2018 will be the year of mirrorless cameras, but before ditching your current system and switching to a mirrorless system, you should think twice.
Mirrorless cameras might seem perfect, but they still have some major flaws. Previewing your exposure in the EVF might be a great feature or a lighter body and silent shutter might be the ticket, but these are not enough for selling all your gear at a loss and making the switch.
1. It’s the Lens, Not the Body
There is no recipe for taking great photos, but if you want high quality images, then you should invest in glass, not the camera body. High quality lenses can be expensive, but rather than buying a “good” mirrorless camera body, do yourself a favor and get a good lens for your existing DSLR camera.
2. DSLRs Are Still Cameras
It’s hard to believe, but DSLRs are still digital cameras and you can take photos with them, just like you can do with the new, fancy mirrorless cameras. And before making the switch, remember that the camera bodies are just recording devices with different features.
3. Full-Frame Mirrorless Systems Are Not Compact and Lightweight
Full-frame mirrorless cameras have been advertised as more compact and lighter alternatives to DSLRs. However, due to physics rules, lenses cannot be much smaller than a DSLR version, and in some cases, they can even be larger and heavier. Adapters may provide advantages for using various lenses with a mirrorless camera, but keep in mind that adapters are heavy, they drain battery, and they always focus more slowly than the native lenses. Full-frame mirrorless cameras may also look perfect in terms of size, but there are many users complaining about the lack of support for their little fingers when using a Sony a7 series camera. Buying a battery grip might be the solution, but that means more weight and more cost.
4. Native Lens Options Are Limited With Mirrorless Cameras
Sony is expanding its lens lineup and Nikon revealed their road map for their upcoming lenses, but it will take a long time and probably cost more. Sigma recently started to adapt some of its Art series lenses to Sony E-mount, but they are heavy lenses, and if weight is your concern, then you should probably stick with Zeiss lenses, which are more expensive. So, if you don’t want to spend your time and energy on this, just stick with your DSLR.
It even took five generations for Metabones to make a "better" adapter.
5. Mirrorless Might Be the Future, but We Are in Present
Sony started the hype, Nikon followed, and Canon is next. Full-frame mirrorless cameras might be the future, but they are not perfect yet. For Sony, it took three generations making the a7 and a7R usable for pros. Fixing small problems with firmware updates is something good; however, it takes way too long for companies to understand what photographers need and want. Sony added a small joystick on the third generation of the a7 series, fixed the battery issue on the a7R III, and many other features have been improved after producing six or seven models. Now, Nikon is doing the same. Due to keeping the camera small, they only put one memory card slot in the new Nikon Z7, and probably, they will add the second slot in the second generation. Companies are using photographers as beta testers and raising funds for their next “slightly better” models. So, let Nikon, Canon, and Sony compete to make the ultimate mirrorless full-frame camera. Until then, focus on your photography and use your existing gear until they die.
What do you think about the mirrorless hype? Is it worth switching from a DSLR and losing lots of money? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
we went from film to dslr, from dslr to mirrorless. cant stop progress.
oddly enough some photographers are going back to film. But yes, i love technology and innovation (i'm an engineer by day).
and we use kodak filters to give our digital images the "old" kodak look. digital did a lot for us, so will the new mirrorless. i take close up bird photos and you can see them jump when they hear the mirror go up and down. most fly away and i have to wait for their trust. some images are taken 10-20 inches away via remote trigger. good images but bird freak out. the mirrorless helps with that. how about taking 24 frames per second in silent shutter mode at 24-48mpx. i have a film camera (4) and i have DSLR (2-almost 3) and i have a mirrorles on my wishlist,. very unsure if its going to be nikon or sony.
Absolutely 100% (110%??) correct on all points. NO compelling reason to switch at this point...my Nikon D850 is pretty much the perfect camera for my purposes at this time...
at this time,... but nobody is forcing you to switch, you could just add it to your bag and use the adapter to use your current glass. each job has its tool.
Great article. I have felt for awhile that the “Mirrorless Wars” construct was great fodder for vloggers to jump on. It has little to do with what matters and that is creating great images. Lenses are much more important to me. There is never going to be a perfect camera. If a great mirrorless full-frame comes out that fits well with my current system that is great. I am just not going to waste a lot of bandwidth on the topic till it does. I have too many projects I want to work on that are a much more productive way to spend my time.
Oh and if you are shooting a model or portrait at say 85mm at f1.4 with a DSLR, here is a way to get Eye AutoFocus. Use single point autofocus, set your composition, then take 4 steps backwards. Set your focus point on their eyes and Voila! Eyes autofocussed. It’s amazing how depth of field works. With these high megapixel sensors just crop in post. Or shoot in crop mode on your camera.
The more we rely on a camera to do things for us, and the less we rely on developing our own technique, the weaker we are as photographers.
Uh-Oh… Nikon Fanboy Damage Control! This article is an obscure attempt to distract you from the abysmal Nikon Z launch reviews. The article is written by Burak Erzincanli a very talented Nikon shooter who, like me, just had the value of their equipment drastically reduced by the behavior of Kodak, ERRRR… I mean Nikon. As a Nikon D810/D500 owner and D850 out-of-box failure customer I am worried! Nikon had a launch party with PRE-PRODUCTION firmware 5 weeks before shipments are scheduled. Who does that? Some Z System complaints MAY be fixed or helped with new firmware such as AF and battery life. However, some can’t such as 1 card slot or the plastic $800 35mm f1.8. If Nikon delays launch, they admit defeat! If they go to launch as-is, they admit defeat. Looking ahead; does Nikon want us to wait outside our favorite camera store like anxious Beatles fans a half century ago for the D860, D510, or Z7Mii? Wait… I better check my panties, I think the 2019 Nikon 58mm f0.95 Noct MANUAL FOCUS just got out of limousine for $6000. Wait What??? A $6000 manual focus lens? YUP! What will a wildlife or sports lens cost? $30k?? Where is the future with Nikon? I love my current equipment fleet but I’m not excited about the future I’m worried that my equipment value is plummeting due to lack of a future. I see this article as distraction from the obvious. I encourage, no I’m begging for, sensible fact based rebuttals that take away my fears!
Fellow Nikon owner, here! The recent launch has me a bit on edge as well.. Didn't sound like it lived up to anywhere's near the hype. Hope they get their stuff in order.
I think they are the future and already the present...
Also, the EVF makes, for me, a big difference and it was a big reason for me to chose a mirrorless and not a DSLR...
native lens options might be limited with Nikon....but not Sony.
Mirrorless is not a hype. It's a natural evolution of camera design after we moved from film to digital. As with any new technology there has to be a first step. Mirrorless cameras was introduced ten year ago and they have taken many steps since. Is there anyone out there that really believes companies will invest in new mirror based cameras? I don't think so! The future is mirrorless whether we like it or not.
Another question is for how long we should keep our beloved DSLRs. The option are present, but that doesn't mean that the switch has to be now. At least if video isn't part of the game.
My God this man is a genius... The facts are here and he even has a beard so award an automatic 10 extra points toward bolstering credibility.
It's comment like your's that make forum's suck.
Not sure why when I am agreeing fully with you.
If you took offense to the comment you just read it as if I’m chastising you but I actually am on your side. Hence, why I voted your comment up.
dslr is enough for photography. d850 is best.
I love my old non-stabilised Nikon 24-70mm, but Sony already have so much good fe glass. Choosing mirrorless is no longer having to settle for less, it is getting the best. I own a Nikon fullframe and the Sony A7riii, and I have played with the Z7 and been disapointed.
Haha this post and these comments brightened my day
Eye AF is not hype.
Focus points that cover most of the frame are not hype.
Silent shooting is not hype.
20 frames per second, with autofocus AND exposure control, is not hype.
Seeing your exposure in the viewfinder is not hype.
Seeing the histogram in the viewfinder is not hype.
Camera body stabilization is not hype.
The Sony lens line-up is not hype.
Not needing to calibrate lens focus is not hype.
And the list goes on...
For some people, these benefits are important. For others, they are not big deal.
I'm a dslr shooter but this article is a load of crappy excuses. I rented a mirrorless Sony 7RIII today and I love it.
1 "It’s the Lens, Not the Body" you're discussing the body, so no, we do have to talk about mirrorless camera's versus dslr's
2 "DSLRs Are Still Cameras" it's like you're scared we take your toy away
3 "Full-Frame Mirrorless Systems Are Not Compact and Lightweight" yes they are with most prime lenses, the difference is less apparent when you use a heavy lens. this is really not a point at all, because nobody says they are lightweight in all optional combinations
4 "Native Lens Options Are Limited With Mirrorless Cameras" Sony has AF Zeiss lenses, you do not need anything else, ever, and you know it
5 "Mirrorless Might Be the Future, but We Are in Present" so group together a few fluffy non issues
Mirrorless has a no shutter sound option which in some cases is god freaking awesome, in other cases not important, but sometimes its a lifesaver, like today when I had to shot in an audio studio
Mirrorless has a viewfinder which makes it really easy to use manual focus and shoot f1.4 without having to think about controlling what the AF is focusing on. With it being as bright as your settings and not just what you see, its really really much, much easier to focus, and also a no brainer to use manual settings like I always do, its like you have a true digital camera in your hands for the first time
DSLR are still in my experience easier for fast work, for using a speedlight, for having that mechanical feel of immediacy
For me they both have features which are no reducible to any of the two, so, we need them both....
Sounds like something I would have written... and I have both. Well said.
one reason not to switch : you are poor
one reason not to buy a FF sensor camera : too meme and expensive, the extra mega pickles wont improve your photography skills
i generally enjoy reading the articles and posts here. however, i believe this one may have been sponsored by Canon ...and I have to add it's a terrible read. however, it did provoke some interesting perspectives via the user's comments so not a total fail.
I am on the fence on moving to Mirrorless now for the following reason: I have a Nikon D7100 and DX lenses but want to go "full frame". I am weighing whether to move to a a mirrored FX DSLR in the Nikon line versus just going with a Z6. The advantage of buying a current mirrored camera are more lenses, used gear, etc. But the advantage of going to the the Z6 is I won't lose money trading in an FX body and lenses. Tough decision
Like many I've been using mirror-less along side a DSLR since 2010 with the purchase of a NEX-5. Then NEX-7, a6500, and a7rII. Now mainly a7rII, a6500.
The thought of 'reasons not to switch' seems way out of date. Agreed that mirror-less systems may not necessarily weigh that much less than DSLR systems (depending on lens selection), but mine certainly does because I've planned it that way. I can take my a7rII and kit places I'd never dream of taking the D800E and kit (backpacking for instance or in small airline overhead bins).
The D800E kit is stellar but it's turned into the "red-headed" stepchild of my current gear. All things basically equal, I'll always grab the smaller lighter gear as opposed to larger and heavier. Unless I need a specific attribute of a DSLR or a specific lens, it's a no-brainer.
I need to look for reasons to use the D800E, and it's largely sub-freezing temperature performance compared to the a7rII, for my type of shooting. Or because I don't yet have an FE-mount macro for the Sony.
Tom
I think you made a lot of good points.
From my vantage point (I have DSLRS and mirrorless) the enthusiasm for mirrorless is based on a lot of overly optimistic ideas as to what mirrorless brings to the game.
Photos will look the same.
What does change is whether we like the shooting experience. Does it work with us or against us?
I love the quiet shooting features and very sharp AF of mirrorless. OTOH I prefer the snappier response of my DSLR and its ability to focus in backlit and dark conditions.
Lenses? As a working pro I have a few but none are really unusual except fo the 17TS-E and the 11-24 zoom but then I can get close with other lenses anyway.
Three years from now the fanboy wars will rage but most of us will realize the tools changed but it wasn't the apocalypse or the second coming.
When I got my NEX-5 in 2010, it was used alongside a Pentax K-7. It was easy to see that IQ was virtually indistinguishable between the two. I had several very good lenses for the Pentax and basically the 50mm kit lens and multi-purpose zoom for the NEX-5. Largest downside of the NEX-5 at the time was no viewfinder.
When I got the NEX-7, it was a big step up in resolution and had an EVF. The EVF convinced me that all the negative publicity was overblown. Sure it was noisy when shooting in low light. But what does an OVF provide in low or no light? Practically no image whatsoever. At least with an EVF I had an image in the viewfinder to evaluate. The second benefit of an EVF is being able to instantly review the shot in the viewfinder, as opposed to taking one's eye away and playing it back on the LCD. That means almost instantaneous ability to retake the shot if needed.
The NEX-7 was used alongside the D800E. The D800E was the better camera overall, but the NEX-7 got the nod often it because it was the one that didn't exhaust me on long treks and places where I simply couldn't or didn't want to take the D800E.
I agree the snappy response of a DSLR (for instance the D800E vs. the a7rII) is an advantage (as is the longer battery life of a DSLR, which Sony appears to have addressed in the next generation). In my type of imaging (largely landscapes), snappiness is seldom a factor for me and I always have charged batteries. And of course, the a7rii excels with IBIS for those times I may not use a tripod.
I'm 57 now. When I was 35 I'd happily carry a 10 pound camera bag and 20 pound bogen tripod and head all day. Now the weight and size of the mirror-less options are very compelling.
In the end, there's not a huge difference in shooting with a mirror-less or DSLR for many types of photography, especially if one's focused on the image as opposed to the gear. (Note I said many types, not all). :)
Agreed, on the apocalypse and second coming. :) I do think we'll see DSLR's sales continue to dwindle as the two big players release their FF models.
Battery life is a major problem, I was talking to a fellow photographer at a photocall the other day and he had 9 batteries to keep his Sony's going for most of the day... he also said a his USB battery pack came handy now and then... My Canon 1D X's will run pretty much all day.
What a bunch of crap..
Thanks for sharing, took a lot of thoughts away...
I was realy thinking it was oneway to mirrorless...
1 and 2 are right.........but...the rest? Nope.
yo considero el articulo un poco estúpido. Tu cambias de sistema si quieres, hoy en día se pueden obtener muy buenos resultados. Si quieres salir de tu equipo actual por una mirrorless no debes hacerlo pensando que harás "mejores fotos" por que un fotógrafo mediocre va a seguir siendo mediocre con cualquier cámara, en cambio un fotógrafo bueno se adapta a cualquier sistema sin importar tamaño de sensor o si tiene espejo o no.... yo sali de Canon por la Sony A7 y comparo las fotos y digo, hago buenas fotos con cualquier camara, pero disfrute el tirar con sony A7 y el tener tantos lentes "junk" disponibles para hacer cosas diferentes. Al final me canse de ella y brinque a Olympus. Mismas ventajas, sensor mas pequeno por lo tanto lentes mas compactos equivalente a lentes mas grandes y saben que, no extrano para nada una DSLR despues de mas de 5 años de haber tirado con ellas. Sueltame cualquier camara, un buen lente y un par de flashes.
Me recuerdo tirao de pecho en la brea, jodiendome el cuello con la 50d para tirar un par de fotos de skate(que para que bajen un truco cabron tienen que darle como 50 tries) y ahora solo me siento, abro el flip out screen y listo. que venga la accion...
Couldn't bring myself to read beyond the headings. Does this really matter anymore? Pick a camera you like, shoot it, get paid, repeat. I switched from Canon to Fuji. I make more money with Fuji than with Canon. Every system has its advantages and disadvantages. Pick and move on, right?
What total click bait!
1- It's the photographer, not the lens. And Sony is making some great glass. Fuji, too if you don't drink the FF Koolaid. 2- Well, duh. 3- Use the right primes and be surprised. 4- With new systems, yes. Sony is quickly filling out their lineup. If Nikon's adaptor works as advertised, there's a perfectly viable fill-in for now. 5- If true, that's short sighted. Kind of like camping far out on the beach at low tide. It's dry now, but....
My 5 reasons to buy the Z7:
- It's lighter and more compact to meet international carry-on regulations and relieve my back.
- You can see your final image in the view finder before you even take the picture.
- No more need to micro adjust or calibrate my current Nikon mount bodies & lenses.
- You can use Focus Peaking in the viewfinder for really critical eye focus. (I think.)
- I get to keep using my existing Nikon mount lenses without quality degradation. I can buy more also.
In Sony's case, I would add Durability as a factor. I'm on my 4th repair since Jan 2016 on my Sony A7rii. The Alpha series have super features, but they don't appear to be built with the same reliable standards as Canon or Nikon.
I wish Nikon would have put the mirrorless inside a DSLR body. It would allow for bigger hands, dual card slots, upgrade the wi-fi and Bluetooth, room for 5-axis stabilization, and most important... F-mount lenses without adaptors. I would have been first in line... I've been saving for the new Nikon mirrorless and have cash set aside. Now that I need to buy a new lens, I'm leaning towards Sony when I'm ready to go mirrorless.
My hope is someone from Nikon sees this post and as an RnD project throws the mirrorless guts in a D610 body to see what happens. I don't think they could keep the camera in stock. Just sayin.
Never tried a mirrorless but know some who have with excellent results. I have heard from them that it takes patience to learn after so many years on a DLSR. I'm interested in the Nikon models recently introduced and am planning on renting before even think of buying.
I won't be switching as 7D MkII shoot 10 fps jpegs and never stops for a freaking buffer.
You really can't tell me that new 28-70 f2 is worth 3 grand.