philber
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 p.7 #11 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems | |
Some of you have requested comments on equipment. For reference, and while it was overkill, I left with 4 bodies. Because I didn't yet fully trust my NEX 7, I backed it up with my 5N, and because my 5D III was only 48 hours in my hands, I brought my 5D II.
First, the one casualty to this trip is my large Velbon Sherpa Pro CF 540 tripod. Even with its centre column fully stretched, it was too short, and shorter than Boris' Gitzo 2540 without column. Many times I wished to have something taller, and stretching the centre column isn't a very good solution in terms of stability and rigidity. So it will have to go for something taller. Possily even much taller, because when shooting on a slope, you need as long legs as possible to keep things level.
The second casualty is DPP. I liked its simplicity and speed of use, and thought it delivered better RAW conversion of Canon shots than Adobe. But Canon's version of DPP for the 5D III was flawed, forcing me to re-process all my 5D shots when the fixed version was released. And frankly, LightRoom 4.0 is so far ahead of it in terms of PP ability that DPP no longer cuts it. As soon as LR 4.1 is officially released (for some reason the RC version won't install on my computer with my limited skill set), it is gone. And since I only use Zeiss lenses on my Canon, I cannot use its DLO, which sounds remarkable and might have otherwise saved it from my personal guillotine.
Then 5D II. It is gone already. The 5DIII bests it in a number of areas. AF confirm on the 5D III is a game changer in that its is now so accurate on the III as to make wide open shooting of fast glass a breeze. It must have doubled my keeper rate of next-to-wide-open shots. That I didn't post any doesn't mean they weren't sharp, but that I made other aesthetic choices, i.e. more DOF. Also on 5D III, I can push shadows at least one stop more, DR seems to be around one stop more, and colours are also better. The LCD is improved, as are the body and build. Overall, it may not be a great upgrade, but it is still significant. I guess, with the Nikon D800 and other cameras using the latest Sony sensors, Canon have their work cut out.
NEX 5N is a delight to use, and it delivers great IQ. The only problem is that NEX 7 is a very significant upgrade over it. Granted, WAs require cornerfixing, but 7 has better colours, better detail, better DR. And, while not giving it a touchscreen is a loss, the viewfinder is a great help in many situations, starting with shooting portrait orientation, or in sunlight. 5N is about to go.
What is fantastic on the NEX system is what it will deliver with top glass, i.e., in my case, Contax G 45 and 90, Leica R 60 Makro and Elmar 24, Zeiss ZM 18 and 35 f:2.0.
Lastly, a question which for me is key. Do I still need a DSLR, or is shooting all-NEX an option? Fact is, I didn't use both systems the same way. I often went to the NEX for snapshots, handheld, quick-and-dirty. Typically when Boris stopped to humour my request to do so but told me that he didn't see anything worth shooting. It got me some very nice shots, and a lot of wasted ones. Had I been more ruthless about it, and pulled my tripod out every time, and applied the same flawless discipline that Boris exhibited throughout, I would have gotten many more nice shots out of it. It would also have taken up quite a bit of time which was spent doing other things, so I don't know whether the end result would have been better or not.
For the time being, I am happy to have both systems. There are many things the NEX can do that the 5D can't, starting with being so compact and light, including lenses, that I can take it everywhere. But also, today, it displays better DR than my spanking new Canon, and maybe even better colours. But the 5D still is a joy to shoot in LiveView mode with a fast Zeiss WA, and sports an optical viewfinder that is miles ahead of the Sony EVF. I also prefer its CF cards, and many other features.
But my guess is that 5D III could well be the last DSLR I buy. The first pics of a NEX F3 have appeared, meaning that the generation following the C3/5N is just around the corner, and other companies are in hot pursuit of the same market. Their pace is incomparably swifter than Canon's leasurely 3-year+ upgrade path, and even then it is a good upgrade, but not mind-blowing. So my money is on mirrorless for my future.
Again, a great note of thanks to Boris for everything, the invitation, the organisation, the participation, and all other wonderful words that end in "tion", including congratulation for his pictures, and to all of you for being such wonderful comrades on this thread and in pursuit of perfect light!
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