Canon EOS Versus Nikon Digital SLRs
Which is the Better DSLR Camera for Beginner and Professional Use?
Nov 8, 2008
Choosing a DSLR also involves the lenses and flashes. Digital SLRs can become outdated within a few years while lenses and flash units change less frequently. Professionals typically spend more on lenses than on the camera, making it difficult to change brands.
Autofocus With Entry Level DSLRs
Many Nikon prime lenses (bright, large aperture non-zooms) are AF, not AF-I or AF-S. This means that they cannot autofocus on the consumer level D40, D60 and D5000 cameras. They require a D80 or D90 at minimum.
All of Canon's autofocus lenses (including primes) will autofocus on their cheapest bodies including the EOS 1000D (Rebel XS) and 450D (Rebel XSi).
Advantage: Canon.
Special Lenses
While there is considerable overlap in the lenses offered by Canon and Nikon, there are some differences. For example:
- Canon has fast f1.2 50mm and 85mm autofocus prime lenses. Nikon does not, stopping at f1.4 except for some out-of-production manual focus lenses.
- Nikon has a 10.5mm fisheye for cropped DSLRs, Canon does not, their 15mm fisheye gives less dramatic effects on cropped DSLRs.
This list is not comprehensive or static. There are other Canon lenses with no Nikon equivalent, and vice versa. New lenses are released every year.
Advantage: Depends.
Full Frame Lens Compatibility
Nikon's DX lenses for cropped sensor (1.5x) DSLRs will work on their full frame (Nikon calls them FX) cameras, though making use of only the smaller DX portion of the larger FX image sensor. This provides a useful, though not ideal, upgrade path for photographers to start with DX and move on later to FX.
Canon's EF-S lenses for cropped (1.6x) DSLRs will not work on their full frame cameras.
For both Canon and Nikon, full frame lenses will work on their cropped DSLRs; though at a higher cost, weight and loss of wide angle focal lengths. Practically, amateurs and even professionals will use cropped lenses (especially zooms and wide angles) on cropped bodies.
Advantage: Nikon.
Remote Control Flash
Some Nikon DSLRs have built-in control units to enable them to use the built-in flash to remotely trigger multiple flash units. Canon users need to use an external flash mounted on the camera as a control unit to trigger other external flash units. However Canon is beginning to follow Nikon and build the control unit into the camera, starting with the EOS 7D.
Advantage: Nikon.
Ergonomics, Features and Functions
Photographer Michael Reichmann quotes a friend who says that Canons are designed by engineers, Nikons by photographers. Photographer Ken Rockwell prefers the ergonomics (direct access buttons) and LCD Display (color accuracy) of Nikons.
Advantage: Nikon.
Canon Compared With Nikon DSLRs
There are professional photographers that use Canon, and others that use Nikon. Image quality and autofocus speed are comparable. There are significant differences but at the end of the day, it is not possible to look at a photo and tell whether it was taken by a Canon or a Nikon, or any other major brand.
Beginner photographers who cannot decide should buy the brand that most of their friends and family use, so that they can share lenses and accessories. Either brand is a solid choice.
Resources
- Best Digital SLR Camera, major brands compared
- Full Frame Versus Cropped Digital SLR Cameras
- Nikon and Canon Prime Lenses
- Nikon versus Canon, Ken Rockwell
- Nikon's Latest DSLRs, and a Biased Evaluation of The Differences Between the Nikon and Canon Brands, Michael Reichmann
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