just switched to Nikon from Canon.

Cited too many AF issues, reliability issues and the lack of quality high iso files with Canon (vs the D3).

Now sporting D3's.

I cannot tell you how many people are switching due to the above.

Rick got his Canon stuff for free, and is paying for his Nikon gear!

Mike S<ul><li><a href="http://www.dolephoto.com/">Link to Rick's web site:</a></li></ul>

Makes it a lot easier to get images. You heading to Miller for the ALMS race? Grand Am?

said he's switched to the Dark Side.

I haven't even heard back as to what lenses he's shooting, yet, but will update you when I do.


Paranoid much? ; ) I wouldn't have even linked the two together, had I even seen your post regarding Sutton.

Rick crushes Sutton, IMO. Regis Lefebure, Rick Dole, Rainer Schlegelmilch and George Tiedeman are the best in the world, IMO.

Only Regis is still Canon (oh, and he makes a pretty penny from them!).

To each their own. There is no "right" answer.

It's well know Canon is having issues. Shutter boxes not aligned, AF that flattly doesn't work right, cameras losing files (not making it on the CF cards), loooooooong CPS repair times, high ISO issues, etc.

This alone had people looking, and then the D3 came out.

One of the top wedding photogs in America, JR Geoffrion, just switched, too. (http://www.jrgeoffrion.com/)

He was losing images and getting killed by high iso and color issues. He can't stand Canon's greens.


Same issues, same reasons to switch.

Canon beat up Nikon in most segments of the DSLR since about 2001 (D1 crushed Canon at 2000 Olympics) through most of the time leading up to the D3. Canon had Nikon on AF, file size, FPS and a few other items.

Nikon has always had Canon on durability, service speed and quality, at event support (Indy, F1, Olympics, World Cups, Superbowl, etc), image color accuracy/ready to go out of the camera and on camera flash photography.

The first thing Canon shooters who switch to Nikon see is far better on camera flash exposure and out-of-camera color accuracy. The only let down is the Nikon VR system sucks compared to Canon's. Always has and still does.

Pro's use cameras in such different ways than amateurs. We make our living on them. We don't care who makes it, we just want the best for our particular job. We want the best files, with the best consistency in all forms of odd light and conditions, and we need very durable gear with strong system support. We need reliability.

Canon fell down over the past 18 months in these segments and that's no secret.

Nikon and Canon are both great camera system makers. One is Audi or BMW, the other is Lexus or Mercedes. Both are great, but one is always in the DSLR lead. Nikon from 1999-2001, Canon from 2002-2003, Nikon and Canon tied in 2004, Canon in 2005-2007, Nikon in 2008.

I have nothing personal in my logic, no vendettas, I simply call it as I see it. When you work with high end pros in the sports world on a daily basis, you hear the complaints, you see the files, you know what's good and what isn't. I don't frame my opinions based on Moose Peterson, Rob Galbraith or any others. I don't form my opinions based on magazine reviews or web site postings. Not on photography forums, photo clubs or sales figures. I am not a "measure-bater", as we like to call these people.

I form my opinions based on actual photographs, made by professional photographers, at events all over the world.

I think this is the better way. Less bias, less interpretive issues, more reality.

EDIT/Addition: (If I had wanted to make this some counter to your Sutton post, which I still haven't read, I would have mentioned the switch in the subject line, naturally).

Mike S

in Grand Am, if you need.

We will be at Miller in Sept.

I did shoot ALMS at Miller last year. Not sure if I will be back this year.

Will be at the Olympics almost all of August and we are getting married in July, so July and August are dead. We are booked through December right now, but there are always changes.

If you want to shoot at Miller, I can hook you up for GA. Let me know.

Mike S

I'd love to get in for Grand Am, especially with my boys from Playboy/Fall Line in the mix full time this year.

cs at chadspector dot com

will get you a one race pass, as long as they apply for you.

I'd be glad to hook you up, though.

Mike S

Seems that TC has someone keeping tabs on him.<ul><li><a href="http://www.tommyconstantine.com/gallery.jsp">http://www.tommyconstantine.com/gallery.jsp</a</li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="http://www.fall-linemotorsports.com/2008FLDaytona/Index.html">http://www.fall-linemotorsports.com/2008FLDaytona/Index.html</a</li></ul>

come into our transporter (APR Motorsport, the VW team I work for) and say "hey, look at this shot I got of your car!"


Most of it (99%), like the stuff you just linked, is crappy, non artistic, wheels frozen, poorly exposed crap.

You'd kick the crap out of the way these guys shoot on day one.

They get accredited through some crappy small web site or magazine and then try to sell to teams at $150-300 per weekend.

I'd bet they'd hook you up (fall-line).



Mike S

shot them an email.

<ul><li><a href="http://www.wesduenkel.com/">http://www.wesduenkel.com/</a</li></ul>

His stuff is pretty, well, average.

Lots of soft focus and overexposure.

I just went through his stuff on our cars, and well, just as above.

You would likely clean his clock.

Mike S

I realize they heat up and what not, especially at the end of a long straight. But they're REALLY bright in this one...<ul><li><a href="http://www.dolephoto.com/#mi=2&amp;pt=1&amp;pi=10000&amp;s=9&amp;p=0&amp;a=0&amp;at=0">A pic from Rick Dole's website</a></li></ul>

hook me up yo!

Was at Buttonwillow this past weekend...would love to do Miller!

dibs