Switch to the Dark Side

(Firstly sorry MODS I posted this in the lens section by mistake.)

Hello all. It has been an interesting year for me and I think it is time to make a move. I currently own a 1DsIII and a lot of nice primes. My problem is that it draws all the wrong attention, and in the places I work that can be real bad. Sudanese prison is not a good place to hang out, trust me. All because they saw my camera and thought I was a spy (really). So I started looking at smaller alternatives as mates of mine have had no trouble getting around with 50D's and the like.

However after looking at the 5D and giving it a go I am not that impressed, at least when compared to the D700. For what I am looking for (good all round full frame camera) the Nikon comes out on top, for me.

So I guess I am asking if anyone has made the swap and what was their impressions. Did you have any regrets??

I am currently working in Iraq and will be home in Aus come Feb so will do the big sell off then.

Any advice?? I'm not trying to start a brand war, just looking for people who have made the move and what they thought.

When I only had my 50D and wanted to get a FF camera, I almost bought the D700. It has everything you would ever want (except high res, video mode etc. of the MK2). I walked into the camera store wanting to get the D700 + 24-70, I walked out with the 5D MK2 kit and a 135L. Till this day no regrets. The 5D just does it for me. I want the 21MP sensor above all else in this case.

Just what I did, my 0.02$.

There's several that have gone over to the 700 and then ended up back on the 5D2. (and just as many who started on a 5D2 and went over and never came back)

It's really a personal thing, sort of like boxers or briefs...

Have you ever worked with a Nikon before? There's a few things that are great and I wish we had on this side of the fence, but there's just as many things (mostly interface wide) that I don't like and that keep me from moving to Nikon.

I'd say that you should definitely try one out for awhile if you haven't already, to make sure it feels right to you.

Tony_Stark wrote in post #13508278
When I only had my 50D and wanted to get a FF camera, I almost bought the D700. It has everything you would ever want (except high res, video mode etc. of the MK2). I walked into the camera store wanting to get the D700 + 24-70, I walked out with the 5D MK2 kit and a 135L. Till this day no regrets. The 5D just does it for me. I want the 21MP sensor above all else in this case.

Just what I did, my 0.02$.

Worth as much as anything else mate. I have the 21MP sensor now and it will be hard to let go. I just couldn't like the 5D II no matter how hard I tried.

Todd Lambert wrote in post #13508317
There's several that have gone over to the 700 and then ended up back on the 5D2. (and just as many who started on a 5D2 and went over and never came back)

It's really a personal thing, sort of like boxers or briefs...

Have you ever worked with a Nikon before? There's a few things that are great and I wish we had on this side of the fence, but there's just as many things (mostly interface wide) that I don't like and that keep me from moving to Nikon.

I'd say that you should definitely try one out for awhile if you haven't already, to make sure it feels right to you.

I was lucky enough to be working with someone who had a D700 with him so I got to use one for a while. Apart from getting used to the handling differences (I wish Nikon had the wheel) I really enjoyed using it.
It's a big leap because I am quite heavily invested in Canon (200mm 2.0, 300mm 2.8, 50mm 1.0, 85mm 1.2, 24mm 1.4) but I feel it's something I want to do. I guess no matter how certain you are about things it's always nice to have someone else say you're doing the right thing hahahaha.
Thanks for the input.

I saw this link a while back and thought it made some real good points..

http://www.danielvalen​tephotography.com …5d-mk-ii-to-a-nikon-d700/

miguelr wrote in post #13509453
I saw this link a while back and thought it made some real good points..

http://www.danielvalen​tephotography.com …5d-mk-ii-to-a-nikon-d700/

Thanks mate that is a cracker. He obviously doesn't like the 5DII I also just found the Nikon thread on here (who knew) and there is some good stuff on there too.

Yeah...I've been considering switching to a D700 lately as well. A full frame 12-18mp camera with killer high ISO performance and good AF at a $2-4K price point is basically the perfect camera for me...and right now Canon doesn't have it.

There's lots of speculation around the 5DIII, some rumors say it will be over 30mp which doesn't interest me...though there are other rumors that suggest it will more or less be a watered down version of the 1Dx...which is much more intriguing to me. I'll hold out on switching until we have a more concrete idea of what this camera is going to look like.

helloagain36 wrote in post #13512946
Yeah...I've been considering switching to a D700 lately as well. A full frame 12-18mp camera with killer high ISO performance and good AF at a $2-4K price point is basically the perfect camera for me...and right now Canon doesn't have it.

There's lots of speculation around the 5DIII, some rumors say it will be over 30mp which doesn't interest me...though there are other rumors that suggest it will more or less be a watered down version of the 1Dx...which is much more intriguing to me. I'll hold out on switching until we have a more concrete idea of what this camera is going to look like.

Yes the 5DIII rumours are all over the shop on what it will or won't have. It is an option I did consider, but in the end decided to go for what is available now. High ISO wins for me as well over MP and the AF on the d700 is the clincher. I have never been worried about video as I don't shoot it. I will keep watching with interest to see what Canon does but for now it's Nikon for me.

I have wondered why Nikon did not put dual memory slots on the D700 as they have on the D300s and the D7000. Maybe the next upgrade on that model will have that.

I also wonder if Canon will provide dual slots on any future upgrades to the 7D and 5DII?

That may not matter to many people but if you are ever planning on using the camera for other than personal use having dual slots to me would just be added insurance against Mr. Murphy.

Rob

RobBnTX wrote in post #13513370
I have wondered why Nikon did not put dual memory slots on the D700 as they have on the D300s and the D7000. Maybe the next upgrade on that model will have that.

I also wonder if Canon will provide dual slots on any future upgrades to the 7D and 5DII?

That may not matter to many people but if you are ever planning on using the camera for other than personal use having dual slots to me would just be added insurance against Mr. Murphy.

Rob

I saw that the D7000 had dual slots, I must admit I did like this on the 1Ds. It's not vital for me being a hobbyist, if I lose photos it's not the end of the world, but for a Pro this would be a huge improvement I am sure. Has there even been a rumour of 5DIII having this?? It seems to be getting everything else.

D700, 5d, 5d2, 1dsetc, all been beaten to death.

I'm waiting on the D800 & 5D3 before i bother checking anything again, and i'd recommend you as well. Canon has some very interesting lenses that you seemed to have enjoyed and desired, the 50 1.0 is ridiculously rare.

I'm pretty happy with my 1dsII & 5D2 as it is, i get the best resolution in the studio & proper AF +Dual cards +weathersealing (That low iso banding albeit ive noticed it is ridiculous pixel peeping and easily avoidable/counterable/​fixeable/etc.) So my main body is the 1dsII with the 5d2 backup.

People make changes all the time. I have thought about it but I have too much invested in lenses to make the change at this point in time. At any given point in time Nikon may have a body that just kicks Canon's butt and then the roles will be reversed. I have found that most people that are posting this question are already pretty much decided to make the switch and are simply looking for justification which is a tough thing to get on a Canon board. Have you posted the same question on a board that is sympathetic to Nikon bodies.

Personally I believe that you are generally dealing in sixes when it comes to the bodies. Either brand would serve the purposes you are after but you haven't really stated what you want other than a smaller footprint. I will say that I have always felt that Nikon had the upper hand when it came to their flash units. They seem to talk to their bodies better and when using multiple flash it is seems much easier. I can only go by what I have read and have no practical experience in this area. I have shot with a Nikon body for a day here or there as I have a friend that has one. The experience was no different than shooting with my Canon.

There is always a new body on the horizon. Those that wait for the next body are generally waiting forever. At some point you simply have to bite the bullet and move forward. I have always preferred to work with 1 series bodies and have committed to the 1DX already (now just a few months away). They stand up to much more intensive use which I would think that would be important given where you say you use them. The reality of the situation is that only you can decide what you want and I always caution that you are getting a biased opinion on these boards where the majority of the people are posting behind anonymity.


Good luck on whatever you decide and hope that you are happy with your choice.

miguelr wrote in post #13509453
I saw this link a while back and thought it made some real good points..

http://www.danielvalen​tephotography.com …5d-mk-ii-to-a-nikon-d700/

Lot's of "That's a joke", "This is stupid and backwards" and "It’s just plain stupid". When someone does comparisons and makes comments like this it's hard to take seriously. It's more like they are trying to justify their own decision and put needless emphasis on everything they are saying.

To the OP, no matter what anyone says here you won't really find out what is right for you without trying it for yourself. If you understand what you shoot and what features you want your equipment to have it should make deciding easier.

My own experience....

When I made the switch from Canon to Nikon it was more about making a switch from crop to full frame, I went from the 7D to the D700. It was also partially wanting Nikon's 14-24 and 24-70 zooms. I never had any luck with the Canon 24-70. I see you have a lot of primes including the 85mm f/1.2. That's not something you will get with Nikon if you switch.

^^^^^^^^
Thanks to both of you.

ssim; yeah I think deep down this is about justification, and it is a tough crowd. I suppose asking for others experiences is a way of making myself feel better about the decisions I have made. Still it is good to ask and so far nobody has come up with the "you're a complete idiot if you do this" responses so in a way I have justified it to myself. As for the rest of it, I understand your point. I am basing this purely on "now" and in 6 months time could be mentally kicking myself for not waiting to see what the new crop bring out. Thanks for all the advice.

Dan thanks for sharing your experience. This was the kind of thing I was looking for, people giving reasons why they switch and what they think. How has it worked out for you after a bit of reflection time??

I just love my 5DII, and have never considered jumping. But I understand some like to make the big change.

My only thought is, that if I were really interested in a big change, I would certainly look at really new stuff, like the mirrorless interchangable lens cameras. Especially if size (and weight?) is a factor.

Just a thought . . .