I recently made a BIG decision. I’m ditching my DSLR and switching to a mirrorless camera system. Here’s my “behind the scenes” perspective on why I made the switch.
You should know this was NOT an easy decision for me. Not at all. It took a lot of pondering, analyzing, research, soul searching and thinking. It was difficult for several reasons. First of all, I found my emotions were playing a big role in my decision making process. Long ago, back in the film era, I chose Canon as my brand to follow. Lots of things contributed to that choice including price, availability, capabilities and support. Once I made that choice, my decision-making path was set for a long time to come.
Once I started buying Canon lenses and accessories, I was committed to continue buying Canon or Canon compatible products unless I was willing to spread my meager budget over more than one platform and I wasn’t willing to do that. So down the road I traveled for decades buying Canon gear. Over time I collected some NICE glass. It took a while, but some of the gear I acquired was SO choice. Camera bodies came and went as technology improved.
Then came the era of Digital. BANG! Time for a change!
I remember that time. I was not a FIRST adopter, but I was an early adopter. I pay a GREAT deal of attention to the photography landscape and watched that world shift before my eyes. Many other photographers I knew at the time were hesitant to migrate to digital. Although I understood why, I knew then, the photography world would never be the same or go back. I could see that advantages like immediate feedback and the ability to easily process your own work on your computer would change the photography landscape forever. I wasn’t the first one to notice or think so, but a movement this obvious (to me) was hard to ignore.
When the time was right, I jumped off the film ship and boarded the new digital photography boat ride. Once I possessed my new digital gear and sold my film cameras, I knew I had made the right choice. I never looked back. No doubt about it. The world, as a whole, wasn’t going back. I remember spending HOURS delighted with the things that I could now do. With the new digital wonder, I’d take a picture and immediately see the result. Zero cost in film development or printing! Change a few settings, aperture, shutter speed, flash, take another picture, immediately see the results. AH! I GET IT! Magic …
To be honest, it wasn’t all THAT painful. I was still using the same Canon system, still had my wonderful Canon glass. Over time, some glass got swapped out for better glass. Decades passed, digital camera bodies came and went, and I noticed a trend: Bodies were getting bigger and heavier. “Eh” I thought, such is the way with technology.
Fast forward the story to just a little while ago.
As I said, I pay a GREAT deal of attention to the photography landscape and once again, I’m watching the world shift before my eyes. Mirrorless technology has come of age. Many other photographers I know are hesitant to to migrate to mirrorless and I really do understand why, but the advantages of smaller, powerful, lighter cameras along with wonderful new capabilities truly resonated with me and could not be ignored.
I’ve always been charmed and enchanted by nimble and lightweight. The philosophy of “less is more” has always appealed to me. I strive (but don’t always succeed ) for minimalism and simplification. I drive a nimble car, I’ve backpacked through Europe and have travelled with only a very small bag and daypack. I’ve biked to work when I could. There’s something about going lightweight and nimble. Less to weigh you down. More energy to explore and be creative.
I looked at the photo gear I had and knew I had to make a decision. Stick with what I had or make a change that matched my lifestyle and philosophy.
My smartphone is small and light, always with me, but not nearly as capable as my DSLR. No “real” zoom. Not enough resolution. No real flash. No aperture control. No shutter speed control. A very small sensor. Not great in low light. Great for a snapshot. Great for learning about composition and using available light. I still use it a lot. Just not capable enough for me.
My DSLR was very capable, but too big and bulky. I didn’t carry it with me ALL the time. I wasn’t shooting as often. Shooting with my heavy, bulky DSLR often left me … weary. I noticed that I left my DSLR at home a lot.
I often carried an advanced compact (Canon G16), and it’s a good camera. It allows me to do SOME advanced photo techniques (aperture control, shutter speed, etc.) It’s VERY small, but still had limitations. The sensor size is still tiny, better than a smartphone, but TINY! I couldn’t produce the kind of quality images I really wanted at times. I also couldn’t stop down past f8 or change lenses. I was being limited by the gear on the kind of images I wanted to create.
A mirrorless camera system was the solution for me.
Capable enough like my DSLRs to do local paid photo work. Lightweight to carry around with me ALL the time. A larger sensor. Interchangeable lenses. The perfect balance for me and my needs. Capable and with me.
After long and heavy research, I chose a mirrorless system that suited my needs. I needed a system that would allow me to continue doing my photographic work here in San Diego. I needed something that would work with my accessories, mainly my speedlight system. I wanted something that had a sensor size that would allow me to create high quality images that I could deliver / print for my clients. I needed something that was well supported and had a robust, high-quality lens offering. I needed something that had gotten good reviews from a LOT of people – a lot of experienced people.
After much research, I bought a mirrorless camera body and one lens from a local store and tested it for a week. I knew that if it didn’t meet my expectations, that I could always return it and go back to using my DSLR system. Then came the agony of decision making. UGG! Can I really give up my DSLR system and the great glass that I had collected over the years? There was a lot of emotion tied to my old, trusty system. Those lenses and gear had come with me on travels around the world, had been with me when I first met my wife, shot the first pictures of my son. They’d taken amazing, sharp, crisp images and had made me money with my photo business.
Could I shoot professionally with a mirrorless camera? What would my clients think of me shooting with such a small compact camera? Would I come across as a professional? Could I really just change over, and sell my prized glass? After coming to the realization that MOST of my reluctance was based on sentimental emotion, I decided to pull the trigger (or press the shutter as it were). The decision was made: I’d keep the mirrorless camera, buy the lenses I needed and sell ALL the DSLR gear that I owned.
It was a tough decision, but since then, I’ve never looked back. Since then, I’ve shot professionally for local photography work. I’ve gotten paid using my mirrorless system. My clients love my work and it doesn’t matter to them what gear I am using.
I love my mirrorless camera system. The quality of the images I can create is stunning. I have it with me ALL the time. Because I’m more inclined to carry it with me, I’ve taken more pictures. I’ve missed less photo opportunities. I’ve shot more and have created more keeper images. I also love the “user experience” I have with my mirrorless camera system. It works flawlessly with my accessories and lighting system. Access to essential camera controls is fast, intuitive and a pleasure to use.
New innovative technology features allow me to shoot in ways that I wasn’t able to do with my DSLR system. It’s very capable, it’s smaller and it’s lighter. I’m not carrying around heavy, bulky gear and because of that, I have more energy and FEEL better about shooting. I’m not feeling as weary at the end of the day. My clients don’t seem to mind that I shoot with a smaller camera and when I shoot candids for personal reasons, I’m not intimidating people with gear so large it makes them anxious.
Is it a perfect system? No. The lens lineup is missing some of the glass that my old DSLR system had, but I’ve noticed that more and more choice lenses are being made and offered all the time. Getting used to the new system took me a few days of heavy use to become comfortable enough to shoot as fast and effectively as I had been. It’s smaller so some people may turn up their noses at my “little compact camera”. It’s not a perfect system, but I’m not sure there is a perfect system. Everyone who is considering “the big switchover” has a lot of things to consider, a lot of factors that come into play for their own shooting style and needs. As for me and my photography needs, I’ve chosen a mirrorless camera system and love it.
Actual relative sizes using comparable lenses. 17 – 55 f2.8 vs 18 – 55 f2.8 – f4. Also, the sensor size of the Fuji is larger than the Canon!
Helpful Links and Resources
Choosing a Mirrorless Camera
2015 high-end mirrorless camera comparison guide
http://www.gizmag.com/2015-mirrorless-camera-comparison/40985/
19 Most Popular Compact System and Mirrorless Cameras with Our Readers
http://digital-photography-school.com/popular-compact-system-mirrorless-cameras-readers/
So, what gear did you buy?
Hey Brian, For my needs, I chose the Fuji X system. I’m going to explain some of the factors in a future article.
well I HAVE sold all my Nikon gear and right now I am shooting only the G16. I understand what you are saying about limitations with the G16 but it is only a temporary solution while I make up my mind as to which mirrorless system I want to get. I don’t shoot nearly as much in the winter so that really helped me make the switch.
Decisions, decisions…….I am considering a few different systems. 1. The Fuji XT10, 2. the Olympus OM-D EM-5, or 3) the Canon EOS M3. I really love the colors and image quality of the M3 but the lens selection is a bit limited without adapting EF lenses.
My biggest tip, IF you can, make sure you can get your hands on one (or all of them) and try them out. Photography is SUCH a personal thing. In some ways, IMHO, it’s like choosing a vehicle. Are you a sedan person or a truck person, a minivan, or a sports car, a motorcycle or an SUV. Lot’s of vehicles will get you there, but It’s NOT just the end result that we crave, is it? It’s the smell of the leather or the power of a big block, or the wind in your hair, y’know? Make sure it fits YOU. There are a lot of people who might try to tell you that this is the BEST camera and maybe it is for THEM, but what’s gonna suite YOUR needs? For me, it’s a lightweight and nimble experience using a camera that’s a joy to use and cranks out some killer images. Your mileage may vary.