Camera Labs

Hello everyone,

Could someone help me with the following question. I have tried the Canon Rebel T3i and I really like it. I am now trying the Nikon D5100 and I like it also. It stamps the picture which I like and it has many scenes that the Rebel does not have. But I find, I might be wrong though, that the Nikon's pictures are not as crsp and clean as the Rebel. I have been to different sites and I have seen examples of both which state the opposite of what I am saying but I find that the Nikon's shots are soft and not as crisp and clean as the Rebel. In your expert opinions, what's more important, crisp, clean shots or a camera that gives good shots but soft but stamps the date on the picture, and has a wide variety of different scenes? I would really appreciate some guidance on this.

Thanks again,


JPLD

Having a sharp photo is MUCH (As in MUCH MUCH) more important than scene modes or date stamps, I never stamp photos or use scene modes, getting the sharpest images is the most important. However, generally getting a sharp photo relates to having a sharp lens, not the camera. In case you mean noise (graininess) the cameras are pretty similar.

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-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

+1

Using a DSLR as you would a P&S defeats the purpose of owning a DSLR, imho. ymmv.

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Olympus e-620 / 14-42mm / 40-150mm
Metz 48 AF-1
Kata 3-N-1 20, LowePro Orion Mini, LowePro Nova 2
My Flickr

I don't like time stamps either. If I wanted to have those, I'd add them later. The EXIF data still tells when the shot was taken.

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Canon EOS 500D + Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm 4L IS USM + EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 100mm 2.8L Macro IS USM + Sigma 12-24mm 4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM + Canon Speedlite 580 EX II + Nissin Speedlite Di 466

Sharpness comes from many variables, and is rarely something attributed to the brand of camera. First, different manufacturers use different default settings - some like to add more sharpening to their JPGs, some leave them softer to be tuned up in post. All cameras have user customization for picture settings and can be adjusted to raise or lower the sharpening, so you can bring down the Canon or bring up the Nikon to basically deliver the same style. Shoot in RAW, and it's a non issue, as you process your own JPGs to suit your taste.

Sharpness is also an attribute of the lens used...some lenses are soft, some razor sharp. Some kit lenses are better than others.

Sharpness is an attribute of focus accuracy, and aperture setting. Are you comparing the exact same aperture, of the exact same subject, in the exact same lighting? If not, too many variables to say one is definitively sharper than another.

All of the manufacturers are so close as to be equals - Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Pentax are so close in performance across the board that the other variables - picture settings in the camera, photographer skill, quality of lens used, and post-processing capabilities - are what make the difference in the quality of the image.

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Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

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