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joker
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joker
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PostSat Dec 14, 2019 3:43 pm 
Bedivere wrote:
How does saying to just lock the mirror up on a traditional DSLR instead of switching to a mirrorless system make sense? It's not the same thing at all. Just to start with the totally obvious and biggest difference- you can't see what you're aiming at with the mirror locked up, and the differences add up from there.
When I'm shooting with a long enough shutter speed for mirror vibration to make a difference, I will also tend to be shooting on a tripod. In which case I will also either be using "live view" which has the mirror locked up, or else I have my camera set so that one click on the remote release will lock the mirror up, and the next click will take the exposure and then drop the mirror back down. When I'm shooting that slow and doing it handheld, I'll shoot in the same mode and just gently press the shutter twice, trying not to move the camera too much between clicks - not awesome but it mostly works and is better for me than swapping out my whole system :-).

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Bedivere
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PostSun Dec 29, 2019 3:51 pm 
Backpacker Joe wrote:
Whats the latest Sony full frame offering. Secondly, why change from a Nikon/Canon system when you can simply lock the mirror open for each shot? To back up that philosophy, if a shot is important to you you should be using a tripod when you shoot anyway?
Maybe I'm completely misunderstanding BPJ's post here....? It sure reads to me like he's saying there is no reason to go to a mirrorless system when one can simply lock the mirror up on a traditional DSLR. That simply doesn't make sense to me. There are plenty of reasons to go mirrorless, only a minor one of which is the need to lock it up when shooting long exposures on a tripod. Ultimately I'm not going to convert to mirrorless any time soon nor am I advocating that anyone do so, just saying I understand the reasons why mirrorless is the superior system in many ways and if I was starting out now that's the way I'd go. If someone wants to change systems because they perceive a benefit to doing so, fine with me. Not my money.

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NacMacFeegle
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PostMon Dec 30, 2019 12:26 am 
I bought the Nikon Z6 last spring, and so far I've found it to be a more significant improvement over a DSLR than I had expected. The electronic viewfinder is a serious improvement over optical viewfinders in most situations, and with the right lens selection a mirrorless system can seriously cut down on bulk and weight. With the (excellent) kit lens, the Z6 is about the size of superzoom point and shoot, yet the photos it produces are stunning. I love shooting hiking videos with it - I can get great, cinematic footage out of just 2 seconds worth of handheld 120fps video:
I will say though that I don't like the Z6 so much for wildlife photography, the autofocus just isn't as good with the system, so my Canon DSLR has pretty much turned into a dedicated wildlife photography camera with my Sigma 150-600 lens.

Read my hiking related stories and more at http://illuminationsfromtheattic.blogspot.com/
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InFlight
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PostWed Jan 01, 2020 9:51 pm 
I’ve been looking at picking up a mirrorless for extended trips. The body is much smaller and lighter than a DLSR. The Full Frame options (Sony 7, Nikon Z) both have limited native lens. The APS-C sensor is where the most competitive products are marketed. Canon M series, Sony 6000 series, and Fuji X-T series. All have considerable lens support, especially wide angle primes for landscape. The Nikon Z50 is the dog of the mirrorless APS-C market, there are only two “DX” lens, the rest of the Z mount is heavier and more expensive full frame glass. Fuji has some weather sealed models, and I do like the interface. I prefer the overall design of the Canon M50. The grip and feel of the Sony 6x00 just feels not ideal (not made for large hands). The Lumix and Olympus mirrorless are micro 4/3 format lens.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” ― Henry David Thoreau
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gb
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PostThu Jan 02, 2020 7:11 am 
InFlight wrote:
I’ve been looking at picking up a mirrorless for extended trips. The body is much smaller and lighter than a DLSR. The Full Frame options (Sony 7, Nikon Z) both have limited native lens. The APS-C sensor is where the most competitive products are marketed. Canon M series, Sony 6000 series, and Fuji X-T series. All have considerable lens support, especially wide angle primes for landscape. The Nikon Z50 is the dog of the mirrorless APS-C market, there are only two “DX” lens, the rest of the Z mount is heavier and more expensive full frame glass. Fuji has some weather sealed models, and I do like the interface. I prefer the overall design of the Canon M50. The grip and feel of the Sony 6x00 just feels not ideal (not made for large hands). The Lumix and Olympus mirrorless are micro 4/3 format lens.
m4/3 with the best stabilization and a great suite of lenses that for the sharpness are much smaller than FF equivalents. Also, a much greater set of features like Live Composite, in camera Focus Stacking, and many more. No tripod except for astro/landscape and high DOF macro.

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mike
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PostThu Jan 02, 2020 10:49 am 
gb wrote:
m4/3 with the best stabilization and a great suite of lenses...blah, blah...
Don't forget, weather sealed. Not afraid to take 'em out in the rain.

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InFlight
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PostThu Jan 02, 2020 2:56 pm 
Being an Engineer I have a spreadsheet of all the options... If you look at a simple body and two lens (wide zoom, tele zoom) long hiking travel kit (leaving the kit lens at home) Canon M50 Body, 11-22, & 55-200 is 30.53 ounces (13.76, 7.6, 9.17) (Equivalent to 18mm to 35mm, & 88mm to 320 mm) Olympus PEN-F Body, 9-18, 40-150 is 27.2 ounces. (15.06, 5.47, 6.7) (Equivalent to 18mm to 44 mm, & 80mm to 300 mm) There are infinite other combinations, but there is surprisingly little weight difference between minimal 4/3 and APS-C travel setup. (Also looking at prime options) If you were traveling with a lot of lens the 4/3s would become a lighter option. Trying to keep it under 2 pounds, the APS-C sensor is 33% larger with only a 12% more weight. Arguably you could add a 4.23 ounce 14-42 Kit lens to the 4/3s and still be under two pounds.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” ― Henry David Thoreau
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Tom
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PostThu Jan 02, 2020 3:32 pm 
I started adding up the weight and didn't like any of the options, particularly when you consider the kit lenses are just average. I ended up going with a Sony RX10 IV. Smaller sensor but arguably superior optics and more range than any kit lens combo. Funny thing, it stayed in my pack most of the year. I shot most of my hiking photos with my Pixel 3.

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Sore Feet
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PostThu Jan 02, 2020 7:22 pm 
InFlight wrote:
The Full Frame options (Sony 7, Nikon Z) both have limited native lens.
This really isn't the big deal that a lot of people make it out to be. First of all, if you have small, lightweight lenses (primes, for example) that can be adapted, there's literally no reason to not use them with an adapter. Not being native to the mount makes literally zero difference in quality and you're probably still saving weight by dumping the DSLR body. It's the same glass no matter what mount it's on. The only time it might become a problem is with mechanically driven auto focus on older lenses that don't have focus motors internally - I don't know if that's a problem with the Sony stuff, but there are a lot of older Nikon lenses that won't work with the FTZ adapter because of this. There are plenty of options for the Sony E mount if you want native. The Nikon Z mount is definitely lacking in comparison, but it's barely 18 months old at this point, so that's to be expected. And while the options are limited at the moment, the two f/4 zooms (14-30 and 24-70) are both optically far superior to any equivalent available for the Nikon F mount currently, first or third party. Not to mention far more compact and lighter. I switched to a Z6 and those two lenses for my primary kit about 5 months ago, and it cut my pack weight by almost 2lbs, is small enough that I can get the camera and two lenses in the same bag that I could only get my D600 and one lens in, and the image quality is a big step up too. Canon and Sony certainly have lenses on par (more or less) with the Z mount offerings, but taking into account the size and weight I can't think of a better kit than this for backpacking if you want a full frame camera.

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Backpacker Joe
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PostSun Jan 05, 2020 1:03 pm 
That Sony a7R mk4 looks awful nice. Maybe Ill try and route. Im all for getting lighter and smaller.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Gil
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PostSun Jan 05, 2020 1:44 pm 
I recently upgraded my Nikon D5200 to a D5500 and lost a little weight and size, plus gained lots of features. On recent trips to Newport Beach and Dungeness Spit, I took just my old Nikkor 20mm f4 and 70-300mm AFP. Suits my shooting style and just over two pounds. For a little more versatility I can take my 18-35mm instead.

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moonspots
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PostTue Feb 04, 2020 10:22 am 
Bedivere wrote:
Backpacker Joe wrote:
Whats the latest Sony full frame offering. Secondly, why change from a Nikon/Canon system when you can simply lock the mirror open for each shot? To back up that philosophy, if a shot is important to you you should be using a tripod when you shoot anyway?
Maybe I'm completely misunderstanding BPJ's post here....?
Well, I for one thought so. It seemed to be a valid question to me as I don't know much about cameras, etc. The subsequent replies offered me some info that I didn't know about previously. Thanks.

"Out, OUT you demons of Stupidity"! - St Dogbert, patron Saint of Technology
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