Something I noticed about Canons and Nikons..

I do not want this to be "Yet Another Canon vs Nikon Thread," but Ive been looking at a lot of pictures (of people, portraits) taken by a Nikon D60 and a several Canon Rebel cameras (XTi, etc..)

I noticed that the quality of the pictures taken with the Nikon D60 is far superior to the Canons. Am I comparing apples to oranges here? Is the D60 in a higher class?

What do you mean by "quality?"

Where are you finding the photos you're using to judge? It may be that a different type of photographer buys the D60. The photographer is always ultimately responsible for the photo. I've used comparable cameras from Nikon, Canon, and other makers. And I doubt you could look at my photos and tell whether a given photo was taken with a Canon, a Nikon, Olympus, etc. Part of the reason is the post-processing I do. No matter what camera I use, there's a look I like and it requires some post-processing. So what you see isn't necessarily what the camera captured.

Does that help? I am curious about where you're seeing the photos. "Superior" can mean a lot of things and when it comes to cameras it can be a very personal thing. And no, I don't think the D60 is in a superior class. But it's certainly capable of capturing great images, if the photographer knows what he or she is doing - as are the entry-level DSLRs from all the other makers. There are no bad digital SLRs anymore.

I can't explain photo quality with words, but let's say that EVERYONE who sees the pictures notices how much better, clearer, and sharper the D60 photos are. The difference is like the difference between a pocket camera and a SLR.

The photographer using the D60 shoots in Portrait mode, the ones using the Canons leave it on automatic.

The only way to compare is to put the cameras on the same settings--iso, aperture, shutter speed and take the same photo in the same light and do NO post processing.
You may be looking at the photographers preference which may not be yours. There are too many variables to compare unless a controlled test is done.
You mention, for instance, sharpness. Sharpness is not what is always wanted in portraits which is why portrait modes usually make a photo softer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nycrep

The photographer using the D60 shoots in Portrait mode, the ones using the Canons leave it on automatic.

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Well that is "the photographer" not all photographers.
Once you get to the level of using DSLRs, then I think the photographer makes the most difference.
Comparing P&S to DSLR is harder, but again a good photographer can get a better image out of a P&S - but it may not be technically comparable to a DSLR image.

Then we come down to the definition of "quality".
If you can define why you think the D60 in automatic Portrait mode is better, then we can compare some results.

What about lenses?? If the D60 has a top of the line lens on it and the Canon has some POS then that can cause problems as well.
Auto modes (anything other than manual) are a horrible way to test cameras. Well unless you are testing how the auto mode works.

Far too many factors at play.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Photo-John

What do you mean by "quality?"

Where are you finding the photos you're using to judge? It may be that a different type of photographer buys the D60. The photographer is always ultimately responsible for the photo. I've used comparable cameras from Nikon, Canon, and other makers. And I doubt you could look at my photos and tell whether a given photo was taken with a Canon, a Nikon, Olympus, etc. Part of the reason is the post-processing I do. No matter what camera I use, there's a look I like and it requires some post-processing. So what you see isn't necessarily what the camera captured.

Does that help? I am curious about where you're seeing the photos. "Superior" can mean a lot of things and when it comes to cameras it can be a very personal thing. And no, I don't think the D60 is in a superior class. But it's certainly capable of capturing great images, if the photographer knows what he or she is doing - as are the entry-level DSLRs from all the other makers. There are no bad digital SLRs anymore.

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I agree 100% with Photo-John :thumbsup:, it’s the photographer who makes great images, not what camera was used. You can have a skilled photographer with a point-and-shoot, and a non-skilled person with the latest and most expensive D-SLR, guess who will most likely take the best pictures? The skilled photographer, of course!

Same goes with post-processing. Some people are better at retouching images than others are, and they all have different software programs too.

And as dumpy said, there are MANY factors that can influence image quality, including lenses.
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If the photos used to compare the two camera brands were from a website, note this:

Many, if not most of the photos posted on the web have been altered in some way, such as brightness & contrast, hue & saturation, resampling & JPEG compression, etc.

You really can’t judge camera picture quality by viewing photos on the web, unless its specified that the photos are originals.