Mirrorless vs DSLR Navigating the Hype

Transcription

1 Mirrorless vs DSLR Navigating the Hype Wade Sheldon Web:

2 What Mirrorless Hype? Oh that.

3 Camera Mirrors A Short History Earliest cameras relied on direct viewing through light path ( view cameras) Later cameras used parallel optical systems (rangefinders, twin lens reflex, etc.) Single-lens reflex camera (SLR) was invented in 1861 by Thomas Sutton The real first 35mm format SLR was the Ihagee Kine Exakta, produced in 1936 in Germany In the 1960s the SLR camera became the preferred design for most high-end camera formats Wikipedia

4 Camera Mirrors A Short History Mirror and penta-prism (Optical Viewfinder - OVF) allow viewing correctly-oriented scene through the lens at any focal length Mirror is flipped up using springs/motors for image capture In 1960 s-1970 s TTL light meters, flash meters, autofocus sensors, focusing screens added Design persisted when digital sensors replaced film (DSLR) Recent advances include projected LED info displays Wikipedia

5 Success of the SLR/DSLR System SLR and DSLR major success story for last 60 years

6 So what s the problem with mirrors and OVF? Complex, mechanical optical path limits design innovation Mirror box requires thicker camera body Penta-prism requires taller body with centered viewfinder Longer flange distance makes fast lenses bigger, more $$ Mirror movement causes vibration, extra noise Mirrors limit max frames-per-second (faster = expensive & LOUD) Mechanical parts (mirrors and shutters) break down most Minor misalignments in optical path can cause focus shifting, require focus micro-adjust per lens Wikipedia Not WYSIWYG (dated in digital era)

7 Enter Mirrorless Mirrorless Inter-changeable Lens Camera (MILC) introduced in 2000 s Electronic viewfinder or LCD used to view the scene and compose images (or hybrid OVF/EVF in range-finder style bodies) : Panasonic & Olympus launch Micro-4/3 (MFT) system Lumix DMC-G1 first, followed by Olympus PEN and OM-series Smaller, lighter cameras and lenses with good/great IQ : Fuji and Sony release advanced APS-C and FF : Pro-level MILC from Olympus, Fuji and Sony start to challenge/overtake DSLRs in performance 2018: Canon and Nikon announce FF MILC bodies Wikipedia

8 Touted Benefits of Mirrorless Smaller, lighter cameras and lenses More advanced viewfinder Ability to adapt any lens Modern ( It s the future )

9 Claim 1: Smaller, Lighter Cameras and Lenses Reality depends on format and lens MFT vs DSLR BIG difference APS-C vs DSLR some difference FF vs DSLR some to none, depending on lens choice Mirrorless bodies also vary within a line Fuji X-T2/T3 bulkier than X-E3 Olympus OM-5 bulkier than PEN series Sony a7x bulkier than a6xxx To take advantage of smaller size, choose MFT or APS-C with primes or slower zooms Pairing a pro FF (or APS-C) lens with a mirrorless body saves little bulk and awkward

10 Claim 2: More Advanced Viewfinder Prior to 2015 EVF clearly inferior to OVF Laggy display when panning Long black-outs after exposures Grainy image in low light (poor refresh) In 2018 best EVF s rival/beat OVF s High res OLED screens Fast refresh (100+ fps) Huge array of overlays, display options WYSIWYG: exposure, color balance, DOF, even image filters (B&W, effects) Multiple layouts often available Very useful focusing aids (zoom, peaking)

11 Claim 3: Ability to Adapt Any Lens See Alberto Patiño Douce s APG talk on Vintage Lenses on Mirrorless Cameras Shorter flange distance makes adapters easier to mount WYSIWYG and focusing aids make manual exposure easier But vintage lenses can be used on DSLRs as well in Av/M mode Not a game-changer, but useful option

12 Claim 4: Modern ( It s the future ) Sony and Fuji have been innovating aggressively, outpacing Canon and Nikon DSLRs in new models and features Advances like silent electronic shutters (ES), 1/32,000 SS, 4k video, fps, premium EVF appearing in sub-$2k bodies AF innovations like >300 points over whole sensor, eye tracking, faster contrast-detect focus over-taking all but top sports bodies Fuji developing new more affordable mirrorless medium format (GFX) system that beats FF DSLR in IQ at far less $$ than CaptureONE, Hasselblad New mirrorless bodies from Nikon and Canon tepid, but promising Mirrorless development clearly at very high pace, with Sony and Fuji pushing old guard

13 Mirrorless Achilles Heals Mirrorless camera battery life much lower than DSLR Sensor energized all the time, unlike DSLR Smaller body smaller battery Expect shots/battery (1/3-1/2 DSLR) Fewer native lenses Smaller size doesn t mean smaller price tag (particularly for Sony/Fuji) Rapid release of new models decimates resale value (1/2 value per year) May appear less professional to clients (good/bad)

14 Mirror vs DSLR take homes Smaller, lighter cameras and lenses?? Yes, No, Maybe (depends on format and lens choices) More advanced viewfinder?? Yes believe the hype (but only for latest bodies, and subjective) Ability to adapt any lens?? Yes, but advantages overstated Modern ( It s the future )?? Yes, if current trends continue. But DSLRs are advancing too! Mirrorless weaknesses are important ergonomics, lower battery life, high cost, limited lens selection should be considered The Death of the DSLR is very overstated, but writing is on the wall!

15 Should You Buy a MILC? If you re buying a camera system from scratch go for it If you want a smaller secondary system for travel test the waters but be wary of size (particularly FF options) If you like the latest bleeding-edge tech and gizmos absolutely If you ve got a prosumer/pro DSLR and lust for new features tread carefully Rent or borrow first and spend some time Consider adapting current lenses to save cost Buy last year s model used to try out ( KEH, etc) Remember that the camera technology helps, it s just another tool that can help you achieve your vision

16 Where to Start Review sites: Compact MFT: Olympus PEN series Panasonic G80 / G85 High End MFT: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Panasonic GH-5 APS-C: Sony A6000 series Fuji compact/entry-level: XE-series, XT-20 Fuji prosumer/pro: XT-series, XH (IBIS, video) Full Frame: Sony A7 series, A9 series (hi performance) Nikon Z6, Z7???? (too new to tell) Canon R???? (too new to tell)

17 My Mirrorless Journey (so far) 2002: First real digital camera was fixed-lens mirrorless Nikon Coolpix E Mpx, mm equivalent zoom Tiny LSD, cruddy 75% OVF Fun travel camera, but hot-pixel-prone CCD Sold towards first DSLR (Canon 20D)

18 My Mirrorless Journey (so far) 2012: First MILC Olympus PEN E-PL2 (M43) 12 Mpx, 14-42mm, mm lenses Fun travel camera, good IQ Controls too small, LCD poor outdoors Noisy images over 800 ISO, 4x3 ratio

19 My Mirrorless Journey (so far) 2015: Upgraded MILC Olympus PEN E-PL5 (M43) with VF-2 EVF 16 Mpx, 14-42, , 20mm lenses Fun travel camera, good IQ Controls still too small, EVF helpful, but clunky Noisier images over 800 ISO, 4x3 ratio

20 My Mirrorless Journey (so far) 2017: First Pro-level MILC Fuji X-T2 24 Mpx APS-C (1.5x crop) 2.36 millions dots OLED EVF, 100fps Dual SD, ruggedized and weatherized Great dynamic range, color, sharpness Primes: 8mm f2.8 FE, 12mm f2, 23mm f1.4, 50mm f2, 60mm f2.4 macro Zooms: f2.8, f System about 1/2-2/3 weight of Canon 6D Becoming primary camera for events, astro, nature photography

21 Fuji X-T2 events

22 Fuji X-T2 nature/landscape

23 Fuji X-T2 astro