EOS 1V & 1Ds, is there life after Nikon?

[gary_ferguson1]

After twenty years of Nikon I'm thinking of making the switch from an

F5 and D1x to the EOS 1V and 1Ds. I'd be interested to hear the

impressions of anyone who has trod the same path. What do you miss,

what do you like etc?

 

One specific question on focusing screens, if the standard screen is

replaced by one of the split image/rangefinder screens is the

selected auto focus point still visible? If this sounds like a stupid

question I apologise, but on a Nikon F5 it isn't.

[isaac sibson]

The focus point will still be visible regardless of the screen you use. However, be aware that split-image screens affect metering, and restrict you to centre-weighted or off-centre spot metering.

[jackflesher]

I made the same jump a year ago -- first to the 1VHS and then to the 1D and now the 1Ds.

 

What I miss: Nikon's "D" TTL flash metering is definitely better than Canon's E-TTL metering, which is about as good as "auto"... My F-5's RGB-sensitive meter. Canon's evaluative metering is very good -- equal to the F100's, but not in quite the same league as the F5's RGB Matrix metering, IMVHO.

 

What I like. Everything else! The lenses are superb; the AF is lightning-fast and accurate, and is also programable to different AF points and combinations of points; the bredth of IS lenses; and the fact that now lenses mount and un-mount in the "normal" direction ;)

 

Many focusing screens are available, and I use the EC-D "grid" screens without trouble. The activation lights are in the prism, so you still see them in the VF regardless of which screen you choose. HOWEVER I have heard reports that the screens with microprism or split-image centers mess up the metering and AF operation when the central "spot" is selected for both operations. Apparently the screen is "occluded" in the very center by the microprism or split-RF and that can mess with the AF beam and metering values -- but only when the spot metering is selected and tied to the central spot, and only when the AF is also tied to the central spot only, so most of the time this shouldn't present any issue and you can work around it if need be.

 

Cheers,

[isaac sibson]

The focusing screen in use will not affect AF performance as it is not in the light path to the AF system.

[carl smith]

I am not a switcher, but rather a user of both. Nikons flash system is definately advantageous as long as you stick to straight forward flash. If you use bounce it's hopeless. It's because of this that I consider Canon to be its equal overall. With the large focusing ellipse of the modern Canons, it's fairly easy to keep your focusing point over the subject to allow the flash metering to be biased towards the focusing point. Nikon instead uses the focusing distace, so if you use focus lock and recompose you can have problems with the Canon. Overall, it's not a big problem you just have to get used to whichever system you're using and since I bounce flash a lot the Canon is much better in those conditions.

 

Metering wise, I'm more accustomed to the Canon and find their metering system more reliable to me. But that's because I'm used to it. I'm certain that if I used the metering in the Nikon cameras more often, I'd find it to be the same as the Canon. One of my friends has used both, first a Nikon and then a Canon to try both, for an extended period of time and decided they were about the same. I guess the moral is: you have to pick what's right for you.

[chris_hawkins]

I switched from an F100, N70, 20mm 2.8, 28mm 1.4?, 50mm 1.8, 35-105 F3.5-4.6?, 105 micro, 80-200 AFS to.... EOS IV, D60, 24mm 1.4, 50mm 1.4, 200 macro, 70-200mm IS F2.8, 300mm IS F2.8. My thoughts.... the F100 autofocus speed was much faster than the EOS IV. The autofocus on the D60 is useless. The Nikon controls seems more intuitive. The EOS IV is very noisy. It fits my hand wonderfully. Canon's image stabilized lenses are wonderful and work as advertised.

[carl smith]

Chris, I respect your opinion, but I must say many tests show the F5 slightly better than the EOS 3. My personal experience is that the F100 is about the same as the EOS 3, and that the EOS 1v blows them both out of the water.

[jose_escobar]

THe reason I bought into Cannon were the lenses.

[justin_lee]

Since I made the switch after all my Nikon gear got stolen, there are many things that I miss and like after having used my D60 since last summer.

 

I find the DOF preview button on Canon to be useless. If using a longer lens, you have to move your hand off of the lens to use it, whereas it's just an extention of a figer of your right hand for Nikon. The Canon is so much quieter, though, than the electronic button on the F100, et al.

 

Ergonomically, I personally like the thick(er) coating of rubber on the Nikon bodies over the Canon, along the control placement. The on switch and backlight button right by the shutter release was my personal favourite.

 

I can sing nothing but praises for the Canon 70-200/2.8 IS, I'm enjoying it much more than the 80-200 AFS. I just wish that there 16-35 performed as well as their 70-200. It's no slouch either mind you, the 70-200 just makes it look so soft in comparison.

 

The wireless TTL on their 550ex's is quite nice, although I could just as easily buy a pair of cheap strobes for the price of one 550. I do find their E-TTL annoying whenever I try to recompose an image after focussing. As mentioned earlier, you will have to lock focus then pre-meter with the flash before you recompose your image.

 

Other than that, I found the range and price of lenses available from Canon to be much more attractive. All my friends also have Canon systems, so it makes it much easier to borrow a 550, or EOS-1v when I need to :)

[jay_.]

I made the switch from F5's and F100's to 1V's about 1.5 years ago. Ergonomically and feature-wise the Nikons have it all over the Canons except in 3 areas, 2 of minor importance (45-point AF and ability to use many other lensmounts via adaptors--at the time I had a complete Leica R setup) and one of so much significance it makes the swtich a no-brainer: Image Stabilization. Nikon's just finally started to ship their second VR lens, the first was an ill-conceived mess (no AF-S), while Canon has a large selection of IS lenses, especially the long, fast teles where it's of the most use. In the DSLR realm Nikon's again way behind the curve, heck even Kodak and Fuji have better F-mount DSLR's than Nikon themselves. The 1Ds is a real tour-de force. Of course the same camera specs will cost under $2K in a couple years ;>)

[gary_ferguson1]

Thank you all for the responses, they're much appreciated.

[yakim_peled1]

Congratulations of making the smart move finally :-)

 

BTW, you are going to buy the 1Ds and 1v ? What for ?

[jemini_joseph]

I'm still a Nikon user and considered this when I was going to buy a long tele. The one and only reason I considered this is the IS lenses. But I found there's no IS lens of my reach.(500 or above) My budget was 2500 dollars. I know 100-400 is a great lens. But when you add TC�s then autofocus won�t work properly. That kills the purpose. So personally for me this didn�t work. EOS 3 is equally good camera like F100. I like the shooting data to be downloaded and kept for reference. EOS 3 doesn�t have this. This is not very important. Mirror lockup in EOS 3 is definitely a plus. Still F5�s color matrix meter is the best. I�ve done a side by side comparison with F100 and Minolta Maxxum 7. 80-90 % of the time all the three are same. But some cases like white sky and snow mix background of white buildings, F5 was better. Nikons 3D matrix flash never failed for me.

 

I believe Nikon�s color and �3D effect� is better than that of Canon. Leica is even better as we know. If you take Nikon, Canon and Leica 85mm lenses (best of them) and take same portraits, I belive Leica will be the number one and then Nikon. Wooo, I forgot this is Canon forum. Please don�t jump on me.

 

I�m still considering Canon, because they are always running ahead of Nikon for technology. So used digital camera will be more affordable with Canon in near future.

 

Hey I�m also kinda trapped by brand addiction. After all who�s not ??? So it will be a hard decision for me. I�ll tell you, if Minolta make an IS lens with AF-S then I would rather switch to Minolta because of the affordability. Besides I found metering is par with Nikon or Canon

 

Attaching a pic taken with F5�s aperture priority mode. Camera does the metering. Does EOS 3 will do the same? I�m not challenging. Just asking. I know F100 have to adjust 1/3 or 2/3 stops. EOS 3 is same?<div></div>

[dwimble_photo]

Well, I don't know about the affect on the EOS 1V or 1Ds, but according to Canon the interchangable focusing screens do NOT affect metering or AF on the EOS-3. Here is the text from Canon technical support that I just received the other day...

 

*** Thank you for your inquiry. The different focusing screens available for the EOS 3 does not effect the metering or the autofocusing of the camera.

 

Thank you for choosing Canon. ***

 

I'm glad to hear it because I really wanted to change out the screen but didn't want it to jack with my AF or metering.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Dwimble