Fun thread, interesting to read everyone's journey with Nikon.
I started with a Canon AE-1 at 14 years old in 1980, and during my newspaper photography career I was one of the only guys in the Pacific Northwest with a white lens on the sidelines - virtually every photojournalist shot Nikon. The digital age hit and my first DLSR was a Canon 5D, but I soon switched to Nikon because I liked the look of their files better, and have shot Nikon the last 12 years (interspersed with a few other systems such as Sony A900, Pentax 645D/Z). First and foremost I still love the look of the Nikon files (organic and film-like to me), the ergonomics are second nature, the reliability is there, the best of their glass is amazing, and I have great respect for the history of the company. I want them to survive, and thrive - everyone benefits from that even if they use another brand.
I have owned D200, D300, D7000, D7100, D7200, D500, D700, D3X, D800, D810, D850. Recently have been testing a Sony A7R IV system which is nice, but probably will stay with my D850 setup because of the comfort I have with Nikon.
Started with a Canon FTB many years ago, but did not shoot seriously until about 2005 when I got my first digital - a Pany FZ-10. Then, for most of 2006 I was shooting with a Panasonic FZ-50, a.k.a. the digital image noise maker, as I named it. Images were awful.
About this time I was constantly admiring the images posted online in various online places made with a Canon 30D. Living and working in New England at the time, my work travels took me through NYC often. So, bound and determined to buy a 30D, I marched into B&H In December 2006. Got in a conversation with an amicable sales person who suggested that I strongly consider a Nikon D200 instead. Sold !!! Persuaded, that started my Nikon ‘career’ - slowly acquiring better and better lenses over time. And progressing up the ladder with newer Nikon bodies, eventually owning a D4S and a D810.
But as I age, I got the bug to lessen the weight of my gear, namely long lenses that I was using for wildlife. So, in early 2017 I switched from Nikon to Olympus M4/3. While I enjoyed a great deal of success with the micro 4/3 format, over time I became increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of the images as I became more proficient with post-processing of the Oly raw files. Moreover I was shooting more and more in the very low light environs of coastal British Columbia where high ISOs are the norm.
About June of 2019, after another British Columbia trip into the Great Bear Rainforest resulting in more noisy, unpleasing m4/3 images, I got an overwhelming itch to investigate the Nikon Z6 as I found some Z6 raw files to download and to play with. Blown away by the quality of the images at higher ISOs compared to the Olympus EM1X, I made the jump back to Nikon. I now have two Z6 bodies and four Nikon lenses - the 24-70/4 Z kit lens, the 70-300 FX AF-P, the 70-200/2.8E and the 500 PF via the FTZ.
Yes, switching systems twice was expensive. But I really love the Z6 and the images they produce. Happy as a clam in the mud now.
I started with a Nikon SP in in 1963 and added the original Nikon F in 1964. Went to work in a Camera store in 1965 while a student at NYU and went crazy with gas including Linhof, Leica and Hasselblad. Continued to shoot Nikon until now, except
for a brief romance with the Canon 5dMKII, when Nikon lacked a full frame camera.
My first slr was a Nikon EM, around 1980. A year or two later I sold it and stepped up to a Nikon FM (I couldn't afford the FE). While in the Army, I bought a F3 HP. I have always thought that was the best camera I ever owned. After a long break from photography, I bounced around and tried different brands. Finally bought a D750, my first digital full frame camera. Pretty pleased with it, especially using some of the older manua-focusing glass I was familar with years ago.
The 500 f/5.6 PF that I purchased this past May. I don't even have a Nikon camera body to use it on, just have the lens in a display case on my mantle.
Just playing, I have a D500 too All around, this is the best camera/lens combo I have ever used, having shot w/ Canon the past 11 years (still have Canon, just don't do much non-birding anymore). It's also the only Nikon gear I have, so I haven't tried any of the other renowned cameras/lenses in the ecosystem.
Going through this thread is a bit interesting and I never felt younger in a long time 😊
Started with a Coolpix because I thought Nikon is better than Canon. As funny as it sounds, I thought since Nikon does one job of making cameras, they should be better than Canon. Very soon I realized Canon point and shoots are far better than Nikon and jumped to Canon SX40. A fantastic super-zoom camera that got me hooked to photography.
Given I had to commit to DSLR eco-system, this time and cannot just make another camera purchase, I studied a bit. Best piece of advice I got on the internet was to buy my second camera first.
That left me with two options, Nikon D7000 or Canon 60D.
It was tough to choose Nikon as Canon had better video, tilting screen, better entry lenses and Canon colors were always pleasing to my wife compared to our Nikon. But what weighed in was three major reasons.
I did not like Canon’s EF, EF-s distinction, F- mount felt simpler and neat to upgrade to full frame as I knew I will move to upgrade sometime later.
Having edited Canon’s raw files, I always felt it lacked a bit. But only after I bought the D7000 I realized what a gift that sensor is. I can shoot ISO100 all day and bump exposure in post.
The third and incorrect assumption was F mount’s legacy going back many decades and I thought I can adapt to old manual lenses. I later realized Canon would have been better for the lenses for that purpose.
Now I shoot with a D800 as my wife’s business needs large files and love everything Nikon does. So given all over, I will choose Nikon over any other brand.
However I have my own share of “What If”s about Nikon.
Of late, my wife is okay with photos taken with mobile for Instagram and my D800 is only used for posterity purpose (Web, Prints or Posters). In other words, she prefers faster mobile than high quality DSLR for Instagram. Which probably reflects in the total number of people on this post who started with digital only (zero until my post). If only Nikon had built a better software eco-system over an open source system like Android for connect/control/edit/share, they would be a lot better placed.
I see myself shooting with Nikon for a long time to come and I must move to a tethered shoot which is not possible for outdoors or go DIY with a router/raspberry Pi/tablet model to convince my wife that it is worth investing in DSLRs 😊
Well ... Nikon F, Canon EF and more recently more and more Fujifilm (both X and, with some more limitations, really also G) are the systems that excell in pretty much every regard.
Most importantly of course best lenses.
Also good connection to flash, however Godox has served as the big equaliser in this area recently.
Also great sensors and great sensor firmware, though thats actually a slight weakness for Canon, because they insist on making their own sensors and they arent that uber great at them.
Nikon specifically over the other two because they have the good lenses for cheap. Really cheap, if you can tolerate slow screwdrive autofocus. Ultra cheap, if you can tolerate manual focus.
Back in the day though I had the choice between Nikon and Canon. There have been multiple things to consider and in the end I went for Nikon, for various reasons. I remember one of them was the Nikkor DC lenses vs the EF 85/1.2, and I decided to go for the DC lenses. Ironically it turned out the only regard in which I used the DC mechanism nowadays is for soft focus on my fingertipps. Still I love my AF 105mm f2 DC to bits. It is so easy to make great portraits with it.
I started in the late 1970s with Yashica/Contax, then to Olympus, and to Nikon around 1979. I have tried a few things since then. But, I like the feel and control layout of Nikon bodies. I don't care for the feel of Canon grips or the control layout. I also prefer the Nikon sensors. The old lenses had a certain quality to them as well. I was dabbling in medium format and rented a Hasselblad for a weekend. A retired photographer friend of mine had an old Bronco EC that used Nikon lenses that he loaned me. I shot them side by side and actually liked the color rendering of the Nikon lenses. Anyway, been with Nikon for a long time.
For me I was a P&Ser until late 1999, bought my first SLR. Minolta Maxxum 5, used that for a bit. Upgraded to the Maxxum 7, had the 24-105, beer can 70-210, 50mm, and a few other lenses.
Then the announcement that Minolta was getting out of the camera business, selling to Sony. Didn’t like the LEGO feel of the canon SLR’s. Took the money I had from selling my minolta gear and was one of the first batch of Nikon D200 (which I still have) and rebuilt my system.
I got a hand-me-down Kodak retinette for Christmas when I was about 10. My grandfather was a camera enthusiast and had his own darkroom. In his opinion Nikons were the best SLRs but I couldn't afford one on my paper round income. I bought a second hand 50’s Exakta, and then later got an Olympus OM-1 as the after school jobs improved.
When I was in university I could afford a used Nikon F3HP in pristine condition. I absolutely loved the camera, it is still my favourite 35mm SLR of all time. I stupidly traded it for a rough used F4, and then traded that for a mint F5. Soon after that I got into digital, starting with Canons because Nikons lagged in the early days. I got a D3 in 2008, but didn't end up using so much because it was such a huge and heavy beast. Traded the D3 and F5 for a Z6 this year, but also started being interested in film SLRs again. I bought another pristine F3 from Ebay. This time I am keeping it forever....
Dabbled in darkroom after hours in high school, and we had some loaner Nikon bodies as well as others. I liked the Nikons better. Mid-80s a co-worker was selling her camera for $150 because it was manual focus and she couldn't keep up with her kids, so I bought her EM. That was the camera I truly learned how to take pictures with. Graduated to 8008s, then to a 90 something. Saw the world was going digital, I didn't want to afford all the film costs, so I sold all my gear in the early days of ebay.
Waited 5 years or so and got a D70s when they were available with a kit lens under $1000. Migrated to D700, then D810, then Df, and now Z6. The Z6 sums up my feeling about the brand. People find its flaws, but I don't care if it is bleeding edge. I am just so comfortable with this brand that I will probably still be using it even if they drift off to Pentax relevance.
I went with Nikon because the Canon D60 (not 60D) DSLR was sold out, so I opted for a D100 instead! I also spent a long stint with the D1 and D1X. I was severely disappointed with the D2H, but stuck it out with the D200 and D2X. Nikon redeemed themselves with the D3/D300 series. I'm shooting with Sony as well nowadays too, but I don't see myself dumping my Nikon FF kit anytime soon. I also think the Z50 is better than the Z6/Z7. Nikon does better when they're playing to their strengths. as opposed to going toe-to-toe with Canon/Sony.
When I was in high school, I worked on the yearbook staff. We had a Yashica TLR for all our picture taking needs. A neighbor down the street was a Nikon salesman. He would loan Nikkormats & F’s to photograph sports, etc. Went to college, couldn’t afford Nikon. Got a Minolta SRT-101 & a generic 35 & 135. Got out of college & got an Olympus OM. Nice but too small for my hands. So, late 1970’s, traded all for one ‘73 Nikon F2 & one 35 f/1.4. Both salesman’s samples😊. Used that combo for several years, then bought F2s metering head, and 105 f/2.5, then ‘73 black body F2. I had temptations by Leica and Hasselblad, but the F2 seemed to be the tool that satisfied my needs. Bought a pair of F3T’s. Beautiful cameras, but I didn’t like having the shutter dependent on a battery. Sold some frequent flier miles and bought a pair of mint chrome ‘78 F2Sb’s. Still haven’t used them. Still using ‘73’s. Moved to LA where I could go to camera swap meets nearly every weekend. Amassed a small fortune in Nikon lenses. Rented Leica’s & Hasseblad’s to my heart’s content. Learned a lot about camera’s. Left LA after dot com bubble burst. Sold all my gold boxed Nikkor’s. Kept my F2’s. Still have my 35/1.4 and now some very nice Zeiss ZF wide angles.
I started out with a Canon Rebel film camera and then worked my way up A2's and the 1D/1Dn. Nikon came out with the first affordable digital DSLR and I switched to Nikon and the D1. After Canon caught up I switched back. At that point Nikon was known for their glass and flash system which was great but Canon was known for their autofocus. That advantage changed with the 1D3. I went through 3 bodies, one of which bricked the first week I had it and decided I was done. I switched back to Nikon and the D3 and have been happy ever since. I really feel like there are solid offerings from all of the companies now but the D850 is probably the best camera that I've ever used. I've enjoyed the Z6 although I understand that some people are disappointed with their progress in mirrorless.
I switched to Nikon simply because they had the best performing camera and the best price/performance ratio in ~2012. I had grown very frustrated with Canon and decided it was time for a change after more than a decade of Canon usage. At the time Nikon had the best sensors ( possibly still) and they were releasing loads of updated lenses. Plus the ability to use legacy glass really made it the obvious choice. I was pretty happy with my Nikon gear- until the weight started getting to me. As a backpacker, every ounce off your feet makes life easier and now that I’m getting older it became more noticeable. So I parted ways with my Nikons to go ultra light with Fuji. There are times that I miss the amazing FF raw files, but overall it was just a case of using the tools most suited to my needs.
I wanted to get into photography as a senior in high school In 1982. My family bought me a Nikon EM for Christmas that year. I took it and the 50mm 1.8E lens to Europe that next summer. I also used it to shoot pictures for church youth group at camps/trips. My brother bought me the autowinder grip for it and I took pictures for my old JR. High baseball coach of his pitchers throwing in games to help them develop their technique.
I kind of left photography after I got married and had kids for financial reasons. I didn’t get back in til my youngest son was 18 and got interested. It was Nikon again for us. Went from a D5000 to D300 to D7000 to D600/610. Recently added a D7200 as a partner to my current D610.
Got my first SLR somewhere in the 70's. Nikon just seemed like 'the one to get'. I can't remember any specific reason why I chose Nikon.
When I moved to digital about 10 years ago, I tried Canon. But, the ergonomics of the Canon camera didn't work for me - too small for my hands. On the other hand, the Nikon D90 felt 'good'. Bought the D90 and haven't found any reason to switch systems since.
I have been out of photography for 23 years. I have shot Minolta x370, x700, Canon F1N's and my last cameras where Nikon F5's. Being out of it for so long I didn't have any brand loyalty or equipment. Things have changed so much and it has been so long there was no advantage to go with any specific brand for me.
So I spent months reading, YouTubing and visiting stores and looking at equipment. I had it narrowed down to two systems, Nikon and Olympus. I went with Nikon and purchased a D850, Z6,14-30 F4 S lens, 24-70 F2.8, 70-200 f2.8 FL E, 105 Macro VR, 300mm F2.8. Future plans are to add a 600 F4 prime, 200-500 F5.6 and 2 more bodies over the next year or so.
My interest are wildlife, nature/landscapes, some artistic work.
To be honest I liked Olympus the most, great size, the new E-M1X is outstanding, lens size and cost, weatherproofing are all strong points. I just wasn't confident the M4/3 sensor was going to deliver the results I want in detail when printing large. If I had only planned on images online and on a computer screen I would have gone with Olympus.
The reason I went with Nikon is full frame sensor, good ergonomics, and a very large used market. Mostly used lenses which allow me to have some of the larger primes such as the 300 f2.8 and 600 F4 for example at much better prices over new.
I liked Canon lens selection and have a better price point over Nikon however I wasn't as impressed with the cameras other than FPS.
Sony...well everyone seems to say Sony is where it's at. My conclusion on Sony is simple. Very impressive capabilities, lacks on ergonomics and toughness unless you buy their 2 most current bodies A7R4 and A9II. My biggest hang up was the depth of used market specifically for lenses. I am not in a position to drop $13K on a 600 f4 for a Sony and it will be years until there is any at a reasonable price used. I am however able to do $4-7K on a used 600 f4 Nikon.
Once I decided full frame it really came down to the scale of Nikon's used market going back decades of viable gear that will still make great images. With people that have to jump ship as soon as someone has a better spec and they dump their gear makes me smile .
End of the day I believe any of the systems would have been more than what I need but I invested in Nikon for the legacy of equipment available and my belief that they will continue to produce outstanding equipment now and into the future.
All around, this is the best camera/lens combo I have ever used, having shot w/ Canon the past 11 years (still have Canon, just don't do much non-birding anymore). It's also the only Nikon gear I have, so I haven't tried any of the other renowned cameras/lenses in the ecosystem. 
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