This is a question in some quarters raises passions. Some swear by Canon. Others by Nikon. These brands were the two most popular for the pros, in the days of film photography, when the 35mm film format was lord and master of the press rooms around the world. Other brands, a little less well known, also existed, of course. Pentax, Minolta, Fujifilm, Kodak and others have also produced tons of cameras, mainly for the “amateur” market however.
That time is long gone.
Nowadays, a camera has become a combination of electronic and optical equipment. Where once it was an essentially mechanical and optical device. The camera manufacturers have had to adapt to a world that’s more and more electronic and less mechanical. And manufacturers of other types of electronic devices saw an opportunity to invest into a new market now available to them. The Sonys and Panasonics of the world, to name but two, have been offering, for several years now, a whole range of digital cameras and are therefore competing with the traditional manufacturers of the photographic field. The competition became so fierce that some of them, Minolta and Kodak, for example, have even disappeared altogether or were absorbed by other companies.
With that said, what then is the best brand of digital cameras?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to answer this question clearly. For it is simply not a good question to ask! In my humble opinion, there is no “best manufacturer of” digital cameras in the market. The choice is vast. The competition is fierce. Each manufacturer tries to stand out by offering unique features, that others do not offer, within a pretty phenomenal number of different models.
The real question is rather “What digital camera best meets my needs?”
And to answer it properly, it is important to define these needs correctly, to then be able to focus on the camera (or the camera + lens system) that best meets those needs.
In my view, no brand, among the major, is really ahead of the others. Each brand has strengths and weaknesses. So it is essentially a matter of personal opinion and preferences!
Here we go! Do you agree or disagree with me? Let me know in the comments below!
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© Charles Martel 2015