Pilih Mana Nikon vs Canon? (Full Frame Mirrorless)

Nikon VS Canon 2018 Edition

Nikon Z7 on Hand (taken from here)

Akhirnya akan ada mirrorless full frame dari dua brand beken tapi jadul ini.

Nikon release datenya September sedangkan Canon Oktober 2018

Sementara ini baru ada spesifikasi dari Nikon Z6 dan Z7. Canon masih belum ada spesifikasi pastinya.

Walau demikian, kita sudah bisa sedikit memprediksi / spekulasi keunggulan sistem masing-masing merk berdasarkan performa DSLR Full Frame mereka.
Blog post ini akan diperbaharui secara berkala saat ada tambahan info mengenai mirrorless FF dari kedua brand ini.

At long last, this two dinosaur of camera brand decided to wake up from their long winter hibernation, and decided to catch up with the younger boys such as Sony, Olympus etc.

There haven't been any announcement from Canon, so we only know about the Nikon Z6 and Z7 as for now. But we can somewhat make a prediction on their strength and weakness, based on what we know from their Full Frame DSLR technology.
I'll be updating this blog post continuously, once we have enough details on either cameras, so stay tuned.

Here's the Hands On preview : 

Untuk yang sudah punya DSLR dari salah satu brand dan ingin menambah mirrorless baru, pilihannya jelas pilih yang sama brandnya. Karena bisa memakai sistem flash sama, lensa EF / F DSLR mount bisa dipasangkan ke Mirrorless mereka dengan adapter.

Untuk fotografer yang pertama kali ingin membeli Nikon / Canon Mirrorless FF (full frame), berikut ulasan saya bagaimana kira-kira kekuatan dan kelemahan masing-masing sistem.

For those of you dear reader, that have already invested in Nikon / Canon DSLR, the choice is easy.
Sticking to your brand would be a best choice for your next Full Frame Mirrorless purchase, since you can use the same lens with adapters, and the same flash system also, which is convenient and cost effective.

For those of you that haven't bought anything Nikon / Canon, this is what you'd get with either system, their weakness and strength, which you can then suit to your shooting style.

Nikon Z6 / Z7. What's new / interesting compared to Sony A7 III, A7r III etc

Lens Mount Diameter (taken from here)

Nikon Z6 dan Z7 ini menggunakan mounting Z Mount, yang sepertinya salah satu lens mount mirrorless terbesar, diameternya 55mm. Jauh lebih besar kalau dibandingkan diameter F mount (Nikon film - Digital SLR) sebesar 44mm, dan di atas Sony A7 dan Panasonic / Olympus M43 maupun Fuji.

Ditambah lagi selain besar, jarak antara lensa ke sensor juga paling pendek.

Nikon Z6 and Z7 uses Z Mount lenses, which is quite interestingly designed.
It's one of the biggest mount in diameter, which is massive 55mm, similar to Canon's, and much larger than any other mirrorless cameras out there.

Apart from the biggest mount diameter, they also have the shortest flange distance of any camera to date.

Flange distance DSLR & Mirroless (red arrow)

Secara teori, ini berarti lebih banyak cahaya yang bisa masuk ke sensor Z camera, tapi di sisi lain, hasil gambarnya belum tentu lebih baik dibandingkan kamera lain dengan spesifikasi sama.
Contoh kasusnya Sigma 35mm Art for Canon yang saya pakai dengan adapter di Sony A7.
Entah kenapa, hasilnya di Canon lebih baik, ketajaman lebih optimal dan warnanya lebih pas, dibandingkan saat saya pakai di Sony A7.
Lensa sama dengan mount berbeda, Sony A Mount (Sony DSLR), yang saya pasangkan ke A7 via adapter juga, hasilnya lebih baik.

Saya belum punya penjelasan kenapa alasan ada penurunan kualitas, bisa juga karena beda diameter mount yang lebih kecil di Sony.
Jadi belum tentu desain mounting ini karena mengutamakan kualitas foto, bisa saja supaya lensa Z mount tidak bisa dipasangkan di body lain, karena jarak Flange Distance (FD)nya sudah paling pendek, ditambah adapter lagi tidak bisa, atau bisa juga karena desain lensanya lebih mudah.

In Theory, this should allow Nikon to have more lights coming in to their Z camera sensor, but on  the other hand, it doesn't always equates to better performance in term of Image Quality.

For an example, if this theory holds true, I should be able to get my Canon EF mount Sigma 35mm f1.4 to perform better on my Sony A7 (with adapter) since it has shorter flange distance.
Which isn't the case, it performed worse in my Sony A7 compared to Canon 6D.

Interestingly, a similar lens but on Sony A mount (Sony DSLR mount) performs better to their Canon EF counterpart when mounted to Sony A7.

I don't have yet the technical explanation on why, but it could be due to the smaller mount diameter.

So don't hope too much on image quality, this mount design could also be so that the Z mount lenses can't be adapted to other camera body (since their Flange Distance is already the shortest) or just for a simpler lens design.

Nikon RAW Power

Nikon Fanboy

Nikon sebagai raja nya kamera dari tahun 60an, memang kuat di teknologi olah foto. Saat Sony mulai unjuk gigi dengan Mirrorless FF Sony A7 nya, kebanyakan fotografer terpesona dengan Dynamic Range dan High ISO image yang minim noise.

Saya dahulu mengira Sony sebagai produsen sensor, tentu hasil kamera mereka lebih baik dibandingkan Nikon. Ternyata tahun lalu saya terbukti salah. Kalau menurut perspektif pribadi saya, hasil Nikon D610 masih lebih baik dibanding A7 (sama-sama di release akhir 2013) bahkan menurut saya masih lebih bagus hasil fotonya dibanding A7 II.
Walaupun demikian, D610 kalah jauh dibandingkan A7 II kalau kita bandingkan fitur secara keseluruhan, terutama di performa video yang parah kalau dibandingkan merk lain.

Nikon had always (or mostly) been the king of camera brand since 1960s. This tradition still continue today, where they combine the best technology and image processing know how to create what for me, is the best camera in term of image quality alone.

I always thought that Sony had the edge in IQ (image quality) since they were the one creating or fabricating the sensor for both brands. Turns out I was wrong, and I never knew this before I start handling a Nikon D610 a year ago.

Turns out the dynamic range and colour were better in D610, compared with A7 (which both are released on 2013) even compared with A7ii which is released a year later.

That being said, if you take account the whole feature, A7ii is a  much better camera, especially if you also consider the video mode, which Nikon really sucks at.

Nikon Z7 and Atomos Ninja V (taken from newsshoter)

AF di mirrorless Nikon, walau belum tahu pasti apakah bisa bersaing dengan dual Pixel AF Canon (terbaik untuk video), tapi ada peningkatan cukup besar dibandingkan dengan DSLR nya. Ditambah lagi Nikon Z series ini akan menjadi kamera pertama yang bisa record video full frame 4K UHD 10bit 4:2:2.

Tapi perlu menggunakan aksesori untuk merekam video secara eksternal untuk mendapatkan performa itu, menggunakan Atomos Ninja V yang harganya $695

Untuk perbandingan, berikut format video dari kompetitor Nikon :

Sony A7 III – 4K Full Frame 8-bit 4:2:2
Leica SL – 4K crop to S35 10-bit 4:2:2, FHD Full Frame 10-bit 4:2:2
GH5/GH5s – 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 up to 60P but only micro 4/3 sensor
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K – 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 up to 60P  

The AF in the new Nikon Z cameras shows a lot of improvement from their DSLRs. Though from the video I’ve seen, seems like Canon still have the edge with their Dual Pixel AF.

Apart from an upgraded video AF, Nikon Z also records Full Frame 4K UHD 10 bit 4:2:2 video, which is one of the best of now.

You do need to record externally though, with Atamos Ninja V, priced $695.

To compare it to other Mirrorless, here’s a list of what the competitor are capable of :

Sony A7 III – 4K Full Frame 8-bit 4:2:2
Leica SL – 4K crop to S35 10-bit 4:2:2, FHD Full Frame 10-bit 4:2:2
GH5/GH5s – 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 up to 60P but only micro 4/3 sensor
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K – 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 up to 60P  

Nikon D610 on Mie Jembatan Asli

Mie Babat - Nikon D610 with Nikon 50mm f1.2 

Foto di atas diambil dalam kondisi warung super gelap, pencahayaan keras direct dari atas, ekspektasi foto yang dihasilkan bakal kebiruan, noisy dan warna tidak bisa optimal.

Dengan D610, dipadu lensa manual Nikon 50mm f1.2, hasilnya bisa diedit (RAW file) jadi mendekati natural.

Di sini menurut saya kekuatan Nikon, saat fotografer mau repot, menggunakan RAW File dan edit di PC untuk mendapat warna paling sesuai style masing-masing.

This photo is taken under a very challenging lights, it was dim, harsh blueish lamp overhead.

Using D610 and the manual lens, Nikon 50mm f1.2, I can easily create a photo that have a natural looking colour. 

This is for me the strength of Nikon cameras, for those professional shooter who want to shot RAW, and spend time post processing on PC

The Canon Colour & Dual Pixel AF

Canon Fanboy

Canon memang termasuk salah satu produsen kamera yang cukup ketinggalan di teknologi sensor.

Bisa dilihat di bawah ini, Camera Canon dengan sensor yang dikatakan terbaik menurut DXO Mark adalah 5D Mark IV yang harganya $3500, yang ada di urutan 21
Nikon D610 di sisi lain, ada di urutan 14, dengan harga $1900.

Tapi di sini ukurannya adalah RAW File, sedangkan kekuatan Canon untuk hasil fotonya adalah di warna JPEG yang dihasilkan kameranya, mirip dengan kamera Fuji yang juga punya warna khas.

Canon is one of the underdog in terms of sensor technology, especially when we use RAW file as benchmark. Which is how the team at DXOMark grades camera sensor.
Here you can see the best of Canon were the 5D mark IV, which cost $3500, and sits pretty far below at rank 21.

Nikon D610, a much cheaper camera at $1900 sits at 14th rank.
But this, as I mention above, are ranks based on RAW files, where as Canon's strength is in their JPEG colour tone, similar to what Fuji does, albeit with a very different style.

Tonal warna yang istimewa ini banyak disanjung fotografer, mirip dengan apa yang dirasakan pengguna Fuji. Warna khas ini biasanya bisa langsung ditebak oleh beberapa fotografer yang cukup sering melihat hasil foto kedua kamera tersebut. Bedanya dengan Fuji, Canon tidak memberi judul / brand untuk tonal warna ini, jadi kalah beken jauh dibanding Fuji Provia, Astia dsb

Sayangnya saya termasuk telat menyadari tentang warna JPEG ini, dahulu saat pakai Canon kebanyakan menggunakan file RAW saja. Kira-kira beginilah warna canon yang bisa diwakili dari file RAW jadul saya, dibandingkan yang difoto menggunakan file JPEG.

This Canon Tone were all what photographers talks about when praising Canon’s camera. For this people, it’s quite easy to distinguish a Canon colour from other image taken with different camera.

What Canon lacks from Fuji, is the brand power. Fuji brands this colour tone with their legacy film brand, such as Fuji Astia, Provia etc.

I realize this special colour tone benefits quite late, so I don’t have plenty of sample, since I usually shots RAW when using Canon camera a few years back. Fortunately I still keep some JPEG shots, so this is an example of what you’ll get using RAW file vs JPEG in Canon 6D

"Pernah Kurus" - RAW File Canon

Sunglasses - JPEG File Canon

Selain JPEG / Tonal warna tersebut, kekuatan berikut dari sistem Canon adalah DUAL Pixel AF.
Sebelumnya saya beri latar belakang cerita dahulu. Mirrorless camera berbeda dengan DSLR dalam penerapan sistem AF nya, kalau mirrorless menggunakan phase detection AF, mirrorless menggunakan contrast detection AF.
Awal mulanya semua sistem mirrorless kalah jauh kecepatan focusnya dibanding DSLR. Tapi semua ini berubah sejak jaman M43, mirrorless dengan AF foto tercepat menurut saya dipegang dua brand itu, Olympus dan Panasonic. Kemungkinan sejak era Olympus EM5, di mana kecepatan Mirrorless bisa dibilang setara dengan DSLR entry / mid level. 

Sedangkan sekarang dengan keluarnya Sony A9, kecepatan focus DSLR high end / profesional pun bisa disaingi oleh camera mirrorless.

Beside their JPEGs, Canon secret weapon is in their DUAL PIXEL Autofocus.

First let me shed a light on mirrorless AF, it used to be much slower in comparison to their DSLR cousin. It all changes when M43 got a tech breakthrough, which makes their Contrast Detect AF as fast as DSLR's Phase Detection AF, especially on entry to mid level cameras.
The last nail on the coffin is with Sony A9, which can rival AF on professional level DSLR easily.

Nah di atas adalah tentang AF foto, yang menurut saya sekarang sudah cukup cepat semua, jadi satu brand dan lainnya tidak terlalu berbeda jauh untuk fotografer amatir, tapi ini untuk foto semata, sedangkan video jauh berbeda.

Untuk video, AF Canon saat ini adalah yang terbaik, disusul Sony.

Supaya tidak ngantuk massal, saya tidak membahas teknisnya terlalu detail, bisa dilihat di foto di atas untuk penjelasannya.

Sistem Dual Pixel ini memungkinkan performa focus yang halus, mirip focus manual oleh sinematografer yang kita sering lihat di film film hollywood.

Untuk lebih jelasnya bisa dilihat di video fotografer/ blogger favorit saya, steve huff, yang membandingkan mirrorless $700 Canon EOS M50 dengan mirrorless full frame $4000 Sony A9 

Having mention about photo AF, I can say nowadays every brand have a decent AF system which is quite speedy for regular use.

It's a whole other field for video though, which Canon still holds the lead with their DUAL Pixel AF

I wont go to technical details so it wont bore you too much, you can see the above picture for the system's explanation.

This dual Pixel AF have a smoother focus action, which is similar to what cinematographer does with their manual lenses. This makes the video footage to appear much more pleasing, similar to what comes out of big blockbuster movies.
For the best example, you can watch this video comparison of Sony A9 ($4000) vs Canon EOS M50 ($700) from my favorite photographer/blogger, Steve Huff.

Satu tambahan lagi, berdasar performa yang ada, Nikon FF Mirrorless tampaknya tidak akan terlalu banyak perubahan di Image Quality. Sedangkan Canon, yang sudah agak ketinggalan, hampir pasti akan ada peningkatan signifikan dibanding di Mirrorless FF dibanding DSLR Full Frame mereka.

Berikut ulasan saya tentang kekuatan dan kelemahan masing-masing sistem kamera. Moga-moga membantu pembaca untuk menentukan pilihan kamera berikutnya.

On my last 2 cents, having known Nikon to  be using Sony Sensor that is already stellar at this moment, I don't think there will be much difference in IQ (image quality) between their Full Frame Mirrorless vs DSLR. Canon on the other hand, will probably upgrade their sensor by this time, since it have a lot to catch up.

So that was my take on Canon vs Nikon system on their upcoming Full Frame Mirrorless. hope it would make decision making easier for your next Mirrorless Full Frame camera.