Doing research to a major upgrade in camera -from point and shoot to a DSLR $$$
Any comments on how a company handled your issue?
On line all I see are complaints,
Ie:
Nikon people "will go to Canon" and the "Canon folks are going to Nikon" because of lack of service.
Thank you, Nancy
A major consumer rating magazine that rated things such as reliability, repair records, repair history and overall satisfaction on Digital SLR's...lists the best overall as Pentax, followed by Sony, Canon, Olympus and then Nikon.
I have quite a few Fujifilm cameras that have been extremely reliable, but they are "point and shoot" and not SLR's. My lone SLR is a Canon in has been with me a very long time, and even was used frequently when I was a Cop...not treated very gently and still is a great camera.
And I've had a 40 year old Japanese manual model Konica SLR camera since I was a kid...sort of proof that the simpler the camera is the longer it lasts!
My posts shouldn't be taken for factual data. They are purely fictional, for entertainment purposes and should not be constituted as actually related to scientific, technical, engineering, legal, spiritual or practical advice. Amen.
I've been using Nikon's pro equipment since the 60's, so I'm not an unbiased user, but I have never had a problem with Nikon support. I have not used any of their consumer cameras - I currently shoot with a D700, but have used their D100, 200 & 300 in the past, so I don't know if they treat their non-pro camera users any different. The only problem I've had was with a 24-70 lens; the zoom tightened up. They replaced a 3 year old lens in 2 weeks.
nancyjerry wrote: Doing research to a major upgrade in camera -from point and shoot to a DSLR $$$
Any comments on how a company handled your issue?
On line all I see are complaints,
Ie:
Nikon people "will go to Canon" and the "Canon folks are going to Nikon" because of lack of service.
Thank you, Nancy
I've had a Canon DSLR for a number of years now and have never had a moment’s problem out of it. You very likely will not have any problems with whatever brand you choose as they are all very high quality. I chose Canon because I was already invested in the lens and flashes for it. I don't think you can go wrong with either Canon or Nikon. The others make great products; it is just that they typically don't have the variety of accessories and aftermarket items for them. That may not be an issue for you depending on what you intend to use the cameral for. If I were starting out considering all of the DSLRs out there, I would try to go somewhere that I could try each one that I was interested in and see which is most comfortable for me.
The problem with on-line reviews with almost any product is there is a disproportionate amount of complaints because most people that buy something and it does what it is supposed to and they never have a problem out of it, don't generally take the time to conduct a review. Even if they had a problem out of it but it was handled appropriately, they just don't review in any great number. One option is to go through a local camera shop instead of purchasing on-line and then at least you may have an advocate for you with the manufacturer should you have problems.
I've only owned Canon DSLRs and have never had any issues requiring service or support. Also, have only bought Canon broadcast lenses on my Sony video cameras, and no issues either. Wish I could say the same about the Sonys.
Thank you for all the insights.
I am looking for support as far as HELP, as I have heard of the huge learning curve and then, if something is wrong, how is their return/repair.
I did have a 35mm years ago with some lenses, and now the lingo is over my head, hence all the research!
Thanks, N
Canon and Nikon are the two big Kahunas in DSLR. You can't go wrong with either. Just go to a Barnes & Noble bookstore and check the photography books for support. Those two camera manufacturers get the print. So buy what you like. There are specs to go over but I think how the camera feels in your hands and how the the buttons and knobs work ultimately is what sways you. Saying all that, I did not buy a Canon or Nikon for my first DSLR a few years ago. I ended up buying an Olympus E520 because of how it felt and operated.
I'm not sure what the concern would be about support and service with any. I think they all stand by their products. Service is more independent if you are looking for someone local to troubleshoot your problems. I bought my E520 from an independent camera shop that had expert support for all brands. My stock lens didn't auto focus correctly so I took it back, they test compared it, agreed, and substituted it out for me. The out of focus problem was very subtle. My eye just sensed something was wrong and I was right.
Davydd
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Visited states in an RV
I'm a Canon user on my 3rd DSLR. But my reco is to get either a Canon or a Nikon because you are not just buying a camera you are buying into a system. And the lesser brands do not have large systems in place like the two majors do. Both major brands have hundreds of lenses, flashes and all sorts of other accessories. They also have very wide support from third party manufacturers. The minors may only have a few and may not have what you need.
Go down to a camera store with both Canon and Nikon models that you are interested in and try out both in your hands. The feel (ergonomics) of the two systems are quite different and some like one better than another.
One thing you can do to add a layer of safety is to buy from a highly rated vendor and the best of all is B&H. Adorama, Samys and Calumet are others. Amazon is variable since they have several vendors selling camera gear, one is Adorama but others are less well thought of. The ones listed will offer good support in the near time frame after the purchase. You'll have someone to call and talk to if you have a problem. Getting to talk to a real human at either Canon and Nikon is more difficult since their answer will be "send it in to let us look at it."
There is a third party company selling extended warranties, the name escapes me right now, they have a reputation of being slow pay but they eventually do pay.
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Many people are better off with a P&S like the Panasonics. But even the best P&S is worse that the cheapest DSLR in image quality, autofocusing and burst rate (how fast you can shoot). And about 10 or 15 other reasons. And the reason is that your Panasonic has a sensor about the size of your small fingernail, while the DSLR sensors are as big as a postage stamp. Sensor size is the big factor in image quality.
There is a real commitment required to learn to use a DSLR however. The new photographer has to learn to think like a photographer. Where a P&S does all the thinking with it's grain of wheat sized brain the DSLR expects the photographer to know how to control the camera, frame the image, analyze the light and select a good composition. With a lot of help from the camera of course.
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