Ever since I was in College, I’ve been a Canon user starting with the AE-1 film camera. Not that I was a fanboy of Canon gear, it’s just that they had the right products at the right time for me.  When Digital Cameras emerged, Canon seemed to have a lead over Nikon, so I stayed with them.  It also was important as I had an investment in lenses by now, so changing would be difficult (and expensive). However in the last few years, Canon seems to have fallen behind Nikon… and now Sony.  When it came time to upgrade my camera (5D Mark II – which was now nine years old), it seemed that either the Nikon D850 or the Sony A7R III was the proper choice… either way it was going to be a difficult jump.

Both the Nikon D850 and Sony A7R III are great cameras, but I can’t afford both… so Sony was the choice due to the fact it was lighter (great for long hikes) and a bit cheaper for the equivalent setup.  Part of Sony’s weight savings is because it’s a mirrorless camera… less parts / smaller size.  The learning curve is a bit steep though… much more than I expected.  Not to say that it’s bad… it’s just there are a ton of options and configurations to get through. Once through it (and past a lot of image mistakes!) it becomes pretty intuitive to operate.  Technology has come a long ways in the last nine years, and I’m really impressed with what this camera can do.

In some upcoming posts, I thought I would offer some thoughts and impressions of what it’s like to switch from a traditional DSLR like Canon to a Mirrorless Camera like Sony.  No system is perfect… with some advantages being meaningful and important, while some disadvantages were surprising.

Sunset at Harris Beach SP (February 2018)