Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Sony vs Canon: DSLR and Mirrorless

I had the Sony A9 and AIII and just couldn't use them because they are way too small for my hands. I think there has been so much attention on mirrorless, as well as marketing money to influencers on YouTubers which makes it seem like everyone is using Sony. I get it, mirrorless has it's place, and there are some great features. there's also some terrible features. I currently use a number of Canon DSLR cameras including the Canon EOS R. The R isn't my favorite camera, but it has grown on me. Anytime I reach for a camera, certainly for traveling, that is what I bring 90% of the time. The R and a Canon 7GX MII has been with me to 4 continents over the last year and I honestly wouldn't trade them for any Sony, despite having access to them. So here is my list of pluses and minuses:

- Blackout: The A9 has no blackout, all other mirrorless cameras have way too much blackout in my opinion. Canon R blackout is better than any Sony other than A9 but impossible to oh take photos of whales because they move too fast. Any DSLR such as Canon 5D MIV work fine for sports and wildlife photography, I just don't get the complaining of DSLR blackout. A DSLR instantly refreshes, where a mirrorless displays the previous image for way way too long and then refreshes. Only the A9 is usable for any wildlife or sports photography period.

- In body image stabilization (IBIS) I really don't understand why everyone wants IBIS. IBIS actually is a detractor if you want a seriously durable camera because the sensor shakes around.

- Smaller bodies are good for small hands, but not good for big hands. I have tried every battery grip available for the A series and they just don't work. The new body design is better, but not even close to a Canon or Nikon. Also the grip is shallow enough and the lens release is at the base of the body so when I grab the camera I've released the lens more than a few times.

- Sony can't handle water. If a Sony looks at water it stops working. Where I have dropped my 1D in river water and they keep working.

- Sony has no service support. When a camera needs servicing Sony suggest throwing it away and buying a new one. Canon has CPS, which is awesome if you need a camera serviced. Absolutely ridiculous Sony. No professional can depend on a Sony because of this.

- Shake a Sony camera and it makes noise. Strange.

- Love Sony A9 silent shooting, amazing for Wedding photography. Absolutely a game changer.

- I like the flip out LCDs on Canon better than Sony. Also the touchscreen. The menu system on Canon is way better too. The video codec is a little better on Sony.

- Canon color science is the best there is. Nikon is actually really great too. Hasselblad is pretty awesome too. Sony, not so much, every photo and video needs to be adjusted to look good. But Nikon video is lacking.

- Weight. Anyone that tells me that a Sony weighs less is crazy. Put a comparable lens on both cameras and compare the weight, they are basically the same and actually the Sony weighs more, just with a tiny camera in your hands. If you put a super small lens on a Sony then you have a weight savings, but meh. Now size is a bit smaller for traveling which is nice. But go for a micro 4/3 if size is a real issue.

- What is really nice about mirrorless is there's a shutter release button for photos and a record button for video. You don't have to switch between modes and remember do I look through the eyepiece or the rear screen.

- Lastly, all camera's do their best autofocus in good light. However, mirrorless cameras have poor autofocus anytime the light is anything less than good. The reason for this is what you see is what you get, but that is also what you autofocus from, where a DSLR will flip the mirror down and open up the lens aperture, evaluate then flip everything back to take the photo. This can take time, but 16 FPS for the pro series and 5FPS for the low end is pretty darn good.

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