Canon to Nikon and regretted it???

vulcan2912

vulcan2912

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Gary
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Hi

Every 2-3 years for some reason I get the urge to swap things around a bit.If anyone visits the wanted/for sale sections they will know that i'm doing that at the minute.
I had a little play with a Nikon D700 a week ago and it felt really nice in the hand.It's put the idea in my head of swapping over to the dark side.I've had a read up and it looks like Nikon have some stellar lenses in the ranges I would be after.

We're not talking about a small change here.I'd be shifting a 5D MK2,7D and a host of L's so don't want to make a hasty decision.

I was just wondering if anyone had made the change and later regretted it.
I'd be looking at getting a D700+grip,D300S+grip,14-24,24-70,70-200 MK2 and 300 F4.

Cheers
Gary
 
No regrets here. I shifted from two 1D series and a pile of L's to Nikon and couldn't be happier :)
 
Me too :)

5D 1Ds and 7 lenses to 2x D700 and 14-24mm 24-70mm 70-200mm 50mm f1.4 and 105mm f2.8 with 2 SB900s

Lovin it! :)
 
Why do people do this so much? I can see the reason where they are generally moving to a piece of kit that is more suited to the job but most of the time it seems people are just 'Zomg must move to Nikon lol lol lol' and just losing money in the process for the sake of having something new and shiny and for the 'cool factor'. I feel like I am one of the only people who doesn't give a flying rusty <insert expletive here> about what name is on the equipment, just that it works.

:shrug: :suspect:
 
trencheel303 said:
Why do people do this so much? I can see the reason where they are generally moving to a piece of kit that is more suited to the job but most of the time it seems people are just 'Zomg must move to Nikon lol lol lol' and just losing money in the process for the sake of having something new and shiny and for the 'cool factor'. I feel like I am one of the only people who doesn't give a flying rusty <insert expletive here> about what name is on the equipment, just that it works.

:shrug: :suspect:
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thats why I moved, Canon didn't work as well as Nikon for a lot of my work. I lost a little cash but a lot less than upgrading two 1D bodies.
 
I think there are two scenarios here, pros who may choose one system over another as their specific work may be better served by one system or the other. In which case the cost of changing will be quickly offset by earnings.

For a hobbiest photographer it is a different situation but may well depend on an individuals circumstances. If someone fancies a change and is financially able to do it then why not? Its down to them what they spend their money on, and most will know it actually wont make any difference to their pictures!

I have a Nikon system and although I percieve at the moment Canon may have an edge with the 7D, i wouldnt dream of changing. I am used to my Nikon stuff, dont print above A4 and can produce stunning A4 prints if I get it right, so I see no need to change.

That said I now have 3 bodies having bought a S5 pro to join my D90 and D60. I dont need 3 bodies, but I liked the look of the Fuji, and found a minter so bought it......theres more to acquiring male jewellery than just taking pictures!
 
trencheel303 said:
Why do people do this so much?
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Well, rent a D700 for a week, and use it extensively in various settings i.e. landscape, street, sport, concerts and indoor events in available light, architecture, portraits, etc... and you'll get a valuable answer for yourself.
 
Thanks for the comments.
For me photography is a hobby.I take lots of pictures and enjoy it thoroughly.However,I enjoy the equipment as much as I enjoy the pictures.
If people only bought what they needed we would all have a boring lifestyle.Who needs a Ferrari when a mondeo will do the same job,why buy a pair of Nikes when a pair of Hi-tecs work just as well etc etc etc.
Pro's buy the kit to do a job.A hobby is just that-a hobby!

Cheers
Gary
 
trencheel303 said:
Why do people do this so much? I can see the reason where they are generally moving to a piece of kit that is more suited to the job but most of the time it seems people are just 'Zomg must move to Nikon lol lol lol' and just losing money in the process for the sake of having something new and shiny and for the 'cool factor'. I feel like I am one of the only people who doesn't give a flying rusty <insert expletive here> about what name is on the equipment, just that it works.

:shrug: :suspect:
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Actually my "Damascus moment" was when I realised that I needed better kit for consistent results in motorsport photography and that I couldn't afford a 1D MkIII (the current model back then) and matching L lenses.

If money was no object, I'd have gone with the MkIII, but as it was I tested it back to back with the D300 and found that I could get pretty much the same results for half the money.

If there was any aspect of brand stupidity in this whole exercise, it would have been to have paid twice as much to stay with Canon :cuckoo:
 
trencheel303 said:
Why do people do this so much? I can see the reason where they are generally moving to a piece of kit that is more suited to the job
:shrug: :suspect:
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That's exactly why I moved too. I needed better high ISO for the images I was being asked to take. I took the price of buying a 5DII and spent the same amount of money on changing to two bodies much better suited to what I do.

I also changed 7 lenses for 5 but in doing so I got all new kit and the high ISO negated my need for the two primes I had to add to the Canon kit just to be able to shoot at all! :)
 
Made the move specificaly for low light sporting shots. Tried 7D, not a marriage made in heaven. Expensive but for me worth every penny. Couldn't be happier.
 
I switched from a canon Ixus to a Nikon and the quality is far better :lol:
 
For me personally moving from 5DmkII to a D700 wounldnt be logical or worth it, most of my stuff is studio/portrait based so I am 100% happy with what I have. Now if it was a chance to upgrade to a D3s I maybe be temped...

I'm sure canon will bring out something down the line that will make everyone want to swap back from 'the dark side', but who knows... I'm happy to wait and see :)
 
Swapped to Nikon in November 2008. Best thing I ever did.

At the time I had 5D, 1D mk III and all the lenses and flashes I could think of. But, the Nikon won out for the quality of it's lenses and the performance of the D700 in low light.

In your case though you have a camera with decent low-light performance (5DII) and a camera with the specs you need to put the 300mm to good use (7D). So I'm scratching my head as to why YOU would want to swap - especially as you say it's purely a hobby. My change was based on using the kit professionally - yours isn't. :shrug:

Sometimes it saddens me to think that all the wonderful kit people own is going to waste while they are dreaming of the next-best-thing :(
 
ryanyboy said:
In your case though you have a camera with decent low-light performance (5DII) and a camera with the specs you need to put the 300mm to good use (7D). So I'm scratching my head as to why YOU would want to swap - especially as you say it's purely a hobby. My change was based on using the kit professionally - yours isn't. :shrug:

Sometimes it saddens me to think that all the wonderful kit people own is going to waste while they are dreaming of the next-best-thing :(
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That's what I was getting at.
 
I did it the other way around but in those days Canon was miles ahead of the game, now I don't really see any difference, both systems have great lenses and great bodies. New kit will always bring new vibes and energy so if you are feeling a bit flat and need a fresh up then switching is a good way to regenerate.

Enjoy the darkness.
 
trencheel303 said:
I feel like I am one of the only people who doesn't give a flying rusty <insert expletive here> about what name is on the equipment, just that it works.

:shrug: :suspect:
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Nope, you're not on your own!

I make the odd joke about people using Nikon (:gag:), but if I'm honest, I don't really care what brand I use!! :shake: Virtually Zero brand loyalty....

To the OP, if you can afford it.....do whatever makes you happy!! :thumbs:
 
There's a specific focal range that Canon stinks at at the minute.I've considered dropping £1800+ on a specific lens that doesn't exactly meet my needs just to get the optical quality that I'm after.
Nikon have the exact lens I want sitting there already.I also find it a struggle going between the 5D MK2 and the 7D.The 5D is just too slow for some of the things that I do but I always want to use it instead of the 7D.
This isn't just a change for the sake of it.I aint that rich or stupid.

Cheers
Gary
 
Lets be honest, at hobbyist level there's little to choose between either manufacturer, to be relly honest there's little to choose between entry level and top of the range amateur kit within brand either. There may be specific reasons to choose one body over another (even within same brand) but unless you can point to that reason making the change is pretty pointless and pretty expensive.
I flirted with the idea of moving the wife over to Nikon so she could get a quality image out of a small body (camera, not hers or mine) but looking at what she achieved this weekend it makes more sense to get her a macro lens of her own (so she doesnt swipe mine), her 400D has good file size and takes a stonking picture, would a move to Nikon have made that much difference, I doubt it, or indeed from Nikon to Canon.

But, Hell, it's your money, you do whatever you want :)
I understand the gap in the market you are talking about though, if I had to replace my 1D I would struggle to find an affordable body that does what I want, as you say the 5D needs an AF upgrade and the 50/7D dont have the Iso performance I'm looking for, Nikon look very attractive at present.

Gary - what focal length? I thought the lens range at Canon was pretty near perfect (apart from some prosumer long primes - but that way off topic)

Matt
 
Hi Matt

Wide angle.Really don't like the 17-40L and I've had 3 copies of the 16-35 MK2.I've ended up selling all of them because I didn't think the iq was worth the coin.That's why I'm flirting with the 17mm T&S.Flippin expensive but great image quality.
I still haven't ruled out a Nikon 14-24 and adaptor for the Canon.Just having a hard time getting my head around that one.It's just a shame the Zeiss 18mm was not as good as the 21mm or this thread would have never been started!

I'm using the things I don't like about the 5D MK2 to help myself justify the possible change over to Nikon.

Gary
 
I don't think it's a matter of "X is better than Y at Z" anymore, it used to be the case that Nikon had advantages over Canon and Canon had different advantages over Nikon. Nowardays I think the major difference between the two are a case of shooting styles. Canon have (I feel) a more ergonomic whereas Nikon have a more complex button layout. I'm not saying one is better than the other but some prefer the Canon way of shooting and some will prefer the Nikon way of shooting.

I've thought about moving over to Nikon but it would mean sacrificing kit as I don't have the money to afford a complete gear re-stock and that would leave me out of place when it comes to shooting for a client. The main reason that stopped me from moving though was simple: if it ain't broke, don't fix it! :)
 
If you can afford to swap systems then from experience with both, id say a hell yeh!
Currently i own 2 D3 bodies and various lenses, and in my opinion all the gear is better than Canon stuff ive used in the past.Better results at high ISO is the biggest plus.
However all the gear your looking at is top spec,and you wont regret the quality your going to get, but would steer clear of a 300mm f4. Tryed one before i got an f2.8. To me it just isnt worth the cash.
 
vulcan2912 said:
Hi Matt

Wide angle.Really don't like the 17-40L and I've had 3 copies of the 16-35 MK2.I've ended up selling all of them because I didn't think the iq was worth the coin.That's why I'm flirting with the 17mm T&S.Flippin expensive but great image quality.
I still haven't ruled out a Nikon 14-24 and adaptor for the Canon.Just having a hard time getting my head around that one.It's just a shame the Zeiss 18mm was not as good as the 21mm or this thread would have never been started!

I'm using the things I don't like about the 5D MK2 to help myself justify the possible change over to Nikon.

Gary
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Hang on - you bought 3(!) 16-35's and sold ALL of them because you didn;t thing the IQ was good enough. Surely after buying the first one and then selling it you would have tested the socks off the second one before parting with your cash? To do that three times is bizarre.

From my experience I would suggest you sit back and smell the roses for a day or two before you do anything. I know it's your money but it's more than that - it's contentment and happiness. Try to find contentment in what you have and then you'll start to enjoy it all again. (Please beleive me when I say I really do know what I'm talking about here. And hope this comes over in the caring way it's meant :))
 
That's the problem Ryan.All my 16-35's have been exactly the same iq wise.It's just not the best lens in the world.Unfortunatly there's noting else in the Canon line up to replace it with.
I sell them thinking I won't bother with that focal length but I can't do it.I always end up buying another one.I love getting low and wide with my landscapes.
It does make more sense to stay with Canon and I probably will.It is hard though when you know that the exact thing you want is sitting there already.
I'm actually quite happy with the rest of my Canon glass.Might just have to hang on to my 16-35mm that I've got up for sale and hope Canon pulls something out of the bag sooner rather than later.
Blimey,didn't expect all these responses.
Gary
 
Just thought - you COULD buy a nikon to Canon converter to allow you to use the Nikon 14-24 or 17-35 if you wanted. I seem to recall reading about a pro landscaper using all Canon except the 14-24 (and I'm sure he's not alone)
 
i have a Canon 1D for my pleasure and i use Nikons D2x & D3x at work..i like both, prefer my canon as it fits better in my hands but both have pros and cons with regard to button placement, focal length in lenses etc...there isnt really a debate here merely opinions of which none is right or wrong...if one gets the job done who cares what the name is....?
 
To be honest, it shouldn't really matter that much whether it is a professional or hobbyist.........some people just want the best out of stuff, especially if paying top dollar for it, myself included. If I felt that the equipment I had wasn't doing the job well enough as I had expected, and I spent a small fortune on it, I'd also be considering other options even if it meant spending a little more to change. People are different, some would settle for bog standard no frills whilst others need to have the best of everything.............neither are in the wrong imo.

I am in the process of saving and deciding whether to get a 5DII.........it's an expensive upgrade, to most if not all of the people I know, they think I'm crazy to spend this sort of money on a camera......but enthusiasts don't think it is a waste.........whereas some people spend hundreds if not thousands of £'s on clothes..........I think this is a complete waste of money, but I'm sure those people don't think so.

In the end, it's down to that individual to decide whether it's worth the change and cost..........in your situation, it sounds like you aren't 100% happy with both of the Canon cameras you own, and they aren't exactly entry-level..........so possibly the D700 is what you've been searching for in one body.
 
I love my Canon kit, it gives me what I want.
An interest I enjoy immensely and bloody good images.
If what you have makes you happy....why change it??
 
I dont have loyalties when it comes to cameras, i buy what is suited, non of this nikon is better than nocan, or canon is better than nokan, the truth is they all produce amazing pics but one camera may have a specific feature that suits you at a particular time in your photographic life.

I've just changed from A D700 and D300 and some nice lenses to a 5Dmk11, and not for the high resolution you may all be thinking of, i actually think the 5dmk11 works better in low light. i took some macro shots recently at ISO 6400 with the mk11 as i had forgoten my flash. and i have to say i couldnt get results that good with my d700 or the d3 i borrowed from a friend.

so if its low light that your looking for i wouldnt swap to nikon, just upgrade one of your cameras to a 5dmk11 because i cant think of any thing that the d700 should do better than the 5dmk11 apart from quicker focusing. the canon out performs the nikon in every other way. however offer me a d3s and d3x and i will quickly swap back to nikon lol.
 
I do love a bit of diversity James.

I ended up buying the D700 because when I tested them side by side the Nikon could get focus in low light where the 5DII could not and having the image in focus is a bit of a prerequisite before comparing noise levels or MP.

Shooting at a recent workshop we had three D700's and one 5DII and the poor girl with the Canon had to give up shooting because she could not focus. We were using just a modelling lamp for illumination and deliberately going really dark but we were still shooting where she had to stop so we switched to doing something else :)

Just goes to show how utterly subject dependant your choice can be but it's all good :)
 
vulcan2912 said:
The more I think about that one the better it sounds.

Anyone on here using that combo?
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I'm not (though if I had the money spare I might!) but I think I read that Damien Lovegrove is - you could post a question on his blog - he's pretty good at replying.
 
AliB said:
I ended up buying the D700 because when I tested them side by side the Nikon could get focus in low light where the 5DII could not
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<snip>

I sometimes wonder if I'm using the same camera as everyone else, or whether mine got a 1D AF system put in it by mistake.. I've taken pics by candelight with my 5D2 (with a 50mm f/1.4), and never had a problem focusing.

Could something else be coming into play here? Ken Rockwell mentions about the D700's facial recognition system, which the 5D2 doesn't have. I tend to use centre-point focus and recompose, rather relying on the camera selecting an AF point - not because it doesn't work properly, but because I want to control what part of the frame is in focus - especially important when working in low light at wide apertures and minimal depth of field.

On the few occasions I've used multi-point AF, the camera has focused successfully, but on the wrong part of the frame.

I'd agree that the D700's AF is superior to the 5D2 - there's no argument there - but to suggest that the 5D2 is effectively useless because it can't produce sharp images (as some posters have done) is silly.

(I write this looking at my Nikon F801s and F90x film SLRs, which both have (by today's standards) crude AF systems, but which both produced lots of pin-sharp slides for me until I went digital a couple of years ago.)

A.
 
ryanyboy said:
Just thought - you COULD buy a nikon to Canon converter to allow you to use the Nikon 14-24 or 17-35 if you wanted. I seem to recall reading about a pro landscaper using all Canon except the 14-24 (and I'm sure he's not alone)
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This fella
 
AliB said:
I do love a bit of diversity James.

I ended up buying the D700 because when I tested them side by side the Nikon could get focus in low light where the 5DII could not and having the image in focus is a bit of a prerequisite before comparing noise levels or MP.

Shooting at a recent workshop we had three D700's and one 5DII and the poor girl with the Canon had to give up shooting because she could not focus. We were using just a modelling lamp for illumination and deliberately going really dark but we were still shooting where she had to stop so we switched to doing something else :)

Just goes to show how utterly subject dependant your choice can be but it's all good :)
Click to expand...

I imagine the lens choice might have affected that too. I don't own it anymore, but I had a Sigma 10-20 and on my mere 450D it would focus in just about any light. Even if I pointed it at an object where the focus point was purely on black or white (or something equally as contrast-less) it would still focus. Very rarely did I have any focus troubles with it. It would literally focus in near pitch black conditions - I swear the lens had magical powers, and now it is owned by a lucky TP member! I am hoping when I get my 17-40 that it performs at least equally as good - and being a Canon L series I'd hope so - but saying that, my 50mm f/1.4 is so p*ss poor in anything but perfectly contrasting subjects I am beginning to wonder.
 
trencheel303 said:
my 50mm f/1.4 is so p*ss poor in anything but perfectly contrasting subjects
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That's surprising. The two cheaper Canon 50mm's don't focus as fast as L series lenses, but they let in a lot more light.. you'd expect the camera to focus better with them, not worse. Using a 50mm f/1.4 on my 5D2 bears this out.

Possibly a faulty lens?

A.
 
I hope it isn't faulty. It performs much the same as my 1.8 did, in fact nearly exactly the same. Focussing speed is mediocre, and if I have it pointed at, say, a relatively bland object like a couch, it will hunt a tiny bit before locking focus - say for half a second or so. The sigma would just 'whooooosh' immediately there. My post probably made it sound a bit worse than it is but I just wasn't that impressed with either lens' focus. I haven't had a chance to try it out properly yet so I will continue testing and eventually give my verdict. I also find the focussing ring on the 1.4 so horribly damped it's unreal - again this is after being used to the buttery smooth feel of the Sigma (tell me why so many people slag Sigma off again?!?) and so it takes some getting used to. The 17-40 better be worth my money!
 
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