Nikon vs Canon: is there any clear leader?

Using the following criteria, is there a clear leader in the Nikon vs Canon camera wars?

units sold:
profit:
number of experts that use one or the other:
expert reviews:

given those and other criteria, is either ahead of the other?

My answer is off topic…

Pentax just won the TIPA 2014 award for best expert DSLR…

Canon and Nikon took a few awards themselves… I reckon it's too big a question to answer… Canon might win in one category and Nikon might dominate in another… An overall winner or clear leader… I couldn't and wouldn't make that call… Sorry.

http://www.tipa.com/english/XXIV_tipa_awards_2014.php

Chevy or Ford, Coke or Pepsi?

You think that units sold and profit are fitting indices of the quality of the camera? Here's a clue, the skills of the marketing department have little to do with excellent photography. It's the eye, mind, and experience of the photographer. You will get excellent results from either Canon or Nikon. Or Sony or Pentax or Olympus or others. However, you need to be an excellent photographer to achieve those results. Technically speaking, the Nikon cameras are better today, due to their use of the excellent Sony sensors. Canon has been lagging in sensor innovation after they totally obliterated the competition a decade or so ago with their CMOS sensors. But remember, the pendulum swings.

To quote a pair of phrases -

1) horses for courses

2) You can't ride 2 horses with one a**e

Each have good points and bad points thus you need to try for yourself to see which is best; talking in terms of "units sold' relates to the efficacy of salesmanship not to any inherent quality of the make / model sold.

It depends on what you're using it for.
A sports photographer is generally going to go with Canon because of it's superior focus ability.
A landscape photographer is generally going to go with Nikon because of the better performing sensor.

Of course this doesn't mean that Nikon cameras are not suitable for sports and action or that Canon cameras are not suitable for landscape photography.

The difference between the brands is so minimal that good photographs from either camera is going to be visually indistinguishable from each other.

This is why everyone will tell you that it all comes down to personal preference.

The one you own. Nikon / Canon cover about 80% of the market.
But Pentax / Sony can take equal photos in the hands of the right person.

Canon users will tell you Canon.
Nikon users will tell you Nikon.
Both are neck and neck.