Canon 5Dii to mirror-less system, what do I need to know?

bass_junkie83

bass_junkie83

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Currently my main camera is a canon 5Dii and I have a selection of lenses including

Canon 17-40 f4
Canon 70-105 f4
Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS
Canon 50mm f1.8

I am finding that it is actually getting less and less use since the arrival of my daughter nearly two years ago which I did not expect!
But a lot of the time I simply can't be arse to carry around a heavy bag full of kit, especially when that often means leaving my wife to take care of everything child related which automatically puts me in the bad books any time we go out. So I really only take it out on big days out, holidays etc which are few and far between. Even in these odd cases it not easy running after a hyper toddler with a 70-200 slung over your shoulder!

A smaller and lighter set up is appealing and more likely to be used but I would want to achieve the same image quality I can with my current kit. Is that achievable? Or more importantly, is that achievable with for value of my current kit?

From what I can tell the mirrorless bodies are using the same full frame sensors found in dslr's now, but what about things like autofocus speed and accuracy, especially in low light? Do lenses compare well?

I would be lying if I said freeing up a bit of cash at the same time wouldn't be a welcome bonus. Happy to consider good condition second hand kit to get more bang for my buck.

My only other consideration is being able to cover weddings suitably. I should hope that anything I consider is up to scratch as I hope to match my current kit in every way except size and weight. I have two wedding left in October this year and then I am winding down my business, but I do have two final weddings towars the end of summer 2018. That gives me nearly a year to get to grips with a new system, or do you think it would be more sensible to hold onto the kit I have until those last two weddings are complete and then make the change?
 
Why not just add a mirrorless with a kitzoom or even a compact for the times you're not shooting for clients?
 
soeren said:
Why not just add a mirrorless with a kitzoom or even a compact for the times you're not shooting for clients?
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The business is coming to an end. Like I say, I can change systems after October this year and use is for the last two weddings of next year, assuming it is up to the job. Or I can wait until this time next year once I have finished my last couple of jobs. But should the latter be the better option then that suggests that going mirror-less is going to see a drop in image quality in which case I won't make the change anyway.

I bought a reasonably good compact a couple of years ago, but now even that can be bettered with my phone for day to day snapping so that gets no use.

Either way, funds don't allow having two systems.
 
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Though I was only ever a hobby photographer I made the same switch, in my case to Fuji. First off, let me say I am very happy I did so. The pics from my Fuji system are great. But you don't get something for nothing - Fujis are smaller, lighter and cheaper than top end Canon gear and so you have to expect to lose out somewhere. Personally, besides moving from full frame to crop sensor and the obvious impact that has on depth of field with fast portrait lenses (I used the Canon 85/1.2 a lot), I cannot detect any significant deterioration but I am sure there is a loss somewhere. Fuji flash is poor, I understand, but I don't use flash so cannot comment, but this might impact your weddings. In terms of extracting some cash, the 5DII is quite old now. While the very latest top-end mirrorless cameras might be better given recent developments, they are still likely to be more expensive, even used.

Second, while the fujis are small and certainly more portable than pro Canon gear, they don't just slip in a pocket. You will still end up taking a bag of lenses and delegating child care (or at least I do!)
 
I went the same way from a Canon 5dMk2 to a Fuji XT-1 with the 18-135 kit lens and subsequently added the 10-24 and the 100-400, although the latter was probably a mistake as it does not get much use and if I could get a 3-400mm prime then I would sell it.
I am highly delighted with the move although I kept the Canon as I have a 24mm TS-E and Sigma 50mm f1.4 together with the 580EX Flash, how much longer I keep them I don't know as they are really gathering dust.
Now I don't shoot a lot of moving objects but the only time I did with the Fuji I was disappointed with the EVF blackout , it was very much spray and pray ( I was shooting galloping horses).
Other than that its fine, the IQ is very good ( to me) , the .jpg files are OK to the extent I rarely shoot RAW except when I know the lighting is a bit odd and I have to shoot a whibal card .
The Nissin range of Flash's are reasonable , particularly now they have HSS , but I don't use flash a lot.
All in all I am quite happy with the change, particularly with the 10-24 which has OS so I can shoot at low SS indoors ( Nat Trust places and similar where flash is not allowed
 
ianmarsh said:
Though I was only ever a hobby photographer I made the same switch, in my case to Fuji. First off, let me say I am very happy I did so. The pics from my Fuji system are great. But you don't get something for nothing - Fujis are smaller, lighter and cheaper than top end Canon gear and so you have to expect to lose out somewhere. Personally, besides moving from full frame to crop sensor and the obvious impact that has on depth of field with fast portrait lenses (I used the Canon 85/1.2 a lot), I cannot detect any significant deterioration but I am sure there is a loss somewhere. Fuji flash is poor, I understand, but I don't use flash so cannot comment, but this might impact your weddings. In terms of extracting some cash, the 5DII is quite old now. While the very latest top-end mirrorless cameras might be better given recent developments, they are still likely to be more expensive, even used.

Second, while the fujis are small and certainly more portable than pro Canon gear, they don't just slip in a pocket. You will still end up taking a bag of lenses and delegating child care (or at least I do!)
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+1 from me, I also have done similar with the same amateur background with no regrets...just so happy with the Fuji system and gear.
 
Take a look at the Sony A7 series. The bodies are smaller than a 5D and about the same size as a Fuji mini SLR body and you can even use your existing lenses via an adapter but the native lenses are very very good.
 
Hi Dave, I had the Canon 70D & 1100D plus nine lenses, one of which was the Sigma 150-600mm. In the end the weight just got too much for me, traded some lenses in for the Fuji X-T20 and two light lenses, then a couple of days ago I got the X-T2 + XF 18-55mm. For me it was the best move I have done, as it is so light to carry around and a joy to use.
 
bass_junkie83 said:
The business is coming to an end. Like I say, I can change systems after October this year and use is for the last two weddings of next year, assuming it is up to the job. Or I can wait until this time next year once I have finished my last couple of jobs. But should the latter be the better option then that suggests that going mirror-less is going to see a drop in image quality in which case I won't make the change anyway.

I bought a reasonably good compact a couple of years ago, but now even that can be bettered with my phone for day to day snapping so that gets no use.

Either way, funds don't allow having two systems.
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Id wait, do the weddings and see what happens in the camera market untill then. No point in changing horses in the middle of a stream.
 
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Just buy a cheap used Canon Eos m with adapter for about £120 and stick your 50mm on it. Then you can see if you like mirror less. You can also stick your other lenses on but that won't be a small form factor.
 
Thanks for the input guys.

I suppose a simpler and shorter way of phrasing my question would be, have mirrorless cameras come far enough tho match a 5Dii in every way? As that would be what I want to make the change and would answer every other question I have. Will see if I can find any camera shops to go take a look.

Something else that has come up in the last couple of days why I have been scouring the web of information, is it correct that to achieve the same focal length, mirrorless lenses have to be larger than their slr equivalents? I have seen it mentioned that although the bodies are smaller, once coupled with a lens (excluding pancakes of course) that there is really very little difference in overall size.
 
bass_junkie83 said:
Thanks for the input guys.

I suppose a simpler and shorter way of phrasing my question would be, have mirrorless cameras come far enough tho match a 5Dii in every way? As that would be what I want to make the change and would answer every other question I have. Will see if I can find any camera shops to go take a look.

Something else that has come up in the last couple of days why I have been scouring the web of information, is it correct that to achieve the same focal length, mirrorless lenses have to be larger than their slr equivalents? I have seen it mentioned that although the bodies are smaller, once coupled with a lens (excluding pancakes of course) that there is really very little difference in overall size.
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You'll have to think about your priorities and what matters.

I think an A7 of just about any designation would give as good or better image quality but there are other things to consider.

Regarding mirrorless lenses having to be bigger.... I don't know where you could have got this but you may have run into confusion with the "crop factor."

Most mirrorless cameras are sub FF so could have smaller lenses. Micro four thirds is a x2 crop system (so an equivalent lens to a 35mm on FF would be 17mm for MFT, apply the crop to aperture too not for exposure which is the same but only for DoF, so FF at f2 would need MFT at f1 to get the same DoF) MFT will usually give a saving in bulk and weight lens wise. Fuji and Sony and any other APS-C systems are x1.5 crop (so to equal a 35mm f2 FF you'd need a 24mm f1.3) could also offer a saving in bulk so that leaves the FF jobbies from Sony and Leica (there's no crop factor here) and even if some of the higher end lenses are about the same size or a fraction larger they're probably not going to be significantly larger than DSLR equivalent lenses.

Have a play with the size comparator thingy here...

http://camerasize.com/compact/#472.383,579.394,192.368,ha,t
 
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I have a lumix GF7 for this sort of thing. with some prime lenses it has some great options for shooting your kids (in a way that's socially acceptable :P)
 
I have an Olympus set up after trying the Olympus Wow - you can borrow the stuff and use it for a day or two . I still have my Canon stuff but can see a day when a lot of that will go. Might be worth a go. They have "ambassadors" who have to buy their own kit so take a look at one of two of them. They seem good for motorsport. I will found out in a few weeks if they can manage something more erratic when the BBL season starts again. It seems to me also that picking them up and holding them is worth a great deal when deciding what to do; I don't think there is much in the way of rubbish kit out there these days.
 
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