Why Nikon?

[fotojack]

My first SLR was a Pentax K1000, and a buddy of mine, at the time, had a Nikon. He let me borrow it once, and I liked the feel of it. And...it looked cool. When I was doing underwater photography in the 80's I was using a Sea & Sea camera and flashes. This same buddy of mine had a Nikonos that took awesome shots. I don't know...something about Nikon that just speaks to me....quality, build, ease of use, reputation, etc etc etc. I'll never switch brands.

 

[Pretzel]

It was a tough choice for me, to be honest. I have friends in photography that I look up to in regards to their "eye" and skills, and they shoot from all over. One, (Dan), is the most amazing photographer I've ever come across, and he's a Canon guy. The other two are quite good at what they do, but one shoots Nikon, and the other is a (Minolta) Sony Alpha shooter.

When I started asking 'em about camera choices, the Nikon guy was completely Nikon. Period. It's what he recommended and that's all there was to it. The Sony guy, though he loves his equipment, mentioned that, "Y'know. Those Nikon folks make the best low-light sensors in the business. I wish I had started with them years ago..." And the Canon guy? He, of course, recommended a few Canon models, as that's what he's familiar with, but he also said "Dude, there's no slack in Nikon. They put out a quality product too."

At that point, I started doing the research... I avoided Sony, if for no other reason than that Canon and Nikon have been fully committed to their camera lines for a long time, and Sony just acquired Konica/Minolta within the last decade. So, in drilling down, I started doing price range comparisons of features, accessories, reviews, picture quality, etc. focusing strictly on Canon and Nikon only.

And then? I was still leaning toward Canon, as I wanted to be like "Dan" (read above re: the most amazing...) Reviews depended on the reviewer, and it was easy to see personal slants and rants in the discussion, so that was no help. What edged me toward even considering a Nikon was the fact that all 3 photographers above cited Nikon as a good brand. When I walked into the stores though, and eyed them, side by side, and held them... Nikon won. I haven't looked back since, and doubt I ever will.

 

[John P]

I started with a Minolta SRT-102. It was a birthday gift from my grandfather. I shot that camera from the late 70's until the late 90's.
My next camera was a Nikon N80. I was sold. Absolutely loved everything about that camera.
So when I switched to digital the D70 was my go to.
Nothing wrong with other brands. Nikon just fits for me.

 

[Sandpatch]

My Dad bought his first Nikon in the late 1960s, so I grew up with Nikon. He bought me a Nikkormat Ftn in the early '70s and I was able to borrow his lenses. I was hooked. Shot briefly with Dad's Nikon EL-2, then moved to a Nikon N2020 in 1986 which I shot with flawless performance until late 2011 when I bought my first digital camera -- my D5100 which I greatly love.

With Nikon in my bloodline for much of my life, I just can't consider any other brand. My influence has secured Nikons for my wife as well. We are probably lifelong customers.