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Nikon Beats The Crap out of Canon at TIPA Photography Awards

blog.wired.com — The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) has announced to results of the annual camera Oscars. The European awards are coveted by manufacturers, mostly because they get to stick the TIPA logo on the camera box and thereby shift more units.

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  • Spuy767, on 04/27/2008, -26/+9Glad I chose the D60 over the Canon Rebel. I know quite a few professional photographers who have switched from using Canon kit to using Nikon kit in the last few years, and if the first pictures that I've beena ble to take with the D60 are any indication, I can see why.
    • gavincato, on 04/27/2008, -3/+19erm, in the "last few years" it's been the other way - people going from nikon to Canon. It's ONLY with the D3 that nikon have finally started to compete so god knows where you are pulling your "in the last few years" from.
    • brokentone, on 04/27/2008, -2/+18Dude, are you seriously comparing a D60 to the pro D3 and semi-pro D300 models? I had a D70, now a D3. . . apples and oranges my friend.
    • illt, on 04/27/2008, -2/+10yeh, they didn't win the award for the D60, it's for their high end cameras.

      As a canon owner, i gotta say...the sample pics i've seen from the new models have outstanding color and unreal high iso performance.

      You really should check out the results, it's one of the biggest updates for digital cameras in years
      I'm very jealous
      • jbenson2, on 04/27/2008, -5/+4Way to go Nikon. Keep up the great work!
    • Spuy767, on 04/27/2008, -8/+2I don't pretend to compare my d60 to a pro camera, I just expressed satisfaction wtih my purchase. And my good friend John Campbell just got a new Nikon for his business, he's a pretty well-known photographer in the area.
    • plingboot, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5Er... but the D60 didn't win, it was the rebel / 450 that beat (the crap out of?) the nikon in the advanced dslr class.

    • NgrHader, on 04/27/2008, -3/+4And yet when you go to every ballgame or professional media event..everyone has a 1D Mark III....Zing....except for me I'm stuck with a lowly Mark II :(
    • jtscira, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4We all know its all in the equipment ! The person behind the camera has nothing to do with it.
  • craighamnett, on 04/27/2008, -11/+3I've got my trusty Fuji
    • Coffeedemon, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5Third Man In. 10 Minute misconduct. Let the Canon and Nikon camps battle this one out. ;)
  • waebi, on 04/27/2008, -17/+2Left, right, left, UPPERCUT!
    K.O.
  • pell, on 04/27/2008, -5/+36Canon vs. Nikon. Here we go! They're so similar I think at this point it's a pointless argument, both take AMAZING photographs.

    Great for Nikon though, their new offerings technically are fantastic! Great work
    • Snowy, on 04/27/2008, -3/+23No its the PHOTOGRAPHER that takes amazing photograph. I see so many people with dslr and X megapixel cameras taking the same craptacular shots they would with a point and shoot
      • deanypop, on 04/27/2008, -2/+9Actually, that's not entirely true either. The reality is, many people can "see" the great photo, but don't have the training/experience to set white balance/filters/f-stop/etc appropriately.

        While it's true that a lot of people shoot "whatever" a lot of the time with high-end cameras, these cameras DO produce a much better result than a point and shoot when a rank amateur is "trying" to make a nice photo.
        • LoudMusic, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4I think the point Snowy was trying to make wasn't the quality of the file, but the quality of the subject.
      • theOster, on 04/27/2008, -2/+8exactly
        http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/notcamera.htm
      • twinklyJesus, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1I can take better craptacular pics with my D70 than I can with my son's Coolpix
  • D4CH, on 04/27/2008, -4/+24Meh.. I don't care about such rewards. I'm an amateur photographer, and I use my lovely Canon EOS 400D, it works like it should :)
  • 1iProd, on 04/27/2008, -9/+29Nothing will steal the beauty which is my 5D. NOTHING!
    • benjhaisch, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5Long live the 5D. Still beating out so many other cameras as far as image noise.
    • onestyle, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5I love my 5D. but the new Nikons are damn sexy!
  • pegothejerk, on 04/27/2008, -9/+7I'm gonna stand by and stick wih my Canon S5 for now, but when I'm ready to move into the more professional realm and have the dough, there will be no question - Nikon D80.
  • brokentone, on 04/27/2008, -16/+3Yes, but will it blend?
  • gavincato, on 04/27/2008, -4/+15it's about time nikon produced some decent bodies. When I last used them I had a couple of d2x's and though ergonomically they were awesome, the pic quality at high iso's were absolute junk.

    Though the D3 is great, it is kind of lame it took them this long to essentially release what Canon has had for ages in the 5D, a 12mp FF with great high iso.

    These days I have a couple of 1ds mk3's, nikon lost me a few years back though I'm happy for the nikon guys.

    • illt, on 04/27/2008, -9/+3Uhm...the 5D can't even compare to the D3's new sensor...

      The pics quality at high iso is much better than the 5D, and the color reproduciton/dynamic range is unparalleled.

      • gavincato, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1All I mean is it took nikon this long to bring out a real 5D competitor. Of course D3 sensor is better, 5D is what, 2.5 - 3yrs old?
    • Fullmoon, on 04/27/2008, -1/+9Newsflash: a new camera that costs almost twice as much as the 5D did as it was released three years ago might be better.

      Also, the 5D still has better color reproduction. And a successor will be released this year.
    • bossm4n, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2Absolutely spot on. The old Nikon D1, D2 etc were crap compared to the Canon's due to using CCD sensors as opposed to the CMOS sensors in the Canon's. Nikon finally caught on and their new models are equipped with CMOS. When both Nikon and Canon pulled away from Kodak digital in the late 90's to develop their own digital technology, they could have gone either direction (I was shooting Nikon until I purchased my original digital camera in 1996, a Kodak DCS1). Canon went with the CMOS sensor and has been ahead of the pack ever since. And frankly I think they still are. I'm also shooting a 1DS Mark III and it is without a doubt the finest camera I've ever used. I can't even imagine ever going back to Hasselblads or view cameras.
  • HHP2K, on 04/27/2008, -10/+71How did Nikon "kick the crap" out of Canon? So it won a couple more awards, it didn't win every single one. Get real.
    • PabloMac, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4Exactly. Also, I'm disappointed I didn't se the word "crap" anywhere in the article.
  • MrFurious2k, on 04/27/2008, -12/+16I'm still thinking an Canon XTi is a better choice than the requisite Nikon counterpart.
    • brokentone, on 04/27/2008, -2/+6I'm a Nikon guy, but I would have to agree.
    • thestaton, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2I agree, especially with just a modest lens upgrade.
  • foofoobee, on 04/27/2008, -0/+33I wish people concentrated on the fact that photography is much more so about the person behind the viewfinder, rather than the camera itself. Ansel Adams (or any of the great photographers of yesteryear) didn't have access to even a fraction of the technology that a Rebel XTi offers, but they produced amazing work. Many photographers these days are too wrapped up in trivial technical differences... you can make amazing photographs with any modern SLR body and a small handful of basic lenses if you just know what you're doing.
    • brokentone, on 04/27/2008, -3/+8Yes, but when you have an important photo, or you need to shot action, you can't exactly use a 30 minute + exposure like Adams. This to say, I am a far better sports shooter on my D3 than I was on my D70.
    • projektdrift, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2In the world of journalistic photography where the printed image brings the payday, anything that helps get THE shot will be coveted. Yes, the photographer must be good to start, but like brokentone said, you can't be waiting around forever. Most opportunities happen in the split second and a blurry image is not acceptable. Wedding photographers can't be waiting around either.

      In art, a 4x5 view camera would be awesome, but then again these companies are trying to bring photography to the masses and technology at low prices is quite convincing for the majority - and quite the revenue hook.
    • gavincato, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1dude, though ansell didn't have electronic gizmos - you can bet your butt he used the very best gear available at the time. And very low iso film, especially on a large format camera is still to this day very very competent.
  • TeraRealm256, on 04/27/2008, -2/+17I'll be dating Canon for some time to come since my gear is all Canon.
    • Coffeedemon, on 04/27/2008, -0/+9Likewise. Good for Nikon though. Competition from any of the major manufacturers helps to keep prices sensible and pushes innovation in all models.
  • cathpah, on 04/27/2008, -0/+23Admittadly, the D3 is an amazing camera....it's the first offering by Nikon in the digital format that can really even keep up with canon. Nikon's drastically worse amount of noise in high ISO images made canon a clear winner for quite a few years. The D3 changed all that, and at full-frame too!

    I have, and probably always will be, a canon guy (have waaay too much invested in canon lenses....but I'm damn happy Nikon is really offering up some hearty competition. It'll only push both/all companies to work harder and innovate/improve faster.

    (and yes, it is SO MUCH more the photographer than the camera that makes a great shot)
    • jc7012, on 04/27/2008, -0/+6Technique, Composition, Lighting.
      • SuperJimmyJimbo, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2Joey B would be so proud......

        @ cathpah: me too, not switching from canon anytime soon, but they really need to get their ass in gear and catch up. 5D replacement anyone?
  • aigulf, on 04/27/2008, -0/+7I love my Nikon, but looking at the awards list I find it hard to read as a definitive Nikon victory. The advanced and expert D-SLRs bodies went to Nikon, yes. But of the 4 D-SLR categories, it was Nikon - 2, Canon - 1, Sony - 1. With lenses, each took 1 of the 3 categories, and neither of them won in any of the 20+ peripherals categories. A good showing for Nikon, but the title is a bit sensational.
  • marike, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2I have a Nikon D200 that is sweet, but the D300 trumps it in every way. If only I had waited. As far as the awards, I'm happy for Nikon as Canon has been kicking their butt with Pro FF bodies for a while.
  • PhineasPoe, on 04/27/2008, -1/+11This title is way overstating the results. Nikon won 3 award to Canon's 2. Doesn't really sound like somebody getting the "crap kicked out of them". And neither company won the Best D-SLR entry-level, Best Superzoom Digital Camera, Best Compact Digital Camera, or Best Ultra Compact Digital Camera categories, though they have offerings in those categories. Does that mean Sony, Fuji, Panasonic and Samsung kicked the crap out of both of them?
  • Cycline3, on 04/27/2008, -1/+17Buried for being misleading... and ultimately really irrelevant.
  • OJdidntdoIT, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4TIPA..........Why should I care about this group?
    • plingboot, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3they probably know a teeny bit more than you about photography?
  • plingboot, on 04/27/2008, -0/+25Here's the list...

    Best D-SLR entry-level: Sony Alpha 200
    Best D-SLR Advanced: Canon EOS 450D
    Best D-SLR Expert: Nikon D300
    Best D-SLR Professional: Nikon D3
    Best Medium Format D System: Sinar Hy6 series
    Best Ultra Compact Digital Camera: Samsung NV24HD
    Best Compact Digital Camera: Panasonic Lumix FX-500
    Best Entry-level Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
    Best Expert Lens: Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD
    Best Professional Lens: Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED
    Best Prestige Camera: Sigma DP1
    Best Imaging Innovation: Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1
    Best Photo Software: Apple Aperture 2
    Best Camcorder: Panasonic HDC-SD9
    Best Superzoom Digital Camera: Fuji S100 FS

    ... so where do nikon 'beat the crap' out of canon?
    • rodrigo74, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2I got a Sony Alpha 200 as my first DLSR and couldn't be happier. Awesome camera.
    • wondertwins, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1thx for the list. Im considering on buying the entry level lens. looks good and affordable.
      • rodrigo74, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3In case you don't know already, you should check dpreview.com. Mandatory stop for anyone considering buying cameras or accessories.
    • projektdrift, on 04/27/2008, -0/+0thanks for the list since the page isn't loading for me. nikon did sweep the 'two' professional categories but its only 3 vs 2 of 15 categories. Canon and Nikon probably had close contention in the first ten categories minus the MF system.
    • viewofeverlast, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2I thought the EOS 450D was entry level?
      • cathpah, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1it is canon's eyes. Pretty funny they listed it as advanced.

        I/Canon would put the 450d at entry-level, the 40d at advanced, the 5d at expert, and 1D3/1Ds3 at professional.
      • Comanche, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2The XTi(400d) is entry. The XSi(450d) is not entry level. This is why they are still keeping the XTi line in production.
        • viewofeverlast, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1They are extremely similar cameras. The 450d is only slightly bigger, 12mp (as opposed to the 10mp than the 400D and 40D have), uses SD instead of CompactFlash, and uses a DIGIC III processor. Comes with a $200 lens (18mm-55mm f/3.5 IS).

          Honestly, not a whole lot has changed...does more MP and SD make it advanced instead of entry level?
          • Comanche, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1No, but advanced features like Live View which were only available on the high end SLR's make it higher then an entry camera. Live view is not make or break but its certinly a wanted feature for many tight shots. Lets call it a Moderate level camera.
  • diggtochina, on 04/27/2008, -1/+14All I can say is, after owning 2 of them, I will never buy another Sony camera. They suck.
    • inajeep, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I wish you could say more, like why you don't like them.
  • darkfish, on 04/27/2008, -3/+6I love these fanboy submissions. Jeez, what are you - about 12?

    So Nikon made some great cameras - that's wonderful, but it doesn't mean they "beat the crap " out of the competition. Canon has some great cameras too, and TIPA awards also went to Sony.
  • mannymix03, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5I don't see how this matters. As said before its the person behind the camera, I've won many photographic contests and shows using my Diana or Holga or Canon AE-1 (The latter 2 having only PLASTIC LENSES, and the former being made in the 70s), while all the other competitors have an amazing DSLR. I do own a Canon 400D, but i really chose that only because i've owned canon DLSR in the past, and monetary wise i could keep using my old lenses that way.
  • wuggy, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1anyone know which r/etailer sells the Samsung NV24HD in Canada?
    I am in the market for a new ultra-compact camera.
    ty in advance
  • sanotaan, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3not to be a sycophant or anything. but i appreciate the more mature attitude canon/nikon fans take to this sort of comparison that the windows/mac/linux fans would have.

    nikon has some extremely strong bodies out now, which should coax an even stronger offering out of canon. and after that, the inverse will happen. i'm glad i'm around and interested in digital photography at a time of very serious and substantial progress.
  • GoatRoper, on 04/27/2008, -1/+6Nikon has most definitely closed the gap (performance to $) with Canon with the release of the FF D3 but for the money I am sticking with my 1DsMKII. The XSi (450D) is a phenomenal camera for the money and is a perfect jumping stone to the 40D now. I shoot only Canon and recognize that Nikon does make some great products but Canon still owns the DSLR segment.
    • Tomchei, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5Been A Nikon user for the past 12 years. I don't like their new lens format that began with the 40D which means that my existing lenses won't work 100% with new cameras. I'm switching to Canon because of this and the RAW format has better acceptance professionally. If I have to upgrade my lenses, I might as well try the other team.
      Nothing wrong with NEF but you HAVE to use Nikon's software to view it.
      Sometime I just like to browse the thumbnails and Canon's RAW show up better on 3rd party viewers over Nikon's NEF.
      • Diganta, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2Five years ago I noticed the problem started when Nikon started being secretive about their NEF format, making 3rd party software applications difficult or not support NEF format at all. I used to have a Nikon film camera and a prosumer digital, but after watching Nikon have this sort of elitist attitude and watching Canon back then out innovate Nikon at the time, I jumped to a Canon DSLR. To me Nikon sells camera hardware, charging customers every time for a new version of their camera software is like HP charing customers every time they updated their drivers for their printers. It rubbed me the wrong way.

        It didn't hurt that all the photographers I knew 4-5 years ago were going to Canon including many of my photography instructors who still did professional work.
      • sorrodos, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3I'm confused by this statement. I shoot with a Nikon DSLR in RAW and I do not use Nikon's RAW converter or RAW viewing software.

        By "HAVE to use Nikon's software to view it", what exactly do you mean?

        There are plenty of other RAW converters that support NEF well, and support for viewing the NEF files themselves is built into OS X.

        Shameless self plug for those who want to see you can shoot in NEF and get good results w/o Nikon's software here: http://flickr.com/photos/fpangborn/
        • Tomchei, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1In my case, I use OSX, Win XP, and Linux from Fedora to Ubuntu. I use XP a lot due to MSSQL Enterprise manager., I also have Photoshop 6 which works well and do not need to upgrade.
          NEF for my case will only work for me using Nikons view manager which I can then export to TIFF after I make lighting adjustments.
          NEF looks horrible in GQ View, Picasa. RAW looks fine.
          I use iPhoto sometimes to download images for my Mac and NEF also looks like crap.

          As cumbersome as that process seems, I dont' have a problem with the NEF format; my problem is the lens format.
          Sure, I can 'use' the lens but I can't use all the features of the lens that work on my older cameras.
          So if I have to upgrade my lenses too, I might as well try the other team being that many photographers I review work from use Canon.
          • twinklyJesus, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1I use only XP and have no problems viewing Nikon's RAW in photoshop.
  • dogfukka, on 04/27/2008, -3/+2I'm more than happy with my Olympus E-510, which pound for pound knocks the sox off the overpriced competition
  • vik0612, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1seems they kept everyone happy with the awards. 3 for nikon, 2 for canon, 2 for panasonic and 1 each for sony, sinar, samsung, sigma, casio, olympus, apple and fuji. Anyone reek a hint of diplomacy in all this? And what Leica did wrong not to get an award?
  • gak001, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3So we're pretty much comparing Rolex and Omega or Harvard and Yale.
    • projektdrift, on 04/27/2008, -0/+0Yep. The one that gets their face on the cover of the next magazine will sell millions to parents and kids who like to brag to their friends and family. In the end it doesn't matter who wins what awards because it'll all be second rank in a year and a half and obsolete in about 5.
  • doggo, on 04/27/2008, -4/+1Didja check out that Sigma?

    Having grown up with SLRs, I find the new compact digitals much more convenient. I find the whole SLR system irrelevant these days. The same with multi-lens systems. Unless you're using long telephotos, or doing other specialty shooting, a DSLR is really all about propping up your image (and I don't mean photo).
    • skiblur, on 04/27/2008, -2/+2I would agree on a typical practicality issue.

      It depends what type of control you want over your photos. I just got my first DSLR after owning a compact for 4 years, and in the first week took arguably my 3 best photos ever due to the increased amount of control (mainly, manual focus and the such). I feel like I can capture it exactly how I want to, not how the camera decides it.
    • vuke69, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5"I find the whole SLR system irrelevant these days."

      You're kidding right?
    • ColorMeSurreal, on 05/01/2008, -0/+0Specialty shooting like... having CONTROL over your image? Who needs that?
  • moosecack, on 04/27/2008, -2/+1Stupid ***** misleading headline.
  • footfwd, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1um... I don't think Canon came out with a pro Camera this past year, last year was a big year for Canon, i think this fall they are coming out with new pro models, including a new 5D.

    I could check their website or sift through piles of speculative Canon junky sites to see
    which knob they will change on this or that body but nah.

    No new pro last year, year before: 1D Mk III, 1Ds Mk III, 40D, etc...

    • ColorMeSurreal, on 05/01/2008, -0/+05D II is still in rumour phase.
  • johnmcd, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4What a misleading title.

    Obviously Canon hasn't upgraded their high end SLR's with full frame sensors this year. I bet when the 5D will be replaced, the tables will turn for that year as well. Both systems are fantastic, but basing that nikon is better because it received awards on cameras that were upgraded (and canon didn't upgrade theirs this year) doesn't make sense.
  • photolinger, on 04/27/2008, -2/+0Nikon 3, Canon 2, woopty doo. I'm still going to use my canon, even if crap is being beat out of it.

    1 more prize. Ha.
  • ieataquacrayons, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Love my Nikon, I still respect the Canon cameras though.
  • b0rna, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1I still like my Rebel XTi better. Tipa can eat it.
  • mroo, on 04/28/2008, -0/+0When it comes to DSLR everyone knows that the body's will be outdated in a couple of years and both canon and nikon have similar features.

    I buy Nikon bodys because of their ergonomics and I already have A LOT of money invested in Nikon mount lens. Lens will always be a better investment than the latest and greatest body technology.
  • shdwsclan, on 04/28/2008, -2/+0The TIFA awards are total garbage...........

    I mean for starters, Nikon D3 and D300 won ANY awards !!!??? I mean for god sake, they use Sony sensors ?? This is why they are planning to switch to Kodak in the next generation....too bad Kodak discontinued their dslr line, they had literally the best camera bodies for nikkor lenses....They should of won the award for crappiest components......not to mention the crummy customer support and having some of the slowest cameras and lenses on the market.....

    Canon should have won all the lens categories for their lenses.....especially with L series lenses.

    Epson makes really crummy printers, and THEY won awards !!!!???....i mean, its laughable....and so did hp....now that's hilarious....
    The imaging quality in printing is dominated by canon and kodak, not epson and hp....god....even from the color tests and longevity and papers...

    Canon won the scanner awards !!!???
    Thats a joke too, since everyone knows that the Epson 700/750 has better color reproduction and less noise....not to mention the ability to scan transparencies very well...

    As for the camcorder....
    The Canon HV20 should have dominated in that range.
    If anything, the Sony PMWEX1 should have won....being the only camera of its kind offering the quality....being the monopoly...

    And then there is that Lacie storage solution !!!!!????
    They use Western digital hard drives for god sake.....these hard drives have one of the highest failure rates on the planet.....
    And then the seagate ES/NS gets no award for having a low failure rate....

    Kodak won the film awards ???????????
    I though AGFA was superior....

    Projects, JVC !!!!???....really ???
    Runco dominates that line for professional projectors....

    And then there are the kingston memory cards that they NEVER review......

    Hmm, the TIFA awards are nothing ot be proud of, really, its just a another BS award to stick on the box...
    • gullevek, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2- the new Nikon cameras use nikon sensor not sony anymore
      - the nikon lenses are very good as well, but it depends on the range where one has a bit advantage over the other
      - epson printers are excellent ones, but again, it depends what you want to print and how. all printer makers have subtle priorities on colors
      - Agfa doesn't exist anymore
      • inajeep, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1My expereince with Epson inkjets is that they print well put inks tended to fade too quickly and they broke too easily, I've switched to HP Photosmart series and have been happy so far.
    • J0415, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1????
      !!!!
      !?!????!?!?!
      ???!!!!
      !!!!!
  • J0415, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Looks like the Canon fans outnumber the Nikon fans here
  • AdamWest2122, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1This is a story of how one loyal Canon supporter of 5+ years (myself) walked into a store to buy a Canon and walked out holding a Nikon.

    I've recently switched to Nikon from Canon after being a loyal supporter for over 5 years. This year when I went to purchase a new camera I was really shocked at some of the poor design choices Canon had made. Also that they had joined into the "more megapixels is good" hype. However Canon was and is and always will be the best cameras... right?

    I initially decided on a Canon Powershot S5 IS for $400, without reading any reviews. It was Canon, it was $400, it had to be as good or better than my G2 that cost the same 5 years ago, right? Long story short after reading both professional reviews and user reviews, I almost vomited. Horrible noise even in moderate light, focusing issues, and what seems like a small thing on the surface, a lens cap that won't stay on.

    I started to wonder what was up with Canon. I became critical and found little detail after detail wrong. Things like only 200 shots per charge, poor pre-1990s USB support, their continuing claim of time lapse (that only needs a dedicated laptop to function), memory cards stored with the batteries (now this with poor USB is unacceptable). More plastic, less metal. My G2 was half metal and that was 5 years ago.

    Five years ago there were four ranges of Canons. Point and Shoot, Prosumer (G-line), Entry level professional, and Dedicated professional. Regardless of your budget you could find something of quality in any of those four ranges. I picked a prosumer G2 5 years ago, it cost $400.

    Since then it seems Canon has pushed their prosumer cameras into the point and shoot, more features but poor options and design. They have replaced their prosumer range with hyped up point and shoots, with huge megapixels and zooms without increasing the quality, image, or performance. They also appear to be cutting corners with their entry level professional line making them what prosumer used to be. Their professional cameras have remained professional.

    What does this mean? There is a huge gap in quality and price between their "prosumer" S5 IS and their entry-level professional cameras (EOS 400D) that did not exist in the past. It also means there is little difference between their $200 and their $500 point and shoot cameras. The quality of their higher end point and shoot cameras has not kept up with the years. The digital photographer then has a choice of going point and shoot and getting noisy over-megapixelated results, or jumping the gap into SLR.

    This is good for forcing people to try more professional solutions like DSLR and it is true the costs of DSLRs have dropped a great deal, however there is still a 2x price difference between the best prosumer Canon and the worst entry-level professional which still lacks in body and software design.

    I believe Canon has gotten to the point all companies do and see their customers as ignorant consuming sheep, and not valued customers. They have become lax in their brand-name. I think falling into the more megapixel hype is a horrible thing because there really is no way to justify it. I'm not saying other companies don't do the same, but wasn't Canon supposed to be Above the Rest?

    All that said, I was still going to get an EOS 400D, it would be $1000 for body and lens, more than 2x what I intended to spend initially, which I wasn't forgetting.

    I started looking up lenses, I wanted if possible 1 decent lens to get started with. It should be as flexible as possible. Looking around at reviews I came across a 18-200mm lens, good wide-angle, good zoom. Kinda the S5 zoom, with "prosumer" 400D quality. I had decided I liked this lens, it was the top of the reviews. They reviewed three brands, Sigma, Tamron, and something called Nikkor. I had no idea who or what a Nikkor was lol, however it blew away the Sigma and Tamron in the review. Ok great, I will get a Nikkor 18-200mm lens for my Canon EOS 400D.

    It was then I found out Nikkor is Nikon. I felt really stupid, but also disappointed since I wanted that lens. Canon had some nice lenses too but nothing as versatile as this one. Wait, why is a review saying good things about Nikon anyway, Nikon's suck. Canon forever! Stupid half-ass worthless reviews trying to steal my Canon thunder.

    It was after a review on dpreview for the Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi) "with the commercial success of the 350D in their minds Canon clearly didn't want to take any risks with the 'winning formula'. This, however, is perhaps the EOS 400D's achilles heel; that it was so predictable. So predictable in fact that Nikon clearly saw it coming and went one better with the D80; they also managed to close the image quality gap to a degree where the differences are as good as irrelevant."

    Old my a god, Nikon is on the playing field? I was honestly in shock and disbelief. I started looking into Nikon DSLRs now, some of them seemed pretty ok for the price. Decent reviews, not Canon level but still, wow. I was not expecting that. So I opened up to a whole new world and became aware of what Nikon supporters were saying, which models were hot or not.

    I was looking now into the same D80 from Nikon that the review said had snuck up on Canon in the night. It was old though, so I kept looking and reading. I kept hearing people comment about how great the new D300 was and that it blew everything else out of the water. I took one look at the price, ***** myself, and promptly closed the page. I was becoming burnt out, I felt everyone was trying to trick me at this point. Canon first, now Nikon users.

    I looked into DPChallenge.com, a photo contest site I used to be a member on. They have a hardware section to see results from various cameras and lenses. I looked into if photographers using Nikon's were winning blue ribbons consistently, they were. This didn't mean Nikon meant winner, it meant winners chose Nikon. Which said a lot to me, Winners also picked Canon, bah! At least I knew at least some good photographers liked Nikon over Canon.

    It was while looking for the best deal on my new 18-200mm lens that I came across a company, Sonic Cameras. GREAT prices, OMG half off all Nikon bodies!???! How, why? Scam? Stolen? Gray market, broken? All reasonable thoughts, so the unreasonable thought wins. OMG new model coming out and the are obviously clearing old inventory! WOOHOO, I win! I could afford a D300! Ooooh!

    So I went and looked into the D300 for the first time, the reviews, the features, the quality. I instantly fell so far in love that I knew there would be no saving me. I didn't care if that company stole them or if they even worked, I was lost in a sea of bliss. It was an insanely expensive camera, even with the discount $1000 for the body, $500 for the lens. Remember my budget was $400-500. I didn't care, I would get a second job, I would steal, I would cheat, if I had kids they would not be going to college. This is what a digital camera was supposed to be.

    Long story short, IT WAS A ***** SCAM and I had to cancel my debit card number. However the real damage was done, I wanted no other camera, if someone offered me a brand new Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III I would ***** on their foot and kick them in the nuts. I knew the D3 was coming also, and would be better, maybe if someone offered that for free I would consider it, but any other had to be the D300.

    It was when my brother visited me that he noticed this glazed look in my eyes and that I seemed like a junky needing a fix. He asked if I was alright, I swear it is the first time he had ever asked me that. I told him what had happened, and he offered to let me use his credit card, he had enough on it to cover the camera. So I got my D300 thanks to him, I will be making payments for the next half year and am terrified of breaking it before then, but I have it, it is mine, and no one will never take it from me.

    As for Canon vs Nikon. I don't know who will win. It is obvious Nikon has finally woken up to the market and is willing to crack some heads in getting new and better designs out. It is also obvious that Canon is becoming lazy and if they don't wake up someone is going to notice the crap they are starting to market as pro. Maybe Canon will win, maybe Nikon, maybe Kodak lol. In any case, I hope whoever wins, wins because of quality not brand-name.
  • shdwsclan, on 05/01/2008, -0/+0Ha, good luck buddy, hope you get the extended warranty, and not from nikon, cause all they will do is laugh. That POS d300 has a sony chip, only the D3 carries a nikon chip...
  • shdwsclan, on 05/01/2008, -0/+0Also, if your budget was 400-500, then you should of bought a Kodak DSLR. It DOESNT use a sony chip and it takes nikon lenses and other hardware. Its carries a 14mpx cmos and for only $500
  • supermose, on 05/06/2008, -0/+0People get all bent out of shape by the Nikon Canon thing. If you've bought into the system and have lenses then you are pretty much stuck. Especially if you've really invested some expensive glass. Besides the one one top will probably soon be on bottom.

    The camera - in my mind rarely has much to do with it. I saw some pictures recently from a pro photographer using a D20 - old camera. But he has some AWESOME lenses. Pictures had awesome tone and were tack sharp. Find a decent Canon or Nikon and then invest in good glass.
  • TeraRealm256, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1very true
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