Strong Possibility - A Move to the Dark Side?

[Minuteman3]

For the past several months, I have been combing the web and considering making a shift from Nikon and my D750 to a Canon system. As a 40-plus year Nikon shooter, I do not make this consideration lightly. A few factors I'm currently weighing:

1) I do photography mostly for our family and my own "fun" but do have some modest "business" involving photography so I need to remain up-to-date as much as my budget allows.

2) The new mirrorless cameras are really not very interesting to me. After all these years, I am very comfortable with the DSLR form factor and will keep using it until it is no longer available or ceases to function, which ever comes first ... at least until I cease to function!!

3) My current lineup of lenses and equipment is really more than I can use and several items have sat in the closet for years.

4) Although I love the images produced by the D750, the one area where I see it lagging a bit vs Canon is the adoption of some modern tech. Yes, the D850 addresses many of these shortcomings but at a $$ price I cannot afford!! What's missing? BT/NFC connections for easy access to social media destined images (something my wife urges me to do A LOT!!), built in GPS (no need to have a GP-1 dongle and a cable plugged into the camera to capture GPS info, something I actually use a lot), and a touchscreen monitor with iPhone like gestures. The Canon I am looking at, 6D Mk II, has all of these. The D750, none (well, it does have a clunky wifi ability built in, but it's certainly nowhere near as seamless as the BT/NFC connections a la D850 and Nikon's SnapBridge). None of Nikon's FX DSLRs have GPS built in.

5) Upon receiving the new gear, I would be eligible for Canon's Pro Services right away. I've been waiting to hear about my NPS membership application for three months now (Nikon says they are "having issues" and I might hear something by next month.) Based on the few times I've needed support for my Canon printers, I think I'd also probably give them a nod over Nikon's USA support system.

6) Finally, and this is actually perhaps my main interest ... I think I need a new challenge. Learn and use a new system, probably with a lot of failures and some frustration along the way. My consideration of this plan is therefore more of a learning a new system vs "I hate Nikon"!

I've been dealing with a number of camera stores concerning a trade package, and find that I can trade my gear for a pretty closely matched set of Canon gear that I will actually use ... and get some $$ change in return!! Yeah, the Canon lenses are all f4 vs a couple of my f2.8's, but I really do not think I'll actually miss one stop in my "real" world. I'll end up with pro grade EF IS USM f4 coverage from 17 to 200 mm, which is close enough to the same coverage as my current 14 to 200mm range. I have found no need for anything outside that range since our son headed off to college three years ago and doesn't have me shooting his sports any more!

The 6D Mk II seems to be pretty comparable to the D750. There are some who swear the image quality and dynamic range is not as good as the D750, but based on the sample images (both jpeg and RAW) I've been able to download I'm not sure I see any significant difference at all. I did watch one YouTube comparison where the Canon really looked terrible compared to the D750, but after looking at (and pixel peeping) dozens of images, I'm a little suspicious of the guy's methods and conclusion. My soon-to-be 68 year old eyes just do not see much of a difference.

In addition to just letting folks know I'm considering this ... can I retain my membership here? I must say, I've yet to find a Canon-focused group that's anywhere near as terrific as this bunch!!

Also ... I have not yet pulled the trigger on all this. I suppose I'm dragging my feet a bit because I am so comfortable with my Nikon system ... and it IS a good system. Removing the $$ factor makes this all the more difficult to come to a final decision. But, I do really think I need a new challenge.

I will also say this ... IF I make this move, the folks I'm dealing with are not interested in a lot of my Nikon accessories. Keep your eye on the For Sale forum for some nice buys!!

Ken

 

[Palouse]

Do it. No one here will stop you. But we will be mad at you if you quit posting here. What's important to you is what's important.

 

[Terri French]

I think that wanting to learn something new is a good reason to change. Learning new things is always very exciting to me and I thrive on it. I have no say in the Nikon Cafe, but I personally hope you stay!!

 

[Minuteman3]

Do it. No one here will stop you. But we will be mad at you if you quit posting here. What's important to you is what's important.

Thanks, Nick. I'd really like to hang around!!

Cheers!!

Ken

 

[Butlerkid]

You will always be a valued member of this community.....regardless of your gear choice. Hopefully we value images and contributions to our discussions more than what gear is used! LOL!

 

[Allan]

You have put a lot of thought into this which is what matters. You will get the features you want. I know little of Canon but my only advice would be to try to find the negatives of the Canon system you are looking at (all systems have negatives) before "jumping."

 

[Butlerkid]

Doesn't Andreas shoot both Canon and Nikon? Hopefully he will chime in......

 

[Pa]

According to technical measurements the D750 has a more than 2-stop dynamic range advantage over the Canon 6D Mark II at base iso. Where you would see this is in scenes with large differences between the brightest and darkest areas. With my D750, I find I can expose for the highlights and then bring up the shadows in post-processing with very little noise. That is important to me.

But you have some other concerns which I don't have, such as need for social media connections and GPS. So it's a tradeoff, and you have to decide what is most important to you.

If you want to see the technical data, look here.

 

[West]

The bad news:
- your moving down in tech and quality

The good news:
- this should improve your PP skills

 

[Minuteman3]

According to technical measurements the D750 has a more than 2-stop dynamic range advantage over the Canon 6D Mark II at base iso. Where you would see this is in scenes with large differences between the brightest and darkest areas. With my D750, I find I can expose for the highlights and then bring up the shadows in post-processing with very little noise. That is important to me.

But you have some other concerns which I don't have, such as need for social media connections and GPS. So it's a tradeoff, and you have to decide what is most important to you.

If you want to see the technical data, look here.

I've seen quite a few of these charts. I guess I'd only be 100% sure if I had the two cameras side by side, and I did consider renting a 6D2 to do just that. However, I have looked at so many samples taken under conditions similar to how, and what, I shoot and I just cannot see much of a real difference in the Canon's RAW files, especially when processed in non-Adobe systems (Luminar & DxO).

You are correct, of course, that the D750 has wonderful image quality and dynamic range - probably the best I've seen in a camera I can afford!! Another reason I have been thinking so much about this!! Still, some of the other factors such as tech, and support, are leading me to lean towards making a switch.

Ken

 

[rick_reno]

That switch makes sense given the reasons you mentioned. Keep us informed on how it goes.

 

[Pa]

It might be worth waiting for the Nikon mirrorless announcement, which should occur in about two days. Might be a better alternative.

 

[Minuteman3]

It might be worth waiting for the Nikon mirrorless announcement, which should occur in about two days. Might be a better alternative.

Jim

I know Nikon’s big announcement is Wed night. I’ll probably watch but I’m really not so interested in the mirror less options. I like the familiar feel and the heft if a true SLR in my hands. Feels “right”.

Yeah, I may be a little crazy ....

Ken

 

[kilofoxtrott]

Ken, please stay as member and friend.
Using Nikon or Canon... Hey, it's simply a tool you're using to get good pictures.

Don't go
Klaus

 

[Minuteman3]

Ken, please stay as member and friend.
Using Nikon or Canon... Hey, it's simply a tool you're using to get good pictures.

Don't go
Klaus

Thanks so much. I’ll continue ... as I have never found an online community quite like this one!! It’s been a grand ride so far and I’m looking forward to more shared images in the future.

Besides ... now I’ll have that “inferior camera” to blame my mistakes on!

Ken

 

[DRT730]

It doesn't matter what body you shoot, it's the camaraderie that was established here at the cafe through the years that counts. Good luck on your decision.

 

[billtils]

Ken, in many decades in the Quality Management field, one of our absolute mantras was "Quality means meeting the needs of the user". Your post suggests that your needs now include something that you are not going to get from your D750 or any other Nikon body, in which case you have to change or put up with it. The only caution I'd offer it that we also placed a lot of emphasis in our training on understanding the difference between "need" and "want".

I don't know if this is possible/desirable, but could you keep the D750 and buy a less costly Canon (or other make) to use in those social media situations? The GPS is easy - use your smart phone to capture the GPS for the setting and add that as a keyword in your library.

 

[pixel_a_ted]

6) Finally, and this is actually perhaps my main interest ... I think I need a new challenge. Learn and use a new system, probably with a lot of failures and some frustration along the way.

I've had similar thoughts recently. As I don't need GPS and WiFi capabilities, switching to another camera company wouldn't do much for me, nor would mirrorless be enough of a change. What I did was to get into video acquisition and editing and I present that as a suggestion to you for a new challenge.

 

[Minuteman3]

I've had similar thoughts recently. As I don't need GPS and WiFi capabilities, switching to another camera company wouldn't do much for me, nor would mirrorless be enough of a change. What I did was to get into video acquisition and editing and I present that as a suggestion to you for a new challenge.

Thanks, but interestingly enough video is something I have had zero interest in!! I don't recall ever using the D750's video function, other than on the first day to see if it worked!! I've only used the video function on my iPhone 4-5 times and that's a lot easier than a DSL rig!!

The tech (GPS/BT/NFC etc.) is also a strong draw .... just a few too many times I heard "sweetie, take some pictures for me to share on FaceBook" when the D750 was the only choice. Being able to share and upload easily will make those times far more pleasant!!

Ken

 

[TomP]

Surely you would not be the only Canon user here,there must be more ? Seneca shoots with a canon, and we are very glad she is back on the forum. The main deal is to enjoy what you do, and you make a lot of sense, I surely understand the lust for an upgrade, and the $$ that prevent that. Have fun.