Changing from Canon to Nikon

^^^ I read that a lot, that Nikon can use lenses they made decades ago. (and I am sure you will give me an example from your experience to tell me otherwise)

Yet, I, personally, have never seen anyone in real life or on any forum bought one and say "look what bargain I picked up today from the car boot/eBay/camera shop" nevermind actually using one with their D70 to D700. Ever.

Yes, it can be done, but I don't think it's something people ever do.
 
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D.P. said:
Glad you are enjoying your purchase.

With the lenses you basically only have 2 types you will come across:
1) older AF D lenses, uses motor in body, has aperture ring. D standards for distance as reported to the flash from lens.
2) new (e.g. In the last 13-15 years) AF-S G lenses. g stands for no aperture ring.

And that is really it, weather sealing varies by lens like canon. You also have lenses designed only for the crop sensor, called DX lenses like canon EF-S


The advantage of Nikon is that all lenses are fully forwards and backwards compatible, within reasons(a few older 1960s wide angle lenses protrude into the body and would break the mirror). Obviously on the old lenses you might loose things like auto focus or metering because the lenses just don't have AF or CPUs.
This goes as far as the fact that the Nikon DX lenses have an identical mount to the FX lenses so you can mount them on a FF body and use them in DX or FX mode, or things like 1.2xcrop. Some Nikon D lenses work really well on F sensors in the 1.2x crop mode, the 35,m f1.8 is commonly used on FX cameras.

This means you have access to all the Nikon lenses from the 1960s onwards!
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ty DP :)

An Exception said:
I customised the dials to be the same/similar to Canon, when I changed over to Nikon.
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i like how the buttons are laid out, i will stick with them :)
 
looking round forums etc i dont see many people changing to canon..is this a fair assessment?
 
mrk went from Nikon to Canon. Never mind what forums and other people use, the best system is the one you feel most comfortable using and has the lenses that you want.
 
al4x said:
looking round forums etc i dont see many people changing to canon..is this a fair assessment?
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That's the problem right there, too many people are just forum whores who probably spend more time reading about gear than actually using it.

I see so many people out there on youtube, forums, twitter etc and they all have very similar opinions but most don't have particularly standout images despite all their 'gear knowledge'.

I've been guilty of it myself and I'm sure most of us have at some point.
 
Raymond Lin said:
^^^ I read that a lot, that Nikon can use lenses they made decades ago. (and I am sure you will give me an example from your experience to tell me otherwise)

Yet, I, personally, have never seen anyone in real life or on any forum bought one and say "look what bargain I picked up today from the car boot/eBay/camera shop" nevermind actually using one with their D70 to D700. Ever.

Yes, it can be done, but I don't think it's something people ever do.
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It is done a lot, lots great lenses that are pre auto focus., many of them better than any lenses found today and worth more than they ever were at release, others re just comparative bargains.

85mm f1.4 AI-S
28mm f1.4 AF
70-180mm micro nikkor
13mm f5.6 AI-S
300mm f2.0 AI-S. ***
105mm f2.5 AI
The 105 and 135mm f2.0 AF Defocus control lenses are legendary, still made today but the design is 25 years old.
105mm f/4.0 micro Nikon.

And not forgetting one of the greatest lenses ever made, Noct Nikkor 58mm f1.2 AI-S, one of the most perfectly corrected lenses in existence for SLRS, designed so that point light sources like stars in the far corners remain as sharp pts, no astigmism at all.

Then you can buy all the older supertelephotos for bargain prices if you don't mind manual focusing.

And then there are even more exotic lenses that are still widely used and fetch extortionate prices, 1200-1700mm f8, 6mm f2.8 fish-eye, 300mm f2.0 etc.


You probably just don't look on forums where many people that are into older ensues frequent. Even on the likes of techno head dpreview there are loads of advocates of older Nikon lenses, and not just the exotics. The older micro nikkors are just as good as any modern day macro lens but have the advantage of really good manual focus control which is exactly what you want. Many of the older lenses are incredibly chea for what you get and the optical quality of the old primes is just as good today but slightly less contrasty. Very popular for portraits are some of the older 105mm AIs lenses etc.
 
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al4x said:
looking round forums etc i dont see many people changing to canon..is this a fair assessment?
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In large people don't change systems so it itself it is not too surprising. Some people have swapped to Canon although not too common recently. You are right in that quite a few have gone to Nikon cameras like the D800. Many canon landscape photographers were left in the dark when the 5Dmk3 was released without an available upgrade to their 5dmk2. Many of them were already using a Nikon 14-24mm anyway so it was an obvious swap.
Earlier many sports togs swapped to get a D3S because the high ISO performance was way ahead of canon at the time. Before that loads of people swapped to canon because Nikon didn't event have a FF camera!

Most people who swap are professionals where the image really matters and the cost of the change is easy to balance against increased revenue, or simply the need to keep up with other professionals. Others are just loaded with cash and want the best at the time.


Thing is you never know what things will be like in 5 years time so swapping systems may gain you in the short time but might cost you in the longer. canon might revolutionize their sensor development and leave the rest of the players to catch up.
 
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Raymond Lin said:
Yes, it can be done, but I don't think it's something people ever do.
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I was going to concur, but I remembered a wedding I shot the other week.

I met the groom and groomsmen in the morning, and as I introduced my self etc. they all looked at my camera's judgingly and asked what camera I was shooting with. Then one guy said "he shoots the same camera as I do" which seemed to end the questioning.
Turns out the guy was a commercial tog living/working out in Shanghai.
Anyway later in the day I had a peek in his kit bag and he was shooting with an old 85mm 1.4 that was manual focus.
 
It may not be common in weddings because AF is nice, but for portraits, studio, macro, landscape then it is much more common.

For the price of asking,e Canon L or Nikon G you could get 4-5 lenses that perform just as well, you just might not be auto focusing them! For some people AF just doesn't matter, plenty of people buy Zeiss primes for example.

Many of the older lenses are also simpler, this tends to mean nicer, creamier Bokeh. No aspherical elements, no AF lenses, no IS/VR. You get less ringing and outlining, and less contrast tends to make fluffier more ethereal backgrounds for portraits etc.
 
D.P. said:
In large people don't change systems so it itself it is not too surprising. Some people have swapped to Canon although not too common recently. You are right in that quite a few have gone to Nikon cameras like the D800. Many canon landscape photographers were left in the dark when the 5Dmk3 was released without an available upgrade to their 5dmk2. Many of them were already using a Nikon 14-24mm anyway so it was an obvious swap.
Earlier many sports togs swapped to get a D3S because the high ISO performance was way ahead of canon at the time. Before that loads of people swapped to canon because Nikon didn't event have a FF camera!

Most people who swap are professionals where the image really matters and the cost of the change is easy to balance against increased revenue, or simply the need to keep up with other professionals. Others are just loaded with cash and want the best at the time.


Thing is you never know what things will be like in 5 years time so swapping systems may gain you in the short time but might cost you in the longer. canon might revolutionize their sensor development and leave the rest of the players to catch up.
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that is my thought too, surely a company as big as canon cant just dawdle along on prior rep forever
ill give canon a go first as i already have some kit, especially as i am just learning, start with the

60D
a tripod - dont own
flash - dont own
rail - dont own
100l - own
nifty 50 - own
another lens to cover night photography

look out for a new kit recommendation thread next week!
 
GTRacer said:
To be fair, with an adaptor that's true for Canon too. :p
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True, but it is nice to be ale to mount lenses natively and have full functionality as well as an expectation of forwards compatibility.


Sent the day at the a oregon coast and bumped into an old Japanese guy sporting a D90 with some old lenses. He didn't speak much English but it looked like a 35-70mm f2.8 and a 80-200mm f4.5, plus something that looked like an old wide prime.
 
I went from Nikon to Canon

2 years ago I had a Nikon D3 with the 3 kings 14-24 24-70 70-200mm all 2.8 and a 85mm 1.4 + 50mm 1.4G

Sold it all and purchased a Canon 5dMk2 and a sigma 50mm f1.4 and it was the best thing I ever did. Spent far to much time swapping lens and not enough time taking pictures.

Ive just purchased the OP's 6D and bloody love it and have no problem with the focus points.

I still shoot Nikon in 35mm and have F3, FTN, FE and a host of lovely manual lens (85mm f2 is amazing).
I also have a m42 mount adapter for my Canon so I have some lovely old manual Asahi Pentax primes which produce lovely contrast.
 
Willis said:
I went from Nikon to Canon

2 years ago I had a Nikon D3 with the 3 kings 14-24 24-70 70-200mm all 2.8 and a 85mm 1.4 + 50mm 1.4G

Sold it all and purchased a Canon 5dMk2 and a sigma 50mm f1.4 and it was the best thing I ever did. Spent far to much time swapping lens and not enough time taking pictures.

Ive just purchased the OP's 6D and bloody love it and have no problem with the focus points.

I still shoot Nikon in 35mm and have F3, FTN, FE and a host of lovely manual lens (85mm f2 is amazing).
I also have a m42 mount adapter for my Canon so I have some lovely old manual Asahi Pentax primes which produce lovely contrast.
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Out of interest, did you think the 6D was a markable step up over the 5D2?

I've not really had any issues with my focus points either on 6D :S The outer ones do lack compared to the middle one though.

Do you still just use the Sigma 50 or something else as well?

kd
 
King Damager said:
Out of interest, did you think the 6D was a markable step up over the 5D2?

I've not really had any issues with my focus points either on 6D :S The outer ones do lack compared to the middle one though.

Do you still just use the Sigma 50 or something else as well?

kd
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The ISO on the 6D is a massive jump up from the 5dMk2 and this was the only reason I got one. I do love the Wifi and used it yesterday at a wedding. I set the camera up hidden in a curtain and was at the back viewing and shooting the service on my iPhone5 via live view :D Also had my 5dmk2 with 70-200 for some extra shoots.

Canon lens wise I have the 35L 1.4 and 70-200mm F4, my partner has the 50mm sigma on her 5dmk2 :D
 
Willis said:
The ISO on the 6D is a massive jump up from the 5dMk2 and this was the only reason I got one. I do love the Wifi and used it yesterday at a wedding. I set the camera up hidden in a curtain and was at the back viewing and shooting the service on my iPhone5 via live view :D Also had my 5dmk2 with 70-200 for some extra shoots.

Canon lens wise I have the 35L 1.4 and 70-200mm F4, my partner has the 50mm sigma on her 5dmk2 :D
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Ah. How'd you find the WiFi? I find it a bit laggy personally. I had to be shooting from watching the scene rather than through the actual iPhone live view. Also found live view focus a bit slow for wildlife, not sure how it 'd work with weddings.

Also, how's the 70-200F4 for weddings? Surely you could benefit from wider app?

kd
 
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