No dramas
:
It's not an issue which requires us to agree or not.
Most visiting pros to Afghan
do indeed use Canon - perhaps
that's why I see so many of them break.
I spoke at length to a PA photographer (Pete Byrne) last year about this very subject - PA issue their staff photographers with Canons - they have no say in the matter. Nor do staff photographers from News International and MGN.
The Canon system was purchased back in 2004-2005 when Canon had the edge with it's brilliant AF-system at a time when Nikon's AF was pretty rubbish by comparison and Canon
definitely had the edge when it came to IQ - JPEGs from the D1x are
horrible compared to those from the same vintage Pro-Canon bodies. Since then, as you'd expect they're now tied to the system because of the financial investment.
That was one of the main reasons that Nikon offered the 'stupid' discount for Pro's who agreed to swap back to Nikon back in 2008-2009. Many who could, took them up on that offer.
Pete was desperate to do this as he'd been a Nikon shooter when he was freelance and hated Canons with a passion -
his replacement kit from Nikon would have cost PA £1200 - yes:
one thousand, two hundred pounds - that's for two D3 bodies
and a D300, lenses ranging from 600mm to 14mm and four speedlights and all the associated gubbins. PA said 'no' and Pete was gutted.
Photographers from The Times and The Sun also said the same - their companies required them to use Canon (in fairness, the Times photographer said he preferred Canons, even though
his MkIII also died in Afghanistan - no warning, it just
stopped).
The Army, Royal Navy and RAF have used Nikon exclusively for over 15 years.
Last year before the final decision to go ahead with the purchase of D3 and D3x bodies for all Service Photographers (tri-service, not just Army) we were required to re-evaluate Canon's latest cameras.
My colleague Corporal Rupert Frere took EOS 1D MkIII and MkIV bodies to Afghanistan on his six month deployment before my arrival there. He covered a spring/summer tour, I covered a Summer/Winter tour.
The MkIII broke. The replacement that Canon sent also broke. The MkIV also had 'issues' according to the guy I work with here in Germany who was deployed with him, but I don't know what they were.
Thing is, Rupert owns his own Canon cameras and much prefers to use them for his personal work.
But like me, he says he'd
never deploy with them again. Faith - it's a funny old thing.
What we really need to see is all the infomation that a 3rd party "fixing" company has. See how many Canon/Nikon bodies die, and for what reason. Otherwise, 1 loud complaining voice is much louder than 100 people that never have a problem.
and stops working until it's repaired.
from me for Canon Elstree.
