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Nikon Or Canon - Which do you prefer?

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The Nikon vs Canon Debate - Does it really matter?

I bought my Nikon SLR camera when I was taking my first darkroom photography class. After researching cameras and talking to the salespeople at the camera store, I decided on a Nikon. It was an entry level 35 mm camera at a reasonable price with good reviews.

Later, when I made the switch to digital, I had several hundred dollars invested in lenses so I stuck with Nikon. Really, I love my Nikon D200 camera and have no desire to switch. However, along the way I have met many people who are just as devoted to their Canon cameras.

This is not a debate about which is better - Nikon or Canon - when it comes to cameras. Comparing Nikon and Canon is like comparing apples to apples. They are both popular and reputable brands yet photographers seem to prefer one over the other.

On this page, I want to find out which you prefer and why? Is it really true that professional photographers prefer Canon? Is it just a matter of brand loyalty? Are there no major differences between the brands? The other day I found an excellent photographer on Flickr who proudly uses her Sony. Let's find out.

Photo Credit: By Derek K. Miller under Creative Commons License on Flickr

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YOUR TURN!

The Canon versus Nikon Debate

Personally, I believe that it is comparing apples to apples, however, both brands are very popular with amateurs and professionals alike. By pointing out specific qualities that make one brand better it pushes the other brand to improve. And vice versa.

If you own a Nikon or Canon, which do you prefer?

Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Nikon is best for me and here's why.

Manny says:

Thinking about getting the 5100 or the 7000

Posted February 15, 2012

jason says:

Ergonomics wise, nikon body is much better and comfy to hold as compare to canon.

Posted February 15, 2012

Yasmina says:

Nikon Nikon Nikon.

Posted February 12, 2012

indepedent voter says:

This was a list of complete idiocy, please contribute something substantial, regardless if you're pro-Canon or pro-Nikon... especially you, "Kevin".

Posted February 12, 2012

rauspitz says:

There is no comparison. A Nikon will take better pictures than a Canon. Pictures are sharper and the color is more accurate with a Nikon.

Posted February 09, 2012

surfsusan says:

... because it is the only one I have ;) (true)

Posted February 09, 2012

Ben says:

Nikon by far. The AF in low light on my Nikon D7000 blows away even the 5D Mark II, which I've used on several occasions. I find the build and ergonomics on the Nikon to be superior as well. Both, however, make wonderful photographs.

Posted February 05, 2012

Jay says:

I use both Nikon for stills & Canon for HD filming. for different purposes.

Posted February 01, 2012

Sam says:

I use a Nikon because I have a few old nikkor Ai & Ai-s lenses and 2 cult classic vivitar s1 70-210 for Nikon!

Posted February 01, 2012

Cathleen says:

Nikon. :")

Posted January 29, 2012

Khosro says:

Nikon produce cameras that have better noise performance. D7000 is an example of them. It is cheaper than Canon 7D, but its performance is low light is much better. In my experience, Dynamic range provided with Nikons are a bit higher practically.
But Canons have better video recording system.

Posted January 24, 2012

Penelope says:

I just bought my Nikon D3100 and I'm actually debating about whether to return it for a T2i. My main concern is the lens choices. The D3100 lacks a built-in AF motor and one must buy AF-S lenses with motors to compensate. Canon offers the same lenses (in terms of aperture/focal length) but they're cheaper. I'm sticking with my Nikon for now!

Posted January 19, 2012

OzGirl says:

My Nikon was a gift from my husband, so by default, it's my preference. From this point forward, I will obviously buy lenses for my Nikon. :)

Posted January 17, 2012

Kiran says:

Nikon - Sharpness, clarity and color temperature as good as it gets. I have both Nikon and Canon - Point and Shoot - I like Canon - Serious Pics - Nikon

Posted January 15, 2012

tammzz says:

"the best camera is the one with you" ahah,no really. like ken rockwell said,it's you, yes it's good to have nice gear which gives you good quality pictures,but just look at all the old pictures of famous photographers which didn't have expensive gear. or any old pictures made with film cameras. it's you not the camera. and if you're choosing between nikon and canon,they're both good,and you can't tell which one is better,they're both one of the best brands out there. i think it's your personal preference,and which system you prefer.
my first camera was a nikon..not because i'm "hating over canon". canon is excellent. it's just me. i prefer the nikon system,and the menu is easier to use,the whole system.

Posted January 14, 2012

golfspice says:

Definitely Nikon for me. I doubt there is anything to choose between them as both use similar technology. Just never been let down by my Nikon.

Posted January 13, 2012

Kev!n says:

Nikon. because..
1. Consistent controls between bodies, easy to find controls
2. Great lens quality
3. Nikon's high ISO is much better
4. Easy to use controls (focus, screen, exposure, etc)

And I don't like Canon because..
1. The body looks too light.
2. It's heavier than it looks.
3. Don't like the feel of plastic parts.
4. Shutter is too light and I can't feel the vibration.
5. I hate the shutter sound, especially rebels and 60d (Theres no ?mechanical' feel lol)
6. All the button layout looks so cheap. (basically design sucks :P)
7. Hard to navigate through menus and settings.
8. Can't use old lenses (FD) with today's EF mount.
9. The shutter button feels weird. (especially I feel weird when I press and maintain the half-shutter)
10. Most of Canon lenses' release pin breaks well? -_-
11. If something important breaks, it costs lots of money to repair. (ex. it costs about $900-$1000 if 85mm lens motor is broken)
12. Theres Error 99. (error 99 can be caused by these; camera, memory card, or lens mount)
13. Camera body gets worn out easily.
14. They look cheap when it's worn out. (there should be like antique kind of feel when the camera is worn out, but? not Canon)
15. Canon's accessories are expensive.
16. I hate the name. (I know the origin of the name, but still?)

And honestly? their cameras look very feminine. (Just to clarify that I'm not saying camera is not for women. I think camera should be look like and built for unisex)

Posted January 10, 2012

Lilyxo says:

Nikon or die !!!!!

Posted January 09, 2012

Oscar says:

Nikon! To me they're easier to use and are better priced.

Posted January 05, 2012

Nikon Shooter for Life says:

I own both Nikon and Canon cameras. While I challenge anyone to say definitively which photo was taken by which just by looking at the photo, I must say that I prefer a Nikon to a Canon. With Nikon the prevailing design philosophy seems to be "If we can make a camera attribute simpler, more user friendly, and more intuitive we will." With Canon the prevailing design philosophy seems to be: "If we can make a camera attribute more complex, more difficult, and more aggravating we will."

Posted January 03, 2012

No way, Canon is my camera of choice.

tangy says:

if you looking for some fascinating colours then definitely canon!

Posted February 22, 2012

ReedZ says:

Canon

Posted February 15, 2012

Riar says:

canon t2i rocks

Posted February 10, 2012

Janice says:

I've never shot with anything but a digital Canon, so I can't make a fair comparison. I do know that Nikon is more expensive than what I can afford and my Canon has been fine, especially since I have small hands.

Posted February 10, 2012

Jenared says:

Canon ALL THE WAY. Both Cameras are pretty neck in neck but at least Canon has faith in the photographers that use them!

Posted February 07, 2012

Daniel says:

Nikons are horrible camera! I luckily bought a cannon dSLR and i love it so much. My sister owns a nikon dSLR and its horrible. Its very messily made and very low quality compared to cannon. The picture quality is very poor compared to cannon. to change the focal point of the camera manually, you have to go to the menu and click a bunch of other options. dont buy nikon! buy cannon

Posted February 05, 2012

Xeny says:

I own a nikon d3000 and I like it but after working with a canon for 6 months I am in love. Will be using a canon for business and nikon for my personal use.

Posted January 30, 2012

steve meyer says:

I own a nikon 3000 slr looking for new lens a multi-purpose lens I talked to a saleman and he said that what you have is good enough but what he said was nikon is making lens in china which are plastic and canon lens are made in japan and made of glass!! so you tell me what is better I say glass.So the next slr I buy will be Canon

Posted January 30, 2012

Mswhitekilla says:

Canon. Nothing beats canon <3 never fails

Posted January 28, 2012

Charles says:

My dad let me use his Canon FX and AE-1 when I was a kid, he's always used Canon's, and so have I, I'm currently a Canon A-1 and Original Canonet user.

PS: My next camera will hopefully be a Nikon FM2, but ill be keeping that a secret from my Dad, *the house would have to be burnt to the ground a rebuilt if a Nikon ever crossed the threshold.
*sarcasm obviously.

Posted January 28, 2012

Athungo says:

well i spend more than a year trying to find out which camera brand to go for and i picked up Canon and i am more than happy for the decision i made for Canon Dslr. The picture quality is just awesome. I don't hate Nikon as Nikon is as good as Canon. Given the chance i will surely try out Nikon. However i am investing and will be sticking to Canon,as i just love everything about it.

Posted January 27, 2012

Silver! says:

Mine was free, so long as I chose Canon. That said, I moved from a PowerShot S3, so the Canon terminology was familiar.

I have Canon fit lenses now, so any future upgrade would most likely be Canon, unless it needed to be Nikon to be free!

Posted January 23, 2012

avishek says:

I own a canon, but Nikon is equally good. its like comparing bmw with mercedes : - ).

Posted January 21, 2012

mihgasper says:

I think it has better price / possibilities ratio. And i like the slogan You Can! ;-)

Posted January 21, 2012

tkfwebs says:

We use canon, hope that helps. video production san francisco

Posted January 11, 2012

Reese says:

Canon, because i think its sooooo much easier to use and it has better image quality... Nikon and Canon are completely opposite when it comes to settings and layout..

Posted January 06, 2012

Liz says:

before I bought a dslr, i asked a few bloggers what they used and all the images i loved were by canons, always

Posted January 01, 2012

Johnny says:

Canon, I've always preferred the Canon image "look" and colours so much more.

Posted January 01, 2012

Lasse says:

Canon all the way!

Posted December 30, 2011

stephanie says:

Canon is very difficult to use but the pictures come out very beautiful

Posted December 25, 2011

view all 136 comments

Video about a doomed love affair

He was a Canon, she was a Nikon

This is a story from not long ago
about a boy and a girl who fell in love like whoa
but there was a problem I didn't count on
the fact I was a Canon and she was a Nikon

ADD LINKS ABOUT NIKON

Product Reviews and More

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabian-vervelde/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Nikon Or Canon - Which do you prefer?

The Nikon vs Canon Debate - Does it really matter?

Contents at a Glance

Tell Us About Your Camera

Thanks for voting! Now invite your friends to vote.

YOUR TURN!

The Canon versus Nikon Debate

If you own a Nikon or Canon, which do you prefer?

Nikon is best for me and here's why.

Manny says:

jason says:

Yasmina says:

indepedent voter says:

rauspitz says:

surfsusan says:

Ben says:

Jay says:

Sam says:

Cathleen says:

Khosro says:

Penelope says:

OzGirl says:

Kiran says:

tammzz says:

golfspice says:

Kev!n says:

Lilyxo says:

Oscar says:

Nikon Shooter for Life says:

No way, Canon is my camera of choice.

tangy says:

ReedZ says:

Riar says:

Janice says:

Jenared says:

Daniel says:

Xeny says:

steve meyer says:

Mswhitekilla says:

Charles says:

Athungo says:

Silver! says:

avishek says:

mihgasper says:

tkfwebs says:

Reese says:

Liz says:

Johnny says:

Lasse says:

stephanie says:

Video about a doomed love affair

He was a Canon, she was a Nikon

ADD LINKS ABOUT NIKON

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