Nikon vs Canon vs Olympus?

[Canonball]

My experience so far is Canon for right handers,Nikon for left handers....the way lenses are mounted..havn't used any others .....very much like Ford or Holden,Honda or Suzuki...whatever you feel comfortable with i guess

[sybren]

Originally Posted by cbweyland

In reality unless you're a pro and have specific expectations it doesn't matter which model or make you have.

If you have to ask which camera to buy, you're still in the process of learning and therefore is doesn't matter what you choose because the important differences are probably far above and beyond your present skills anyway.

I completely disagree. No matter what skill level you have, there is a way of thinking that comes natural to you, and a way that doesn't. For me Canon comes natural, Nikon does everything the wrong way around. It would be a bad choice for me to start with a Nikon camera - it would make my photography experience less pleasurable for sure.

As for the feature set of the camera (how many megapixels, that kind of stuff) I do agree, but not in the general sense you're posting it here.

[cbweyland]

Originally Posted by sybren

I completely disagree. No matter what skill level you have, there is a way of thinking that comes natural to you, and a way that doesn't. For me Canon comes natural, Nikon does everything the wrong way around. It would be a bad choice for me to start with a Nikon camera - it would make my photography experience less pleasurable for sure.

As for the feature set of the camera (how many megapixels, that kind of stuff) I do agree, but not in the general sense you're posting it here.

Judging from your list of equipment you have some experience, are you speaking from that or from the point of view of the absolute beginner. Going from point and shoot to dSLR a lot of things are bound to come as not natural - there is something to learn. I might as weel have chosen Canon instead of Nikon and there would have been things to learn and things getting used to.

One should not ignore the advice given elsewhere in this thread of going down to your local store and picking up different cameras and holding them in your hand to see how they feel.

[sybren]

Originally Posted by cbweyland

Judging from your list of equipment you have some experience, are you speaking from that or from the point of view of the absolute beginner.

Absolute beginner. Just to give an example: when I twist a lens off my Canon camera I have to twist it in the same direction as when I twist a lid to open up a pot of peanut butter. It's just always the same (in this country at least) : rotate something to the left to loosen it, and to the right to tighten it. It's the same on all Canon SLRs, but with Nikon it's just the other way around. This has nothing to do with having any photography experience what so ever. It may require experience with peanut butter.