Today, June 6th commemorates the 80th anniversary of D-Day which brought together the land, air, and sea forces of allied armies for the largest amphibious invasion in military history. Somewhere around 11,000 Allied aircraft, 7,000 ships and boats, and thousands of other vehicles were involved in the assault. A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day, including 2,501 Americans. Today, take a moment to reflect on all of these men who were part of what was truly the “Greatest Generation.”
Today’s Post by Joe Farace
Those who can’t change their minds can’t change anything.—George Bernard Shaw
In a previous post that I wrote about the Auto ISO feature that’s found on most (or all) DSLR’s and mirrorless cameras. I didn’t like it but now I’ve changed my mind and have come to embrace this feature. Because I’m open to introspection and changing my mind about all things photographic, I am currently reevaluating the post I wrote called Some Thoughts on Switching Camera System where I said, “Would owning a 102 or even 24-megapixel camera inspire a client to spend more money with me? I doubt it.” In case you’re considering switching to a different camera system, what follows is some personal thoughts on the topic of switching camera systems.
Why Switch Systems?
Here are some of my personal thoughts on this topic and why I’m not planing on switching anytime soon:
- I know how to use the system(s) I currently own. Over the years, I’ve reviewed many different kinds of cameras and no company does things the same way as the other manufacturers. Switching systems means I’d have to remember how the lens mounts counterclockwise, not clockwise and the controls for anything I want to do are somewhere other than where I expected.
- I can’t afford it. Right now, I own too many cameras including some converted for IR capture by LifePixel. I’ve sold a few of my older DSLRs and even a film camera or two, so I’m getting the number of camera, including some of my mirrorless cameras. somewhat under control.
- I’m not sure how many lenses I actually own but I’ve recently sold a few of them. Do I need two Lumix 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 lenses for mirrorless cameras? What am I going to do with them? Trade’em for new Brand X gear and get 10 cents on a dollar or put them on, heaven forbid, Craig’s List?
Will changing systems make a difference for the kind of photographs I make?
Maybe, maybe not. Shooting a Lumix S1R I borrowed from Panasonic almost changed my mind about switching but the camera is expensive, big and heavy. Then Panasonic dangles the $1,797 Lumix S5 Mark II in front of me and it’s a full-frame L-mount camera that’s as small as the Micro Four-thirds ($1197) Lumix GH5 Mark II. Don’t get me started on the GH6… L-mount lenses are not cheap but Sigma’s I Series primes are affordable and they offer the MC-21 Mount Converter that lets me use my Canon EF-mount lenses on L-mount mirrorless camera bodies.
I already own a full-frame DSLR, so what’s that going to get me? Then it hit me. Instead of 24x36mm, maybe I should go medium format. The best deal around seems to be purchasing a used Fuji GFX50 R, which are selling at KEH for around $2,393. Then I remember how, in the past, I’ve railed against “the cult of Fuji” and even teased my friend Cliff Lawson about him buying one of their mirrorless cameras and started feeling hypocritical. But what the heck, a guy can change his mind, cant he?
How I Made This Photo: I haven’t owned a Nikon camera in a long time, although Mary is now a Nikon shooter after she got mad at Olympus. (It’s a long story.) This image was captured at the Colorado Railroad Museum using a borrowed Nikon D3100 that maybe belonged to Mary with an AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm VR lens set at 80mm. The Program mode exposure was 1/1000 sec at f/4.5 and ISO 400 with a plus one and one-third stop exposure compensation. PS: I’m not mad at Olympus and have three of their mirrorless bodies and several lenses. I’d like to own an Olympus E-M1X some day…
My Final Thoughts
If any new camera from another manufacturer makes your life easier, helps you make more money and you can afford to make the transition go for it. I watched two friends go through this process and it scared the hell out of me but these guys are serious pros who make a living with their gear. Changing systems probably won’t make a difference in the kind of photographs I make but I’m open to new ideas, so who knows.
If you enjoyed today’s blog post and would like to buy Joe a cup of Earl Grey tea ($3.50), click here.
Along with photographer Barry Staver, Joe is co-author of Better Available Light Digital Photography with new copies and used copies that are available from Amazon.