The Canon vs. Nikon Conundrum: Part 4 – The Grass Is Always Greener

Disclaimer: This story is one from my own personal experience, and is not one where I will preach that one brand is photographically better than another. Whatever I am about to reveal is very much my own personal opinion, and I do believe everyone has their own right to decide for themselves.

So in the previous post, I’ve already explained the story about how I came to transition from a Canon to a Nikon, and also the reasons that I inevitably and irrevocably made the switch. Frankly, I do not foresee Canon changing their ways anytime in the near future. And actually, there’s no need for them to do so. Why? Because like it or not, Canon has plenty of good points as well. Just like any good camera company, both Canon and Nikon have both their own pros and cons. Now that I’ve been using a Nikon camera for the past few months, and Canon for more than 2 years prior, let me take a stab at explaining the pros and cons of both these imaging powerhouses.

Canon – The Light Side:

Fantastic Range of Full Frame lenses

Without a doubt, Canon has the widest range of lenses, particularly full-frame compatible ones. It is worth noting that ALL of Canon’s premium L lenses are built for full-frame, and as such can be used for ANY model of Canon camera in the existing lineup, regardless of sensor-size. If I were to pinpoint the greatest strengths of Canon’s lenses, they will be the f/4.0 L lens series (17-40mm, 24-105mm, 70-200mm, 70-200mm IS), and also the L super-fast primes (24mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.2, 85mm f/1.2, 135mm f/2). No other camera company (aside from Leica – no Autofocus) makes current production lenses as fast as those exotic primes that Canon has. They inadvertently cost a bomb and a half, but the point is, they exist, and many a photographer find these lenses drool-worthy. The f/4.0 L lens series on the other hand, offers a high quality enthusiast level lens range without breaking the bank (too much). This versatile kind of lens segment does not really exist in Nikon’s full frame camp.

Note that I have omitted the f/2.8 range (professional photojournalists’ and photographers’ bread and butter range) as this is available even on Nikon’s end. Nikon also has arguably the two sharpest f/2.8 lenses in the world today: the 14-24mm f/2.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8. Some consider these two the new gold-standards in ultra wide angle and normal zooms. The Canon’s equivalents are now slightly more dated and thus, unfortunately pale in direct comparison. Nevertheless Canon also draws strength from the fact that ALL the L lenses and a good number of their pricier non-L lenses actually have USM built in. This feature allows for quiet focusing and also manual focus override. Nikon, on the contrary are absolutely stuck in a previous era as a good majority of their non-pro lenses still do NOT possess AF-S (the Nikon equivalent of USM).

Two lenses that are not full-frame that are also worth noting on Canon’s camp are the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and 10-22mm. These two lenses are amazing. I’d go as far as to say, optically, the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS is the BEST APS-C lens to date. Nikon’s pricier 17-55mm DX f/2.8 may have superior build quality but lacks the IS (Image Stabilization), which frankly is a real lifesaver for the working photographer. Up till recently, the 10-22mm of Canon also had no parallel in Nikon’s end for the price range. Having said that, as of 2009, Nikon has released the 10-24mm lens and priced only slightly more than Canon’s equivalent. As such I feel they are now on par in that area, but with a slight advantage to Canon.

APS-C Full Compatibility

Now, also from a lens-related point of view, Canon APS-C cameras also can use ANY lens in Canon’s current lineup without as much of a hitch. There are no compatibility problems. Nikon’s recent low end cameras (D40, D40x, D60, D5000) on the other hand, do not have the same flexibility as they do not have a autofocus motor built in. In fact, the aforementioned cameras can only use AF-S lenses. As such, even though these Nikon cameras are targeted at the lower budget bracket, they will not have access to autofocus for the cheapest must-buy in Nikon or any other camera manufacturer’s lineup – the 50mm f/1.8. This, to me personally, is a big mistake on Nikon’s part. Canon has no such problems.

They do however, have slightly different limitations when it comes to full frame. I’ll cover this when I talk about Nikon’s strengths further below.

Higher Definition Images

I am actually against the whole megapixel race. Firstly, it creates huge files of which I don’t really need. Secondly, packing too many pixels into a same sized sensor often results in ugly noise appearing in photos. Thirdly, the pros who relied on the old 5D created amazing large prints with 12 Megapixels. So how come suddenly 21 Megapixels is REQUIRED?

Having said that, at the risk of contradicting myself, I have to say that higher megapixels does indeed mean something if done right. Canon’s 5D Mark II is one example of doing it right. They managed to nearly match the industry standard for low noise, and yet managed to squeeze 21 Megapixels into the sensor. That is a LOT of detail. If you have a very good L lens to pair with the camera, you can actually see the pores and tiny imperfections of human skin upon zooming in to 100%. Frankly, if I were a macro photography enthusiast, or someone who needs to print large on a regular basis, I’d likely think of Canon as my go-to camera. Nikon’s entire current range is at 12 Megapixels at the moment, and they only have one 24 Megapixel camera in the D3x. This camera, although rated to possess the best DSLR sensor by dxomark.com, is not only priced at an extreme premium (think RM 20,000+), but also not as good as Canon’s 5D Mark II (RM 8000+) sensor at high ISO.

HD Video

Canon is an total imaging solutions company, and as such has a full lineup of video cameras in their portfolio. Therefore if I had to choose between Canon and Nikon when it came to video, I’d put my money on Canon to deliver a superior product. This is because I firmly believe that they can easily leverage on their video division to try and incorporate as many relevant features as possible into their still cameras. In many ways, they have proven this fact as Nikon’s attempts in the D90 and D5000 pale in comparison to Canon’s 5D Mark II and 500D.

Granted, as long as Canon chooses not to shortchange its photographers, you can rest assured that Canon will always have an ace up their sleeve when it comes to being able to implement video into their DSLRs. Nikon will be playing catch up in this area for a while to come.

Superior Customer Service & Support

This is something Nikon clearly takes for granted. In my own personal experience, it is a joy to deal with Canon’s after-sales support. They even have a Canon Professional Service (CPS) membership where they give priority servicing to their professional photographers.

I wish I could say the same for Nikon. Someone clearly needs to look at their support center and find out better ways to deal with the economic downturn than to charge for basic sensor servicing of which Canon, as of press time, still offers for free as long as you’re willing to wait. And that’s only the small stuff. There have been so many horror stories with Nikon’s services, particularly in Malaysia, that you tend to wonder how they are able to keep their existing customers happy.

In line with the excellent marketing of Canon, they are more than capable of knowing how to service their client from start to finish, and maybe even beyond. And as such I have to give it to them on putting emphasis on after-sales support.

That pretty much sums up what I feel Canon’s key strengths are in. They used to be leaders in sensor and low light performance too. However the mantle has been taken away from them by Nikon ever since Canon decided to go megapixel racing rather than improving noise performance. And since we’re on the topic of Nikon, let me tell you the strengths of Nikon.

Nikon – The Dark Side:

Creative Lighting System

This is by far Nikon’s trump card. They are the BEST amongst all DSLR manufacturers when it comes to the flash and lighting department. Firstly, the D80, D90, D300 and D700 all have flash commanders built-in to their cameras. To the uninitiated, this means that you are able to control your Speedlite or external Nikon flash OFF-CAMERA without needing to buy any extra accessories. These camera models, which I mentioned above, are not exactly premium models. In fact the D80 and D90 are priced below that of the Canon semi-pro 40D and 50D. Not a SINGLE Canon camera has this feature. Instead, they make you either buy the ST-E2 (RM800), or a 580EX II flash (RM1600) which you must put ON your camera hotshoe the ENTIRE DURATION in order to get this feature. Nikon gives this useful feature free, and provides for full automatic modes off-camera as well. This means that they can trigger an external Nikon flash out of the box off-camera without any added accessories. For Canon, on the other hand, should you only possess one 580 EX II, you MUST put it on your camera hotshoe regardless of whether or not it is to contribute as a light source to the scene, ie. you need to buy ANOTHER Canon flash to get off-camera capability. As a result of this missing feature, many Canon users resort to third party alternatives such as Pocketwizards, Radiopoppers, Gadget Infinity and Phottix (in order of decreasing price). Up till recently all third party alternatives had to be used in MANUAL mode. However, the latest Pocketwizards and Radiopoppers have solved that problem. Mind you though, these two cost more than RM1000 a pop as well.

So what’s the big deal of having such a feature? Ask anyone in the photography business and they’ll tell you that taking the flash off-camera is one of the sure fire ways of improving a flash-lit photograph. Ever wondered why studio photos always looked so good. The next time you’re involved in one, pay attention to where the light is coming from. Rest assured that it’s only in the rare exception that there will be a light source on the camera itself. The point is, Nikon gives a feature that lets you experiment with external light (the key ingredient in any photograph), without needing you to foot out more money from your hard-earned reserves. The possibilities are endless here, and should you need inspiration on what’s possible, I point you to Joe Mcnally, a talented photographer whom is Nikon’s ambassador for the Nikon CLS system.

Superior Feature Sets and Value Added Items

In comparison to Canon, Nikon’s cameras are often more packed with photographic features that actually matter. For instance, even the current lowest end camera of Nikon, the D5000, has the ability to have manual white balance via Kelvin scale. Canon has purposely omitted this from their xxxD cameras, including the latest 500D. In fact, as a bit of trivia; before the 450D, no xxxD camera even had a real spot meter. Thankfully though, they have since caved in to market pressure and put that into the 450D and 500D. Furthermore, as I’ve mentioned in the previous point, a lot of the Nikon cameras also have the useful flash commander mode function.

One key feature that is also not skimped on, is the autofocus system. Nikon’s latest autofocus system has 51 AF points, and frankly, it works superbly. If someone using Canon tells you that only the Center Focus point is important, it is because they’ve never used the Nikon autofocus system before. The D3x, D3, D700 and D300 sport this system. In fact, even the current D80, D90 and D5000 cameras sport what used to be a semi-pro 11 point D200 AF system. Canon’s very latest semi-pro 5D Mark II and 50D have much less sophisticated systems (the 5D Mark II’s system is 3 years old, and the 50D has 9 points only – albeit the latter is known to be quite good in its own right). How Canon gets away with things like this bemuses me. You may feel free to verify with Nikon users who have one of the aforementioned 51 AF point cameras. Trust me, the latest Nikon system will beat the lights out of the Canon’s system in almost any normal day-to-day circumstance. Canon reserves their best AF system for the 1D and 1Ds range. So to the regular enthusiast like myself, I’ll just have to dream on if I want these in a prosumer Canon DSLR.

One trend you’ll notice is that Nikon does not take away important photographic features as you move down the product line. In fact, to those who analyze the trend, they are more likely to remove performance related ones that are hard to define on paper, ie. you will only feel the difference if you own the camera that’s higher in the food chain – this is Nikon’s market differentiation strategy. Canon, however will enjoy chopping stuff away features to create their market differentiation. Unfortunately, if you’re a Canon user, it works. Hence you will always want the more expensive camera.

Nikon also gives you the lens hood and pouches for all their latest lens releases in the past 2-3 years, regardless of whether consumer or professional level. Furthermore, almost all the consumer end AF-S lenses have in-built silent motors. Canon only reserves these value added features for their premium L lenses and a select few non-L lenses.

This Nikon trait of giving you more value-added stuff, is also applicable to their flagship Speedlites. You get a stand, diffuser, gel holder and color gels with the SB800/900. It also has the ability to be triggered optically by any camera flash (it doesn’t have to be Nikon). Canon’s 580EX II, comes with a stand and… hmm… nothing else. And Canon’s not very friendly. Canon flashes only ‘talk to’ Canon flashes and no one else.

APS-C Lens Innovation

Frankly, when it comes to well performing APS-C lenses, you are spoilt for choice when you’re a Nikon user. With the exception of the 17-55mm f/2.8 (which Canon wins on, ironically on its feature set), the rest of Nikon’s APS-C range is fantastic. They are the ones who were the first to come up with a 18-200mm VR lens. This lens was so successful that Canon caved in and had to make their own version. Furthermore, they have the latest 35mm f/1.8 at a reasonable price. This lens is an equivalent of a ‘normal’ lens that was always missing from the APS-C range from both Canon and Nikon’s lineup. In fact, a third party lens company called Sigma capitalized on this and as thus have their own 30mm f/1.4 which still sells strongly till today. With Nikon’s 35mm f/1.8 now available, Sigma will have easily lost half of their initial market share.

Canon’s APS-C lens range, aside from the 17-55mm f/2.8 and 10-22mm, arguably pales in comparison when it comes to optical performance and value-for-money. The reason for this is that Canon does not want you to stay with APS-C and instead wants you to ‘graduate’ to full frame and their premium L lenses. That is, after all, where the big money is.

Full Frame Camera Compatibility

This is an interesting point. Basically, Nikon’s full frame cameras can use any of the lenses in the entire Nikon lens range including the APS-C ones. And this makes sense because you’d naturally expect the more expensive camera to be able to use more of the entire product lineup. In fact, the way they did this was innovative genius. Canon on the other hand, does not share this glory. Basically, from what is clearly a marketing decision on Canon’s end, all their EF-S or APS-C lenses CANNOT be used on their full frame cameras. If you do attempt to try it, be prepared for a Canon repair bill.

Although one might argue that it is counterintuitive to want to use APS-C glass on full frame, there’s no harm in having the option right? We as human beings love options. So when you’re in the Canon camp, the moment you think of full frame, get ready to sell all your APS-C glass ‘coz they will just instantly be made redundant the moment you make the switch.

Well, that’s the gist of it really. Regardless of which camp you belong to, there’s always going to be pros and cons to any system.

What about other brands? Well, they’re all good as well, but there are reasons why Canon and Nikon remain the two top DSLR companies in the world. To put it bluntly, both Canon and Nikon have decades of heritage, reputation and continuity in their favor. And when you’re a Canon or Nikon user, you are frankly, spoiled for choice when it comes to lenses and accessories. Even reputed third party lens companies such as Sigma, Tamron and Tokina design the Canon and Nikon mounts first before any of the rest. No disrespect to the likes of Panasonic, Sony, Pentax or Olympus, but they have still a lot more work to do. Don’t get me wrong though, I absolutely love the concept of the latest Olympus Pen camera, and I also strongly believe that Sony is fast catching the top two. Furthermore I am a huge fan of Panasonic point and shoot cameras.

Just my 2 cents worth: If you do want to consider any of the other brands aside from Canon and Nikon in this day and time, get them because you’re HAPPY and SATISFIED with whatever products you’re going to buy at the START. These companies actually have even MORE features than Canon and Nikon in their cameras, but the problem is that you won’t be able to grow much into their respective systems for now, as their lens and accessory ranges are severely limited. More importantly, you miss out on the opportunity to share the photographic experience; the higher number of Canon and Nikon means that there is a higher possibility of sharing fellow photographers’ existing same-brand gear. So just keep that point in mind.

At the end of the day, whichever camera brand you choose, just remember to pick the one which has the features and perhaps even the lenses that you aim to get (cameras get updated nearly yearly, lenses only in 5-10 years). And make those decisions on what is available TODAY, not on speculation and hope. If you are only going to make your decision in 6 months time, then base your choice on the features and lenses available in 6 months time. The bottomline is to be HAPPY with what you are going to get NOW. Also, never let whatever you do NOT own YET stop you from progressing further photographically.

The gear is just a means to achieve the final image. The photographer inevitably is the one who makes the difference. Gear is important, brand less critical, but both only show its full weight in gold when it’s in the hands of one who’s capable and knows how to take FULL advantage of what they possess. Apply that, and I believe you would have already surpassed me as a photographer.

Enjoy the light!

The Canon vs. Nikon Conundrum

Part 1 – My Personal Journey’s Backstory
Part 2 – The Feedback Letter
Part 3 – The Marketing Machine
Part 4 – The Grass Is Always Greener

PS: A little bit of useless trivia. The reason why Canon is known as the light side and Nikon the dark side, has nothing to do with one being good and the other being evil. The next time you spot professional photographers carrying their super-huge telephoto lenses, pay attention to the color (of the lens please, not the skin), particularly sports photographers. You will notice that there will be white and black lenses. The white lenses belong to Canon, and black lenses belong to Nikon. Now this is not really universal, as Canon themselves has lots of black lenses, and Nikon has one grey colored lenses. But it is this mild differentiation, and the fact that these colors are only applicable to LONG telephoto lenses, that they are compared to the light sabers of the Star Wars’ Jedi. After all, these lenses do have an affinity to ‘light’ too =P