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In my eyes, over the decades both companies kept leapfrogging over each other. With the T90, Canon probably made the most advanced non-AF SLR, only to abandon t

by _ph_ 9y ago

In my eyes, over the decades both companies kept leapfrogging over each other. With the T90, Canon probably made the most advanced non-AF SLR, only to abandon the FD-mount. This was a very costy change, which paid of later on, as it allowed Canon to start over without any legacy. Early on, Nikon had the lead in DSLRs, but Canon was the first with a 35mm DSLR. Nikon took a long time to go 35mm, but the D800 and D810 was a big step ahead with its 36mp sensor, only very recently Canon exceeded that with ther 50mp version of the 5D. The next important step for both companies will be the transition to mirrorless technology. As µFT and the Sony A7/A9 are showing, mirrorless is the next step in camera technology. It will be interesting to watch how Canon and Nikon approach this transition. As both companies currently make their money with SLRs, it is a risky step, but an inevitable one. If one of them missteps in that transition, it means at least a big set back if not a complete loss of their role in the camera market.

detaro 9y ago
Yeah, Sony is proving to be dangerous. Awesome sensor tech, and lenses that can compete with the high-end of Canon/Nikon's ranges (and Tamron is getting there too), at a point where lens quality really matters if you want to be able to use the pixel density.
- vanderZwan 9y ago
  > at a point where lens quality really matters if you want to be able to use the pixel density. And this can only become a bigger issue since resolution increases while sensor size shrinks or stays the same. It is an old truism that you should care more about the quality of your lenses than your camera body, and that hasn't really changed.
  - floatboth 9y ago
    > you should care more about the quality of your lenses than your camera body The only problem is low light. My 600D takes fine photos in sunlight or with a flash, but otherwise the sensor noise is awful.
    - vvanders 9y ago
      That's why you get lenses with wider apertures. They also generally have the advantage of focusing faster and having better subject separation.
      - azhenley 9y ago
        In my experience, wider aperture often means slower focusing. The focus motor has to move a much larger piece of glass and focus with an even narrower depth of field.
        vvanders 9y ago
        That's usually the opposite case, wider apertures mean more light which gives the AF system more to work with. The AF speed of my 135L drops significantly if I put a 1.4x teleconverter on it despite needing to move the same amount of glass. Most wide-aperture lenses have larger AF motors to compensate with the exception of a few unique lenses that use a gear instead of servo motor(USM in canon parlance).
      - mjrpes 9y ago
        Wider aperture means bigger lens, especially zoom. This can be a negative for the non-professional who wants to minimize size/weight when travelling or just walking around town, especially if they already have a smaller, mirrorless body. Professionals, obviously, will use whatever size equipment they need to get the job done.
        vvanders 9y ago
        All the more reason to move to primes ;). Seriously though, the comment about focusing on lenses instead of bodies is spot-on. Photography is the art of manipulating light, be that via off-camera flash, better lenses or picking the right time of day. Getting a fancier camera body only lets you pick up the electrons that are already there, you'll see much larger improvements in your photo quality if you focus on the other things first.
      - 9y ago
- ams6110 9y ago
  Fuji is in there as well, they have several mirrorless models and their optics are top-notch.
  - Lio 9y ago
    Yep. Fujifilm have a long history of excellent lenses. I believe they used to make lenses for Hasselblad.
    - lb1lf 9y ago
      -They make lenses for the H system (oh, and XPan - in that case, I believe they made the camera, too). The V system (what pops into most people’s minds when ‘Hasselblad’ is mentioned) was largely supplied with Carl Zeiss lenses.
eslaught 9y ago
For those of us who are only half paying attention, why is mirrorless an inevitable step? I would have said that the advantage in sensor size of 35mm DSLRs would give them a long-lasting advantage over anything with a smaller sensor, even with advances in that technology.
- detaro 9y ago
  DSLR/Mirrorless is unrelated to sensor size. Sony makes 35mm mirrorless cameras with great sensors, just like more or less everyone making DSLRs also makes some with sensors smaller than 35mm size.
  - stan_rogers 9y ago
    And lets not forget the Hasselblad and Fuji medium format (cropped "645" at 50MP for the current models) mirrorless cameras either.
- hrktb 9y ago
  It gets rid of the flipping mirror. As in most hardware devices, less moving mechanical parts is an advantage. Sensor size is unrelated these days.
- tass 9y ago
  Two very comparable cameras with the same sized sensor: http://camerasize.com/compare/#724,718 http://camerasize.com/compare/#724,718 Sony's mirrorless camera is also more compact than SLR cameras with smaller (APS-C) sensors: http://camerasize.com/compare/#724,708 http://camerasize.com/compare/#724,708 They're also quieter (no mirror slap) and having an electronic viewfinder allows you to see what will be recorded. For example, you can directly see the effect of a longer exposure or higher sensitivity.
  - fooker 9y ago
    Their batteries last significantly less and the lenses tend to be bulkier than equivalent DSLR lenses. This takes away most of the advantages.

by _ph_ 9y ago

detaro 9y ago

Yeah, Sony is proving to be dangerous. Awesome sensor tech, and lenses that can compete with the high-end of Canon/Nikon's ranges (and Tamron is getting there too), at a point where lens quality really matters if you want to be able to use the pixel density.

vanderZwan 9y ago
> at a point where lens quality really matters if you want to be able to use the pixel density. And this can only become a bigger issue since resolution increases while sensor size shrinks or stays the same. It is an old truism that you should care more about the quality of your lenses than your camera body, and that hasn't really changed.
- floatboth 9y ago
  > you should care more about the quality of your lenses than your camera body The only problem is low light. My 600D takes fine photos in sunlight or with a flash, but otherwise the sensor noise is awful.
  - vvanders 9y ago
    That's why you get lenses with wider apertures. They also generally have the advantage of focusing faster and having better subject separation.
    - azhenley 9y ago
      In my experience, wider aperture often means slower focusing. The focus motor has to move a much larger piece of glass and focus with an even narrower depth of field.
      - vvanders 9y ago
        That's usually the opposite case, wider apertures mean more light which gives the AF system more to work with. The AF speed of my 135L drops significantly if I put a 1.4x teleconverter on it despite needing to move the same amount of glass. Most wide-aperture lenses have larger AF motors to compensate with the exception of a few unique lenses that use a gear instead of servo motor(USM in canon parlance).
    - mjrpes 9y ago
      Wider aperture means bigger lens, especially zoom. This can be a negative for the non-professional who wants to minimize size/weight when travelling or just walking around town, especially if they already have a smaller, mirrorless body. Professionals, obviously, will use whatever size equipment they need to get the job done.
      - vvanders 9y ago
        All the more reason to move to primes ;). Seriously though, the comment about focusing on lenses instead of bodies is spot-on. Photography is the art of manipulating light, be that via off-camera flash, better lenses or picking the right time of day. Getting a fancier camera body only lets you pick up the electrons that are already there, you'll see much larger improvements in your photo quality if you focus on the other things first.
    - 9y ago
ams6110 9y ago
Fuji is in there as well, they have several mirrorless models and their optics are top-notch.
- Lio 9y ago
  Yep. Fujifilm have a long history of excellent lenses. I believe they used to make lenses for Hasselblad.
  - lb1lf 9y ago
    -They make lenses for the H system (oh, and XPan - in that case, I believe they made the camera, too). The V system (what pops into most people’s minds when ‘Hasselblad’ is mentioned) was largely supplied with Carl Zeiss lenses.

eslaught 9y ago

For those of us who are only half paying attention, why is mirrorless an inevitable step? I would have said that the advantage in sensor size of 35mm DSLRs would give them a long-lasting advantage over anything with a smaller sensor, even with advances in that technology.

detaro 9y ago
DSLR/Mirrorless is unrelated to sensor size. Sony makes 35mm mirrorless cameras with great sensors, just like more or less everyone making DSLRs also makes some with sensors smaller than 35mm size.
- stan_rogers 9y ago
  And lets not forget the Hasselblad and Fuji medium format (cropped "645" at 50MP for the current models) mirrorless cameras either.
hrktb 9y ago
It gets rid of the flipping mirror. As in most hardware devices, less moving mechanical parts is an advantage. Sensor size is unrelated these days.
tass 9y ago
Two very comparable cameras with the same sized sensor: http://camerasize.com/compare/#724,718 http://camerasize.com/compare/#724,718 Sony's mirrorless camera is also more compact than SLR cameras with smaller (APS-C) sensors: http://camerasize.com/compare/#724,708 http://camerasize.com/compare/#724,708 They're also quieter (no mirror slap) and having an electronic viewfinder allows you to see what will be recorded. For example, you can directly see the effect of a longer exposure or higher sensitivity.
- fooker 9y ago
  Their batteries last significantly less and the lenses tend to be bulkier than equivalent DSLR lenses. This takes away most of the advantages.