Should I switch from Canon to Nikon for weddings?

<p>I think we all experience other-brand envy from time to time. It's a natural human response.</p>

<p>That said, I suspect that the differences you've noticed have more to do with lighting and post-processing than the brand of camera that took the photo. I'm a Nikon guy, but I've seen STAGGERINGLY SHARP photos from Canon cameras. Regardless of brand, these cameras work fine; getting the most out of them is the tricky part.</p>

 

<p>Hello Otto.</p><p>First of all very nice images on your portfolio, sorry to hear your sunday started this way but from time to time it happens to all of us. doubt is part of the creative process and many times we blame the equipment for being on the way of achieving what we want, on ocassion the equipment can be holding us back but most of the time is ourselves who dont find the way to circumvent the obstacles we find. that is part of knowing very well our system and working with what we have. Nikon is not perfect either. this said let me tell you i shoot with both Canon and Nikon.<br></p><p>Many people would love to shoot with your current setting but is also no secret that both the 5DMKI and MKII have a poor autofocus, specially for low light situations the hunting can get really frustrating, in this case I would agree Nikon has the edge, and the lighting system is also in my opinion far better than canon's, not to say you can get great results with canon's but Nikon lighting system is more user ready and accurate specially when you have no time to start fiddling with the settings.</p><p>Rent some Nikon for a week, something you would like to eventually buy and give it a run, then think if you want to totally change systems.</p><p>What I did is kept both and use them accordingly to what the moment needs. dont get married to a brand or what people tell you is better, see for yourself and dont let your creativity stall.</p><p>Regards.</p><p>J.A.R.T.<br></p>

<p>I have a friend that owns a Camera repair store, his Dad owned it before him (20-30 yrs in business). He claims that Cannon has a internal focus issue and they know about it but won't amit to it. He says that if you push them on it they will correct it. Cannon Friends that have heard this have pushed Cannon on the issue or sent their cameras to 3rd party repair have seen the results. You might look into this as well. I know my NIKON gear has always provided me sharp images and I have seen differences with my Cannon friends photos from mine, but getting the internal focus issue resolved has helped them. </p>

<p>Nikon doesn't make two of the lenses you are currently using: an 85/1.2 or an autofocus 35/1.4 You'll loose these if you switch. Also, I know everyone here loves to hate Rockwell, but he has shown side by side comparisons that the Canon 5D senor is technically sharper than the Nikon D3 sensor. If ultimate sharpness is an issue, equipment alone won't help you if you switch. Canon's autofocus is very fast, but sometimes it's speed can lead to out of focus shots . . .</p>

<p>I shoot the D700, but I agree that better technique and better post processing will save you many thousands of dollars.</p>

<p>Canon or Nikon? There is no winner or looser here I think. <br /> Both equipments will achieve excellent results...<br /> Say, Canon or Hasselblad? and then we would have much more things to discuss...</p>

<p>You can switch to the new ZE-Zeiss-glasses, then you will have <strong>ALL YOU NEED</strong> for your wedding photography!</p>

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<p>During the course of the next year after the switch, we discovered how insidious the UV filter could be and no longer use them.</p>

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<p>This is what happens when you put a $20 piece of glass in front of a $1,500 piece of glass.<br /> <br /> With Tiffen filters, I have noticed loss of image quality, but since I started using Hoya HD filters I cannot tell a difference, even when shooting into the sun. The downside is that the HD filters cost around $100 an on up depending on filter size.</p>

<p>If you know that you will be taking significantly better photos with Nikon, sure, make the switch.</p>

<p>Also what Ben said, if you know it will increase your income, switch, it's a no-brainer.</p>

<p>Don't take this the wrong way... but the very fact that you actually needed to ask this question in the first place confirms to me that it is you at fault, not the camera system. The 5D with the lenses you have were made for wedding photography. If you can't match the best quality images out there with your equipment then you need to improve both your camera skills and your post processing ability.</p>

<p>Switching to Nikon might actually make it worse as you'll have to learn your way around the Nikon system as well as trying to improve your own skill.</p>

<p>I agree with the previous posts that your images are out of focus and soft. Blaming your equipment is not going to solve anything. The 5D is a great camera and has produced perfectly sharp pictures for me everytime. I wonder if you use a selective autofocus sensor or have it set to automatic. I switched to using just the center autofocus sensor and have never had focus issues since.</p>

<p>Nikon would love for you to do this, and Canon will love you when you switch again in a few years... and so on, and so on and so on etc. etc.</p>

<p>I started out as a Canon film guy, then moved into MF. And my dSLR, which is relatively new, isn't Canon or Nikon. So I am not expert on either digital system. But I have noticed that most wedding photographers I've seen use Nikon but that doesn't mean the system is better -most top sports photographers shoot Canon. So I think these trends reflect something other than camera performance. As others have said, if we viewed a series of photos with different systems we would not be able to tell the difference. I think you have some great photos and I don't think switching to Nikon would make them any better (Now switching to a Hasselblad is a different story...;))</p>

<p>There is an argument, naturally only from Nikon users, that the Nikon flash system is better. This might explain the use of Nikon by wedding photographers, if it were actually true. However, plenty of weddings are photographed with Canon equipment, and I've heard no complaints.</p>

<p>As for a "secret" flaw in Canon AF, it doesn't even rise to the level of urban folklore. It's somebody's effort to spread FUD, and no more. EOS has been around since 1987, and I think somebody besides an unknown "camera repairman" would have figured this one out by now, if it had a shred of truth to it. Even my EOS 650 (the first of the breed) still focuses spot on, if not so quickly as the newer ones.</p>

I had the 5D as a backup and was very happy with the results. The 1Ds mk3 images are even better. So my answer to you is Canon lenses are wonderful and razer sharp.

 

The 5D has had issues with the mirror and the sensor. Perhaps your camera needs to be checked out for proper alignment. Some of the mirrors have actually fallen out of the camera, including mine.

 

I actually switched from Nikon to Canon about 2 or 3 years ago, when the Nikon D2X was there top of the line. I switched because my photo partner was getting better image quality with his 1Ds Mk2. We did a shoot out comparing both systems. Canon won.

 

I've seen amazing shots come out of the new 5D mk2 and the new Nikon cameras, such as he D3. This leads me to believe your camera is messed up.

<p>Otto --- I am in a similar mindset as you. I shoot portraits (mainly outdoor) with my 5D and recently have been thinking of switching to a D700 for better AF performance. Something to consider....there's internet rumor about a D700x coming down the pipeline possibly later this year. Right now the superior sharpness and detail of the 5D, for me, are enough to justify the AF performance. If the D700x has D3x image quality and D700 AF performance, then that might justify the switch. I would wait until first of the year and see what's out there before you jump on it. Maybe use your tax refund if applicable and snag it then. You'd feel like a dummy if you bought a new d700 and a new model came out within a couple months. </p>

<p>@ Keith.... I mostly use B+W filters. The 77mm MCR variety for the 24-70 was about $150 when I bought it for our Canon 24-70. Even then, a UV filter is a piece of glass that alters the originally engineered optics. I had a friend send in a Nikon 70-200 VR lens because of soft images. Nikon said the lens was fine. I told him to take the UV filter off for one shoot. He did and everything was tack sharp. I am not saying the UV filter is always the issues, but it can cause issues. It's insidious in that you just don't know if it was the UV filter or something else. Eliminating the filter eliminates one potential cause. I do agree that I loathe cheap filters. But even expensive ones can cause issues- just generally less of them.</p>

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<p>You can switch to the new ZE-Zeiss-glasses, then you will have <strong>ALL YOU NEED</strong> for your wedding photography!</p>

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<p>Ha ha! At least you wouldn't have any autofocus issues if you did that. Probably not a helpful choice, though.</p>

 

<p>The grass is always greener on the other side.</p>

<p>Otto,</p>

<p>Yes, it's you, not the camera. I have the 5D also and find the lenses are already sharper than the camera can record (using correct technique and iris). You already have 3 of the best lenses ever made for 35mm SLR cameras.</p>

<p>I looked at your site, and you shoot a often with very shallow depth of field. I think you need to use only the center focus point, focus and reposition for the best focus. Also, a number of your photos have motion blur due to long shutter speeds. They look nice, but don't expect the sharpest images in these cases.</p>

<p>As for color and dreaminess, Nikon, Canon, they're all the same. Only the photographers are different.</p>

<p>When you make the switch, (I just have a feeling you'll do it anyways) let us know how your photography has improved or ...not. I mean really, I'm not using a Nikon, so I could be missing something...</p>

<p>Cameras don't make images, photographers do!</p>

<p>I agree with David Hensler that this was an attempt to get people to look at your site, but that being said, I looked at your site. And I liked it quite a bit. I especially like the ring lit shots of the children. Some real nice stuff in there. As for the comments of things being soft, I don't see much of a problem. In some instances I like the softness and in others, it could be the nature of your site build. I notice that the photo resizes based on the browser window. If not looking at the native resolution it can definitely add softness, perceptual and otherwise. As for the actual question, I shoot with Nikon and am quite happy with it but because of the ergonomics, not the image quality. Good luck.</p>

<p>Otto,<br />Joseph Massimo and Jamie Robertson, they said it all. And I hope that was only a bad dream... And I am believing that You are just playing with us :) Both systems are excellent and You allready have excellent glass. Only Carl Zeiss ZF Lenses will outperform Japanese optics...<br>

But remember: All of those great Prime lenses will outperform sensor's resolution, so don't bother, just go to imaging-resource and compare (noise level) for yourself.<br>

BOTTOM LINE: Stay with Your gear and get monopod for $80 :)</p>

<p>Stick with what you know, stick with what you have. Develop your own skills. Both Canon and Nikon systems are excellent but have much more in common with each other than they are different. Especially considering your lenses you already have. Great stuff.<br>

It's not the tool (unless you routinely need to shoot at ISO 6400/12800 or above), but the photographer that makes the difference.<br>

And I'm a dedicated Nikon guy. Frankly, I don't really care. I just want to be able to use my stuff to it's fullest potential – doesn't matter what brand it is.</p>

<p>I think you should switch.</p>

<p>Then you could just swap gear with one of the people who have recently posted a "Should I switch from Nikon to Canon" thread. It would save both of you a bunch of money in the swapping process.</p>

<p>Best of luck to ya.</p>

<p>Great glass...just upgrade to a 5D2</p>