canon or nikon and then full frame or crop frame

[thewdwguru]

ok - I am about to jump from film to digital SLRs. I figured this is the 21st century - time to leave film! I have always been a nikon man but I hear canons produce better pics, have better lenses, etc.

nikon or canon? general thoughts of each?

full frame or cropped frame?

Here are the models I am considering:

full frames - D300s (nikon) or 5DmarkII (canon)
crop - D7000 (nikon) or 7D (canon)

decisions decisions decisions

 

[BillyBuff]

I started out digitally with the Canon EOS 10D, then to the EOS 20D and finally went full frame with the EOS 5D MK I & EOS 5D MK II and I ain't going back!

 

[NowInc]

To say one takes better pics or has better lenses than the other is kind of false. Each have amazing photo quality and a very large selection of lenses available.

In the end..go to a store..pick em up..and see which one feels best in your hands. Thats why I personally chose Nikon (a D7000 too..which i am in love with).

I will say this tho..wait until september. Nikon is announcing new cameras in the end of august (full frame) so that may help you decide a bit.

 

[WDWHarpua]

All Things considered Canon may get 4.5 stars and Nikon may get 4.5 stars.

They are actually very close. The best advice I could give is to go to a shop that sells them both and get a feel for them yourself.

 

[thewdwguru]

Thanks All! Has anyone heard any new as far as upcoming replacements for:

D7000 - new - so I assume no updates for a while
D300s - ?
7D - been out for a while. maybe a 7D mark I coming?
5D Mark II - fairly new

I see rumors of a D800 from Nikon? Anything new coming from Canon?

Thanks

 

[NowInc]

www.nikonrumors.com

 

[Monorail Lime]

www.canonrumors.com


Nikon has released some significant advances in their camera bodies lately and it looks like they'll probably continue to lead in that area for some time to come. Personally though I wouldn't trade my Canon L glass for anything. It's a very tough decision but honestly you can't go wrong either way.

 

[Monorail Lime]

7D - been out for a while. maybe a 7D mark I coming?
5D Mark II - fairly new

5D2 was released a year before the 7D and is strongly rumored for a refresh early next year. It is a safe bet that there will not be any new 7D announcement until after the next 5D and 1D.

 

[flynnibus]

If you are moving from film - don't you have any existing glasss? That would probably be a factor in what you want to select.. both in brand and full or crop frame

Brand is a neck and neck race... dictated at times by the particular model niche you are looking at or personal preferences. For instance at one level nikon may be better, but another canon... and the line moves all the time with the model refreshes. So it's best to shop camera vs camera unless you have a specific piece of legacy keeping you to a brand. Some people also like to pick a brand based on availability of rentals near them.

 

[thewdwguru]

All of my Nikon glass is from lenses of the 80's. My nikon slrs are all manual. So, they are useless on the new dslrs. I guess in that light (no pun intended) I could cross the line and buy into canon?

 

[flynnibus]

All of my Nikon glass is from lenses of the 80's. My nikon slrs are all manual. So, they are useless on the new dslrs. I guess in that light (no pun intended) I could cross the line and buy into canon?

Not useless - just less featured Depending on the quality of your glass, its up to you of course if it's worth retaining for use.

AI, AI-S, E, and AI-P lens can all be used with the modern DSLRs. See here for some guidance on features
http://www.nikonians.org/nikon/slr-lens.html
or
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm

Desire to use your old glass would be reason to pay for a full frame vs crop senor camera.

I'm of the mindset of don't buy more camera then you need since they are so expensive and relatively short lifecycles now. Why buy a 5D when a D7000 or D5100 does all you need, etc. The price jump is just so massive.. and the low end cameras perform so well now.

 

[CP_alum08]

I say if you can afford good glass (any of the Nikon Holy Trinity or any of the Canon 'L' series) go with FX. If you're not prepared to spend 5 figures, then I would just stick with DX and go with the D7000.

 

[CP_alum08]

I'm of the mindset of don't buy more camera then you need since they are so expensive and relatively short lifecycles now. Why buy a 5D when a D7000 or D5100 does all you need, etc. The price jump is just so massive.. and the low end cameras perform so well now.

This is true but if you have ever shot with a full frame or have seen shots from a full frame, there is no comparison. FX is leaps and bounds above DX in terms of image quality. I shoot DX and have no issues with the performance, but if money was no object...yeah.

 

[ddbowdoin]

FX for either brand will run you a serious chunk of change, nevermind the D3S look to the D700 or the rumored D800 (replacement). The D3s is all about speed, and is so damn expensive... I mean, if you have the cash sure... but its expensive

 

[brightlillstar]

See what feels best in your hands. Both are excellent. It's really a preference thing.

I had a Nikon 35mm SLR so I stepped right into a Nikon DSLR. I have the D80, which is DX. I think it depends on your level and how much you're willing to spend. If you're really experienced and you know what kind of camera you want, and you're going to be doing a lot with the photos, it's worth it to go for the fullf frame. Of COURSE that's better. For me, price was definitely an issue AND your DSLR probably won't last you as long as your Nikon from the 80's did. The features improve and upgrade so much that most people I've spoken with upgrade every few years. Since it's your first DSLR, I'd suggest going with a DX sensor (Definitely Nikon if your glass is of any quality..mine wasn't, so I really haven't used it, although I could), getting into it for a few years, getting to know the DSLR world, and when you're ready to upgrade, you can decide on a full frame sensor then.

 

[ddbowdoin]

ok - I am about to jump from film to digital SLRs. I figured this is the 21st century - time to leave film! I have always been a nikon man but I hear canons produce better pics, have better lenses, etc.

nikon or canon? general thoughts of each?

full frame or cropped frame?

Here are the models I am considering:

full frames - D300s (nikon) or 5DmarkII (canon)
crop - D7000 (nikon) or 7D (canon)

decisions decisions decisions

d300s is not a full frame, its cropped

lowest level for fx in nikon is the 700, running about 2600 brand new (without a grip, which to me is just necessary)

 

[everestnut]

From the standpoint of image quality, both Canon and Nikon are great. Go with what has been suggested, choose the one that feels right to you. All have good and bad points. I have all 3 of Canon's form of sensors. The 5Dmk2 is a stellar camera, the one drawback I've found is the autofocus tends to hunt a little more in low light. My 1DmkII is lightning quick for focusing, but its high iso performance isn't that great. The 60D is an all around good camera.

In a nutshell find the one you like (feel and ease of adjustment).

 

[Deadmanwalking]

If you already have some nikon lenses then I would stick with Nikon just to save money.

The biggest different I see in the two is that Nikon's flashes usually work better than Canons. The colors don't matter as much to me because I can tweak those in photoshop. What I can't do is fix a bad exposure.