Canon or Nikon...

[PhilDrinkwater]

So, this isn't a Canon vs. Nikon thread. It's about cameras doing a job for you and understanding what that job really is.

I'm primarily a wedding photographer ( http://www.phildweddingphotography.co.uk ) and have been looking at what my next camera will be. I did originally look at a 1dx but the 5d3 was starting to look more interesting to me given the silent shutter and ISO performance. So I rented one for the weekend.

Playing around inside with ISO performance and focus tests I satisfied myself that I was happy with ISO6400 and 12800 at a push. The shutter sound on silent is amazing and UK churches are getting more and more funny about photographers. That's a real win for me.

So then I took it outdoors and found that, in the viewfinder, you can't see the red flash on an AF point when it's focussed! That's a serious issue for me. If I'm outdoors and shooting some group photographs, I need to know the camera has focussed and I don't like to use beep all of the time. This has been reported by people on various forums.

At that point, for me, Canon have made a serious error. It's then I started to look seriously at Nikon for the first time in years. I was looking at the options: d800 has 50mb files d3s is only 12mp d4 is very expensive if I'm going to have to rebuy lots of stuff and will have a loud shutter d700 is a bit old now

While I was doing this I realised that there's a mode where the AF point can disappear when it's achieved focus. <phew> It's not a perfect solution, but it'll do. (although I am going to get in touch with Canon to point this issue out).

The reason for posting this? All of the DR tests and so on that get done are, to me, much less relevant than the overall look of a photo I receive and the 50mm 1.2 and warm, attractive tones and white balance that I receive. When I was thinking of moving to Nikon it was those which made me not want to move. I wasn't thinking "Yay - I can get cleaner shadows" or whatever.

With all of the discussion about sensors and so on it's important to remember that it's only important if you'll be using it. However, if I moved to Nikon I would lose some of the things that do really matter to me and I still think the 5d3 is the best overall wedding photography camera on the market.

So, when people are saying "is the Canon better at anything" my answer is a clear "Yes!" and they are features which make a difference to me.

While I was playing around, I also took a few photos with the camera - no weddings, but just some nice flowers around the block:

[Fishnose]

Shutter sound is a clincher. You won't get anywhere near the 5D3 silent shutter with say a D800.

No contest.

[PhilDrinkwater]

Shutter sound is a clincher. You won't get anywhere near the 5D3 silent shutter with say a D800.

No contest.

Indeed. Even if it was just as quiet as the 5d2 it'd still be the camera for me though. In theory it has the most accurate focussing system (really important) and the 50mm 1.2 and warm tones are just what I want

If anyone hasn't heard it, check it out

http://youtu.be/LGAggFtTo7A
	Small | Large

[Orion]

CANON ALL THE WAY. . .

http://fstoppers.com/video-canon-5dm3-5dm2-and-nikon-d800-low-light-video-test

BEST ALL ROUND camera this side of the universe. . . heck I can't see ANY 95 in the Nikon example . . . . only in the Canon.

[zim]

So then I took it outdoors and found that, in the viewfinder, you can't see the red flash on an AF point when it's focussed! That's a serious issue for me.

Does that mean doesn't display at all or it's just not bright enough? If you are shifting focus point then how do you see which point is selected other than use the back panel and menu? I don't have one (obviously) hence the question. Still saving.... it's going to be a long year

+1 all the other points you make and love the tones in the first tree piccy - but waiting on all the 'put the lens cap on' quips to solve the focus point issue you have 

[DavidRiesenberg]

You can set the illumination of the AF points to ON instead of AUTO and then it will always illuminate instead of only when it's dark

[sach100]

CANON ALL THE WAY. . .

http://fstoppers.com/video-canon-5dm3-5dm2-and-nikon-d800-low-light-video-test

BEST ALL ROUND camera this side of the universe. . . heck I can't see ANY 95 in the Nikon example . . . . only in the Canon.

That test demonstrates that a certain N camera got Destroyed 800 times over and over!
but yeah some would argue it's *just* the low light video part..

[NormanBates]

yes, in video mode, the 5D3 is a lot better than the D800*

we'll soon see if that's enough for Canon...



* in video mode, the only area in which the D800 can beat the 5D3 is in DR (12.7 vs 11.5 stops); but with its ugly moire/aliasing, it's just a small-niche camera for video shooters, the 5D3 would be a lot better
then again, the BMC is also cheaper than the 5D3... the sensor is smaller, but I think it leaves the 5D3 as a niche camera too

[RLPhoto]

Canon! Because it's not Nikon! Lol JK.

No really, it's far too expensive to go full frame on a Nikon system. The minimum is the d700 and that's still 2000$. A 5dc is like 700$.

[PhilDrinkwater]

Does that mean doesn't display at all or it's just not bright enough? If you are shifting focus point then how do you see which point is selected other than use the back panel and menu? I don't have one (obviously) hence the question. Still saving.... it's going to be a long year

Just not bright enough... it's been commented on a lot on another forum

You can see the AF points when they're black, just not when they're red.

[PhilDrinkwater]

You can set the illumination of the AF points to ON instead of AUTO and then it will always illuminate instead of only when it's dark

Yes, I know. The red is too weak to be seen when outdoors   I went through every option and didn't see a "brighten red" anywhere?

[Neeneko]

That test demonstrates that a certain N camera got Destroyed 800 times over and over!
but yeah some would argue it's *just* the low light video part..

Well, yes, just like people complain that the DXO tests do not take low light into account enough.  That test was low light video, a use case that many people will have, and many people will not.  Both are good cameras, both have strengths and weaknesses, both have slightly different target audiences, and with both cameras 90% of the time/users would not actually get any functionally different behavior out of them because the strengths and weaknesses are both pretty incremental for most use cases.

[caMARYnon]

CANON ALL THE WAY. . .

http://fstoppers.com/video-canon-5dm3-5dm2-and-nikon-d800-low-light-video-test

BEST ALL ROUND camera this side of the universe. . . heck I can't see ANY 95 in the Nikon example . . . . only in the Canon.

Wow, mark 2 shines in comparison with the D800 at high iso video... and mark 3 is by far the winner.

[Orion]

Itès like I said . . the Nikon is MADE TO bring out detail in the shadows specifically. WHen the D800 is put in video mode we see that even more since the sensor becomes bare video and loses that stills level 'delicateness' when dealing with shadows.  The Canon was not engineered that way, so it will lose out on 'bias' DR tests, hence why a DxO screo of 95 v 81. I am not totally sure, but I bet yu can get more highlight detail from a  Canon over a Nikon, since Canon seems to have a highlight bias instead of shadows. . . of course NOTHIN on poar with MF haha.

[te4o]

Phil, how comes you can't see the AF points in daylight? They are not red, they are black! And appear quite nicely on the VF if you push around the Multicontroller or anything associated with AF. I did register AF points in Landscape and two Portrait modes (left and right handed) - they are constantly blinking no matter where the active AF point is, so I can always see them and reach them with one push AF-ON. Even Metering goes there when you set * to AF+Meter.
I just received my new 135/2 today: glad to stay with the 5D3 and this lens, Sigma 85 coming tomorrow... Cheers