Why I’m (Not) Going Mirrorless: Volume II
Hi, my name is Tom, and I have GAS. No, not that kind of gas. Gear Acquisition Syndrome. I love toys, but (unfortunately) I’m a little too old for more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures. Instead, my insatiable thirst for new toys results in me buying camera equipment. You might have gleaned as much from this site’s many camera reviews and my brash decision to go mirrorless that I documented in Volume I of this Why I’m Going Mirrorless series.
Most of the time, this isn’t a problem. I do my homework, and the new gear I purchase helps me improve my photography. I’ve had zero regrets with the cameras I’ve purchased. Until now, with the Sony a7R II.
In this case, my regrets extended further than just what I had purchased. I made the decision to go “all-in” on mirrorless, and sold a lot of my DSLR gear as a result. I sold 2 camera bodies, several lenses, flashes, and even a large camera bag (that I’d “no longer need”). If there’s any silver lining, it’s that I sold a lot of DSLR gear that was just sitting around, collecting dust in order to fund the Sony a7R II. Thankfully, I sold more of this stuff than I did “important” camera gear.
In some regards, it was a half-baked plan from the outset: a couple of the lenses and adapter for Nikon lenses that I wanted for the Sony a7R II hadn’t even been released when I made the jump. My plan was to purchase them once they were released, which was supposed to be March 2016 (four months later…all three items still aren’t available).
This proved especially problematic when it came time for our recent trips to Japan and China. Leading up to the Japan trip, I had two incomplete camera bags. I held out hope that the adapter and lenses would appear in stock on Amazon or B&H until a week before the trip, at which time I realized I was in a bit of a pickle.
Knowing I couldn’t possibly complete my Sony bag, I borrowed what I needed for the Nikon bag. It worked decently as a temporary, interim solution, but was less than ideal. The same problem arose two months later before our Shanghai trip. Borrowing wasn’t an option, so I decided to take both systems and hope for the best with my patch-worked bag.
I’ve learned a lot in the past several months, both in terms of the Sony full frame mirrorless system’s inherent strengths and weaknesses, and my personal utilization of the equipment. You could say I’ve had a bit of buyer’s remorse in the process. In Volume I, I lamented that my biggest complaint was the lack of lens selection. This was something I thought I could overcome thanks to new releases, adapters, and by cherry-picking lenses that would work well for me.
I downplayed this in my head, only to be discouraged by delays in the shipment of announced lenses and adapters, frustrations in pricing of new releases, and a lack of further developments. Then I priced out other lenses I’d want that were available–the 85mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 and 35mm lens f/1.8 or f/1.4–and the cheapest options totaled $2,700. With no third party options (save for Zeiss, I guess?) available, you’re stuck with first party lenses that cost more than even their Canon and Nikon counterparts.
Then there was the size issue. This is a startling realization every full frame mirrorless photographer is bound to have unless they downgrade from fast glass. It wasn’t such a revelation for me since I had done research beforehand and knew mirrorless wasn’t inherently smaller (as I wrote in Volume I), but I thought it would be for me since I would be downsizing on my ultra-wide angle lens and would be assembling a bag of smaller lenses.
Initially, I had a euphoric sense of liberation in carrying a smaller bag–or no bag at all–when I used the Sony a7R II. After a couple of months, the “honeymoon” phase of this liberated feeling wore off. It became less easy to overlook the compromises I was making in favor of carrying less gear.
I realized there were certain sacrifices I wasn’t willing to make once I used those smaller lenses more. The Sony 24-240mm is a capable lens and the nicest superzoom I’ve ever used, but somewhere along the way during the past 5 years, I guess I’ve become a gear snob? While its sharpness was perfectly sufficient, its slowness was not. (If I were strictly a methodical landscape photographer, this wouldn’t have been an issue.) I became frustrated that it (obviously) didn’t offer f/2.8 lens performance. I began seeing that the ideal and reality of mirrorless–for me, at least–were two different things.
This meant that I’d–realistically–have to purchase a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens to go along with the slew of other lenses on my wish list. At this point, I sized up my theoretical camera bag and realized literally everything in it would be as large or larger than their DSLR counterparts, save for that ultra-wide and the camera body. Cumulatively, the two systems would be really close to one another in size…and $2,000+ apart from one another in price (in Nikon’s favor). At was at this point that I had an, “oh shit, what have I done!” moment of clarity.
Not wanting to be too hasty in going back to Nikon and repurchasing the stuff I’d sold to (re)complete my camera bag, I decided to head to Shanghai with both my Sony and Nikon gear. A heavy proposition (ironically, in the quest to lighten the load, my camera bag was the heaviest it has ever been), but one that would allow me to avoid purchasing more, and take more time to test what I had in the field to see if I’d have a change of heart.
That trip only further solidified the decision. My plan was to use a dual sling camera strap to carry the Nikon D750 and Sony a7R II, Doc Holliday style. Early on, it was clear that would not work. I do feel a bit like Doc Holliday with my “draw” on the Nikons, as I can adjust settings via muscle memory and be ready to shoot within moments. However, my approach with the Sony is more like Shaq trying to make a free throw. This is partly on me…but it’s partly on Sony.
Previously, I assumed the confusing menu system would just take time to get used to, and I wouldn’t be fumbling for controls, hitting the wrong buttons. Several months later, I still have the same problems. There’s no way around this: Sony’s menu system is an unmitigated disaster and its button layout is poor.
To be sure, the buttons are highly customizable, so you can get around some of this–but not all of it. In dynamic shooting situations, there have been shots I have missed because even after months of regular use, it’s easy to make mistakes with the Sony. I’ve used Canon cameras far less, and I haven’t had this degree of issue with those, so I think it’s fair to say that this isn’t all on me.
Fumbling for settings caused me to miss at least 10 shots on our Shanghai/Hong Kong trip. The startup lag (something I hadn’t even considered previously) caused me to miss another ~3 shots. Not being able to see properly via EVF while shooting into the sun caused me to miss another ~5 shots. It also caused me to waste considerable time as I switched to the D750 on more than a few occasions in these scenarios so I could see. Another ~5 shots were missed due to the time it takes to move the AF area. All told, that’s too many missed shots.
I could potentially get past the slightly larger camera bag and maybe even the higher cost (the quality on those Zeiss lenses helps…), but missing shots is a tough pill to swallow. There’s a bitter feeling I’m left with when I miss shots. It’s one thing when it’s due to my own dumb decisions. That only motivates me to do better. When it’s the camera’s fault, I get frustrated and discouraged.
A lot of this is highly personal, and my goal here is not to scream “AVOID SONY FE MIRRORLESS AT ALL COSTS” just as my goal with Volume I was not to say “SELL EVERYTHING AND BUY SONY NOW!” As I wrote in the first post, I think mirrorless and DSLRs each have advantages, both deserving a seat at the photography “table.” That sentiment remains true, even if my personal take on mirrorless has soured a bit.
The fact remains that the Sony a7R II has a ton of selling points that I covered in the previous article but glossed over here (IBIS, 4K video, tilt screen, WiFi, high ISO performance, etc.), and all of those advantages remain significant. Sony has an incredible thirst for innovation that has lured a lot of technocrats into its camp. However, for me at least, the shortcomings have overshadowed the benefits. The operative part of that sentence is “for me.”
I’ve been underscoring the personal nature of this all, but I think that bears a lot of emphasis, since so much of what’s written online about mirrorless v. DSLR treat the topic as an epic battle of good and evil, dark and light, and choosing entrenched positions. I don’t see that as the reality. (I will write a Sony a7R II review that is more objective and isn’t all “me, me, me” in the near future.)
So, if this is all so personal to me, what are the key takeaways that can be gleaned from my ramblings?
- Price out your complete, theoretical mirrorless camera bag before making the jump. The cost may surprise you.
- Don’t assume mirrorless will enable you to take “shortcuts” with lenses. If you’re used to fast glass (and/or autofocuses lenses), stick with that.
- Don’t assume that you’ll develop the same comfort level or “feel” for any new camera over time that you have for your current camera. It might happen, but it might not.
- Consider how valuable the camera’s features are to you, but don’t give too much weight to those that could and should make their way to your current system in due time. (Unfortunately, Canon and Nikon DSLRs are unlikely to get in-body image stabilization anytime in the near or distant future.)
The net result of this is I find myself ready to jump ship again, this time to bounce back to Nikon. The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII was recently on sale, so I already picked that up. I need a couple more things to (re)complete my Nikon camera bag, but I’ll get them in due time. I’m still hesitant to sell the Sony a7R II, if only because I still haven’t had the chance to test that Voigtlander 10mm f/5.6 “hyper-wide” angle lens, and I have this nagging feeling/hope(?) that it will be the magic bullet that vindicates my decision to get the Sony. I’m not quite sure what to do about that, especially since I don’t like throwing good money after bad, but if and when I figure it out, I’ll update you…
Until then, I’m back on the Dark Side. Long live the Nikon Darth-750! 😉
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Your Thoughts
Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts on the Sony full-frame mirrorless system? If you’ve made the leap to mirrorless, how are you liking it? If you’ve been hesitant to try mirrorless, why? Are you considering going mirrorless? Any questions? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Throwing this out there in the off chance you will see it and have time to respond.
Currently shooting a Nikon D3300. Been off of auto mode for years and now occasionally shoot full manual (after reading, upon your recommendation, Understanding Exposure). Having limited success in full manual, but I feel good knowing what to do. Mostly shoot family vacations and my girls softball games. Definitely need more frames per second. Was originally going to purchase the D500 and Tamron 70-200 but hear lots of opinions about mirrorless (looked at both Nikon Z50 and Sony A6400/6600). Don’t have any good glass so that isn’t holding me back. But hearing / reading TOO MANY OPINIONS is holding me back. So why not hear one more. You have any suggestions on my dilemma? Thanks.
I’m headed to Vegas in a couple weeks and have been thinking about picking up a used mirrorless. We spend a day downtown gambling and I don’t really want to lug around a DSLR, if for no other reason than it is conspicuous. I have a P&S but I’m wondering if an old Sony NEX-5 or similar would be worth picking up with a 18-55. Seems like I could fit this in my pocket and the low light performance should be good enough to work in the casinos and the street since it is so well lit. Was mirrorless just that painful for you?
I am headed to Disney in May with my two small children (5 yo & 8 yo)! Due to the weight of carrying equipment on the many miles of walking in the parks, I was looking to sell my DSLR and buy a mirrorless system. I am so glad that your wrote this post! Thank you so much! I guess I will be carrying around my heavy Canon DSLR. However, I can adjust settings on it with my eyes closed!
Last January I was faced with the same issues. I needed to reduce the weight of my Nikon travel kit which comprised of a D810 or Df 70-200 f/2.8, 80-400, 24-70 f/2.8, 16-35, and a 50 f/1.4. The 70-200 and the 80-400 were specialized lenses and often stayed at home. I studied the offerings and settled on Fuji. I purchased an X-E2 with an 18-55 as a test camera and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of images I got out of the camera and started testing. You have to understand that I have been with Nikon since 1965 so it was hard to come to the realization that I needed light gear. I also purchased a 35 f/1.4, 56 f/1.2, 16-55 f/2.8, 10-24 f/4, 50-140 f/2.8 and a 100-400. The 50-140 and 100-400 are special purpose lenses. I usually leave the lenses I don’t need in my hotel room and usually take the 16-55 f/2.8 and 50 f/1.2 along with a Nissin i60a. I pre-ordered an X-T2 and that was impressive also. I was surprised how little noise the X-T2 generated at
ISO6400. It looked a lot like the Df meaning that there was some fine grain but no color artifacting. I have to say that at ISO200 there is more noise in the Fuji than in the Nikon but it was very little and responds well to noise reduction in LightRoom CC.
I have looked at your images on Flickr and found them to be compelling. I wish you would the EXIF information on the images on your web site. I’m curious. Those images with fireworks seem to be very well balanced. Do you use an ND filter? How do you take those images of the castle with no one in the frame? Franzis Neat?
Thanks,
It’s not full frame but I’ve been amazed with the results of the Olympus OM-D line!
FWIW, Yoshi posted his review of the Voigtlander 10mm: http://sorcerershat.jp/blog/2016/2511/
It’s in Japanese and even with Google translate doesn’t make a ton of sense, but those photos speak loud and clear. Now I really want to try this lens!
Great article Tom. I think for me it’s the flexibility. I can go with a big bag or small bag depending on the occasion. I started with all manual M mount lenses with big apertures and small footprints, but lately, after shooting more with my 55mm Sony Zeiss, I’ve realized how many shots I have been missing without autofocus. I consider myself a capable shooter with manual focus, but you have to be able to be anticipatory, which is not always possible. So a lot of the things you have to figure out are pretty rudimentary. Optical vs. electronic viewfinder. Zooms vs. Primes. What focal lengths do you really need… If you like electronic viewfinders and shoot mostly prime lenses (like I do), then there’s really no reason to shoot a DSLR. If Sony ever release an a9 with a more DSLR sized body, solving some of their ergonomic issues, I’m sure I’d be all in, but right now I just shoot with the a7II, and I have used it enough with the customized buttons that I do not fumble with the layout and it’s almost an extension of my thoughts. I think what people should do is shoot what inspires them to shoot. BTW, I think my ideal bag will be along the lines of the Voigtlander 12mm (not yet released), Batis 18mm, the Sony Zeiss 35mm f1.4 (which replaces my Voigtlander 35mm f1.2), an 85mm (Still deciding between the GM and the Batis, hoping for a loxia 85-100mm though), and the 70-200 f2.8 GM.
I am surprised that you purchased the Nikon 70-200 so quickly, given your earlier statements about the Tamron version. In any case, although I don’t use Nikon equipment, I’m glad you are back in the DSLR world, as your third-party lens and other gear recommendations have been great for all of us.
The Tamron is certainly a capable, sharp lens that I’d still recommend. The first time I purchased it, there was an insane instant rebate on it that made the lens cost roughly half the price of the Nikon, so it was a no-brainer. This time, the Nikon had an instant rebate making it ~$250 more expensive than the Tamron.
With that price difference, I’ll take the Nikon. It’s too early for me to say whether the quality difference is noticeable, but in terms of resale value (and being able to drop it off in Los Angeles at the Nikon office if/when I need it cleaned) made it an easy decision for me.
I’ve been shooting Sony mirrorless since 2011. If you want performance in a small package go with A6300 or first gen A7/A7s/A7r. The second gen FF Sony’s added weather resistance and In Body Stabilization which comes with the cost of bigger size and weight. But you also get the 42mpx sensor in the A7rii. From what I understand, that sensor pushed a significant amount of pros to Sony mirrorless, along with the demand for faster zooms and primes.
You can still go small with the A7rii if you stick to primes – the Voigt 10mm + A7rii is much smaller than a DSLR + wide zoom. The 28mm f/2 is small and the 85mm 1.8 Batis is reasonably sized. You have more optionality with the mirrorless setup. One day you can go “pro” with big fast glass, then travel light with a prime or two.
The biggest issue I have with Sony seems to stem with their decision to put the 36mpx sensor in the A7r. I don’t know if this was due to an effort to directly take on Nikon or to just push the technology. That sensor requires a more “telecentric” DSLR lens design vs. a rangefinder lens design. The lenses could be made significantly smaller if designed for just the 24mpx or 42mpx sensor. Now they seem to be stuck having to also cater to the A7r sensor. The 36mpx sensor should have been used for an A99II.
See this article …http://www.photoclubalpha.com/2016/02/04/sonys-master-plan-new-85-24-70-70-200-and-more/
specifically this paragraph…
The compromise
And, having mentioned compromise, I should explain the great compromise which has made the entire Sony E/FE system much larger than it needs to be.
It’s all down to the A7R 36 megapixel sensor. This sensor, more so than the 24 megapixel full frame, requires a very telecentric lens design. That is, more like a DSLR lens, despite the slim A7 series body. In order to perform acceptably with this sensor, the FE lens range could not be designed to be as small as a rangefinder system equivalent, or to take full advantage of the 18mm mount to sensor distance.Brian Smith, whose images are great (not cheesy portraits) but whose technical info clearly comes via Sony PR, says this: “Mirrorless camera design has allowed Sony’s lens designers to place larger than normal lens element close to the body”. Actually, they don’t, as the design of the extenders will tell you. They’ve used a stronger degree of telephoto construction in the long zoom, allowing a smaller than normal rear element and they have taken measures to move it further away from the body — and this is a general trend. If you want to see what a properly small 85mm f/1.4 looks like try a Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f/1.4 ZE in Canon mount — 72mm filters not 82mm, 570g versus 850g and really solid all-metal manual focus. The mirrorless bodies do provide a zone from around 16mm to 42mm from the sensor surface which can accommodate the rear of the lens, and can’t ever be used on a DSLR. But Sony does not make full use of that and can not do so because of the microlens, filter layer and structural characteristics of the A7R sensor.
Tom, in your first article about switching to mirrorless, you stated that due to IBIS you got plenty of handheld shots you would not have been able to get with your Nikon. I’m wondering how that compares to how many you missed because of Sony’s more complicated menu/system ( which really does need improvement).
Thanks for the comment and link there.
Interesting that the decision for the larger sensor is questioned as a contributing factor for the system getting larger. It would also make sense that part of the reason the lenses are getting large is so they can resolve higher MP sensors (and future-proof for even larger ones, if their long-term roadmap calls for that).
When I’m shooting with the 24-240 (and using that in lieu of the Nikon 28-300) or Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 in dusk situations, IBIS absolutely is helping me get shoots I’d otherwise miss. You’re right that I forgot to mention this in the post, and I definitely got ~5 handheld fireworks shots as a direct result of this. I didn’t use the Sony much at sunset/dusk, but it also presumably would’ve helped then (not necessarily with missing v. not missing shots, but allowing me to use a slower shutter speed and keep the ISO lower). To that end, there’s definitely a bit of an offset.
Good points.