p.3 #1 · Why I sold all my mirrorless gear and went back to DSLR's
I think it depends on how you grew up in photography and what you do now. I grew up as a photojournalist shooting in film then in jpeg so I had to do everything right in camera, not photoshop. I didn’t even shoot raw until I started doing wildlife.
I have a book coming out next year and 80% of it was shot in jpeg and is from my archives. One image is film.
So I don’t rely on the camera to make pictures I make pictures with the camera. Very little is done in post except color and saturation etc. Really mirrorless is just better AF for me. I’m sure I’ll shoot a Z8 again but it’s not a have to.
p.3 #2 · Why I sold all my mirrorless gear and went back to DSLR's
I find it interesting that when I observe random people, out and about, carrying Nikon and Canon cameras, those cameras are so often DSLRs, not Nikon Z or Canon R. Mirrorlessness has yet to totally dominate, in the way that enthusiast forums would indicate to be the case. Plenty of folks are still using their DSLRs.
p.3 #3 · Why I sold all my mirrorless gear and went back to DSLR's
Same. When I’m out at the wildlife preserve 90% of photographers are using DSLRs. Mirrorless is $$$ and most people in today’s world don’t have that kinda change to spare.
RexGig0 wrote:
I find it interesting that when I observe random people, out and about, carrying Nikon and Canon cameras, those cameras are so often DSLRs, not Nikon Z or Canon R. Mirrorlessness has yet to totally dominate, in the way that enthusiast forums would indicate to be the case. Plenty of folks are still using their DSLRs.
p.3 #4 · Why I sold all my mirrorless gear and went back to DSLR's
Over the years I have built up quite the collection and shoot both Canon and Nikon mirrorless and DSLR systems. I have spent almost all summer shooting exclusively on a D6, with the 180-400 F4 TC and the 70-200 2.8E.
I have the 400/600 TC Z lenses and a Z9 in the Nikon system, so that's how much I love the D6. It just produces beautiful images and it is by far the best autofocusing DSLR ever made. I don't think it got the credit it deserved being released when it was, but that thing is silly.
Is the new gear better? Yes! I shoot my Z9 and R1 on the big teles when it counts, but mostly for the frame rate! I have no problems otherwise dragging the D6 out any other time. Hell, the D6 often times focuses better than the mirrorless cameras as it doesn't hang on the background or foreground. first world problems I guess, but I still very much love to shoot on my DSLRs
I'm slowly selling off gear I don't use as much but some of my DSLR kit will stay with me until it doesn't work anymore.
p.3 #5 · Why I sold all my mirrorless gear and went back to DSLR's
David83 wrote:
Over the years I have built up quite the collection and shoot both Canon and Nikon mirrorless and DSLR systems. I have spent almost all summer shooting exclusively on a D6, with the 180-400 F4 TC and the 70-200 2.8E.
I have the 400/600 TC Z lenses and a Z9 in the Nikon system, so that's how much I love the D6. It just produces beautiful images and it is by far the best autofocusing DSLR ever made. I don't think it got the credit it deserved being released when it was, but that thing is silly.
Is the new gear better? Yes! I shoot my Z9 and R1 on the big teles when it counts, but mostly for the frame rate! I have no problems otherwise dragging the D6 out any other time. Hell, the D6 often times focuses better than the mirrorless cameras as it doesn't hang on the background or foreground. first world problems I guess, but I still very much love to shoot on my DSLRs
I'm slowly selling off gear I don't use as much but some of my DSLR kit will stay with me until it doesn't work anymore.
Very true yes, I used to shoot with the D6 and it clearly tracked better than the Sony a9II that I used at the same time. I was called a Nikon FB tens of times for daring to state that a Nikon, besides a DSLR, could be better than the holy a9Ii… but it clearly was. Nikon was definitely late to the mirrorless party in terms of mirrorless AF but it still offered the best focusing camera on earth to its users with the D6.
And it’s only with the a1 and Z9 in 2021 that something arguably better came up. And even so, not always as you rightfully point out.
The Z9II will most probably be such a leap forward that those remaining use cases may be counted though. We will know in a few months.
p.3 #6 · Why I sold all my mirrorless gear and went back to DSLR's
bernardl wrote:
Very true yes, I used to shoot with the D6 and it clearly tracked better than the Sony a9II that I used at the same time. I was called a Nikon FB tens of times for daring to state that a Nikon, besides a DSLR, could be better than the holy a9Ii… but it clearly was. Nikon was definitely late to the mirrorless party in terms of mirrorless AF but it still offered the best focusing camera on earth to its users with the D6.
And it’s only with the a1 and Z9 in 2021 that something arguably better came up. And even so, not always as you rightfully point out.
The Z9II will most probably be such a leap forward that those remaining use cases may be counted though. We will know in a few months.
Same! I'm really looking forward to the next Z9. Nikon already has the two best Sport and Wildlife lenses ever made with the TC super teles. I cannot wait to see what they deliver!
p.3 #7 · Why I sold all my mirrorless gear and went back to DSLR's
RexGig0 wrote:
I find it interesting that when I observe random people, out and about, carrying Nikon and Canon cameras, those cameras are so often DSLRs, not Nikon Z or Canon R. Mirrorlessness has yet to totally dominate, in the way that enthusiast forums would indicate to be the case. Plenty of folks are still using their DSLRs.
In the area I live, there are far more mirrorless cameras, at least those that are shooting wildlife. There are a lot of folks with very high income levels, though, and that may have something to do with it. I'm happy with my three D500 bodies and half a dozen lenses, and actually consider myself pretty lucky to have these high quality cameras and lenses.
p.3 #8 · Why I sold all my mirrorless gear and went back to DSLR's
Woodyg3 wrote:
In the area I live, there are far more mirrorless cameras, at least those that are shooting wildlife. There are a lot of folks with very high income levels, though, and that may have something to do with it. I'm happy with my three D500 bodies and half a dozen lenses, and actually consider myself pretty lucky to have these high quality cameras and lenses.
It's almost a requirement in many wildlife groups to use ES. Practically all birders do to get the higher FPS and be quiet.
I get some flak from using the a7rV sometimes though it's not really loud like a DSLR.
p.3 #9 · Why I sold all my mirrorless gear and went back to DSLR's
I love my D500 even though I'm in the process of selling it. I didn't NEED to switch to mirrorless for any reason other than video. The quality of my D500, with my assortment of F-mount glass, was darn near perfect for stills. But trying to record video on a D500 was a terrible experience for anything other than purely stationary subjects. The Z-line cameras with Expeed 7 has been wonderful in that regard. I was filming a martial arts class last night in poor lighting and even my z50ii was hunting a little bit. My D500 wouldn't have even been in a position to hunt.
p.3 #10 · Why I sold all my mirrorless gear and went back to DSLR's
Can I play too? I just bought a D810. Should have it by Friday. I've gone from film SLRs to Medium format (all sorts), digital all sorts, a few Leicas and what not. With all said and done I just find that looking at a scene with my eyes and not through some screen (of varying sizes and distances to my eye) is just where I like to be. Plus all the best photos I've got printed in books all over the house and the walls are primarily with SLRs (and the Leicas). The best of the best are medium format SLRs (Mamiya RB67 and Hasselblad) but I'm not going there again.
So I thought I'll just jump back to a Nikon. D810 and a 50/1.8G. Just to see if I'll get back into that groove, got a trip next week to the Baltics to try it out. And if I do, I'll get that 58/1.4G back and see how it works on digital, only had the F5 back in whenever I had it.
first world problems I guess, but I still very much love to shoot on my DSLRs