This thread says a lot of good about our site 
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Strong Possibility - A Move to the Dark Side?
- Thread starter Minuteman3
- Start date
Canon and Nikon have a lot in common including that their names have five letters, two Ns, one O, and that both names end with the same two letters. What could be more important?
Binnur also makes fabulous landscapes and seascapes using only Canon equipment. I invited her here knowing she would be welcome and that has worked out well.
Binnur also makes fabulous landscapes and seascapes using only Canon equipment. I invited her here knowing she would be welcome and that has worked out well.
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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?
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
Well some of your needs could be met with just using a micro SD card in an SD card adapter and a smart phone that has a micro SD card slot. At least all the upload, social media, connectivity stuff (except GPS).
But more to the point I've been on a very similar road, though the reasoning is different. Last year I decided to stop shooting event professionally and shot my last event a few months ago. So what now? What do I do with a rolling bag full of Nikon FX gear?
One difference is I had already entered the mirrorless world. Back about 6 years ago my wife and I were planning a little road trip. The smallest setup I had was a D700 and the old 28-105D. So I picked up a little Olympus E-PM1 kit, about the size and weight of the 28-105D alone. I've really enjoyed it and have been using mirrorless stuff since then for pretty much everything other than event work. I'd considered and even tried switching to micro 4/3 completely when the original E-M1 mkI came out. But it wasn't there yet IMHO and work was work. When you're getting paid to get the shot why make it harder than you need to.
But now? I went back and forth about keeping some of my Nikon gear "just for those times...". But then I realized I worked more than a few years with 6-12mp DX bodies and screw drive or early AF-S glass, why am I being so lazy?
So I sold it all, got an Olympus E-M1 mkII and added to the lenses I already had. What it came down to for me was really the something new, different, something to try and push myself beyond the simple and easy. And I'm looking forward to trying things with the light composition features and 2-3 second handheld night shots for light trails just to name two.
Just a thought and really aimed at looking for a new challenge.
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One thing which has always been great about NikonCafe is that in spite of its name, people who shoot with other brands are more than welcome on here and some are really long-time, active members who would be sorely missed if they disappeared. We all share a love of photography and that shines through regardless of the particular camera body we use, the particular name brand on the lenses, etc.
Some people have shifted their priorities since they first joined, while others joined while already using two different sets of gear. Some are currently in the process of making decisions about whether or not to try something new and different while others are more than happy and more than successful with the gear they’ve been using. There is always lots of excitement around the announcement of a new camera body or lens(es), especially with Nikon, but also there has been plenty of discussion around mirrorless camera gear, 4/3 camera gear, etc., etc.
Stick around, Minuteman!!! Please!!
Some people have shifted their priorities since they first joined, while others joined while already using two different sets of gear. Some are currently in the process of making decisions about whether or not to try something new and different while others are more than happy and more than successful with the gear they’ve been using. There is always lots of excitement around the announcement of a new camera body or lens(es), especially with Nikon, but also there has been plenty of discussion around mirrorless camera gear, 4/3 camera gear, etc., etc.
Stick around, Minuteman!!! Please!!
Besides the PNW is underrepresented as it is! #-4 In Idaho and half a dozen or so in Washington.
And: you've got to come to the dry side a couple of times a year. I'll be happy to meet up and we can trade war stories--Canon vs Nikon.
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No problem ... I'll not go anywhere ... it's way too much fun here!!
Decided last night late to DO IT!! Packed up the Nikon gear and it's in the hands of UPS. Probably a 10 day or so turnaround (the FREE "ground" shipping from Washington State to NYC is SLOWWWWWWW)
My wife asked me an interesting question - have I ever had a Canon before? Well, it turns out I remembered that I did!! This one ...
Turns out this was a REALLY cool camera at the time. Had three autofocus points in the viewfinder and there was a sensor that could differentiate which one you were looking at. You would look at one, and the camera would focus on it, then snap. Really cool and, as I recall, more than 95% accurate. I wonder why they dropped that???
Until the UPS truck returns ... I'll make do with an iPhone and a Nikon 1 J1!! (A damaged one I picked up cheap and have used sparingly. The battery/SD card slot cover won't latch properly so I keep things inside with some gaffer's tape!!) Camera itself works perfectly.
Cheers!!
Ken
Decided last night late to DO IT!! Packed up the Nikon gear and it's in the hands of UPS. Probably a 10 day or so turnaround (the FREE "ground" shipping from Washington State to NYC is SLOWWWWWWW)
My wife asked me an interesting question - have I ever had a Canon before? Well, it turns out I remembered that I did!! This one ...
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Turns out this was a REALLY cool camera at the time. Had three autofocus points in the viewfinder and there was a sensor that could differentiate which one you were looking at. You would look at one, and the camera would focus on it, then snap. Really cool and, as I recall, more than 95% accurate. I wonder why they dropped that???
Until the UPS truck returns ... I'll make do with an iPhone and a Nikon 1 J1!! (A damaged one I picked up cheap and have used sparingly. The battery/SD card slot cover won't latch properly so I keep things inside with some gaffer's tape!!) Camera itself works perfectly.
Cheers!!
Ken
More power to you Ken. Cheers.
f/2.8 to f/4? When I shot DX I used f/2.8 zooms for events. I was very happy with the DOF the combo produced. For FX, f/4 gave me about the same DOF so I was more than happy to save the weight with the Nikon 70-200 f/4 in place of my f/2.8 zoom. From all reports the original Canon f/4 was a very good lens and the vII is suppose to be better. If I were thinking of switching it would certainly be on my list.
Well, Nick ... it looks like I'm not the only one who will be shooting the Palouse with a Canon ....
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This is currently the Home Page at Canon USA!!
Ken
Cool! See you out there.
We'll welcome you back to the Nikon fold after you've had your fling.
Somehow, I think this is going to be a lot like a Ford vs Chevy discussion back in the day ....
(And, I have three Ford's, sooooooo)
Ken
(And, I have three Ford's, sooooooo)
Ken
Best wishes to you with your decision. From the down side I would really miss the f2.8 of the Nikon lenses. Hope you choose to stay here on the Cafe whatever choice you make.
I'd love to continue and plan to. This is a wonderful community of folks!
I thought long and hard about loosing the 2 f2.8 lenses I had, especially the 14-24 f2.8 zoom ... what a magnificent lens it is!! But, I did a survey of my lens use in Aperture and the results were quite interesting. Of the ~4000 thousand shots I've taken so far this year (including a major 3-week car trip around the USA), very few were shot at wider than 24mm or faster then f4; less than 300 for the year. So, I do not think it'll be a critical factor. I'll figure out a way to get around it ... plus if I win the lottery, Canon has a beautiful 14mm f2.8 prime!!
Ken
'Z' system is out....no movement required from me
Who cares what you shoot? Make beautiful pictures! I've never been able to tell the difference between a picture taken by a Nikon/Canon/Sony, etc. and I've been at this pursuit for over 15 years now. And by "Who cares" I mean, do what you want but for sure stick around! This forum is quite misnamed by now...
Tell you what, Ken. You leave this community and I will personally hunt you down and make you write, "I will not leave the Cafe" 10,000 times...
We don't care what you shoot with. What we do care about is you finding the right tools to fuel your passion. And if it takes a Ca...
(ahem...let's try this again...)
Ca...ca...canon
(whew, that was hard...)
...system to do it, then so be it. Now, go forth and conquer...
We don't care what you shoot with. What we do care about is you finding the right tools to fuel your passion. And if it takes a Ca...
(ahem...let's try this again...)
Ca...ca...canon
(whew, that was hard...
)...system to do it, then so be it. Now, go forth and conquer...
As many have said, use what makes you happy in photography. There are quite a few people I used to do photowalks/hikes with that now come out with the different systems then when we started (mirrorless/phones/other SLR brands).
This may give you reason to pause: Lioness Steals Wildlife Photographer’s Camera, Cubs Use It as a Toy
apparently Canons taste better than Nikons
apparently Canons taste better than Nikons
Wow, what a story! And she's got the teeth marks to prove it!
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