Switching from Canon to Nikon (or vice versa) - why?

[Ari]

I've seen a couple of sales posts where people are selling all their Nikon or Canon kit to switch to the "other side".

Seems a hell of an upheaval and I'd have thought the two brands were pretty evenly matched (otherwise people would all opt for the better one).

Just wondered who'd done it and why?

 

[AchimT]

Canon and Nikon are by far not the only brands that make great cameras so don't forget to add a few more brands to your poll - Olympus, Pentax, Panasonic, just to name a few.

I went from Canon to Nikon, because I usually need a lot of dynamic range (it's just the way I shoot, and which scenes I like to take pictures of), and in that respect, the d600 and the d800 are currently the kings of the hill. Also, the d600 seems to have been less 'slimmed down' in terms of features than the 6d. I felt I got a better deal (more high-class features) for the money with the d600 than with the 6d. And the d800 just has more dynamic range than the 5d Mk3.

But it was no upheaval for me at all. I had also been considering several other cameras, and in the end bought the one which gave me the best overall package for my particular requirements.

If another brand should at one time become as much better in those aspects which for me are key aspects, then I will switch to that brand without any regrets.

I have friends who use Canons (5d Mk2 and Mk3), and are (rightfully) happy with these, and I have a friend who takes great pics with an OMD - he likes it because he likes street photography, and the OMD combines great image quality and very useful features with a small size.

The d800 and d600 are good in those areas which are important to me. That's all there is to it.

 

[meonshore]

I've seen a couple of sales posts where people are selling all their Nikon or Canon kit to switch to the "other side".

Seems a hell of an upheaval and I'd have thought the two brands were pretty evenly matched (otherwise people would all opt for the better one).

Just wondered who'd done it and why?

Yep, I switched from Canon to Nikon in late 2008, having used Canon for 20 years.

The only reason for the switch was the 1D MKIII which at the time was a complete lemon. Both my bodies went back and forth for h/w fixes, calibration and then firmware updates. The fact was they didn't focus accurately or reliably - and CPS confirmed that. With no roadmap to a next version pro body and with Nikon's D3 being reliable, full-frame and great at high ISO, and a good core of lenses for what I was shooting it was an obvious thing to do.

Took 2 weeks to sell and then buy and get up and running again.

I'm not sure I would switch again unless the situation repeated itself but in the other direction. At the moment the 1Dx is probably fractionally ahead of the D4, but the D4 works whereas the 1D MKIII didn't.

I can also see why people might switch from the D700 to the 5D MKIII rather than the D800 (and a number of my friends who are wedding photographers have), and why the new Canon 200-400mm Nikon and now the 200-400mm + built in 1.4x might have caused wildlife photographers to switch irrespective of the body.

It is a bit painful to do, but in reality there are enough buyers of Canon and Nikon cameras to fairly rapidly move on kit. I think it would be a lot harder to shift from Pentax for example.

History suggests that both Canon and Nikon will continue to innovate and are likely to leapfrog each other every 2-3 years because they get their products and the market direction/need spot on. Unless the 1D MKIII situation arises again on either brand though with the launch of a lemon then it really isn't a good strategy to keep switching.

 

[Mike.P]

It is a bit painful to do, but in reality there are enough buyers of Canon and Nikon cameras to fairly rapidly move on kit. I think it would be a lot harder to shift from Pentax for example.
.

Actually that's not so. There has been a very healthy market for used Pentax gear in the last few years (especially since the release of the K-5). I could easily sell my Pentax lenses for more than I paid and convert to 100% Canon but I prefer my K-5II over the 7D for a lot of what I photograph.

 

[Ari]

That's all very interesting, thanks.

Any more?

 

[Jord]

I switched from Canon (5D Mk II) to Nikon (D800) earlier this year, purely because I fell in love with the D800 after using it extensively for work. The upheaval wasn't much bother, all of my gear sold quickly and I got used to the Nikon controls quickly. The experience reassured me that if Canon come out with something that took my fancy in the future, I'd have no qualms about switching back. In fact I still own two 450Ds alongside the D800 - one for infrared photography and one which I use as a remote camera at Motorsport events.