Canon vs nikon

[kalin0121]

Yeah, sorry I actually missed the bit where he says 'T3i or d5100?'. I just thought it was another dull and boring Canon VS Nikon thread, it seems their is actually a question being asked. Still a pointless thread though to be honest, there are a billion of these questions being answered already on this forum.

And as always, the decision to buy which camera should be made in the store after seeing which feels better to use and handle. I made my decision this way. Canon entry level cameras just feel Cheap in my opinion and I think Canon should improve the quality being offered at the low end. I would probably be a Canon user now if it wasn't for the dreadful plastic toy feel of their entry level cameras as I originally wanted to buy Canon..

So sorry to have bored you. I'm new here and also new to DLSR photography. I love taking pictures and most of all I love taking good quality pictures. I have done a lot research and thought a lot about it but the more I think about the more frustrated I get about choosing one over the other. I don't have a lot of money and this is a hobby for me not a profession so what ever camera I get will have to last me a long time. That being said its a very important decision for me and whatever input from people who are more educated on the subject than I is much appreciated!

 

[kalin0121]

I would probably be a Canon user now if it wasn't for the dreadful plastic toy feel of their entry level cameras as I originally wanted to buy Canon..

I know your reason for choosing Nikon over canon but you say you would have purchased the canon if it wasn't for the toy feel? If the canon body did not feel cheap why would you purchase it over Nikon?

 

[kalin0121]

Good points but I suppose we all want to buy the best we can for our budgets so a reassurance beforehand is nice.
To the OP google comparisons on this for your answer, I imagine not many would own or have used both for a worthwhile opinion

I have done a lot of that and both are pretty close to being the same. That's why it's such a hard decision for me. Most I have talked to say if they are Nikon owners they would choose nothing but Nikon and canon users say they would use nothing but canon.

 

[kalin0121]

No, some of Canon's high end L-glass zooms are white in color, with a red ring. Nikon's high end glass has a gold ring to designate.

Oh ok I gotcha! Thanks!

 

[KmH]

What is most important to you?

Image quality? - DxOMark - Compare cameras side by side

Features and functions?

Lens selection?

 

[greybeard]

OK, from everything I've read about them. I think the Nikon is better in low light and the Canon does better video. 18 MP vs 16 MP is not worth mentioning. Both have great lenses. The t3i can autofocus with all Canon af lenses ( I think ) and I know the D5100 can only autofocus with the DX AF-S G Lenses (with a built in motor as the body has no focusing motor). I have a D5100 and I'm happy with it so far but I doubt I'll keep it for ever. Probably end up going with a D7000, D700 or one of the newer models soon to be announced, depends on my finances, lol. I plan on staying with Nikon because I already have a 28-80mm, 70-300mm, and 50mm from my older n80 film Nikon. Don't over look the Pentax K-5

 

[Nikon_Josh]

I would probably be a Canon user now if it wasn't for the dreadful plastic toy feel of their entry level cameras as I originally wanted to buy Canon..

I know your reason for choosing Nikon over canon but you say you would have purchased the canon if it wasn't for the toy feel? If the canon body did not feel cheap why would you purchase it over Nikon?

Your post hasn't bored me, it's Nikon vs Canon debates that are hopeless threads usually..

As for your choice of Nikon or Canon, they are so close in IQ that any differences are small in terms of Image quality.

My reason for wanting a Canon was because of a word called 'Marketing'. Canon are amazing at marketing, so in effect I was brainwashed by Canons brilliant marketing campaigns! Canon are market leader mainly because they know how to market better than Nikon do and other competitors, I mean even now I think Canon has a great edge with their marketing campaigns. All this 'I AM NIKON' business is just plain cheesy in my opinion!

My advice still stands.. you need to handle the cameras and choose which suits you best...

 

[jake337]

At the price point you have given, you have a very large range of cameras from film to digital, p&s to large format you could purchase used. What are the features in a camera you want the most and what feels right in your hands is most important.What types of photography are you into? Landscape, portraits, macro?

 

[kalin0121]

At the price point you have given, you have a very large range of cameras from film to digital, p&s to large format you could purchase used. What are the features in a camera you want the most and what feels right in your hands is most important.What types of photography are you into? Landscape, portraits, macro?

Mostly landscape and macro but I have a niece I also like to photograph a lot. I definitely want to go digital. I wouldn't mind going with a used camera as long as I knew it was taken care of.
Any suggestions on other types of camera?

 

[kalin0121]

OK, from everything I've read about them. I think the Nikon is better in low light and the Canon does better video. 18 MP vs 16 MP is not worth mentioning. Both have great lenses. The t3i can autofocus with all Canon af lenses ( I think ) and I know the D5100 can only autofocus with the DX AF-S G Lenses (with a built in motor as the body has no focusing motor). I have a D5100 and I'm happy with it so far but I doubt I'll keep it for ever. Probably end up going with a D7000, D700 or one of the newer models soon to be announced, depends on my finances, lol. I plan on staying with Nikon because I already have a 28-80mm, 70-300mm, and 50mm from my older n80 film Nikon. Don't over look the Pentax K-5

I haven't thought about Pentax. I guess because they don't advertise them much. I have an old film minolta from the 80's that was my dads. It has like 3 lenses with it. He dropped the camera once and after that it didn't work anymore and he never tried to get it fixed. Will old Minolta lenses work on a Pentax? I know they won't on Nikon or canon.

 

[greybeard]

There are adapters that will let you use Minolta lenses on Nikon and Pentax or whatever. However, you are limited to strictly manual focus and probably limited metering options. I have some really nice Minolta fixed lenses I've thought about trying to use with an adapter on my Nikon but, I haven't gotten around to it yet. There are many web sights that have compared these 2 cameras. They are just about 50/50 on saying which one is best.
https://www.google.com/search?q=d51...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

 

[Patrice]

Don't Minolta lenses fit on the Sony DSLR's?

 

[KmH]

and I know the D5100 can only autofocus with the DX AF-S G Lenses

Close, but no cigar.

The D5100 can auto focus any AF-S, or AF-I lens.

Both DX and FX, and any D lens that is AF-S will auto focus on any of the baby, or compact Nikon's. Many of the D lenses are AF, not AF-S

AF = Auto Focus. AF designated lenses have a receptical in the mount where the in-the-camera auto focus motors screw drive can engage the lens mechanical focusing mechanism. AF lenses don't have a focus motor in them and have to rely on a Nikon camera body that has a focus screw drive system in it. The compact Nikon DLSR's - D40/D40x/D60/D3000/D3100/D5000/D5100 don't have that screw drive system.

AF-S = Auto Focus with an in-the-lens Silent Wave auto focus motor.

G means the lens does not have an adjustable aperture ring, and has nada to do with auto focus.

D means the lens has electronics in the lens that can send distance information to the in-the-camera auto focus motor focusing system. That system uses the distance info to determine which direction the motor needs to drive the lens mechanical focus mechanism to achieve focus.

FWIW. None of Canon's EOS series of cameras, introduced in1987, have an auto focus motor in the camera.

Canon has 2 different lens mount, the EF (introduced in 1987) and the EF-S (introduced in 2003). Both lens mounts work on the entry-level Canon lineup of cameras. The EF-S lens mount does not fit onto Canon prosumer and pro camera bodies.

 

[skieur]

Don't Minolta lenses fit on the Sony DSLR's?

Yes, the Minolta A mount lenses (Maxxum etc.) work perfectly on Sony DSLRs.

skieur

 

[Shutter Nutter]

There's very little difference between any of the mainstream manufacturers in term of the image quality from an entry level camera body. Personally though I'd recommend to anyone starting out that they seriously consider going down either the Canon or Nikon route in preference to the others. That's not because of any snob value or that I think they are better than the others. But there are two compelling reasons (for me anyway!).


First, what most people find over time is that they continue to buy more and more 'stuff' for their photography. In addition to the kit made by the original camera manufacturers there's loads of third party stuff available with more and more coming onto the market all the time. But whether its lenses or flashguns or radio triggers or anything else, without exception all of the third party developers concentrate on making the Canon and Nikon stuff first and many don't even bother with the other brands (yeah i know that some gear is interchangeable). Why? Because Canon and Nikon have by far the biggest share of the market and therefore the third party manufacturers can make the most money this way. So, for me, buying anything other than Canon or Nikon immediately places limitations on what you will be able to buy in the future and in all probability, hurt you in the pocket.


The second reason is that photography may become more than just a hobby. In time you may want to take it a step further and really start to upgrade your gear. Once you've bought into a manufacturers system, changing to another is a very costly thing to do. I don't think you can get away from the fact that the vast majority of professionals use either Canon or Nikon and that's because these guys manufacture a variety of high-end camera bodies and lead the way when it comes to development. The other manufacturers don't (again I know Sony have one 'high-end' one, but seriously, why limit yourself that way).