| Joined: | Thu Apr 19th, 2012 |
| Location: | United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 4435 |
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For me, the transition to mirrorless is still a work in progress. At the moment it's very much a case of on what and how you intend to use it.
A key attribute of mirrorless is weight saving. But this is only realised if the camera is used as it stands (eg without added grips/batteries) and with similarly lightweight lenses.
It's my observation that all mirrorless camera bodies have departed, to some degree or another, from the evolutionary ergonomic design of the current DSLR bodies. I have always felt the D750 and now the D850 are the pinnacle of 'in the hand' fit. The problem, if it is indeed a problem for some, is the weight of that body size, especially with the added weight of typical DSLR lenses.
I would have much preferred Nikon to keep the body size of the Z system the same as the D750/850....just made it lighter. Making it smaller compromises balance and comfort when handholding heavier/longer lenses.
I bought into the Fuji XT programme and was happy with the weight of the bodies and day to day lenses. The retro look, angular feel and corners weren't my ideal but the camera was light enough to 'put up with' the feel most of the time.
It was only when I started taking bird photographs that I realised the Fuji 400mm zoom lens was only marginally lighter than the Nikon equivalent. In addition, the need for best operational speed could only be approached with a battery grip and 2 batteries. Whilst this grip added back some balance, it also added weight. My birding kit was therefore only a couple of hundred grams lighter than an Nikon DSLR equivalent set up.
Despite loving the wysiwyg exposure compensation, I ditched Fuji because it's functionality, evf, weight and battery life failed to improve on a DSLR kit....IN THIS APPLICATION.
I tried the Z7 but although the evf was much improved and the feel in the hand was less lumpy than the Fuji, it was still short in the grip making it imbalanced in the hand even with my new lightweight 500mm PF lens.
So I have arrived at the belief that whilst mirrorless is good for many applications it is a compromise for some....at the moment.
That said, I am moving towards having both systems in parallel. Keeping shorter, lighter lenses for a mirrorless camera but a DSLR for faster more distant and exacting subjects.
Right now my dilemma is which DSLR to keep and which mirrorless to get.
Last edited on Thu Aug 29th, 2019 15:09 by Eric
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Eric