# From DSLR to Mirrorless?



## Ilina Alexandru (May 31, 2019)

Hello!
At the moment I own a Nikon D300 camera, it was my first camera, but now I want to invest in another body and a few lenses (atleast a wide one and a portrait lens).
It's so hard for me to decide to choose from Sony A7 II and Fujifilm X-T2. I'll use the choosen camera for more "types" of photography, but the main types are portrait, events (wedding, christening, parties etc.) but aswell as for my hobby (street, night, maybe landscapes etc.). I mean, a camera which I can use in every situation.
Video mode isn't that important for me, but it's good to have it.
I'd prefer the Fuji, because of the 2 card slots, but now I want to hear your recommandations.
And of course, you can recommand me other cameras.

Or maybe I should stay with DSLRs? Just upgrade to full-frame?


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## ronlane (May 31, 2019)

I've not shot the Sony A7ii but I have shot the Fuji X-T2. I have a number of friends around me that are going to the Fuji system for portrait and even work. I shot an event with a couple of friends that use the Fuji and I like the results and the bodies. (I actually shot with one all night for one of those events.)

They are turning my head to the possibility of going mirrorless for my portrait and landscape and street work.


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## Ilina Alexandru (May 31, 2019)

ronlane said:


> I've not shot the Sony A7ii but I have shot the Fuji X-T2. I have a number of friends around me that are going to the Fuji system for portrait and even work. I shot an event with a couple of friends that use the Fuji and I like the results and the bodies. (I actually shot with one all night for one of those events.)
> 
> They are turning my head to the possibility of going mirrorless for my portrait and landscape and street work.



Thank you for your answear, I've heard a lot of great things about APS-C Fuji's


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## ronlane (May 31, 2019)

You're welcome. I am thinking that I will be going to a FF mirror-less Canon when I go.


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## Jeff15 (May 31, 2019)

Hello and welcome, I had all Nikon gear for very many years. Just over two years ago I switched to mirrorless and have never looked back.....


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## Soocom1 (May 31, 2019)

Personally my choice would be the Sony. 
but I am one of the weird types that sees low ISO, and certain other aspects. 

But I also like weight and size (given my hand size).


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## TreeofLifeStairs (May 31, 2019)

Soocom1 said:


> Personally my choice would be the Sony.
> but I am one of the weird types that sees low ISO, and certain other aspects.
> 
> But I also like weight and size (given my hand size).



I’m also a Sony user. I’m completely happy with their product line but I’ve heard others complain that their lenses are a bit pricey. They may be right but I see value in them. I own the 85mm 1.4 GM lens and the 18-35mm 2.8 GM lens (I shoot architecture for money, and my family for fun). Keep in mind that all the GM lenses are pretty large so the small body is pretty much nullified. 

You could always use other brand lenses with the body if you prefer. The a7ii that I have has in body stabilization so other non stabilized lenses would still benefit. 

I think in the end you’d be happy with a Fuji too. The aps-c sensor will work better if you want to keep the lens size down. Plus you have the added reach of the lens (the 1.5 crop factor).


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## ac12 (May 31, 2019)

If you have GOOD Nikon FX lenses, you might consider the Z6 mirrorless (only elec AF lenses) or the D750 or D850 dSLRs (elec and mechanical AF lenses).
That at least keeps you in the system.


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## Ilina Alexandru (May 31, 2019)

I really appreciate your answears, thank you.
So the mirrorless cameras really took over the world


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## Tropicalmemories (Jun 1, 2019)

Difficult choice.  The X-T2 has good discounts, but Sony just announced amazing discounts, so both are now under $1000 new with good deals used - so price is no longer a factor.

I was looking at both a year ago, and went for Fuji - why .....

1. Size and weight of body plus lenses.  Fuji total kit weight is significantly lower.

2. Price (then)

3. Handling - Fuji is much more intuitive for anyone old enough to remember using film dslr's and for people who think more like photographers and less like the operator of high tech equipment.

What nearly swayed me to Sony ....

1. High iso performance
2 More control over depth of field using mid range zoom lenses due to larger sensor.

But in the end I just enjoyed the feel of the Fuji in my hands, I want to take it out and create images, I play with it in bed at night just for the pleasure of trying different settings (no really) - so for me as an amateur who takes photos for myself, the Fuji won out.

And if I need thin dof, I use one of Fuji's excellent primes.


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## ac12 (Jun 1, 2019)

Mirrorless is likely the future, but it isn't there yet.
Sony, Fuji, Olympus and others are there, with only mirrorless cameras, and well past the first generation.
But for fast sports, my Olympus EM1 does NOT work as well as my Nikon D7200, so I still use the D7200 for fast sports.  
I do not know how the other mirrorless do for fast sports, maybe better, maybe worse.​Canon and Nikon are only on their first generation of mirrorless cameras, and you can be certain that more and better is coming from them.

Price aside, I would think really hard about the selection.  Because a year after you buy, you will forget the price savings, and be thinking about the camera/lens every time you use it.

@Tropicalmemories made a good point.  How the camera feels in your hand does make a difference, to some of us.  And how easy is it to work the various controls.
Example1. Olympus in their _retro design_, put the power switch on the left deck.  IMHO that was a DUMB move, just to copy the location of the power switch on the original OM1.  Because that makes the power switch more difficult to use, to the point that I usually turn it on and leave it on.  Nikon and Canon dSLRs have the power switch around the shutter button, which is infinitely easier and faster to use.  Is the position of the switch on the Olympus a deal killer, no, but added to other things and it might be another nail.

Example2. Having used a dSLR with 2 control dials, I find it clumsy to use a dSLR with only ONE control dial.  I use both dials (shutter speed + aperture, or aperture + EC), so just having only one becomes an operational issue, for me.  So to me only having one control dial is a much bigger issue than the location of the power switch (which is just an irritation).  Can I live with one dial, yes, but I won't like it.  

Example3. Hold the camera and work the zoom.  Which way does the zoom ring turn, relative to your Nikon?  If it turns in the opposite direction, be prepared to spend a long time retraining your muscles.  Casual photography is not as reaction critical as sports/action photography, and if you turn the zoom the wrong way, so what.  Still until your hand gets used to which way to turn the zoom, it can be an irritation.  If you shoot only primes, this is not an issue.

Example4.  How does the camera feel in YOUR hands?  Depending on YOUR hand, some cameras may not feel comfortable or easy to use.  Someone with BIG hands/fingers may have trouble using a small mirrorless or dSLR where the control are packed tight or some left out due to lack of space, and someone with small hands may have trouble with the big dSLRs or lenses.  I do not have big hands, and I find some of the controls on the Olympus EM10 tricky/difficult to use because of how tightly things are packed on that small camera.​


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## Derrel (Jun 1, 2019)

ac12 said:


> SNIP>>>
> Canon and Nikon are only on their first generation of mirrorless cameras, and you can be certain that more and better is coming from them.



Not really accurate....this is the first generation of FULL-FRAME mirrorless for both companies, but Canon introduced the M-series a few years ago, and Nikon offered the 1-series...

The 1-series Nikons offered very fast, good focusing. Canon's M-series was not FULLY offered for sale in North America.


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## Derrel (Jun 1, 2019)

Nikon introduced its mirrorless, the 1-series, in 2011, and Canon in  2012, with the M-series.


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## ac12 (Jun 1, 2019)

Derrel said:


> Nikon introduced its mirrorless, the 1-series, in 2011, and Canon in  2012, with the M-series.



Is the 1-series that old ?
I was looking at the V2 before I went with m4/3.


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## cgw (Jun 2, 2019)

Trailing edge Fujifilm bodies are usually solid buys. The X-T2 will only get cheaper. IMHO, Fujinon lenses, especially the "Fujinon" primes(16/23/35/50mm) are bargains and the real reason to buy into the system. The haptics of the X-T series cameras make them among the fastest-handling cameras I've used. The dials and assignable button customization are lovely. Light, well-made and small without being fiddly.


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## Derrel (Jun 2, 2019)

ac12 said:


> Derrel said:
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> > Nikon introduced its mirrorless, the 1-series, in 2011, and Canon in  2012, with the M-series.
> ...



Yes, late 2011 for the Nikon 1 introduction. In August of 2012, new firmware was released for the 1 series cameras:

Nikon 1 V1 / J1 Review

Canon U.S.A., Inc. | Comparison Between the EOS M5, M6, M50 and M100 | Comparison | Canon USA


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## Dao (Jun 2, 2019)

What lenses do you currently have?  If you already invest quite a bit in the lenses, why not get another Nikon camera body?


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## tampaweddingphotographer (Jun 4, 2019)

I bought the Sony a7iii and could not be happier. I switched from D300, being a wedding and portrait shooter
And a woman, I appreciate how light weight it is. 
I now shoot both video and pictures with it and it performed amazingly under low light situations.
My only negative comment about it would be that when you change the lenses, you have to be very careful not to let dust into the censor. 

Go to a camera store and give it a try, how it feels and performs.
Good luck, samples on my blog - www.mylovestoryphoto.com


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## Sharpshooterr (Jun 5, 2019)

Ilina Alexandru said:


> I really appreciate your answears, thank you.
> So the mirrorless cameras really took over the world



LoL, no Ilina, ML has not taken over the world. I shoot some sports professionally, and with several hundred photographers at an event, it’s rare for me to see a ML on the front lines! 
ML advocates are pretty vocal, and on a lot of forums they are mostly old people looking for a cure for age. I’m old too but I don’t need a cute yet. 
Personally if I were in your shoes I’d get a used Nikon D810 and a few used lenses. You can do with that camera what any ML can do. Yes, it’s getting a little long in tooth but that just means you can get them cheap! It’s still the same amazing high mp camera that it was when it came out!
And no, I don’t shoot Nikon, I shoot Canons. 
Good luck
SS


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## TreeofLifeStairs (Jun 5, 2019)

Sharpshooterr said:


> Ilina Alexandru said:
> 
> 
> > I really appreciate your answears, thank you.
> ...



You really think the ML crowd is vocal? I always thought the opposite was true. I still feel like I’m in the minority, at least on this forum.


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## Derrel (Jun 5, 2019)

_You really think the ML crowd is vocal?_

We have one member who constantly trumpets the mirrorless idea, and his handle is the same as Darwin's ship...


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## Ilina Alexandru (Jun 6, 2019)

Dao said:


> What lenses do you currently have?  If you already invest quite a bit in the lenses, why not get another Nikon camera body?



Just a 85mm f/1.8. (which is amazing btw haha)

But I think I'll go with the X-T2 with a few batteries, a 56mm f/1.2 R, not the APD, because of its price...

*Thank you, guys, for the moment I'm still listening to your recommandations ! I kinda love that forum now!*


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## ac12 (Jun 6, 2019)

A consideration for dSLR vs. Mirrorless is the battery life.
I do not know what the "real world" battery life/run time is of the Fuji and Sony cameras, but . . . 
My experience has been:

I can shoot 2+ DAYS with my D7200 dSLR.  This is long enough that I do not worry about having to take a spare battery on a 1-day shoot.

With my mirrorless Olympus EM1-mk1, the _continuous power on_ run time with a non-stabilized lens is about 4 HOURS.  It is even worse when I use the Olympus 12-100/4 with Sync-IS (lens + body IS),  where the _continuous power on_ run time drops to about 2-1/2 HOURS.  So I ALWAYS carry spare batteries with the EM1.
The real world logistics of this is this is . . .  On my vacation with the EM1; I took 3 batteries, and I changed batteries at about 11am and 4pm, on a regular enough basis to determine that 4 hour run time. Then each night I had to charge the 3 batteries, using 2 chargers, in 2 charging shifts.  At the end of the day, on the 3rd hour of my last charged battery, I was very nervous that the battery would go EMPTY.  Next trip with that camera, I am bringing 4 batteries.

One of the related issues is the location of the power switch on the Olympus.  Olympus put the power switch in a dumb location, on the left deck, where it is not easy and fast to use.  Compared to the power switch on the Canon and Nikon dSLRs, where it is around the shutter button, EASY and FAST to get to and use.  As a result, on the Olympus, I leave the power ON much more than with my dSLR.


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## cgw (Jun 7, 2019)

Not sure if the D7200 battery's capacity is huge or if the camera makes few demands but mine, too, seems to last forever. Fuji batteries' capacity varies: my X100T guzzles current, even with the optical viewfinder used most often with minimal chimping, making 3 spares routine; the X-T1 isn't as thirsty but a spare, either loose or in the battery grip along with the in-body battery, keeps me calm. Oddly, my little Ricoh GR II's battery-smallest I've ever seen--goes all day but I'm guessing the LCD-only viewfinder explains that. Spare batteries are just a fact of life.


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## TreeofLifeStairs (Jun 7, 2019)

Derrel said:


> _You really think the ML crowd is vocal?_
> 
> We have one member who constantly trumpets the mirrorless idea, and his handle is the same as Darwin's ship...



HMS Beagle?

Battery life may be a real issue if you’re doing it pro. Photography is a hobby for me so I seldom do more than a couple hundred shots at a time. The only time I’ve run out of battery is doing time lapse shots but if you’re switching and doing it pro, you may want to have several extras.


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## ac12 (Jun 7, 2019)

TreeofLifeStairs said:


> Derrel said:
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> > _You really think the ML crowd is vocal?_
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In my experience, it is not the number of shots, but the "power on" time that determines battery life on a mirrorless camera.


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## TreeofLifeStairs (Jun 9, 2019)

ac12 said:


> TreeofLifeStairs said:
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Probably. I’m sure the rear lcd takes a good amount of power. Even when that’s off the evf is running. Ive wondered too about auto focus and changing aperture a bunch since those are mechanical functions.


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## ac12 (Jun 9, 2019)

TreeofLifeStairs said:


> ac12 said:
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The AF on the larger pro lenses probably take more power to run (more mass to move to focus), than the AF on the smaller consumer lenses.

I think a major power sucker is the active sensor.


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## beagle100 (Jun 14, 2019)

Derrel said:


> _You really think the ML crowd is vocal?_
> 
> We have one member who constantly trumpets the mirrorless idea, and his handle is the same as Darwin's ship...



LOL !
The "mirrorless idea"  ...  it's crazy shooting without mirrors !
*www.flickr.com/photos/mmirrorless*


.
hint:  the "D" in DSLR means dinosaur   but there are still some "living dinosaurs"


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## Derrel (Jun 14, 2019)

TreeofLifeStairs said:


> Derrel said:
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> > _You really think the ML crowd is vocal?_
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ac12 said:


> TreeofLifeStairs said:
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ac12 said:


> TreeofLifeStairs said:
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Yes, battery and viewfinder lag time are probably the two biggest performance differences between D-slr and mirrorless cameras. The difference between having a camera that needs five batteries to cover a 3 and 3/4 hour football game and ONE charge on ONE battery to do a whole weekend is why the majority of professional sports shooters still shoot "dinosaur" d-slrs from Canon and Nikon.


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## ac12 (Jun 14, 2019)

Derrel said:


> TreeofLifeStairs said:
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Agree, I use my dSLR D7200 for fast sports, where my mirrorless Olympus OM1 does not do the job.  In fact it was sometimes quite frustrating to use.
I TRIED really hard to use the mirrorless for sports, but I gave up and kept using the dSLR for fast sports.


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## CdTSnap (Jun 17, 2019)

I’d get the Fuji if you have to get an A72, the A72 is nothing like the latest gen cameras you don’t get proper eye focus, limited low light performance etc. the Fuji would be awesome (and yeah im a Sony shooter)


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## beagle100 (Jun 24, 2019)

ac12 said:


> Derrel said:
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perhaps it's the mirrorless camera ... or how fast the sports



Untitled by c w, on Flickr


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## ac12 (Jun 24, 2019)

beagle100 said:


> ac12 said:
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BOTH
Camera is Olympus EM1-mk1
Sport are gym (basketball and volleyball) and field (football, soccer and lacrosse).

The issue is not with the EM1-mk1 not getting the shot.  Getting the shot is easy. 
It is the follow up where the problem is.  The EVF freezes the last image in a burst, for a fraction of a second.  But that fraction of a second is long enough to cause me to loose tracking of the fast moving players.  While the EVF is frozen, I am literally aiming the camera blind, until the EVF goes live again.  If I am lucky, I am aiming close to the subject, if not, I am WAY off.


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## Solarflare (Jun 27, 2019)

cgw said:


> [...] IMHO, Fujinon lenses, especially the "Fujinon" primes(16/23/35/50mm) are bargains and the real reason to buy into the system. [...]



Well these lenses are called Fuji*crons*, after the name Leica gives to their f2 lenses, the Summicrons. The 16mm is only f2.8 though. Its still considered a Fujicron by many now, since its also a very compact prime lens.

And I disagree that the Fujicrons are the "real reason to buy into this system". If I would get a Fujifilm X, personally I wouldnt actually get a single Fujicron. Yes they're great, but theres plenty of amazing Fujifilm X lenses, and my choices would be other lenses.


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## cgw (Jun 27, 2019)

Solarflare said:


> cgw said:
> 
> 
> > [...] IMHO, Fujinon lenses, especially the "Fujinon" primes(16/23/35/50mm) are bargains and the real reason to buy into the system. [...]
> ...



Pardon the typo, chief. The Fujicron price/quality quotient is THE selling point. Is the 16/1.4 really that noticeably “better”?Many say no. But then my opinion, like yours, is irrelevant. I update Fuji bodies with NOS trailing edge models benched by new stock. I’ll never pay full freight for a Fuji body but will shell out for Fujinon glass which rarely hits the used market relative to their cameras. YMMV, as usual.


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## Jeremy Z (Jul 5, 2019)

Technically, the Sony is probably better. ...but if you're in this for the fun and not the money, I'd go with Fuji. Everyone loves their out-of-camera JPGs, (saves post-processing work later) they look nice, feel nice and are fun to use. Quality is good, as well. Menu system in Sonys are often criticized.

If you don't mind their menus and you're a business-type photographer, go with the Sony. Their Zeiss lenses and electronics are absolutely top-of-the-line.


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