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10 Reasons why a pro switched from Nikon to Sony mirrorless
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Grumpy-Fan
Active Member
Interesting, thanks for sharing.
NowInc
Well-Known Member
Nikon has started to talk about a better mirrorless solution from them. I am sure Canon isn't ignoring that route either, but are being a bit more quiet about it.
Mirrorless Revolution
Recently Michael and I sat down and made the video below, The Mirrorless Revolution. We discuss the move to mirrorless and why both of us have adopted it and why we enjoy it and what we think of the present offerings in this market. Plus, Michael sends a message to Nikon and Canon.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/cameras/the_mirrorless_revolution.shtml
Recently Michael and I sat down and made the video below, The Mirrorless Revolution. We discuss the move to mirrorless and why both of us have adopted it and why we enjoy it and what we think of the present offerings in this market. Plus, Michael sends a message to Nikon and Canon.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/cameras/the_mirrorless_revolution.shtml
Grumpy-Fan
Active Member
I`m having a lot of fun with my 70D right now but when I`m ready to jump into FF. I`ll look into mirrorless. Seems like the future. Good food for thought.
KeithVH
Well-Known Member
It's a perspective thing. It ain't about the ^%$#@ mirror. It's still all about the system.
Sure, studios and individuals who shoot certain types will have no problem gravitating to this tech. But when you need a 600/f4, when you need front of the glass to the back of the camera FULLY weather-sealed, when you need CPS, mirrorless just won't cut the mustard.
Sure, studios and individuals who shoot certain types will have no problem gravitating to this tech. But when you need a 600/f4, when you need front of the glass to the back of the camera FULLY weather-sealed, when you need CPS, mirrorless just won't cut the mustard.
donsullivan
Premium Member
I opted to experiment in the mirrorless space with a Sony A7R back in the Spring. I was ready for an upgrade of my 5D3 but Canon hadn't released anything interesting in their higher end gear in over 2 years (almost 3 years now) so I figured the Sony could become a bridge until they did.
Initially I was impressed with the Sony, mostly due the much improved sensor (vs 5D3) and smaller form-factor. However, over the last 6 months of real-word use, the compromises and limitations that come with that transition started to show themselves. There is a whole lot of actual real-world usage experience that does not show up on a spec sheet and over time that pushed me away from it. Things like smaller size means smaller battery and therefore shorter battery life. The focusing system was unusable for any sort of action shooting even with native Sony lenses.
I reached the end of my tolerance for those limitations on a recent trip to Montana and ordered a D810 and associated glass the other day and will be dumping all my Canon (DSLR) and Sony (mirrorless) gear.
My experience reminded me that I should never buy a piece of gear like this just because the spec sheet looks good. You absolutely need to totally understand your shooting style and your real requirements to know if that piece of gear is going to work for you. If you are looking for all of the features and performance of a high-end DSLR body, but want it in a small form-factor so you think you'll go for mirror-less, you will likely be very disappointed- I was.
Don't get me wrong, it can absolutely be the right choice for many people but in my personal experience it was not and I'll be starting one epic eBay auction soon.
Initially I was impressed with the Sony, mostly due the much improved sensor (vs 5D3) and smaller form-factor. However, over the last 6 months of real-word use, the compromises and limitations that come with that transition started to show themselves. There is a whole lot of actual real-world usage experience that does not show up on a spec sheet and over time that pushed me away from it. Things like smaller size means smaller battery and therefore shorter battery life. The focusing system was unusable for any sort of action shooting even with native Sony lenses.
I reached the end of my tolerance for those limitations on a recent trip to Montana and ordered a D810 and associated glass the other day and will be dumping all my Canon (DSLR) and Sony (mirrorless) gear.
My experience reminded me that I should never buy a piece of gear like this just because the spec sheet looks good. You absolutely need to totally understand your shooting style and your real requirements to know if that piece of gear is going to work for you. If you are looking for all of the features and performance of a high-end DSLR body, but want it in a small form-factor so you think you'll go for mirror-less, you will likely be very disappointed- I was.
Don't get me wrong, it can absolutely be the right choice for many people but in my personal experience it was not and I'll be starting one epic eBay auction soon.
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afb28
Well-Known Member
Sony and other mirror less options limitations are largely, at least for me, due to options for glass. Granted I've been getting into 3rd party lenses and not Canon (only because of price) but I also don't want to put an adapter on and lose even more quail (however minimal that may be).
I must say I do love the idea of the EVF but I can't imagine leaving Canon until the mirror less options have the same quantity and variety of lenses that that the major players have.
With all that said, I'm still on a lonely crop sensor with poor high ISO and vertical lines when shadows/exposure is raised too much (7d).
I must say I do love the idea of the EVF but I can't imagine leaving Canon until the mirror less options have the same quantity and variety of lenses that that the major players have.
With all that said, I'm still on a lonely crop sensor with poor high ISO and vertical lines when shadows/exposure is raised too much (7d).
@donsullivan The A7r is perhaps the most temperamental and "specialized" mirrorless. Loud shutter, weird spot for shutter release, and slow autofocus. It was the first generation of FF mirrorless that seemed more like niche camera. Great to carry on a long hike, put on a tripod and take amazing shots of grand vistas. Others have used it successfully as a full time camera, dealing with it's handicaps. The A7 af is much better as is the A7s. The A7s also has silent shutter option. On the APS-C side, the A6000 af is on par with a DSLR. On the Fuji side, the body/ergonomics is better thought out, the native lens options are impressive but the conversion of the RAW files isn't great. Fujis are wonderful for JPG shooters. Hopefully we are close to one manufacturer putting it all together.
@afb28 - one of the joys of using my NEX-7 is slapping on an old Minolta Rokkor 50mm 1.4 ($50 on ebay) and shooting it full manual. It can a bit tedious but if makes me slow down and feel more a part of the process vs. just aim and fire - plus I cannot replicate the color it renders with any modern lens.
@afb28 - one of the joys of using my NEX-7 is slapping on an old Minolta Rokkor 50mm 1.4 ($50 on ebay) and shooting it full manual. It can a bit tedious but if makes me slow down and feel more a part of the process vs. just aim and fire - plus I cannot replicate the color it renders with any modern lens.
donsullivan
Premium Member
The a7R is indeed the most extreme example of the constraints of the current crop of mirrorless gear. I learned the hard way that I went into it with an unrealistic set of expectations. I wasn't focused on gear size as much as I was looking for improved image quality vs my Canon 5D3. Since the a7R has the same sensor as the Nikon D8xx I hoped I could get the higher resolution and DR but continue to use my huge investment in quality Canon glass. It seemed like it could be a nice bridge until Canon released something with similar features.
I'm not soured on the concept of mirror-less completely but for my current goals it will be a secondary device; something smaller I can keep in the backpack when I travel for business or similar. For my goals and shooting style it's not ready to be my primary body just yet.
I encourage anyone considering such a transition to be sure you understand your shooting style and goals before making the leap. All of these mirrorless cameras come with compromises. For some people those compromises are no big deal, for others (like me) they will introduce unacceptable limitations.
JediMasterMatt
Well-Known Member
While I'm not opposed to new technology, I've already got plenty of the one thing that can never really change due to the laws of physics - glass. Quality lenses will always be heavier than those that don't perform as well. More light needs bigger elements to capture those photons. Sure, you can get better tech to make smaller sensors and in theory get great performance and then you may not need as much light; but, the same technology for those sensors can be applied to 35mm ones and then you need more glass to cover corner to corner performance.
While I may look into a great mirrorless option if I ever needed to go super small instead of super quality, until then...
They can take my DSLR when they can pry it from my cold dead arthritic hands attached to my thrown out back from all that weight... making the assumption I died due to a heart attack from carrying around all that gear.
While I may look into a great mirrorless option if I ever needed to go super small instead of super quality, until then...
They can take my DSLR when they can pry it from my cold dead arthritic hands attached to my thrown out back from all that weight... making the assumption I died due to a heart attack from carrying around all that gear.
NowInc
Well-Known Member
A main driving force in the DSLR market is sports. Mirrorless as it stands right now is still not competitive enough in the Autofocus speed as the higher end Nikon and Canon options. It still has a bit to go, but it is certainly an interesting technology to follow. I know eventually I'll be using it, I am just not sure exactly when.
Its also debatable by some that the Dynamic Range of the Mirrorless systems out there is also not as good, but that is something I would only judge from personal experience.
Its also debatable by some that the Dynamic Range of the Mirrorless systems out there is also not as good, but that is something I would only judge from personal experience.
Regarding dynamic range. The Nex-7 received the highest DXO and DR score (at the time) of any aps-c camera and better than several FF cameras. Likewise the A7r has amazing DR. I don't know why the loss of a mirror would affect DR. If anything it would make it better.
NowInc
Well-Known Member
Ive read and heard photographers discuss how the Dynamic Range isn't quite there. Again, that's something Id have to test myself as I look for different things than someone else might. I also don't see how the mirror would make a difference in that aspect.
donsullivan
Premium Member
I've seen some of those reports as well and many try to blame it to the Sony Compressed RAW format used in the A7 series of cameras. I've never seen anyone prove it, just something they could point to that 'might' cause it.
My baseline was a 5D3 so the DR I see in my a7R files is dramatically improved vs what I was used to. I just got a D810 the other day and I'll be interested to compare it to what I was getting out of the a7R over the last 6 months.
afb28
Well-Known Member
If you wanna throw a lens or FF camera body my way, that's cool.
donsullivan
Premium Member
LOL. I'll be Nikon only in a few weeks. All my Canon and Sony gear is going on eBay this week; before the credit card bill arrives.