# First Nikon Experience



## mackguyver (Mar 12, 2014)

I was shooting an equestrian event last week when a woman climbed into one of the "media only" areas and she had a Nikon D4 and 70-200 f/2.8 VR. She asked me if I her camera settings were correct and said that she had no idea what she was doing and had been "roped" into shooting and handed the camera. Interestingly, it was in Manual mode and just needed some ISO and shutter speed adjustments to match the Manual exposure settings I was using (which were required by the horrible mid-day lighting). It took me a bit to figure out the odd way Nikon makes you hold buttons and turn dial to adjust, but I figured it out. She proceeded to smoke my pathetic 6 FPS frame rate (I think my 5DIII cried :'(), but her exposure was perfect . I'm still scratching my head to figure out #1, who would "hand" someone that kind of gear and #2 how she ever got it in Manual mode (maybe she had another photog help her at another obstacle?)

Also, I now I understand why people complain about Nikon's ergonomics. I'm sure you get used to it, but it sure seems overly complicated to change such basic settings. And don't ask me what happened when I tried to help her zoom to the right focal length


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## tolusina (Mar 12, 2014)

So, what happened when you tried to help her zoom to the right focal length?

Did you happen to try and introduce her to manual focus as well?




.


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## Sporgon (Mar 12, 2014)

Funny you should mention this because I have come across very similar things at equestrian events. Not horse trials, where as you have found every man, woman and dog has a DSLR with long lens, but in showjumping events I have seen people in the ring, with press passes, who clearly have no idea about photographic technique or even experience. You can tell because they hold each side of the camera body, don't support the lens and don't follow the rider through the viewfinder to the fence, but just lift it abruptly to their eye as the horse is about to jump and hold the shutter release down firing off 8 fps or whatever. Thinking about it they've always had Canon 1D bodies and a 70-200/2.8. 

Unfortunately it's all about the technology devaluing photography. Fifteen years or so ago this could have never happened, you'd have had focus, exposure, composition issues. Now technology takes care of it.


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## neuroanatomist (Mar 12, 2014)

I was asked by a friend to run an 'AF microadjustment/fine tune clinic' at his camera club. I was surprised by the number of Nikon users that couldn't manually select the center AF point or spot metering on their own cameras. There also seemed to be confusion about setting mirror lockup and the self timer – those are two separate positions on a physical dial, and no one could seem to figure out how to get both simultaneously.


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## Valvebounce (Mar 13, 2014)

Hi folks.
Reading this makes me glad I went Canon, a friend has Nikon and thinks that Canon got it wrong, go figure! Only time I ever had to try to help someone with a nikon was taking sunsets at the beach on Jersey GB, she was a newbie, and asked me how to change a setting I had mentioned, no idea what it was, several minutes later after making no progress I excused myself from helping her as the sun was getting a move on and it was the last day of the holiday.

Cheers Graham.


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## Logan (Mar 13, 2014)

I think this situation might come up when the facility hosting the event or a sponsor sends whatever staff member isn't doing anything to get pictures for their website/newsletter/whatever. They often have a high end camera with zero accessories bought by the company (went to a camera store said give the the best for _______ and its a tax writeoff) but no photographer to work it, or it was set up by an amateur photographer that used to work there. Somewhere like a ski resort, horse jumping facility, sports venue, etc.
I work at a machine shop and there is a drawer in the back with a whole chronological history of digital point n shoot cameras sitting in it, most broken or too scratched to use.


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## EricFiskCGD (Mar 13, 2014)

I'm sure there is a similar board like this one for Nikon users and I'm sure they think they same thing about us - like, how can they like that band. But I have interacted with fellow students with Nikons and they ask me how to do something...

"How do you change your settings?"
"Easy, I bought an Canon..."

... There's nothing I can't do without my Canon. If there's a problem with my photos it's always me not paying attention to something or forgetting a detail. It's not the tools, it's the talent.


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## ajfotofilmagem (Mar 13, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> I was asked by a friend to run an 'AF microadjustment/fine tune clinic' at his camera club. I was surprised by the number of Nikon users that couldn't manually select the center AF point or spot metering on their own cameras. There also seemed to be confusion about setting mirror lockup and the self timer – those are two separate positions on a physical dial, and no one could seem to figure out how to get both simultaneously.


There are two possible explanations: either the Nikon users have below average intelligence, or the controls of Nikon cameras are difficult to access. : I think it's the second option. I have friends who use Nikon for decades, and are lost in the flash menu.  I also have friends who have done diploma in photography, and not find a way to select the desired point of focus.  I've tried reading the manual D7000, but the camera responds differently from what is written. :-X The buttons with just a letter written on it, mean something, but what? :-\ On the other hand, Canon cameras have a logical operation on all DSLR models, and someone who knows to use a Rebel will know how to use them all.


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## tat3406 (Mar 13, 2014)

I am not pro for any mean, but familiar with changing setting. I have a friend got a 350D to start learning photography, she always ask me to teach how to use the 350D, the button and dial slightly different but every time can get to the function I want easily. I also have friend with Nikon D3200 always ask me for teaching, but very hard to change simple settings and always get lost in the menu setting.


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## Hannes (Mar 13, 2014)

I have a couple of friends with nikons and I always get confused doing even simple adjustments. I am jealous of their 35 and 50mm lenses though


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## slclick (Mar 13, 2014)

When it comes to film it has been and currently is the way to go. (don't tell my EOS 3 that)


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## RLPhoto (Mar 13, 2014)

I hated where nikon placed the iso buttons on the d700/d800.


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## mackguyver (Mar 13, 2014)

tolusina said:


> So, what happened when you tried to help her zoom to the right focal length?


It seemed like it was stuck at 70mm until I turned it the _wrong_ direction 



tolusina said:


> Did you happen to try and introduce her to manual focus as well?


She didn't seem ready for pre-focusing, let alone manual focusing. 



Sporgon said:


> Funny you should mention this because I have come across very similar things at equestrian events.
> 
> Unfortunately it's all about the technology devaluing photography. Fifteen years or so ago this could have never happened, you'd have had focus, exposure, composition issues. Now technology takes care of it.


Very true, though I think in some ways, it making pros push their creativity to new levels, hence my sequence photo, and some of the amazing work I saw coming out of Sochi. Of course, Instagram will figure out a way to do sequence photos with iPhones soon and then we'll have to come up with more tricks 



neuroanatomist said:


> I was surprised by the number of Nikon users that couldn't manually select the center AF point or spot metering on their own cameras.


Neuro, ajfotofilmagem, and tat3406, that's why I posted this - I had heard people talk about how great Canon's ergonomics were, but didn't realize it was that different!



Valvebounce said:


> Hi folks.
> Reading this makes me glad I went Canon, a friend has Nikon and thinks that Canon got it wrong, go figure!





EricFiskCGD said:


> I'm sure there is a similar board like this one for Nikon users and I'm sure they think they same thing about us - like, how can they like that band.


I'm sure the Nikon people feel the same way when picking up a Canon after years of using their gear, and I don't want to come off like a "fanboy" because Nikon makes great gear as well, but I was rather surprised by how much different the cameras were. It wasn't horribly hard to figure out how to do things, but I found it far less intuitive and much more complicated to make simple adjustments. I also wonder if Nikons have the menu settings (like Canons) to reverse dials and such to make switching brands easier.


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## AcutancePhotography (Mar 18, 2014)

RLPhoto said:


> I hated where nikon placed the iso buttons on the d700/d800.



That is one of the things that bothers me too. Back in the film days we set the ISO and left it. Where the ISO adjustment button/dial was located was less a concern. With digital, it is not uncommon to want to quickly change the ISO between shots. This was a poor placement of the ISO button in my opinion. 

But concerning ergonomics, it is possible to get used to pretty much anything. People moving from Nikon to Canon will have the same issues as those moving from Canon to Nikon. 

I suspect that it is less an issue with ergonomics than with egonomics.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 18, 2014)

I bought a Nikon D800, have a D300, and have had a few other Nikon DSLR's. They definitely have a different user interface, but it becomes familiar after a few uses. I feel equally at home with Canon or Nikon.

Even automobiles have different interfaces. My Chrysler Minivan has the windshield wiper on the left, while my Honda Accord has it on the right. I'm forever getting them confused.


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## mackguyver (Mar 18, 2014)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> I bought a Nikon D800, have a D300, and have had a few other Nikon DSLR's. They definitely have a different user interface, but it becomes familiar after a few uses. I feel equally at home with Canon or Nikon.
> 
> Even automobiles have different interfaces. My Chrysler Minivan has the windshield wiper on the left, while my Honda Accord has it on the right. I'm forever getting them confused.


It sounds like you have the best of both worlds (Canon & Nikon) and I'm sure it doesn't take too long - I was able to figure it out pretty quickly, but it definitely felt awkward. I hear you about cars, too, one of my cars has the window switch in the door, the other in the center, one has a key ignition on the left, the other a start button on the right, etc., etc.


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## EricFiskCGD (Mar 18, 2014)

I was at the Boston Home/Garden show this past weekend and I struck up conversations with other camera owners by just complementing them about their rigs and asking what kind of lenses they were using. Our fellow Canon users were open to chat and I could have spent hours talking to most of them. Some of them convinced me to buy some of the lenses that I’ve put in my wish list as soon as possible. A young woman convinced me to give Sigma a look.

The Nikon users couldn’t be bothered with the exception of two people. Some of them were pretty damn rude.

Thoughts?


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## mackguyver (Mar 18, 2014)

EricFiskCGD said:


> The Nikon users couldn’t be bothered with the exception of two people. Some of them were pretty damn rude.
> 
> Thoughts?


It sounds like you ran into some rude people who happened to use Nikon. Most Nikon shooters I know are good people, but some amateurs have an attitude that Nikon is "better" than Canon, just like their Leica counterparts. 

I think it's a reflection of the individual (and their obvious insecurities) and _why _they chose their gear, not a reflection of owning the gear. I'm sure there are plenty of Canon snobs who thumb their noses at Panasonic, Olympus, and Sony shooters as well.


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## Valvebounce (Mar 18, 2014)

Hi Mackguyver. 
Aren't we supposed to do that then? ;D I always thought it was the draught from each superior group thumbing their nose a their inferiors that made the world turn! 
Just remember from a king to a pauper we put our trousers on one leg at a time! 

Cheers Graham.




mackguyver said:


> I'm sure there are plenty of Canon snobs who thumb their noses at Panasonic, Olympus, and Sony shooters as well.


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## cid (Mar 18, 2014)

When I held Nikon dslr in my hands (some entry level I think - I didn't care about model that time), I had no problem to change some settings (Av, AF point, ISO) to do some shots for people who asked me.
One think I have to say is, it simply felt the camera didn't fit my hands, I like Canons broader bodies and body shaping.


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## ajfotofilmagem (Mar 18, 2014)

EricFiskCGD said:


> I was at the Boston Home/Garden show this past weekend and I struck up conversations with other camera owners by just complementing them about their rigs and asking what kind of lenses they were using. Our fellow Canon users were open to chat and I could have spent hours talking to most of them. Some of them convinced me to buy some of the lenses that I’ve put in my wish list as soon as possible. A young woman convinced me to give Sigma a look.
> The Nikon users couldn’t be bothered with the exception of two people. Some of them were pretty damn rude.
> Thoughts?


I may be wrong, but I have the impression that the percentage of Nikon users that gets lost in the camera menu, and never read the instruction manual is larger than Canon. If a person not familiar with your equipment, it is natural to feel uncomfortable talking about it.


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## EricFiskCGD (Mar 18, 2014)

mackguyver said:


> It sounds like you ran into some rude people who happened to use Nikon. Most Nikon shooters I know are good people, but some amateurs have an attitude that Nikon is "better" than Canon, just like their Leica counterparts.
> 
> I think it's a reflection of the individual (and their obvious insecurities) and _why _they chose their gear, not a reflection of owning the gear. I'm sure there are plenty of Canon snobs who thumb their noses at Panasonic, Olympus, and Sony shooters as well.


Mack

There were two really great Nikon users who were really great to chat with and I got some great tips on focusing and how and why they choose their lenses for the shots they take. Again, those people I could have chatted with for hours.

I'm not in a place where I can look down at other Camera owners yet. You like what you like and that's the end of it - the Nikon user interface isn't to my tastes. I could talk to anyone about lenses, period.

Ajfotofilmagem: 
In retrospect, - I think you're right because they didn't seem to know too much about their rigs.


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