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2012 DSLR Comparison
© 2012 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
This free website's biggest source of support is when you use these links when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thank you! Ken.
November 2012 Better Pictures Nikon Canon Fuji LEICA All Reviews
Canon vs Nikon
Here's what really matters when I choose a camera for myself.
I've left off rated ISO and other meaningless marketing baloney. The rated range of ISO settings has very little with the range over which the photos actually look OK.
See also:
High-ISO Comparisons of the Nikon D1, D3 (D700), D4, D800, D7000 and Canon 5D, 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III and Fuji X-Pro1 and X100.
Canon 5D Mark III versus Nikon D800.
Canon 1D X versus 5D Mark III: Resolution and High ISO Sample Images.
Many of these cameras offer a plethora of custom settings to optimize their controls. This table lists how they work after I've set them as I prefer. Many can be tweaked to program a button to do different things, but they can only do one thing at a time. Therefore this table lists each as it performs in the real world as set up by an expert, not how they arrive at defaults.
You usually can set any camera to look good at any one item below at a time, but that doesn't count. What counts and what's listed below is how they work when set up optimally for my use.
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Anni |
2012- |
2012- |
2012- |
2008-2012 |
2005-2008 |
2012- |
2012- |
2008-2012 |
2012- |
2009- |
2012- |
2011- |
2012- |
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SHOOT |
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Crop Factor |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1.5x |
1.5x |
1.85x |
Aperture ring? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
Shutter dial? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
Exposure Compensation Dial ? |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Exposure mode dial? |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Audio note-taking? |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Power switch turns itself off accidentally? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
DOF preview needs a second hand? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
no DOF preview |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Card Slots |
CF & CF |
CF & SD |
1 - SD |
1 - CF |
1 - CF |
CF & SD |
SD & SD |
1- CF |
1- CF
1-XQD |
1- SD |
1- SD |
1- SD |
1- SD |
In-finder digital zoom?**** |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
FPS |
12 FPS |
6 FPS |
4.5 FPS |
3.9 FPS |
3 FPS |
4 FPS |
5.5 FPS |
5 FPS |
10 FPS |
2 FPS |
5 FPS*** |
6 FPS*** |
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Quiet mode |
slow and loud |
Fast and quiet |
Fast and quiet |
no |
no |
slow and loud |
slow and loud |
no |
slow and loud |
slow and not quieter |
Always quiet |
Always almost silent |
Always almost silent |
Built-in Flash? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
Flash exposure |
usually OK |
usually OK |
usually OK |
usually OK |
usually OK |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
who cares? |
not tried |
Excellent |
sometimes OK |
Auto fill-flash exposure control |
usually OK |
usually OK |
usually OK |
fair |
fair |
usually OK |
usually OK |
usually OK |
usually OK |
NO |
not tried |
SUPERB |
poor |
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AUTOFOCUS |
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Areas |
61 points |
61 points |
11 points |
9 points |
9 points |
51 points |
39 points |
51 points |
51 points |
1 point |
video |
video |
multiple |
AF marks hide subject? |
YES |
YES |
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NO |
NO |
Sometimes |
Sometimes |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
One-touch ability to switch between commonly-used AF modes? |
NO |
NO |
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YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
NO |
not needed |
YES |
YES |
NO |
Ability of selected AF point to track moving target around frame. |
very good |
Fair |
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n/a |
n/a |
Excellent |
Excellent |
very good |
Excellent |
n/a |
no |
no |
no |
Select various AF points by holding down selector instead of needing multiple presses? |
NO |
NO |
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not needed |
not needed |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
not needed |
YES |
YES |
YES |
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ERGONOMICS |
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Grip feel |
Very good |
Excellent |
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Good |
Fair |
Good |
Good |
Good |
Excellent |
Fair-good |
Good |
Good |
Good |
Control LCD backlight(s) |
red-orange LED |
yellow LED |
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yellow LED |
yellow LED |
green LED |
green LED |
green LED |
Cyan EL |
not needed |
not needed |
not needed |
not needed |
Backlit buttons |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
most |
no |
no |
no |
no |
Accurate TTL Finder? |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
NO |
Accurate finder perspective at close & macro range? |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
NO |
Adjust all settings and menus with eye on finder? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
NO |
Battery & card access |
Alloy door |
Door |
Door |
Door |
Door |
Door |
Door |
Door |
Door |
must take camera apart |
Door |
Door |
Door |
Battery life* |
1,800 shots |
1,000 shots |
950 rated |
1,200 shots |
1,200 shots |
1,200-2,700 shots |
950 rated |
1,000 shots |
3,000 shots |
350 shots |
300 shots |
550 shots |
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Fast total camera-state switching? |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
NO |
YES |
Easy manual WB setting? |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Manual WB setting memories |
5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
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IMAGE |
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Color rendition, people |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
poor |
Excellent |
Excellent |
very good |
Color rendition, things |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
fair |
good |
good |
Excellent |
Exposure accuracy |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
very good |
Auto WB performance |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
hideous |
Excellent |
Excellent |
very good |
Resolution |
18 MP |
22 MP |
20 MP |
21 MP |
12 MP |
36 MP |
24 MP |
12 MP |
16 MP |
18 MP |
16 MP |
12 MP |
14 MP |
Anti-Alias Filter |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
? |
No |
No |
Crop Factor |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1.5x |
1.5x |
1.85x |
Professional 5:4 mode? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
Color fringes? |
NO** |
NO** |
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YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Auto Distortion Correction? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
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YES |
not needed |
not needed |
NO |
NO |
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PLAYBACK |
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In-finder playback |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
NO |
LCD size and dot count |
3.2"
1,040k |
3.2"
1,040k |
3"
1,040k |
3"
920k |
2.5"
230k |
3.2"
921k |
3.2"
921k |
3"
921k |
3.2"
921k |
2.5"
230k |
3"
1,230k |
2.8"
460k |
3"
922k |
LCD Color Accuracy |
accurate |
accurate |
accurate |
accurate |
poor |
too yellow |
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accurate |
too yellow |
accurate |
accurate |
accurate |
accurate |
LCD quality |
beautiful |
beautiful |
beautiful |
beautiful |
awful |
too yellow |
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OK |
too yellow |
small |
beautiful |
beautiful |
beautiful |
Instant as-shot access to all play controls? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Zoom just-shot image? |
YES |
YES |
YES |
have to hit PLAY first |
have to hit PLAY first |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
have to hit PLAY first |
have to hit PLAY first |
have to hit PLAY first |
Need 2nd hand to start playback?* |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Playback images instantly sharp as swapped or scrolled? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Always |
Always |
Always |
Always |
sometimes |
Always |
Always |
sometimes |
Diagonal playback scroll? |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
YES |
Histogram for zoomed playback region? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
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BOTTOM LINE |
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Weight* |
53.8 oz.
1,526 g |
33.7 oz.
956 g |
26.7 oz.
755 g |
32 oz.
907 g |
31.9 oz.
904 g |
35.1 oz.
994 g |
30.0 oz.
850 g |
38.3 oz.
1,085 g |
47.2 oz.
1,337 g |
20.9 oz.
593 g |
15.7 oz.
444 g |
15.5 oz.
440 g |
18.7 oz.
532 g |
Weight includes lens? |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
YES |
YES |
Price, 4/2012 |
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$900 used |
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Price, 7/2012 |
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$700 used |
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Price, 9/2012 |
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$700 used |
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* actual measured as I set it, with battery and card.
** If you load a profile. If not, or if no profile is available, then YES.
*** No focus or exposure variation between frames.
**** Ability to select cropping without taking eye from finder. I program my Nikons' Fn button as cropping select, which is handy with fixed lenses.
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Mr. & Mrs. Ken Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.
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