Why I stick with DSLR

[goodguy]

I bought my latest DSLR after a long hard thought so I am just sharing my thoughts with you and maybe someone will find this helpful
Been watching more and more reviews lately on mirroless cameras and it really looks like they are closing the gap fast with DSLR.
What attracts me to mirrorless cameras ?

1.Design, their design is (to me) much cooler then DSLR, Fuji, Oli and Panasonic really make them look like old classic SLR.
2.Mirrorless is the future so I will need to make the jump sooner or later
3. They are small

What I don't like about mirrorless ?

1.They are small
2.Most have small sensors
3.AF in most is still not as good as DSLR

Why am I worrying myself about mirrorless just when I bought a new DSLR ?

My main problem is my glass, I love the lenses I own and I am afraid when Nikon will come out with a good serious mirrorless camera to replace its DSLR line of cameras they will probably design a new lines of lens and the value of my lenses will drop like a rock, thus buying a new system will cost me a fortune.

Today I can say I love full frame I cant see myself going to the tiny MFT and even Fuji wonderful crop sensor cameras are not enough for my needs.
I heard too many times MFT and crop sensor is good enough.
Well I just came from a very good crop sensor camera and I agree it was good enough but I am not interested in good enough, I want a beast in low light.
I find myself too many times shooting at f2.8 (and even f1.8) 12800ISO and frankly if I could go higher and still have good results I would.
So my only option is Sony A7 with its FF sensor.
A7 is a great camera but like everything has few drawback which for me is unacceptable.
Main issue is their poor lack of fast lenses, I want......no I need 24-70mm 2.8 and 70-200mm 2.8
f4 is unacceptable for me!
Prime lenses is nice but not for me either, I use them only in extreme low light cases when my f2.8 zoom lenses are too slow.
There are other few things which I am not crazy about the A7 but honestly I might be willing to accept them if I had the lenses I need.

So for me and the emphasis is for me there is still not what I want and need to in mirrorless, I know I will have a problem in the future but alas I have no options that I can see.

 

[Rick50]

OK, I'm with you all the way till you hit on Primes. Don't mess with my Primes.....
Generally you make good arguments. I'm not going MFT either and I'm also happy with full frame.
But I do like my damn Primes so there!

 

[goodguy]

OK, I'm with you all the way till you hit on Primes. Don't mess with my Primes.....
Generally you make good arguments. I'm not going MFT either and I'm also happy with full frame.
But I do like my damn Primes so there!

Completely personal thing, have one issue with primes, the need to switch all the time, don't like switching lenses, on a full day of travel I might switch once or twice tops between my 24-70mm and the 70-200mm, just love the ease of use zoom lenses give but again completely personal

 

[Rick50]

Yea I get that part but when a Prime is best it's best. But you do have to know ahead of time. The 24-70 & 70-200 are also my lens choice for walk around but sometimes I just get out the old 35mm, 85mm or 300mm prime and just use it.

 

[Gary A.]

I have a complete FF system. I have a complete APS-C system. I have a complete MFT system.

I only shoot with my Fuji APS-C system. My XT1's are pretty much equal in size and weight to my Oly EM1, the differences between the XT1 and EM1 aren't significant. For what I shoot and how I shoot, my XT1's and 1D's are pretty much equal. The differences in IQ between my FF and APS-C isn't significant.

I shoot everything from sports to events to street to landscapes to et al ... with my Fuji's. I haven't shot above ISO 6400 with Fuji, but the 6400 was pretty clean. If extreme low light is your primary consideration, I think the new Sony A7S is your camera.

 

[goodguy]

I have a complete FF system. I have a complete APS-C system. I have a complete MFT system.

I only shoot with my Fuji APS-C system. My XT1's are pretty much equal in size and weight to my Oly EM1, the differences between the XT1 and EM1 aren't significant. For what I shoot and how I shoot, my XT1's and 1D's are pretty much equal. The differences in IQ between my FF and APS-C isn't significant.

I shoot everything from sports to events to street to landscapes to et al ... with my Fuji's. I haven't shot above ISO 6400 with Fuji, but the 6400 was pretty clean. If extreme low light is your primary consideration, I think the new Sony A7S is your camera.

A7s, yammy, love that camera but what about the glass ?
Need the fast glass!
Also the difference between the D7100 which I and before and the D750 is about 1-1.3 stops, not a world of difference but for me that a lot, huge, the D3300 is now about 10% better in low light then the D7100, technology moves all the time. The XT1 is good in low light but not good enough compared to FF. As I said I want best low light performance.
Also just as a side adition to the XT1 I saw few reviews saying it struglles a bit in low light with its AF, same is the new Samsung NX1

 

[Gary A.]

I have a complete FF system. I have a complete APS-C system. I have a complete MFT system.

I only shoot with my Fuji APS-C system. My XT1's are pretty much equal in size and weight to my Oly EM1, the differences between the XT1 and EM1 aren't significant. For what I shoot and how I shoot, my XT1's and 1D's are pretty much equal. The differences in IQ between my FF and APS-C isn't significant.

I shoot everything from sports to events to street to landscapes to et al ... with my Fuji's. I haven't shot above ISO 6400 with Fuji, but the 6400 was pretty clean. If extreme low light is your primary consideration, I think the new Sony A7S is your camera.

A7s, yammy, love that camera but what about the glass ?
Need the fast glass!

Dunno what you're shooting, but between ISO 128000+, IS and slow shutter shooting techniques ... I would think that you could get away with f/2.8. I read that Sony doesn't have a very full line-up of fast lenses for the A7 series. If you don't require AF, then your problems can be minimized with adaptors and legacy glass. I suspect that there may be third party lens makers, like Samyang, who make extremely sharp and fast, non-autofocusing lenses. Do some homework. Sony may have a limited lens line-up when compared to Nikon or Canon ... but how many lenses do you need? If Sony has the lens(es) that cover what you shoot, then you're okay. If Sony doesn't have what you need, then consider an adaptor and legacy glass. If you need AF and Sony doesn't make an appropriate lens ... then you're stuck with Canon/Nikon. I strongly suggest you rent an A7s just to confirm low light and AF performance. The first generation of A7 series cameras had less than stellar AF, the newer generation claims to have addressed this shortcoming. If you're shooting non-stationary subjects in extreme low light, then maybe, only a high level dSLR can deliver the performance you desire.

For low light, the A7s is a very interesting camera ... expensive ... but interesting nonetheless.

 

[Ysarex]

You're right about one thing: The future is mirrorless. That reflex mirror flopping up and down between every exposure has got to go and, if you plan to keep shooting into the future then the writing is on the wall.

Joe

 

[robbins.photo]

Well wouldn't mind getting into mirrorless at some point myself, and I do believe that they will eventually replace DSLR - but I think it will be quite a while yet before mirrorless becomes the standard.

I do like the idea of someting a little lighter weight, but as for size to be honest I prefer something the size of my current DSLR. Anything much smaller than that is just too small in my oversized paws and I find smaller cameras difficult to use myself. I realize that's atypical for most users, who tend toward "The smaller the better", but for me I like something with a little heft to it. Granted, it would be fantastic to have a 70-200 mm F/2.8 that weighs half or less of what I'm lugging around now - but for me I'll carry the extra weight if it means having a camera body that works for my rather indelicate manipulators.

 

[TheFantasticG]

It's pretty simple that mirror less won't overtake DSLRs until they can do everything DSLRs can do as good as or better than DSLRs.

That being said I can't give up my DSLR until the AF is at least as good on DX or FX... And I have been looking and looking. Seriously looking at mirror less but finally decided it's just not time yet.

 

[goodguy]

I have a complete FF system. I have a complete APS-C system. I have a complete MFT system.

I only shoot with my Fuji APS-C system. My XT1's are pretty much equal in size and weight to my Oly EM1, the differences between the XT1 and EM1 aren't significant. For what I shoot and how I shoot, my XT1's and 1D's are pretty much equal. The differences in IQ between my FF and APS-C isn't significant.

I shoot everything from sports to events to street to landscapes to et al ... with my Fuji's. I haven't shot above ISO 6400 with Fuji, but the 6400 was pretty clean. If extreme low light is your primary consideration, I think the new Sony A7S is your camera.

A7s, yammy, love that camera but what about the glass ?
Need the fast glass!

Dunno what you're shooting, but between ISO 128000+, IS and slow shutter shooting techniques ... I would think that you could get away with f/2.8. I read that Sony doesn't have a very full line-up of fast lenses for the A7 series. If you don't require AF, then your problems can be minimized with adaptors and legacy glass. I suspect that there may be third party lens makers, like Samyang, who make extremely sharp and fast, non-autofocusing lenses. Do some homework. Sony may have a limited lens line-up when compared to Nikon or Canon ... but how many lenses do you need? If Sony has the lens(es) that cover what you shoot, then you're okay. If Sony doesn't have what you need, then consider an adaptor and legacy glass. If you need AF and Sony doesn't make an appropriate lens ... then you're stuck with Canon/Nikon. I strongly suggest you rent an A7s just to confirm low light and AF performance. The first generation of A7 series cameras had less than stellar AF, the newer generation claims to have addressed this shortcoming. If you're shooting non-stationary subjects in extreme low light, then maybe, only a high level dSLR can deliver the performance you desire.

For low light, the A7s is a very interesting camera ... expensive ... but interesting nonetheless.

AF is very important for me, I know the A7 is slow to AF even with its own lenses, met a guy with a Sony AF and I didnt even had to ask him, he just sighed and said it, no it wouldnt be for me but I am sure the Mark II will have that covered up after all the a6000 has a lightning fast AF so I see no reason for Sony to skimp on the Mark II but again they dont have the lenses I am looking for, I am with Nikon for now and if they will come out with new mirrorless bodies and effective lenses then I will stick with Nikon, if they will keep making DSLR and I will feel Mirrorless technology has surpassed their DSLR then I will not hesitate to move to a new camera maker.

BTW slow shutter speed is not possible, just as an example in the last 2 weeks I had to shoot 2 events in low lighting condition, one was my sons musical event with teenagers running all over the stage, slow shutter speed wouldnt work, even at 1/160 I still got some blurry shots and same was last weekend when there was a show of lights downtown Toronto and to freeze action I had to move high the ISO.

 

[SCraig]

The reason there are so many options available in the photographic area is simply because we don't all have the same needs or desires. We are all different, we shoot different subjects in different ways so we all have different priorities in our equipment choices. We all weigh the available options and decide which of them fit our preferred area of photography with the least number of compromises.

For me low-light is very low on my priority list. Size and weight rate about a zero. I shoot birds, wildlife, and motorsports so to me long zoom lenses are a necessity. I actually prefer a larger, heavier camera and lens simply because they feel more stable to me.

To each their own. List what you want from a camera system and then pick the one that most closely fills your needs. Learn to use it and never look back.

 

[goodguy]

The reason there are so many options available in the photographic area is simply because we don't all have the same needs or desires. We are all different, we shoot different subjects in different ways so we all have different priorities in our equipment choices. We all weigh the available options and decide which of them fit our preferred area of photography with the least number of compromises.

For me low-light is very low on my priority list. Size and weight rate about a zero. I shoot birds, wildlife, and motorsports so to me long zoom lenses are a necessity. I actually prefer a larger, heavier camera and lens simply because they feel more stable to me.

To each their own. List what you want from a camera system and then pick the one that most closely fills your needs. Learn to use it and never look back.

Very wise words!

 

[Village Idiot]

You need to actually look at mirrorless systems because there is a good amount of misinformation in your post. Have you actually owned and shot with mirrorless cameras before or is this just what you've gathered from reading about them?

 

[gsgary]

OK, I'm with you all the way till you hit on Primes. Don't mess with my Primes.....
Generally you make good arguments. I'm not going MFT either and I'm also happy with full frame.
But I do like my damn Primes so there!

Completely personal thing, have one issue with primes, the need to switch all the time, don't like switching lenses, on a full day of travel I might switch once or twice tops between my 24-70mm and the 70-200mm, just love the ease of use zoom lenses give but again completely personal

Don't you mean lazy, for me there are no drawbacks with the A7 low light shooting is great, I love manual focus and my Leica fit primes on the A7 are perfect shooting wide open you get a 3D effect, shooting all day with the 50mm or 35mm or 28mm is no problem