I chose (did research and wasn't bound by equipment) Nikon because of much better support for work with off camera flash (CLS and better sync speeds).

I'm still heavily in DX. If Pantax had 1/250+ snyc speeds back then, I might have considered.

I love msmoto's Nikon F with its patina of use and love. Very nostalgic and romantic!

My last film camera was a Nikon F100 that I still have and I had several lenses for it that carried over into my first digital body- a D200. The F100 remains the best 35mm film camera I have ever used. What impressed me at the time was the seamless transfer to the D200, with almost all the controls being instantly familiar. I cannot comment on Canons as I have never used one but several colleagues of mine have them and they seem to produce very good results. They like them.

It might be worth remembering that before about 1990 or so, I don't think Canon really featured on the professional scene at all (mostly being used by keen amateurs) and therefore many photographers from the 60s, 70s and 80s grew up with Nikon as THE professional 35mm. camera and continued to use them after that. They had a reputation of being literally bullet proof- Don McCullin's Nikon F stopping a bullet in Vietnam that would have otherwise killed him as I remember.

My favourite camera is in my camera cupboard, unused for a couple of years now, my beautiful Horseman 5X4 monorail. I aim to shoot some B&W on it in the spring. I regret no longer having my stunning Nikkor lenses for it though!

Other than being heavily invested in Nikon-compatible equipment, my reason for sticking with Nikon is that I find the ergonomics better than the Canon-equivalent cameras, particularly at the semi-pro and pro end. Button and dial placement is much more comfortable to me on Nikon cameras.

Safyre.......don't worry about what "some people" think about K.R.; the guy's sharp as a tack on a lot of stuff; I just think he's "all wet" about "never needs no stinkin tripod"! Lotta people around who are just jealous of Ken; (how many guys you know who can make a great living with just a website ?) (answer: not many!)

Now;
Way back in "the day" I had a very nice Canon F-1; I loved that camera! I had a bunch of focusing screens for it, a REALLY cool flexible right angle "or straight through gadget that replaced the penta prism.......(wish I could use that thing on my D SLR); also had some VERY nice Canon FD lenses; then BAM! Canon went digital.....just like that ! "but what am I gonna do with all this "glass" that cost me a bundle ?" Canon: "Not our problem.....use 'em for door stops"!

I guess they figured if they came out with a new lens mount, everyone would just "run out" and buy all new glass ! I gotta tell you....that kinda pissed me off; (and please forgive my "course" language) So.......even before I went digital, I "upgraded" to a Nikon F-5; as far as I'm concerned, the thing has the finest view finder of any 35mm camera I have EVER looked through; I even bought a 300mm/ f:4 MF for it, an 80-200 / 2.8 , and about 4 more; guess what.........Nikon "went digital too"........and all that glass still works ! How's that ? Say you can't "get by" without auto focus ? Poor you! For some stuff, I prefer MF. (And I REALLY appreciate that Nikon didn't leave all of it's thousands of customers sitting with a pile of useless "glass" that they spent a fortune on !)

(I don't tell tell anyone who asks all of that; I just say "I prefer Nikon")

Charley

I know that this is not gonna be a popular answer, but it was originally Ken Rockwell that got me on the Nikon bandwagon. Back when I got my first SLR around 5 years ago, Ken's site had a large amount of information that helped make the foray into the DSLR market less intimidating. I know a lot of people have strong opinions of him, but one needs to realize that his target audience is beginners and amateurs; and for that he does a good job of telling people whats important to get out there and shoot, and not worry too much about the technical jargon. Now, that I've developed my craft, I very rarely check out his site anymore, but but his message still applies to this day, which is spend less time analyzing on the computer and more on actually shooting.

Nice thread.
I keep it simple.
I just say it has great glass and consistent reliability over time, any conditions, under a sickening amount of use by me.
I don't have to think so much or treat it like it's fragile.
I can just count on it, and I really like that.

fjota said:
Well, it is a good and easy question to be answered.
My first camera was a Nikon FE purchased in 1982 with a 55mm 2.8 MF MICRO lens that I use until now with my D7000 DX camera. There was others many steps between both cameras.
Since 1982, Nikon, for me, is a lifestyle, that reflect the attitudes, values and worldviews of your users and mine. The yellow color in the Nikon logo and in the square logo of the National Geographic Society are representations of adventure and proficient’s photographers living together, surrounded by the yellow color of the sunset in the Africa. Romantic, probably… But it is a real connection for many.
Our lifestyle controls our use of technology, while technology influences our lifestyles, Nikon did this with me.
fjota

Well, it is a good and easy question to be answered.
My first camera was a Nikon FE purchased in 1982 with a 55mm 2.8 MF micro lens that I use until now with my D7000 DX camera. There was others many steps between both cameras.
Since 1982, Nikon, for me, is a lifestyle, that reflect the attitudes, values and worldviews of your users and mine. The yellow color in the Nikon logo and in the square logo of the National Geographic Society are representations of adventure and proficient’s photographers living together, surrounded by the yellow color of the sunset in the Africa. Romantic, probably… But it is a real connection for many.
Our lifestyle controls our use of technology, while technology influences our lifestyles, Nikon did this with me.
fjota

msmoto said:
Well, I guess I could not resist this one... mine from the 1960's... a little used maybe...

Msmoto, that is beautiful.

Well, I guess I could not resist this one... mine from the 1960's... a little used maybe...

"I was sold on Nikon years ago when I walked into the Nikon House in Ginza and decided the F2 with the was the perfect camera for me. Until then I used Contax. I don't know if Nikons are any better than your camera, but I've taken them all over the world and they have worked well for me."

I was once showing a print to a Canon user and he said "Wow, that came from a Nikon?". I don't know why users of either system are snobby about it.

I started with Nikon because that's was my boss used and recommended when I started getting into photography.

I recently used a Canon T3i and while the pictures are great, trying to navigate the buttons and menus drove me effing crazy.

I shoot Nikon because its dependable. My D5000 got thoroughly drenched due to rain. I was happily shooting while my canon friend packed up his camera and watched while I kept shooting. No damage to any systems.

I bought a used D70s on Craig's List after I'd bought my wife a D40 right after they came out. We had looked at Pentax, Olympus and Canon and settled on the D40 for simplicity. I was a devoted fan of my craptacular Vivitar point-and-shoot for about 20 years, with the occasional foray into SLR territory. I thought it was finally time to step it up. D70s was perfect for me. D7000 was the next logical step.

I've picked up Canon bodies and except for the comfortable grip, I hate them. The layout is confounding. Nothing seems to be in the right place.

Sony's feel small, weird and plastic-y.

Pentax's feel small but ok but the menu system sucks.

Etc, etc. Nikons feel good and shoot quick. Everything is right there where my fingers look for it.

Because my father used nikon for years. He left me with so many nikon lens, bags, f3a, films , straps, and other stuff that i can not switch brand. I kind got trapped into nikon world before i was born. So i ended up myself with NIKON gears too.

I usually respond with something similar to this:

With nearly 50 years of lenses available and a lot of excellent glass available for use on just released cameras the platform just makes sense. To use the older lenses conversions are needed but that is cheap compared to the quality of construction and the optics and the initial used purchase price. Few other manufacturers offer anything that close in price/compatibility compared to the F platform. Nikon's platform also makes more sense to me.

I could babble on and on on this subject since I like researching the history of how the different camera platforms got to where they are and why they are the way they are.

mine usually is....

because Nikon for me is the best and nikon is purely built around camera's and imaging at this is at the heart of what Nikon does. canon however is not, how many nikon printers,calculators,photocopiers, etc have you seen i will answer for you None.

and also i can buy a nikon lens from 1970's and it will go directly on my D800 without issue, and the same cannot be said for canon there forever changing their lens mounts, so nikon makes sense!

Don't get me wrong i have nothing against canon and im not a nikon fanboy, like most i tried both with my first Dslr and the nikon just felt right never looked back since, although i do own a 550d for video work (ducks and hides) lol

Simple.
When getting into the entry level DSLR, they gave £50 cash-back! made it £25 cheaper than the equivalent Canon.
Then I bought another lens, then I was a trapped Nikon user :)
£3500 spent later, the £25 was probably an insignificant saving.

They just work and they work well, plain and simple.

Keeping it short, I usually respond with the words of a pro friend of mine, "Canons are cheaper for a reason."

As we have some new members on NRF, I thought I would relight TTJ's thread and see what folks say. And, my first comment is that I did have a Canon 7 rangefinder camera, Leica 50mm f/2.0 Summicron. I certainly wish I had this now! But, I will reiterate my Nikon (pronounced knee-con LOL) heritage as coming out of the 1960's with my first "F" body, my second, a Photomic T, and then after being out of photography doing other things for many years, getting into the N6000 series, finally a D70 or something like that and slowly moving up the line.

My suspicions are I would be just as biased if I had started with Canon, but actually I believe they were behind in the development of a 35mm SLR in the 60's or at least, in South Dakota, we had not heard of them,ha, ha, ha. I had a Zenza Bronica from the 60's, Nikkor optics, phenomenal performance, but some mechanical film transport problems. Then Hasselblads, and others.

So, for the more recent individuals who would like to post here, please read the initial post of TTJ, then respond. Thank you.

The camera is a solid camera but as with all things technology it is luck of the draw sometimes.

I got my D7000 a year and change ago and have only had occasional problems with one of my SD cards. Totally love the camera nothing like having 53 years or so lenses that can be used on the camera provided certain modifications are done.

The first two AF lenses that I picked up for my D7000 and the S2 pro I picked up right before that had the Err happen on them but I ended tearing their CPU contact sections down and reseating them. Both lenses have been spectacular since then. Really can't wait for my D800 to show up since it will be like a super D7000.

Great...I just bought that camera today for my daughters 15th birthday. Does anybody have a suggestion on a lens. Want to spend around 300. Is there a good like 18-105ish in that range someone could recommend? And she said she would like a fixed 50mm also...any suggestions there. Thanks.

And would like to hear how the new or fixed camera turns out. Thanks.

thanks mate i appriciate your help.i took it back to the dealer today and tried a brand new 50 mm 1.8d lens same message appeared.but my lens worked perfectly on d700.so they said something is wrong with the camera and they are sending camera to nikon for repair.not a good start.

Make sure that the lens is at the maximum aperture (orange/red number) and locked before it is attached to the camera. If it is set right there is either something up with the lens or the camera. Most of the time it is because the lens isn't set to max aperture (f22 in this case) which when using with an AF camera is required when using AF, or AF-D lenses.