Famed Photojournalist David Burnett has today released a video both announcing and explaining his decision to move to Sony equipment after more than 50 years working with Canon gear.
Despite his lengthy career, including co-founding Contact Press Images, Burnett is very much still an influential photographer in the industry. He’s noted for being published repeatedly in the likes of Time Magazine, has worked at the White House, and has won a plethora of awards, not least of which was the World Press Photo of the Year award.
In the above video, he declares: “I’ve decided to swap […] It’s the new technology, the cameras have a lot of things going for them that cameras never did before.”
Listing his reasons for the move, Burnett said he had been trying out Sony cameras for the last month, citing that the a9 and a7R III both shoot very quickly (the a9 up to 20 fps), which he says can be a real advantage, particularly in sports photography.
Secondly, he rates the large resolution of Sony cameras. Speaking to PetaPixel, he describes the files as “big and beautiful,” and heaps praise on the weight of the cameras, adding that the Sony equipment is lighter than what he’s used to.
He’s also intrigued to adapt his old Canon lenses onto his new Sony bodies: “Since the Sony cameras are mirrorless, the bodies are thinner, enabling a huge variety of legacy lenses to be used with them.”
Naturally it’s a big change, and one that isn’t with consequence. Burnett did admit the biggest struggle was having to learn from scratch how to operate a different menu layout, but remains optimistic that in time, the experience will feel normal.
“I have to say, I kind of feel like I’m finally stepping into the 21st century with these cameras,” said Burnett.
[via PetaPixel]
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But... Youtubers are saying Canon is better 😛
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Not a native speaker but “has today released” sounds wrong to me...
Photographers use gear. Gear shouldn't use photographers. Yet here we are again...
True! Part of why I love using “old” lenses and camera gear to achieve results. Some of my fave lenses are my grandfathers old SLR lenses. Finding them got me right back into photo taking.
Well, the guy has probably more experience than most of the readers of these pages, so don't belittle him. He knows what he is doing.
exactly this^
I think it's not about be-littling him and just having a different persecutive. Doesn't matter how many readers or how experienced someone else is, it's all about personal preference when it comes to this topic. Yes his points are valid, but users demand different things. There is no right or wrong, it's art and that's what makes it brilliant IMHO.
and video was posted on vimeo, it looks too old school for me :D
don't be impatient, Simon Cowells newest boyband will be right out-lol
"...trying out Sony cameras for the last month..." - He said in the video "For the last eight months or so".
He also said he switched from Nikon to Canon 40 years ago - so I'm imagining the title should read "after 40 years...." not 50 years of using Canon. I wonder if sometimes they bother actually viewing the video before reposting it.
"Naturally it’s a big change, and one that isn’t with consequence."
Big change that isn't with consequence? That sounds wrong.
I tried an A7 for a number of months and sold it because I disliked the colour output. I much, much prefer the colour output from my 5DS R and that sole fact was the deciding factor.
Not that it matters much to you, but the first few A7s were not so great in color and AF performance.
I have both, I love both for different reasons. Mirrorless have less optical “stuff” inside so ya they will always be smaller than the DSLR. But the cold weather crushes my already strained Sony batteries...you’ll have to carry more batteries as well because the Sony is always using them.
I don’t love these kind of statements. Camera brand selection is complex (depending on user)and always feels like a compromised statement.
Wonderful photographer though and it’s about time canon started stepping up their game. I also think they have too many cameras on market now with not enough variation.
No 4k on 6D m2 because it will hurt sales of 5D mIV.
Also canon glass with adapters isn’t nearly as effective as one would think. I have started to collect Sony glass just because of this.
Also my Sony is mostly used with vintage slr lenses.,but .it’s always nice to have native glsss for your camera.
Enjoyed the read none the less :) thanks!
He metioned that he was missing shots at the Olimpic Games. If the reported inaccuracy of the 20 fps of the Sony is true, I’m not sure he will do any better.
I haven’t experienced inaccuracies in the AF with the A9. If anything, I’ve experienced higher hit rates and end up with more keepers than usual when I should have missed.
What we’re you shooting at the time you had your difficulties ?
And sometimes it is very tiring to see all the bashing of a brand that actually innovates at a very fast pace and tries to introduce new technology and really brings something new to the table.
The same old, the same old gets defended by some fanboys.
Why always bash Sony and pretend that Canon is the greatest. When was the last time Canon actually introduced a real innovation that meant something?
They introduce new cameras that are worse than their predecessors or they introduce a new camera that hardly catches up with cameras that were introduced a year before and are severely handicapped because Canon don't want to cannibalise their higher-end products.
"When was the last time Canon actually introduced a real innovation that meant something?"
Dual Pixel AF.
That excellent system was introduced in 2013. 5 years ago. Thanks for proving my point
Huh? You didn't set a time limit on your inquiry. Developing new technology takes time - and especially when it needs to work every time. Canon does not accept bugs or shit that can ruin something for a professional. So yes, Canon and Nikon has been fairly laid back in the recent years, and it sucks in a lot of ways. They still make some of the best camera equipment out there though. I'm also glad to have Sony and others to act as guinea pigs with new tech.
Nikon is pushing boundaries again. The D850 and D500 were excellent cameras that pushed the boundaries. Only Canon seems to have fallen asleep. Well, I guess as long as their customers are happy enough and keep dishing out money...
Got some examples for new cutting-edge Nikon tech?
Canon is not asleep, they are too concerned about feature cross over from hi priced to low priced cameras and from still to video products. They want to keep you on the upgrade path for more features.
Just like GM wanted you to buy a chevy, then move up to a buick , then a Cadillac.
Also, does Dual Pixel AF actual translate to better performance and photos in the end compare to other brands ?? Most reviews seem to say it doesn't.
Dual Pixel AF is most effective and useful with video, but it's also amazing to use in ordinary Live View. So much better then old contrast based systems. I haven't heard a single bad thing about the technology.
No, it is was developed for video (and stills with live view). And most mirrorless cameras are better for video because you can use the evf. But is indeed an excellent system
Who uses the EVF when recording video? Dual Pixel AF is built into the sensor and therefor it is irrelevant to bring up mirrors or lack of one - it's not in use when filming. And being better? Yeah, great battery-life and overheating issues.
Wow, people still beat the dead horse battery issue. Carry a few batteries.
Electric cars don;t have the range of a gas powered car. But people have learned to recharge.
Marius, how long to your Sony batteries last during a typical job? I swap out a couple times, depends on what I shoot. I also have a external battery for video.
So here's the issue from my perspective. I do not want to think about having to switch batteries during a shoot - or memory cards for that matter. While A9 is better, it's not good enough for me not to worry about it. Just like an electric car, I observed the battery percent drop steadily in a fairly short amount of time.
It doesn't help that the frickin' screen on the back is always on either - except when the sensor at the EVF is triggered, or it's off, or if you disable the screen in the menu.
But my main issue is not with the battery. It's with the ergonomics. I hated using the A9 - especially with a larger lens (100-400), and that body is an improvement over the A7-series.
I truly hope that a future mirrorless from Canon is packed in a body with decent ergonomics.
And a funny thing. I shot so many unnecessary images because of the shutter button on the A9 grip. The bottom part of my hand would rest almost on top of the button - due to the small combined size and the stupid angle.
But on the other side. I wish I was rich enough to own a kit from all the top brands. They all do something great, and I'd love a Sony camera with amazing GM-glass.
Knowing Canon they will have 3 versions of their mirrorless. A bare bones a mid level that has some essential hobbled and the pro where everything works fast and perfectly.
There usually is a switch to turn off the grip release. Maybe it was on?
We can hope so. Canon is rather conservative, so I hope their focus on build quality and ergonomics will transfer on to the different bodies.
Yes, there is a switch, and I tried to use it, but when you in a second needs to switch orientation and then forgets that the shutter button is turned off, rage begins to build up. :-P
I was photographing sports, so that second resulted in missed shots.
But I guess you'll adapt to most 'features' after a while.
Good for him. He'll probably deliver excellent work regardless for camera. I hope he brings along enough batteries and a grip to the Olympics. I spent a day with the A9, and it worked fine, but I really can't stand the lack of ergonomics - and terrible menu system. Wondering how he'll deal with the lack of longer lenses. Using the Sony A-mount 500mm with an adapter will hurt the performance.
There is an E-Mount Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS for FF body which also works well with their FE 2X Teleconverters.
Yeah, I've used it. Works great, but can't really compare to 600mm or 800mm from Canon/Nikon. Better focal length, optics and aperture. With regards to David Burnett however, it's seems like he's adapting to whatever he chooses to use, so I guess he's not burning for the extreme lenses.
I used to use Coke... now I use Pepsi... Pepsi make me feel like I'm sipping the future. Coke just hasn't kept up with the times, but Pepsi... now that's where things are headed.
I'm really happy when someone finds equipment that they feel comfortable with, kind of like putting on a good pair of glasses that fit just right. Or a well tailored suit. There are very few "bad" cameras produced these days, and we always say, "in the right hands great images can be produced with anything," thus the whole "I shot this with iPhone" crap. I think the more relevant coverage should be finding the equipment that feels best to you. It's why I love going to B&H in NYC... Picking up the cameras, looking through view finders or at the screen of a full range of manufacturers. Which one feels right in hand? Are the controls right under your fingers? Is the layout intuitive? With any new system there is some "getting used to" period, but if your hand cramps after playing with a camera for 2 minutes then move on. Just because it feels intuitive / great to you, doesn't mean it will to someone else. And if I camera feels good, doesn't get in the way, and is just... well... easy, you are more likely to pick it up on the way out the door and love working with it. And if you feel good, your shots will show it. And guess what... 14.2 stops of dynamic range vs 13.9 won't make a lick of difference if you leave your camera home. sigh. Did you shoot today? How did it feel? Last time I shot for 10 hours with my camera bag strapped across my body it hurt... a lot... I'm looking for alternatives, and I don't care what the name is on the front of the body.
Has he considered the weather sealing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7BG74w0gAw
Not everyone cares about waterproof and can live with water resistant.
I’ll never take my camera into conditions like a rain storm so I’m not concerned with just having a weather resistant (not “proof”) camera.
Sure thing, but I guess most press photographers kind of cares about weather sealing. It would suck to have your camera shut down when trying to capture an important moment in non-ideal conditions.
I dropped my a7ii into a creek when the ice broke under me. Quickly pulled the battery and put it under the foot warmers in my truck. Half an hour later it was dry. Turned it on and had a few error messages but it still worked. The next day no error messages.. Been fine since.
Sounds good. Hope it will continue to work. Electronics can often be unpredictable in similar conditions. You did the right thing though, with the battery.
A9 is weather sealed.
Never heard of him. I visited his website. Doesn’t really matter what camera he uses. Any modern cropped sensor can reproduce his images. Just an observation.
I'm I the only Canon shooter that is tickled to death with the Mark IV? Thinking about the Mark V makes my head explode. :)
Do people really care what one guy uses as gear? This is lame.