Goodbye Nikon again?
With the 21-megapixel Canon 5D Mark II due out in a few weeks, is this another Goodbye Nikon moment? Not for me—the Nikon D3 is a wonderful all-around camera, and particularly rewarding for low-light shooting. But judging by emails I’ve received, the Canon 5D Mark II holds considerable allure. Some readers are considering switching to Canon, but my advice is this: cameras are accessories and change every year nowadays; the lenses you shoot should be good for years to come.
With that in mind, consider what you shoot, and your favorite lenses for doing so.
On the zoom front, Nikon’s 14-24/2.8, 24-70/2.8 and 200-400VR are more appealing lenses than the Canon alternatives (ergonomics and to some extent optics). But Canon has far better offerings (4) in the 70-200 range; Nikon’s is mediocre. And Canon’s 35/1.4L, 50/1.2L and 85/1.2L and 135/2L just aren’t there in the Nikon system. So consider your type of shooting, and the lenses you might use before “the switch”, keeping in mind that Nikon sooner or later will have a 21-24MP camera. See more below on lens choices for the Canon 5D Mark II.