Beginner what can an slr do that a mirrorless can't

[ianp5a]

I use focus peaking along with magnification, set to activate when the focus ring is turned. The sharpest plane of focus is clearly highlighted with a white sparkle. And moves as you focus. It is a really effective way of pinning the focus to a point.

Regarding EVF resolution, with my EM5 mk2, I can't make out individual pixels at all in the viewfinder. Limited resolution is certainly not a disadvantage of modern EVFs. It's a non issue. The rumour was possibly based on seeing older EVFs. And they are only going to get better.

 

[snerkler]

I'm not at all sure about these two.

Fast focus has to be a combination of the body plus the lens and there have been a string of new CSC's each successively claiming to the be worlds fastest focusing camera (and lens as of course this claim has to be a specific body and a specific lens combination.) It may be that I've missed a new DSLR (and lens) taking the crown of the fastest focusing thingy but I do remember a string of CSC manufacturers making the claim.

I'm not too sure about the VF comment about resolution either as whatever you can see through an optical VF fitted to a DSLR you can see at high magnification with an EVF. When using an EVF and looking at a magnified view you can see and focus on things that are simply impossible to see clearly with an unaided optical system. If you have the time to manually focus with an EVF and magnified view you can manually focus very accurately indeed and IMO much more accurately that you ever could with an unaided optical system.

What they claim about AF and how they behave in the real world are two different things Those advantages you mention re the EVF are great though.

 

[snerkler]

I use focus peaking along with magnification, set to activate when the focus ring is turned. The sharpest plane of focus is clearly highlighted with a white sparkle. And moves as you focus. It is a really effective way of pinning the focus to a point.

Regarding EVF resolution, with my EM5 mk2, I can't make out individual pixels at all in the viewfinder. Limited resolution is certainly not a disadvantage of modern EVFs. It's a non issue. The rumour was possibly based on seeing older EVFs. And they are only going to get better.

Tbh I do still see a difference using my EM5-II EVF to the OVF in my D750, the image still isn't as sharp or clear despite the large resolution.

 

[woof woof]

What they claim about AF and how they behave in the real world are two different things Those advantages you mention re the EVF are great though.

I doubt they'd lie, there are rules about lying in advertising, and if they did I think the review sites and bloggers would soon be shouting. Although VW did get away with it for some time... but certainly there are reviews and on line vids which show how blisteringly fast some CSC's are.

 

[snerkler]

I doubt they'd lie, there are rules about lying in advertising, and if they did I think the review sites and bloggers would soon be shouting. Although VW did get away with it for some time... but certainly there are reviews and on line vids which show how blisteringly fast some CSC's are.

I'm sure there are certain test conditions where they can get the AF to be extremely fast, maybe even the fastest, but I've tried some of the so called fasted AF systems and in the real world aren't as fast or 'confident' as high end DSLRs. That's not to say they're not blazingly fast of course in good light.

 

[Phil V]

I doubt they'd lie, there are rules about lying in advertising, and if they did I think the review sites and bloggers would soon be shouting. Although VW did get away with it for some time... but certainly there are reviews and on line vids which show how blisteringly fast some CSC's are.

It's not a lie though, it's the answer to the wrong question.

How many potential buyers will hear about the blisteringly fast AF and assume it refers to focus tracking? We all know that CSCs are way behind in this area.

When you wrote it, you were aware that it's misleading as a statistic, but it didn't sto you quoting it.

 

[woof woof]

It's not a lie though, it's the answer to the wrong question.

How many potential buyers will hear about the blisteringly fast AF and assume it refers to focus tracking? We all know that CSCs are way behind in this area.

When you wrote it, you were aware that it's misleading as a statistic, but it didn't sto you quoting it.

Phil, have you ever described focus tracking as "snappy."

To me "snappy focus" would mean quick to achieve focus... rather than track. Does it mean something different to you?

 

[snerkler]

Phil, have you ever described focus tracking as "snappy."

To me "snappy focus" would mean quick to achieve focus... rather than track. Does it mean something different to you?

TBH I would definitely call the 3d focus tracking on m D750 both snappy in achieving focus and tracking. I used it for the London Marathon shoot I did and I literally had milliseconds to spot the runners in the crowd, lock on and shoot away. The confidence the camera gives you is incredible, I doubt I'd have got the shots with many other cameras.

 

[Phil V]

Phil, have you ever described focus tracking as "snappy."

To me "snappy focus" would mean quick to achieve focus... rather than track. Does it mean something different to you?

I might not use that term, but someone buying a camera, being told that it was the fastest focus sing camera in the world is going to feel swindled when they realise that their focus tracking is much slower than an SLR.

 

[snerkler]

I might not use that term, but someone buying a camera, being told that it was the fastest focus sing camera in the world is going to feel swindled when they realise that their focus tracking is much slower than an SLR.

Or finding 'normal' AF slower than DSLR in less than perfect light.