's direction. New bodies by both are substantial improvements, not just incremental gains as we see with Canon, which remains 2-3 generations behind in sensor tech. The 5D4 appears to be an anomaly, so I wouldn't invest in a Canon system.

I'm just tired of the unsupportable rhetoric by Canon fanbois who think Canon is God's gift.

pbphoto

Hi vininnj2u,

Lots of very competent responses above, and it's noted how many Nikon users urge you to make the change, BUT (and it has been asked above without response so far from you) (i) what did you shoot with before? (ii) how many Canon lenses do you have? (iii) how many Nikon lenses do you have? (iv) what has made you second guess yourself? - given the cost you must surely have deliberated over the purchase of the Canon in the first place (iv) are you dissatisfied with the images from the Canon 5D iv?

If you want a really competent answer which will hopefully assist you to answer your own questions, you need to answer mine so that the Forum can give a response based on all the pertinent facts.

I have just moved from the 5D iii to the 5D iv and I can already see an improvement in the clarity and sharpness of my images - and as I have already amassed a range of Canon lenses and speedlights, if I were to make a change to Nikon, there would be more than just ONE camera to consider, AND a whole shed load of cost, and my marriage and bank balance would not stand it.

pbphoto

Also I've not read five pages of replies, so if my thoughts echo another's, I also apologise.