I'm Not Dead Yet - The Call of the DSLR
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Some folks will be able to name the film where the line I’m Not Dead Yet line comes from. I think that it applies to the whole DSLR space as well.
It is safe to say that none of the major makers are putting R&D into their next DSLR, so from the perspective of future models and feature development, the DSLR is in fact dead.
BUT
This fact does not mean that all the DSLRs out there are now completely useless. They all do what they have done for years, they have not stopped working.
Certainly there are lots of new features and functions that we will only find in mirrorless bodies. Improvements in autofocus would be one. A smaller body was a failed promise, despite the absence of the mirror box and the requirement for a pentaprism, mirrorless cameras still tend to look like a DSLR. They don’t need to at all, that is only form for the sake of form, to convince people that the change is easy and that things work the same as before.
Things don’t work the same as before. As a sweeping generalization, mirrorless is a better platform. Fewer moving parts, less mechanics and a what you see is what you get viewfinder are all tangible benefits. However if the manufacturer designs the body to look like a DSLR with a bump for the non-existent pentaprism that’s a marketing choice that has nothing to do with functionality. You can call them pragmatic or you could call them fearful and you would be right in both cases.
The camera is just a tool. If your existing DSLR is doing what it is supposed to do, and there is nothing that it cannot do that you need it to do, you are not compelled to dump it in favour of a mirrorless body. You may choose to, but that’s not a need question.
I have not moved to mirrorless even though I see things that would be useful to me, because of my investment in lenses. Yes I could get an adapter to use my existing lenses and I would have to do so because replacing them all would be grounds for bankruptcy. My existing lenses would preclude a move to a different brand or sensor size. But that’s me.
Would a Canon R5 deliver things that I cannot get out of my present 1Dx Mark II or 5Ds? Definitely. Things like the tilt flip screen would be a bonus, and the video capabilities far surpass the video in the 1Dx Mark II. For about $130 CAD, I can use all my existing glass with it and even though all the new lenses being made are R mount, nothing stopped any of my EF L series glass from stopping working.
Which begs the question, how does this impact you? Are you the owner of an existing DSLR camera and some additional gear? Do you believe that the industry direction to mirrorless makes everything that you have bought useless? Do you believe the trade in BS that because the world has gone mirrorless that there is no value to DSLRs?
Friends, the answers to all these questions is NO. Your camera works as well as it did the day that you bought it presuming that you have taken care of it. Your lenses all still pass light and can set both aperture and focus. Margins on new gear are horrible while margins on used are typically 100% markup at least, so anytime a seller can get your used gear for cheap, it’s good business for them because they will sell it for about twice what they pay you for it. Trade ins are convenient, but if you are willing to undertake it, you will make more money selling privately.
I’ve looked at the R5 on paper. Looks good. I’ve looked at the R3 on paper. Looks like a lot more money for stuff that I don’t actually need. I’ve heard about the rumoured R1. I have also shot the older Olympus OM-1 Mark II or Mark III, cannot remember and thought it was great. I have shot Nikon mirrorless and Fujifilm mirrorless and every one of them was an excellent camera. Any of them would do a good job for me or you, existing lens and flash kit notwithstanding. Each has benefits. But it comes down to what I cannot do with the cameras that I own. Mostly that falls into video. The 4K video on the 1Dx Mark II is lame, but it was lame on day one. I’m not doing full length films and 2K still looks good on most TVs and on computer screens and on small phone displays. Plus it takes less space and is quicker to edit. So there’s a trade off. From a stills perspective, there is nothing in the new cameras that I cannot do with what I own, and while there are features that I would enjoy, the sum of them does not mean I am compelled to change because there is nothing wrong with what I own now.
Perhaps there will be a day when the mirrorless camera delivers so much more than my existing DSLRs that the migration will be obvious. That day is not here yet. The DSLR is only dead if you choose to kill it.
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I'm Ross Chevalier, thanks for reading, watching and listening and until next time, peace.
