Mirrorless

ORourkeK · May 7, 2019

It would be silly to go with a non-sony mirrorless at this point, right? I mean, if in the market, the A7R-iii is the go-to especially after the last firmware update, right? The eye AF is absolutely ridiculous. I have been wanting to pick up a second body and I was originally going to go with the D750, but then decided it may be nice to check out the mirrorless game. Since I own the D850 it seemed obvious to go with Nikon's version, until I started comparing the two. And now with the new update, I feel like my hand is being forced. Thoughts?

Tropicalmemories · May 7, 2019

The Sony is very good, but remember you're buying into a system and not just buying a body. The best quality Sony lenses can be expensive.

The Nikon Z 6 and 7 are also good, and there's the current Nikon lenses plus the (hopefully) growing range of mirrorless lenses. And future Nikon Z bodies are likely to be excellent.

And if you don't feel you 'need' a 35mm sensor, then the Fuji X-T3 is a viable alternative.

But if upgrading, shifting to mirrorless makes good sense to me, as it's the future of interchangeable lens cameras.

ORourkeK · May 7, 2019

The system is only true for the Body. Nikon lenses work flawlessly on Sony's mirrorless body's when using the adapter. I have seen scenarios where people are reporting their Canon/Nikon lenses are sharper at larger aperture's on the Sony body than on their native bodies.

SquarePeg · May 7, 2019

I guess you have to determine how the smaller mirrorless feels when you shoot. Coming from the D850, it will be so different ergonomically. I don't think we have a ton of Sony shooters that post in this forum (I could be wrong?). Lots of Nikon and Canon and Fuji lovers but not many fans of the new Nikon and Canon mirrorless offerings. One card slot is a deal breaker for many, especially if you have been shooting with dual for a while or shoot professionally and want the insurance of the back up card.

Derrel · May 7, 2019

ORourkeK said:
It would be silly to go with a non-sony mirrorless at this point, right? I mean, if in the market, the A7R-iii is the go-to especially after the last firmware update, right? The eye AF is absolutely ridiculous. I have been wanting to pick up a second body and I was originally going to go with the D750, but then decided it may be nice to check out the mirrorless game. Since I own the D850 it seemed obvious to go with Nikon's version, until I started comparing the two. And now with the new update, I feel like my hand is being forced. Thoughts?

No, I think it would be okay to go Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Panasonic, or Olympus. For some people, "mirrorless" was/is about weight savings, and size savings. especially RE the body and the kit zoom or walkabout/general use primes or pancake primes...such as made for m4/3 cameras, or the Fuji X-series.

SONY is synonymous with full-frame mirrorless, with all of the positives and negatives that entails,while other options (APS-C, micro 4/3) do exist.

Canon and Nikon's FF mirrorless cameras each have some features that SONY lacks.

beagle100 · May 7, 2019

ORourkeK said:
It would be silly to go with a non-sony mirrorless at this point, right? I mean, if in the market, the A7R-iii is the go-to especially after the last firmware update, right? The eye AF is absolutely ridiculous. I have been wanting to pick up a second body and I was originally going to go with the D750, but then decided it may be nice to check out the mirrorless game. Since I own the D850 it seemed obvious to go with Nikon's version, until I started comparing the two. And now with the new update, I feel like my hand is being forced. Thoughts?

yes, definitely check out the "mirrorless game"
(and your big DSLR lens can be easily used on mirrorless)
www.flickr.com/photos/mmirrorless

jcdeboever · May 8, 2019

Fujifilm has the best native glass. Some people are sold on full frame as opposed to crop sensor. Some people like the ultimate image output, the medium format Fujifilm GFXR. Some it's about size. Some it's about what they intend to shoot with it, if your going to shoot action sports you wouldn't select a GFXR. A lot of choices, narrow down to what is important to you and then choose. There is a lot that I don't like about the Sony you mentioned and ergonomics is the deal breaker for me. I am also not impressed by Sony color either. Now, I am not saying it's a bad camera, just not for me.

ORourkeK · May 8, 2019

SquarePeg said:
I guess you have to determine how the smaller mirrorless feels when you shoot. Coming from the D850, it will be so different ergonomically. I don't think we have a ton of Sony shooters that post in this forum (I could be wrong?). Lots of Nikon and Canon and Fuji lovers but not many fans of the new Nikon and Canon mirrorless offerings. One card slot is a deal breaker for many, especially if you have been shooting with dual for a while or shoot professionally and want the insurance of the back up card.

So maybe I have to try and even the playing field a bit and pick up a Sony

ORourkeK · May 8, 2019

Derrel said:
No, I think it would be okay to go Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Panasonic, or Olympus. For some people, "mirrorless" was/is about weight savings, and size savings. especially RE the body and the kit zoom or walkabout/general use primes or pancake primes...such as made for m4/3 cameras, or the Fuji X-series.

SONY is synonymous with full-frame mirrorless, with all of the positives and negatives that entails,while other options (APS-C, micro 4/3) do exist.

Canon and Nikon's FF mirrorless cameras each have some features that SONY lacks.

I am only interested in full frame. The smaller size is not what attracts me to the world of mirrorless. I will be using it as a second camera on engagement/weddings. I plan on popping a prime on it so I am not too concerned with the additional weight of the Nikon lens. I guess you are right though in your statement about different features being the deciding factor for different people. I love the direction Sony is going with its mirrorless camera's. For the past few years, it feels like Nikon and Canon have not been bringing anything new to the table, while Sony is increasing functionality. Eye autofocus is the biggest factor for me. If it was a replacement for my main body I probably wouldn't go for it, but being able to pull my second body up and adjust the frame to how I want without having to worry about messing with the focus seems like a fantastic feature to have.

ORourkeK · May 8, 2019

beagle100 said:
yes, definitely check out the "mirrorless game"
(and your big DSLR lens can be easily used on mirrorless)
www.flickr.com/photos/mmirrorless

PS: How is there no shrug emoji"s on here? Or am I just blind?

ac12 · May 8, 2019

For professional use, you should consider the ergonomics of what you are planning.

Mixing two different systems can/will lead to confusion when you switch between cameras.

I have this issue when I switch between my Nikon and Olympus.
When you have to rely on muscle memory and instinct to do something FAST, a different control layout can be a killer. I have the controls of my Olympus reconfigured to be kinda close to the Nikon, but they are not identical, so I sometimes have trouble when I switch between cameras. And as expected, the problem is worse when I am carrying and shooting both cameras, vs. one or the other.
And somethings cannot be reconfigured. The zoom rings on my Nikon and Olympus turn in opposite directions. My Nikon muscle memory fails when I use an Olympus zoom. This is not an issue if you are working slowly, but when speed counts when shooting any fast event/action, it is a PiA when I turn the zoom ring in the wrong direction.
And if I have to reconfigure anything in the menu, all bets are off, it can be easy or a total PiA. This is because I could be looking for something in the Nikon menu, but looking for it like it is in the Olympus menu, so in the wrong place.
Now this may also be true of the Nikon dSLR vs. Z cameras, I don't know.
I advise the yearbook photographers at the local high school, and they use Canon. For me, it is a constant issue when I have to teach/show them something specific on the Canon, because I usually default to how it is done on my Nikon, which is usually NOT how it is done on the Canon. And that can be incredibly frustrating.
- For me a major issue when shooting sports, is that the direction that the zoom ring turns on the Canon is the opposite direction that it turns on the Nikon. Same issue as my Nikon vs. Olympus zooms.

Rent a Sony before you buy.

I have talked to Sony owners who love the camera, but HATE the menu system to configure the camera.
If you are going to rely on putting Nikon lenses on the Sony, you better test it out first hand, to make sure it works as you think it will work. Example:
- There are people who mistakenly say that ANY dSLR lens will work on a m4/3 camera.
- I can tell you first hand that Nikon lenses do NOT talk with m4/3 cameras, so the auto Nikon lens is now fully MANUAL, auto-nothing (no autofocus, no control of the aperture, no VR). When I researched the issue, there was NO Nikon to m4/3 adapter than would allow the camera to control the lens.

I suggest you take a look at the Nikon Z cameras. That keeps you in the Nikon world, rather than running two systems (Nikon and Sony). And speaking from personal experience, running two systems is expensive, because of the need to duplicate gear in both systems, plus backup.

ronlane · May 8, 2019

I have shot with the Canon EOS R and I was impressed. I have seen Jason Lanier post some video and shots with it too and it seems amazing.

I have pro friends here in Oklahoma moving to fujifilm mirrorless camera's left and right.

I wouldn't have even considered a mirrorless body until last month when I shot that R. Now I'd get one to replace my 5D mk III for my portrait and non sports stuff.