austin_calhoon Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 We have all had our ups and downs with Nikon, constantly waiting for new products, but there is something that just draws me back to my camera and lenses. I have considered selling my equipment and purchasing a Blad system, but I just can't seem to do it. The best thing about a Nikon is the feel, of course, but what is that one thing about your camera and lenses that make you never want to switch to Can*n or any other brand? For me its the lcd illumination control right where I need it on my F5, the rubber covering that always seems to come loose, and the scratches all over the top of the finder. More so it's knowing that the camera will never fail me, no matter how bad I treat it. What do you love about yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 I went from Exakta to Nikon. I needed removable viewfinders; and a full system camera. My Exakta had its film plane not parallel to the lens flange. I had a bad camera body. This resulted in hit or miss sharp shots; when using wide open lenses. I had some real weird lenses for the Exakta; like a homemade 189mm F4.5 2 element Edmund Achromat; with cardboard tube and T-mount. Also a Brute 178mm F2.5 Aero Ektar in Exakta mount.............This was before the original Canon F-1 was around. I didnt have alot of money; and wanted to use a camera system that would be around awhile. I chose Nikon over Topcon; this required a new lens mount; some of my T-4 lenses got new adapters; and were used on the Nikon stuff. I love that many of this old stuff still is usable today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ky2 Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 I've come across Nikon-related posts every now and then, suggesting the move to Canon or elsewhere... Well, I've gone the opposite way; Had a full EOS/3 system, and moved to own a Fuji S2 Pro, which is essentially Nikon-based (and which is a great camera on its own). On top of that, I carry a manual FM3A (which I truly adore) as a backup. My fellows Nikoners-- the grass is always greener on whichever system you don't have. Le#ca lenses are always better, and Can#n, oh they have all those wonderful ultra-telephoto USM lenses with IS, right? They are all machines, made by humans btw. None are perfect, none will ever be. The Nikon lenses I have are all comparable to their Canon counterparts; Yes, my EOS/3 was better in AF, but I like Nikon's interface better (one hand does it all). Oh yes, and that FM3A being able to use all these lenses... nothing like that on Canon, right? Oops. G lenses. What do I love? Damn, that FM3A feels FINE. And that N80 body has spot meters, and a juicy interface. No Zeiss glass, No IS on every telephoto though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austin_calhoon Posted February 25, 2003 Author Share Posted February 25, 2003 Perhaps the best thing about Nikon is they do not always have the "lastest inovention". Personally i think IS and VR are great tools, but could be just another thing to malfunction. Is a 45 point AF great? Yes, but not everyone needs it. I can't think of the last time I even used AF. Nikons always wait to see problems develop and then learn from others. Many times all these "ground-breaking" technological advances seem to only get in the way of creating great photographs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_jordan3 Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 Funny to see this topic come up, I've recently started building a Hasselblad system...but am doing it little by little as I have not/will not part with my Nikon gear to raise the cash more quickly! Functionally, for me, it's the backwards compatability of the lenses (I still like to use older bodies)...emotionally, pure brand loyalty started from an early age. My Dad owns 40 year old bodies and lenses that still work perfectly...who knows how well today's models will hold up, but I always feel like I can buy with confidence anytime I add to my system. They make great stuff that's not cheap...but not out of reach either. I know plenty of others who have similar sentiments for Canon...Leica...etc...it's always an interesting discussion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel_becker1 Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 I think it is just personal history. The very first "real" camera Iever touched and used was my grandfather's Nikkormat FTn. I have apicture of my grandfather on the QEII in 1970. The FTn is around hisneck.I use that camera today, with the same primes he used. It gives megreat images (at least, to the extent of my own personal ability), noworse than the AF Nikon gear I also own.When I got back in to photography as an adult, I took a short lookaround. Canon had a slight tech edge on Nikon, but the image quality isalways comparable, and I had friends with good experience with certainused Nikon bodies. Couple that with the lens compatibility to the FTn,and I was sold. I've never regretted that decision.About the only thing I regret is that all new lenses will be 'G'lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 All in all, I think of Nikon as a eccentric but accomplished old fellow with many idiosycacies but just as many charms. Canon I think of as a rich and spoiled brat who earned little but could afford much, who throws around crass spin as if it were profound truth, and money as if it were to class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_youngs Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 I like Nikon's manual focus line and have a Nikon FE2 with a 24/2.8 lens. It just feels very comfortable and simple to use, and it serves me well. I'm not taken with all things Nikon - I had an F80-based auto focus setup which I didn't like before going back to the FE2 - but I do like how Nikon continues to release products like the FM3A and 45/2.8P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 Funny thread; I use my 1950's Leica Thread Mount Nikkor lenses on my Leica M3; and dont worry if they are not Matrix chipped; AI'd; or auto focused. Canon was not in the limelight as an slr in the mid 1960's; but came of age around the Olympics of 1972. Canon's original slr of 1959; had the lens mount semi major revision around 1963; in which alot of the breech locks were slightly changed. My pro neighbor like the Nikon brand; because the abandonment of most Canon lenses in 1963 was not so cool; the newer FD series would last; until abandoned to re start the EOS line. <BR><BR>I like that Nikon doesnt tend to orphan lens lines. Canon has changed it slr mount 3 times since 1959. Canon is a good soild brand; with good lenses. They fired the old design; and started afresh. If EOS needs to be dumped; I would not bother me if the entire EOS line is dumped; to make a new progressive series of digital camera lenses. Their bloodline is it is ok to restart afresh; and a dump the old obsolete designs. My 1959 preset F series Nikkor lens will work on many 2003 Nikon cameras; this maybe is viewed as historical; or as an advantage. Canon is good for Nikon; the two improve the development of good cameras. The giant diameter Canon EOS mount is nice and robust with the plastic lens mounts. My 1960's dinky Exakta lens mount seems only 1.2 the diameter; and would never work in plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaheer_sattar Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 Art doesn't seem to find perfect artists for it will lead to the very demise of it.13 yrs back i started off with a Yashica fx3 super, then got a Nikon FE2 to hang around for free from an uncle, couldn,t develop a taste of it. then into canon line for years from AEs to EOS3.Canon can boast for their F1 & F1n and very rightly so but U got to be old enough (with the camera) to appreciate Nikon, when u begin to value the the word "loyalty", thats the time u begin to value Nikon.Its loyalty to its lense-line. Its not about cuutting edge techs for which Canon definitely wins, its about the core. Sooner or later i ll be opting to Nikon F line when i have the money.... zaheer sattar Pakistan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_hawkins Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 As a guy who switched from Nikon to Canon due to Canon's Image Stabilization lenses, here are my observations.....1) The F100 / 80-200 F2.8 AFS has superior autofocus speed relative to EOS 1V / 70-200 F2.8 IS.2) Nikon's flash system is easier to understand than Canon's3) Nikon's 105mm F2.8 micro is a sweet sweet lens.4) The D60 allows fine images to be produced, but the autofocus is absolutely useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rendy_setiadjie Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 As a new user of Canon EOS after move from Nikon :1. Nikon is easier to get lenses or accessories everywhere in the world2. Nikon is The best Flash metering system compare to other brands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 I'll give an answer that will shock a lot of people. The main reason I have been using Nikon since 1977 is the superb compatibility Nikon has been providing. My first SLR was a Minolta, but back in the 1970's Nikon was the dominant SLR manufacturer. So I switch in 1977, which also happened to be the year Nikon introduced AI. My first lens was a 43-86 zoom, which I still own and it works on my D100 but without metering. I have actually taken a few pictures with that combination although I normally don't use that old lens any more. It is pretty poor in today's standards. Over the years I moved from the Nikkormat FT3 to FE/FE2, N8008/F4, F5, F100 and finally D100. At each point my lenses bought within the last few years are always compatible with the new body I get. Personally I think the demand to use the latest VR/G lens on an FM2/FM3a which is based on a design from 25 years ago is quite unreasonable; I have no such needs. I still own the F4 but I don't use it any more because I by far prefer the modern dials on my F5, F100 and D100. But even my 24-85 G works in the F4. So compatibility is the primary reason I am staying with Nikon. To me, it is very strange that is the one thing people are complaining about Nikon recently. If Nikon has any drawbacks, you can argue that it is slower than Canon in introducing some new technologies. But to me VR is not that important. Nikon is actually quite advanced in DSLRs and is working with Kodak and Fuji to provide more options such as the 14n and S2. That is a very important advantage in the digital age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h._p. Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 I moved from Nikon, which I have used on and off since 1969, to Canon simply because I happened to try an Eos 5 in a shop and was impressed with how quiet it was and how light on my shoulder. Now that I no longer take pictures to sell, I don't need the Nikon strength of build, nor the concommitant weight and noise. BUT if I were going back into the business, I'd go out and buy an F4 with an F for backup. So far as my personal experience goes, these are the alpha and omega of Nikon development. What's more, I could be pretty certain that if they looked in good order and sounded sweet they'd handle many thousands of rolls without trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_rubenstein___nyc Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 After almost 20 years with Pentax I moved to Nikon 4 years ago. I wanted up to date AF in a body I could trust, and still be able to use MF bodies with one set of lenses. The F100 is everything I want from a modern camera. The N80 is perfect for a light weight carry around camera. The FE2 is a great MF body and I'm waiting to get a *bay F3 in the mail. Great used lenses are plentiful, if not always cheap. I don't look anywhere else for anything better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl smith Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 As a heavy user of both Canon and Nikon, for me its sentimental attachment. The Canon has a lot more bizarre features, like 45 AF points, etc, but that can be turned off at times and at others is great. AFS and USM have never broken for me, but i have had manual lenses jam. It's 6 on one side, half a dozen on the other. What keeps me from leaving Nikon AF entirely is that when it's available, it gives me a nostalgic feeling, because the first camera I used seriously was a Nikkormat FTn. That and their system is well built and has a good set of important features. I'm not sure I can say one is truly better than another though, Canon EOS has won me over, but I still use Nikon manual cameras quite a bit, and less so their AF gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig_bridge Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 30+ years of glass accumulation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 Call me a heretic but I don't have a love affair with my Nikon gear. They are simply excellent tools that I appreciate and enjoy working with. I switched last year from a longtime use of Canon FD gear to Nikon manual focus only because I needed a perspective correction lens for an architectural project and Nikon's are the most affordable lenses that compromise nothing in optical or construction quality. Besides, my Canon gear wasn't aging gracefully and I didn't need the tilt feature of their tilt/shift lenses. Even before switching systems I considered using my existing Olympus OM gear for the architecture project. I already have a few good Zuikos and tried a couple of 35/2.8 Zuiko shift lenses. However the Zuiko shift lens design is unreliable - it relies solely on friction to hold the shift and as the lens ages the shifted front section slips around. And the lens is not the outstanding optical performer that most Zuikos are. Still, I'm rather fond of the OM system and every time I consider trading it or selling it to finance another bit of Nikon gear I find myself unable to part with it. It remains my favorite camera for casual use. Besides the functionality of my Nikon gear I appreciate the air of professionalism it lends when I approach an important project. While I could shoot a wedding just as well wearing jeans and a tee-shirt, presenting an appropriate appearance is important. With Nikon gear I feel no need to explain why I use it, as tho' there were something better that I couldn't afford. It is simply as good as a camera system gets. Anything considered "better" by photo-elitists would be far more expensive for any perceived fractional gain in performance. I like it for the same reason I like pickup trucks and Mercedes turbodiesel sedans and don't care for SUVs and Lexus. Either a thing fits you or it doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penforhire Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 I started with Nikon because all-those-years-ago they had the reputation for durability. And I think the rep was deserved. Now, unlike many apparently well-paid pros here, I can't afford to buy glass for a different system. The current reason is functionally identical to why I'll probably never own an Apple computer. I'm invested in Windows-OS software. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel_becker1 Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 I apologize for my entry above. My web browser appears to have messed it up quite horribly. I don't often write run-on paragraphs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john lehman, college alask Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 Shun Cheng has an excellent point; for the same reason I am Nikon's nightmare non-revenue-generating customer. I bought a new FE-2 plus 2 lenses in 1983 to replace my 1970 Pentax Spotmatic. I still use it, and do not plan to upgrade to a newer body, since I don't have any need for autofocus, matrix metering, automatic fill-flash, etc. Since then as the folks who need the latest model to carress have upgraded and sold their almost unused MF stuff, I have bought used spare bodies and MF lenses for relatively little money. Changing 35mm camera systems wouldn't improve my pictures; I also have medium and large format systems (also all used except for a new Shen Hao), but they can't replace 35mm for many applications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beau 1664876222 Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 I think for me it's two features of the FE2: the needle meter and the huge range of shutter speeds. I need a meter in the camera, and I want to pan around and see how far above or below different things are. At a glance you see the aperture, shutter, and where the meter thinks they belong. You can actually FEEL where the exposure should be without thinking. Other kinds of meters just insult me. Also I really use the range of speeds from 1/4000 to several minutes. It's funny- I got my FE2 as a present when I was a teenager, and it went all over the world with me and took a lot of pictures because it was what I had. Then when I started making real money I shopped around for Leicas, AF cameras, etc., but they all seemed either too primitive or too complicated in comparison to the old Nikon. It didn't surprise me that Nikon has had huge success re-introducing the FE2 as the FM3a, because it really is the perfect design for a lot of styles of photography. So here I am with the same camera since the late 80's, and nary a negative shot with anything else. In that respect I'm even more of a nightmare customer than the guy above-- I've never purchased a camera, new or used, in my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas_green1 Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 Ironically, because of the "Nightmare Customers" who only buy used gear, and never buy any of the newer lenses, Nikon is beginning to toss out the old loyalty, and moving toward the same planned obsolesence strategy as Canon and others. It is already pervasive in their consumer products (G-Lenses, N55, N65 and N80 that don't meter with AI lenses, etc.) This has even happened in some of the Pro-class digital bodies like the D-100, which, is based on the N80, rather than the F-100. I suspect that they are on the verge of killing the Golden Goose, as I HONESTLY BELIEVE that the only reason that the D1x and D1H are still the Digital tools of choice among pros is their ability to use AI and AIS glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_stevens Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 This is going to sound bad but, one of the main things I love about Nikon is the 'prestige' of the F cameras. There was a time when I shot hundreds of rolls per week, so of course there was a functional reason to that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueisland Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 To be honest I don't love any camera. Yes I like them but at the end of the day its a tool and not much more. I keep using nikon because, well its a great camera, but more accurately because I have built up a nice collection of primes and wouldn't want to start doing it again, at least not for a long while yet. At the end of the day I'd be just as happy using a Canon or a Leica or even those brands that many scowl at such as Pentax, Minolta etc. Whats important is photography, the subjects, the moment, being there,; not what camera I happen to use to capture it with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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