Image above spotted in a found copy of the Nikon SLR Guide (1988).

Imagined response to the above caption (by c. 1988 Nikon owner): “Yeah, unlike those miserable pricks and their Canons!”

The Canon v. Nikon debate is easily one of the goofiest things in photography (see also: photographer’s vests). Seems like fewer people care (or even know) about this once-vital metric of photographic identity now that Sony and Panasonic (not to mention Blackberry and Apple) make the world’s most popular cameras.

New debates (about printers, software, etc.) have replaced the old, but the thought of a few grizzled “purists” gnawing on this one at the counter of a camera shop makes me crack a nostalgic grin.