14 DAY TRIAL // If you want a premium point and shoot go with Canon, but if you want a DSLR go with Nikon. Wait a second, don't start cursing just now, because it's only a study. And a strange one too, I might add.
According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Digital Camera Usage and Satisfaction Study released today, the Canon PowerShot SD series ranks highest in the premium point and shoot segment, the Casio Exilim Zoom series ranks highest in the ultra slim segment, the Fujifilm Finepix F series leads the point and shoot segment and the Nikon D series ranks highest among digital single lens reflex (DSLR) models.
In each segment, four factors are measured to determine customer satisfaction: picture quality, performance, operation, appearance and styling. Here are the conclusions: "The Fujifilm Finepix F series ranks highest in the point and shoot segment with an index score of 749 on a 1,000-point scale, performing particularly well in all drivers of customer satisfaction. The Kodak Z series and Canon PowerShot A series follow in the segment rankings with index scores of 744 and 739, respectively.
Among premium point and shoot cameras, the Canon PowerShot SD series ranks highest with 829 points. The series performs particularly well in all factors that drive overall satisfaction. The Panasonic DMC-FZ series (785) and Kodak Z series (783) follow in the segment.
In the ultra slim segment, the Casio Exilim Zoom series leads with 802 points, performing particularly well in operation as well as appearance and styling. The Canon PowerShot SD series (796) and the Kodak V series (787) follow in the segment.
With an index score of 822, the Nikon D Series leads the DSLR segment, receiving notably high ratings from customers in all four factors."
The point and shoot department is not as interesting as the DSLR one, especially since Canon, whose market share is considerably higher than Sony's, Pentax's and Olympus', appears to have the worst image quality. Canon's cameras are not perfect, that's for sure, but picture quality is one domain where the company actually excels in.
Nikon's score is also interesting. Judging from their study, it would seem that Nikon makes out of this world DSLRs while the rest have disappointing contraptions that can barely be switched on.
Overall, you need to take the study with a hefty grain of salt, because its results are extremely strange, to say the least.
