Nikon vs. Canon which is better?

Question

Which brand of camera do you think is better, Nikon or Canon? And why?

Answer 1

Canon more robust

Answer 2

Better for what?

What kind of camera ... P&S or DSLR?

In the area of P&S cameras, here is what others say:

http://www.jdpower.com/electronics/ratin...

http://www.jdpower.com/electronics/ratin...

http://www.jdpower.com/electronics/ratin...

In the area of DSLR's, here is more information:

http://www.jdpower.com/electronics/ratin...

So you can see the opinion is that Nikon and Canon are neck and neck.

Answer 3

Nikon

Answer 4

Nikon.  Canon does not have the same 40 years+ proven record of durable quality.

Better built and weather sealed: mine have been to Siberia, across the Gobi desert and the Sahara, through the jungles of Burma and more.  They will be spending three months in the Philippines from September, and will going up and down volcanoes and exposed to harsh conditions. I have used Canons, and have found the batteries to be less reliable too.  This is important in remote locations and for everyday reliability too.

Nikon has a much wider range of lenses, of better quality too.  Canon L-glass is similar in quality but pricer and the range is not so good.

I support my views with what I buy: I currently use a D300, a D3 and am spending some time using the new D700.  I also have eight Nikon film cameras, and all work as designed, despite some of the being largely unserviceable now due to lack ofparts.  The older lenses are strong and have fine optical quality and can be used on all my newer cameras.

Pro's choose Nikon, and for good reasons.

Edit:

Also get a good idea as to what you want your camera for.

Answer 5

There are really better value alternatives such as the Olympus and Pentax camera lines.  And then again, most professional who favor Nikons or Canon really do not invest or purchase them.  They are very well aware that with changing camera technologies they prefer to RENT their cameras in order to complete their photo assignments.

Good luck!  

Answer 6

Canon. And there is no why. It just is. Now the more important question is whether using the Canon brand makes you a better photographer than if you use Nikon.

Ha ha some Nikon fan-boy or fan-girl seem to take offense with all the people promoting Canon, and giving those answers a thumbs down.

Answer 7

http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon5d/dis...

http://photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camer...

http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon5d/dis...

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.a...

Answer 8

I may get the Nikon people mad at this, but I belive that the Canon cameras offer better lens than the Nikons do. It also depends on what kind of camera you will be buying. If you're looking for a pro camera where you wil be buying lens I would say go with the Canon. Their lens have great reviews, they're easier to find, not to mention that their equipment is easiest to find used, which works out great when you're on a budget.

Another reason is Canon patented the Ultra Sonic Motor technology (USM). It's a technology that basically allows the lens to zoom faster and quieter (great for taking pictures of animals when you need to be quiet, or great for when you need your zoom to opoerate faster for action shots.

So pretty much, it does depend on the kind of camera you will be buying. Photography has so many elements, you will learn soon enough that there is no easy answer to photography, it's all personal preference.

My advice is don't listen to people when they tell you what kind of camera to buy. First, buy a basic camera... I have the Canon rebel EOS xti, but the xsi is the newer model. But basically, if you buy a decent, basic camera, learn first what you mostly take pictures of... maybe you like taking portraits, maybe lanscape, maybe sports. Then once you find out what kind of pictures you'll be taking, buy lenses that will work best for that.

Good luck and have fun.

Good luck getting the defense from Nikon fans!!!

Answer 9

CANON! ;]

Answer 10

You're never going to get a satisfactory answer to this. Blah blah blah, disclaimer to Nikon users, disclaimer to Canon users, etc. Don't get mad etc...

Most of the amateurs I know use Canon. Canon's marketing strategy is to target yuppies (beginners with lots of money to spend), and they have been very successful at it. I never said anything else, this is just a fact I found (empirical).

If you are trying to decide which brand to get, doesn't really matter, they both have advantages and disadvantages. Quality is not so important when you take good pictures or bad picture or ok pictures.

You'll get Nikon users and Canon users, see which group of people you like better, you're eventually going to be comparing the size of your lens with them.

Answer 11

canon kick ***