About a year ago I decided to get out of the photography hobby (long story) and sold off my Sony A7IV and lenses. I recently got back in by getting a 5D IV. While the Sony was state of the art mirrorless, I could not get used to the electronic VF as good as it was. I also prefer the feel of the DSLR in my hands, especially with a telephoto. Maybe I'm just a dinosaur (I still have film cameras) but I guess that's to be expected after nearly 50 years shooting film and DSLRs. What's your story?
can't add anything to the mirror cameras because i started my photography just 3 1/2 years ago at 50 years old, my first and only proper camera is the canon M50. but in a similar vain i still run 1970's cars, never been interested in modern ones, its about what makes you feel right, if you getting what you want from your tools / equipment what ever field it is, in this case photography then thats what matters, sometimes having to work a bit at something makes the results even better, i love using vintage lenses on my modern camera, the results though trickier to get and i often miss good shots make me smile alot more when i look at the results i got right. great question and subject Ray, be great to hear others view point more on the actual subject in question
Wecome to the forum, Ray My gear is 15 years or older, since I have never use the latest gear I do not miss there advanced features. I still get images I am happy with. When it comes to film , the more of us still using it the better, I have noticed in recent years a increase in younger people getting into it, which is good.
I am coming up to 40 years of film slr's, and yes, I have a slr camera with film loaded in it as I type. So, yes. I still shoot film. I started with a small Pentax slr, and slowly worked my way to AF film cameras, and then onto digital. All Pentax. 2 1/2 years ago I brought a Canon mirrorless camera. I was curious. I still own 2 dslrs, and a mirrorless camera. Film cameras, I am not sure if I want to go and count the number of them that I have. Would I ever buy another dslr? For me, no. Even though in Canon land, all the lenses that I own are EF mount. I think that there are things that a dslr camera are better at, I think that there are things that a mirrorless camera are better at. It is what is important for you. I hate the size of a modern dslr. I am seeing noise being made on the net about a 28mm pancake R mount lens. If it's for real, I really want one. If it is real, my RP and this pancake is going to be small, light, and almost pocketable. I am curious how big this combination would be to an older slr and a 50mm f1.8 lens. Yes, the viewfinder is 'average' on my RP, but I am sure that in time they will get better. And it is no speed demon. But I would look at a better spec'ed mirrorless camera, not a dslr. Gary
There are definite benefits to mirrorless including size and weight. When I lived in NYC I knew people who liked to take candid shots of people in the streets, and they needed to be discreet and not draw attention to their camera and the small size and near silent operation of a mirrorless is perfect for that. They are also great for hiking and backpacking. I would not rule out ever owning one in the future. I did not start this thread to trash mirrorless cameras (and not saying you are implying that) but I thought those of us in this section are out of step with current digital photo trends and thought it would be interesting to compare reasons.
I don't need mirrorless ones, and I don't like a vf with a monitor, not ttl. I think we will see heat problems with more mirrorless cameras. Bigger lenses often balances better with a bigger (heavy) camera. I have dragged my EOS 1 and 1D's through deserts, over many mountains, snow, frost, heat, rain, hail, serious storms, and enjoyed the greatness of weather protection (never waterproof, only weather resistant). Never ever had problems. "New" 1DX2? I have two: one drowned, mostly dead, one fully working. Canon? "Too expensive to repair". Leica? "Well, yes of course sir". I may be wrong of course, but it appears to me, that a modern mirrorless camera is trending towards being more about software, rather than a combination of fine mechanics, electronics and software. And companies don't support well after a few years. My old 35mm Leicaflex can still shoot fine pics. What dies first? software, electronics or mechanics? On a second note, I am looking forward to reading about the R1. Kind regards, Jacques
equipment what ever field it is, in this case photography then thats what matters, sometimes having to work a bit at something makes the results even better, i love using vintage lenses on my modern camera, the results though trickier to get and i often miss good shots make me smile alot more when i look at the results i got right.
I started with a M3, and moved over to the 5D MKII. But unfortunately, I'm realizing I have vision problems up close so using the view finder is really hard. Even when I have it adjusted well, I still flip the mirror out of the way and use the monitor to double check my images. I mainly bought the 5D for the sensor size and it's ability to take higher quality video, but I think I might have to move on to a C100.
Not much I can really add to this discussion beyond reiterating points that have already been made. I got my first DSLR about 12 years ago, with a Pentax K2000D, coming straight from the (Minolta) 35mm SLR world. The idea of a camera without an optical viewfinder just doesn't make sense to me, and I've never been comfortable holding a camera at arm's length to take a picture. An optical viewfinder just feels more comfortable and natural to me. I've been shooting with 35mm SLR and DSLR cameras since the early '80s, and muscle memory is a hard thing to break. I remember one time at the beach, my dad handed me his camera, a Nikon bridge camera of some sort, to take a picture of the sunset. Without even looking at it, I put the camera up to my eye, only to find that although there was a hump for the pop-up flash, there was no viewfinder, just the video screen. He thought that arrangement was great, but I saw it as an unacceptable tradeoff.
My 5D4 captures excellent images. I will use it until it dies, or I do, whichever comes first. Either way I would not have spent thousands on a needless upgrade.
