I'm frustrated with people who don't ...

Zippyy,

Well, well. A little touchy today aren't we? After Newbee's post, which was intended as humor, I sent him an email saying that I had actually written the same comparison but switched to Pentax just to be on the safe side. I told him how many times I'd witnessed such a comment leading to an argument about the merits of Canon vs. Nikon.

You and I must be about the same age. For the record both brands have fine optics and are very durable but IMHO Nikon established itself as a world class product long before Canon. I do find you to be the exception rather than the rule for having owned many models of both brands as you suggest. About the only common control between these makers is the shutter button. If one is familiar with the operations of one brand then using the other requires more thinking than I like. Having known a ton of photo enthusiasts over the years I've found that the differences between these manufacturers are profound enough that everyone I know chose a rut and stayed in it.

My sense of what you are really saying is that you committed to Canon early on (back in that day they were much cheaper) and are overly sensitive to criticism about your gear of choice. Roll back the clock to when you got into this particular hobby and nary a single professional photographer used anything but Nikon.

All of my friends are pretty supportive of my hobby. They ask my advice on anything AV related, and i do what i can.

My buddy Ben is thinking of upgrading his speakers. He has an older "3 models down" from flagsmip model of yamaha reciever, a technics cd player, and some bose 201's. He makes quips sometimes about how his system sucks compared to mine.
All i do is ask, "well, do you smile when you put in yer favorite tunes and crank it up?
He says "yeah"
I tell him he really doesent need anything else then.
Which is true as far as im concerned.

Its alla bout what you enjoy, and if your "deam system" is a bose accoustimass, then go for it. Nothing wrong with that. Some of us just feel like it should be better.

Its just a hobby, nobody else has to understand, and if anyone gives me crap about how much i might spend on something, i use the boat retort.
In colorado, you have some lakes you can go boating in, but only about 4 months of the year. It is suprising how many people here have boats.
I say my system doesent even cost as much as a good boat, and i can use it every single day regardless of weather. :)
They usually "get it" then

Slappy, You`re wise beyond your years! I know a fellow with a $12-14,000 bass boat that he takes out seven or eight times a year, that he`s paying interest on, insurance, license, various maintenance costs, depreciation, but his boat will be outdated in four or five years! He can`t believe what I paid for my (somewhat meager) stereo system, which I listen to every day, and plan on listening to 25 years from now, when I retire! (Krell build quality!)

Newbee, I apologize, I get defensive when people crap on Canon for no intelligent reason. For the record, my grandmother is 97 and my dad is 76, so I'm not too worried about heart attacks. But thanks for your concern.
Lugnut, I always go with the underdog. Nikon did establish itself before Canon. I was a yearbook photographer in Junior High when I bought my first Nikon FTN. Remember that one? For me, the Canon is like a MAC computer (which I will only use). I find them more intuitive and user friendly. As far as optics is concerned, I dare a comparison of the two. The bodies always end up being personal choice for features. As far as your comment regarding back in the day, pro’s used Nikon, true. I think Canon hadn’t yet come out with the F1. Maybe I’m wrong. My first Canon was the A1. An electronic nightmare, but I stuck with Canon, and I never looked back. It was sort of a nose thumbing at Nikon for me.

what about Leica?