Canon vs Nikon – which camera brand captures your heart?

Having just bought a Canon IXUS117 HS I have been nothing but disappointed since, the software conflicted with my computer and part of it refused to work – the part that refused was the software to download the pictures from the camera onto my computer. I rang Canon to find it was an 0844 number and having been on the line for one hour – asked them to ring me back – as it still had not been resolved and having hung up they never rung back. I then rang again and was told it was my problem, my fault and down to Microsoft and I should ring them.

Since I had no intention of paying any more money than I already had done, or being piggy in the middle with two giant companies, I just bypassed the software and use Windows Picture Manager but am I annoyed? Do I feel cheated? You bet I do. This will be the last purchase I ever make of the Canon brand. I especially resent paying out £150 for a camera and then when asking for help to set it up am ripped off by an 0844 number and a support service that was absolutely dire.

Dot

Dear Stepheneb

Thank you for your comment about using a card reader and I will investigate this, but I am gratified to know that, while I am just a high days and holidays camera enthusiast, you appear to be a professional and yet you still do not rate Canon’s software.

I have enlisted help from a number of gurus in the computer cyberworld and they all seem to think that Canon’s software should have included a visual basic programme/library to automatically sort out my computer to accept their software: this appears to be missing.

I’m very pleased with our canon 1000d. Before upgrading to slr had ixus and that was great too. The school I teach at also has low end canons bought through tesco vouchers. All have been excellent, easy to use and get results. Never had any problem downloading pics (either to school pcs or home mac) – just plugged in cable and did.

I have used Nikon SLRs for many years now and they have always seemed more ‘professional’ and better handling but that is partly subjective. They are not the first to adopt the latest trends perhaps but concentrate on good pictures, especially at low light. Focussing is especially good and fast.

From the consumer compact viewpoint, I would probably pick Canon as they seem to have achieved very good packages with good compromises between size, speed and noise. Nikon are still trying to catch up their.

Dot’s point on the Canon software may be linked with the operating system on her computer – the two could well be incompatible and all s/w manufacturers have this problem: they will not or cannot make all versions compatible. I use Photoshop Elements and had to upgrade this to version 9 when I changed to a Windows 7 computer – version 7 which ran on Windows XP would not run on Windows 7.

I have been using Canon SLRs for more than twenty five years moving on and up from film to digital and currently with a 5d and 20d. I am always delighted with any new Canon camera I get but I am in no position to judge Nikon – I might have been just as happy with a Nikon. Once you start with Canon and Canon-fit lenses you are very unlikely to switch and it would probably have been the same if I’d started with Nikon.

I agree that pixel counts are two edged, more pixels equals more “noise”. I got good A4 prints from 3.4 mps because of lens quality. Does Nikon get no credit from the fact that almost every lens back to the days of the Nikon F (appr 50 years) can fit my D200. Their after sales service has been very good for me too.

Having progressed fox a Brownie up through various film SLRs and entry level DSLRs I recently took the plunge and purchased a Canon EOS 450D with EFS 18-55mm IS kit lens I then splashed another ransom an on a Canon Zoom lens EF 70-300mm USM with IS again (cost as much as the original kit!) This camera is regularly thrown into my man bag and dragged around. So first I have to agree that it is rugged. Being RTFM averse I tend to rely on the fixed setting and Auto a lot for speed of shooting to catch opportunities as they arise. While not great in dim situations and having a nasty built-in flash (which I usually turn off) I have had some great shots: mostly portraiture and party scenes. I am regularly asked to bring my camera and take the ‘official pictures.’ The zoom lens is a miracle: no shake/blur and pin sharp pimples at 40 paces! I am a bit nervous carrying over a £1k worth of kit on holiday (theft/damage) as well as the size and weight restrictions on planes nowadays…. I bounced my lovely inexpensive (battery munching) Fuji SLR down some steps at the Sydney Opera house (yes I was wearing the strap until I bent forward) so i re[laced it with a Nikon P100 Coolpix for it’s univers-ability in close-ups, portraits, 26X zoom, HD and stereo and useful double jointed LCD panel It works well in dim conditions, except when in movie mode! AND won’t break my heart if is LOST! I recently bought a cheap set of Macro Tube extension Rings and some cheap alternative batteries – amazing value from Amazon. Both the Canon and the Nikon seem to last for ages on a single battery which is a real boon on our long (6 week) RTW holidays, taking hundreds of pictures, when charging bats can sometimes be a problem. Uploading the files to the Internet for both is a cinch via my small laptop. Many of my shots are regularly cropped and beautifully blown up to A4 for printing and portrait painting.Yes I would do exactly the same again!

Aaaagh. My local camera club is just the same with a probable 40/60 split Nikon/Canon with a few Olympus & Sony thrown in. It is similar in the PC/Mac world. There isn’t an answer. However there are several using the Canon G11 which is only the cost of a decent lens and producing excellent results. I have small hands and the Canon Rebel (400 – 600) range suits me. I think this is as good a reason as any. My best friend uses a Nikon!
Basically the photographic art lays more with the photographer than the equipment.

Canon has to win hands down – at least as far as Compact cameras are concerned – since they are re-introducing viewfinders

I too have a 7D. Excellent, very capable camera body, chosen instead of 5d MkII for newer more useable technology, although ultimate Image Quality is stronger on the full frame 5D.

I still have my Canon 350D and my 35mm EOS 3. And another EOS somewhere from before that. Clearly for me the Canon lenses are the reason for sticking with Canon bodies. Always invest in glass…A ten year old decent lens is still a decent lens. A 10 year old Digital camera, if you can find one, is ancient history (my 20-35 year old 35mm’s are still good though…)

That said, I have a number of 35mm Nikons with a range of Nikon lenses. Trouble is, only top line Nikon DSLRs autofocus with the older lenses, so it was simply easier to stick with Canon (Canon changed their lens ranges many years back – FD to EF/EF-S but it’s not a real life issue) and I think, for a while at least, their higher end DSLRs were stronger, while Nikon won in the lower/mid ranges.

So, ultimatley, you stick with your collection of glass.

Tell you where Canon does win hands down though, my compact Canon S95 that I got a year back is an absolute dream. Far better than you expect a compact to be in terms of IQ, features and enjoyment to use. And superior to my wife’s Nikon S8000, which is a good camera for snaps, rather than a great camera full stop like the S95.

Other brands are available.

I’m puzzled by johnt’s comments on Photoshop Elements compatibility.
When I changed to Windows 7 I upgraded from v4 to v5 which is fully compatible. I now also have v6 but rarely use it, only when I need the few extra functions, as it is significantly slower.

Nikon; Quality and reliabillity as well as great performance. I too stated with a “Box Brownie” (actually a 127) progressing on through various stages to Nikon SLR then DSLR.
Strength is almost impossible to believe, One Nikon decended Snowdon quicker than me and only suffered a cracked fiilter and bent filter holder. A friend’s Canon dropped from waist was irrepairable.
Keep up the good work Nikon, Canon users will convert in time, new users will invest in the best.

Well the new Sony NEX 7 can evidently take either Canon or Nikon lenses with an adaptor. 24 Mpix in a rangefinder size camera – WoW.
So it doesn’t matter which you prefer any more….. 🙂

Ok heres my take, line up ten images then get someone (anyone) to tell you what camera took what image they wont be able to.
So then its down to personal user preference I Use Nikon,(my current camera is the D7000), but in the past have had Canon,Mamiya,Olympus,Contax,Leica,Rollie ect,ect (even an old Thorton Picard plate camera)
I chose Nikon as I like the build quality top end ther is not much to pick between them but IMO in the non proffessional market (up to £2000) Nikon have the edge over Canon I am not saying the Canons are duffers they make super cameras but for me things like menu selection,user setting memories, mirror bounce damping and general robustness of build is the Nikons biggest plus point for me over Canon.
Having said that all this is rather a mute subject if you already own Canon,Nikon or whatever kit. Because very few users swap makes, as replacing all that very pricey glass you have already bought makes the body cost seem like peanuts

Not so much a comment on the main topic, though my vote goes to Canon, but a follow up on various comments on software.
I borrowed a Nikon Coolscan V, a very expensive film scanner. They aren’t available new but bring around £1000 second hand on eBay. I was worried about finding drivers after reading various forums but they all seemed related to 64bit Windows7. However I downloaded the Vista drivers which work with no trouble with my 32bit Windows 7. I find it amazing that Nikon don’t continue support for such an expensive piece of equipment and don’t even mention the use of Vista drivers for W7 on their website.
Incidentally the scanner is marvellous for scanning slides because of a remarkable bit of software for cleaning up slide scans. It is otherwise unremarkable, being painfully slow. Anyone know of software I could use for cleaning up slides with my Epson V300 scanner which is faster and of equally high resolution but whose clean-up program is relatively poor as is Photoshop Elements 6.
The previous posts concerning Photoshop Elements are interesting. I had Elements 4 which din’t work when I changed to W7. A disappointing Adobe failure to provide patches for later operating systems. I replaced it with E5 which works fine on W7 but is significantly slower. I now also have E6 which I rarely use as it is even slower. Adobe keep bringing out versions of Elements which add little to the functionality, I started with E1 and have used E2, E3, E4, E5 and E6 all with small additional features but increasingly resource hungry. I have no use for the cataloguing functions of Elements which I find intrusive. If I was starting from scratch I’m sure they would be fine but I developed my own system for my large collection long ago.

My Canon 550D is superb except for a serious fault. The camera is used on a microscope with a Zeiss “Biotar” and suitable adaptor in order to get the image coming from the microscope eyepiece, on the sensor to the correct size. ALSO I use the camera on a copying stand held vertically.
Using the excellent 18 to 135 mm lens, on a nice warm day, the zoom ring tends to turn, under the weight of the front elements which descend downwards. A rubber band arrangement prevents this.
But why, oh why, can’t the lensmakers simply include some sort of a brake, either optional using a
screw mechanism or a braking action via a crinkle-washer acting against the upper or lower edge
of the zoom ring. I have contacted Jessops from whom the camera was purchased and they were pleasant and sympathetic. ‘Phoning Canon they were also sympathetic and this fault was being investigated. A friend who has a Nicon has also reported this problem.

Well – I have a Nikon D7000 and it is great – so far it has been easy to operate and results first class – to be honest I doubt if I’d change to a Canon. The cost of lenses and camera is too great an investment. Really first class for portraits of greyhounds.

I used to use Minolta SLR kit with a full range of lenses from 1000mm to a fisheye. I simply updated the body (always had a pair) – The quality of results were extraordinarily good and I sold many photos and had a number of commissions (specialist area medical photography) .I loved the quick change bayonet fitting lens. If a Minolta DSLR had been available to use the excellent bayonet lens I’d had bought that instead of the Nikon

But I do have an excellent Canon IXUS for recreational photography the results of which please the viewers – but it is cruder and I often wish it had more manual control.and sensitivity.

I agree – the digital medium has opened up photography to everyone. It wouldn’t surprise me if more photographs are taken these days by phones rather than cameras!
It is fun to discuss the varieties of cameras comparing Canon 600 to the 60 or as in this discussion Canon vs Nikon. The financial investment photographers put into their lenses is large and that ties them to a specific brand. I looked at many of this type of discussion when looking to buy my first digital SLR – I was still using an Olympus OM10. They are helpful as there is a lot of info but there is no conclusion.
What I am getting at is that these “geeky” discussions shouldn’t be taken too seriously as there isn’t a correct or clear answer. The best camera is the one that produces pictures of the quality you desire in the format that you will look at them, whether print, projected image, poster or just on a digital photo-frame.
Whichever camera you have – the skill lies with the photographer as most cameras (esp DSLR’s) produce excellent quality photos.
PS – actually the “best” camera is the one you have with you in your pocket/handbag – so I doubt if it an SLR at all.

VIDEO: I am comparing Canons to Nikons in the Full frame HD video capabilities.
D700 compared to the 5D. Have you shot any video and if so, what are your views?

I’ve stuck with Canon, because I started with a Canon compact. Just like a mac is more intuitive than a pc for me, a canon appeared more logical. Plus I mainly take landscapes. Nikon’s are meant to be better for portraits! Now I have a few Canon lens’s I’m unlikely to change to Nikon. Both are good products, although my 7d didn’t like accidentally falling into a rock pool!