Which system do you find easier?

foodpoison

foodpoison

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Canon or Nikon?
I've decided to leave the other lot out (Fuji, Sigma, Olympus, Pentax, Sony) since Nikon and Canon are the big two.

Now, seriously, ignore the fact that you've possibly been using Canon or Nikon all of your life. Think about it logically, which do you find the easier system to work?

I've been using Canon for a year now, and due to work I know the menu systems inside out.
Even when I look at a Sony camera, I know how to work the basics and show the camera for what it is, but when it comes to Nikon.
Christ. It is like trying to find directions in China, but the map is a mah jong board, ripped in several pieces and selotaped back together in different ways, and the only comprehensible words were in Chinese. And that's not just because I've been using Canon. I've been using Nikon too for 6 months now, and they still seem as alien as the last time I approached them.

I seriously have a lot of issues with them, and I find that it gets worse as I go up the series. The D60 I can manage, but when someone asks to be shown the live view on the D300, or change the ISO, it's the equivalent of climbing Everest.

Now, what are your thoughts?
That goes for flashguns too :thumbs:
 
I think it depends what you are used to.

I can take an Nikon camera, and just work it.

I shoot a lot with Canon, but you seem to have to spend time in the menus, doing what should be on buttons. No doubt if I'd gone Canon, it would be the other way.

I reckon anyone can change and adapt within a week.
 
foodpoison said:
I've been using Canon for a year now, and due to work I know the menu systems inside out...

but when it comes to Nikon.
Christ. It is like trying to find directions in China, but the map is a mah jong board, ripped in several pieces and selotaped back together in different ways, and the only comprehensible words were in Chinese
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I shoot Nikon and thats how I feel about Canon menu systems...I expect it will be the same for anyone who shoots mainly with one brand so might be a bit hard to ignore that fact...lol
 
foodpoison said:
I know that, it's obvious that you just get used to a system.
But I can work Sony, Pentax and Olympus absolutely fine.
But Nikon really stands out as being incomprehensibly hard!
Click to expand...
I've never tried any of the other brands outside of point and shoots. I just find Nikon to be very logical and user friendly over Canon which just doesn't seem to be as intuative. Although I must admit I've only ever used a 20D which we have at work but with that I find myself taking ages trying to work out menu's etc.
 
puddleduck said:
I think it depends what you are used to.

I can take an Nikon camera, and just work it.

I shoot a lot with Canon, but you seem to have to spend time in the menus, doing what should be on buttons. No doubt if I'd gone Canon, it would be the other way.

I reckon anyone can change and adapt within a week.
Click to expand...

the menu's are a world i am yet to dabble in:D
 
I can use a Nikon but the layout seems all wrong to me, whereas with Canon for me it's intuitive and 'feels' right. It really is down to personal preference.
 
I've never used a 350D or similar level Canon so can only comment on the 20D and 5D. Everything I need to adjust is there on the main controls and shows on the top lcd panel. I never go into the menu system on the main screen in normal use.

Any system is easy when you know it - and you only get to know it by using it. There are things the 5D can do that I have never explored (like the C for custom setting) but the things I do use come to hand now without thinking about it. Don't just read the manual - try out the settings you saw in it and you will find you start using some of what you learnt in normal shooting.
 
foodpoison said:
Canon or Nikon?
I've decided to leave the other lot out (Fuji, Sigma, Olympus, Pentax, Sony) since Nikon and Canon are the big two.

Now, seriously, ignore the fact that you've possibly been using Canon or Nikon all of your life. Think about it logically, which do you find the easier system to work?

I've been using Canon for a year now, and due to work I know the menu systems inside out.
Even when I look at a Sony camera, I know how to work the basics and show the camera for what it is, but when it comes to Nikon.
Christ. It is like trying to find directions in China, but the map is a mah jong board, ripped in several pieces and selotaped back together in different ways, and the only comprehensible words were in Chinese. And that's not just because I've been using Canon. I've been using Nikon too for 6 months now, and they still seem as alien as the last time I approached them.

I seriously have a lot of issues with them, and I find that it gets worse as I go up the series. The D60 I can manage, but when someone asks to be shown the live view on the D300, or change the ISO, it's the equivalent of climbing Everest.

Now, what are your thoughts?
That goes for flashguns too :thumbs:
Click to expand...

No experience of Canon, so I need to say Nikon. I find the D3 a peice of cake though. ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, Exposure Comp, everything can be set without going into any menu's, just spin one of two wheels, sometimes with a button pushed.

Gary.
 
I have not used the Nikon mnus, but when I was sitting chatting to a Nikon user they were looking at my camera and commented that the menu system and layout appeared easier on the Canon, but I could not get him to convert :lol:
 
I've used both and both have their pluses and minuses.

Go over to POTN and you'll see lots of canon shooters commenting on how they don't like the amount of buttons and switches on Nikon. Go To Nikon Cafe and it's all about how they don't like the menus and lack of buttons and switches :)
 
Im with Gary on the Nikon. Mine unfortunately isn't the D3 but infact the D80, still I presume a similar menu layout but as said so easy to use and rarely have to go into the menu system.

I have not used a canon before so cannot comment on them but would be interested to see how they operate.
 
I'm with foodpoison! It's exactly what I've always thought of the Nikons. When I was buying I did try both and I just simply could not get my head round the Nikon. I don't know whether it's a case of being left hemisphere or right hemisphere dominant in our brains but I can't make sense of Nikons.:cuckoo:
 
OneTen said:
I can use a Nikon but the layout seems all wrong to me, whereas with Canon for me it's intuitive and 'feels' right. It really is down to personal preference.
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I agree your reasons are why I use Nikon:)
 
I find Nikon to be staggeringly complex as well. I've had a play with a D60 (I think it was, is that the newish one with all the silly gimmicky graphics on the rear LCD?) a D50, and worst of all, a D300. And all of them I just found to be backwards in menu-land.

Useful settings that should be handy appear (or rather don't :p) buried way down huge lists. I'm not a fan of change though, so I probably would've been fine if I'd gone with Nikon from the start.
 
Well I must say Fp that I am the opposite to you, I shopped round for nearly 3 months prior to buying my first DSLR. I was hated by all the managers as I was forever popping in and spending hours looking at all the different systems.

In the end I walked away with a Nikon D50 as it just clicked with me I found it fitted my hands better than the others, they just felt smaller and unwieldy in my hands.

I found the menu system on the Nikon to be easy to navigate and understand, and all of the items that I later found out are the main ones that are constantly used were easy to use and access. Since then I have had the D80 which replaced the D50 and I have just bought a D200 to keep the D80 company in the bag.

It is all down to personal preference and ergonomics I feel... one system is no better than the other. I have picked up other peoples cameras Sony, Canon, and Oly but I can not navigate the menus or find functions as well as I can on the Nikons.

I think you just get to know your gear and that is norm to you.

Nigel
 
I prefer Canon in some areas and Nikon in others, I think it's all about what you learn with. I've got Canon kit now, because my friends shoot Canon and I wanted to borrow lenses, but I learnt how to shoot with Nikon.

Whatever you decide will be the right choice, which is normally defined by budget ;)
 
I just don't get this??:thinking: What's the big deal?

I've used both, and still use both, and both have different menus, and different ways of doing the same thing, but 15 minutes with the manual of either, and they are both a cinch to use.

I currently use a Nikon D1 and a D2X, they are slightly different, but definitely Nikon - if you have used a later Nikon film body, you could use these.

I also Have a Fuji S3 Pro, which uses Nikon camera mechanics, with Fuji digital procedures, ie mechanically the camera is Nikon, but electronically, it is Fuji - now that did take some getting used to:eek:
 
It wasn't so much the different brand that made the D1X more complicated to me but I think it was more the level of camera in that the D1X is a pro camera and the EOS400 is an entry level one. Now that I've got to grips with the D1X I appreciate having more controls on the body, especially the ISO button! :)

The only thing that keeps getting me is the exposure meter being the opposite way.
 
I've just moved over from a 400D + 40D over to a nikon D300 and I must say, I find the layout and menu's dreadful on the nikon. My biggest bugbear is the fact that to change between shooting modes (high-speed, timed, mirror lockup etc.) I have to hold a button down on the left and then move a dial which is also on the left, so need to use both hands for it, it's just daft. The menu is all over the shop and half teh settings is like going on a treasure hunt to find :)

I'm sure i'll get used to it yes, but certainly from day1 I never had this problem with the canon.
 
RobertP said:
I've never used a 350D or similar level Canon so can only comment on the 20D and 5D. Everything I need to adjust is there on the main controls and shows on the top lcd panel. I never go into the menu system on the main screen in normal use.

Any system is easy when you know it - and you only get to know it by using it. There are things the 5D can do that I have never explored (like the C for custom setting) but the things I do use come to hand now without thinking about it. Don't just read the manual - try out the settings you saw in it and you will find you start using some of what you learnt in normal shooting.
Click to expand...

:razz::D:D

The controls and menus on the 20D and 5D are so identical that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference while handling them were it not for the lcd size and lack of pop-up flash on the 5D.

Juggle between the 5D and 1Ds II and THEN we can talk about differing menus...:thumbs:

TBH, I have fiddled with u number of Nokins from time to time and never thought their menu systems were THAT difficult...:thinking:

But then it was playing rather than serious shooting...
 
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