Why did you choose Canon?

[Deleted member 42026]

I've used nikon all my life disregarding other larger formats. The only canon I had in my bag was an old ae-1 program with just one lens, still works too.

Skipping to the new age, I have been very slow to adopt digital. My dad gave me a 7d on loan for a few months. I nearly completely hated it, as the system just works very differently from nikon even comparing to f90x's and f5's. however I realised how good it was. Christmas 2011 he mentioned I can keep it. That was that. Digital here I came.

Unfortunately though I had already steered my partner towards nikon. So sharing lenses is out.

 

[agierke]

i started out shooting a K1000 in highschool (still love that camera) but got a canon Elan upon graduation.

didnt make a huge impact on me as i went to art school i was much more enamored with medium and large formats. i was able to acquire a Hassi 501CM and Toyo 45C while in college to help prepare me for the professional world but while i assisted a pro photographer my junior and senior year i was very much impressed with his Nikon F5 system. i probably would have gone Nikon had it not been for the digital explosion.

i graduated in the spring of 02 and though i was impressed with the F5 system i was more familiar with Canon. add to that the fact that Nikon took forever to enter the FF digital world i saw no chance at me going with anything other than canon.

my first digital camera was the 20D....which i hesitantly bought because i could not stand the crop factor. 2 months later the 5Dc was announced and i scrambled to sell the 20D (took a $500 loss on it) so that i could pick one up. got it with the 28-135mm but soon after picked up the 70-200mm 2.8L.

canon dominated the full frame digital market so thoroughly back then there was never really a choice for me. been mostly happy ever since!

 

[noisejammer]

I purchased a 40D several years ago with the intention of using it for astrophotography. Although Nikon had similar offerings, the wisdom was that Canon's in-camera processing was gentler which would mean faint stars were less likely to be nailed.

As things turned out, I only used the 40D for lunar shots - I bought a cooled CCD camera for faint object astrophotography. Of course, I bought a couple of lenses which more or less cemented the relationship and five years down the line, here I am.

It has occurred to me that the reason Nikon systems have better out-of-camera noise remains the same - Nikon is more aggressive with the in-camera processing.

 

[MrWx]

I didnt choose canon... My first SLR (film) camera was a gift. I did not have anything in mind picked out. After buying a couple of lenses for it. I was sort of just now a canon person.

 

[TexPhoto]

I did not choose Canon. Canon chose me!

 

[Dianoda]

The big whites? Canon's lens lineup was very appealing when I was researching systems - I started with a T1i but wanted lots of room to grow. Which I did plenty of (currently sitting on 7D/5D3 and a stack of L's).

 

[2n10]

I was using the SX20IS and decided I wanted to get a DSLR. I felt that since I liked and had been using a Canon camera I should stay with them.

 

[Aglet]

Geez aglet. Why u no shoot all nikon already?

Because I still like Canon for some stuff and I'm starting to like Pentax more too.
Not so crazy about most Pentax glass but there's Tamron, Sigma and others to fill in the holes.

And some sweet piece of Fuji's caught my eye and is flirting with my wallet. I'll be coy with that one.

But most of my shots lately are rockin' w nokiN.
Canons get used for more studio or other controlled lighting kinds of work and I'm still experimenting w Pentax.

Have you tried a Pentax?.. Raw file quality of Nikon with a great amount of customization available and a really easy to use user interface that rivals Canon and Panasonic's. I sort of understand why Pentax users are so enthusiastic about their platform - it's nice to use. I'm really enjoying playing with it and can see it doing some really good work for me. Not much to choose from with them but what's there is pretty good. And they're thinking of a FF body. That could be very interesting.

 

[SJ]

Actually, before i buy my 1st dslr, i really craving for nikon, but when i test canon dslr, its feel better in my hand. So i go for canon, and now i have 7D & 5Dm3 soon 8)

imho, canon have great lens & user friendly camera system

 

[J.R.]

By accident in my case.

The 7D was available in a really sweet deal and I took it. Bought a couple of lenses and was married to Canon!

 

[sanj]

Did not know better.

5d2 was in rage and bought it.

First few photos I knew the IQ was great. Then slowly I realized that the focus was not the best

 

[NormanBates]

Given that I shoot mostly video...

Because it had the best video. That's changed, though, so I sold my Canon and went to Sony 6 months ago.

 

[Qson]

For video mainly. Magic Lantern was ironically my selling point for the T2i.

Also a couple of my friends who were into photography already invested into canon glass so that's another big reason.

 

[Trevor]

The original 5D was an affordable full frame ... I think Nikon were saying that they'd never make a full frame camera...

 

[brad goda]

I started off with the AE-1 and a bunch of lenses as a hobby...
at school fell in love with the F1 and its sexy big motor drive... then F1n came and wow.
the T90 made me juggle with the F1n then EOS came along and BAM!
I had to do the change....
of course there was Fuji 6X9 and my GX680II .. long gone was HASSELblaD
my 4X5s Technikardan ThchiV Hoarsman and my Frankenstein *8X10 with process lenses...
but all the way its been Canon.
The transition from film was easy with digital... used my 10D to proof slide film and all of a sudden POOF... 1Ds - II III 60D 1DX...
But the BIG factor in all these years is CANON USA service center in Honolulu Hawaii.
The good people there over the years have efficiently serviced all my bobos and made it better.
I believe if it was not for the great service ... I would not have ... well I dont know what I would have done...
THANK YOU CANON USA - Mahalo! to Honolulu's service team.
Brad Goda

 

[Sith Zombie]

When it was time for me to go digital Canon was actually a lot cheaper than Nikon [gods honest truth lol]. The ergonomics of the 40D swung it against the Nikon equivalent. Also a few friends had canon so the opportunity to borrow lenses was there.
I'm hoping to get a full frame later in the year and the Nikon D600 is the perfect camera for my needs and at the right price so I could see myself getting this but still keeping my Canon gear. Or getting the 5D mkiii, but I feel i would be spending more money on a great AF system I would never push to its limits.

 

[Barrfly]

Canon wasn't my first pick.
Back in 1976 My parents gave me my first SLR as a Christmas present . A Pentax K-1000 with a 50mm lens and I've been hooked on photography ever since.

Several years later I took a job at a photo shop , main reason being I spent so much time there that I knew the inventory and sales pitches better then some of the employees . Plus it was a good way for a young guy on a tight budget to get some good discounts on the equipment I so craved . And as an added perk the manager would price film and processing at cost, I was in heaven !

Back then , we worked on commission. The camera companies would give us super discounts or in some cases reward us with a camera if we met sales quotas of their brand. The first upgrade I every had was a Ricoh XRP, Free of charge, I sold those cameras like there was no tomorrow. Nice thing was they had the same lens mount as the Pentax so I could use what glass I had on the new body.

Then it happened one day the Canon rep stopped by our store with a new EOS 620 in hand. I miss the days when the Reps would come around , their job was to convince us to sell their brand. Needless to say it was the most advanced 35mm camera I had every seen. I drooled . Though Canon didn't offer the incentives and had lower commissions then the competition I knew I was going to be selling a lot of these.

When he found out I was shooting with a Ricoh his head almost exploded , we've got to fix that he said. A few short weeks later when the first shipment arrived my manager pointed out a box with my name on it. We were both surprised because any in store purchases made had to go threw him. Inside the plain cardboard box buried in the styrofoam peanuts was a Canon EOS 620, 50mm lens and a letter from the Rep. It said, Included in this package is the demo camera I've been using , I'm sure once you experience the quality Canon has to offer it will be your brand of choice, Enjoy !

He was right, I've been shooting Canon ever since. Actually I used that same body until the 30D came out. Since then I've upgraded to a 50D, purchased two 60D's for my children, a 7D for myself and am on the verge of getting a 5D mk III.

I guess to put it in a nutshell, Canon and the Rep sold me.

 

[steliosk]

Never liked nikon's policy
Never liked the ergonomics
Never liked that contrasted fake colour
Never liked those warm-yellowish skintones

and i never understood this:
d300 = 12mp
d90 = 12mp
d3 = 12mp
d700 = 12mp
d3s = 12mp


Plus the L glass is uncomparable
faster USM moters, better rendering, fantastic bokeh

I chose Canon then and i'd choose even today.

3 things i love on Nikons?
- dynamic range
- cheap d800 36megapixels
- 14-24 lens

 

[alexanderferdinand]

Started with a AE-1 Program, A1, 2x T90.
Big break working in the hospital.
Bought the 300D, because the 70-210/3,5-4,5 would fit.
Then I had time and money, so 5D2, 1D4, 5D3, a lot of glasses.

Looking back: Canon had the more interesting bodies and more important: Lenses.
I love the 35L, the 70-200/2,8 IS II.
Switching Systems would change a well running combination of many items.
I dont think Nikon is bad, just never touched me.
AND: everytime Nikon is making skmething good (love the Sony- sensors), big Red has to react.

Nuff said.

 

[Stig]

when my DSLR craving started (back then it was mainly because i wanted something more (shutter button) responsive to take pictures of rally cars when I wasn't sitting in one (before they are out of the frame)) I looked around and went for 350D for two main reasons:

1, Canon cameras just looked more appealing to me, looks and ergonomics wise... maybe not the best reason, but that's how it is/was and I don't think I'm the only one

2, my closest friend bought 20D not long before that and I thought we will be able to share some lenses every now and then... as it turned out, we used our limited budgets for the same lenses (18-55 kit and sigma 70-300) and now, I expanded my gear recently, while my friend seems to lose interest in photography... not that I would regret choosing Canon