Nikon or Canon (DSLR)?

Good question, and you're certainly looking at the two best competitors!

Nikon and Canon both make very solid cameras and either will meet your needs from entry-level to professional. I shoot Canon because that's what i started with and at the time it had better entry-level alternatives. You can compare cameras, point by point, in probably more detail than you need at the Digital Photography Review website.

Good luck.

About a year ago I made the move from 35mm film to digital. I looked at both Canon and Nikon, I have owned both in the past. That not withstanding, most of the equipment I own is Nikon because that's what I started with some 35 years ago when I first got started in photography.

I ultimately ended up getting a Nikon D200 primarily because all of the lenses I had acquired will work on the D200. To me, this is the one strength that give Nikon a slight edge.

Both Canon and Nikon are great cameras. Either one you go with will serve you well for many years. I would recommend you go to your local camera store and handle several models of both. Figure out which ones feel best in your hands. You will have better results with a camera you are comfortable holding. Once you have narrowed your choices, then look at the features, both from the various bodies and lenses. Figure out which camera will do the best job for you and buy that camera.

I know a lot of professionals moved to Canon at the beginning of the so called "digital revolution" because Nikon was lagging behind in the development of DSLR's. But I believe that Nikon has made a very strong come back, especially with the recent announcement of the new D3 and D300. I also believe that Nikon has a slight edge in the optical quality of their lenses. Nikon certainly has an edge in the compatibility of their lenses.

All things considered, I would give Nikon a slightly higher recommendation than Canon. But remember, we Nikon owners tend to be as fanatical about our Nikons as Canon owners are about their Canons.

Either way you go, with the competition between Canon and Nikon, it's a great time to be a photographer.

I do love the Canon vs Nikon debate!! It was alive and well when I bought my first camera in the early 1970s, and is still alive today. I note that the question of lens variety has been raised, so I thought that I would share with you a contribution that I made elsewhere:

I have done a quick count of lenses on the Canon Camera Museum site (http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/f_l... and the Nikon System Handbook 6th Edition (2000) by B. Moose Peterson.

For Canon:

EF - 45 prime, 8 EFS, 77 zoom

FDnew 42 prime, 23 zoom

FDold 59 prime, 6 zoom

FL 30 prime, 3 zoom

R 20

S 69

Total 382 plus a few specials such as the EE lenses covering the period from 1950 to 2005.

Nikon F mount - 207 lenses listed in the Nikon System Handbook covering the period 1959-1999.

On their current (Australian) websites, Canon list 65 lenses, Nikon list 48 and Pentax list 17 lenses.

Tamron list 26 lenses in their current catalog.

Tokina list 14 lenses on their website, but only six in their catalog.

The four/thirds system partners (Olympus, Sigma, Panasonic) list 28 lenses on the 4/3 website.

While Nikon's F mount has the highest number of distinct lenses, this covers three major generations of manual focus lenses (pre-AI, AI, AI-S) and five major generations of auto focus film lenses (AF, AF-D, AF-I/AF-S, G, VR). Up until the G lenses, with some minor exceptions, every newer lens could be used on any older body, but not vice versa.

Canon manual focus bayonet mount cameras would have had about 163 distinct lenses available (FDnew, FDold, FL) compared to a potential 207 plus for Nikon of the same generation.

Clearly Nikon and Canon stand out from the rest of the field in terms of the shear number of models that have and continue to make. Canon has an edge in current models, but clearly you could run the argument either way for their previous models.

That ends the contribution, but what really is the issue here. It is fairly clear that both Canon and Nikon have lenses which will more than adequately cover the extremes of 35mm and digital photography, whether you are professional or amateur.

It's a matter of factors, given an equivalent picture quality.

1. The fit of the camera body is good for your hands overall and the controls are laid out in a usable manner for you.

2. If you have an investment in lenses, then the camera that allows you to move them over to the new body is a big consideration.

3. The camera has the better capabilities in an area that is important to you. I shoot a lot of low light high ISO (800, 1600, 3200) images. The Canon has the best sensor in this area. I also shoot a lot of rapid sequence shots and the Canon is faster in this area. I chose Canon.

You will see advice that such and such a camera has this and this lens and it's better, or the range of lenses is better with one or the other. This isn't necessarily a big thing.

I have Hoada Fu lens adapters for Leica, Contax and Nikon lenses. I get full functionality so ...

Also, Tamron, Sigma and Tokina make very high quality lenses for both cameras and they are less expensive than the mfg's lenses and often are in ranges or of types they don't have.

Finally, Canon seems to have made a commitment to full frame sensors in their pro line and Nikon seems (at least now) to be sticking with the 1.6 sensor size. I am interested in competing more in areas where medium format is mostly used and the Canon will allow me to do this while preserving my investment in lenses, etc., for small format. Another factor in MY choosing Canon.

Change anything above and a different choice might be better.

IMO, you choose your equipment because it is better (based on several factors) for what and how you shoot now and with eye on a fuzzy future. Once the important factors are decided, then everything else is no more than preference.

There is no best camera. Digital has advantages, but it is not intrinsically better than film on a format by format basis. A great camera in the studio may leave something to be desired shooting sports.

The bottom line is the image. The camera that produces the final images you desire in the most convenient way you want to work is the best camera - for you.

Vance Lear

I'm sure the Canon and Nikon camp would swear by their camera.

I myself is a Canon guy and I love my 400D although it feels a little bit small in my hand.

A camera is a personal thing - for me, a 400D is still better than a Nikon D80 or D40x because I also have a 4 year old Canon 300D before and I've invested a few accesories that still can be used on my 400D.

If I'm going to buy my first DSLR now, probably I'd pick a 400D over the D40x as well for its dust cleaning thing and the better focusing point/better lens compability over the D40x. But I know that Nikon has an edge for its i-TTL over Canon and it also have this custom ISO thing which I thought could be handy on some condition.

I also know that Nikon built a very robust camera - and that can be a plus although I have nothing to complain about my Canon.

Your peers also can play a good factor. Do your friends/families have more Nikon/Canon? You might want to try their lenses/accessories on your camera or even borrow one when you need it.

So... it's really up to you. What do you want, the Nikon or the Canon?

This is a loaded question. I shoot nikon, so I will suggest nikon. The nikon D80, the model that I shoot with, is a very highly rated camera for the money when compared to it's equivalent canon model, the 30D which has the size but is only 8MP compared to the D80's 10MP, or the XTi which is 10MP but is smaller and feels kind of toyish. But, this is a matter of opinion, and though the images from both are seemingly identical, a keener eye can tell the difference and the best lean toward nikon. But don't take my word for it, read the reviews for yourself. That way you can make an informed decision for yourself. I spent months reading reviews and deciding how much money to spend given the features of all the cameras I looked at. I decided on the nikon D80, based on the money I had to spend and what I wanted from the camera. And I've made a great choice, for me.

Good luck.

Read all these answers you have recieved so far because they are all worth noting. But in the end, you're the only one who can answer this question. I prefer Nikon because I am familiar with it. Other photographers I know prefer Canon, again, because that's their preference. There are slight differences (I'm talking digital slr's here) between the two brands for example. Nikon have noisier images at high ISOs than Canons do. But Nikon also has more shadow detail than Canons do. Neither is a benefit nor a problem. It's just up to how you prefer to deal with things. So go to your local camera dealer and give both brands a go.

Thanks! I have not had an excuse to post this answer for a couple of weeks now...

The February 2007 issue of Popular Photography has an article where they compared the top 10 MP DSLR's. I took the scores and ranked the cameras similar to the way Formula 1 gives championship points. I just gave 5 for 1st place down to 1 for last place, splitting the difference when cameras tied in their catagories.

They evaluated Image Quality (giving this twice as much weight as anything else), Ease of Use, Control, and System Flexibility.

The final order and my scores are:

Nikon D80 - 17.5 points

- BEST in Image Quality, Control and System Flexibility

Canon Rebel XTi (400D) - 13.5 points

- Tied for best in System Flexibility

Pentax K10D - 11 points

- Tied for best in Ease of Use

Samsung GX10 - 11 points

- Tied for best in Ease of Use

Sony Alpha 100 - 7 points

- LAST in Image Quality, Ease of Use and System Flexibility."

Then again, this is the same magazine that put the Sony Alpha 100 dead last in this comparison named it the camera of the year in the previous issue! (In a follow-up to this seeming error, Pop Photo published the explanation that only the D80 and the Sony had been tested by the end-of-year deadline for choosing the Camera of the Year. Sony won on the strength of low price and built-in image stabilization. The other 3 that beat Sony in shoot-out were not tested until after the Camera of the Year was selected, because they were not yet available.)

Go to the original question and read the responses for more opinions.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiG00...

If you want to get the "best" for the real world, consider the Nikon D200 or Canon 30D if you can afford it. For about $300-500 less, look at the results of the recent PopPhoto test and choose from that list according to your taste.

Personally, I use a Nikon D200 and would recommend it without hesitation to someone who has some knowledge of photography. For someone who wants the "best," but is starting with somewhat of an "entry level" knowledge base, I'd suggest the Nikon D80.

There are people out there who will state their preference for the Canon cameras and I will not argue with them. The Canon 30D and 400D are excellent cameras as well. You would have to visit a camera store or camera department and pick them up and see what you think.

This article is available online at:

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3569/10mp-dslr-sho...

Here's another reference from outside the photographic press. Consumer reports compared the Nikon D80, Canon Rebel XTi and Sony Alpha. Personally, I'd say that the Nikon came out on top here, also. It beats the Sony in "noise-free ISO" with an acceptable rating at ISO 1600 (kind of optimistic, I think...) compared to the Sony's ISO 400. It beats the Canon (in my opinion) by having a spot meter that the Canon does not offer.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-com...

Here's another comparison of interest:

http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Canon-Reb...

[Note the navigation menu near the top of the review]

The next thing to consider is what lens to start with and where you go from there. If you are new to this, I'd say to just get the "kit" lens, which seems to be the 18-135 lens for the D80, and get started. Once you know where you really want to go with your photography, Nikon has an almost unlimited family of lenses to choose from.

~~~

See XTi, D40, D40x, D80, XT: http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4473/top-selling-d...

I've heard that the Rebel is more like a "toy" because of it's smaller size. In terms of quality I understand that Nikon might be better. I own a Rebel XT, and it's treated me well, although I sometimes regret not getting a Nikon.

Nikon D2Xs ,D200 pretty soon D3 and D300 users have more lens available to them (from AI made in 1977 to the present) than Canon users has available.