The small sensor in micro four-thirds does worry me, but a few people here have abandoned their DSLRs in favour of mirrorless. I'm tempted to do the same because I find my 7D really heavy to carry around and never carry more than one spare lens. Lately I've been using an Olympus E-PL1 as my carry around camera, but the quality is not close to the newer models.
Whatever system one chooses seems to be a compromise in one way or another.
As always, it depends on what you are doing with your photography.
Small sensors are getting better. So are the big ones. If you are shooting for Facebook, and eBay, you do not need a full frame DSLR. If you are hanging pictures on the wall, the bigger they get, the bigger you need. 8x10 film cameras are still used for a reason.
Anyone who says size does not matter, has a small one.
The small sensor in micro four-thirds does worry me, but a few people here have abandoned their DSLRs in favour of mirrorless. I'm tempted to do the same because I find my 7D really heavy to carry around and never carry more than one spare lens. Lately I've been using an Olympus E-PL1 as my carry around camera, but the quality is not close to the newer models.
Whatever system one chooses seems to be a compromise in one way or another.
My old 350D Rebel with the Sigma 18-200 is small & light for a carry-around that size-wise is in between a P&S a larger dSLR. I think the newer Rebels do video... maybe? I should really look into getting a dSLR that also does video.
The small sensor in micro four-thirds does worry me, but a few people here have abandoned their DSLRs in favour of mirrorless. I'm tempted to do the same because I find my 7D really heavy to carry around and never carry more than one spare lens. Lately I've been using an Olympus E-PL1 as my carry around camera, but the quality is not close to the newer models.
Whatever system one chooses seems to be a compromise in one way or another.
My old 350D Rebel with the Sigma 18-200 is small & light for a carry-around that size-wise is in between a P&S a larger dSLR. I think the newer Rebels do video... maybe? I should really look into getting a dSLR that also does video.
I use a Sony NEX 6 (and previously a 5) and I am very pleased with the quality of photos it takes, it has an APS-C sensor to there is no compromise there ... it'll never replace my dSLR but it is a great walkaround camera with the 18-200 lens and fisheye
The small sensor in micro four-thirds does worry me, but a few people here have abandoned their DSLRs in favour of mirrorless. I'm tempted to do the same because I find my 7D really heavy to carry around and never carry more than one spare lens. Lately I've been using an Olympus E-PL1 as my carry around camera, but the quality is not close to the newer models.
Whatever system one chooses seems to be a compromise in one way or another.
My old 350D Rebel with the Sigma 18-200 is small & light for a carry-around that size-wise is in between a P&S a larger dSLR. I think the newer Rebels do video... maybe? I should really look into getting a dSLR that also does video.
Small and light is relative. I find my Sigma 18-200 quite heavy, whatever body it's on!
I use a Sony NEX 6 (and previously a 5) and I am very pleased with the quality of photos it takes, it has an APS-C sensor to there is no compromise there ... it'll never replace my dSLR but it is a great walkaround camera with the 18-200 lens and fisheye
I thought the Sony NEX 6 looked quite interesting with the 16mm pancake and fisheye adapter. But from what I've read, the quality of the 16mm lens (and other Sony mirrorless lenses) isn't that good. I'm also keen on a touchscreen for situations where I need quick focusing selection that I struggle with on my 7D. Sony don't have that yet. Olympus and Panasonic do. If only their sensor was bigger.
I use a Sony NEX 6 (and previously a 5) and I am very pleased with the quality of photos it takes, it has an APS-C sensor to there is no compromise there ... it'll never replace my dSLR but it is a great walkaround camera with the 18-200 lens and fisheye
I thought the Sony NEX 6 looked quite interesting with the 16mm pancake and fisheye adapter. But from what I've read, the quality of the 16mm lens (and other Sony mirrorless lenses) isn't that good. I'm also keen on a touchscreen for situations where I need quick focusing selection that I struggle with on my 7D. Sony don't have that yet. Olympus and Panasonic do. If only their sensor was bigger.
The 5 has touchscreen but they dropped it on the 6 ... I was unconvinced anyway and the plusses of the 6 outweighed loosing that ...
Happy to share some full res images if you want, just let me know ....personally I've been very surprised how sharp the images are with the 18-55 and the 18-200 .... there is a fair amount of distortion in the pancake lens when used up close but I love the fisheye adaptor :)
I use a Sony NEX 6 (and previously a 5) and I am very pleased with the quality of photos it takes, it has an APS-C sensor to there is no compromise there ... it'll never replace my dSLR but it is a great walkaround camera with the 18-200 lens and fisheye
I thought the Sony NEX 6 looked quite interesting with the 16mm pancake and fisheye adapter. But from what I've read, the quality of the 16mm lens (and other Sony mirrorless lenses) isn't that good. I'm also keen on a touchscreen for situations where I need quick focusing selection that I struggle with on my 7D. Sony don't have that yet. Olympus and Panasonic do. If only their sensor was bigger.
The 5 has touchscreen but they dropped it on the 6 ... I was unconvinced anyway and the plusses of the 6 outweighed loosing that ...
Happy to share some full res images if you want, just let me know ....personally I've been very surprised how sharp the images are with the 18-55 and the 18-200 .... there is a fair amount of distortion in the pancake lens when used up close but I love the fisheye adaptor :)
As far as I know the NEX 5 touchscreen was only for focus selection, the Olympus OM-D allows one to shoot using the touchscreen. It's my belief that in certain situations I will really need that. I never really considered the 5, but the 6 does look interesting.
I've got the Olympus E-PL1, but I've got no money invested in lenses yet, so making the change wouldn't be a big deal. I really wanted to like the Canon EOS M for compatibility with the lenses I've already got, but the lack of viewfinder is a huge negative, and some consultants who claim to know said there wouldn't be a Canon mirrorless with a viewfinder anytime soon.
My best option is probably to stick with the equipment I've got for a while and see what new mirrorless cameras come out in 2013. But I'd really love a fisheye lens of some sort, and I don't feel like spending the money on a fisheye for the 7D if there is any chance I'll make a permanent switch to mirrorless.
As far as I know the NEX 5 touchscreen was only for focus selection, the Olympus OM-D allows one to shoot using the touchscreen. It's my belief that in certain situations I will really need that. I never really considered the 5, but the 6 does look interesting.
My best option is probably to stick with the equipment I've got for a while and see what new mirrorless cameras come out in 2013. But I'd really love a fisheye lens of some sort, and I don't feel like spending the money on a fisheye for the 7D if there is any chance I'll make a permanent switch to mirrorless.
That is right, only focusing
If I carry the 7d I also take the sony with just the fisheye .... camera and lens was about the same as buying a fisheye for the 7d :)
I just spent 3 days travel and 5 hours hiking up and back a remote mountain with all my DSLR gear (2x DSLR's, Grips, spares batteries, filters, 100-300mm, 12-24mm, 28-70mm) on my back as I wasn't leaving it all in my car in a parking lot. I nearly died. Get me a full frame mirrorless with an 12-500mm VR X lens and a self telescoping monopod all weighing in at less than a 1 litre bottle of water... :)
There's a place for every system...and any compact with full frame sensor does look attractive.
I capitulated halfway and covered the back pack in its rain coat and left it hidden behind some rocks and grass a distance from the trail when no one was watching. Took my D80 and the 12-24mm and a 500ml water to the top. Picked everything else up on the way back down...
ETA: Initially I didn't think Panasonic did in lens stabilization, but I was wrong. In either case, I'm yet to see any examples that actually show Panasonic's stabilization to be better than the others, which are also in lens (Canon, Nikon, Sigma etc). I do own an Lx5 and the stabilization is great, but I don't know that I can say better. And he provides zero photographic evidence. My biggest thing though, is lighter doesn't mean better. It depends upon your uses. A large format camera provides a better image, but do you want to carry it? Probably not. Where do you personally draw that line?
ETA: And low light is not even really a question. Put a full frame sensor against a 4/3 and the results are clear. That's not to say that they aren't great sensors under certain scenarios, but lowlight isn't one of them.
