Having previously blamed Nigel Mansell for me choosing Canon over Nikon, I recently had a chance to review the entry level Nikon SLR (D3400). I would love to tell you how it's nowhere near as good as Canon, but that's not true. Conversely I can't tell you that it's miles better than Canon. It has a few things which are better: the entry level lens has surprisingly good optics, the intuitiveness of it (it feels more natural than Canon, which may seem odd given I've used Canon for years), and great resolution (more of that in a moment). For balance it has a few things not so good (there is no sensor cleaning on this updated model, and there's not enough focal points for tracking... perhaps a problem for all entry level cameras).

So I find myself with an entry level camera with a lens that doesn't match the rest of my kit. However, I'm delighted... and it all comes down to the fun of photography and megapixels. Megapixels first... this kit features a 24MP sensor with a 17-55 lens (equivalent to 27-82mm in old money). It's lightweight, compact (especially compared to my Canon 5D), and isn't that much bigger than a bridge camera. . With 24MP I can afford to crop the images a little so by my very approximate calculations I've got a camera that will print at sufficient resolution on A4 when outdoors for the equivalent focal range of 27-200mm. That's plenty for family holidays/days out where I would previously have to compromise between a compact camera with reasonable results and a bulky SLR with great results. I appreciate high pixel count can bring in noise, but the quality of this SLR will still far outperform my older generation cameras (notably a Canon 5D) and a Pentax compact.

It also brings me the fun of photography. A friend taught me a trick some time ago which is to take one camera body and one lens, and photograph what you see. For specialist stuff (air shows, pro portraits, wildlife) you need the higher end lenses and flash kit. Once you have it, there is almost an obligation to take it all with (just in case). For me though, I now have a second system with a quality way beyond my compact camera, and much less quality higher than a compact camera. It fits in with my RAW workflow, so I'm delighted.

Coming back to the Nikon's resolution - at the time of writing, the entry level Nikon has more megapixels than the Canon one, but the same as the next level up from Canon. In terms of spec, the Nikon probably sits between the two Canons, so which should you go for? I am still of the view that they are equivalent enough not to matter. There are other camera systems which are just as good (especially at the entry level) but if you invest in Canon or Nikon now (notably the lenses) then you will have many years of photography enjoyment to look ahead to.

We tend to look at photos and in fact all media via digital devices (laptops, tablets, TV etc). For children though, you can't beat printed photos. My wife and I have had a little cardboard box for each of our children which we put various photos in - some duplicate photos from our wedding or when we were children, photos of the children we had framed for a while, pets, all sorts really. The children love sitting with the photos, asking questions about them, asking who some of the people in the photos are.

They also like watching family videos (which obviously is digital) but for me the real joy they get is from touching and holding the photos. Technology evolution is not a solution to everything.

So get printing!!!

I've tended to be unconvinced that product placement really making a difference when it comes to choosing a brand. That said, I must confess though that this photo and the memories of Nigel Mansell driving the Canon F1 Williams to his F1 title did influence my choice of Canon over Nikon.



At the time, I was looking to buy my first film SLR and wanted a basic kit comprising a couple of telephoto lenses and a camera body for a beginner. There was nothing really in it re spec or price between these two manufacturers so it was the brand that won it.

The rest, as they say is history... I've never considered moving away from Canon (my first digital was the Canon 300D) and definitely recommend them. In truth, though... if you had chosen Nikon... you would be saying exactly the same.

I was watching an old episode of Who Do You Think You Are featuring Ian Hislop (Editor of Private Eye and regular on Have I Got News For You). He was talking about some photos as a child, commenting how there were lots of photos of him but none of his parents. His observation was that parents are busy taking photos of their children, but it will be the children in older age (perhaps when the parents are no longer around) who want to see the photos of the parents.

Don't forget to include yourselves in the family photos... childhood memories are really all about families and people you were with, far more than what makes a good photo to put on Facebook or Granny's mantelpiece.

Nowadays with tablets, phones and digital cameras it is much easier for children to get used to being behind the camera and I really recommend it. Don't worry about the technique - point and click, and probably auto-flash unless the camera isn't happy with it. Every now and then they will get a gem of a photo.

Over the coming weeks I am going to write a number of entries about digital darkroom workflow. Everyone has their own method, and sometimes reading what others do can help you improve your own.

I have used Adobe Photoshop CS4 for a long time, and decided that it was time to update my workflow a bit. Rather than updating Photoshop itself though, I have discovered the joys of Lightroom 6, which I use for most my editing now, with CS4 used for any heavy lifting.

I didn't think I would say this, but it has really improved the speed I can get through photo editing. There's a big ol' backlog I must admit but over the coming months I hope to really get through some of it.