CANON VS NIKON: FULL-FRAME CAMERAS

If you’re in the market for a full-frame Canon or Nikon camera, which is the best buy? We pitch the top SLRs against the new mirrorless models

Two Canon and Nikon options fight it out – which is our favourite of the four?

Most expert photographers around the world have honed their craft using a succession of Canon or Nikon SLRs. Until now, when faced with the option of moving to a top-spec full-frame camera, the choice has been simple. Upgrade to a camera like the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV or Nikon D850 and hang onto your arsenal of lenses, or switch to a mirrorless body from the Sony a7 or a9 and start from scratch with new lenses, flashguns and other accessories.

That’s all changed with the advent of the new Canon EOS R and Nikon Z7 mirrorless cameras. These models compete with the two companies’ pro-grade SLRs, while offering the advantages of mirrorless photography. And crucially, they’re both available with mount adaptors so you can continue to use the favourite lenses in your collection. Naturally, both cameras have a brand-new lens mount and an expanding supporting cast of exciting new lenses. But you don’t have to suffer the pain and expense of having to change everything all at once.

From a shooting and handling point of view, the biggest difference between mirrorless cameras and their SLR siblings is the viewfinder. The best mirrorless cameras, including both of the new Canon and Nikon models, have extremely high-resolution viewfinders that give an immensely detailed view, and relatively little blurring when panning or tracking moving objects. They can also give you a decent preview of the effect of changing exposure settings before shooting. However, the clarity of a high-grade optical pentaprism viewfinder is still hard to beat, especially when panning.

The future of digital photography might well be mirrorless, but what’s the best buy if you’re splashing out on a new Canon or Nikon camera sometime in the near future? Over the next few pages we take an in-depth look at how the main contenders compare, so that you can decide whether there’s still life left in the traditional SLR format, or if the latest technology is really where it’s at.