GBP Notes 10/26/22 – Another Camera

Camera Quandary.2

As I previously shared with you, I have been eyeing a new mirrorless camera for several years.  I decided to stay with Canon products because I have a rather expensive zoom lens I can continue to use with a Canon Mirrorless.  Here are some reasons why I wanted to change from my DLSR Canon 7D Mark II to one of the newer Canon Mirrorless cameras:

Noise – I’ve always been unhappy with the amount of noise generated in low-light situations by my 7D.  We get more than our fair share of cloudy days in Illinois (particularly in winter); a cloudy day is enough to force me to lower my shutter speed down to 1/360th of a second yet the ISO can still be above 400.   It’s been my experience that I have to apply a de-noise program to most pictures with an ISO of 400 or higher.  So on cloudy days not only I am prone to more camera shake because I’m shooting at a slow shutter speed I also have image degradation due to high noise.  Mirrorless cameras are supposed to handle low noise better.

Autofocus – My 7D’s autofocus is pretty good, so I attain focus on most of the birds I’m shooting.  The new Canon Mirrorless cameras have Eye Detection Autofocus.  That’s right – the camera can find the eye of a bird and set the focus to that point, which is the ideal spot in bird photography.  This should really increase the number of keepers I take.  There are also more autofocus points available on mirrorless cameras, so as birds move toward the edges of the viewfinder the camera can still stay in focus.

Size/Weight – The new mirrorless cameras weigh less and most are smaller than a similar DLSR.  This makes them easier to carry in the field for long periods.

Misc. – Mirrorless Cameras can be set to a “quiet” mode – you can’t hear the shutter clicking because there is no shutter.  One result of not having a shutter is that the camera can take more frames per second.  Another benefit of no shutter is that there is less shaking of the camera – yes, when the shutter goes “click” it creates a little vibration that might slightly blur the image.

I’ve really gotten a lot of good use out of my 5-year old Canon 7D Mark II.  It has been a workhorse through rain, snow, heat, and cold on four continents.  I estimate I’ve taken over 200,000 pictures and it’s always performed as expected.  However a new technology beckons and I’m drawn to the advantages mirrorless cameras have to offer.

As I previously shared, I did buy a new Canon R6, took 20 pictures with it and shipped it back.  What did I end up getting?  That answer soon.

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