Camera Quandary.2
As I previously shared with you, I have been eyeing a new mirrorless camera for several years. I decided to stay with Canon products because I have a rather expensive zoom lens I can continue to use with a Canon Mirrorless. Here are some reasons why I wanted to change from my DLSR Canon 7D Mark II to one of the newer Canon Mirrorless cameras:
Noise – I’ve always been unhappy with the amount of noise generated in low-light situations by my 7D. We get more than our fair share of cloudy days in Illinois (particularly in winter); a cloudy day is enough to force me to lower my shutter speed down to 1/360th of a second yet the ISO can still be above 400. It’s been my experience that I have to apply a de-noise program to most pictures with an ISO of 400 or higher. So on cloudy days not only I am prone to more camera shake because I’m shooting at a slow shutter speed I also have image degradation due to high noise. Mirrorless cameras are supposed to handle low noise better.
Autofocus – My 7D’s autofocus is pretty good, so I attain focus on most of the birds I’m shooting. The new Canon Mirrorless cameras have Eye Detection Autofocus. That’s right – the camera can find the eye of a bird and set the focus to that point, which is the ideal spot in bird photography. This should really increase the number of keepers I take. There are also more autofocus points available on mirrorless cameras, so as birds move toward the edges of the viewfinder the camera can still stay in focus.
Size/Weight – The new mirrorless cameras weigh less and most are smaller than a similar DLSR. This makes them easier to carry in the field for long periods.
Misc. – Mirrorless Cameras can be set to a “quiet” mode – you can’t hear the shutter clicking because there is no shutter. One result of not having a shutter is that the camera can take more frames per second. Another benefit of no shutter is that there is less shaking of the camera – yes, when the shutter goes “click” it creates a little vibration that might slightly blur the image.
I’ve really gotten a lot of good use out of my 5-year old Canon 7D Mark II. It has been a workhorse through rain, snow, heat, and cold on four continents. I estimate I’ve taken over 200,000 pictures and it’s always performed as expected. However a new technology beckons and I’m drawn to the advantages mirrorless cameras have to offer.
As I previously shared, I did buy a new Canon R6, took 20 pictures with it and shipped it back. What did I end up getting? That answer soon.
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