October 2020 – frederikboving

Is mirrorless cameras better than DSLRs?

I shoot both mirrorless and DSLRs and enjoy both of them. But there are differences, and in this post I want to share how I see them, and give you advantages of both types of cameras. My DSLRs are the Nikon D750, D700 and D5600, whereas my mirrorless are the Sony A7Rii, Fuji X-T3 and X-T20.

Nikon D700 in the background, Fuji X-T3 in front

Where mirrorless is better

Viewfinder options. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) gives some options for combining camera metrics and the traditional viewfinder in one screen, where the DSLR primarily gives the view through the lens, and allows a bit of data to be displayed beneath. The EVF can show you what hits the sensor alongside with vital metrics like the histogram , just to give one example, and the DSLR has no chance to do so, other than in live view mode.

Autofocus. The autofocus capabilities of a modern mirrorless are nothing but astonishing. It is probably debatable if the software in the camera is artificial intelligence or just very powerful software, but the result it delivers cannot be disputed. With continuous software updates the manufacturers can push new and better software to do face recognition and eye detection, and the recent Fuji X-T3 software update is a brilliant example of the progress made. Also, there is typically no limitation to where you can put the focus point for single point focus – on a DSLR that is more or less limited to the center of the frame.

Exposure preview. If you, like me, shoot at lot in manual mode, the exposure preview in the EVF is a huge help. What you see in the viewfinder emulates exactly the picture you will take when you hit the shutter, so if your settings underexpose the picture, your viewfinder shows a dark picture. I know that a DSLR has a metering scale that says the same, but I am often so occupied with looking at the subject, framing, etc that I forget to look at the meter. The “warning” that you get from the EVF has saved me some frustrations more than once.

Shooting with old manual focus lenses. The fact that the EVF allows you to zoom what you see in the viewfinder, is a huge benefit to manual focus, and this in combination with focus peak points makes manual focus on a mirrorless so much easier than a DSLR. In fact, these features in combination with a dumb adaptors, makes it possible to use vintage lenses from various brands on any mirrorless camera. So the huge amount of cheap but high quality vintage glass available has suddenly been brought to new life due to the features of the mirrorless camera bodies.

Silence. Maybe a specialized feature, but you can shoot absolutely silent with a mirrorless camera. No moving parts when you hit the shutter, if you switch on the electronic “curtain”. It is a very strange feeling when you try it first time, and I have my camera simulate the sound of a DSLR to give me feedback that a picture was taken. But I can see that wedding photographers taking the “I do” picture or the discrete street photographer enjoying the stealth mode of their mirrorless cameras.

Video capabilities. The mirrorless cameras get more and more computing power and this also makes it possible to process more and more resolution and frames per second. We have seen 1080p grow to 4K and 8K, the bit depth increases and the max frames per second also seems to double every second year. And this technology is primarily available in mirrorless, with the Nikon D780 being the exception to this rule. So demanding hybrid shooters probably only look towards mirrorless when choosing a camera these days.

Where DSLRs are better

The optical viewfinder (OVF). No matter how good they make the electronic viewfinder (EVF), it will never be as good and as fast as the optical one. There is no lag at all, and what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG). On the EVF, you are watching TV. Modern EVFs are fast and have a lot of resolution, but it will never be as fast and as high resolution as the real deal.

The battery life. Provided you don’t shoot in live view, the advantage of the DSRL is that it doesn’t have to fire up and power a TV screen (the EVF) that drains a lot of power. So the battery life of a DSLR is much longer than the mirrorless. You probably want to get a vertical grip for your mirrorless alone for the reason that it holds one or more extra batteries to compensate for the fact that a mirrorless chews your batteries like packman chews coins.

Ergonomics. I am of the opinion that a camera should either be so small you can carry and operate it with 3 fingers (like the Sony RX100) or so big and bulky that it fills your hand and has a good grip, like the Nikon D700. Anything in between is a mistake. Both Fuji X-T20, X-T3 and Sony A7Rii are unfortunately in the “in between” zone, and for all I have had to buy battery grips, not for the sake of more battery power, but to give me just decent ergonomics. I think it is fine that the body is more slim and the weight is a bit lower than on a DSLR, but please give me ergonomics like the good old DSLRs!

Price. DSLRs have been around for many years, and a good guesstimate is that more than 95% of the cameras out there today (October 2020) are DSLRs. And many cameras produced today are still DSLRs. So if you want to buy used or make a good deal on a black Friday, you will get much more camera for your money when it comes to DSLRs than a mirrorless. I am a big advocate for the Nikon D700, and although dated and only a 12MP camera, it produces absolutely amazing pictures and can be found for 400 EUR (used of course). And with a bit of luck, your copy will not be too beaten up and has a shutter count with plenty actuations left still. Be aware that the camera manufacturers stop producing spare parts after some years (how many varies) so eventually it will be difficult to have your trusty DSLR repaired.

What should you choose?

Camera choice comes down to personal preferences. You need a shoe that fits your foot. You cannot assume that because I like a certain shoe, that it will suit you. Feet and preferences are different. And so are photographers.

That said, I think that photographers shooting things that move fast like sports and wildlife will enjoy the AF features a mirrorless provides. But on the other hand the Nikon D500 (a DSLR) still has one of the best and fastest AF systems any camera can offer.

People photographers (wedding, portrait, friends/family) may enjoy the AF capabilities of the mirrorless, especially face detection and eye detection, to maximize the number of pictures in focus. It is a big relief that you can focus on other things than obtaining focus, and once you have gotten used to this comfort, I think it is hard to turn back.

Hybrid shooters will enjoy the evolution of the video capabilities in the mirrorless cameras. But a Go-Pro camera can also do astonishing things if your zoom/lens requirements are not too advanced, so a better option could be a cheap DSLR with a Go-Pro on the side.

And just to round off with a bit of perspective: Many of the pictures that are classic and that you probably have seen and admired many times, were made with technology far less advanced than the camera in your smartphone! Choosing a good camera body is vital, but subject, scene, colors, light, timing and composition are even more important. So maybe your good old DSLR is not so bad after all.

Thank you for reading this far!

Do you need dual card slots?

Memory cards do fail. It is as simple as that. But they do so very seldom, in fact very, very seldom. But it can happen, and therefore, with so many memory cards out there, it will happen.

I have 5 cameras, shoot in the vicinity of 30.000 pictures a year (RAW format), and have never had a memory card fail on me. But you cannot use the past to predict what will happen in the future – the probability of a card failing on you is bigger than zero. It is as simple as that. It will happen, maybe not to you this year, but it will happen to someone this year.

So do you need dual card slots? It comes down to your risk profile. Most wedding or event photographers turn pale thinking about the conversation they will have with the client, when it turns out that some or all the pictures are lost. So many pros will be very risk adverse and demand dual card slots. And for a good reason: resilience is the cure.

For happy enthusiasts the situation may be a bit different. It is not necessarily a catastrophe if your pictures are lost, and that in combination with the paper thin likelihood of a card failure, leads many to settle for a camera with only one card slot. And the camera producers know this, and save some money making most camera models with only one card slot. And you can make your own version of resilience, and bring two 1-card-slot cameras where you alter between the two throughout the day – not as resilient as two cameras with two cards slots, but a lot better than only one 1-card-slot camera.

So my answer to the question is as annoying as when you ask your bank advisor for investment advice: the first thing they ask for is your risk profile. But it is really what it comes down to. With this reservation, my answer without knowing your risk profile is yes if you are a pro and probably not if you are an enthusiast.

Further, to preserve your data, you probably do backup the pictures on your PC to some alternate form of storage. But remember that it is not only the data that needs duplication to make a good backup, it is also the location. I once worked in a company that carefully did backup of their servers every night. Only to find that thieves one night ran with both the servers and the backup drives. So make sure that your backups are at a different location than the original, to counter both theft and fire. Cloud based backup solutions fulfill these requirements, so please factor this in next time you are to choose between a physical backup drive or a cloud based ditto.

Thank you for reading this far! Comments and questions more than welcome!

Make sure to get a camera strap!

A camera strap is key!

I lost my beloved Nikon D7500 in a salt water accident some years back. I was walking on some slippery stones on the beach, and suddenly lost grip and stumbled and fell! In order to support myself, I had to use both hands, but one of my hands held my D7500! So for a fraction of a second I had to dip my camera into salt water – and that was the end of it. Tried to save it with lots of TLC, but it was dead. Salt water kills your electronics with astonishing speed and efficiency!

So I learned the hard way that a camera strap is key, and I got one immediately. But did not like it. So I got another one. But did not like it. You get the picture.

I ended up with this leash strap from Peak Design. I am not sponsored by Peak Design, but have affiliate links to their products below, as I find they are a very good solution. The leash model is depicted here:

It is a very thin strap, and I would not recommend it to heavy cameras like the Nikon D700 with say a 180mm vintage lens, as this package is more than 2.5 kilo and the thin strap would cut into your neck and shoulder unless wintertime with lots of insulation between you and the strap. But for most cameras this strap is more than wide enough. good news is that Peak Design makes their straps in different widths and for my D700 I have chosen a much wider strap, that uses the same anchor mounts as the thin one.

Peak Design Leash

The strap is really easy and fast to adjust in length in both sides using the mechanism depicted below. You simply lift the black strap and adjust the length, let go again and the length is adjusted:

Peak Design Strap — This system makes adjusting the length of the strap easy!

And finally the strap can be detached from the camera real quick by a simple but safe mechanism where you push a button like mechanism and the strap and the anchor mount can be detached. It looks fragile but is not – according to Peak Design, the strap can take a load up to 90 kilos!

The release mechanism in the Peak Design leash strap.

Although I am a strong advocate of having a camera strap, I equally much enjoy to work with my cameras at home without a strap. So the release mechanism has served me well, and it also enables you to share the same strap amongst different cameras if need be.

Shopping links

Affiliate link the leash strap above.

Link the much wider (1.4 inch) strap also from Peak Design.

Which enthusiast Nikon DSLR to choose?

The lineup of Nikon cameras is indeed overwhelming and especially with the introduction of the mirrorless cameras, the number of choices has increased and you may find it is even more confusing. Despair not – I will give you my overview of the DSLR enthusiast cameras, to help you make an informed decision choosing a camera body.

The two entry level cameras here in 2020 is the D3500 and D5600. I have had the please of owning a D5600 for a few years, but sold it to upgrade my gear. I found the D5600 to be a very good camera, but for me these two cameras have one big drawback: the lack of a built in AF motor. This means that the huge collection of auto focus (AF) Nikon vintage glass out there only works with manual focus. Not that I mind manual focus, but I also like the comfort of AF.

The so called mid-range cameras D7100 and D7200 are probably the cameras where I have seen most posts from people loving and defending these two cameras. Although both APS-C cameras and no longer in production, the fans of these two models seems almost to have an emotional attachment to the cameras that I cannot really explain. This is probably why the follow-up camera, the D7500 is the camera many love to hate. I have never owned a D7100 or D7200, but I did own a D7500 and absolutely loved it. It is a very good all-round camera, and although I cannot prove it, I think some of the explanation stems from the relatively modern EXPEED processor that sits in the camera. Unfortunately I lost that camera in a salt water accident, and that is why I today am one of the strongest advocates for camera straps, so you have 2 hands free to support yourself if you suddenly stumble and – almost – fall!

Like both the D3500, D5600, D7100, D7200 and D7500, the D500 is an APS-C (cropped sensor) camera. It is a little unusual, as the 4 character (Dx00) name is usually reserved full frame cameras. But the D500 probably earned its position amongst the 4-characters because it is a top level camera, targeted at the sports and wildlife photographers. Even today in 2020 and despite it being a DSLR with a mirror flipping and all, the D500 is still considered one of the best enthusiast level cameras for shooting many frames per second with a blazing fast auto focus.

The D600 and D610 are the entry level full frame cameras. Nikon calls full frame for FX and although I have never owned a D610, I have the feeling that Nikon here made a camera where the only premium about it is the sensor size and resolution. So I have stayed clear of the D610 and recommend you do the same, and instead look at the Nikon D750 (they are both 24 MP cameras). To me the Nikon D750 with a superior AF system borrowed from the much more expensive D810 is a gift to anyone (like me) that loves shooting in low light situations. The D750 can literally see in the dark. And the all round features of the D750 has made this the wedding photographers work horse, if not as the prime camera, then as a solid backup. You can read about my reasons for selecting the D750 back in 2018 here: https://frederikboving.com/why-i-chose-the-nikon-d750-dslr-in-2018-for-stills

The D750 has today been replaced by the D780, a camera that probably shows that Nikon has understood that 98% of the Nikon cameras in circulation are DSLRs with F-mount lenses, and if they want to sell new bodies to photographers with Nikon glass, they need to continue to produce and develop DSLRs for some time still.

With the D750 and the D700 we are in the class that Nikon calls the high end. Back in 2008 when the D700 camera was released, it was probably the best enthusiast cameras available. You can read my blog about the D700 here: https://frederikboving.com/the-legendary-nikon-d700-still-relevant-in-2020/ – This camera has an extremely loyal fan base and I count myself one of them. Although “only” a 12MP sensor, the camera has many other features that has established a solid fan base: the build quality of the camera, the low price (no longer in production, can be bought used), the fact that the camera can go on and on far beyond the max promised shutter count by Nikon, that the in camera image processing renders pictures with colors and especially skin tones like no other camera ever since, etc. The down sides of this camera is that it is heavy, bulky, has no video recording capabilities and the resolution puts limits to the cropping you can do. And it is difficult to find a good not-too-beaten-up copy here in 2020. But many enthusiasts love this camera and say that even though they have moved on to other cameras, this one is still something special.

With the D800/D810/D850 we are at the top of the line when we talk Nikon enthusiast DSLRs. If you want more, then we move into the professional line, the D4, D4S, D5 and so on. But as enthusiast the D850 is the dream camera. A monster with a 45MP sensor and the embodiment of all Nikons experience gathered in one camera. Even today with mirrorless entering the scene and Sony making a big push to enter the scene, many photographers still think of the D850 as the best enthusiast camera ever made. It is big and bulky, the sensor is 45MP and many don’t need that resolution at all. But if you do, this camera should definitely be on your short list. The predecessors D800(e) and D810 are also good cameras, although recalls and some criticism of the color rendition from some reviewers, has at least made me stay clear of these cameras and focus my “cameras-I-cannot-afford” attention to the D850.

If you dream about going mirrorless, then Nikon offers for example the full frame Z6 and Z7. It seems to me they are the equivalent of the D750 and D850. The big drawback is that the Z cameras do have a new lens mount, and you need a so called FTZ adapter to allow you to use F-mount glass on your Z series camera. And you will not get the mechanical lenses to work with auto focus, as there is no AF motor built into the camera or the adapter. So you are left with manual focus, unless you have some more modern glass, where the AF motor is built into the lens (like the G series). So for this reason I am still sitting on the fence a bit when it comes to the Z cameras. My collection of vintage glass with seems to drift towards manual focus anyhow, so the lack of an AF motor is less and less of an issue for me, but the size of the issue depends on how important AF is to you.

Thank you for reading this far! Please don’t hesitate to drop a question or comment – I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Month: October 2020