Matthew Botos

I’ve had a number of Canon cameras over the years that I’ve liked, and currently shoot a Canon Rebel XTi and 3 Canon lenses. But looking at recent gear announcements and the general buzz around them, Nikon really seems to be pushing the envelope further these days.

Canon made the 50D official this week, with some decent small-sensor upgrades, but nothing ground-breaking. Meanwhile, you look at how excited even pro Chase Jarvis is about Nikon’s latest advanced amateur camera, the small-sensor D90: improved high ISO performance, HD video, and built-in flash system control. In general, Nikon’s recent series of cameras really seem to be pushing down both noise and price points.

Nikon’s always had an edge in flashes, and seems to be keeping it with the SB-900. The Strobist loves the 200mm zoom and built-in gel holder, with similar praise from Joe McNally. Of course, Canon was already using a wheel-based control interface on the 580 EX II…

There’s also their marketing angle. Canon let rumors run rampant on the 50D before “accidentally” posting a spec page the day before the initial announcement. Nikon, meanwhile, has been tapping influential pros and bloggers for early reviews.

Of course, Photokina is still to come in September, so we’ll have to see if Canon introduces the full-frame 5D follow-on everyone’s asking for, or something else innovative.