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Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

BigBadWolfie
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p.1 #1 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

Sorry for another 5DIII vs 800e thread, but I currently have a 60D with all EF-S lenses so moving to FF will pretty much mean starting over except I get to keep my flash.

I've been contemplating a move to FF and I am having trouble deciding between sticking with Canon and going with Nikon. There's a big part of me that wants to stick with Canon since I am familiar with the system, don't need to buy a flash, already have an extra battery, and I'll be able to buy some EF lenses first and then upgrade the body as budget would allow (it would also be easier for me to keep my 60D as a backup body). Switching to Nikon will really be for the 800e. I do believe that it is a better body with a better sensor and higher megapixels (I mainly shoot landscape and use my camera on trips and do like the 800e's superior ability to push the shadows and crop). If Canon had a camera comparable to the 800e without the oil spill and focus problems it would be a no brainer for me. But as it stands, if I want to upgrade in the near future it will likely be the 5DIII and with I'll just live with the fact that it is a good camera albeit with an inferior sensor to what is available at the same price.

Nov 24, 2012 at 02:29 PM

chez
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p.1 #2 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

Rent a D800 and 14-24 lens for a weekend and give it a good try. If you shoot landscape, the D800 will amaze you...but it does have it's problems for landscape photography namely Liveview is poorly implemented. However if you can live with thst limitation, the resulting images will amaze you.

I spent a week with that setup and was very impressed. I decided to stay with my 5d2 and wait to see what Canon does in the high mpix arena. I have too much nice Canon glass to just switch on a dime.

By the way, if you are looking at using the full frame I would seriously look at the 5d2 rather than the 5d3 as I see very little advantage in the 5d3 for landscapes. You can pick up a nice used 5d2 for under $1300.

Nov 24, 2012 at 02:53 PM

rprouty
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p.1 #3 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

If Canon had a camera comparable to the 800e without the oil spill and focus problems it would be a no brainer for me.

Sounds like you've decided that Canon makes an inferior product so go with Nikon.

Nov 24, 2012 at 02:59 PM

Wobble
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p.1 #4 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

I would hate to lose another to the dark side. Just chill on the camera for a while and let's see what gets introduced/announced in 2013 unless you must have a backup body. Start now collecting your L glass that will fit your needs on your switch to FF.

You may want to update your profile with your equipment so we can make some recommendations.

Nov 24, 2012 at 03:18 PM

chez
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p.1 #5 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

rprouty wrote:
If Canon had a camera comparable to the 800e without the oil spill and focus problems it would be a no brainer for me.

Sounds like you've decided that Canon makes an inferior product so go with Nikon.

Little harsh with your post. I know a lot of photographers making great photos with their D800. Many problems on any camera...and yes Canon has it's share of problems, get totally overblown on the Internet, mostly by people who haven't even touched said camera.

Nov 24, 2012 at 03:20 PM

spdntrxi
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p.1 #6 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

I think Nikon has figured out the left side AF issue, but I think the green cast is still around on the LCD. With the brief things you mentioned.(landscape, not pushing shadows)..I'd switch to D800E.

Nov 24, 2012 at 03:24 PM

Ben Horne
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p.1 #7 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

rprouty wrote:
If Canon had a camera comparable to the 800e without the oil spill and focus problems it would be a no brainer for me.

Sounds like you've decided that Canon makes an inferior product so go with Nikon.

I picked up a D800, and haven't had any problems with oil or focus. As with most situations, there is always a vocal minority that likes to complain online, but they often times don't reflect the majority of users. Also, I should note that I went with the D800 over the D800E because I saw many artifacts in the 800E images that I didn't want to deal with in post processing. Some of the images were, quite frankly, too sharp which made them look a bit odd. The lack of an AA filter might sound great in theory, but in practice it can be a bit of a pain at times.

Nov 24, 2012 at 03:51 PM

Light_pilgrim
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p.1 #8 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

I think for Landscapes it is D800E for sure. For people it is MKIII. Not that you cannot do everything with either camera:-)
Check how much you will need to pay for the body and lenses. Canon used to be cheaper, but it is not the case anymore, so price might be a factor too.

Nov 24, 2012 at 03:51 PM

Bones74
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p.1 #9 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

The D800 and D800e are inferior bodies in every way to the 5Dmk3, apart from the superior sensor and higher mp (and built in flash which is pretty useful). In the past the 1DSmk3 and 5Dmk2 have been good enough for "most" users and the 5Dmk3 is no slouch. It sounds though, as if it's the sensor you're after so I'd go with with the D800e and 14-24. As a landscape set up I think only going medium format at much more expense would deliver higher quality files. The 14-24 is reportedly superior to any L series WA zoom...

What oil spill problem? News to me... It happened with my 1Dmk4, but not on the 5Dmk3.

Nov 24, 2012 at 03:52 PM

Light_pilgrim
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p.1 #10 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

Bones74 wrote:
The D800 and D800e are inferior bodies in every way to the 5Dmk3, apart from the superior sensor and higher mp (and built in flash which is pretty useful). In the past the 1DSmk3 and 5Dmk2 have been good enough for "most" users and the 5Dmk3 is no slouch. It sounds though, as if it's the sensor you're after so I'd go with with the D800e and 14-24. As a landscape set up I think only going medium format at much more expense would deliver higher quality files. The 14-24 is reportedly superior to any L series WA zoom...

What oil spill problem? News to me... It happened with my 1Dmk4, but not on the 5Dmk3.

Realistically, what is more important than the sensor? D800 has a very advanced AF....what else is missing?

Nov 24, 2012 at 04:07 PM

rk-d
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p.1 #11 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

BigBadWolfie wrote:
Sorry for another 5DIII vs 800e thread, but I currently have a 60D with all EF-S lenses so moving to FF will pretty much mean starting over except I get to keep my flash.

I've been contemplating a move to FF and I am having trouble deciding between sticking with Canon and going with Nikon. There's a big part of me that wants to stick with Canon since I am familiar with the system, don't need to buy a flash, already have an extra battery, and I'll be able to buy some EF lenses first and then upgrade the body as budget would allow (it would also be easier for me to keep my 60D as a backup body). Switching to Nikon will really be for the 800e. I do believe that it is a better body with a better sensor and higher megapixels (I mainly shoot landscape and use my camera on trips and do like the 800e's superior ability to push the shadows and crop). If Canon had a camera comparable to the 800e without the oil spill and focus problems it would be a no brainer for me. But as it stands, if I want to upgrade in the near future it will likely be the 5DIII and with I'll just live with the fact that it is a good camera albeit with an inferior sensor to what is available at the same price.

The d800e has superior dynamic range and a higher megapixel count. Everything else is inferior. The AF is spotty and the module is simply outmatched for the demands of that sensor. The build is a step down from the d700 and the handling of the 5d3, including the grip shape and ergonomics are much better , in my opinion. Finally, the d800 has bad QC issues and Nikon USA is no longer selling parts to individuals. There have been some horror stories lately about their customer service.

This all may sound harsh, but I've been burned with the d800 - I went through four bodies, all of which had defective AF modules.

I wouldn't be too negative about the 5d3 until you've had a chance to shoot it. It's an excellent camera and I've been very happy with it since letting go of the Nikon. It has an excellent sensor and the build quality/AF/handling make it the superior camera.

If you simply plan to shoot tripod shots with Live View of landscapes, then go for the Nikon.

Nov 24, 2012 at 04:12 PM

Bones74
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p.1 #12 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

Light_pilgrim wrote:

Realistically, what is more important than the sensor? D800 has a very advanced AF....what else is missing?

Depends on what you shoot and how you shoot so its not ALL about having the outright best sensor (Hasselblad for sports?). If you're looking for the better all round camera its no contest, 5Dmk3 wins IMO. The D800 might have advanced af and is very good when it works, but the 5Dmk3 is better. If you're looking for a pseudo MF body then the D800 wins outright. OP is a landscaper so D800 (E) has to be the better option? If he was a dad looking for FF body to shoot his kids soccer games and he chose a D800 over a 5Dmk3 I'd probably have to laugh at him

Nov 24, 2012 at 04:21 PM

Daan B
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p.1 #13 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

Bones74 wrote:
What oil spill problem? News to me... It happened with my 1Dmk4, but not on the 5Dmk3.

Yeah what oil spill problem?

Nov 24, 2012 at 04:25 PM

Light_pilgrim
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p.1 #14 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

Bones74 wrote:
Light_pilgrim wrote:

Realistically, what is more important than the sensor? D800 has a very advanced AF....what else is missing?

Depends on what you shoot and how you shoot so its not ALL about having the outright best sensor (Hasselblad for sports?). If you're looking for the better all round camera its no contest, 5Dmk3 wins IMO. The D800 might have advanced af and is very good when it works, but the 5Dmk3 is better. If you're looking for a pseudo MF body then the D800 wins outright. OP is a landscaper so D800 (E) has to be the better option? If he was a dad looking for FF body to shoot his kids soccer games and he chose a D800 over a 5Dmk3 I'd probably have to laugh at him

I have 5D MKIII and I am very happy with it. Used to have MKII and was happy as well. AF is day and night. But, I would not mind to get a better sensor, honestly, so sensor is of extreme importance, it makes a difference...especially for Landscape photography.

I am happy with MKIII....and if I would not have anything, would still go for MKIII...but I do not photograph landscapes 100% of the time.

Nov 24, 2012 at 04:25 PM

Bones74
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p.1 #15 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

Light_pilgrim wrote:

I have 5D MKIII and I am very happy with it. Used to have MKII and was happy as well. AF is day and night. But, I would not mind to get a better sensor, honestly, so sensor is of extreme importance, it makes a difference...especially for Landscape photography.

I am happy with MKIII....and if I would not have anything, would still go for MKIII...but I do not photograph landscapes 100% of the time.

I completely agree with you

I'm very happy with my mkiii, but I guess it's old "right tool for the job". I'd love to have a D800e for the increasing landscape work I'm doing and the 5Dmk3 for the rest. The 5D3 is still a very capable landscape camera though. The live view is brilliant for manual focusing too...

Nov 24, 2012 at 04:57 PM

AGeoJO
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p.1 #16 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

Light_pilgrim wrote:
I have 5D MKIII and I am very happy with it. Used to have MKII and was happy as well. AF is day and night. But, I would not mind to get a better sensor, honestly, so sensor is of extreme importance, it makes a difference...especially for Landscape photography.

I am happy with MKIII....and if I would not have anything, would still go for MKIII...but I do not photograph landscapes 100% of the time.

Bones74 wrote:
I completely agree with you

I'm very happy with my mkiii, but I guess it's old "right tool for the job". I'd love to have a D800e for the increasing landscape work I'm doing and the 5Dmk3 for the rest. The 5D3 is still a very capable landscape camera though. The live view is brilliant for manual focusing too...

+1 I have been extremely happy with my Mark III, as well. It does what I expected it to do. Recently, I saw landscape images taken with a Sigma DP2 Merrill and I was very impressed (hi Luz). If I need a landscape camera in a pocketable format in addition to my Canon DSLR system for less than $1K, that camera will do it.

Nov 24, 2012 at 05:06 PM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #17 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

If you need to move to a full frame camera right now and you regularly print so large that the difference might be visible (beyond perhaps 24" x 36"), then the D800/D800e have the edge in terms of sensor quality at the current moment. Given that you would consider giving up your current system completely, with the exception of things like the flash, if you are going to switch this could be a good time to consider it... if those conditions all exist.

However... if they don't all exist, you might want to go a bit slow on this.

If you talk to Nikon users, they love their cameras just as much as Canon shooters love theirs - as they should, since both brands make excellent photographic equipment. However, they are not without complaints either relative to things like Nikons implementation of live view, some initial focusing issues, etc. On the off chance that you are imaging that the Nikon World is a more beautiful place than Canon Country, this is most often a case of "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" than of real, significant, long-term differences. (And, yes, I say the same thing to Nikon people who are considering a more toward Canon.)

Also consider the extent to which you might be seduced by this month's or this year's specs and the internet hoo-hah that inevitably develops. Step back and look around and see what photographers whose work you admire are doing, rather than focusing on recitations of this or that specifications list. And by "photographers" I don't mean "internet celebrity photographers" or "photography reviewers" - I mean people who produce beautiful work using their gear. What I think you'll see is that the whole Nikon versus Canon question doesn't really concern them at all or make a difference in their work, nor do they necessarily feel the need to update to the newest body every time one or another company introduces a new thing.

People are producing absolutely fine and first rate work with Nikon, and others are doing the same thing with Canon. (And, yes, other brands and types of gear are also used to make fine work.) The back and forth "spec battle" between Canon and Nikon has been going on for decades. One moment one company will pull ahead in some area and a short time later the other company will pull ahead, then the tables turn again... lather, rinse, repeat...

Tough decisions when that fine D800e is sitting out there and staring back seductively in your direction, I know... ;-)

Take care,

Dan

Nov 24, 2012 at 05:18 PM

retrofocus
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p.1 #18 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

Here we go....another D800 vs 5D III post....but seeing so many of them shows that something is missing here currently in Canon's camera line (I think most will agree with this). Anyway, I would decide for glass first before looking to the camera. Given that Nikon currently has the edge with FF sensor in the D800(E) systems, you need to ask yourself what kind of photography you will be doing mostly. Both cameras - the D800(E) and the 5D III - are technically very good and suitable for a nice upgrade when coming from a cropped sensor camera. Recently somebody posted here a very good summary about LiveView drawbacks in the D800 which the 5D III doesn't suffer from. If LiveView, AF, and very specific lenses are important, the 5D III is likely the way to go. If you use more standard lenses and prefer a better DR and just the newer sensor technology, Nikon is the way to go currently. Unfortunately there is no "perfect" way currently in FF DSLRs, you need to compromise somewhere.

Nov 24, 2012 at 05:23 PM

dwweiche
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p.1 #19 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

Daan B wrote:
Bones74 wrote:
What oil spill problem? News to me... It happened with my 1Dmk4, but not on the 5Dmk3.

Yeah what oil spill problem?

I think there's some confusion here. I believe in the OP's original post, he was referring to the D800's publicized issues regarding repeated dirt/oil on the sensor and the "left side" focus point issues. These have been discussed a lot on the Nikon board.

Some of you have assumed he was talking about Canon oil spill and AF issues. (Unless I'm the confused one

)

Regarding the OP's question, I think Chez has the right advice. Rent and try. You're out a bit of money but will know without a doubt what direction to take.

Nov 24, 2012 at 05:30 PM

Adam Schallau
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p.1 #20 · Moving to FF: Stick with Canon or Switch to Nikon?

The OP may also be referring to the Nikon D600 which has a problem with oil accumulating on the sensor.

Nov 24, 2012 at 05:45 PM

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