Why choose Nikon?

[Avatar]

Andy,

I am sure it is an isolated case. I am not certain if you had noticed that there are many NatGeo photographers who are on the Nikon system, many of which are people who trekked thru thick jungles and in area of high humidity.

Well, I don't expect my F5 to be able to save my life by blocking a bullet but in retrospective, it does live up to many knocks, drops and bad weather conditions, this is the quality and reliability I expect from it. The last "harsh condition" it underwent was under rather heavy snowing condition in Germany, mounted with an AF-S 70-200. The whole setup was literally covered with melting snowflakes while I was eating in a diner, all I did was to wipe the water off and continue with my trip. Not only did it survive, it literally went on shooting without much care from me.

As for my D100, the roughest trip I brought it along was the one I mentioned above. Yup, it survived and is going strong despite the high humidity condition in the woods there. I was on a 5-day trip btw

No comments on the G-lens thingy but from what I understand, Nikon isn't doing away with the aperture ring design yet. It is just that some of these new lenses are built in such a way. No trouble for me though, the D1 and hopefully D2 series are still able to utilise the older lenses, that's a-ok for me

Originally posted by Andy Ho
Hi Avatar,

Thanks for your reply. Deep down in my heart, I really really wished mine was an isolated case. I loved Nikon cameras and I think I can't dispute that I loved the brand first before the camera. I've heard about it's reliability and durability from old timers, and read how war journalists was saved by his Nikon during the Vietnam war. But after the few incidence of my camera failing on me, my faith in Nikon was totally shattered. I really do hope Nikon would buck up in that area.

One reason why I gave up my Canon system for a Nikon was more for the fact that I can use my manual lenses on AF body and AF lenses on mechanical body. Now with G lenses, including new AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 G ED coming up, and cameras not being able to take manual lenses with metering capability (D100, F80...), my faith was even more shattered. Will Nikon totally remove the benefits of full compatibility with manual and autofocus lenses on their newer range of cameras to come, whether pro or amatuer range remains a big question mark.

I guess I should just stick to a trusty FM2n or FM3A and forget about AF cameras. Don't you guys think the feeling of a manual lens on mechanical camera to be the most exciting?

Btw, is the D100 really that tough to go through high humidity situation? I mean looking at the memory card cover being so flimsy, will it end up short circuiting my camera? I really do not wish to put down my photography just because it rains.

Thanks, and regards.

Andy Ho
http://andyho.clubsnap.org/gallery/

 

[ckiang]

Originally posted by Avatar
Not really, though there is a paper difference of 1/20, I find the fill flash with the D100 to be more consistent over the D60/10d's though its lowest ISO rating is at 200. Simply put, the evaluative metering works better, though I must say it does have its quirk under difficult/complex lighting. For fill flash, it is a charm to use.

Unfortunately Nikon users (myself included), trying to fill flash in bright daylight with wide open apertures is next to impossible. F100, F5, D1series all can do FP Sync, but without TTL.

Regards
CK

 

[Avatar]

Originally posted by ckiang
Unfortunately Nikon users (myself included), trying to fill flash in bright daylight with wide open apertures is next to impossible. F100, F5, D1series all can do FP Sync, but without TTL.

Regards
CK

Ckiang, you can and I have been doing it very often. One good method is to use -1.5 to -1.7EV, dependent on your position, it is not a magic number but somehow it works very well in broad daylight. Actually, the -1.7EV thingy is a "method" employed by the late Galen Rowell, it is something that can be categorised as surefire if you ask me. Try it, it works pretty well with or without an omnibounce device.

Another good method I find useful is to use common sense, the tilt on your SB-80DX can come in handy in tight room situations where you want to lessen the harshness of your flash. To me, the fill flash is way more consistent than the Canon implmentation, at least it is so when compared apple to apple with cameras of the same range

As for FP TTL, well, if you look closer, non even the other brand is providing true TTL with flashes over the standard X-sync flair, frank opinions from a few of the users I know is that it is a "hit-and-run" kind of thing, inconsistent is another way to put it. For what it is worth, I find this truly useful only for really close (and really fast) objects that you wanna capture in motion and in reality, other than that the 1/500 on the D1 series is more than ample for the majority of my flash photography work, as with the 1/180 on the D100.

No system is perfect, and to think otherwise is really a big mistake. Just my 2-stop worth

 

[denizenx]

think digital. think chimping.

but true right?

 

[ckiang]

Originally posted by Avatar
Ckiang, you can and I have been doing it very often. One good method is to use -1.5 to -1.7EV, dependent on your position, it is not a magic number but somehow it works very well in broad daylight. Actually, the -1.7EV thingy is a "method" employed by the late Galen Rowell, it is something that can be categorised as surefire if you ask me. Try it, it works pretty well with or without an omnibounce device.

Another good method I find useful is to use common sense, the tilt on your SB-80DX can come in handy in tight room situations where you want to lessen the harshness of your flash. To me, the fill flash is way more consistent than the Canon implmentation, at least it is so when compared apple to apple with cameras of the same range

As for FP TTL, well, if you look closer, non even the other brand is providing true TTL with flashes over the standard X-sync flair, frank opinions from a few of the users I know is that it is a "hit-and-run" kind of thing, inconsistent is another way to put it. For what it is worth, I find this truly useful only for really close (and really fast) objects that you wanna capture in motion and in reality, other than that the 1/500 on the D1 series is more than ample for the majority of my flash photography work, as with the 1/180 on the D100.

No system is perfect, and to think otherwise is really a big mistake. Just my 2-stop worth

I mean, in bright daylight, and at say, f/2.8 to f/4, I get shutter speeds of > 1/500 or more at ISO 100-200. And this is beyond what even m F100 can do (1/250), let alone the D100 (1/180) I do know about the "Galen Rowell" figure, it works well when your shutter speed is within limit, but not over.

You are using D1X, not so much of a problem.

Regards
CK

 

[Sin]

"Why choose Nikon?"
"Why choose Canon?"
"Why choose leica?"
"Why choose christianity?"
"Why choose Buddhism?"
"Why choose Islam?"
"Why choose Hinduism?"
"Why choose judaism?"
"why choose to have a religion?"
"why choose that woman? Why not choose that other woman?"
"why choose women for wife? Why not choose man?"
"why choose to live? why not just die?"
"why choose english? why not use chinese? why not use malay?"
"why use computer? why not use pen and paper?"

:dunno:

 

[sehsuan]

I respect Nikon, for being more "traditional" in their camera's layouts, but I'd choose Canon anytime because of the more "techified" layout. I have a preference for more... something that borders technicality and all-the-info-at-a-glance, so that's why. But then again, both vendors have an arsenal of so many lens to choose from... so they're both ok to me. Just a little extra for Canon, for the modern sophisticated look.

 

[cyke]

When I posted this thread, I was expecting good content, not something to swing me towards buying a Nikon, but a fair discussion of the pros and cons. My expectations were certainly met - thanks everyone!

Now I'm doing a serious comparison between the Coolpix 5700 and the Minolta 7Hi.

 

[kongg]

The "old" image of Nikon gives the brand a sense of timelessness and mystique.

 

[Nescafe]

Originally posted by kongg
The "old" image of Nikon gives the brand a sense of timelessness and mystique.

THANK YOU kongg!! You are such great help... I finally figure howcome I do have a Nikon camera in my dry cabi. Yes, its classic NIKON logo is so timeless and it's engraved beautifully, not by silk-screening. But then again, it's a NIKON S2, year produced: 1954.

 

[randomwalk]

For a Kwannon (EOS 1v) user like me, I use a Nikon manual system as backup. Go figure!

 

[jtnet]

have anyone tried dropping the cameras into water?

Haha ! I had ! Both Nikon & Canon - slip my hands and both into ophir's square pool.

:bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

and both system survive the ordeal.
but must say that canon dry up faster than nikon

the only differences is that canon need to send in for service abt 6 months after the trip but F90 is still clicking till date! Other than this instant, they are both still working camera. - still using them now.

Brand? i think all is abt the same, is the photographer that makes the big different. - and the level of comfort in individual hands ofcourse. I've been a Nikon User since day one, it hasn't fail me even once, so not even thinking of switching system

As for Andy, i certainly think yours is an isolated case. I'm one who is rough with my camera, (if U see it U know) taking picts even in rain yet it still didn't fail me Furthermore , yours is a F5 . Don be :bheart: yet!

 

[boochap]

Some Canon cameras have been to Mount Everest 2 years ago

http://www.everest.org.sg/Sponsors/sponsors.html

never know IXUS series can withstand such temperature

only 2 yrs ago?

baypaiseh ar... :blah:

OM1 already got to the everest and then the space 30yrs ago...hahaa

 

[boochap]

IS/VR/AFS/USM/9000fps/USM/IS/DO/45000000 point or whatsoever... u really need all these craps to take a good photograph? a small handy video cam probably do a better job, and cleaner. could anybody recall what ansel adam used to shot?

 

[acetylcholine]

i know no one's gotta like this but this thread is a total waste of time and useless. If u have the mood and time for typing so much, go practise yr shots.

this equipment thing is so superficial and materialistic. more of comparing who's ego is bigger.

is photography a compairison of egos or the size of lens ? if so, sorry i am in the wrong hobby.

 

[espn]

i know no one's gotta like this but this thread is a total waste of time and useless. If u have the mood and time for typing so much, go practise yr shots.

this equipment thing is so superficial and materialistic. more of comparing who's ego is bigger.

is photography a compairison of egos or the size of lens ? if so, sorry i am in the wrong hobby.

Dude.. somebody's trying to start a war... just leave it be

 

[acetylcholine]

Dude.. somebody's trying to start a war... just leave it be

point noted

 

[ahbeng]

Nikon has the best system -> 'during vietnam war'

 

[F5user]

Ok...

A very touchy subject here.....

Let me say that firstly, i'm have been both a canon and a nikon user, but am a med format, and a native OMer, and use the 4ti to shoot when i'm not at work.

Working in the media and journalism industry within the US and SEA (cnbc) for the past 25 yrs or so, i've seen constant use of both systems within my colleagues on the field, so wanted to give my 2cents worth here.

Ok.. so, nikon or canon... hmm

So far, Nikon tends to rule in many users' minds when it comes to manual cameras and this imo, is true, being used extensively during the korean war till today. (yes today) in the field, recently used during the Gulf conflict.

Let me first praise Canon, canon rulezzzzz when it comes to digital tech.. that's a no-brainer.. and will continue to rule in this field till nikon does indeed pull up its socks other than introducing cheapo made in thailand/indonesia/china D70s and dx lenses. (ran through 3 d70s already) whereas even the EOS Digital Rebel (the 300d here in asia)'s still made in japan, with lenses from the kit from taiwan. Apart from the ittl flash tech offered by nikon, that's it.. nothing else seems good... amateur buffer, so so af.. etc etc. Currently i use the markII for all my sports assignments.

HOWEVER... i would like to put a few comments to a few of the previous posts on the F5 and the EOS 1 cameras.

Personally, i've battered F4s and then, the F5s till they've literally died in my arms.. and that was after at least after 900 000 exposures under heavy & intense journalistic use in the field (company fixes a counter onto each issues camera). The F4s were not as solid as the F5s, and so far, even under intense use, the F5 has never ever ever failed me and my colleagues.. yes.. the eos 1v, is weather sealed, and so on so forth.. however, open the camera up and look at it.. the 1 is still 60% plasticy with most of the crucial componants being made of "risky" feeling composites...

Personally, i've had BOTH the 1 N and 1 V hs fail on me in the field, and on my family outings with both these cameras' rewind forks BREAKING!!! So, imagine... had to run BACK to the press van to get access to a dark room to get the film out.. sigh.... Further checks with the technical dept from the company i was with revealed that the 1V was essentially not built to take the whacking and hacking of everyday press use. HUmidity and extreme heat, the circuitry failed with most of the units issued for assignments lasting more than a month. Thus, The eos 1s, including the 1vs were sadly restricted to the sports arena (prior to the digital revolution that is). Imagine as a photojournalist, u're in the midst of rushing an assignment and getting a roll jammed in your camera. You have no other way of extracting it but to send the camera to a lab, missing the fedex truck, or the camera itself back to the head office for press distribution, 1 less body.

Canon does excel in its lenses in terms of their teles and zooms... but well, you do pay for what you get...honestly blowups on canon and nikon lenses of all ranges are in my opinion on par for press jobs, with the nikon lenses excelling due to its cost and hardiness, limited to the cheapo AFs models out now.. sadly.. Canon lenses tend to be sharper due to their imo, superior coating. However, this coating "dies" in blotches after perhaps 1 yr of heavy usage.. sadly, causing once again most canon equipment to be junked for the sports press dept.

Ok... what's my point here? I just wanted to pt out that, The nikon system beats HANDS DOWN the canon systems in durability in terms of everyday work use, and i believe, this is more than enough to justify the slight quality difference seen by many.

To back up this point, take a look at some facts gathered in the field for the last decade.

1. The F5 was the camera of choice released earlier to press photographers to cover the conflicts within Bosnia, and the Rwandan crisis in the late 90s.
2. The F4 was the official camera to cover the gulf war in 91.
3. National Geographic currently has 80% of its photographers utilizing a hybrid version of the F5 (without the built in motor, but with the rgb sensor) for shots in Humid , and -30deg C locations. (Dec 03 issue 8)
4. Canon Rules in ALL sports arenas, with their digital technology.. =)
5. Nikon Rulez in all other arenas with their film tech, and lense durability.
6. The F5 is the only camera with an 80% non plastic material composition.
7. Current cameras used by both the US military and major journalistic companies for on the field assignments are hybrid D1h and 2s with advanced wireless integration for "on the fly" transmission via cellular tech to waist worn satellite systems for beaming pictures direct to the main studio, or press collection vehicle.

OKok.. enough of this then... why am i doing this? Cause, i won't depend on a Canon for my rice bowl, no way... and for long assignments, Nikon has continued to save my butt in so many ways where canon has failed. And i believe this post is also a testimonial for all the other international journalists out there, and not just the enthusiat who takes the occassional wedding assignment, and overseas trip to china/other parts of the world.

For those canon users out there who have taken offence, i'm sorry.. but honestly, canon systems dont' last the test of time, something nikon has gone through since the first major world event that saw the invitation of the press. (korean conflict, 1950s)

A parting note: i still carry a MarkII, and a 1V HS to all my sports and non-bread and butter events to shoot. But imo nikon still rulez the journalistic market when it comes to non-sporting press photography guys.


cheers.

 

[boochap]

Ok...

A very touchy subject here.....

Let me say that firstly, i'm have been both a canon and a nikon user, but am a med format, and a native OMer, and use the 4ti to shoot when i'm not at work.

Working in the media and journalism industry within the US and SEA (cnbc) for the past 25 yrs or so, i've seen constant use of both systems within my colleagues on the field, so wanted to give my 2cents worth here.

Ok.. so, nikon or canon... hmm

So far, Nikon tends to rule in many users' minds when it comes to manual cameras and this imo, is true, being used extensively during the korean war till today. (yes today) in the field, recently used during the Gulf conflict.

Let me first praise Canon, canon rulezzzzz when it comes to digital tech.. that's a no-brainer.. and will continue to rule in this field till nikon does indeed pull up its socks other than introducing cheapo made in thailand/indonesia/china D70s and dx lenses. (ran through 3 d70s already) whereas even the EOS Digital Rebel (the 300d here in asia)'s still made in japan, with lenses from the kit from taiwan. Apart from the ittl flash tech offered by nikon, that's it.. nothing else seems good... amateur buffer, so so af.. etc etc. Currently i use the markII for all my sports assignments.

HOWEVER... i would like to put a few comments to a few of the previous posts on the F5 and the EOS 1 cameras.

Personally, i've battered F4s and then, the F5s till they've literally died in my arms.. and that was after at least after 900 000 exposures under heavy & intense journalistic use in the field (company fixes a counter onto each issues camera). The F4s were not as solid as the F5s, and so far, even under intense use, the F5 has never ever ever failed me and my colleagues.. yes.. the eos 1v, is weather sealed, and so on so forth.. however, open the camera up and look at it.. the 1 is still 60% plasticy with most of the crucial componants being made of "risky" feeling composites...

Personally, i've had BOTH the 1 N and 1 V hs fail on me in the field, and on my family outings with both these cameras' rewind forks BREAKING!!! So, imagine... had to run BACK to the press van to get access to a dark room to get the film out.. sigh.... Further checks with the technical dept from the company i was with revealed that the 1V was essentially not built to take the whacking and hacking of everyday press use. HUmidity and extreme heat, the circuitry failed with most of the units issued for assignments lasting more than a month. Thus, The eos 1s, including the 1vs were sadly restricted to the sports arena (prior to the digital revolution that is). Imagine as a photojournalist, u're in the midst of rushing an assignment and getting a roll jammed in your camera. You have no other way of extracting it but to send the camera to a lab, missing the fedex truck, or the camera itself back to the head office for press distribution, 1 less body.

Canon does excel in its lenses in terms of their teles and zooms... but well, you do pay for what you get...honestly blowups on canon and nikon lenses of all ranges are in my opinion on par for press jobs, with the nikon lenses excelling due to its cost and hardiness, limited to the cheapo AFs models out now.. sadly.. Canon lenses tend to be sharper due to their imo, superior coating. However, this coating "dies" in blotches after perhaps 1 yr of heavy usage.. sadly, causing once again most canon equipment to be junked for the sports press dept.

Ok... what's my point here? I just wanted to pt out that, The nikon system beats HANDS DOWN the canon systems in durability in terms of everyday work use, and i believe, this is more than enough to justify the slight quality difference seen by many.

To back up this point, take a look at some facts gathered in the field for the last decade.

1. The F5 was the camera of choice released earlier to press photographers to cover the conflicts within Bosnia, and the Rwandan crisis in the late 90s.
2. The F4 was the official camera to cover the gulf war in 91.
3. National Geographic currently has 80% of its photographers utilizing a hybrid version of the F5 (without the built in motor, but with the rgb sensor) for shots in Humid , and -30deg C locations. (Dec 03 issue 8)
4. Canon Rules in ALL sports arenas, with their digital technology.. =)
5. Nikon Rulez in all other arenas with their film tech, and lense durability.
6. The F5 is the only camera with an 80% non plastic material composition.
7. Current cameras used by both the US military and major journalistic companies for on the field assignments are hybrid D1h and 2s with advanced wireless integration for "on the fly" transmission via cellular tech to waist worn satellite systems for beaming pictures direct to the main studio, or press collection vehicle.

OKok.. enough of this then... why am i doing this? Cause, i won't depend on a Canon for my rice bowl, no way... and for long assignments, Nikon has continued to save my butt in so many ways where canon has failed. And i believe this post is also a testimonial for all the other international journalists out there, and not just the enthusiat who takes the occassional wedding assignment, and overseas trip to china/other parts of the world.

For those canon users out there who have taken offence, i'm sorry.. but honestly, canon systems dont' last the test of time, something nikon has gone through since the first major world event that saw the invitation of the press. (korean conflict, 1950s)

A parting note: i still carry a MarkII, and a 1V HS to all my sports and non-bread and butter events to shoot. But imo nikon still rulez the journalistic market when it comes to non-sporting press photography guys.


cheers.

okok...i qualify u for a PhD in Photographic Technology.. :blah: