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Photography: DSLR vs Mirrorless

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diaspora

Member
Thanks for the laugh.

So how many professional productions have you been a part of?

If you're going to start attacking me and my job rather than arguing the points I'm making then why are you even here? The point I'm getting at which you seem to have consistently supported is that the key advantage of mirrorless cameras is the size, but that's where it ends too.
 

Animator

Member
If you're going to start attacking me and my job rather than arguing the points I'm making then why are you even here? The point I'm getting at which you seem to have consistently supported is that the key advantage of mirrorless cameras is the size, but that's where it ends too.

How am I attacking you? I am very much looking forward to you backing up your "Canon L is better quality than any lens in mirrorless world" statement.
 

diaspora

Member
How am I attacking you? I am very much looking forward to you backing up your "Canon L is better quality than any lens in mirrorless world" statement.

Canon USM lenses, L or otherwise are consistently rated with a better DXO sharpness score than Olympus and Panasonic 4/3 lenses with equivalent mpix. Larger sensors of course allow for both a greater sharpness quotient and better low light. You don't need CN-E lenses...

edit: running away from the fact that the battery life on mirrorless cameras are comparatively crippled versus SLRs isn't going to make it a non-factor for street shooting.
 

Animator

Member
Canon USM lenses, L or otherwise are consistently rated with a better DXO sharpness score than Olympus and Panasonic 4/3 lenses with equivalent mpix. Larger sensors of course allow for both a greater sharpness quotient and better low light. You don't need CN-E lenses...

edit: running away from the fact that the battery life on mirrorless cameras are comparatively crippled versus SLRs isn't going to make it a non-factor for street shooting.

Alright man, give me a couple hours. I will write a detailed reply when I get home from work.
 

yayaba

Member
Alright photo GAF, now you have me curious.

I currently have a RX100 (gen 1), love it, works great and is travel friendly. I love taking indoor / low-light shots though so I'm wondering if the A6000 with a prime lens (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096W1P5W/?tag=neogaf0e-20) would work better in that scenario? Similar focal length, same f/1.8. Am I wrong in assuming the APS-C sensor in the A6000 would provide far better low light performance? And anyway to quantify how much better it would be?

I hardly ever use the optical zoom on the RX100 since the IQ degrades pretty fast in low light.
 

diaspora

Member
Alright photo GAF, now you have me curious.

I currently have a RX100 (gen 1), love it, works great and is travel friendly. I love taking indoor / low-light shots though so I'm wondering if the A6000 with a prime lens (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096W1P5W/?tag=neogaf0e-20) would work better in that scenario? Similar focal length, same f/1.8. Am I wrong in assuming the APS-C sensor in the A6000 would provide far better low light performance? And anyway to quantify how much better it would be?

I hardly ever use the optical zoom on the RX100 since the IQ degrades pretty fast in low light.

Better, yes. Far better? IMO not a big leap, but noticeably better.
 
What sort of camera would be used to shoot models?

Depends.

When I worked on a Rankin shoot, he used a Phase One Medium format camera. He also had a Leica S-System that never left the case.

When I worked on an Annie Leibovitz shoot, she used Phase One as well, though jumped to the Canon 1DX when needed.

Interestingly as a side-note, she used zoom lenses instead of prime on the 1DX, the 24-70mm 2.8 Mark II to be exact.
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
What sort of camera would be used to shoot models?

Depends on the type of shoot (portrait vs. environmental), studio shooting (with flash) vs. Exterior Natural light. Once you get these aspects down, you'll have your camera. The most versatile bodies are the ones where you can sync flash units so you can go from studio shooting to outside depending on need.
 

Ty4on

Member
Alright photo GAF, now you have me curious.

I currently have a RX100 (gen 1), love it, works great and is travel friendly. I love taking indoor / low-light shots though so I'm wondering if the A6000 with a prime lens (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096W1P5W/?tag=neogaf0e-20) would work better in that scenario? Similar focal length, same f/1.8. Am I wrong in assuming the APS-C sensor in the A6000 would provide far better low light performance? And anyway to quantify how much better it would be?

I hardly ever use the optical zoom on the RX100 since the IQ degrades pretty fast in low light.
Bigger sensors provide better low light performance. You can google the ISO performance to see the difference. It is quantified in exposure stops where every stop up equals twice as much light. A 1.8 lens is 1.5 stops faster (more light) than a 2.8. Twice the ISO is also one stop higher as is half the shutter speed.

Shame large sensors and fast apertures are both so insanely expensive because I love shooting at night.
 

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
Glad you "lol'ed" but you can buy an X-e1 with 18-55 for like $600 new nowadays.

You do know people have been professionally shooting weddings, events, landscapes, fashion and everything else with mirrorless cameras right? Please tell me you don't think dslr's are the only way to shoot those.

Are you a working professional by the way? Do you make your living from photography/videography?

Newer mirrorless cameras all have phase and contrast detect hybrid AF. Again lens selection is not an issue every camera you buy nowadays (except the A7) have the entire focal range you would shoot Weddings and events in fast primes and fast zooms. I am not sure when was the last time you looked at a mirrorless but the lack of lenses is not a problem whatsoever. And trust me I know my lenses due to my work. Not to mention you can use all legacy lenses with a simple adapter on mirrorless cameras and focusing is way easier thanks to EVF's compared to DSLR's.

Do you guys carry your dslr with you every day by the way? How heavy is your kit?

I have a photography business, but it is not my main source of income. I shoot landscapes and wildlife. I have used and carried on multi mile hikes a 7lb 300f2.8 + camera, tripod and head.

I have used a gigantic medium format Fuji gx617 pano camera, again + tripod and head.

I have most recently used a phase one IQ 180 with a mamiya afd + tripod and head.

Size and weight are meaningless to me, I can admit that. But I want the best image quality possible and the only way to do that is with a tripod and low ISO.

I have and love a Olympus em5, I've been shooting Olympus and mirrorless since before it was cool. Its a great camera and takes great photos, but even its lens range pales as compared to whats available for a dslr. I would not trust its auto focus in intense lowlight situations, but as I understand the newer cameras are getting better. Its my go to camera for casual events and family things, as Im not going to carry a medium format camera around for casual stuff, because sometimes I don't event take photos in those situations.

All cameras have their place, not really sure why your lecturing us on why mirrorless is the only way to go.
 

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
Canon USM lenses, L or otherwise are consistently rated with a better DXO sharpness score than Olympus and Panasonic 4/3 lenses with equivalent mpix. Larger sensors of course allow for both a greater sharpness quotient and better low light. You don't need CN-E lenses...

edit: running away from the fact that the battery life on mirrorless cameras are comparatively crippled versus SLRs isn't going to make it a non-factor for street shooting.

Prove it. Olympus makes some of the best lenses around and are generally sharp across the frame which is not something you generally find in canikon lenses. Also I recall dxo rating the oly 75mm as one of the best lenses they ever tested. Edit, its the best m43 lens they've tested. I don't really read them that much.
 

diaspora

Member
Prove it. Olympus makes some of the best lenses around and are generally sharp across the frame which is not something you generally find in canikon lenses. Also I recall dxo rating the oly 75mm as one of the best lenses they ever tested.

Are you joking? There's a whole range of Canon (p-mpix 20), Nikon, Sigma (p-mpix 20), and Zeiss (p-mpix 21) lenses that are rated higher than the 75mm in sharpness (p-mpix 13).
 

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
Are you joking? There's a whole range of Canon (p-mpix 20), Nikon, Sigma (p-mpix 20), and Zeiss (p-mpix 21) lenses that are rated higher than the 75mm in sharpness (p-mpix 13).

No, if you see my edit, its the best m43 lens they've tested. I had to go look it up.

Anyway, one simply needs to use these lenses to see how they perform. I don't follow dxo because I couldn't care less about performance in a lab, or mtf charts, I care about real world performance and what people like Kirk tuck have to say and people like Michael Reichmann have to say. Both of which love Olympus glass. I couldn't tell you what they scored the d800 or what they scored my former camera the iq180 at, its just not that important, really. Theres a lot more to photography for me than how did dxo rate this?
 

diaspora

Member
No, if you see my edit, its the best m43 lens they've tested. I had to go look it up.

Anyway, one simply needs to use these lenses to see how they perform. I don't follow dxo because I couldn't care less about performance in a lab, or mtf charts, I care about real world performance and what people like Kirk tuck have to say and people like Michael Reichmann have to say. Both of which love Olympus glass. I couldn't tell you what they scored the d800 or what they scored my former camera the iq180 at, its just not that important, really. Theres a lot more to photography for me than how did dxo rate this?

In the lab, or outside of it, there's absolutely no reason to believe that Olympus glass offers any more sharpness than what Canon, Nikon, Sigma, and Zeiss offers, and based off of DXO's testing, those 4 brands offer better lenses. I'm not doubting that Olympus' 4/3 glass is the best on 4/3rds cameras but it'd be erroneous to equate it to what Canon, Nikon, Sigma, and Zeiss offers for APS-C/fullframe. It's a different market.
 

v0yce

Member
Are you joking? There's a whole range of Canon (p-mpix 20), Nikon, Sigma (p-mpix 20), and Zeiss (p-mpix 21) lenses that are rated higher than the 75mm in sharpness (p-mpix 13).

Well the Zeiss 55 1.8 FE is rated better than those (sans otus) right? And its a mirrorless lens.
 

RuGalz

Member
Are you joking? There's a whole range of Canon (p-mpix 20), Nikon, Sigma (p-mpix 20), and Zeiss (p-mpix 21) lenses that are rated higher than the 75mm in sharpness (p-mpix 13).

You have to compare sharpness at the same sensor size on their charts. Those numbers go down on smaller sensors. But DxO score for lenses really only tell very small part of story about a lens anyway. It doesn't really measure the rendering aspect of a lens.
 

diaspora

Member
Well the Zeiss 55 1.8 FE is rated better than those right? And its a mirrorless lens.

No.

You have to compare sharpness at the same sensor size on their charts.
No you don't.

Those numbers go down on smaller sensors. But DxO score for lenses really only tell very small part of story about a lens anyway. It doesn't really measure the rendering aspect of a lens.

It gives metrics for chroma, sharpness, distortion, T, vignetting which is solid IMO.
 

diaspora

Member
Yes?

It's rated higher than any Canon, Nikon, or Sigma and only bested by the uber expensive Zeiss Otus.

It's not charted above the SLR Sigma, Nikon, and Zeiss lenses, no. The only mirrorless lens that charts belongs to a Cybershot RX1 which isn't even removable.
 

RuGalz

Member
No you don't.
Yes you do if you are going to compare the p-mpix number between different lenses. Pick any lens and change the sensor size the number will be different. By taking the absolute number you are basically saying largest sensor and with highest mp will always win. Oh well read it however you want.

It gives metrics for chroma, sharpness, distortion, T, vignetting which is solid IMO.

It's your opinion. There are characteristics with lenses not measured by these numbers which is why people still prefer some legacy lenses even if their chroma is crap in today's standard for example.
 

v0yce

Member
It's not charted above the SLR Sigma, Nikon, and Zeiss lenses, no. The only mirrorless lens that charts belongs to a Cybershot RX1 which isn't even removable.

I must be using their site wrong then because when I open their site it's on the "DxOMark Score" and the fourth lens listed is the Sony FE Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*55mm f1.8 ZA, right behind 3 mounts of the Otus. And when you click the "Optical Metric Score" it's the #1 lens on the default sharpness tab.

What am i missing?
 

diaspora

Member
Yes you do if you are going to compare the p-mpix number between different lenses. Pick any lens and change the sensor size the number will be different. By taking the absolute number you are basically saying largest sensor and with highest mp will always win. Oh well read it however you want.
4/3rds SLRs don't exist, so a 1:1 comparison using the same sized sensor would be useless. The best combination of glass and bodies are on full frame, and APS-C SLRs.


It's your opinion.
That's what IMO means.

I must be using their site wrong then because when I open their site it's on the "DxOMark Score" and the fourth lens listed is the Sony FE Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*55mm f1.8 ZA, right behind 3 mounts of the Otus. And when you click the "Optical Metric Score" it's the #1 lens on the default sharpness tab.

What am i missing?

I wouldn't be able to say since using the sharpness filter, Sony is last on the first page.

EDIT: Ahh, MP was set from 0-24MP. Though it is a Zeiss lens paired with a D800 sensor, and abysmal low-light AF. It does support the notion that Olympus's glass isn't special outside of the 4/3rds realm.
 

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
In the lab, or outside of it, there's absolutely no reason to believe that Olympus glass offers any more sharpness than what Canon, Nikon, Sigma, and Zeiss offers, and based off of DXO's testing, those 4 brands offer better lenses. I'm not doubting that Olympus' 4/3 glass is the best on 4/3rds cameras but it'd be erroneous to equate it to what Canon, Nikon, Sigma, and Zeiss offers for APS-C/fullframe. It's a different market.

Yea there is. By the simple fact that many canikon lenses struggle, some mightily, with edge to edge sharpness. Many requiring to be stopped down several stops to be optimally sharp.(one just needs to read any camera forum to see many complaints about corner sharpness or corner smudging). Olympus is famous for producing lenses that are almost at their optimal sharpness wide open, but I get the sense you've never actually used them and just want to play the expert because you read what dxo had to say. And rugalz is correct, comparing how lenses perform should be done as close to apples to apples as you can get.
 

v0yce

Member
EDIT: Ahh, MP was set from 0-24MP. Though it is a Zeiss lens paired with a D800 sensor, and abysmal low-light AF. It does support the notion that Olympus's glass isn't special outside of the 4/3rds realm.

Yeah, but it shows that you don't know what you're talking about when you said this

Canon L lenses aren't the only good ones, they're just better than any mirrorless offering.

Looks like the mirroless Zeiss 35 2.8 FE is rated higher than any Canon or Nikon SLR wide angle lens as well.
 

diaspora

Member
Yea there is. By the simple fact that many canikon lenses struggle, some mightily, with edge to edge sharpness. Many requiring to be stopped down several stops to be optimally sharp.(one just needs to read any camera forum to see many complaints about corner sharpness or corner smudging). Olympus is famous for producing lenses that are almost at their optimal sharpness wide open, but I get the sense you've never actually used them and just want to play the expert because you read what dxo had to say. And rugalz is correct, comparing how lenses perform should be done as close to apples to apples as you can get.

The simple fact is, is that Olympus's lenses aren't as sharp as Nikon or Canon's at the 12-18 MP range.

Looks like the mirroless Zeiss 35 2.8 FE is rated higher than any Canon or Nikon SLR wide angle lens as well.

Zeiss 25mm, and Sigma 35mm rated higher on sharpness, and for an overall score, you can throw in a palette of other Nikon, Zeiss, Sigma, and Canon lenses that top it.
 

Animator

Member
All cameras have their place, not really sure why your lecturing us on why mirrorless is the only way to go.

I am not, I am just calling out the bullshit claims in this thread that claim DSLR is the only way to go if you want to take professional pictures.

For anyone looking to get a DSLR or mirrorless some things to consider:


-Size does matter: Chances are you want to take pictures of your kids/street photography/vacation photography. A DSLR is a heavy beast. You are not going to want to carry a backpack full of DSLR equipment all day. It is also terrible for street and candid photography because everyone notices a DSLR instantly while you can take pictures with a small mirrorless and nobody cares. Most venues and concerts don't even let people carry in a DSLR with them while you can freely take in a mirrorless.

-Price does matter: DSLR's are expensive. Cheap DSLR's are without exception shitty cameras. Yes you can get a Canon T3i with the useless kit lens for $600 but that camera is a piece of shit you will hate. It has terrible viewfinder and lacks many features that make it worth getting a DSLR. A full frame Canon will cost you $2k+ to $3700 body only and the lenses for full frame sensors are WAY more expensive and bigger than lenses made for smaller sensors. If you believe Diaspora's BS and buy some L lenses for your cheap ass canon T3i it will be a waste of money because you are paying full frame lens prices and using it on a crop body. Mirrorless system lenses are designed for the smaller sensor and body so they are smaller while having equal or much better IQ while being much cheaper.

Full frame does NOT matter: Clueless people will say things like "you need full frame if you want to take pro looking pictures or if you want to shoot in the dark" That is pretty much the equivalent of "you need to buy a new GFX card every month if you want to play a game on PC". Modern Mirrorless cameras all have ISO comparable to full frame nowadays. Fuji cameras can shoot up to ISO 6400 with barely any noise.

AF Speed: Pro DSLR's are faster than mirrorless cameras in this department. Chances are you won't be getting a pro DSLR nor need one unless you make your living shooting sports. Current mirrorless AF speed is fast enough for most anything you will shoot. Do a youtube search for the camera you are interested in and it's AF speed test.

Lenses: Mirrorless have absolutely amazing lens selection and anyone who claims otherwise is an idiot who doesn't know what he is talking about or believes that Leica lenses are the only lenses capable of taking good pictures. When you are buying lenses it goes like this: There are lenses that are slow and crap. Such as your cheap kit lenses like the ones that come with T3i's. Then you have the good value lenses. These are the lenses that are cheaper than the "pro" lenses but give you %90 of the image quality. Maybe they are a little softer in the corners but nobody will give a fuck nor notice when they look at your pictures.

A good example of this is the Canon 85mm USM f1.8 here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/12182-USA/Canon_2519A003_85mm_f_1_8_USM_Autofocus.html

and the 85mm f1.2 here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/423691-USA/Canon_1056B002AA_EF_85mm_f_1_2L_II.html

The cheaper one actually focuses way faster too by the way. The 85 1.2 is a beast of a lens that weights like a car and you will be lucky if you can get anything in focus at f1.2. I owned and shot and sold prints with both and preferred the cheaper one because it was easier to carry and use and honestly it was sharp enough. Don't fall into the trap where the camera store salesmans try to trick you into thinking you can only shoot good pictures with pro lenses. Some of the most famous pictures taken in history are taken with cameras you can buy for $20 nowadays. The best camera is the one you can always carry with you.

Here are some videos and sites:

XT-1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW8Cz_v3w1E

EM-1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESOj56fWB8Q

Fashion photography with Fuji: http://www.laroquephoto.com/blog/

http://beam.zackarias.com/#!/index

Olympus EM1: http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2014/02/12/the-olympus-e-m1-takes-manhattan-by-neil-buchan-grant/
 

v0yce

Member
The simple fact is, is that Olympus's lenses aren't as sharp as Nikon or Canon's at the 12-18 MP range.



Zeiss 25mm, and Sigma 35mm rated higher on sharpness, and for an overall score, you can throw in a palette of other Nikon, Zeiss, Sigma, and Canon lenses that top it.

Well I thought sharpness was where you were hanging your hat. And lol. A palette? You're trying too hard. Most of those are the exact same lens just measured on different bodies and there is only one Canon and one Nikon that are higher. And by "higher" the Canon has the same score and the Nikon is a 34 vs a 33.
 

diaspora

Member
-Size does matter: Chances are you want to take pictures of your kids/street photography/vacation photography. A DSLR is a heavy beast. You are not going to want to carry a backpack full of DSLR equipment all day. It is also terrible for street and candid photography because everyone notices a DSLR instantly while you can take pictures with a small mirrorless and nobody cares. Most venues and concerts don't even let people carry in a DSLR with them while you can freely take in a mirrorless.

Size doesn't really matter, a sling bag is all that's necessary unless you want to bring a 70-200 with you.

Price does matter: DSLR's are expensive. Cheap DSLR's are without exception shitty cameras. Yes you can get a Canon T3i with the useless kit lens for $600 but that camera is a piece of shit you will hate.
Still advantageous over 4/3rds as far as general and low-light AF are concerned.

It has terrible viewfinder and lacks many features that make it worth getting a DSLR. A full frame Canon will cost you $2k+ to $3700 body only

Yes, yes. $1500 = $2000+

and the lenses for full frame sensors are WAY more expensive and bigger than lenses made for smaller sensors. If you believe Diaspora's BS and buy some L lenses for your cheap ass canon T3i it will be a waste of money because you are paying full frame lens prices and using it on a crop body.
And they would still deliver better results than 4/3rds.

Full frame does NOT matter: Clueless people will say things like "you need full frame if you want to take pro looking pictures or if you want to shoot in the dark" That is pretty much the equivalent of "you need to buy a new GFX card every month if you want to play a game on PC". Modern Mirrorless cameras all have ISO comparable to full frame nowadays. Fuji cameras can shoot up to ISO 6400 with barely any noise.

Mirrorless APS-C and 4/3rds cameras do not compare to full frame mirrorless or SLR cameras, and certainly not for noise.

AF Speed: Pro DSLR's are faster than mirrorless cameras in this department. Chances are you won't be getting a pro DSLR nor need one unless you make your living shooting sports. Current mirrorless AF speed is fast enough for most anything you will shoot. Do a youtube search for the camera you are interested in and it's AF speed test.

Sports, or people walking.

A good example of this is the Canon 85mm USM f1.8 here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/12182-USA/Canon_2519A003_85mm_f_1_8_USM_Autofocus.html

and the 85mm f1.2 here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/423691-USA/Canon_1056B002AA_EF_85mm_f_1_2L_II.html

The cheaper one actually focuses way faster too by the way. The 85 1.2 is a beast of a lens that weights like a car and you will be lucky if you can get anything in focus at f1.2. I owned and shot and sold prints with both and preferred the cheaper one because it was easier to carry and use and honestly it was sharp enough.

I actually use the 1.8 over the 1.2 as well for the speed.

edit: yo, are we going to mention street photography but not the significant differences in battery life?
 

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
The simple fact is, is that Olympus's lenses aren't as sharp as Nikon or Canon's at the 12-18 MP range.



Zeiss 25mm, and Sigma 35mm rated higher on sharpness, and for an overall score, you can throw in a palette of other Nikon, Zeiss, Sigma, and Canon lenses that top it.
Lmao, way to move the goal posts. But Olympus has a better "rendering palette" than Nikon or canon. Just talk to someone who use all the systems. You really need to go do some research, Olympus is famous for their lenses, plain and simple, like literally, you hear the names Zeiss, Leica and zuiko when people talk about great lenses/lens makers.

Also, you completely ignored my point about edge to edge sharpness and edge smudging that is very prevalent with canikon lenses. Agree to disagree, you can use dxo, ill use real world experience.

how did this thread get more intense than The Official Camera Equipment Megathread?
Photography is serious business. Everyone has to justify their purchases to others on the net.

But as I said earlier all cameras have their place. You'd have to try to buy a bad camera nowadays.
 

Animator

Member
\


Photography is serious business. Everyone has to justify their purchases to others on the net.

But as I said earlier all cameras have their place. You'd have to try to buy a bad camera nowadays.

And even then a shit camera is worthwhile in the right hands.
 

diaspora

Member
Fuji does. There are a million reviews that compare and contrast already so anyone doubting the ISO prowess of APS-C cameras can check those out for proof.

I've already done research for this in advance, and it still doesn't hold up against full frame.
 

JDeluis

Member
Bought a canon EOS M and haven't used my SLRs much since.

Going on a trip to japan soon, maybe only with my EOS-M and 22mm prime. Size and weight you see. I just can't be bothered lugging around an entire SLR kit any more.

I've done the same thing. I have a 7D and when I bought the EOS-M I stopped using it as much. Only use the 7D when going to the zoo. My EOS-M has become my main camera with the 22mm..

I went on a cruise to Mexico and took both cameras. Used the EOS-M 95% of the trip due to weight and gets less attention from other people. You should pick up a efm 18-55 as a second lens for your trip.
 

Animator

Member
Yea I take 400-500 shots on one battery with my X-E1. I don't take that many shots in one outing pretty much ever but if I do happen to run out of battery I have a spare one that costs $20 in my bag that weights nothing. So yea it is not an issue.
 

East Lake

Member
Yea I take 400-500 shots on one battery with my X-E1. I don't take that many shots in one outing pretty much ever but if I do happen to run out of battery I have a spare one that costs $20 in my bag that weights nothing. So yea it is not an issue.
Unless you need to take a picture when you're changing batteries...
 

diaspora

Member
You're cool with lugging around a DSLR bag but you can't put an extra tiny battery in your pocket?

It's a sling bag, so I don't actually have to lug around anything. This is doubly true if I just bring the body on a black rapid strap with a prime. I also have near triple the battery life so that's nice.
 

royalan

Member
I am not, I am just calling out the bullshit claims in this thread that claim DSLR is the only way to go if you want to take professional pictures.

For anyone looking to get a DSLR or mirrorless some things to consider:


-Size does matter: Chances are you want to take pictures of your kids/street photography/vacation photography. A DSLR is a heavy beast. You are not going to want to carry a backpack full of DSLR equipment all day. It is also terrible for street and candid photography because everyone notices a DSLR instantly while you can take pictures with a small mirrorless and nobody cares. Most venues and concerts don't even let people carry in a DSLR with them while you can freely take in a mirrorless.

-Price does matter: DSLR's are expensive. Cheap DSLR's are without exception shitty cameras. Yes you can get a Canon T3i with the useless kit lens for $600 but that camera is a piece of shit you will hate. It has terrible viewfinder and lacks many features that make it worth getting a DSLR. A full frame Canon will cost you $2k+ to $3700 body only and the lenses for full frame sensors are WAY more expensive and bigger than lenses made for smaller sensors. If you believe Diaspora's BS and buy some L lenses for your cheap ass canon T3i it will be a waste of money because you are paying full frame lens prices and using it on a crop body. Mirrorless system lenses are designed for the smaller sensor and body so they are smaller while having equal or much better IQ while being much cheaper.

Full frame does NOT matter: Clueless people will say things like "you need full frame if you want to take pro looking pictures or if you want to shoot in the dark" That is pretty much the equivalent of "you need to buy a new GFX card every month if you want to play a game on PC". Modern Mirrorless cameras all have ISO comparable to full frame nowadays. Fuji cameras can shoot up to ISO 6400 with barely any noise.


AF Speed: Pro DSLR's are faster than mirrorless cameras in this department. Chances are you won't be getting a pro DSLR nor need one unless you make your living shooting sports. Current mirrorless AF speed is fast enough for most anything you will shoot. Do a youtube search for the camera you are interested in and it's AF speed test.

Lenses: Mirrorless have absolutely amazing lens selection and anyone who claims otherwise is an idiot who doesn't know what he is talking about or believes that Leica lenses are the only lenses capable of taking good pictures. When you are buying lenses it goes like this: There are lenses that are slow and crap. Such as your cheap kit lenses like the ones that come with T3i's. Then you have the good value lenses. These are the lenses that are cheaper than the "pro" lenses but give you %90 of the image quality. Maybe they are a little softer in the corners but nobody will give a fuck nor notice when they look at your pictures.

A good example of this is the Canon 85mm USM f1.8 here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/12182-USA/Canon_2519A003_85mm_f_1_8_USM_Autofocus.html

and the 85mm f1.2 here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/423691-USA/Canon_1056B002AA_EF_85mm_f_1_2L_II.html

The cheaper one actually focuses way faster too by the way. The 85 1.2 is a beast of a lens that weights like a car and you will be lucky if you can get anything in focus at f1.2. I owned and shot and sold prints with both and preferred the cheaper one because it was easier to carry and use and honestly it was sharp enough. Don't fall into the trap where the camera store salesmans try to trick you into thinking you can only shoot good pictures with pro lenses. Some of the most famous pictures taken in history are taken with cameras you can buy for $20 nowadays. The best camera is the one you can always carry with you.

Here are some videos and sites:

XT-1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW8Cz_v3w1E

EM-1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESOj56fWB8Q

Fashion photography with Fuji: http://www.laroquephoto.com/blog/

http://beam.zackarias.com/#!/index

Olympus EM1: http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2014/02/12/the-olympus-e-m1-takes-manhattan-by-neil-buchan-grant/

Can you explain the bolded for me? I don't really have a hat in this race yet, but I've been looking to get a more high quality camera, and so far in all my research the general consensus tends to be that if size isn't an issue, then a DSLR beats mirrorless in pretty much all other categories, particularly price and image quality. But you seem to be implying otherwise, and I'm curious as to your reasoning.

Size really isn't an issue for me. On days when I feel like I'm going to be carrying more than my phone, keys and wallet I carry my day bag with me, which makes the size difference between a DSLR and mirrorless almost negligible.
 

East Lake

Member
Yea man that happens ALL THE TIME.

jesus christ....
You're being a bit of a douche about this aren't you? Even a lot of your examples in that last rant are completely wrong. I don't know if you haven't bothered looking or are lying for more effect. "A full frame Canon will cost you 2k+-3700" - No it doesn't. You can get a 6D for 1499 or a 5DII or 5D far cheaper. Or "cheap DSLRs are without exception shitty cameras" - How about a Nikon D7000 for 600 or under? Not a shitty camera.
 

elfinke

Member
Someone mentioned getting a mirror less as a back saving thing over DSLR's. that was before this thread took a typical turn for the... Well, whatever it did that made it not fun. Which is the opposite of what hobbyist cameras and photo taking should be.

Regarding, about the back thing, get - or make - a 'gliding camera strap'. It attaches to the cameras tripod screw, slings around your shoulder like a backpack and allows the camera to freely move along the sling.

http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57496891-285/diy-the-$10-gliding-camera-strap/

Best ever, regardless of the camera you use, but doubly so if you're using big glass. I made mine, cost all of $5 (as I had the majority of the bits and pieces already lying around). And if you want to not look like someone who just bought their camera, this small change to the way you carry your camera will make you stand out ever so slightly, for better or worse, as well as save your back and neck.

http://howto.cnet.com/2300-11310_39-10013443-6.html
 
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