Considering a switch from Full frame DSLR to mirrorless, have a few questions

[unpopular]

Buy a Sony A7r and you'll get a SLIGHTLY smaller body...but the lenses will be just as large as the lenses for a Nikon D600. And at this time there are almost NO lens choices for the A7 series...it's a brand-new mount, and Sony rolled the cameras out with basicvally, no lenses to choose from. trading in a D600 and five lenses for an A7r and no lenses is a bad move.

Well, if you don't mind or prefer manual, you have about every lens under the sun to choose from. While having never actually used it, peaking seems just as good - if not better than AF anyway ... maybe someone else can shed some light on that area.

As for the Fuji, I definitely have a soft spot for them, and the current used prices of the XE1 is very attractive (really way under valued), and the hybrid finder of the X-Pro seems like a perfect solution.

 

[nzmacro]

Buy a Sony A7r and you'll get a SLIGHTLY smaller body...but the lenses will be just as large as the lenses for a Nikon D600. And at this time there are almost NO lens choices for the A7 series...it's a brand-new mount, and Sony rolled the cameras out with basicvally, no lenses to choose from. trading in a D600 and five lenses for an A7r and no lenses is a bad move.

Well, if you don't mind or prefer manual, you have about every lens under the sun to choose from. While having never actually used it, peaking seems just as good - if not better than AF anyway ... maybe someone else can shed some light on that area.

As for the Fuji, I definitely have a soft spot for them, and the current used prices of the XE1 is very attractive (really way under valued), and the hybrid finder of the X-Pro seems like a perfect solution.

Well, if you don't mind or prefer manual, you have about every lens under the sun to choose from. While having never actually used it, peaking seems just as good - if not better than AF anyway ... maybe someone else can shed some light on that area.

Only MF lenses here. Focus peaking is fantastic with the right lenses, focus peaking is on 100% of the time. Lag, I've yet to see it. Thousands of BIF shots here and power boat racing, so they can't all be flukes surely. Been down this track with others before regarding EVF's, heck I came from OVF's Then we can also magnify the image in the EVF for critical focusing on static birds. BIF's and high speed action I use focus peaking.

The simple answer is, EVF's can track and shoot just fine, if they couldn't I wouldn't be taking what I do and with MF at the same time. I would have to head to A DSLR and (gulp) AF, that's not going to happen Why change what works well.

Danny.

 

[nzmacro]

Very interesting if you are into mirrorless AF ..........




Well worth spending the time on this video.

Danny.

 

[cgw]

Had a look at the the Fuji X-T1? Fuji.ca may well repeat last summer's deals on kits, bodies and lenses--worth watching for at downtown shops like Aden that usually have the lowest Fuji X prices in the GTA.

 

[JustJazzie]

I haven't read all the comments yet, I simply don't have time this morning but I thought I would share my experience.

I ditched my (entry level, so nothing like yours!) dslr about two years ago now, for the sony nex7. I found myself in a similar position as you. I stopped bringing my camera with me because it was just one more; heavy, fragile, expensive; thing to tote along in the diaper bag. I met someone with a nex5 that I borrowed on a hike when I left my camera at home. When I uploaded the pictures I was blown away at the quality, and I started heavily researching the nex line. It was a learning curve switching from a dslr, but after a few months I was in love. I have used my mirror less more in two years, than I had used my dslr in nearly 4. It is always in my purse when I need it. The focus peaking is a god send for my terrible eyesight. Once I couldn't get my camera to work who my new strobes and nearly cried at the thought of having to go back to a dslr. (Luckily I finally figured out how to turn off live view mode)

Fast forward to this weekend. My boys got their first dirt bikes and my AF just COULD NOT keep up. All their faces are blurry from motion. I'm pretty disappointed looking through all the pictures I got. So I'm back to looking at dslr's for sports, and honestly; I think I'm going to take some expert advice and just learn better (older) techniques (like prego using) to make my camera work until the technology in mirror less catches up. Even if I bought a nice dslr with a sports lens, it would end up a $1000 shelf ornament 99% of the time. And if we get into trail riding as a family- I don't want to lug around a huge dslr with me so it would probably get left behind once again.
So for me, the benefits of mirror less outweigh the drawbacks. Yes, dslr would get me better quality pictures than my mirror less (for sports, everything else is actually higher iq than I was getting with my xsi) I'll take my blurry smiles over the nothing I would have probably ended up with had I kept my dslr.

Good luck with your decision!! It's not an easy one.

 

[gsgary]

I haven't read all the comments yet, I simply don't have time this morning but I thought I would share my experience.

I ditched my (entry level, so nothing like yours!) dslr about two years ago now, for the sony nex7. I found myself in a similar position as you. I stopped bringing my camera with me because it was just one more; heavy, fragile, expensive; thing to tote along in the diaper bag. I met someone with a nex5 that I borrowed on a hike when I left my camera at home. When I uploaded the pictures I was blown away at the quality, and I started heavily researching the nex line. It was a learning curve switching from a dslr, but after a few months I was in love. I have used my mirror less more in two years, than I had used my dslr in nearly 4. It is always in my purse when I need it. The focus peaking is a god send for my terrible eyesight. Once I couldn't get my camera to work who my new strobes and nearly cried at the thought of having to go back to a dslr. (Luckily I finally figured out how to turn off live view mode)

Fast forward to this weekend. My boys got their first dirt bikes and my AF just COULD NOT keep up. All their faces are blurry from motion. I'm pretty disappointed looking through all the pictures I got. So I'm back to looking at dslr's for sports, and honestly; I think I'm going to take some expert advice and just learn better (older) techniques (like prego using) to make my camera work until the technology in mirror less catches up. Even if I bought a nice dslr with a sports lens, it would end up a $1000 shelf ornament 99% of the time. And if we get into trail riding as a family- I don't want to lug around a huge dslr with me so it would probably get left behind once again.
So for me, the benefits of mirror less outweigh the drawbacks. Yes, dslr would get me better quality pictures than my mirror less (for sports, everything else is actually higher iq than I was getting with my xsi) I'll take my blurry smiles over the nothing I would have probably ended up with had I kept my dslr.

Good luck with your decision!! It's not an easy one.

Have you checked what the shutter speed was on the shot ? it wants to be 1/500+

 

[JustJazzie]

Have you checked what the shutter speed was on the shot ? it wants to be 1/500+

Thanks for the suggestion Gary! It was bright out. My shutter was 1/1250. F8 Somehow my ISO got knocked to 800...so I know some of that is noise but I think it's mostly a focus issue. The time it takes To focus, and then the shutter lag- he was well out of focus before my camera could snap.

 

[JustJazzie]

Very interesting if you are into mirrorless AF .......... YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up8K_xd_iwU&list=UUqpOf_Nl5F4tjwlxOVS6h8A Well worth spending the time on this video. Danny.

Thanks for posting this video! It really makes me think I might end up going for the a6000. I don't need sports magazine quality shots, but I would like some decent ones!

 

[gsgary]

Thanks for the suggestion Gary! It was bright out. My shutter was 1/1250. F8 Somehow my ISO got knocked to 800...so I know some of that is noise but I think it's mostly a focus issue. The time it takes To focus, and then the shutter lag- he was well out of focus before my camera could snap.

1/250 is not fast enough I used to shoot MX every weekend for magazines

 

[sonicbuffalo]

The NEX and now A6000 line that Sony manufacturer's help make great pictures. That being said, they're still not equal to the quality you get with a DSLR.

 

[JustJazzie]

1/250 is not fast enough I used to shoot MX every weekend for magazines

1/ 1, 2 5 0 not 1/250

 

[Derrel]

1/250 is not fast enough I used to shoot MX every weekend for magazines

1/ 1, 2 5 0 not 1/250

They regularly serve realllly strong, stoud beers and ales where gary lives, and it's already past mightnight there...! lol!

 

[Derrel]

Very interesting if you are into mirrorless AF ..........

Well worth spending the time on this video.

Danny.

It's even MORE worthhwile comparing The Camera Store's February, 2014 video, where they praised the sh*+ out of the Fuji XT-1, and then comparing what they said about it then against what they say about it NOW in this subsequent video. Remember--these videos are being done by a Canadian company that wants to sell cameras and lenses.

Here are a few quotes and time stamps for the earlier hype abiout the fuji XT-1:
Feb 16, 2014 video produced by The Camera Store
6:00 we have to talk about autofocus.
6:23 "It's like a machine gun".
6:26 "And we're certainly getting a full eight frames per second shooting."
6:44 At 8 frames per second, it followed that very nicely!"
6:55 "I'm getting a really good hit rate."
7:00 "I'm really impressed!"


And now, in the video linked above in post #33, today, we see things like this said about the XT-1:

5:44 "But when it came to the continuous autofocusing tests and this fast shooting, this is probably going to be the bottom of the bunch." "It doesn't have a very fast frame rate that it can sustain when it's trying to track moving subjects." "The buffer filled up pretty quick too."


6:21 "The other thing that I find ,sometimes it has a really HARD and slow time trying to get the initial focus."

Cough, cough,cough.

 

[nzmacro]

The NEX and now A6000 line that Sony manufacturer's help make great pictures. That being said, they're still not equal to the quality you get with a DSLR.

That would depend on what DSLR, what subjects and who is behind it. I post my NEX-7 shots next to DSLR users here all the time, they don't exactly laugh. I also shoot next to folks using a 1Dx and several using 5D MK III's and one using a 7D, they don't laugh at the results either, in fact most are horribly shocked and that's using MF lenses.

All the best and that simply depends on a lot of things

Danny.

 

[nzmacro]

LOL Derrel just goes to show and take everything with a grain of salt I guess . Well spotted Derrel.

Danny.