From the "Average Joes" to the Professionals Photographers and everyone in between, Canon vs Nikon is easily the most argued subject in the world of Photography. Both makers have been around for decades and while both formats are excellent platforms, they aren't without their pros and cons. However, I think its comical to see people bicker and fight about these two formats and get asked all the time why I shoot with Canon instead of (insert your favorite brand here). Heres why...
A few years ago, I ventured into the world of professional photography. I realized I could take a decent picture and people seemed to like what I produced so I decided to pursue it and started up a small business. I flip-flopped between Canon and Nikon a few times over the years, even after building up a fairly impressive gear set in either particular format. Glutton for punishment I guess and I didn't seem to learn after the first couple times and completely lost my butt on a lot of expensive gear when it came time to trade up. Ill admit, up until a little over a year ago, I was a major "gear whore". You know the type; the ones who must always have the latest and greatest or sit in internet forums and rant and rave about who has the cleanest high ISO lab figures and all sorts of ridiculous banter about pixel density and ultra fast focusing. It took someone showing me how to take amazing photos with bottom of the barrel gear to give me an understanding and appreciation that it really is much more the Photographer than it is the gear.
After I switched back to Canon again in 2008, I decided if I was going to finally settle on a format, I was going to "do it right" and purchased nothing but pro level gear since this was not only a hobby but also an investment into making a full on attempt at turning this into a career. I picked up a couple of Canon L lenses and a second hand Canon 1D MKii because the pro grade stuff was undoubtedly better and more durable than the consumer or "pro-sumer" gear I was replacing, or so I mistakenly though...
Two days after I bought it, the shutter went out in less than 30K actuations. Mind you this is a camera that is rated for at least 200K actuations, so 30K was a mere drop in the bucket.
After I switched back to Canon again in 2008, I decided if I was going to finally settle on a format, I was going to "do it right" and purchased nothing but pro level gear since this was not only a hobby but also an investment into making a full on attempt at turning this into a career. I picked up a couple of Canon L lenses and a second hand Canon 1D MKii because the pro grade stuff was undoubtedly better and more durable than the consumer or "pro-sumer" gear I was replacing, or so I mistakenly though...
Two days after I bought it, the shutter went out in less than 30K actuations. Mind you this is a camera that is rated for at least 200K actuations, so 30K was a mere drop in the bucket.
Broken Shutter
A bit irked that I had purchased a camera that had not even lasted me a couple days, I took a trip down to Canon of Irvine to have the camera fixed. No warranty card, no receipt; brought in nothing but the camera and plopped it down on the receptionists desk and filled out my repair slip while telling the tale of how I ended up in their offices. As I was filling out the slip, I grumbled something about what the charge would be to fix the camera and how long it would take. She was unsure but took the camera into the back to have a technician look at it quickly to assess the damage. Moments later she walks out and tells me my shutter is in fact toast and that the sensor had been damaged due to the leafs scratching the filter. My heart sank and I could literally hear the sound of my bank account screaming for dear life as she told me the total of the work which was upwards of $600. She then leaned in closely over the counter and said a small handful of words that sealed the deal on me being a loyal Canon shooter for the foreseeable future...
"We are going to replace your shutter, sensor and clean and adjust your camera as a courtesy. This one's on us..."
I was completely floored! Here I brought in a second hand camera that had been discontinued for at least a couple years with no receipt and no warranty card and they are fixing it, completely free of charge! To make matters even better, they had quoted me 3-5 days to get it back and it was ready the next day. Outstanding! Any company that is going to stand behind their product like that, is a clear winner in my eyes.
I think in the rat race of who has the most megapixels, the sharpest sensors and the least ISO noise we often forget the little things like customer service and satisfaction. While Canon certainly makes some outstanding gear, im not at all ashamed to say they are far from the best. Nikon has come a long way in the last few years with their DSLR technology and is giving everyone else some major competition. I welcome it though as it forces the brands to keep up and stay current with our ever evolving technology. But in an age where everything is built as cheap as possible, its nice to see a company completely back their product 110% and do whatever it takes to make the customer happy.
This is why I am a "Canon Man".
This is why I am a "Canon Man".
