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Home → Cameras and Lenses

Nikon vs Canon vs Sony

By Nasim Mansurov 285 Comments
Last Updated On April 25, 2020

I have been getting a lot of questions from our readers about whether they should pick a particular camera from Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax or some other manufacturer. These inquiries are only increasing over time, so I decided to post an article on what I think about different camera systems and why you should go with a particular brand versus others. Many of the questions are something like “should I go for Nikon D5600 or Canon T7i” or similar, with readers asking me to tell them why I would recommend or pick a certain brand/type of a camera over another. When it comes to the question of Nikon vs Canon vs Sony, there are lots of heated debates over the Internet, so I wanted to share my personal thought on this subject matter as well.

As you know, I have been mainly writing about Nikon – simply because pretty much all of my gear is from Nikon and it is the system of choice for me. Why don’t I shoot Canon or Sony? Is Nikon superior than these brands? No, not really. Read on to understand why.

Sample 5

Lola and I used to have some debates on camera gear in the past. She was very impressed by the beautiful imagery from wedding and portrait photographers that shot with Canon, pushing her to think that we had an inferior brand of choice. It took me a while to convince her that it was not the case and here is how I explained everything to her, which I hope will help our readers understand this topic in detail and answer questions about different camera systems.

Table of Contents

  • A camera is just a tool
  • Different Camera Systems
  • The grass is always greener on the other side
  • It is all about you

A camera is just a tool

What happens if you give the best set of painting tools to someone who does not know how to paint, and an ordinary, much inferior set of tools to a good painter? Who is going to have a better painting? The same rhetorical question is valid for photography – if you get a better camera, does it necessarily mean that you will take better pictures? No, I do not want to bring up another “camera does not matter” debate, since we are all getting tired of it.

You know what, on the other hand, let’s discuss it for a second…does the camera truly matter? It does and it doesn’t. For most people who use a camera for family snapshots, the camera does not matter. For an amateur photographer or hobbyist, it does. For a professional photographer who makes a living out of photography, it matters big time. When somebody hands a crappy camera to a good photographer, he/she will most likely be able to utilize it fully and capture great pictures. Similar to how a good painter is able to work on a painting with a low-quality set of tools. However, no photographer would want to continue working with low-end gear and no painter would want to use low-quality tools for the rest of their lives, since they know that the good tools do help them tremendously in achieving the best results that differentiate them from the rest of the competition. Ansel Adams loved to work with the best gear for a reason – he knew how to push it to its limits and get the best possible results.

I forgot where I heard or read this story, but it got stuck in my head for a while. The story goes like this. Two photographers are standing side by side and taking pictures – one is a professional photographer who makes a living selling his pictures and the other one is an amateur/hobbyist. The pro obviously shoots with a very expensive camera and lenses, while the amateur is shooting with an average camera and a kit lens. The amateur knows that the pro is famous and that he sells his pictures. At one point of time, he turns towards the pro and says “sure enough, with gear like that I bet you can get great shots that sell”. The pro tries to convince the amateur that his camera is just his tool, but the amateur keeps insisting otherwise. At one point, the pro says to the amateur “I will give you my camera gear and you give me yours. We shoot for several hours. The photographer that comes back with better images gets to keep all camera gear”. Without much thinking, the amateur just walks away…

So, when does the camera matter? If you are just getting into photography, I would say the camera you pick does not matter. If you are an amateur or hobbyist and you shoot for pleasure, having moderate to good photography skills, the camera you use does matter to a certain extent. If you are a pro making a living selling your pictures, the type of camera you use is extremely important.

Sensor size matters. No matter what some people say, sensor size does matter. There is a significant difference between a tiny sensor on a point and shoot camera and a DSLR or mirrorless full-frame sensor. Things like dynamic range, depth of field, viewing angles and noise all contribute to the overall quality and perception of an image and the difference is quite apparent. This difference is certainly smaller between full-frame and cropped sensor cameras, but still enough to impact the look of the photographs.

Lenses matter. The type of lens you use, its focal length, aperture and color rendition also play a huge part in how the final image comes out. You will never be able to isolate a subject with a point and shoot camera like you can with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. You cannot replicate the effect of a tilt/shift lens with an ordinary zoom lens.

The Photographer’s Eye. Finally, you have to remember that a camera is just a tool in a photographer’s bag. Without the photographer’s skill set, patience, vision, creativity, planning, timing, lighting and post-processing, even the best camera in the world will not be able to create a good picture.

Sample 1
NIKON D700 + 16-35mm f/4 @ 19mm, ISO 200, 1/100, f/14.0

Different Camera Systems

Now let’s talk about different camera systems that are available today. Since the demand for DSLR and mirrorless cameras has been increasing significantly (just pay attention to how many people carry DSLRs and mirrorless cameras in parks today), companies have been putting more money on R&D and more players have been entering the high-end camera market. As of today, the current manufacturers of mainstream DSLR and mirrorless cameras are: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, Pentax, Olympus, and Panasonic. With so many different brands and types of cameras to choose from, it is getting harder to choose a particular brand over another.

Sample 2

So, which brand should you invest in? Yes, you heard it right – invest. If you are planning to be serious about your photography, you will be buying more gear over time. Whether it is new cameras, lenses, filters, flashes or memory cards, the type of the camera system you pick is important. If you make a wrong choice, it will be very costly to sell all of your gear and replace it with a different brand. On top of that, you will have to spend some time to learn the new system and get used to it. So, going back to the question on which brand should you invest in, I would pick between Nikon, Canon, Fuji, and Sony. Choose between these four brands and you won’t go wrong. Nikon and Canon certainly lead with the widest selection of cameras, lenses / accessories and have the largest market share, but Sony has invested heavily in its mirrorless lineup (compared to the more recent Nikon Z and Canon R mirrorless cameras). Fuji makes excellent X-series cameras with amazing image quality and also a good and growing selection of lenses.

Sample 4
NIKON D3S + 24mm f/1.4 @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/125, f/10.0

There are some other brands such as Olympus and Panasonic that have also been doing well in the market. These two companies have been quite successful with their Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds systems, particularly for video, thanks to a solid selection of lenses, great cameras and their compact system size. Just like Sony and Fuji, they specialize in mirrorless cameras rather than DSLRs. Mirrorless is certainly the future, especially now that Nikon and Canon have jumped in, as highlighted in my Mirrorless vs DSLR cameras article. So if you want to embrace new technologies, definitely have a close look at the mirrorless market.

Another thing you can do, is see if anyone you know already has an advanced camera and ask for their suggestion and advise. If the person you are asking is a good photographer, it might be a good idea to buy the same brand camera, so that you could learn from that person and even possibly borrow gear in the future before you buy your own. This is very helpful especially if the photographer is a professional – you won’t have to surf the Internet for hours to understand something or make a decision.

The grass is always greener on the other side

No matter what camera system you pick or use today, you most likely pay a lot of attention to other brands. If you own a Nikon camera, you look at Canon cameras and compare. If you own other brands, you are probably looking at Nikon and Canon. The thing is, the grass is always greener on the other side when it comes to cameras and lenses. The topic of Canon vs Nikon, for example, always comes up between photographers. Nikonians look at some of the Canon cameras and want more megapixels, while Canonites look at some of the Nikon cameras and want less noise. Lens debates between these two brands are also endless… At the end of the day, the question you should be asking yourself is, how much better would your pictures get if you picked one brand over another (or switched from one brand to another). Most likely, the change would be very insignificant. You gain one thing and lose another. What if one brand comes up with a breakthrough product tomorrow. Are you going to switch or regret your purchase decision?

It is all about you

Again, think of your camera as your tool for the job. Without good technical skills and creativity, no matter what camera system you use, you will never be able to capture anything good. Read, learn, learn and learn, then experiment and shoot a lot – that’s the only way to become a better photographer. Don’t become a gearhead and buy more and more useless stuff you do not need. Once you become a better photographer, you will know exactly what you need to get the best results.

Sample 3

Good luck! If you have any questions or would like to leave some feedback, please do so in the comments section below.

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Filed Under: Cameras and Lenses Tagged With: Canon, DSLR Camera, Tips for Beginners, Nikon, Sony

About Nasim Mansurov

Nasim Mansurov is the author and founder of Photography Life, based out of Denver, Colorado. He is recognized as one of the leading educators in the photography industry, conducting workshops, producing educational videos and frequently writing content for Photography Life. You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook. Read more about Nasim here.

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Ron
Ron
July 13, 2018 10:50 pm

This article basically told me nothing of value in choosing a system or a brand of cameras.

6
Reply
Dave Collins
Dave Collins
Reply to  Ron
November 8, 2020 8:09 pm

Yeah really? How about lousiest article ever!

0
Reply
chris
chris
Reply to  Ron
December 8, 2020 8:38 pm

Because you are fixated on having a simple answer. Methinks you may be the amature photographer in the story.

1
Reply
big_ol_richards
big_ol_richards
Reply to  chris
December 21, 2020 10:23 pm

No, this article actually lacks substance. Just like your comment, chris.

0
Reply
Tom Brinckman
Tom Brinckman
February 8, 2020 5:00 pm

I agree that a tool is a tool and depending on who is using it will make more difference than the tool itself.
I am a Painter and yes great brushes make it easier but the finished result looks no different whether I use a $10 brush or a $70 brush :)
My gripe is this stupidity of people using mobile phones to take photographs, mobile phone Companies are convincing people that a mobile phone will create beautiful high quality images.
On their tiny mobile phone screen it may look great, once you open the image on your laptop or computer monitor you can then see the difference between virtually any point and click and better camera.
I use to repair glass plate negatives as well as film and Photographs for a living and did it for one Government Department as well as three major Universities and my worry is that in the near future when children grow up and want a decent image to use for their family history or just as keepsakes not only will so many thousands of images have been lost from a broken phone or lost phone as well as from people forgetting to save the images to a PC or storage device.
I am also an A++ Technician and as I am retired I repair and recover data from mobiles for friends and family, people walk about with 20+GB of images and videos on their mobiles that have never been backed up and they are all taken with a tiny crappy cheap sensor 1/3 sized sensor with a pinhole sized aperture and barely any lens to talk of.
I try to help these images for larger prints but there isn’t much you can do with them and don’t get me started on the older point and shoot 1.5MP cameras.
Children today are not looking to the future, they see great images in Museums or art houses and maybe even at school or their University, the trouble is those were all taken with real cameras that used mostly film and over the last few years more and more full frame or at least large sensor DSLR cameras.
I used to prefer my Pentax over any other brand as it was my favourite and it was a great camera, reliable and people always raved how great the images were, I did spend a few dollars on a few very good lenses and of course I used film, I didn’t go to digital until they had matured enough and dropped to a reasonable price :)
I think there are going to be many millions of people in the future very disappointed in Mobile phone manufacturers for pushing people into crappy cameras as people for the msot part are lazy and the easier it is the better they like it and be damned the end result.
I wish more people would explain or do articles to explain and show some simple images taken with a mobile phone and then a cheap point and click as well as a cheap DSLR and so on so that people can see as well as understand the huge mistakes they are all making.
A camera everyone will have a couple memory cards and swap and save as it becomes a normal habit, this doesn’t happen with a mobile as it doesn’t need to be connected to a PC of any kind to charge or look at the images.

1
Reply
Shawn
Shawn
October 24, 2018 2:01 am

I have owned a Nikon D600 and currently own a D7200 I have 2 problems with Nikon cameras the miss focus a lot and I have to fiddle with with the micro focus adjustments in the menu with each of my different lenses. With my older AF-D 80-200 f2.8 lens I have it set to -18 to get in focus images. This should not be necessary. Never had these focus problems with the Canon T3i I owned. The other issue is inaccurate colors and way oversaturated yellows and greens. Especially when shooting in lower light situations. My T3i colors were much more accurate and natural and required much less post processing. What I do like about Nikon is when you do get it to focus right the photos have great sharpness and resolution.

1
Reply
Arvind wilson
Arvind wilson
February 2, 2021 6:55 am

Hi
I was read ur article and I am very much agree that camera is just a tool and actual photography depends upon the skills of the user but still I want to know in mirrorless cameras which company is better sony, nikon and canon.

0
Reply
Julian Gang
Julian Gang
January 26, 2021 10:37 am

It’s the glass that counts!…Julian

0
Reply
Bee
Bee
January 4, 2021 8:52 am

Please help. I am not experienced. Sony Alpha A7 ii OR Nikon D7500?
Sony $998 w/28-70mm lens Nikon $1249 has AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens & AF-P DX 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED Lens
I have no camera stores with me and One big box store doesn’t carry either.

0
Reply
Bee
Bee
Reply to  Bee
January 4, 2021 10:29 am

$1200 Nikon z50 is probably better to compare because they’re both mirrorless. Nikon Z50 Compact Mirrorless Digital Camera with Flip Under “Selfie/Vlogger” LCD | 2 Zoom Lens Kit Includes: NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR & NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm F/4.5-6.3 VR

I want it to mostly take pictures of family and when we travel

0
Reply
Dave M.
Dave M.
Reply to  Bee
February 7, 2021 5:08 am

D7500 would be better than A7 II. It is about 5 years newer. 4K video, better AF, faster processor, tilting touchscreen, and excellent low light and dynamic range for a crop sensor. Also, crop sensor lenses for the D7500 are much more available and cheaper than A7II. The D7500 with a $150 35mm f1.8 will outperform the Sony with the kit lens, or any lens that isn’t f/2.8. The full frame cameras are about 1 to 1.3 f stop better in low light, but the D7500 has the best low light crop sensor ever made, and with a fast 1.8 or 1.4 lens you can close that gap.

I recommend D7500, but if you want to consider Sony, at least consider the A7 III with the a Sony EF 50mm 1.8 but together will cost about $2k.

0
Reply
Subarna Adhikari
Subarna Adhikari
May 4, 2020 12:03 am

From the view point of colour production which is best ?

0
Reply
chris
chris
Reply to  Subarna Adhikari
December 8, 2020 8:39 pm

Yes

0
Reply
Dave M.
Dave M.
Reply to  Subarna Adhikari
February 7, 2021 5:11 am

That entirely depends on the camera. Some crop sensors produce “better” colors than others but it’s all subjective and based on personal opinion. Technically full frame is supposed to give you better dynamic range, but newer crop sensor cameras out perform full frame from 7 or more years ago.

0
Reply
Steve Horne
Steve Horne
April 29, 2020 2:20 pm

Demand increasing for dSLR and mirrorless cameras? Where did you get that idea? Demand has been steadily decreasing for several years in a row now.

0
Reply
Harsh upare
Harsh upare
December 17, 2019 8:28 pm

You are right cannon nikon and sony are really doing good in market but i suugest one should go with camera he is comfortable with the one using nikon wouldn’t be able to capture the same in cannon so firstly try all3 brands try to rent different cameras or borrow from ones you know and check on which camera you are comfortable

0
Reply
Mohan rao
Mohan rao
November 15, 2019 6:10 am

Nasim,I am a fresher and want to start blogging .wish to shoot my video in outdoor with collar microphone on my shirt.Wanted to do it myself.Talk on videos will be short like 10 to 15mnts.which camera and lens to you suggest.I may stand about 4feet away from camera and deliver my talk.kindly guide me.Prefer in investing pre owned camera to lower my budget constraint.I am 58 years old veteran,presently in public speaking field as a freelancer.Thanks

0
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