Nikon D5200 vs Canon 60D

ROCKMORE

ROCKMORE

Veteran
I've been shooting about 3 years with the 60D and considering replacing it with the D5200 and moving from Canon to Nikon in general. Canon has worked well but they have been dragging out anything new for a long time. The other choice may be the 70D but no specs yet.
Here are a few sites on the D5200 vs 60D comparison pros & cons, but of course they don't tell the whole story and may not even be accurate.

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon_EOS_60D-vs-Nikon-D5200

http://versusio.com/en/canon-eos-60d-vs-nikon-d5200

http://www.2cameraguys.com/Canon-EOS-60D-vs-Nikon-D5200.htm
 
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Besides Magic Lantern for video, I can't think of any major cons at the moment. Unless you have tons of Canon lenses and accessories, it shouldn't be too difficult to switch to Nikon.

I'm sorta in the same boat now (GH2 and T2i owner looking to replace my Canon DSLR with a GH3 or a D7100). I'm just waiting on more samples, comparisons, and reviews to crop up over the next month to get a look at the capabilities in more detail. To be honest, I kinda want both (GH3 and D7100). I'm still leaning towards GH3 a bit more, due to video options. Then maybe get the D7100 or possibly a D5200 later this summer.
 
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Nektonic said:
Besides Magic Lantern for video, I can't think of any major cons at the moment. Unless you have tons of Canon lenses and accessories, it shouldn't be too difficult to switch to Nikon. .
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Yes looking for tests.

I never uesd Magic Lantern. I know it's good, but too risky on paying run & gun work. No time to mess around for me.

Also didn't invested in a lot of Canon glass, just a 17-50 2.8 Tamron and a canon 55-250. I have a lot of vintage glass ant this will be a good excuse to add more vintage Nikon lenses.
 
ROCKMORE said:
I have a lot of vintage glass ant this will be a good excuse to add more vintage Nikon lenses.
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If you're going to shoot mostly with vintage, manual-focus Nikon lenses, I wouldn't recommend the D5200. The D7100 is the model designed to support the full potential of these lenses.
 
Lpowell said:
If you're going to shoot mostly with vintage, manual-focus Nikon lenses, I wouldn't recommend the D5200. The D7100 is the model designed to support the full potential of these lenses.
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That's not the only problem.

Don't mean to sound harsh, but my first hands on impressions didn't impress, and I really wanted to love this new wonder camera.

I got my hands on a D5200 today and it's a real high tech toy. I don't think I can work with it after a 5D, 7D, 60D.

The controls are very confusing. ( of course they would make more sense after working with it for a while )

The Canon 60D is more orderly. Everything in the menu is in a continues line. All the buttons on the outside are in the best place and the exposure wheel on the back is really easy to use without thinking. (again what I'm used to working with)

There is no dedicated HD video mode so you are in live photo mode and push a button to move into video mode.

The florescent lighting in the store had a bad roll across the view screen in manual mode and the camera had to be set on Auto for it to be normal. I thought it had to be in NTSC mode (I'm in Pal land, sure enough the camera set @ Pal 25fps 1080) My 60D performed normal.

The focus in live view searches in and out a few times before locking.
I had my 60D out to compare and the quick focus mode locks right into the focus point in about .3 sec.
(Maybe there is a focus mode that doesn't search I couldn't locate it in the menu)

Also the menu dialogue uses words like "fine" to describe quality while the Canon just says the resolution dimension and frame size.

The flip out screen is a little flimsy with these 2 detentes that had to be pressed in to unlock it from the closed position. It's never been necessary for the view scene to be locked closed in 3 years in my opinion.

In live view it looks like the frame projection switches from full coverage to cropped areas displayed for no reason.

The Battery is tiny, so I understand why it has a short life and will quit in half the time over the Canon. Bigger battery, bigger capacity. Why Ken Rockwell gave it a rating as high as Canon in a review I don't understand.

I would actually rather get a new 60D even with 3 year old technology to replace my heavily used 3 year old 60D at the moment over the D5200. I need a 2nd backup body.

I'm sure the D5200 produces amazing HD images especially for the low price in a compact size body. I just don't think it would take the abuse I've put my 60D through for close to 1000 days in the field. Extreme heat and humidity, rain and often mud kicked all over it.

I realize after posting these photos the D7100 Nikon is closer to the 60D on to related to features but for about $300 more but since it has no movable view screen the D5200 would be the only comparable unit for what I need.
 

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I also like the Canon menus and buttons better than the Nikon ones, which feel very confusing to me. My guess is that Nikon users will find the D5200 controls intuitive, and would be confused by your 60D, but I could be wrong: there is such thing as a badly designed interface (being confused by the one of the D5200, I'm not in a good position to say how bad it really is).

It seems to me that your choice right now is one of ergonomics vs image quality... with both being relative (the first one is subjective, the second one too because it depends on how annoyed you are by aliasing/moire and lack of detail).

The best solution would be a 7D2... if it ever comes out... and if it's not in a completely different price bracket (many photogs are expecting $2K). Let's see what NAB brings!
 
Samuel H said:
The best solution would be a 7D2... if it ever comes out...................................................................................
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Tick..................................Tock.....................................Tick...........................................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
 
According to rumours, the Canon 70D will probably come out first; maybe it will have the same new crop sensor as the Canon 7DII. Like you I'm a 60D user waiting for the next Canon announcements and then I can decide if I stay with them or go over to Nikon this year. I would like to try something different, though it's ironic I'd have to keep the Nikon AI-S lenses on the 60D, because the D5200 can't meter with them (a rotating screen is a must for me, so the D7100 is a non-starter).
 
I just switched over to Nikon from the Canon T2I and I am enjoying it, the Nikon controls were a little weird at first and I still think I like canon's more but I like Nikons color reproduction more. Somewhat wished I had the 7100 for control over older lenses but its alright as I'll probably invest the saved cash on a Sony Nex 5n (they make a cheap underwater case for it that I can use for scuba diving) and in reality the image quality in all theses cameras are all so close to each other I think picking the camera that you can work with better is the best way to go.
 
ReelFilmGeek said:
I just switched over to Nikon from the Canon

I'll probably invest the saved cash on a Sony Nex 5n

in reality the image quality in all theses cameras are all so close to each other I think picking the camera that you can work with better is the best way to go.
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So many cameras, so little time
These cameras are all good for different reasons and having a few different brands can work. I was looking at the Nikon because my 3 year old 60D will be replaced with a 70D with most likely little if any difference in image quality.
I'm actually considering an 5DMk2 because they are still about the same image quality as the mk3 for a steal price in a watertight titanium case. The Mk2 is getting old but still right up the in IQ in the right hands.
 
The MKII is still a great camera and sharper than the MKIII, but I wouldn't use it without a VAF filter. I think the D7100 is a better option though, less rolling shutter, more dynamic range, no aliasing and moire but still sharper than the MKII. The controls on the D7100 are better than the D5200. The MKII isn't weather sealed. They both have fixed pattern noise but the horizontal FPN on the Nikon is less noticeable than the vertical FPN on the Canon unless you're a freak and tilt more than you pan.

I've just about made up my mind on replacing the MKIII with a D800, I like the D7100 but I want to go shallow on the wide end with a 24mm Rokinon.

@TrueIndigo You can bet your arse Canon will keep milking the old sensor until the 7D MKII comes out, it would be totally out of character for Canon to do otherwise. It wouldn't surprise me if Canon do to the 7D what they did to the 5D: no aliasing, lots of noise reduction, and soft as shite.
 
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You're probably right squig, I kind've hoped Canon would be too embarrassed to put the old 18 mgp into yet another camera, but they already have with the 700D. I thought if the 70D was supposed to be going a bit upmarket, maybe it would deserve Digic 6 and the new sensor, but I'm probably being too optimistic. Particularly, I will be interested to compare how Canon's next cameras deal with video image downscale because right now the new crop Nikon's appear to have moved ahead with that. I'd be interested to hear about your experiences with the D800 - I was pretty sure you were sold on the D7100!
 
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I'm still planning on keeping the D5200 as a b-cam and I might upgrade it to a D7100 at some point.
 
squig said:
I'm still planning on keeping the D5200 as a b-cam and I might upgrade it to a D7100 at some point.
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When I took a look at the D5200 in a store on manual mode it seemed to have a really bad rolling, pulsing light pattern on the view screen from florescent lighting. It was like it was set to 60hz shooting 50hz lighting. I switched from NTSC to Pal and they were the same. When it was set to auto mode it looked fine. I had my 60D and everything was normal as always. have you seen this problem?
 
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