Hull Marina, East Yorkshire, UK. One I made earlier with the aforementioned Panasonic Lumix LX100. A camera also known as the Leica Typ 109 (strange name for a camera) the Leica dlux 7 and the Lumix LX100 mk2. All more or less the same camera, the “improvements” in the LX100 mk2 IMO are gimmicky and irrelevant.
Mirror mirror on the wall which is the best camera of them all, the right answer is of course whichever you prefer, because for years now most cameras are capable of producing good quality images, even some phone cameras! But I thought I would put my thoughts in writing because I often get asked why I don’t like mirrorless cameras, its not that I don’t like them, it’s just a matter of preference, and here’s why…
Firstly coming from the pre digital era, I have in the past used big bulky 35mm film cameras like the Canon EOS 1N with booster attached, (yes I know smaller 35mm cameras are available, I’ve used and had many different cameras over the years) I prefer the look, feel and handling of a DSLR, to me it resembles what I would describe as a real camera.
I much prefer an optical, see through the lens, 100% coverage viewfinder, its clear and precise and what I see I know I will get in the frame as I don’t like to crop my images, I prefer to use the whole data and resolution etc available, and I love the skill, discipline of getting it right at the time of taking. People with mirrorless cameras often show me how “great” the EVF is…sorry but I’m not seeing anything better, if anything it often looks worse!
Batteries last longer, I’ve not even purchased a spare battery yet for my Canon 7D because it lasts so long!
Lenses are cheaper, because everyone follows fashion, (I have always been a dedicated unfollower of trends and fashions) and must have the latest whatever, you can get some fine lenses for DSLR’s at cheap prices. I have an array of very good lenses which I like and rate, can’t see the point in spending a small fortune for more expensive lenses for a mirrorless system? I’m not even really interested in “full frame” cameras for the same and other reasons. Btw, I always shoot full frame because I don’t crop! Whereas most people I know who use “full frame” cameras heavily crop their images…ergo they are not shooting full frame!
Image quality, (read my first paragraph) people who use mirrorless seem to think the IQ is much better, again I’m not seeing it! I know plenty of people who use them and when I look at their images I’m not seeing anything better regarding image quality, don’t take my word for it, look for yourself @ streetshootetim. Having said that what constitutes a great image has little or nothing to do with image quality. And an average, boring image taken with the best equipment money can buy is still going to be an average, boring image!
All my images @ streetshootertim were taken with an APS-C sensor DSLR or my Lumix 4/3rds sensor compact camera, something I like to use for travelling light, which does happen to be mirrorless 😄 but ironically for a compact no pop up flash, in order to accommodate the sensor and lens, larger than your average compact.
Pop up flash, the pop up flash on the Canon 7D is very good… for a pop up, I often find myself using it for street portraits. Something you don’t get on mirrorless cameras, some might do I’m not familiar with every camera on the market, but most mirrorless cameras don’t have an inbuilt pop up flash, apart from compact cameras. As I said the Lumix LX100 doesn’t have a pop up flash, but I’ve got a good Olympus flash that matches up well with it after a little modification.
All things considered… why on earth would I ditch something I prefer for something a lot more expensive and for something that I don’t prefer! And that’s not going to benefit me artistically or any other way, only I can create better images not the camera.
The art of photography is fast becoming the art of “my camera is better than yours” or the art of focusing on the equipment over and above any other considerations? I dread to think where its all going, especially with this AI tech, will cameras of the future suggest better framing your image, alter and enhance it to such an extent that the person operating the camera might become redundant!?!
I would go so far as to say that there’s so many variables at play, peoples experience in processing being the obvious big one (I always shoot in raw, I enjoy processing raw files and it gives me all the dynamic range I need) but lots more variables too, that in fact it ALMOST makes the equipment side irrelevant! Personally I couldn’t care less what someone uses or doesn’t use, I only wrote this because I often get asked about it. Show me the results, at the end of the day that’s all that matters, its irrelevant how you got there. If anyone asks me what camera I use I feel like yawning! And simply reply with “my eyes”
