Post by kenpossum on Jan 9, 2011 14:26:46 GMT -8
Which brand of camera or lens I would recommend is one of the most frequent questions I receive. The answer is - It all depends.
First, I defy anyone to look at an image - superb or poor, and be able to tell which camera took it. All the main camera brands are capable of taking absolutely superb images, and very poor ones as well. Image quality is more a factor of technique rather than brand or even price-tag.
There are two main brands on the market - Canon and Nikon. They are the most popular mostly because of aggressive marketing, and the fact that they both offer a complete line of lenses suitable for every field of photography.
Quality differences between Canon and Nikon? There are none. Both brands have extremely sharp lenses and not so sharp, depending upon the lens aperture and focal length. But that is also true of every other lens manufacturer.
Nikon is unique in that all of it's older lines of lenses fit and work well (often in manual settings) on all Nikon bodies. So, if you have access to a stack of older Nikon lenses, this may be a factor.
To solve the problem of the lack of lenses in some camera systems, there is a solution - generic lenses. These are lenses made by non-main brand lens companies that will connect with the main brand camera bodies. Of all the generic lens brands, I do recommend two - Tamron and Sigma. I use these products myself, and am 100% satisfied with their sharpness. They are also usually a couple of hundred dollars or more than the main brands as well. Neither makes camera bodies. Highly recommended for birding is the Sigma 150-500 f5-6.3. I hear it is a sweet lens.
As an aside, I do not recommend buying a used lens unless you know the owner, but I do recommend considering used camera bodies. A used body will either work or not work the first time you use it. A used lens that has been dropped may be slightly out-of-focus, and it is often hard to tell right away.
We would be interested in your thought on this subject. Now, which truck is better - Ford or Chevy?
First, I defy anyone to look at an image - superb or poor, and be able to tell which camera took it. All the main camera brands are capable of taking absolutely superb images, and very poor ones as well. Image quality is more a factor of technique rather than brand or even price-tag.
There are two main brands on the market - Canon and Nikon. They are the most popular mostly because of aggressive marketing, and the fact that they both offer a complete line of lenses suitable for every field of photography.
Quality differences between Canon and Nikon? There are none. Both brands have extremely sharp lenses and not so sharp, depending upon the lens aperture and focal length. But that is also true of every other lens manufacturer.
Nikon is unique in that all of it's older lines of lenses fit and work well (often in manual settings) on all Nikon bodies. So, if you have access to a stack of older Nikon lenses, this may be a factor.
To solve the problem of the lack of lenses in some camera systems, there is a solution - generic lenses. These are lenses made by non-main brand lens companies that will connect with the main brand camera bodies. Of all the generic lens brands, I do recommend two - Tamron and Sigma. I use these products myself, and am 100% satisfied with their sharpness. They are also usually a couple of hundred dollars or more than the main brands as well. Neither makes camera bodies. Highly recommended for birding is the Sigma 150-500 f5-6.3. I hear it is a sweet lens.
As an aside, I do not recommend buying a used lens unless you know the owner, but I do recommend considering used camera bodies. A used body will either work or not work the first time you use it. A used lens that has been dropped may be slightly out-of-focus, and it is often hard to tell right away.
We would be interested in your thought on this subject. Now, which truck is better - Ford or Chevy?