Mirror Or Not?
I’m an experienced chop and change merchant. I have extensive knowledge and experience of switching camera brands and systems. The only digital format I haven’t tried is medium format and that’s mainly because I can’t afford to. If someone gave me £10,000 to buy a camera system, I would seriously contemplate medium format. As it is, my budget is very limited. I rely on selling and trading to get the gear I use. About four months ago, I moved to Canon DSLR from micro four thirds Panasonicville. I wanted to rekindle a love of DSLR cameras and how they work. The Canon native glass is top notch, even the budget end 50mm f1.8 and 40mm f2.8. The autofocus and shutter systems are very quick. They don’t have IBIS but a few of the lenses have OIS so it’s there if you need to steady things.
I have spent the time since, using DSLR’s and mainly, loving them. There are a few drawbacks but on the whole, the shooting experience is very satisfying. I have mainly used mirrorless cameras in the past as I like to occasionally use vintage film lenses but the disadvantages of mirrorless are rarely talked about. The battery life is invariably worse, the start up time is slower and autofocus isn’t always as quick as with DSLRs. The camera world is nearly all mirrorless nowadays and the major brands (Canon and Nikon), have ceased to bring out new DSLR models or lenses. Everything is mirrorless with both having to create a whole new line of lenses to suit new mounts.
I recently sold one of my DSLR bodies to get a Canon EOS R mirrorless camera. It was the first full frame model Canon brought out and is a great starting point for them. it has its drawbacks but every camera I have ever owned had them. My dalliance with Leica full frame was great but not without its woes. I wanted to stay with Canon and have the ability (with an adapter), to use my existing EF glass. It connects flawlessly and works very well on the EOS R. Yes, the old problems with mirrorless are present on the EOS R but on the whole, I really like using it. I do think Canon have the best menu system of any manufacturer I have tried and it crosses over from DSLR to mirrorless, without missing a step.
My two camera system is now a Canon 6D Mark II and the EOS R. They are both lovely to use and similar in the quality of image they produce. I can’t decide as to which I will use for video work as the specs are similar. I have shied away
from looking at the R6, R5 or R6 II, as I’m not entirely sure I need IBIS as yet. Is the DSLR a dying breed of camera, probably? Are they irrelevant to today's photographers, no. The flagship Canon 1DX Mark III is an astonishing camera, that can often outperform most of the current Canon mirrorless cameras. It is far tougher and has a massive shutter life expectancy.
I know I have done these sort of gear centered reviews before and then gone and switched. I’m not telling you to go Canon or that I love them like no other. I haven’t ever explored the mysterious world of Sony full frame and there may come a day when I do. I do think using DSLR’s, is a very joyful thing and they are capable of producing stunning images, despite their ageing technology. As mentioned earlier, I do use old film lenses on occasions and we are talking 40-50 year old lenses. The images you can capture with these can be as good as any modern lens. Many filmmakers use vintage glass as they produce a more ‘filmic look’. Sharpness and precision are nice but not the be all and end all. Just because your camera is older than five years and may have a mirror, it doesn’t render it obsolete. Maybe there is a place for the continuance of DSLRs ? Maybe to harness what they do really well with what a modern mirrorless camera can achieve, is the way forward?
