Have you considered joining the dark side?...

[JR]

Yes i did think about it, however in the end i could not part with the L lens i love so much and the ergonomic of the Canon bodies. More importantly, while some of the new Nikon bodies look appealing in terms of specs, i dont beleive i would see any difference in the final product for the use i have. So i would be spending a lot of money to be left likely disaapointed. Not because Nikon is not good, but because the difference do not justify a change. If i was starting from scratch, might be different.

 

[psolberg]

I'm considering it seriously. Glass is not an issue and I know I can sell it easily. Plus Nikon has released a ton of much needed primes to the point where switching is painless for me. I'll probably go for two D800 bodies. 14-24, 70-200 Vr2, 16-35 vr, and 24, 35, 85 fast primes, 24 t/s, and 24-120. Going from the 5Dmk2 to the D800 is going to be exiting. I'll stay with my current setup for now side the demand for the D800 is breaking records and people's patience.. If I could get one now, I'd sell all my canon gear tomorrow.

 

[EYEONE]

It's always an idea I keep in my mind. And indeed there are a number of things I like better about Nikon's designs. Certainly not the ergonomics but I do like all the physical switches and dials Nikons have rather than Canon's which seem to be mostly software driven. And of course you gotta love the low light abilities of the D3s. But Canon also has many advantages over Nikon.

But at the end of the day if I thought any of these things would make me a better photographer I'd switch. We all worry too much about the gear. As much as I loooove gear it's just not about the gear. I always wonder sometimes if people really think switching to Nikon or Canon will magically make their photography better. I often think about how much I completely suck compared to famous photographers from 30-40 years ago who didn't have 1/100 of the technology that I have in my bag. We are very spoiled.

 

[jamesdylangoldstein]

I would definitely switch but I love my Mark II and am short on money. The Mark II is an amazing camera (the Mark III is too, but more expensive than the newer, better tech) and I'm really happy with it. I don't shoot professionally, just for fun and to showcase what we do at my work. The D800 is great for a variety of reasons.

1) It's cheaper than the Mark III.
2) They offer a sharper AA-less model. Moire can now be fixed easily in Lightroom 4.
3) The resolution allows you to bring a great lens that is still affordable to a professional game and get great shots. I have to crop my 70-200 a lot (50-75%) to get OK shots at a Yankees game on my Mark II. Having the extra resolution would make my shots much shaper. It's like being able to afford a 400mm f/2.8 (and they don't let lenses bigger than a 70-200 into the games). You can't get closer without a press pass or $1,000 seats.
4) The dynamic range allows you to fix a lot of shots in Lightroom. I love to bring out detail hidden in highlights and shadows.
5) I have done a few really large 36in prints for my work. Being able to get higher DPI would be great. I would like to go even bigger.
6) It will force Canon to lower the Mark III price and rush out a comparably priced 3D. Since I don't have the money to switch now, I might have the option of the 3D when I do in the future.
7) It seems that the RGB metering does a better job pairing with the smart newer AF systems.
8) Nikon's UW lenses are much sharper than Canon's.

If I had the money I'd buy a D800e, 70-200 f/2.8, 14-24mm, 50 f/1.4, 85mm f/1.8, and 105mm Macro.

 

[Caps18]

But at the end of the day if I thought any of these things would make me a better photographer I'd switch. We all worry too much about the gear. As much as I loooove gear it's just not about the gear. I always wonder sometimes if people really think switching to Nikon or Canon will magically make their photography better. I often think about how much I completely suck compared to famous photographers from 30-40 years ago who didn't have 1/100 of the technology that I have in my bag. We are very spoiled.

That is it.

Yeah, the new cameras make taking better pictures easier, but you still have to be in the right place at the right time. Plus, have an eye for composition and light.

But, Canon needs to come up with a landscape camera... If you were just starting out, it would be hard to convince someone to pick Canon if money wasn't a problem. The 5Dm2 is still a great deal.

 

[jalbfb]

Never considered it. I have a lot invested in Canon gear and still prefer the Canon menu system and Canon lenses. The Force is with me.

 

[AmbientLight]

Actually I have never considered switching to Nikon, although some of my friends are Nikonians. I rather wait for Canon's 200-400mm instead of adding a second system with different menus and controls only to use one lens (although that is one tempting lens). Regarding the D800 and it's extra MPs I simply don't need that for what I do.

 

[AvTvM]

I have considered many times.

Last time I was just about to pull the trigger, was when I upgraded from Rebel to 40D. If Nikon would have had a 17-55 with IS, equivalent or better than the Canon 17-55 IS, I would have switched.

When the 7D came out, I preordered .. first time in my life and have not regretted it. While my itch for FFis still very mild right now, I will eventually get a FF body. For that I find very little fail with the 5D 3. It has enough resoultion and speed for my phtographic interests. Overall, it is just about everything the 5D 2 should have been from the start. It is just the pricing which is really off. I could afford it, but refuse to give Canon more money than a better offer from Nikon would cost. As I am in no hurry, I will wait and see how long it takes until the 5D III costs less than the D800 (the day will come, maybe sooner than expected).

As an amateur, who does not shoot on a daily basis, I do not want gear from 2 brands in parallel. I am glad if I master one brand and its intricacies! I want an APS-C and a FF body from the same maker, one user interface, one set of lenses and flashes. I was looking forward to radio controlled ETTL and Canon has delivered and pulled ahead of Nikon on that one. Again, introductory price is ridiculous, but I'll also wait on this one.

In terms of lenses Canon has got everything I want, except a f/2.8 UW-zoom [eg. 14-24] matching Nikon.

 

[tron]

I use Canon since 1988. My first Canon camera was an EOS620. I have bought many lenses (and less cameras) since then. I am used to this system and I like it although I admit it is not perfect. Although an amateur interested mostly in landscapes I still do not care about D800 and do not need the extra mpixels.

My 5DII is more than enough and I prefer to get lenses when I can spend some money. I am only impressed by Canon L glass some of which I have and some of which I do not (cannot afford).

 

[smirkypants]

Brand loyalty is silly. "I love my Chevy and will never own a Ford" is for simpletons. If you have a need and rely upon your gear, you buy the best gear for the job. Period. As of right now, Nikon is giving me better gear for what I need to do at a better price. In the last generation I chose Canon because Nikon just couldn't compete for what I wanted. Now the roles are reversed. The 200-400mm/f4 is the absolute best lens that I am physically capable of hand-holding for extended periods of time and the D800 gives me a HUGE reach advantage over anything that Canon offers.

I really do hope Canon is running scared. I really wanted to stay with Canon. I don't even know how to pronounce "Nikon" and those bastards violate the sacred "lefty loosy, righty tighty" rule. But hey. Canon needs to get their asses in gear, make better products and, for the love of God, stop trying to milk us for every dollar we have!

 

[akiskev]

Is Sony Nex considered to be Dark Side? I'm asking because I want a Nex-5N so badly!!!

 

[EYEONE]

Brand loyalty is silly. "I love my Chevy and will never own a Ford" is for simpletons. If you have a need and rely upon your gear, you buy the best gear for the job.

That example is of course invalid because buying a truck doesn't involve massive amounts of other parts that only work with a Chevy.

You say it's for simpletons. Partially true. But it's more for people without s*** tons of money to waste switching brands every generations. :

 

[AmbientLight]

I don't think brand loyalty is such a bad thing.

In many industries it is simply impossible to find trustworthy product comparisons, because one or another vendor is doing more business with the people doing the testing, thus resulting in a bias governed simply by the amount of money spend by a vendor to endear themselves. That is a simple factor and completely ruins any hopes by naive consumers that for example the next car of the year maybe something better than the rest. I trust more in the experiences of colleagues and friends actually using Canon, Nikon or Sony gear than I have faith in many of the self-styled independent test providers.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I own Nikon gear as well for the rental gig. I can honestly say I never pick up a Nikon in favour of a Canon.

I may be sorry, But I'm giving it a try. If I don't like the D800, I'll be able to sell it pretty easily, and by then pick up a 1D MK 4 or a 1D X.

 

[Bruce Photography]

I too have orders for the D800 as well as the D800E. I've also just invested in a minimum number of Nikon lenes that I use a novafles adapter on. With the exception of the 14-24 I'm not impressed with the Nikon glass over the same lenes on the Canon side but I'll wait and see until I actually get a Nikon body before I can say anything for sure. I really like most of my Canon glass and some of it I love (like the 135 F2 - wow!).

 

[smirkypants]

That example is of course invalid because buying a truck doesn't involve massive amounts of other parts that only work with a Chevy.

Buying a Chevy locks you into a dealer network. It locks you into where you can service your vehicle. I decided not to buy a particular brand because the service center was too far. You're also buying into that brand's repair costs.

Let's face it, buying a Nikon isn't like buying "Brand X." It's a known quantity with lots of followers. I would have to say that for the majority of people, and I tell this to nearly everyone asking me camera buying advice, the brand is of little difference. For some people with very particular needs, it makes sense. For me it makes huge sense. To someone who does serious landscape work, 36MP + dynamic range that kills the 5D3, it makes perfect sense.

If you are a wedding/event photographer, it makes no sense at all. None. Switching brands is idiocy. Likewise, if you don't make a living from your gear, it doesn't make a lot of sense to switch. I still contend that blind allegiance to a brand is irrational and that an informed buyer makes decisions based upon the full breadth of information available and a careful analysis of needs and what meets those needs.

 

[lonelywhitelights]

why call it "the dark side" all of this snobbery and fanboy crap is annoying. Nikon make perfectly excellent products that are no better or inferior to Canon. I personally use canon because when I made the move to digital it was the first product I tried - I have used my friends Nikon D700 and a bunch of his Nikon gear and i have no complaints - it's not easier to use or worse. Canon & Nikon make amazing products - If I could afford it I would have gear from both companies

 

[AmbientLight]

Why would we not call it the dark side? Canon's long L lenses are white, Nikon's are black. That is not to say one is better than the other, they just use different colours. The Star Wars reference is simply for fun. Don't you like Darth Vader? That's my favourite character in those movies, although it's not a goody two-shoes character by any stretch of the imagination. So I don't think there are any bad vibes in our light or dark sides of photography.

 

[Stu_bert]

would be interested in some mid-term views from those who have picked up a D800, once you've got used to the camera and have a good feel on how to get the best from it...

 

[AmbientLight]

Count me in on that. I also prefer to read about actual real life experiences and results by real photographers instead of some marketing people trying to manipulate the market in more or less complete ignorance of what is actually possible with the products they write about.