• Canon and Nikon: A Photographer's Comparison (Part 1)

      Published on 03-22-2012 10:24 AM  
      17 Comments Comments

      Photography has been one of the most sought-after hobbies. And it's not a cheap one. For someone who just became an enthusiast in capturing photographs, the dilemma is finding the right camera.

      One of the great debates is between the two great camera manufacturers-- Canon and Nikon. Which one best suits you?

      In our series of articles, our guest photo enthusiast will be giving an educational review, but this will not be a "Canon vs Nikon" thing. We will be posting Nikon and Canon photo comparisons for you to ponder. Discussions of said topics are most welcome.

      Moreover, we will be cutting this article in segments for deeper comprehension and allowing you to discuss further per comparative basis.

      For professional photographers, amateurs (like our author, as he claims to be), enthusiasts and newbies, this is a good read. So, keep posted!
      ****

      Cameras Used for Comparison:
      Canon EOS 5D Mark II
      Nikon D3S

      1. SKIN TONE TEST


      Model: Joseph Carlo Gochangko aka kangkong

      I see shades of RED, something I think my 5D2 does not produce. The red shades were not visible in the D3S' LCD preview. And also, the preview was almost overexposed, yet, when I opened this in Adobe Lightroom, i still need to add up +0.50 on exposure.

      Obviously this is not the usual skin tone color you see in most of my photos (check www.litoinso.com)

      1/80s, f2.8, ISO 1600, Daylight WB, Portrait picture control, RAW (NEF).

      Nikon D3S, Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8. Apple 30" HD Cinema Display + Datacolor Spyder3 Elite (software v4) with brightness setting at 120.

      I won't be talking too much technical stuff here. This is based on what and how I see it and based on my own perspective.

      2. COLOR TONE TEST

      direct link to a bigger image: http://www.litoinso.com/pics/nikon_t...stuff_toys.jpg

      Settings:
      1/80s, f3.5, ISO640, WB-5100K. Nikkor 24-70 2.8 and Canon EF 24-70 2.8.

      According to my set of eyes, the Canon image is the closest to actual. I tried to modify the D3S' picture control by dropping some SATURATION points. By dropping all the way to zero (-3 saturation), again to my set of eyes, it's the closest to Canon's color / actual scene

      For me, in taking images. The closest it is to what your eyes see (assuming you are not color blind), is the BETTER product. Same with printing, assuming you have a well calibrated H-IPS monitor. The closest the actual print (w/ the right light) to what you see in your monitor, is a better printer.

      Basically if your image becomes better to look at or colors become brighter in print, your printer is defective / non-standard or not calibrated. That's why when doing big prints, I go to Jan Gonzales (www.jangonzales.com) because we have similar views on this aspect.

      I also tried to lower the color temps on Nikon image's white balance to 4800K (from 5100K). It went close to Canon's colors, which is good for me but now I see green casts on some parts. Maybe that's why it has a +10 WB TINT (added Magenta color to compensate the green) by default when loaded in Lightroom. Also, BLUE, RED and VIOLET are still too saturated.



      Keep posted for our next comparison topics: Controls and High ISO Color Test


      Comparative Analysis by:

      Lito C. Inso
      Forever Amateur/Newbie Photo Enthusiast
      www.litoinso.com
      1. Categories:
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      3. Photography
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      Comments 17 Comments
      1. ceden_yu143's Avatar
        ceden_yu143 - 03-22-2012, 11:47 AM
        nice!!..2 thumbs up..
      1. tongyong's Avatar
        tongyong - 03-22-2012, 12:06 PM
        I have a little question, I hope this would make sense, since i'm also new in photography.

        Did you also consider the similarity or difference giving the settings(Active D-Lighting for Nikon and Auto Lighting optimizer or Highlight Tone priority for Canon(i dont know canon yet)) on your provided camera settings above?
        I think the gamma curve of the ambient light reflected on the subject changes depends on the settings of Active D-Lighting or Auto Lighting optimizer. This affects the color vibrancy also..

        Maybe you can try also check the difference having this feature...Using(Auto, High, Normal, Off)

        looking forward on the result...
      1. CrasHBURN's Avatar
        CrasHBURN - 03-22-2012, 12:40 PM
        tongyong: I made this article about a month ago, I don't have the D3 anymore. As far as extra camera features, I turn them all OFF. For me, most are useless and I rarely use anything w/ AUTO in it and if it sound too much technical, I discard it. I have another part of this article where I tested both camera's Auto White Balance. Auto WB is easier to understand that Lighting Optimizer / D-Lighting whatever it is... Even though, I don't think those Technical features would remove Nikon's saturated colors. Again, more of this coming soon. Thank you.
      1. tongyong's Avatar
        tongyong - 03-22-2012, 01:05 PM
        Thank you very much for that information, that is so kind of you explaining it.

        I see, so this concludes that Canon is better than Nikon at your perspective...I agree in that sense.



        ayay! mag canon ko...
      1. mushy08's Avatar
        mushy08 - 03-22-2012, 05:36 PM
        this article is very helpful. thumbs up!
      1. sevmik's Avatar
        sevmik - 03-22-2012, 10:08 PM
        Photography has been one of the most sought-after hobbies. And it's not an expensive one.
        Once you really get into this hobby, it becomes quite expensive in the long run, hehe.

        The skin tone test? I totally agree, haha. It's what I usually see even when comparing entry-level cams of nikon and canon.

        The comparison on color tone is also true. However, it only applies to professional photographers, graphic printing companies, and publishing houses that have exacting standards when it comes to printing quality. For newbies and hobbyists however, it is simply a slight difference that often doesn't matter. Later on, once the hobbyist starts to get serious and accepts paid shoots like weddings and such, then it becomes important.

        Just my 2 cents though, based on my limited experience. Looking forward to the next installment. Thanks!
      1. Content Manager's Avatar
        Content Manager - 03-23-2012, 12:48 PM
        @sevmik: hi, sorry.. that was a typographical error there. that was supposed to be "And it's an EXPENSIVE one." hehehe.. thanks for quoting. edited already.
      1. Bernie Uy's Avatar
        Bernie Uy - 03-23-2012, 06:44 PM
        Thanks for those info. Very informative.
      1. tedd's Avatar
        tedd - 03-23-2012, 06:58 PM
        Good work..But i think canon is always a better brand in compassion to Nikon just because of its picture quality and user friendly operations.





        __________________________________________

        Digital Printing Equipment
      1. janmat's Avatar
        janmat - 03-23-2012, 07:57 PM
        the results are obvious.

        go Canon.
      1. sevmik's Avatar
        sevmik - 03-23-2012, 10:10 PM
        Quote Originally Posted by Content Manager View Post
        @sevmik: hi, sorry.. that was a typographical error there. that was supposed to be "And it's an EXPENSIVE one." hehehe.. thanks for quoting. edited already.
        Oh, sorry. I thought it was meant to convey to beginners that they don't have to spend a lot to get good shots, which happens to be the most common turn-off aspect of photography. Most newbies man gud, when they look at other hobbyists' gears, they think nga all those dapat paliton, which isn't exactly true. That's what I thought this series could also provide, an insight into the camera itself and not the gears.
      1. Content Manager's Avatar
        Content Manager - 03-23-2012, 11:06 PM
        @sevmik: The upcoming articles will basically be related to what you said.. Thanks for reading!
      1. 3enson's Avatar
        3enson - 03-24-2012, 08:25 AM
        Both brand renders color depth differently,
        i have used both camera brands and others...
        I'm a pixel peeper and always get in trouble with canon and nikon colors
        and this is absolutely true,

        Sensor's (CCD/CMOS/BSI-CMOS) and camera IQ affects this color process
      1. Sedgraphy's Avatar
        Sedgraphy - 03-25-2012, 12:17 AM
        Scientific study ---->>> DxOMark - Compare cameras side by side
      1. rayfloyd_170's Avatar
        rayfloyd_170 - 03-27-2012, 02:08 PM
        @sedgraphy: ikaw ni sedny arcilla? heheh nikon fan kaayo ni ba.. hehehe
      1. wonsters's Avatar
        wonsters - 03-27-2012, 09:02 PM
        After reading this part I remember someone told me Nikon is better for landscape and Canon is better for portrait hehehe
      1. wonsters's Avatar
        wonsters - 03-27-2012, 09:06 PM
        Sorry double post

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