Is it time to switch to Canon?

As many of you know I’ve been a long time Nikon shooter. However, unlike many photographers out there, the whole Nikon vs. Canon thing is not a religious battle for me. I really don’t have passion for one manufacture over the other. My choice to go with Nikon at the time was simply based upon my desire for a FAST DSLR camera at the time. I was moving up from an Olympus E20N (with a fixed lens) and wanted one of the new hot cameras under $1K. So at the time my choice was between the Canon Rebel which had already been out for about a year and the brand new Nikon D70. I went with the D70 because it had the better specs (faster). Of course once you go with a DSLR you start buying stuff for it and that keeps you pretty tied to that brand. As time went on I accumulated lenses, flashes, etc. Also once the D200 and D80 came out I wanted MORE! So I upgraded to the D80 and passed my D70 on to my wife.

I did recently buy a Canon Powershot 850IS point and shoot camera that so far I’m quite happy with.

Although I’m quite satisfied with my Nikon gear and the shots I get out of my camera, the one thing that intrigues me about Canon is their ability to provide cameras that shoot at higher ISOs in lower light situations with less noise. I read my buddy Scott’s "Canon 5D field report" and it got me thinking again about the whole noise issue. Also Canon just released details on a barrage of new cameras, most notably details on the NEW Canon 40D. This looks like it would be a good choice for me and my "hobby" (I have to keep reminding myself that I don’t make a dime on photography and as much as I would like that new EOS 1Ds Mark III, um, I don’t make a dime on photography) .

 

I’m not quite ready to just switch

I’ve got a lot of time and money invested in my Nikon gear. So I’m not quite ready to head to eBay just yet. However, I could certainly see ADDING a Canon DSLR to my arsenal. If I start using it and more importantly liking it better than my Nikon, I would then consider selling my Nikon gear. Again, I don’t have any strong feelings for one brand over the other. I know pros that use Canon and I know pros that use Nikon and they all seem quite happy with what they use. At Photoshop World each year both Nikon and Canon sponsor photo safaris and both events always sell out. So there seems to be a pretty even mix of users out there.

It would also be nice to have both cameras and simply choose the better camera for the situation. Perhaps using the Canon in portrait and low light shoots and using the Nikon gear for landscape shots? Just a thought.

I promised myself that I would wait for now and see what Nikon comes out with next and then do a comparison of whatever that is to the Canon 40D. However, after reading about the 40D is making this wait a little less comfortable than I first imagined. It’s a good thing the 40D doesn’t ship until sometime in September, otherwise my impulsive nature would be even harder to contain 🙂

9 Replies to “Is it time to switch to Canon?”

  1. Hey Terry,

    This is always the thought when one of the brands releases some new cameras, Nikon has a press conference coming up quite soon, so wait and see what they are going to be releasing next 😉

  2. With all due respect, I really don’t see the point of “upgrading” from a D80 to a 40D. The noise reduction factor will be insignificant since their sensors are pretty much the same size. If you were thinking full size sensor like the 5D I think that is a different story. Getting the 40D is mostly a sideways move, not a vertical one. From reading the specs, I wouldn’t even upgrade to a 40D if I had a 30D…

  3. Terry,

    I bought the D200 along with a 70-200 f/2.8 VR, 17-55 f/2.8 and 50mm f/1.8. I’ve never looked back. Now that Nikon (today) has released the D3, D300 and 5 new exceptional lenses, this article is “old”. These new lenses are all “killer” in my book and the prices reflect that. Just awesome stuff.

    I’ve toyed with the idea of switching but, I just did an event shoot where there was dust everywhere. My d200 held up fine and the Canon users were worried about the dust. This is partly why I bought Nikon in the first place, they are just built like little tanks!

    I had been wanting to add another camera body to go along with a few more lenses I am getting. Now? I’m getting the D300 ($1799) and making the D200 my backup body!

    Seriously, if you do have “time and money” invested in a Nikon, why change? The photos are not going to look any different. Plus, there’s alway Photoshop to help. 😉

    I think you’d regret it myself.

  4. Greg!
    Wow, I didn’t have to wait long to see what Nikon was going to come out with next. The D300 looks GREAT especially at that price! Now I have some comparing to do. I can’t wait to see some test shots from the D300.

  5. If I had lots of money, I would trade a 30D for the 40D. Some of the improvements are spot-on what I appreciate. Of course, I woud trade an S3 IS for an S5 IS, if I had the aforementioned money.

    Terry, the stock 40D kit lens may be the limiting factor in quality. If you go with a 40D, you might want some other lenses as well.. However, go for the IS lenses, wherever you can. Also, the 580 EX Speedlite seems quite competent and has lots of gadgets available. I’ve heard you like gadgets!

  6. I’m brand agnostic as well, and I could care less if I use either company. In fact if I were super rich I’d play with both as well.

    In the 70s and 80s, Nikon was the clear winner. It was like VHS that won over beta. There was no competition. Nowadays, in the DSLR world it’s a rat race out there. DSLR is still very premature and both companies will release products that beat each other. Once you switch to Canon this year, you’ll see a better Nikon model next year, then vise versa, etc. Keep in mind, Nikon’s sale has gone up a lot in the past year, and that’s an indication of something. In the DSLR world, in 2006, Canon had 46.7 percent of the market, while Nikon held 33 percent. Fast forward just a year or so– Canon and runner-up Nikon has shrunk to less than 3% market share, with Canon owning 42.7 percent (3.18 million cameras shipped) of the market in 2007, compared to Nikon’s 40 percent (2.98 million shipped). Why? I don’t know, but that’s quite an achievement, or just means that it’s pointless to guess which one will be better 10 years from now.

    Pick what is important for you RIGHT NOW, keep in mind the specs will change from year to year!

    Nikon strengths:
    – better-featured high-end camera bodies
    – better selection of APS-C zooms
    – 14-24mm f/2.8
    – better integrated flash photography (Creative Lighting System), I use this all the time and it’s a HUGE reason why I use Nikon
    – superior compatibility, from old 1970 lenses to the fact that you can stick DX lenses into full frame cameras (Canon doesn’t allow EF-S lens into full frame body)

    Canon strengths:
    – higher-resolution sensors (APS-C: 15 vs. 12, full-frame: 21 vs. 12), this is the reason why I use Canon
    – better-featured, higher image-quality low-end camera bodies
    – less aggressive noise reduction (although the balance here changes
    every generation)
    – (arguably) better selection of full-frame zooms
    – fast primes (faster and larger selection)

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