Seeking an alternate perspective on the classic debate.

All too often, it's too easy to say, "well, Jetphotos is better than Airliners.net" or vice versa. "Or Canon sucks, Nikon is better."


Problem is we also are biased towards what we like. THat's normal.


So I have a friend who was looking at purchasing a Nikon D 40 or 50. I do not know his budget, but I initially threw in my bias and said, "Oh, don't bother with Nikon, go with Canon. "

In retrospect, I know it was wrong and I have since apologized. Truth is they are both good, in the eye of the beholder. In our office, we have Nikon ophthalmic equipment. Excellent optics and we're frustrated that the Nikon Opthalmic division is no more.


I digress. So here is the question, rather than say, Canon or Nikon is better, I ask you...


If you have either Canon or Nikon, have you ever regreted it or wanted to switch to the other manufacterer? Perhaps your answers can lead me to give him a more balanced opinion.

Well I would say it is probably better for him to go to a store and hold both bodies and try them. Let him make his own decision. Research the specs and performance and go from there.

I am a fairly new DSLR photographer, and my budget was what I struggled with. I could have gotten a cheaper body, and/or cheaper lenses and went out and bought other things I wanted.

But I can firmly say, I have never regretted my Canon 400D purchase, it has been a great camera to me. Before I bought I had used the Nikon D70, Canon 30D, and Canon 350D. I am 100% happy with my purchase of a 400D. Actually, my Nikon friend wants to switch to Canon after playing around with my 400D (He has a D70)

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Originally Posted by NIKV69

Well I would say it is probably better for him to go to a store and hold both bodies and try them. Let him make his own decision. Research the specs and performance and go from there.

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But by holding a camera you cannot tell image quality, color rendition, or anything but the feel of it.

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Originally Posted by nwafan20

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Originally Posted by NIKV69

Well I would say it is probably better for him to go to a store and hold both bodies and try them. Let him make his own decision. Research the specs and performance and go from there.

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But by holding a camera you cannot tell image quality, color rendition, or anything but the feel of it.

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Matt, I do not know about you but for me feel is a big part of it because if I am not comfortable as I am taking the picture with my grips etc it is going to come out uneven, shakey etc...

Well of course, but I say you should borrow both versions from a friend and look at the camera as a whole. Feel the grip, but also check out the images that come from both in the same conditions. Test it to the limit conditions (Low lighting, hard focusing, etc.) and see how each image comes out. You need to look at everything as a whole.

I've never regretted going with Canon even when I had to have my lens serviced. I was shocked that they fixed my lens so quickly and that it was back in my hands in 7 days. That’s the kind of service that will keep me going back to Canon. I know from speaking to Nick that on two occasions had a bad service experience with Nikon.

I don't know too much about Nikon entry level DSLRs but my old 300D is still a fantastic camera and the 30D's performance speaks for itself. In the end both are good brands, otherwise neither one would be the top two in the industry.

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But by holding a camera you cannot tell image quality, color rendition, or anything but the feel of it.

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and try them

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Research the specs and performance

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Read my entire sentence. I would bet a store will let you try them. Not off property but in store.

Good comments thus far.

Actually Nick, when I first got my SLR, the tipping point was holding it and looking at the mounting ring (metal vs plastic).

I preferred the solid feel of the Canon compared to the cheap, at the time, model of comparable Nikon.

That said though, I use Nikon optics in the office.

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I know from speaking to Nick that on two occasions had a bad service experience with Nikon

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The work they do is awesome but customer service and communcation is beyond horrible. They go out of their way to let you know they don't want to talk to you and make you go to the website which is not real time. I used both the El Segundo and Melville locations and it was the same and allow for a lot of down time when you give them your equipment.