A fresh (reasonable?) view on the 5D mk III Vs. Nikon D800 debate

[dmj]

I don't really know what the meaning of this post is, maybe it's just to vent my own thoughts about the battle of the newest Canon and Nikon Bodies.

I think there are two kinds of people, which is also true in photography. There are the gearheads and there are the photographers, and everyone is somewhere in between those two, some closer to the middle and some more extreme.

Everyone who is a bit towards the gearhead category does tend to look a bit at numbers, reviews and tests before purchasing anything. I myself is a bit towards the gearhead category, but what can make me very enthusiastic about a piece of gear is seeing something made with it. If I see a lens makes great photos, then that is more important to me than looking at MTF charts etc.

Everyone has to admit that the D800 sensor is a great achievement in resolution, and performance. Especially in low-ISO, but everything taken into account also in high ISO settings.

Why did I end up with a 5D mk III then? I mean DxO numbers are one thing, I truly don't give a damn about them, if only the photos that I see from the camera are pleasing to my eye. The 5D mk III does that, I also think the D800 does it, however I don't NEED the more resolution, I wouldn't mind having it. However I do value the burst speed and a (in my eyes) better focusing system.

I'm sure both cameras are going to produce great results, just choose the one that suits your needs best, that is the 5D mk III to me. Even though I would have liked the same specs with the D800 sensor, but that is just not going to happen just now.

Anyway, wether you're a gearhead or a photographer or anywhere in between, don't waste your time trying to convince the internet that you are correct and everybody else is wrong. Chances are everyone (including you) are both right and wrong. The "best" camrea doesn't exist, it's all about compromise to get to what camera comes closest to your needs. And to be honest, most peoples needs are adressed by multiple cameras.

Now this is my one and only post regarding this matter, I wanna get out in the sunshine and enjoy my 5D mk III, I hope to bump into a friendly D800 owner for a little talk about what we're capable with our tools

Cheers.

 

[Stu_bert]

People (& history) remembers great photos, great videos, not great cameras. And yes, people on here will disagree with that which is good. Healthy discussion is good, and the same happens with cars, bikes, computers, software, phones etc.

At the end of the day, the best camera is indeed the one you have with you at the time, and you can get a great picture one you understand how to get the best out of both the camera and post processing. My friend still uses his 5D and takes great photos with it. Any dslr in the past 5+ years from most manufacturers can do this.

But the human desire to be competitive means there will always be people who feel the need to justify their buying decision. I find some of these discussions enlightening as there are far more knowledgeable people on this forum than I, and if you pick through some of the points you can learn a lot.

I'm still watching and waiting to see whether Nikon is better longer term than Canon, for the moment however I see no compelling reason to replace my Canon equipment...

Happy photography

 

[Fishnose]

I think there are two kinds of people, which is also true in photography. There are the gearheads and there are the photographers, and everyone is somewhere in between those two, some closer to the middle and some more extreme.

There are an almost infinite number of different types of photographers - and quite a few who are gearheads to varying degrees.
Saying as you do that gearheads and photographers are at either end of a spectrum is incredibly silly.

I am VERY much a photographer - intuitive, inspired by color, light, form, texture.
I am also a gearhead, inspired by cool stuff.

In other words, both extreme ends of the scale at once, not somewhere in between. In between implies a greyscale.

This doesn't only apply to photography, it also applies to another passion: guitars. Things are exactly the same there - people are rabid gearheads there as well, just as passionate about it as camera people. In fact, gearheadedness is a lot worse there than here. It's off the charts, in fact.

And in spite of me loving the guitar gear talk and component fiddling and endless discussions about how old a capacitor should be to sound right with a particular type of old potentiometer (I kid you not), I am also an inspired guitarist. Not technically proficient (that takes a lifetime), but most certainly very musical. Creative and gearhead at the same time.

Anyway, the silly arguments there are the same as here, except there it is Gibson vs. Fender instead of Canon vs. Nikon. It's a human trait, quite simply. With interesting ramifications and background.

But the fact still stands - Fender and Gibson are both amazing but different, Nikon and Canon are both amazing but different.
I own both Fender and Gibson, I own both Canon and Nikon.

 

[psolberg]

the problem is that a lot of people suffer from stockholm syndrome with canon or nikon. therefore they can't help but to put a lot of bias in their view of a particular product.

However, there is a minority of photographers own both systems (or more). Their views tend to be more on the side of "better" than on the side of "brand".
Take for example:
http://diglloyd.com/blog/2012/20120419_2-Canon5DM3-dxomark.html

 

[smithy]

I own both Fender and Gibson, I own both Canon and Nikon.

That makes two of us with the guitars... I also have a Gibson and a Fender.

 

[hpmuc]

I think there are two kinds of people,

“There are two kinds of people in this world: those who believe there are two kinds of people, and those who do not.”
― Robert Benchley

Sorry, just had to say that.

 

[dmj]

Don't put too much in the 2 kinds of people, it was just to point out that some people are buying their gear because they love gear and have a passion for photography as well. While other people doesn't really care about gear, but love photography.

I believe most people know someone who picks up the tool, nomatter which one, and gets great results with it nomatter what. Then there are the more gear oriented people who need the best gear available or they think they can't produce.

Also as I said, most (if not all) people fall somewhere in between the two and some more or less to the extremes.

I still believe anyone saying the 5D mk III is crap due to sensor performance is more of a gearhead than a photographer. I also belive that anyone saying that performance doesn't matter because any camera in the last 5 years are sufficient are more photographer than gearhead. I'm not saying one is better than the other (I even said that I'm a bit biased towards gearhead myself), I'm just saying this probably is the reason why 2 fronts cannot agree on anything even though they've been debating very hefty the last month.

Basically what I wanted to say is that all the arguing is pointless, people will buy what they feel is the camera for them. Who is right, who is wrong? I believe those that are wrong are the ones buying a camera without considerring their needs are, no matter which camera it is. Same thing the other way around, everyone who has made a well-considerred decision are right, no matter what camera they end up with, because they bought what they needed.