On 1 Dec 1998 11:57:29 GMT, ssennamja@aol.com (SSeNnaMjA) wrote:

>For Nikon users or even ex-Canon users:
>
>Why would you choose Nikon glass over Canon one?
>
>I'm kinda having a faith crisis. I chose Nikon over Canon mostly because I
>"thought" most people generally agreed that Nikon lenses are somewhat better
>than Canon's in terms of image quality. Now I figured out this is an ancient
>history and Canon's coming out with all sorts of stuffs. In other words, if
>there's no difference in the optical quality why would you choose, switch to,
>or stay with Nikon lenses?
>
>Let's say you're a representative from Nikon. What would convince people to
>buy Nikon LENSES over Canon ones? Please forget about the stupid stuffs like
>"it's sturdier", or "because there's an aperture ring", etc.

Oh, I *will* try to be objective.....! ;-)
(You can find a Nikkor evaluation list on my web page, under
"I babble", BTW, so you can see where I'm coming from....;-)

Pro Nikon:
- Nikon has made a LOT of different lenses, virtually
all of which fit (or can easily and cheaply be made
to fit...) current Nikon bodies - Canon essentially
dumped its MF mount when it introduced AF, and some
lenses available in the MF mount either haven't been
available for the AF cameras, or are just now being
introduced. The useable Nikon lens base is vast...
(with lots of good older lenses available and useable).
- Nikon has introduced some unique lens designs that are
not available in the Canon line, such as the 70-180
zoom macro lens, 220-degree fisheyes, an OP-fisheye,
a 300mm f2, quartz UV-macro 105mm, etc.
- Resale value of Nikkor lenses is astonishing, and
somewhat better than Canon from what I've seen
(I've rarely lost money selling a Nikkor, something
I can't say about any other lens make I've sold...),
and we usually do eventually sell our lenses...
- Until recently (Nikon marketing folks are finally
learning from Canon that the company can trade on
its name and sell junk...;-) even Nikon's lowest
priced lenses were optically first-rate and mechanically
at least decent. Canon low-end optics are often rather
mediocre, at best (and even some of the mid-line basic
FL offerings I've seen haven't been stellar performers).
As a result, a higher proportion of the Nikon lens base
(which is larger) consists of good optics...
- The Nikkor lenses have an aperture ring. ;-) For
me this is important, since I prefer not to have
to set exposure in increments - the Nikkor aperture
rings are infinitely variable for precise exposure
setting...
- I prefer MF to AF, so in the Nikon line I have
available all those nice, sturdy (;-), smooth-operating,
great-looking MF Nikkors that still fit my AF bodies
(which I like for their compact built-in motors and
nice TTL flash features). And the Nikkor AF lenses fit
my MF bodies (which I like for their sharp viewfinders,
compact size, and nice "metal" feel and looks).
- And, many Nikon bodies simply have superior viewfinders,
making it easier to get the best out of those Nikkors...
(- Some people claim that Nikkors generally have a bit more
"snap" than the equivalent Canon lenses, but I have not
checked this out...)

Pro Canon:
- Canon has introduced some unique lens designs that are
not available in the Nikon line, such as the Tilt/Shift
auto-diaphragm lenses and the Image Stabilization lenses.
- If I were into AF, I would prefer a quiet AF system that
would permit manual over-ride without needing to switch
between M and A focusing (but the camera VF's would need
to be sharp enough to make that useful...). Canon offers
many such lenses, Nikon is just beginning to introduce
them (but the Nikon F5 finder is ideal for making the best
use of them...;-).
- Many Canon lenses are cheaper than the Nikkor equivalents
(though these are often not wonderful optics, and the best
Canon equivalents are often more expensive than Nikkors...),
making it easier to get into the Canon system (the Canon
bodies are also often cheaper, with more features [though
the basic feature set may not be as well-executed as in
similar Nikon bodies...).

Pro both:
- Canon and Nikon both make some great optics.
- The body execution is different, offering a choice...
- Both offer good value (at least before resale...;-).

The above is meant to be both illuminating, and somewhat
fun (I trust the Canon folks can take it without TOO much
fury...! ;-)