With such a hot topic, I have decided to throw my two cents in...
So here goes:
In the past 9 months to a year I have had the pleasure of shooting with Nikon's D700 camera body with a MB-D10 battery grip, while at the same time working for a 'Canon exclusive' portrait studio here in the Bay Area where everyone shot with the Canon 5DmkII. I have gotten used to shooting both bodies and scrolling through both menu configurations almost without looking. As a portrait studio, the lens of choice for both rigs is the 70-200mm 2.8...so, for all you chem lab nerds out there, our variable is the bodies themselves...stay with me here, folks.
I'm not gonna give you the Ken Rockwell super in-depth scientific reasons behind my choices but I will give you the bare bones 'what you need to know' info that you can use in your next camera purchase,...or at least the stuff I think is important to the type of photography I do. Hope this helps...
1 - LOOK
As a 'heavily' tattooed person, I have to opt for the Nikon here. The all black rocks! Canon made a choice by making many of its zoom lenses white, which is cool...but not as cool as all black.
WINNER: Nikon
2 - FEEL
Again, the all black rig takes it. The Nikon ergonomics are bit more in tune with my hands. This may not be true for everyone, but many I have spoke with agreed...the boxy feel of the Canon feels a bit impersonal.
WINNER: Nikon
3 - EASE OF USE
The Canon side scores big here...at least for how I use the camera. When at an outdoor shoot with many variables the Canon settings are SUPER easy to use. This is not to say that the Nikon settings are hard to navigate, because they are not. It's just that many of the Nikon settings require two buttons (or two fingers) to successfully change the ISO, shutter speed, and the like. The Canon system is mostly a one button (one finger) change...This is super helpful for quick, on-the-fly changes...which they all are.
Also, I found myself mistakenly changing my settings on the Nikon a lot...the Canon dials keep the numbers where you want them, which is good.
WINNER: Canon
4 - FOCUS
No question here...Nikon all the way! The D700's 51 point focus system is ridiculously amazing...seriously. For the most part, I shot the D700 on the 21 point setting, which was perfect for finding the right focus spot. The Canon 5DmkII has a 9 point focus system...yup, nine....and they are in a poorly designed diamond shape...weak. (Canon upgraded the focus system on the 7D to resemble the Nikon system)
Also, the Nikon AF lenses are SUPER fast...blow canon out of the water...and as a side note, Nikon's focus system also help when spot metering...think about it.
WINNER: Nikon
5 - ISO
This was a tough one. At first it looked like the Nikon was in the lead with its high ISO range and low noise quality. I have shot a bunch of 'A-List' concerts (screw you, Kylie Minogue) and the Nikon just plain lets you capture images that you can't with a Canon. (see above under FOCUS)
Low Light...Nikon all the way.
But wait a minute... After shooting the 5DmkII for a while I noticed something that I couldn't ignore in the way the ISO performed. Each step up or down in the ISO was more precise than that of the Nikon. Each time I shifted from 800 to 640 (or whatever number) I knew exactly how the image would look. And in an industry where look is the ONLY thing...fill in the rest
WINNER: TIE
7 - FLASH
Another close one....Nikon takes it in the technology for sure. The Nikon SB-900 is a VERY smart flash and makes the Canon 580 EXII look like a neanderthal, BUT....the Nikon's are prone to flash loosening which causes a break in communication between the body and flash. The result; either no flash or random flash burst in your , the subject, or the client's face. Brutal...
The simplicity of the Canon 580 EXII might be a turn off to gear snobs, but it comes down to it, it just plain performs.
P.S. I still have an old Nikon SB-900 that I use as an off camera flash hooked up to a pocket wizard tranceiver... no need for a TTL-Flex or whatever...close one.
WINNER: Canon6 - OVERALL IMAGE QUALITY
This is a big one...and Canon takes it in a big way. After shooting Nikon's for a long time, it was easy to spot the richness and depth of a Canon image as compared to the yellow and 'blurple' look of the Nikons'. Although subtle, slight variations in color and tone are hard to see, they are very apparent when constantly comparing Nikon images with Canon in similar shooting situations. With post production, you can make any changes you need, but it is my feeling that you want want (need) to start with the purest image...and Canon delivers.
This point was clear when shooting tethered with a client present. Shooting into Capture One I was importing with no scripts...just plain images. The art director almost walked out when she saw the yellow tonal quality of the images..she thought I didn't know what I was doing. (which is bad). Everything was cool the minute I switched to Canon and the colors were spot on...saved my arse.
WINNER: Canon
There are also a bunch of little pros and cons that I am leaving out that also aided in the final word. If you are considering a big Nikon or Canon purchase or just have some questions, please feel free to hit me up at: Zach@Verdictphotography.com
VERDICT:
For those of you who want a 'buy this camera and not that one' result, I'm sorry, but this is going to let you down. The fact of the matter is that these are both awesome cameras with great features. The key to these cameras is deciding HOW you are going to use them. For example:
Pro commercial/fashion/editorial photographer - Canon is the clear choice. Some features may not be optimal, but it comes down to image quality and Canon is the choice for the VAST majority of photo professionals. Canon's larger file size also come into play here.
Pro Concert photographer - Nikon all the way. The quality at super the high ISO settings is unbeatable.
Prosumer aka Serious Camera Junkie - Tough call...Nikon's focus makes life a lot easier for non-professionals, but if you don't mind using Canon's 'manual focus' setting then you're ok.
Verdict Photography - has officially made CANON the camera of choice for Verdict Photography & Motivated Light Studios.
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