Why Nikon at all

[niconartist]

much simpler control layout than canon. gice COMPLETE control to photographer when needed. no hidden "features".

 

[narsuitus]

At the newspaper where I was employed in the 1960s, photographers who primarily used Nikon equipment surrounded me. They pressured me to abandon my Miranda Sensorex for a Nikon. I resisted until my Sensorex broke for the third time within the first two years of its three-year warranty. The third time it broke was when I was hundreds of feet in the air covering the maiden voyage of a new DC-3 that the local university had just acquired. Thank goodness a backup twin-lens reflex camera that I carried allowed me to complete my assignment.

I immediately replaced my broken Miranda Sensorex for a chrome Nikon F. Since then I have owned six F2s (including two Titanium F2s), one F3, one EM, and 10 Nikon lenses from 18mm to 1000mm. My Nikons have had a long history of functioning flawlessly in a variety of adverse conditions. They functioned in rain and snow. They were not affected by the burning Texas summers or the freezing Wisconsin winters. They functioned flawlessly at the meat-packing plants when condensation formed on them after I took them from the blast freezer to the hot and humid killing floor and then back again to the blast freezer. They even continued to function after being sterilized in a gas autoclave at the Aimes Iowa National Veterinary Services Laboratory. The only time one failed me was after I accidentally dropped it on a concrete floor. Needless to say, I have been very impressed by the ruggedness of the Nikons.

Today, if I decided to replace the three F2 bodies that I still own and use, I would probably replace them with the Nikon FM3A. However, if tomorrow the price of the new professional quality Kodak digital that accepts Nikon lenses dropped to a reasonable level, I would purchase one.

 

[cartfan51]

I have had my F100 for almost a year now. I was considering Canon's "comparable" camera but then I picked up the F100. Done deal. This thing feels solid as a rock compared to the Canon which felt less substantial than the entry entry level Pentax I was replacing. Lightning fast autofocus was also a huge factor.

 

[aspifed]

I bought my first - a Nikon F FTn - in 1970, on the basis that it was then the only sensibly priced system worth having - only Leica had anything like the range of kit, and that was far more expensive, and quite "out of date". These days Canon out-Nikon Nikon in some areas, anecdotally including autofocus, but I'm never gonna change now! My D1 and F5 will see me out, I suspect.

 

[hatidua]

When I started professionally it was the main system that you could rent things for. Now this is less of a reason and the rumors of a new lens mount will require judging the new digital bodies vs. the competitors.

 

[sean1976]

Why Nikon? Lens compatibility. I have 11 different Nikon bodies (3 F mounts, 5 AI mounts, and 3 AF mounts), and the only lens that does not work will all of those bodies is my 50mm 1.4 non AI. Nikon was really onto something back in 1959 when the original F mount was introduced. I'm happy to see no one has tried to fix something that has never been broken.

 

[bobar57]

"and the only lens that does not work will all of those bodies is my 50mm 1.4 non AI. Nikon was really onto something back in 1959 when the original F mount was introduced."

Sean, even that lens can be converted to AI for around 35.00 and will work like a charm in your AI's body cameras
Look here:
http://www.aiconversions.com/compatibilitytable.htm

 

[mny2002]

Hello everyone,

When I was so young, my first SLR was Minolta and the second one was Canon. Now I have 3 Nikon MF cameras. So far, I love Nikon the most. I am glad that I go into the Nikon group. I almost went into the Canon group but I changed it to the Nikon group. I know that the Canon is good. But, in my personal opinion, the Nikon is still the best! It is all because of all the Nikkor lens compatibility with Nikon cameras, reliable, solid, and quality.

Thanks,
Kian-Guan Au

 

[anupam]

[Anupam] well, my first camera is a Nikon F75 and I think that the camera is good, the only thing is that sometimes when I read all this stuff in this forum I feel that maybe the manual cameras are better, but then I don't know nothing about cameras so I don't think I have the pre-requisites to own a manual Nikon yet. Cheers!!

 

[mny2002]

Hello Anupam,

Well, it depends on what you need. In my personal opinion, I prefer the MF ones to the AF ones. The MF ones could function without the batteries. It depends on what model it is.

Thanks,
Kian-Guan Au