Nikon's D3S FX-format digital SLR flagship features a 12.87 megapixel 36.0 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor with extreme low light still photography with HD movie capability. Photo Credit: Nikon

March 04, 2010, (Sawf News) - For purposes of our discussion, photographers today may be divided into two camps: one falls to the Canon lot and the other falls on the Nikon side of the border.

Some of the diehards are so fiercely loyal to their respective brand that it verges on fanaticism. But you still want to know: who is better, Canon or Nikon?

Before we answer this question, let us consider the associated issues. The assumption we make is that those who wrestle with this question are interested in making good photographs, even outstanding photographs. Therefore, we must first ask: what are the factors that go into the making of good photographs.

Composition

The first element of a photograph is composition. It is what distinguishes a thoughtful image from a casual snapshot. There are generally accepted guidelines for photographic composition. To compose well, the photographer must first and foremost have a vision. He must first 'see' and then determine what he wants to 'show.'

Neither vision nor composition have anything to do with camera equipment. Therefore, neither Canon nor Nikon is relevant here.

Once vision and composition have been addressed, the next step is to get into the field and take the actual photograph. This is where the tools of the trade come into play. To realize your vision and translate it into an actual image, you have to be equipped with tools that are equal to the task.

What type of photography do you specialize in

A landscape photographer will have needs that are very different from a wildlife photographer. A sports photographer will have technical challenges quite different from a portrait photographer in the studio. The type of focus system, the frame rate, and the lenses - all these pieces of equipment must be specialized to the specific task and the specific type of image you have in mind. Nikon and Canon both have a wide range of offerings in their repertoire.

Canon EOS-1D Mk-IV features a 16-megapixel Canon CMOS sensor with ISO speed settings range from 100 up to 12,800 in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increment. Photo Credit: Canon

When you decide to buy a Canon or a Nikon camera, it must be realized that you are not simply buying the SLR body, but you are buying into the entire ecosystem of lenses, flash, timers and so on of the brand of your choice.

The camera body is important, yes, but not as critical as the lenses. Both Canon and Nikon has a superb array of lenses in their armory. True, there are areas of strength where one company excels over the other, but these differences are not deal-breakers for either brand. Both are first-rate technical powerhouses.

Let us put it another way: the brand you choose for your equipment is certainly not going to limit your ability to produce a great photograph. You, and you alone, will.

This is not to say that equipment plays an unimportant in the making of a good photo: it is that other factors override the brand of equipment you use, assuming you have a basic competent system in your hands.

Photo processing

The third step in the realization of a photograph is post-processing. While the camera brands have a peripheral role here, the types of digital files produced and the software available to process those files varies from brand to brand. But this factor rarely goes into the decision to lean one way or the other.

So once again you ask, which is better, Canon or Nikon? I answer: the question has as much worth as the 'my dad is better than your dad' posturing of kindergartners.

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