I wouldn’t say that i handled all the DSLRs in the market today but would go as far as to say that i handled most of them before. Secondly, I’ve handled enough cameras while selling them at IT shows to know what are some of their flaws.
Here’s my ranking, in terms of best grip and handling.
Best Grip:
1. Sony Alpha 900 (and 850)
2. Canon 5D and xxD series
3. Nikon Dxxx series
Other contenders: Nikon Dxx and Canon xxxD and Sony alpha series
Remark:
I initially placed Canon’s 1Ds and Nikon DxX series in the ranks but decided it is not fair to pit them side by side with grip-less DSLRs. So why Sony Alpha? Trust me when you fix a grip to their flagship, it feels extremely comfortable in your hands. Shoot vertically and not even the Canon Nikon flagship feels as good.
Canon’s semi-pro cameras come in second because the thumb and index finger part just does not feel as comfortable. Having said that, it nevertheless offers a comfortable grip for vertical shooting.
As for Nikon, no hard feelings but the grip, in my opinion, just loses out slightly to Canon. This might be due to my lack of handling with Nikon as often as i would like. Then again, this is all about my opinion.
Best interface and operation buttons etc:
1. Nikon Dxxx series
2. Canon xxD and 5D series
3. Sony Alpha 900 (850)
Remarks:
Everything is strategically placed on the outside of the camera, making Nikon the perfect camera for photojournalism. You can even format your card by simply pressing two buttons at once.
Sony Alpha flagship, on the hand, edges Canon by one item, and that’s the mirror lock-up command. It’s really… damn annoying that everytime you want to switch to mirror lock-up mode, you have to go through tons of clicks just to activate it. It annoys the shit out of me.
However, I am a big fan of Canon’s scroll wheel navigation concept (iPod anyone?). I hate the fact that when you have 300 pictures saved in your CF card, you need to tweak your mini-joystick quite a number of times to get to another picture. With the scroll wheel, it takes like a split second to get there.
Best glass (50mm category):
Since i cannot really compare lenses of different focal length, the 50mm prime lens is the benchmark in this assessment.
1. Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L
2. Nikon 50mm f/1.4 G
3. Sony 50mm f1.4
Other contenders: Sigma 50mm f/1.4 for all mounts and CZ 50mm f/1.4
Remarks:
L glass, 50mm f/1.2… period. The biggest flaw i can find in the Canon glass is the slightly slower auto-focusing due to the heavy glass elements to produce a f/1.2 f-stop.
I only used the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 G lens once but it was enough to convince me that it beats Canon’s 50mm f/1.4 anytime.
As for Sony’s 50mm f/1.4 hmmm… all i can say is that i’d choose the Sigma prime anytime over this. Having said that, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 is one hell of a contender and yields sharp images wide open. If the original makers lens like Canon and Nikon doesnt suit you, i strongly recommend the Sigma alternative, what’s more, it is cheaper as well.
As you can see, i don’t really have much to talk about in this category. Don’t really want to bore you with the technical stuff.
That’s about all for today, i’m going to sleep. Next time, i’ll rank studio lights like what Strobist did… just that mine is more erm… simplified.
