kanuck said:
Interesting to know, thanks itsnotmeyouknow for sharing and welcome to the forum. You didn't waste much time and quickly built up an impressive list of gear! The 35mm ZF .2 F2 is fantastic isn't it? I heard the 21 and 25 lenses are outstanding especially on the D800. I had a 25mm ZF original version for my F100 a while back but had to trade it in for a zoom lens. I think it was part of the 24-70mm lens that I picked up back in 2010..

Thanks for the welcome! Yes the Zeiss is excellent on both cameras. The focus grip is as smooth as silk. It's also very sharp. I had a brief look at the 25 and the 21 and decided to stick with the 35 as that is a good FL to have stuck to the camera for a walkabout. I'm amazed that since I bought my D800 in September I have taken almost 16,000 shots! I do tend to be quite snap happy! I do love the detail of the D800, it's USP for me is the dynamic range. Maybe Canon will catch up. But resolution isn't everything they will need to catch up on the DR or handle the noise better at low ISO when you are forced to push the shadows.

bleephotography said:
Thanks all for the input. If my third copy of the Canon 24-70 II arrives subpar, I will be switching over to Nikon indefinitely. Although Canon has its advantages, I feel like the current feature set of Nikon might be more suitable for my intended progression.

If this ends up being the case, what do you think of the following setup for a Nikon noob:
D800E
14-24 f/2.8
24-70 f/2.8
70-200 f/2.8 VR II
35 f/1.4

and one SB-910.

With this setup my approach is minimalist and versatility, with the intention of covering my bases for anything from weddings to landscapes, and even to sports...

Your story is almost exactly like my story. I just got to feel that I (and everyone else) was not getting any younger and at my stage in life, I was no longer willing to just wait for Canon to enter the high MP game. I do landscapes and seascapes and every time I go out and shoot I can choose to pick up a Nikon bag or a Canon bag. I've been a Canon shooter for about 9 years and a Nikon shooter for less than a year. But in my own testing using one of my actual landscape locations I've compared all the lenses of both Canon and Nikon. I miss my 17 tse Canon lens and the dual axis 24 tse Canon lens. The Nikon 24 tse is ok but I really enjoy using the Nikon 14-24 which is very versatile. The extra resolution and much higher dynamic range of my Nikon is much better than my Canon work. I have both the D800 and D800e and I prefer the "E" model, although I keep it for special occasions (like really good weather).

Right now I'm having a focusing problem with the D800 and the 24-70 (needs -20 af adjust at 70), but I'll send it into Nikon. My D800e doesn't have the problem. By the way, if you can afford to, you CAN keep your Canon equipment and just choose to shoot Nikon. I really feel that Canon will come around sometime in the next 2-4 years and deliver (actually deliver - not just announce) a high MP camera (over 40mp). Then I will once again enjoy all my great Canon lenses plus my Nikon lenses (because Nikon lenses CAN fit - with Noveflex adapters - Canon bodies). I hope you enjoy your Nikon experience.

There has been great advice already posted here. As someone who a couple of months ago went through exactly the dilemma you are now, here's my $0.02.

- I ended up sticking with Canon, and buying a 5dMkIII. After 2 months, I am increasingly happy with my decision. For what it's worth, Popular Photography just awarded the 5DMkIII its Camera of the Year for 2012, and their reasoning is pretty sound. If I had made the switch - which would've hurt financially - I'm sure I would now be regretting the move.

- That said, I enjoyed my time playing with Nikons. Teething issues notwithstanding, there's a lot for Nikkor owners to feel excited about.

- Unless you are a professional photographer who has a very very specific need for something the D800 or 5D does better, and this is going to make you more money, switching systems is pretty dumb.

Interesting to know, thanks itsnotmeyouknow for sharing and welcome to the forum. You didn't waste much time and quickly built up an impressive list of gear! The 35mm ZF .2 F2 is fantastic isn't it? I heard the 21 and 25 lenses are outstanding especially on the D800. I had a 25mm ZF original version for my F100 a while back but had to trade it in for a zoom lens. I think it was part of the 24-70mm lens that I picked up back in 2010..

I still have the 5D mk III but have sold some of my L glass and Zeiss 35 f/2 to get good 2nd hand glass for my D800. The reason I changed is because of the noise banding on the mk III made many shots unuseable without softening the shot with Noise Reduction. I concur with those that say the quiet mode is far superior on the Canon. It is massively superior.

Dynamic range they are worlds apart with the D800 winning by some distance. My set up is as follows:

Nikkor 14 - 24
24 - 70
80 - 200 AF-S
200 macro f/4
AFS 300 f/4 plus 1.7 extender
AFS 50 1.8 G
AFS 60 2.8 G macro
AFD 85 1.8
Tamron 100 macro
Carl Zeiss 35 f/2 ZF2

Did Nikon add an option to switch off the DoF preview in LV in any recent firmware update or is it still always engaged?

Wow..I am thoroughly impressed from many stances from what I see here. I don't own any Nikon gear (am strictly a Canon User with 7 L lenses, an MP-E 65 1x-5x macro lens and a 50mm 1.4 which is almost as good as the 1.2 L for a 1/4 the price)..anyways, such wonderful comments from Chris and several others on Canon gear. I will say that as a 5D Mark III (and 7D) owner, I could not be more impressed with that 5D. I have seen the tests, reviews, articles, etc on the D800 as it is compared to the 5D MK III. I could not agree more that the shadow recovery is a bit weak on the 5D and the D800 has its strengths here. On the other hand, I've taken several ISO shots around 3200 with proper Custom WB (used 18% gray card) and the results knocked me off my feet. With respect to the red shifts that someone commented I agree but I have seen the D800 has some green casting as well...EZ fix for Canon you can use the WB Shift on the rear menu to tweak as needed but it is best to shoot in Faithful mode which is truly "flat" not Standard, neutral or any other - most overlook this. I've seen that red shift before and Faithful does away with this issue and really brings the image where it should be without any Canon Factory preset adjustments to contrast, saturation etc. On another note, the wildlife shots that I used to fear giving up the 1.6 crop factor on using a 400mm lens with a 7D (making the shots 640mm on a 7D) are now a thing of the past. I typically shoot in RAW (CR2 = NEF) format then convert to JPG and crop away without any consideration of noticeable loss to the image. Another words if I shot a Great Blue Heron with the 7D and 400mm lens(again really 640mm) I can get that same perspective when cropping with the 5D Mark III without any image loss at all. Ultimately for me it all boils down to knowing your cameras weaknesses and coming up with work arounds as needed. There is a great article that offers how to circumvent the 5D Mark III's shadow recovery issue here: http://www.fredmiranda.com/5DIII-D800/index_controlled-tests.html - as others have pointed out there's no C1-C3 which is great in a pinch but yes I had a an issue with a lack of popup flash as well on the 5D MKIII. reason: the 7D does offer a popup which offers Infrared as well. I have it control the 580 EX II (similar to the SB 910 I think) flash (canon's higher end flash) wirelessly. It was cheap of Canon not to include this perhaps so they can sell more wireless triggers. it also stinks they made this camera without the GPS feature. One has to go out and spend about $300 USD for a GP-E2 which takes up the hot shoe flash and can make placing the 5D Mark III in your camera bag a nuisance as it raises its overall height. Let's keep in mind that Nikon also offers a hefty 3 year warranty vs. 1 year from Canon and as Bleeping pointed out their equipment is more pricey. Beyond all of these gripes however is some truly fine gear. The new Silent shutter feature is amazing for wildlife and weddings..soo quiet. My shots coming from a 7D were quite good but the 5D shots are seriously over the top. If I had to do it all over again and wasn't so heavily invested in Canon I'd surely consider both but personally speaking Bleeping, you've got a heavy investment here with some superb gear as others have stated and I am not so sure you are truly going to see that much of a visual difference (some may defend this Ok)..again there are strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the fence. On a side note, if you like Macro photography, I will say using the MP-E 65 1x-5x macro lens is a plus Canon. If unfamiliar with this lens its insane with respect to Macro. To the best of my knowledge this is unique to Canon. There's no autofocus. How you focus is by rocking back and forth until your insect (example) is focused. if you shoot at 5x at F16 you are really shooting at F80 (F16 x5 = F80) as this is 5 times magnification of real life. it takes loads of practice and the lens is useless without an MT 12EX or MT 24EX macro flash. But if considering macro photography be sure and check out that gear. Here's an example from the Canon MP-E 65 group on flickr at 3.5x magnification: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmm-photographic/8235781360/in/pool-14414927@N00/lightbox/

Bleeping..little known fact on that Canon 100mm L IS 2.8 - it offers a mode most people are not aware of..when in Macro mode, there's a mode called AI Servo Macro..ideal for focusing on moving tiny subjects such as insects. That lens is razor sharp as well. I think you mentioned you may have had issues with Af on your lenses? Did you acquire that Focal Software? Highly recommended when using AFMA as it will tell you all the weakenesses and strengths of your lenses and where to adjust AFMA on Wide and Tele.

In either case Bleeping, I wish you the best in whatever you decide. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the posts here. You folks are a most congenial group. I am trying to get my brother to join he has a Nikon D7000 I believe with a few lenses and it would be great if he would experience this forum.

PaulR said:
Changing ships is a serious move, not to mention expense. I have lots of Canon friends and they are well pleased with their Canon gear. Canon have some great focal length lenses

Don't fall into the trap of the "Grass is greener on the other side" syndrome. Both manufactures make excellent equipment and at the end of the day its what suites you.Listen to what people say, sure, but its your money you are spending, and you and only you will be using the equipment.

+1!

golf007sd said:
@kanuck I'm willing to put my skills with the Nikon 24-70 2.8 vs. the new Cannon 24-70 II any day of the week and twice on Sunday. It does not "blow away" nor is it number 1 in my book. It is a great lens and those that seek it sure have to play a lot for it.

What variation are you referring to?

I have owned so many different 24-70mm lenses over the years now and I have had a lot of crappy ones and some great ones. By "variation" I am meaning everything from the zoom ring, to the actual optics. I experienced stiff zoom rings, slower AF, less warm renderings, and even additional clanking to noisier AF motors. I think out of the 7 different 24-70mm I have owned since 2008 two of them were excellent all around and were a real workhorse for my work.

@OP - I can't offer any personal experience but here is a recent discussion on another forum between the Nikon 24-70 and Canon 24-70 II with a nice comparison between the two:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1169066

@ PaulR +1

Each of the lines may have their advantages, but as this tends to fluctuate as time passes, a switch from one to another may find one jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

Changing ships is a serious move, not to mention expense. I have lots of Canon friends and they are well pleased with their Canon gear. Canon have some great focal length lenses

Don't fall into the trap of the "Grass is greener on the other side" syndrome. Both manufactures make excellent equipment and at the end of the day its what suites you.Listen to what people say, sure, but its your money you are spending, and you and only you will be using the equipment.

@kanuck I'm willing to put my skills with the Nikon 24-70 2.8 vs. the new Cannon 24-70 II any day of the week and twice on Sunday. It does not "blow away" nor is it number 1 in my book. It is a great lens and those that seek it sure have to play a lot for it.

kanuck said:
Also Nikkor 24-70mm has a tremendous amount of sample variation as well.

What variation are you referring to?

Also Nikkor 24-70mm has a tremendous amount of sample variation as well. The only other lenses that have given me more trouble in terms of finding a copy I liked were the 17-35mm, and old 80-200mm AF D push pull. The 16-35mm can be tricky as well. The 14-24mm is money every time I try one though..Keep in mind the new 70-200mm VR III F4 Nikkor has began shipping as well although not 2.8 as you might want. It looks like you are going to convert. ^^

My goodness you have the 24-70mm Mark II lens?! Thats supposed to be one of the top (if not #1) zoom lenses in the world now! You also have an excellent body now as well. I would not change if I were you. I shoot with a D800E, but my older brother swears by his 5D Mark II setup. The Nikkor 24-70mm is very nice but I hear the new Canon blows it away. The MTF charts are amazing similar to what you would see to primes. The Nikkor 24mm and Zeiss ZF/ZE primes are close, but that Canon 24-70 II is really something else for a zoom.

The D800E files are excellent and need very little post processing. However, the files are gigantic so you might need to upgrade your computer. Have you considered doing what many pros have done and buy the Novoflex adapter so you could put the 14-24mm Nikkor on your Mark 3? Many pros like Outdoor Photography Magazine shooter Marc Adamus do this. Only problem is you would have to manual focus, but who cares for landscape work anyways right?

I see why you might be upset with Canon pricing lately, but I really would think twice about making the switch. You have a perfect setup right now. Be careful of the "grass is always greener" photography syndrome. I have been there as have many others I think. Canon is excellent and just as good as Nikon ^___^

@bleephotography The 14-24 2.8 it all really depends on how you go about using. For landscape I really don't see that to be an issue, However, if you intend to use it for those closeup action shots like Thom Hogan did then yes missing AF could be an issue.

http://www.bythom.com/nikkor-14-24mm-lens-review.htm

With respect to your line of lenses, outstanding way to go! I do not have the 35 1.4G. I went with the 24 1.4G & 50 1.4G and I'm extremely happy with my choices. You are by no mean a novice gear user so I have great confidence you will make the right choice. Should you come to our side of the force, you will be pleased and your new gear will open up to even more pleasing shots.

Best wishes....

msmoto said:
Remember, this is a Nikon forum :-)

Good point, lol! Well, for me I look at it objectively and retain no loyalty or biases for one over the other. After all, if you're going to invest thousands of dollars on a hobby or profession, you might as well get your money's worth!

golf007sd said:
Welcome bleephotography,

I'm not going to sit here and blow hot air where it is not warranted. The Cannon 5D MK III is an fantastic body and if I had all those "L" series lenses, the last thing I would do is make the switch. The D800E is amazing body, but if all you are after is the 14-24 2.8 then by all mean get this and you are all set.

http://www.16-9.net/nikon_g/

The video that Rx4Photo is referring to is this. Jump to 7:23 minutes into the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omTo7UxbJX8

Ah, yes. I remember this video. In fact, if my 24-70 II pans out, I will more than likely shy away from the Dark Side (Nikon) and just get the 14-24 with Novoflex adapter. Ironic, eh?

On a side note, how detrimental do you think losing AF on those focal ranges might be?

Thanks all for the input. If my third copy of the Canon 24-70 II arrives subpar, I will be switching over to Nikon indefinitely. Although Canon has its advantages, I feel like the current feature set of Nikon might be more suitable for my intended progression.

If this ends up being the case, what do you think of the following setup for a Nikon noob:
D800E
14-24 f/2.8
24-70 f/2.8
70-200 f/2.8 VR II
35 f/1.4

and one SB-910.

With this setup my approach is minimalist and versatility, with the intention of covering my bases for anything from weddings to landscapes, and even to sports...

Welcome bleephotography,

I'm not going to sit here and blow hot air where it is not warranted. The Cannon 5D MK III is an fantastic body and if I had all those "L" series lenses, the last thing I would do is make the switch. The D800E is amazing body, but if all you are after is the 14-24 2.8 then by all mean get this and you are all set.

http://www.16-9.net/nikon_g/

The video that Rx4Photo is referring to is this. Jump to 7:23 minutes into the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omTo7UxbJX8

I recently found a really good comparison on You Tube but I'm at work now and don't have time to look right now. Essentially the bottom line turns into two or three things. Nikon D800/E has the pop up flash which is useful at times, Nikon has the focus assist light as well. During this comparison the guy did some shooting outside in the dark with a cityscape in the background. The Nikon was able to focus on the model but the Canon failed. They had to use a handheld flashlight with the Canon. They also noticed more detail in the studio portraits that they took but seemed to like the way the Canon rendered skin tones. The Canon did have that ultra quiet shutter which is an advantage. Overall they gave both cameras good marks but I think they liked the Nikon more for its overal usability.

spraynpray said:
Not specific experience to 5D mkIII, but I assume it is like the mkII - I like the whizzy wheel on the back of the Canons and the fact that you only have to touch the buttons once to set that function. With Nikons you have to hold the button until you've finished. That's it. The rest is all bad!

Haha! The Canon handling is not at all bad, it's different. I prefer Nikon's style, but it's a matter of taste.

Plus, you CAN set the D800 so that you can let go the button (ISO, Quality all that) and set something.

Switched to the D800 coming from the 5D Mark II. IQ-wise, there is no comparison to the D800, I would say, but I'm saying that only from what I've seen in tests.

The high-ISO image quality is better with the 5D III in *practical* shooting, but better with the D800 when it boils down to theory. This is because the D800's amps and noise reduction blabla are tuned to the red channel, vs. blue/green on the 5D III. There was a test somewhere where this was shown, I have to see if I can find it again.

The big difference between Nikon/Canon is the handling. One thing is it's all literally "the other way around" with Nikon: The lens bajonet direction, the dot marking on the lens, the exposure scale in camera. It takes a while to adapt :-)

Unless I had a lot of time and some spare money that I didn't know what to do with it, I would, in your situation not consider switching. Why are you? You have the latest gear and it's considered top notch. There would only be two reasons that would make sense:

1. You really need that focal legth package of a 14-24, as in: in one lens. The IQ is great, but not as legendary as you can get the impression when you hear all that raving. Read some (real) reviews and look at distortion and sharpness values compared to other lenses. You can get great alternatives to it if you're not specifically looking for this exact combination as a zoom-lens package.
2. You want the resolution of the D800. That's why I switched, because I wanted to be able to crop and still have high-res pictures left. The IQ itself is also marvellous, but then again, I doubt that this difference would really matter when you sell your pictures to someone. Plus, your lenses are (supposedly) excellent IQ, I doubt you'd see any improvement with the same gear with a Nikon badge on it.

Why not to switch:

1. The D800 is missing the C1-3 comfort modes of the Canon. If you're using those heavily, don't switch. The memory bank architecture is a complete fail in the D800, non-usable. Then again, it has to offer other nice features handling-wise, but it's all a matter of taste.
2. Last thing: The quiet mode on the D800 does nothing but separate mirror up and down noise. It's still loud. And the D800 is as loud as a regular SLR, in fact, louder than smaller Nikons. The quiet mode on the 5D III is actually a miracle compared to that. If you need quiet, stick with what you've got.

Summary: Only switch if you want 14-24 in a zoom lens or want the high resolution.
Do not switch if you rely on C modes in your Canon or the quiet mode.

Hope this helps.

I think that the menu implementations in both Canon and Nikons have their own quirks. I prefer the Nikon system since most of the controls are customisable and are located in only one tab and you can also set custom functions very easily compared to canon where I found the menu's fast if you are looking for something simple like adjusting JPEG settings and screen brightness but not settings like AFMA or AF point selections.( WARNING: Personal preference) I like canon's placement of the ISO button. Nikon has the idea that left thumbs can stretch all the way back and press it while supporting a heavy lens. The D700 implementation was better. You could fix that by setting the Fn button for ISO but you could set it for something else. Inclusion of a pop up flash is nice since you dont need to lug an external flash for normal fill flash. I used to like Canon's AWB better until the D800/600 came. Now they are both abt equal. Prefer Nikon outdoors and canon indoors. On Nikons the primary and secondary control dials are on the front and back of the handgrip. On canon the Q button is replaced by the info button. As Spraynpray has said, you do not need to enter the setting on a canon but on a nikon you do but there are many many more options on the screen for you. Options like ADL( highlight optimizer), High ISO NR and video settings can be changed here along with the usual barrage of photo related controls which can be operated when the eye is at the vf.

Not specific experience to 5D mkIII, but I assume it is like the mkII - I like the whizzy wheel on the back of the Canons and the fact that you only have to touch the buttons once to set that function. With Nikons you have to hold the button until you've finished. That's it. The rest is all bad!

Welcome... I changed the name on the thread to draw more comments. There are some folks on the forum who have come over from Canon and maybe they will jump in.

Now that the D800 teething problems are pretty much resolved, I think you would find it an excellent camera. most I believe will tell you there is no comparison. The D800 just about blows away any body Canon has currently. Remember, this is a Nikon forum :-)