Canon and Nikon - how they actually stack up.
 

Being new to the Digital SLR game, I've been watching the whole Canon vs. Nikon thing with interest. Personally I find it rather amusing to watch the Canon and Nikon guys go at each others throats - people get seriously worked up about it all... oh well, no different from the video camera wars I guess.

What I don't get is the strange way people line up the opposing cameras. D3 and 1Ds?! they're completely different kinds of cameras in completely different price brackets. 40D and D300? Again, they're not on the same level.

So I thought that whilst I remained an impartial observer (I probably only have as long as it takes till I fork over my own hard-earned cash for a Nik/Can-on) I would lay out how I think things really stack up:


Canon 400D and Nikon D40x (direct competitors)

Nikon D80 (hanging out with Pentax, Olympus and Sony)

Canon 30D (kind of on its own)

Canon 40D and Nikon D200 (comparable)

Nikon D2Xs and D300 (D2Xs is kinda rendered obsolete by the D300)

Canon 5D (again, in its own little world)

Canon 1D MkIII and Nikon D3 (direct competitors in sport/PJ)

Canon 1Ds MkIII (off with the medium-format fairies)


Thoughts?

Well I don't really see it as a "war" or "going for the throat." They are just competing companies in the same business and it's up to the consumer to decide which model offers the best mix of features in their price range.

I went with the D80 myself because I have owned Nikons since 1967 and they feel very comfortable for some reason. But I don't think you could really go wrong with either brand today, especially in the price range of $1,000 or less. They all offer a lot of bang for the buck, and the healthy competition between brands should keep it that way.

Hi Mark,

I've never really thought much about which Nikon compares to which Canon. Once you've decided on one system, meaning you've got a bunch of lenses and accessories, you don't care much about that.

However, as a Canon shooter, I very much appreciate that Nikon seems to get back on track with their latest additions, namely the D3. But I'm still waiting for a Nikon body that matches the specs of the 1Ds Mk II/III. That would probably help to get that ridiculous price tag on those cameras down. Since my wife and I are shooting mainly for stock agencies we unfortunately need the highest resolution we can get, because some of the agencies hardly accept uprezzed pictures these days. So we naturally would like the price for the 1Ds series of bodies come down by a few thousand bucks (not that we would buy the 1Ds MkIII; if you've got the Mk II there is little reason to buy one).

So, whatever the line-up of Nikon and Canon is, competion is always warmly welcomed.

It's pretty much a Ford / Chevy argument. There is no wrong choice. Pick the one you like and go with it.

Yeah Rainer, that was pretty much how I figured things. With these digital camera bodies being outdated within a year of their release, two at the most (i've been shooting on my dad's old Olympus OM-4 gear until now, it's probably a good 30 years old now!), I would have thought that people's lenses pretty much determined which brand they buy.

The 1Ds is a very interesting camera, putting itself up there with the lower-level medium format digitals. It would seem to be the one area Nikon aren't touching, but then how many people are out there buying $10,000+ cameras? I don't know, but I assume it's probably not the end of the spectrum where camera companies are making much of their money.

I agree though, it would be nice if Nikon would throw out a comparable, cheaper competitor to the 1Ds. Help bring the price of those most desirable of cameras back down to earth!

This makes choosing difficult for the digital greenhorn---holding off of buying for fear of knowing they'll be something better, and perhaps cheaper, around the corner.

IMHO, it's rather like choosing a hammer.

I have used many hammers over the years.
My hammer of choice at the moment happens to be a Canon.
It drives a nail equally as well as the Nikon hammer, but has the added bonus of allowing me to mount any of my Nikon, Asahi, Rollie, Contax, Canon FD, or any other lens for that matter.
Now if I could just get the darn thing to make a good cup of Espresso!

Well.... unless you pick Ford...

:)

Still driving that Vette around, eh Dylan?

Sadly no, sold it and bought a Toyota 4Runner. Miss the Vette. Sniff.

I hear you really used to rocket the Vett on the Barnett Highway. ;-)

I hear the RCMP knew his plate numbers by heart.

Ha ha ha. That's funny. And it is RCMP in that area. He must have given a lift when you were in town.

I personally see the D300 and the 40D competing against each other, with the D80, D40, and D40x competing with Rebel XT and XTi.

heath

And I personally see nothing competing against the Vette. :)