Our Switch to Mirrorless
Mirrorless is a cash grab. It’s a way to force people into a new system, with all the new stuff you have to buy. It’s unnecessary, overpriced, and annoyingly hyped. But none the less, I just spent $6500 on a brand new EOS R5 and RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS. I’m a sucker.
Some Background
I’ve owned a LOT of cameras. Every time I try to list them I know i’m leaving a ton out, but… Olympus E300, Fuji x100, Fuji, Fuji x100, Fuji X-Pro 1, Fuji X-Pro 2, Sony RX10 III, Sony RX100 VII, and then the Canon’s… 20d, 6d, 6d II, 7d, 7d II, 5d, 5d II, 5d III, 5d IV, EOS R, and now the R5. And that’s just still cameras (EX1, FS7, FS5, C100ii, C200, C70). I’m always looking for something better than I’m using. And I don’t shoot video and photo on the same camera. I rigged out my 5d Mark II when that was all the rage but it had too many variables for my taste.
I also only care about the final image. I’ve worked with people in the past who were very technical, but while the data looked good the image didn’t. I only care about the image and how it makes you feel. I also don’t care if something cost more or less or even, if it gives me a better image and experience, I’m willing to try it. Which brings me to Mirrorless…
Why Mirrorless
I had picked up an EOS R two years ago to just try mirrorless along side my 5d Mark IV. I used it periodically, but never really loved it. Little things annoyed me about it and I still preferred the DSLR experience. But I did notice that my EF lenses looked a little sharper on it. And I loved the preview of the image in the viewfinder after you shoot. It also matched my C200 for a B-camera if I needed one.
The R mostly got a workout as a family camera. I took it on some trips and it was the still camera and video camera. I didn’t always love the 4k crop, and I was annoyed I had to use the 24-105 for everything on it. I have the 24-70 which I prefer, but it wasn’t IS so it looked bad for video shake. But it was fine. Not good, not bad, fine.
I will also be the first to tell you how stupid Mirrorless is. I’ve said it before and I feel the same way now that I own it. I was going to type out a long list of why, but maybe that should be it’s own post.
COVID
So running your own company, you have the joy and sorrow of managing expenses and gear. COVID hit and I wasn’t sure how the work would pan out (it was okay, not great but could have been worse), so I looked to the gear. I dropped my C200 for a lease on a C70, and I sold my 5d Mark IV. I loved that camera, but there was no way I needed 2 cameras during COVID and the mark IV was only going to drop in value. I only needed one stills camera.
If the Project Dictates
Toward the end of the year I produced a huge project for a client. Multi-day photo and video shoot. I was directing the video and shooting the photos. I only shoot with backups, unless it’s unavoidable. We had 2 A7sIII for video and I had my EOS R for photo. I needed to rent a camera and went R5 to get a little more MP and to try it out.
Well the project went great and to my surprise, I loved using the camera. The price tag was a bit much, but I knew I wanted one. I fought off my usual “buy whatever you want” mentality and held off. Then Q1 came and was the best we’d had, followed by another big photoshoot booking and 5 more on the horizon. So I pulled the trigger and picked up a R5 and RF 24-70. I’m a few shoots in with that pair right now and I couldn’t be happier. Here’s why…
Pro’s
Ergonomics - the R5 is superior in every way to the R I had been using, it feels great in your hand
Sharpness - My 5d IV and 24-70 combo always felt less sharp than I thought an image would be. Not soft, just not as crisp. The R5 / RF 24-70 is sharper than I thought an image would be. Which I didn’t know I loved.
IS - The R5 has IBIS, but also the RF 24-70 lens is IS. This is one of my favorite things because I can use my favorite photo lens for video
Viewfinder Review - I love seeing the image in the viewfinder, though Canon doesn’t do it as well as Fuji which has the optical viewfinder and a little screen that pops up in the XPro line.
Responsiveness - this could have been put in a DSLR too, but the menus and AF adjustments feel snappier in the R5
RAW - The one thing I knew I’d miss going C200 to C70 was the RAW. I had to stop using it for file size reasons, but I knew I’d miss it. The R5 giving me Canon RAW light if I want it is a great thing (and contradictory to my last con).
Cons
Size - the first thing anyone tells you about why you should upgrade is the size… “lose that bulky camera body!” But what nobody tells you is the lenses are much bulkier. There is no perceivable size/weight savings when you put a real lens on. Sure if I found some tiny, light, pancake lens maybe, but nobody uses it that way.
Dark Scenes - this one I’m guessing I can adjust some how, but my scenes were dark because I was lighting them with strobes. And because I’m looking at a screen and not through the glass, I could only see a dark scene that was hard to focus.
Media - I paid $600 or so for a CFexpress card (Prograde Cobalt 600something GB). That’s almost what I paid for my first DSLR brand new. I understand new media is expensive, but XQD is basically the same and has been around forever.
Video - this is a con and a pro. I wish this camera was photo centric with minimal video features. I know in 2021 you can’t do that because you need the video for marketing. But I think it raised the price to the $3,899 it is today. I need a stills camera, not a hybrid. I think the camera should have left off some of the video and come in at $3299. But what do I know.
So there you go. My journey from the Canon 5d Mark IV to EOS R to R5. It’s been fun and I do love the camera, I just don’t know that I could advise anyone to upgrade if they didn’t have a specific reason (see my mirrorless post after this one).