Why canon?

[willrobb]

So, why are you all canon users? What makes you choose canon over Nikon, Pentax, Olympus etc?

My reason is dull. When I first started learning photography and had no money a cheap canon film body and lens was all I could afford as my local store had them on sale and they were the cheapest, I learned on that body and I just kept using canon, it's always delivered whatever I need and I do really really love the glass (told you it was dull).

How about therest of you? I'm particularly keen to hear from people who jumped ship from Nikon to Canon to hear what made them change....or anyone who jumps from Canon to Nikon for that matter.

 

[wickidwombat]

I changed from Nikon to Canon mainly because after using both i much prefered the control layouts on the high end bodies of the canon I wish the lower models would adopt the way the 1D sets AEB though

 

[ronderick]

Mine was pretty simple:

1. The 40D fit my hands much better than the D80, and

2. I have more Canon shooters around me when I started, so it was easier for me to find help.

The reason why I stuck with Canon was because of 5D2 which appeared as I contemplated whether to go serious by switching over to the D700 but was holding back because of the 95% viewfinder... though I remember back then the price was pretty tempting.

Now, once into the FF bodies, there's no turning back with the lens investment ;D

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Canon has long had a strong point of low cost mass produced camera equipment that may not be the very best, but it is a good value for the money.

They do make design compromises in favor of lowering the cost of production while still making a excellent product. This has allowed them to have a higher profit margin and still price products very competitively. Thats why I bought my first Canon FTQL back in the 1960's, a Nikon was just too expensive. I had a Nikon CP 990 when the Digital Rebel came out, and bought one because once again, I got more for my dollar. Same with 5D MK II and a lot of other Canon models.

I don't know if that will always hold true, they seem to be raising prices to the point where they are close to Nikon, and the 1D X might even be more expensive, we have yet to see the price. However, the cost of nikon lenses is still far ahead of the Canon ones.

 

[briansquibb]

I got a really good deal on a Canon 300, then a Canon 1000, a Canon 100 and a Canon IX. I had some Canon lens so the move to digital was obviously less painful by buying a 40D ......

 

[D.Sim]

Well... why NOT Canon?

Not much to my story, first ever dSLR I ever tried was the 50D, loved it... wanted an SLR ever since, and when I finally saved up the money for it, got it. Not regretted it, even after using the newer 60D and 7D, even the old 5D.

Now that I've been shooting for a while though, I've found another reason... and if this were sesame street I'd be saying today's post is brought to you by the letter "L"

 

[Leopard Lupus]

My first camera was an AE-1 with the 50mm 1.8 mounted that I purchased for $70 from a local photographer. Ever since then, I've been with Canon. I love the glass (and of course the 5D mk ll) so there really isn't any reason for me to switch over. Canon really is able to cater to a wide variety of shooters!

 

[bycostello]

happenstance in my original purchase and now locked in because of lenses... don't matter though which brand as i've said before it ain't the camera that takes the image...

 

[BlueMixWhite]

I recently sold off all my nikon stuffs and ready to jump to canon because of the varities of lens available from Canon and also it's seem more affortable and more highly rated as compared to nikon. The way I see it, if i continue with nikon i couldnt afford those "N" lens as they are way over my budget. Whereas with canon, i could start of easier with the 24-105L f4, the 17-40L f4 and maybe the 135L f2 in near term.

My situation is kinda epic as my friends pointed out, i was so sure i'm going for the 5Dmk2 and at the same time a used 24-105L mint condition happen to passby and i got it without a body in hand. This all happen in Dec, and by Jan i'm ready to get my 5Dmk2.........but to my bad luck, my iMac logicboard decided to quit and can consider my iMac is total. The replacement of the logicboard is as close as a new iMac. Therefore i have no choice but to forego the 5D 1st and get my computer sorted out. Where as the same time i am also like some, having the dilemma whether i should wait for the mk3. :

 

[willrobb]

I recently sold off all my nikon stuffs and ready to jump to canon because of the varities of lens available from Canon and also it's seem more affortable and more highly rated as compared to nikon. The way I see it, if i continue with nikon i couldnt afford those "N" lens as they are way over my budget. Whereas with canon, i could start of easier with the 24-105L f4, the 17-40L f4 and maybe the 135L f2 in near term.

My situation is kinda epic as my friends pointed out, i was so sure i'm going for the 5Dmk2 and at the same time a used 24-105L mint condition happen to passby and i got it without a body in hand. This all happen in Dec, and by Jan i'm ready to get my 5Dmk2.........but to my bad luck, my iMac logicboard decided to quit and can consider my iMac is total. The replacement of the logicboard is as close as a new iMac. Therefore i have no choice but to forego the 5D 1st and get my computer sorted out. Where as the same time i am also like some, having the dilemma whether i should wait for the mk3. :

Major bummer about the iMac, really sorry to hear about it. Hope you manage to get a new iMac sorted out and manage to get a good deal on a 5DmkII.

 

[Doodah]

Long, long time ago, Canon used to lead the field of sensor performance. That was when I hopped on the Canon bandwagon.

 

[squarebox]

I just recently got a dSLR but the reason i choose canon was way way back when I moved to a Digital P&S there were only two big companies, Sony and Canon who were making cameras. Sony had Zeiss glass, and sonys electronics are always top notch... just break after 6 months so I went with Canon who had an impressive line-up of P&S from simple cameras to the Gs. That being said, I just stuck with Canon the whole way.

 

[Hillsilly]

My first camera was an AE-1 with the 50mm 1.8 ...

Me too!

I'm not adverse to using other cameras. For example, during a lot of the 90's / early 00's, I was using a Mamiya RB67 just as much as my Canons. Even today, I do almost as much shooting with a little Mamiya and an Olympus as I do with my Canon. In recent years, I've considered switching to Pentax (I think their small lenses are cool), and Sony (after reading reviews on their 24mm, 85mm and 135mm). Sometimes I even think about switching to Nikon (my sister shoots Nikon and we could share lenses).

But ultimately, other systems have problems and compromises. Whereas the Canon range is almost perfect. I'm happy with the camera and lenses that I have. I don't think that switching to another manufacturer will really add anything. Or to put it another way, my photos would suck just as much if they were shot with a Nikon as they do now.

Of course, if Mr Nikon came and offered me a lucrative sponsorship deal....

 

[MazV-L]

After doing some research, I decided on Canon, the 50D was my first Dslr, I was liking what I read in the reviews about it. I liked that Canon had a larger range of lenses and not as pricey as Nikon. It's definitely the favoured brand used by the Pros I know, in fact, I don't personally know any Pros using Nikon.
I only have plans to upgrade within the Canon System, nothing about them to annoy me enough to want to switch.

 

[AG]

Mine was a pretty simple reason.

Started with an old Pentax SLR back in ye olde times. When digital hit i decided to change. Choice was Canon or Nikon and honestly i just didn't like the feel of the Nikon compared to the Canon.

Simple as that.

I have all the respect in the world for Nikon and the D4 looks like a nice piece of kit but the ergonomics of their cameras just doesn't feel right to me.

 

[00Q]

For me its pure accident. When I was looking into my firsr DSLR, I was open to both. My friend who told me about the camera had a canon. So was another friend. So I bought into a canon. Equally, had they been using a nikon, I'd be with nikon.

I must admit, at the time I genuinely thought canon was better, from the reputation. But now Im realising nikon prob makes better cameras.

 

[moreorless]

If it was just down to the body I'd probabley have gone with a Pentax K-5 but the lens support just wasnt there, no weather sealed UWA and no long range standard zoom.

Besided to get the lightest high megapixel body I could and Canon offered a few more megapixels and slightly cheaper lenses than Nikon.

 

[Viggo]

I wanted the cheapest and smallest, so when the 350d came out, that was the answer. Simple as that, but I kept using Canon because I liked it better and still do. The ease of use is what's important to me. I need to find the settings I need, fast, and at that Canon is simply the best.

 

[Picsfor]

My first camera was a Praktica, which had quite a hefty state of the art (at the time) 28-200 zoom lens attached, which got damaged at work.

The insurance money allowed me to get a used Canon AE1P with the same lens (which was cheaper for Canon models!) an i never looked back.

Soon after i came by a squeeky A1 body to use as a second body - then saved up and bought a mint A1 body with power grip (equivalent to modern battery grip except it allowed me to shoot at 5ps with film). Finally, i changed my AE1P to another A1 so i had symmetry across the range.

I just loved the A1, and the 5D2 was the first digital to match my love of a camera, the 30d and 40D were good introductions to digital, but didn't set my photographic fire alike like the 5D2 or A1 did.

And that is pretty much how i look at cameras now - the 1D series have never really done it for me, until the 1DX - but who knows what the future will bring.

I've looked at Nikon a few times, but never quite found anything that really 'grabs me' like my 5D2. I might moan a lot about the AF, but i do not think it is too much to ask that Canon make all 9 points good quality AF points, given how much further down the line they are with AF technology - and that's what frustrates me with it.

 

[kubelik]

when I first got back in to digital photography I was looking for affordable consumer DSLR's. I noticed that a lot of Nikon bodies and lenses had asterixes next to them saying such-and-such would not autofocus with this lens because it lacked the motor driver. that just struck me as something incredibly lousy, to have cameras and lenses in this day and age that you had to sort through the specs of before you could tell if it was going to AF or not. and thus ... Canon.

less importantly, but something I noticed later, is that Nikons are stupendously ugly. if there are any other design professionals who would like to debate that one, well ... let me know.