Choosing a mirrorless camera system - what matters
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- čas přidán 21. 06. 2024
- In this video I discuss what I have actually found to be the difference between mirrorless cameras after testing most of them.
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You look at gear in a much different way to most of us. I don't care if my camera is a dslr, mirrorless, bridge or compact. 4 MP or 24 MP, I don't care..... it has to be fun.... and it's also the reason why YOU and everyone else does it. You're privileged to earn your crust with your hobby... I salute you!
i salute you too buddy!
For me, Martin’s videos are the best camera and photography videos to watch at the moment. Calm, common sense and he treats you with intelligence. Keep it up Martin and thanks.
thanks!
Agreed, he doesn't act like a pop culture douche. That's a refreshing change compared to many other photographers on CZcams.
Well said!
This is a refreshing take. Marketing works because it gets people on an emotional level. People see the thing they don’t have and think “That’s it, that’s the thing that will make all the difference!” It takes a lot of maturity and understanding of why one does photography and what their real needs are when making decisions on gear. A number of years ago I “downgraded” my kit to a smaller camera system. That decision was based on the idea that what I had was far in excess of what I needed, was taking up valuable space and weighing me down. So I was happy with the newfound portability of my smaller kit, but I would still lust for new gear every so often. My way of fighting it is to look at reviews and research for a few days, fill my head with all of the competing noise, then shut it all off and take a week or two with a piece of kit that I don’t use often. I make it a point to use that lens, or that flash, or whatever in everything I do for a while. It focuses me on solving creative problems, it tends to make me forget about the actual gear, thus making me realise what I have is perfectly adequate.
Hi Martin, you hit the nail on the head, i have tried all kinds of cameras over the years. i enjoyed the film cameras from the early 80s , then work and life got in the way. So 2013 ish i thought i would get back in to photography , being unsure about DSLRs i bought a nikon D5300 was ok but didn't feel right in hand, so listening you tubers , i bought a fuji XT2 then a nikon Z6 then a canon 80D then a Eos R then a R6 then i tried a panasonic G9 the an Olympus om d em 1 mk ii & mk iii also a pentax K1 was about the best feeling in hand but not quite right , the i found what i was looking Great in hand & to use & NO VIDEO the NIKON D700 , it does everything i want & at the moment i have a 50mm F1.8D on it & a 70-210 F 4 if i want long reach . Cheers Martin keep up the great info help :)
50mm f1.8D is fire. I think it’s my all time favourite lens ever ❤
You’ve gone through as many cameras as I have. Almost picked up the Pentax k1 mii again for the higher megapixels and smaller full frame lenses.
You have helpt me a lot. One of your previous videos (can't remember the title) where you talked about feeling like you have to buy every newest gear that comes out or stress because you can't but instead enjoy photography. I was in a place where I really wanted to buy another lens or camera and I wanted so many things but didn't have the money to afford it and it bothered me a lot but after watching that video I stopped wanting and stressing about it and started to enjoy photography again. I still hope sometime to be able to have so many lenses but I have started to see things different. If I know that gear will help me improve my work and it is something that will pay itself back and I have the money then okay, I will buy it. In my case, I love wildlife photography but at the moment I am not earning anything from it, so for now a good telephoto lens is not on the top of my list. I earn money from photographing events and weddings and parties and for now will invest in gear that will help my work that gives me income. In the future sometime I still hope to get a good telephoto lens, but will not put myself in debt or need to have that. Right now I have a Canon 5D mark 3 and a 50mm f1.8 STM and soon will have a Canon 24-70 f2.8 to go with it. But for a while I just shot with the 50mm as my main lens and I love it.
I agree! I'm a 99% bif shooter and my old D500 still gets the job done. And with good glass like the 500pf their isn't a noticeable difference in AF speed..The new cameras will maybe track your bird but half the fun to me is tracking it with my hands.
@justadude2800 agreed!!! I'm still using mine..But I would love to have access to the 180-600mm and a few other Z mount lenses...If they would give us a no b s. killer AF, weather sealed body with ibis, I think I would pay $2500+ for it with no hesitation..As someone mentioned b4, it's hard to make up for that 1 5× crop without an 800mm or playing with teleconverters...They have to know that there are thousands of us bird and other wildlife people who would jump on a camera like this for $2899
spot on as always Martin. The only thing I have to add concerning consistency of style across cameras is editing. I did a shoot last week with two cameras, one was a camera and lens I bought off ebay for $80, the other was a 6D with an L lens. Straight out of camera, you could tell which shots were on the "crappy" camera and which was the better one. After my post processing workflow, they are basically identical.
People think “do as I say, not as I do” is meant to be an insult or bad advice, but it’s the opposite. If someone has made an expensive decision, and realised it was unnecessary or a mistake, then they are trying to warn others from doing the same (hence do as I say).
There definitely is a lot of people chasing the best spec gear and other prestige, but it’s mostly for views or pleasing others rather than feeling better about enjoying photography themselves.
Great video.
Years ago (around the beginning of digital cameras), John Dvorak of PC Magazine did a column on his day of shooting carrying two digital cameras - different manufacturers and different "size" cameras. He wrote of how he was accustomed to selecting a film for the qualities of the film, but this time he had no different film and only different cameras. And said "The camera is the film." For example, two chrome films, a Kodak chrome or Fuji chrome, made a big difference in the same camera.
So true! I’ve shot Nikon since the 90’s on film. I’ve gone through a great many camera bodies since my first Nikon DSLR in 2004. In the early days of digital, I noticed massive upgrades between camera releases. Then in 2012 I bought the Nikon D800. Since then, I’ve noticed only incremental hardly noticeable improvements in image quality. I bought a D850 in 2018 for the improved features that made my life easier. A year later I picked up a Z6, and began a migration to mirrorless, mainly because I am interested in exploring video. I kept and continued shooting with the D850 until this year, and finally moved to the Z8. The z8 image quality is no better than the D850, but the feature advancements make my life easier and overall I prefer Z lenses to F mount. As you shared, the glow of owning new gear wears off fast. But if the new camera makes your experience easier and more pleasurable, it may be worth the upgrade
I use cameras for work and for a hobby. I would say for work, get one that does the job. For a hobby, get one you enjoy using. My work (events) camera is solidly built, reliable, weatherproof, 2-cards, streams video, can be rigged up, all that: and there's usually two of us tending to it. My hobby camera is light, small, cheap, easy to use, but really decent image quality and colours. I have used the hobby camera for work and done personal stuff with the work camera, but, um, never again.
yes i agree, better even if its the same camera.
Fantastic video! I’ve been a Nikon shooter for over 30 years, starting with film and now using mirrorless. When people see me with my camera and the pics I take, they ask which Nikon should they get if they’re starting off. I tell them don’t just look at Nikon, look at all of them. Go to a camera store and hold them, see which one feels best in your hands. Look through a view finder, take a few shots and start with a good starter kit with a zoom. The top 3 or 4 camera makers all have great cameras. Each have their own little quirks, strengths and weaknesses. The idea is if you are excited about your camera you’ll be happier and want to take your camera instead of using an iPhone.
100%!!!
I couldn't agree more. About 12 months ago after going through many cameras and systems I decided to cull my cameras. I've cut it down to 3 camera's. Canon 5d III, Panasonic G80 and Olympus em10 III. All older cameras but they all work for me and I've finally got rid of GAS. I'm not a pro just a hobbyist so the latest and greatest would be lost on me. In fact, the other day I shot a roll of film with my minolta x300 and had a great time. I would also like to add a lot of youtube camera reviewers are great presenters but very mediocre photographers, of course this excludes you as I think you're a very good photographer. I think my whole setup of camera and lenses is under £2000 which is still a lot of money but an acceptable budget for my income and needs. As always, great video mate.
My 70-200mm f4's front element group is loose. Makes all sorts of interesting artifacts in the distant out of focus regions. Beautiful artifacts actually. Before packaging it to send away for repair, I did one last studio test shoot with it. Had a total blast too, and decided not to sell it. Why buy something else? It renders beautiful light into my 5D mkII. Why? Well, it's your teaching and Scott's over at Tin House that have slowed me down and taught me how to appreciate just how damn good these 'aging DSLRs and good lenses really are. I don't need flat line speed, but the magic is MOST welcome. Cheers Martin👍🍺🍺
very interesting, i love the way you used a defect to your advantage like that, thats the way.
I love your no nonsense approach to photography regarding gear. If i can't take a good photo with a 5D MKII or my 250D, it's not the camera's fault. The quality and bargains of the EF system, can't be ignored. I just can't justify switching to RF. Cheers mate!
i dont think you would find the Canon RF as exciting as you might think either.
Yes Martin, you are dead right that chosing a camera brand should be more about the feel, and the lenses, and the menus and ease of use for you.
Such sound advice indeed.
Actually less is more is really true. I have, just for fun, been playing around with old (and cheap!) compact film cameras and one thing I have learnt doing so, is how much you can achieve with very little. This was not the point of my exercise - that was to find the right small and pocketable camera for me - but it did teach me this valuable lesson, which I probably already knew but had forgotten.
Hey Martin, excellent job as always. Completely agree about setting a budget and staying within it (and making a selection of a new body based mostly on need - we all get a bit of GAS now and then). That said, while the AF speed, accuracy, and video features are the main differences between the newer bodies and older DSLRs, there are other features that two years later are still making me feel good about moving up to mirrorless. First off, I realize your experience let you judge exposure without using much help, but the biggest improvement in my moving to mirrorless (WYSIWYG) was exposure. I rarely have photos now that are not exposed the way I want them to be. While I could say that is because I'm better now, I believe that it is mostly the move to seeing what I am shooting and thinking about it up front (before I shoot). Other features that I still marvel at 2 years later (with using the newer body) is my old f-mount glass focuses faster and more accurately with the newer body. Subject detection helps when I need to work quickly. The buttons are significantly more programmable, so that in the field, I can make changes without taking my eye away from the EVF, and much faster than on the DSLRs. Shooting silently (as a sports/wildlife guy) is also very helpful. There are many subtle things that have let me focus on composition, watching backgrounds, etc that have truly helped my photography. I hope your message helps those looking for guidance.
Which f mount lenses are you using, I’m thinking about adding the 85mm 1.4g at the moment.
@@MartinCastein I do not own an 85mm lens yet, but I've been looking as well. I purchase many of my lenses used, and I wasn't doing much portrait work (but that is changing) - so my used portrait go to lenses wee the 105mm f/1.4 and 24-70 or 70-200. I picked up a used (and heavy) 200mm f/2 - mostly for low light sports - and love the rendering of that lens, but can't recommend it for anyone with sanity. I'll be interested in your choice of 85mm. I briefly used the 85mm 1.8 for a day, but found it had more CA than I wanted to deal with as a new photographer. Keep all the good stuff coming. I really enjoy your perspective!
Exactly that!
Any of the contemporary cameras and lens combos will produce the same results.
I have used Nikon since 1972 >> The current Z System is undercut by the Z Mount advantage = BEST S Lenses as a result. The Z9 is the best Flagship. The Z8 is came era of the year 2023 and Z6III no doubt will get 2024 easily .
All I need and I learned the hard way... 100% viewfinder, aperture ring, shutter speed dial, and ISO dial.
Having amazing 3D tracking, facial recognition and 20 fps is great but isn't that much needed for general photography. I can have the same fun with an old dslr as I can with a 2mpx point and shoot. For most of us, photography is a hobby and I think it's supposed to be fun.
Shoot for yourself, because you love it, not because you're trying to impress someone on oversaturated social media platforms.
Print your best work in either a book or to hang on the wall, share it with friends and family.
Much love ❤
Interesting points. I've only shot with Canon since I got back into photography 9 years ago. Had a 6D for most of that time and a 5D3 for the last almost 2 years. Love my Canon gear and all the lenses I bought (mostly from your recomendations). However, recently picked up a D700 and a 50 1.8G just to try the image quality and I have to say, using it for nearly a month has made me rethink. I don't think I could use it for my equine sports stuff (maybe..) but I have had a good look at my lenses and realised I could do that with my 70-200 f4 and the 5D3. The D700 and the 50 would do just about everything else - "only" 12 MP has been quite surprising! I'm juggling D700 or 6D atm...
Excellent, timely advice. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
thanks so much for making these hope your feelingg a little better, keep rocken lad whoop whoop
Two things you touch on. (1) i'm looking at a Mirrorless (R6mk2) for ease of use, not image quality improvement. I use a 6D and a 5DSR so image quality is covered. It's for Face/eye detect and a flip-out screen. I have a Canon M50 and those 2 features alone make it a really good camera to use. Using modern eye-detect focus means you can chat with your subject more, rather than squinting through the VF and constantly focus-recomposing. So it's purely an ease of use upgrade. (2) Number of Lenses. When I go out shooting and I only take one lens it's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders (and I don't just mean my camera bag full of lenses). Most of my best shooting days have been with a single fixed lens (Fuji X100 with a 35mm equiv, Canon M50 with a 35mm equiv (22mm) and my Canon 6D with a 40mm pancake). It's very liberating actually. There's a part of the brain which is constantly questioning whether you have the correct lens on your camera. When you have just one lens it frees up that part of the brain to enjoy the day, and look for moments.
If anyone out there rides a Single-Speed bicycle it's a very similar feeling. Yes, it's great to have a choice of 30 gears but your brain is always questioning whether you're in the best gear. When you only have one gear your brain is free to look at the scenery and just get on with it.
you and your bike analogies hahaha, yes you are right though, spot on really!
Excellent and wise content, as always. Thank you!
This is why I went back to Sony Alpha 900 for photography, even professional shoots, and then just the G9 and G9M2 for video work, more fun that way, full frame modern mirrorless cameras have no character in photography, its all the same with minute colour differences.
Your general rule in gear acquisition make a lot of sense. I noticed that the more gear I have the less inspired I am because I am more concerned what gear I want to pack rather than concentrating on images I want to create. I noticed back when I had one body and two or three lenses I was way more active and inspired to shoot more because I was focused on the image I needed/wanted to create with what I had, gear I used every single day to the point it was second nature in my hands, something you don't get with shelves of lenses and bodies that you use every other month.
Presently I am slowly migrating back to DSLRs for reasons you mentioned about our work looking the same no matter what we use and with the cost value of DSLRs now days and handling and build. I get the same image whether using my Nikon Z, Fuji X, Sony collection, to my D850, D200 and 5D II with old discontinued lenses.
However there is less variety in todays modern mirrorless in my eyes where older DSLRs are all different from one another just like film stocks are all different so are those older DSLR sensors, unlike today.
Great advice, as always. :)
Wise words as always Martin! Have abandoned plans to migrate wholesale to mirrorless. Am more than happy with my D600's with Sigma arts, and also still enjoy shooting with my fuji X-T1.
I choose nikon z system: because i also use fm2n fg and f5. I use z50 and plan on ugrade to z6-2 this year.
Bravo 👏 I wish videos like yours would bubble up to top
thank you, i wish that too haha. maybe one day.
Very good points, Martin. I shoot Olympus and Panasonic M43 and I can't tell you how many times I've nearly switched systems based on watching a couple of CZcams videos touting the advantages of another brand or sensor size. Luckily, I haven't actually fallen into the trap as I love the results I get from my cameras.
Keep your M43 and still buy something else 🙂
Sensor size is meaningless, the truth is in the lenses, people think full frame will save them in a dim lit dungeon and their F2.8 lens, truth is, it wont, but had they bought F1.2 or even F1.4 suddenly, they can see stuff, now even on 1-inch sensor camera, you can do ISO 640 and still take good pictures, another thing people are completely oblivious to, sensor size only matters at BASE ISO, lets say you shoot at ISO 6400 now your full frame is like quarter stop better then a micro four thirds camera at the same ISO, that 2 stop advantage at ISO 100 is all but gone.
Not to mention fast glass is a lot cheaper for smaller sensors.
i dont choose cameras based on sensor size or megapixels etc, i choose based on what i like using and if you like using it then you have the right camera. focus on what you are doing, not what someone else is doing and you will be good and have fun doing it.
Love this! Great video!
Thank you!!
Thanks Martin, sage advice.
Very welcome
Sooooo much common sense. Love it.
I like the idea of 'racing to the bottom'.
hahhaha yes it is a fun way to think at least
Thank you again for the real world truth, still loving your channel
Really refreshing point of view. You've earned a sub. I noticed this a while back actually - I tended to gravitate to reviewers who actually took good photos/video with the gear they were reviewing. Over time I realized: these people are taking good photos in spite of the gear - not *because* of it. Great point about Sony and the other big brands too - Sony are nothing if not masters at their marketing game. Completely understandable though - considering just how long they've been in the game.
I agree entirely on camera bodies - they have to "just work" for you so that you don't think about them while you're using them. I do make exceptions, though, for cameras that bring a certain (for lack of a better term) "experience". For instance, I have an old Leica Barnack II, for instance, that is one of my favorite film cameras, and there are others I bring out for inspiration and challenge (like a clunky cheap late 40s TLR).
I do make a slight exception for lenses, though, as there are some that have unique looks, or specialized features, that let you do things otherwise difficult - Tilt/Shift, Macro, long telephoto, or other special rendering strengths or weaknesses. But as you say, you should only buy them if you need them for what they do, and I would add that renting them when needed is a great option and saves a TON of money. And most of the time, a 35mm lives on my main body.
That's a very interesting point! A bit EV oddly enough😅. Makes me think that you develop your photography skills better when you have limited gear, because you have to make do.
To the point! True words!
thanks!
thank you
Apparently Sony now include a colour correction course and a tube of super glue with every purchase.
hahahahaha brilliant
Whenever I want new camera gear, I look at what I already have and try to remember how badly I wanted everything I already own at one point in time. It makes me realize how much I take it for granted
yes thats it isnt it, at one point what you have was exactly what you wanted
I could not agree more. I’ve changed brands several times because of the technology that changed, but I generally kept all of my lenses. However, in the last 10 years I have bought primarily Leica - M bodies and SL bodies and lenses. I do notice that certain lenses do have “personalities”. Particularly the Summilux F1 .4 lenses. They have a painterly quality. I know that phrases often misused . But when I’m looking at general 70 to 200 lenses between different manufactures, they’re all fairly the same. I can tell if the lens is an APO chromatic. And there are discernible differences between smaller sensors and medium format sensors. And certainly the best iPhone cannot match the quality of a full frame camera, but in general gear is just gear. As long as it works for you and you’re comfortable and know how it works, and you can switch between modes quickly to capture birds in flight and long exposures without taking your eyes off the camera then it’s a tool that works for you.
Good life learning lesson ( I learned it years ago, the hard way ) The lesson is ( I'm summarizing Martin ) but is to keep your credit cards at home in a safe!!! Nothing wrong with that old D610 for you portrait photographer's, The D810 is still a highly capable landscape and slower wildlife shooting..The D500 will still kill it on BIF, and I use mine for landscapes on occasion and it works actually very well...But you could always buy a good used D850, it will do everything. Well I say everything, Martin would know 1000× what I would on portraiture..
hahahah i dont know about that! yeah those cameras for sure are basically the same as the new ones honestly in terms of image i think the d800 is actually marginally better than the z8 even. figure that out
@MartinCastein my little brother shoots weddings with a D610 and all D series glass..His clients love the look of the non super computer, modern cameras..I think that's a lot of the loved D800 story..
@@bassangler73 i shot most of the wedding i did on the d600 cameras, they are perfect for it really. just the right size/weight/performance/price balance for weddings and the skin tones on it are excellent too.
I agree!
i love this guy
thanks!
I have the d600 and f 70-200 2.8 and thats it for me..
good choice
I tried a few cameras from used camera retailers and the novelty soon wears off. I always ended up sending them back in the end because the image quality and usability gains were marginal and in some cases a step backwards. I probably won't consider upgrading unless they come out with something radically better or my system breaks.
This industry is quite rare in using influencers to market their products.
Folks don't expect to play tennis like Roger Federer because the buy his racket or wear his tee shirt. They dont expect to cook like Gordon Ramsey because they have an identical oven or fry pan.
A camera is a tool and users need to learn how to use it. Recognise the youtube influencers as what they are advertisers.
The gear has become less important with AI editing. Spend your hard earned on education and experiences.
Like lots of things I guess, it’s the dopamine hit from the thrill of the chase, as it were. We very rarely need the latest and greatest cameras out there. I love the tech in all things and cameras are no exception. You are spot on though, my pics never really look that different.
I recently upgraded fro the RP to the R8 and whilst I love the newer model, the features it had over the RP, for me at least, make little difference. I shot a safari with the RP and really love what I got. Would the R8 have made it easier? Not sure….the RP coped really well. Why then did I buy it? I guess I just wanted it, liked it or maybe resisting the dopamine hit is futile. Even when you know what is going on, our brains find a way!l😂
Just been looking at your vids whilst I make the move from my trusty never dies d70s.. I've been trying to kill it over the last 10 years so the wife would be happy with me upgrading, of course the thing just won't die after many falls/smashes/rain ect while taking it hunting. After much consideration I think in gonna settle for a z5/6 as I want to be light, quiet, and I'm gonna shoot alot in low light. Any other suggestions? I'm really loving your back catalog of videos.. I'm definitely a sub for life
thanks! cant advise much more than try and get in a camera store and see if you actually like them and choose from there, they are all good enough now.
@@MartinCastein will do then.. enjoy your Kofi! Thanks from New Zealand
@@lerrynhawke3375 thank you very much!!!
Thank you for sharing your opinions. Do you think systems like Leica and Hasselblad worth the money?
not really no, id bring it back to look at the people who upgrade to those systems and see if their work looks any different.
@@MartinCastein Thanks for replying, I've never own those systems and I can't afford them anyway. The owners of those systems claim that the shooting experience is unique (e.g. Leica experience) and that's why I wonder if that experience is really much different from using other more affordable systems (e.g. Canon, Nikon)
@@allee2445 nah, its whatever you convince yourself of or like really. find what you like and shoot that, nothing is so amazingly different to shoot, its just a camera.
Absolutely agree @@MartinCastein
Yes, which branded Sony sensor did you want sir?
hahahahaah indeed
👍🏼
Take any of Joe McNally's work from around 2010 and it will most like have been shot of one of the D3 series (D3/X/S.) All that work will look fabulous & completely outclass what 99.999% of people are shooting today with £3000-£5000 high-end mirrorless.
PS. I recently bought a D600 but it refused to work with my AF-D screw-drive lenses (this same thing happened with a mate's D7200 about 3 years back.) Luckily my D600 was still within the 6 month warranty period so it's just gone back to the shop.
some nikon camreras do sometimes lose the screw drive motor i think, i have heard of that before, hopefully it gets repaired or replaced
I just got back from vacation, and I was very impressed with the ability of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro to handle high dynamic range situations. All these camera companies are so hung up on the hardware, where the Phones get so much out of the tiny lenses but great software. Why can't these camera companies make a camera that can shoot a RAW file HDR without a tripod? Seems like all the improvements have been only beneficial to wild life and sports photographers. I think the camera market will soon only be for professionals and serious hobbiest, they have lost most casual photographers. Also when I was on vacation, I noticed the people still using cameras, about half were using Canon and Nikon DSLRs, mostly APS-c.
I bought my fuji coz it’s pretty 😂❤
hahahah thats actually not a bad reason when you think about it, if all cameras are fully capable now.