Which is more reliable?

mithrandir

mithrandir

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I' d like to know what you guys think or have experienced in terms of reliability between Nikon and Canon (SLR)?


I've had Canon p&s and one clonked out after a couple of years service.

Thanks
 
I bought a 350D from new and used it for about 5 years and never had a single problem with it.

I also bought a 70-300mm IS USM lens about 3 years ago and it still works perfectly.

I also bought S/H on here a 450D last year and have taken about 10,000 pics with it and again not a single problem.

But I have no doubt others may have bought a new camera and had problems from the off.

Sometimes you buy a lemon - which is one reason I quite like S/H gear on here.

All the gear I've bought on here has always worked fine and been excellent value.

I'm not sure if there's much to choose between Nikon and Canon - they are both the leaders in Digital cameras.

.
 
The title of your post made me think of Harry Hill for some reason.

"I like Nikon and I like Canon, but which is more reliable? There's only one way to find out... FIGHT!!" :naughty:

Can't help you with your question though, sorry.
 
Just before I bought my Nikon D5000, it was a toss up between the D5000 and the Canon 550D. As I used Nikon when I had 35mm film camera's I decided to go with the D5000. I said to the guy in the shop that my other choice was the Canon he said "No, no, no stick with your choice, the Nikon", anyway I joined TP and I was reading through the threads and I read of about 6 Canon 550D owners whose camera's had all gone t*ts up. Now I know Nikons can go wrong as well but so far it seems it's the Canon's I seem to be reading about.
 
well a d3 is gonna be more reliable than a 1000d and a 1d3 will outfight a d5000

apples to apples they're even up to d3 vs 1d where I've heard both are superior from different people :p
 
White Rose said:
The title of your post made me think of Harry Hill for some reason.

"I like Nikon and I like Canon, but which is more reliable? There's only one way to find out... FIGHT!!" :naughty:

Can't help you with your question though, sorry.[/QUOTE]


same here ...ok outside now canon boy:lol::lol:
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Nikons hands up.







Ok in all honesty, nothing in it to be honest. Go for whichever you prefer when holding it.
 
david1701 said:
well a d3 is gonna be more reliable than a 1000d and a 1d3 will outfight a d5000
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Not necessarily, remember all the brand new 1d3s that had to go straight back to Canon because they wouldn't af properly?

Round 1 to the d5000 :1st:
 
trust David to b****r up an otherwise solid argument... :lol:
 
everything ive read and all ive heard from owners suggest nikons pwns canon for durability. i own a canon though. 2 of them infact lol.
 
:thankyou: for the replies.

I seem to see more threads about Canon problems and noticed several places selling Canon refurbs.
Just wanting to do some research before committing to my first SLR :)
 
All I can say is I am on my 3rd Nikon due to upgrading only (D70s-D200-D300), And I have never had a problem with any of them.

Realspeed
 
Nikon.

No contest. I have personally seen Canon cameras bite the dust over in Iraq and Afghanistan for no good reason - well almost.
One got too hot and the LCDs all died never to return; another's seals failed and it filled with dirt so the controls were unuseable and another (belonging to a Times photographer) just stopped working - we never did figure out why and he was eventually given a replacement by Canon, who couldn't fix it.
These were all EOS 1D variants, not cheapie bodies.

On the flip-side, I've never seen a Nikon fall down dead in the same environments.
I've personally dropped two D2x bodies in a river, wipe them off with a cloth and continue shooting (one of the lenses had a couple of water drops inside which needed a few more days drying to remove).
I've used D1; D1x; D2x; D2xs and now D3 and D3x bodies in all environments: jungle without monsoons (40C and wet); jungle with monsoons (40C and much wetter) deserts in winter (30C and humid); deserts in summer (60C and dry); Arctic (Norway, -15C and dry-ish); and really cold winters here in Germany can get down to -27C like last year...
As well as all the usual stuff: thunderstorms; cold; rain; sleet; snow that you get in Northern Europe.
Added to that I was never unduly worried about being gentle with my issued kit - I cared and maintained it to the best of my ability, but it came in for a hammering quite often.

I would never buy a Canon camera (or even use free-issued ones if given a choice) as I simply don't trust them to keep working no matter what, whereas I have complete faith in Nikons, which have never let me down.
 
As a Nikon owner Rob, that's good to know:thumbs:

I suppose though that the majority of DSLR owners won't be testing them quite so much so maybe for 'normal' use there wouldn't be too much difference between brands?
 
parkmoy said:
As a Nikon owner Rob, that's good to know:thumbs:

I suppose though that the majority of DSLR owners won't be testing them quite so much so maybe for 'normal' use there wouldn't be too much difference between brands?
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That's just for the Pro-bodies - I'm making no claims for those lower down the ladder - which Nikon state as not having the same level of toughness and sealing...
Another reason I use top-tier products: I can't say for sure if I'll be studio or location bound, so I opt for the best available...
If I could guarantee that I would only be doing studio work, then a D700 or D300s would be adequate...
 
mithrandir said:
I' d like to know what you guys think or have experienced in terms of reliability between Nikon and Canon (SLR)?


I've had Canon p&s and one clonked out after a couple of years service.

Thanks
Click to expand...

You won't get a truly impartial answer from here to that question.
 
Arkady said:
Nikon.

No contest. I have personally seen Canon cameras bite the dust over in Iraq and Afghanistan for no good reason - well almost.
One got too hot and the LCDs all died never to return; another's seals failed and it filled with dirt so the controls were unuseable and another (belonging to a Times photographer) just stopped working - we never did figure out why and he was eventually given a replacement by Canon, who couldn't fix it.
These were all EOS 1D variants, not cheapie bodies.

On the flip-side, I've never seen a Nikon fall down dead in the same environments.
I've personally dropped two D2x bodies in a river, wipe them off with a cloth and continue shooting (one of the lenses had a couple of water drops inside which needed a few more days drying to remove).
I've used D1; D1x; D2x; D2xs and now D3 and D3x bodies in all environments: jungle without monsoons (40C and wet); jungle with monsoons (40C and much wetter) deserts in winter (30C and humid); deserts in summer (60C and dry); Arctic (Norway, -15C and dry-ish); and really cold winters here in Germany can get down to -27C like last year...
As well as all the usual stuff: thunderstorms; cold; rain; sleet; snow that you get in Northern Europe.
Added to that I was never unduly worried about being gentle with my issued kit - I cared and maintained it to the best of my ability, but it came in for a hammering quite often.

I would never buy a Canon camera (or even use free-issued ones if given a choice) as I simply don't trust them to keep working no matter what, whereas I have complete faith in Nikons, which have never let me down.
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Christ you've been around a bit.
Can i come with you and be your shadow? :D
 
When I started out with DSLR's I went for Nikon because the D70 just felt better built than the 300D and my experiences so far have been in line with this. The D70 did then go on to break; after a very dusty week in Cornwall the on/off switch wore out but thankfully it was stuck in the on position so I could carry on shooting but would have to take the battery out when I stopped. I have a friend who also shoots the same stuff I do professionally and his Canon 20D gave up on him showing an error message and not letting him shoot. More recently I was at a wet race in Switzerland along with a friend who has a Canon 5D and it gave up, it would turn on but not take a picture; thankfully my D3 was still going strong.

In my eyes Nikon are more reliable which is a big issue when taking photos is your job and not a hobby.
 
Got compacts (film and digital) from both manufacturers and SLRs (F&D) from Nikon. Not had a problem with any of them.

I use Nikon SLRs because when I got back into photography, I had a fondle of a few bodies that met my wanted specs and budget and the Nikon (F65) fitted me best. Have tried a few Canons on in the meantime and still find Nikon fit me while Canon don't.
 
its not really about reliabilty tbh
its about what your comfortable using :)
tried a nikon - not so keen
tried a canon - felt comfortable
so i got a canon, no regrets :)

Just go to a shop and try out each one and see which you prefer :)
 
mattmajor said:
its not really about reliabilty tbh
its about what your comfortable using :)
tried a nikon - not so keen
tried a canon - felt comfortable
so i got a canon, no regrets :)

Just go to a shop and try out each one and see which you prefer :)
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No: when it's your job it IS all about reliability.

I only find Nikons more comfortable because I've grown up with them - if I'd grown up with Canon I'd no doubt prefer the feel of them instead. After seeing what I have with my own eyes - not interweb rumour, mind - I saw those cameras die and even if they are the only four Canon cameras that ever failed, then for me it's too much to ever trust them and I still wouldn't use them on a job.

The various ergonomic delights of a particular brand are moot if the damn thing won't turn on again after a light soaking at a rainy football match...
 
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From my experience.

Canon 450d - fine
Canon 50d - fine
Canon 7d - first one returned to Canon and they replaced it. This was after about 2 months. So far the second 7d has been fine.
Canon 5d2 - LCD died on me after 5 or so months. Went back to Canon, was fixed but they caused another problem, so back to Canon again and as we speak it's on it's way back to me.

Canon reliable? In my experience, not a chance. Had I not had so much money in lens, cameras and stuff, I'd swap to Nikon tomorrow.
 
One thing with the internet, it's easy to find a bad review as when it goes wrong you want to let off some steam etc, but you get a far smaller proportion of happy owners posting about their product working fine. Then there's a question of volume, if brand x sells twice as many units as brand y then they're bound to have a higher percieved faliure rate.
Oh and the occasional lemon that slips through QC, or the one where someone swears it's the camera's fault but it tuns out they dropped it but can't say cos that's not covered under the warranty.

Personally, I've had 2 Canons and both have been trouble free (changed to upgrade and my mate's still using my old 350d), but then I don't know of any Nikon failures either.

In short, I don't have an answer to your question and I'm not entirely sure there is one. Although it does seem that if you're battling with some of the harshest conditions on the planet then Nikon's top level kit the way to go.
 
Thanks again for more replies.

AS for trying out both brand, I've mentioned in another thread that Im comfortable with both Canon and Nikon when I tried them out.

My worry is investing in a brand such as swag72 mentioned.

Might wait to see what the D3100 brings as it due out in Sept apparently. D3000/D5000 might get a price reduction in the process.
 
I have used a 350D for many years now, dropped it in the beach and it still works (got it cleaned just in case though!).

For me, I wish I would have thought about things like lenses at the beginning, choice, cost and what I am going to use. IE dont just get the kit lens because it's in a deal. I wish I had started by buying the 350D with the 50mm f1.8, cracking lens cheap as chips and teaches you more about composition by the fact you have to move and offers greater flexibility in shooting low light etc. Rather than the kit one Look at whether in the future you might want to use off camera flash, nikon rules here but canons can do it too. Extra batteries how much do they cost. It aint just about the camera at the end of the day, its what you do with it.

Quality wise really its going to be much of a muchness, so hold them try them read up on what lenses you might want and see where you end up. Or, buy one of each and see how you get on....
 
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