Canon over Nikon?

Nikon puts the on/off switch in a circle around the shutter release button.

Dumbest feature I've ever seen in an SLR!

Whichever way you jump Canon or Nikon both make some very good cameras. Canon has definitely had the wood on Nikon though on the higher end of the market but with the release of the D300 and D3 it looks like Nikon has caught up.
For the lower end stuff though I think Canon has a definite edge.

dekalbSTEEL wrote in post #4839735
Nikon puts the on/off switch in a circle around the shutter release button.

Dumbest feature I've ever seen in an SLR!

I liked that feature when I shot the D200. Very easy to hold the camera with one hand and power it on or off as needed (like during lens, battery, or CF changes).

But it doesn't surprise me that someone here wouldn't like that feature.

Bronkowitz wrote in post #4837314
Why do you like Canon over Nikon?

A little background first. (I swear I'm not trolling. Honest!)

I'm a newbie to the world of photography. But my wife isn't. We're coming up on our 10th wedding anniversary, and I want to get her a digital SLR. Way back when I first met her, she enjoyed taking photos with her Nikon 4004s. She wasn't into the technical aspects of cameras as much as she created art with what she had. The technical part of photography is a means to an end for her. (I'm the technogeek of the family, not her.) But that camera suffered irraparable damage and has been sitting on a shelf for much of the past decade. And since she's given up so much for our family, I want to get her something for her. I know she'd probably prefer something that would benefit the family, but this is a gift for her. My deadline -- our anniversary -- is in June, so I have plenty of time to do reasearch. What I want to know is why people prefer Canon over Nikon.

Small disclaimer: My work background is in laser physics. So I'm well versed in optics and optical theory, including different types of aberration, diffraction, apertures, etc... I just happen to have no experience with traditional photography, so a lot of the traditional practical application of this information used by photographers isn't familiar to me. But I'm trying to learn quickly. If you have technical reasons why you believe Canon to be better than Nikon, please don't hesitate to tell me.

for me nikon doesn't exist; i've never used a nikon camera. have no desire to.

i got an AE-1 program as a gift many moons ago back in the days when most pros used nikon.

more recently i got a 300d as a gift, then a 5d and now a 1d mark III.

all these canon cameras are the best cameras i've ever used. when using any of theses camera i am the weak link.

i think canon is the best brand made. in fact i know it is because that's what my experience tells me .

ed rader

statsman wrote in post #4839885
I liked that feature when I shot the D200. Very easy to hold the camera with one hand and power it on or off as needed (like during lens, battery, or CF changes).

But it doesn't surprise me that someone here wouldn't like that feature.

Am I supposed to be turning my camera off when doing that? Hope it's not bad that I just leave mine on at all times and it auto-offs after a minute.

I second, or is it third or fourth, the suggestion to get the xSi (will be released in April) with the 18-55 IS lens (not the older 18-55), assuming the camera turns out to be as good as it looks on paper. I'm not sure what lens it will come with in a kit, but I'm guessing it will be the better lens so I'd go with that. By June the price may well have come down a bit and you should have plenty in your budget to cover it plus a couple of CF cards and a book.

The new Canon xSi (AKA 450D) is a lot more advanced than the Nikon D60 (their new entry level model) and should be a great camera that your wife can enjoy for many years. It has all the latest features, including several features from the higher end cameras. Plus it will take all the Canon lenses of which there are many. The low end Nikon (D40x, D60) doesn't have the same range of lenses available at the moment and cannot use all the Nikon lenses.

If you have time go to a camera shop and try them all out. Even if your wife doesn't use all the features straight away, she will appreciate them over time as she learns more about the camera. The xSi can be used straight out of the box as well, having several automatic modes as well as program, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual modes.

canon's have fashionable red rings around their higher end lenses. i suspect that's the primary motivating factor for a vast majority of us.

sadatk wrote in post #4839906
Am I supposed to be turning my camera off when doing that? Hope it's not bad that I just leave mine on at all times and it auto-offs after a minute.

I always have, but that is just me. On page 14 (Quick Start Guide) in the 40D's owner manual, it lists inserting a battery, attaching a lens, inserting a CF card, followed by powering on the camera. Page 29 explicitly states to power off the 40D before changing the CF card.

I moved to Canon from Minolta/Sony....at the time I owned an a100 and a slew of pretty darn good sony and Minolta glass.....But, I saw the glass lineup Canon was offering and started drooling profusely. I checked out Nikon and......no drool.
At this point, every Canon body I've owned from the 30D to the mkIII has knocked my socks off, all the glass I've purchased has been beyond my expectations.
So, I don't really think Canon is better than Nikon, guess I really don't care, I'm happy with Canon....Even my mkIII and my 50L that were supposedly crap are two of the best purchases I've ever made.
Nikon/Schmikon

I am touched by your motive in getting a new camera and put your wife back to her perious hobby. I left photography after my marriage 33 years ago. Just picked it up again after retirement 2 years ago. Your wife would be pleased to pick up her artistic hoppy again.

I bought my first Canon A1 about 30 years ago. It was seldom used but I liked it very much. I was laughed at for most Orientals like me are using Nikon then. I am glad it's a different story now. Half of my friends are using Canon and no body laughs at me anymore. I had a Rebel (300D) and up graded to a Rebel xT (350D). I am planning to get a Rebel XSi (450D). I have 5 Canon lenses. I like Canon because of it's large collection of lenses. I trust your wife would love the size of a Rebel XTi or XSi. I would suggest you get the latest XSi when it comes out in April. She will love it and both of you will never regret with your pick.

why is it that whenever a thread is started that mentions both canon and nikon, it always gets to at least 3 pages within the first day?

muscleflex wrote in post #4840415
why is it that whenever a thread is started that mentions both canon and nikon, it always gets to at least 3 pages within the first day?

It's like posting about Microsoft on an Apple forum, but this thread at least is very sensible and honest, and clearly not trying to stir anything up.

perryge wrote in post #4837677
Canon traditionally has much better high ISO image quality, less noise than Nikon. I like their selection of lenses better too.

These are exactly the two reasons I went Canon.

Here's why I chose Canon;
http://www.usa.canon.c​om …AboutCanon/ciwc​pphil.html
http://www.usa.canon.c​om …outCanon/ciwenv​iron1.html
http://www.usa.canon.c​om …071008_pbsleade​rship.html
http://www.usa.canon.c​om …0030909_nps_sch​olars.html
http://www.canon.com/s​csa/environment/index.​html
http://www.canon.com/e​nvironment/eco2007e/p6​7.html

For more google "Canon" and "charity" "WWF", or "Philanthropy", or "PBS".. the list goes on.
then try Nikon and Philanthropy, and then read the resulting hits, It's funny.

Canon is an important funder of many wildlife protection charities, public broadcasting, and community education.
I think the PBS support for programs like Nature and National Geographic may be the most important as it helps to increase awareness on an international level.

Seriously think about this aspect of a company when deciding on an investment so large as we do with out camera gear.
This can truly make a difference.

This is why I will not stray from Canon. I support many of the same causes myself, but also want to make sure my money supports companies that have the same concerns.

Someone else may come along with a better system or DSLR some day, but that will not sway me.

From a hardware perspective,
Canon has remained in the forefront of Digital tech with a strong lead ahead of all others form 2001 - 2006.
Only recently has it seen any real solid competition in DSLR technology. In the past every time someone caught up, Canon lept another two years ahead.
Today Nikon is closer than it ever has been with some seriously good models. They may be able to hold neck and neck maybe not, but the history shows they had to do a lot of extra peddling to get this close. They may not be able to keep up.

^ Wow, didn't know all those about Canon. Good to know