Canon or Nikon?

Canon or Nikon. Which Camera is More "Pro?"

This was a Poll from another Forum. It was a Poll given by someone who in my opinion has been profoundly and inexorably brainwashed and as a result I felt compelled to leave the following message:

My Heading: Neither...All Of and Anything that Can...

This is a false premise...Most of the present day DSLR's can be used professionally. Whether it is Sony, Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, Sigma, Leica or Samsung. Ten million pixels is more than enough o be published in all types of magazines as well as most poster formats. I have been published using the Canon 350D, just to prove to myself that it doesn't really matter. I once used a Canon G5 circa 2002-3 5megapixel camera with hot-shoe and RAW capability and was also published with it.

I am fed up with pixel peeping incompetents that spend most of their time scrutinizing the screen on the computer rather than enjoying the act of expression. If what you find joy in is the technical aspects of the anatomy of a camera, perhaps that may be the subject of your post. I can guarantee that if I gave you a 'Blad with a 39 mega pixel back it wouldn't improve on your capacity to express what you are expressing presently and until you understand the need to have "X-Zillion" Pixels, I suggest you spend more time perfecting your art. By doing so you may then ask yourself. Is the tool I am using limiting my capacity to express that which I need to express by being technically substandard? Is it therefore impeding my capacity to express myself? Give me a Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony, Leica, Olympus, Sigma or what ever and I will take images that will work because I know the support it will be utilized in.

It is the photographer and not the camera that captures the image. It is through those eyes that we can see a part of the "ID" and what is important to the artist. It is the capturing of that moment that makes the individual unique. The decision as to when one captures the moment is crucial to his/her expression and not with which camera it was taken with.

Ben

And in some cases so could 6 MP be large enough for most journals.

One of my images was a 6x4 meter poster at the "3rd Festival of Fashion Photography" shot with a 6.3 mega pixel Canon 10D...

Some years ago Magnum made a comment that supports Ben's point. They said that you should be able to give a Magnum photographer nothing more than a rangefinder camera with a 50mm lens and have that photographer come back with a set of prize-winning photographs and the basis of a book and an exhibition.

I suppose it has always been the case that there were people who bought cameras for purposes other than photography, but there do seem to be so many more of them now.

My Brother a Studio Musician, Touring Artist and Architect had this to say regarding my original post:

Very true and a universal truth that can apply to pretty much any endeavor. A great, good or competent artist, entrepreneur, grand prix racer, truck driver,carpenter,athlete,or, you fill in the space, relies on their talent, abilities ,judgement and sixth sense. They can "perform" on any equipment. The difference between the quality of their "performance" on mediocre versus excellent equipment is minimal. The difference between the quality of the "performance" of a mediocre talent on mediocre versus excellent equipment is also minimal. Only a mediocre talent blames their equipment. A great, good or competent talent capitalizes on what they have.......

Ben,

I like your brother.

As a music (guitar) teacher, I'm constantly having to rein-in my enthusiastic wealthier students who, after they acquire a serviceable instrument, go on this mad hunt for "the best".

It will take them years of serious playing before:

- they can hear the difference and, more importantly

- make use of it.

Meanwhile, put the effort into learning the craft!

Cheers

I don't think this attitude will change as long as people remain emotional creatures. A lot of people have a powerful emotional need for approval, and there are times when they solve this by hanging a badge around their necks (sometimes the badge begins with a C or an N).

A business writer called Phillip Hesketh has written and lectured extensively about the psychology of persuasion and concluded that we buy emotionally and then justify logically afterwards. Anyone who has paid more than £20 for a watch (according to Phillip) knows all about this. A £20 watch will tell the time perfectly well. Something costing ten or a hundred times as much won't tell the time any better, so there must be something about it that satisfies an emotional need if you are willing to pay so much more. If you buy a car costing five grand you get five grand's worth of car. If you pay fifty grand for another one is it ten times as good or is it just better? What makes it worth ten times as much to a buyer?

I believe badges are more to do with approval and/or acceptance than practical benefits. We won't navigate through this minefield using logic. Unfortunately that is why the Canon vs Nikon polls will drone on and on and on. For real artists in any field their art is their emotional need and they spend little or no time fretting about badges or pixel-peeping (which I think ties in with Ben's comment about perfecting your art instead of banging on about technical features). For the rest, lacking art they substitute basking in refected glory. Photographers who have the worst emotional cravings wear a camera brand strap with the word "Professional" on it - the ultimate accolade. It doesn't make the pictures any better, but my word it makes them feel better.

An absolutely brilliant prognosis...

Thanks
Ben