Why did you choose Nikon?

[knox_bulman]

Thank you all for sharing your reasons for buying a Nikon. It has been a very interesting read.

 

Like many of you, I am looking for a camera that fits me. My old Ricoh XRPs and the dozen lenses I had (I recently sold them on ebay) were an extension of me. I learned every quirk those bodies and lenses had. I knew how much the meter was off with each body/lens combo and adjusted the apeture ring accordingly to dial-in a perfect exposure (my view of what that was). Too many times I read that this camera or that camera meter is off and to steer clear of it. Wrong! I liken a meter that is off to your gas gauge in your car. When the needle is at the halfway mark is it truly half empty (full)? It is just a gauge. If you want to really know, measure it yourself. So it is with me and my camera. I am constantly testing the thing to be dialed in so when that photo opportunity comes along, I can react naturally and capture a great photo.

[joe_zammarelli]

I was an old Pentax guy, left serious photography for a score of years, got back into it when I received a digital camera as a gift, and recently found a Nikon EM, with lens, in a pawn shop for $50. I've since bought three EMs and an FM2n. Why? They are cheap and rugged.

 

Going forward, I'm looking at other Nikons so that I can use the same lenses.

 

I like the controls on Canon's line better, but not THAT much better. One is as good as another and I'm becoming invested in Nikon.

 

bon chance

[joe tarrant]

Because... I wanted an SLR that's as good as my Olympus Mju-II (alias Stylus Epic). :-)

[steve_ql]

The maker of the F2 just happened to be Nikon.

I would have gotten the F2 regardless of who

made it because it's the best mechanical SLR

out there.

[todd peach seattle, washi]

I made my choice as a teenager in the 1970's. There was a lot of competition out there, with well-supported SLR camera lines from Canon, Nikon, Minolta, Olympus, Pentax, Konica and I think even Contax/Yashica at the time. I had some dreams of being a PJ, so I looked at what the PJs in my area were shooting. It was all Nikon. Reasoning that I wanted to have compatible gear with my peers / competition, and that I wanted a fertile rental / re-sale market, I chose Nikon.

 

Inertia has kept me here. I now enjoy shooting a mixed bag of old manual focus stuff and newer AF stuff. Nikon has done a good job of maintaining the compatibility of the F-mount, notwithstanding a few potholes.

 

If you're truly not leaning towards any brand, I'd apply the same sort of logic: where you live, what brands are well supported? Can you rent exotic lenses? A spare body? Can you get repairs locally? Among your peers / friends, what are they shooting? Can you borrow stuff from them? In most parts of the USA, Canon and Nikon are the logical answers that fit those criteria. So then you just choose what feels best to you.

[kevin mayo]

Back around 1980 I was deciding on a new SLR system. I debated long and hard between the Olympus ON2n, the Canon F1n and the F3. I settled on the OM2n. 10 or 12 years later the lenes where breaking down the springs were worn out. Meanwhile I had picked up a Ftn and a 50 f2.0 non ai which was about 15 years older than the Olympus and still worked great. So I switched to Nikon because of the build quality. I aslo wear glasses and the eye relief makes a huge difference in the usability of the cameras. I have the F3 now.

Kevin

[sliu]

When I shopped for my first camera (a digital P&S) four years ago, I was looking for a Leica branded Fuji. It looked cool on the web. However, at the counter, the saleman told me Nikon Coolpix 800 is better for my budget ($600), so I got it. The image quality is great for a 2MP camera, especially color balance. It served me four years and died a few months ago due to electronic failure.

<p>

My second and third cameras are Nikon F and Nikkormat bought on this forum. They are 100% mechanical and work smoothly. The Nikkor lenses are great. And these cameras look elegant themselves.

<p>

<img src="image?bboard_upload_id=13206684">

<p>

If I plan to buy a DSLR, I think I will get a Canon based on my experience with the reliability of Nikon electronics.

<p>

[ilkka_nissila]

S., you're joking to think that a valid generalisation can be made from your one sample experience of a 2 MP digicam to digital SLRs made by Nikon. These digicams are made as a thing-of-the moment, not for extended use (and I can assure you that it's true of the other makers as well). It's way beyond obsolete anyway.

 

I've used 10 or so Nikon bodies, shot 40000 exposures with them, and not one of them has had any problems which prevented their use. The F100 had a contact problem with the meter selector switch.

[sliu]

<i>

The F100 had a contact problem with the meter selector switch.

</i>

<p>

You can still shoot F100 if there is a electronic problem, but for a digital camera, electronic problem is usually fatal. It is not about obsoleteness but usability. I don't want to buy a new camera every four years. Were my coolpix still alive, I would be very happy to use it.

[ilkka_nissila]

S., a digital camera is designed to be replaced every few years just like film. Usually a digital camera can be used for more pictures than the equivalent amount of money would have paid for film and processing. That's all it's meant to do. If you don't like the idea of that, don't buy consumer-oriented products. I'm sure that a D1X would have lasted longer.

[david_h._hartman]

S. LIU,<br>

<br>

You are comparing two hand assembled manual SLR(s). SLR(s) that

were built to last a life time and that were built to

professional standards to one cheap consumer digicam. This is

hardly a significant sample. <br>

<br>

The SLR(s) you mention have survived the test of time with many

of there comrades. The meter in my Nikkormat FTn died in two

weeks. Nikon in Torrance took two tries to fix it back in 1970. I

didnt change my decision on the Nikon system based on one

failure. I recommend that you not base yours on one either. I

have a friend whos first digicam was a Canon in it was in

the shop many times.<br>

<br>

Many manufactured goods have fallen in quality since the sixties

and seventies. Price is unfortunately valued by many above

quality and performance. I recommend that you consider the lenses

that you own and how they would perform with a Nikon v. a Canon

DSLR.<br>

<br>

There is an adapter for Nikkors on a Canon EOS SLR or DSLR but its

fully manual no-meter linkage or electronics and full manual

aperture, no auto-aperture, not even a preset type aperture

device. If you have few Nikkors this many not be important.

Depending on which AF Nikkors you buy most are backwardly

compatible with the cameras you own.<br>

<br>

Anyway I recommend that you base your decision on which DSLR to

buy based on more than one bad experience. Also since you clearly

prefer better quality save a lot of money and buy a professional

model DSLR in any system choose.<br>

<br>

Best,<br>

<br>

Dave Hartman.

[andre_m._smith]

Whenever I enter a field new to me (e.g., music instrument, audio, automobile, photography, etc.) I always look to the experience of others for my initial guidances. This I did in the early nineties, when I decided to make the leap from Pentax Spotmatic F (in use since 1974) to something more versatile.

 

My friends in the photo departments of Columbia University, The New York Hospital, Cornell University Medical College, and the Hospital for Special Surgery (all in New York City) all were using Nikon FM2 with various lenses needed for their exacting work. So, I bought FM2. As a companion piece, I bought an FM3a in 2004.

 

When I first visited the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory in February 2006, http://www.shao.ac.cn/home.htm the junior astronomer escorting me around the unit was interested to see my camera closely. "Oh, FM2; that's what we use for our astrophotography."

 

I was quite taken aback to hear that, of all the world's cameras to which it had ready access, the national observatory had chosen an FM2 to attach to the base of its optical telescope. http://www.shao.ac.cn/faci.htm

[avisualemotion]

<p>This is really funny somehow I find back my post in this thread from 2004. You know I am still using Nikon stuff and I am so happy with it. Even after moving to digital I keeping going with Nikon. First I had F80 that F100 (both for sale ;-) and now with D300.</p>

<p>Still the same reason, camera does what I need and doesn't disturbed me from taking pictures. That is for me a great body.</p>

<p>Richard Vanek<br /> </p><div></div>