Mirrorless Cameras (MILC) and Lenses

[LunarMist]

So I have an a6000 and looking for an external charger. Is the BCQM1 the best option if I want fastest charge times (FW50 batteries) and not too concerned about charger size?

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-BCQM1-Compact-Battery-Charger/dp/B00FX48OO2

I see some third party options like Nitecore which has a very cheap dual battery USB powered charger but reports are it usually taps out below 90% state of charge.

Thanks.

The Nitecore USB battery chargers, especially the QC wide dual charger, do some strange things with the battery reset point. In some cases the battery does not charge completely and in others is does, but the chip reads less.

The dual sided Nitecore chargers only charge one at a time, alternating as the display alternates. I tend to have one of those on the carry-on and one Canon OEM in each piece of checked luggage.

I have some generic USB dual charger for Sony, but it is not fast. In general I'm not a fan of fast charging. Ideally you will have plenty of batteries. Any OEM charger should be fine of course.

 

[Stereodude]

Both Sony and Canon are disappointing people today on the MILC front.

 

[LunarMist]

Whiny, cheap gits are always complaining about something as if they are entitled.

 

[snowhiker]

Nikon's leaked Z mount lens roadmap for 2020/2011.

By the end of 2021 Nikon will have a full set of standard f/1.8 primes: 20, 24, 28, 35, 50, 85, 105 and 135mm. Along with one-stop faster: 35, 50 and 85mm f/1.2 primes; and "trinity f/2.8 zooms" 14-24, 24-70, 70-200mm.

Nikon and Canon will keep their super-tele F and EF mounts for now as the adapters work good enough. Then 5-8 years from now phase those out as well.

With shrinking camera market share I'm wondering if the D850, D750, or D500 will receive one more DSLR update or will their next update my mirrorless. Canon did ship the 90D so maybe Nikon will ship one more DSLR besides the D6. I'd guess a D760 with the D5/850/500 AF/AE module, CFex card slots and dream, 36MP @ 10 fps.

High speed, sports/action/wildlife, are the only types of photography now that are truly lacking on mirrorless. 3-5 years from now global shutters and faster on-sensor autofocus points and better electronic viewfinders finally take the place of DSLRs.

Still kicking myself for not picking up a D500 12-18 months ago when they had huge sales+free grip.

 

[snowhiker]

According the Nikon Rumors, Nikon Z50 mirrorless APS-C camera and two lenses (16-55mm and 50-250mm) to be announced soon.

...per Nikon rumors...

• Nikon Z50: APS-C mirrorless camera, 20MP, 3" pivoted LCD, EVF, 11 fps.
• Z-Nikkor 16-55mm f/3.5-6.3 small lightweight collapsible kit DX lens.
• Z-Nikkor 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 small lightweight collapsible DX lens.
• The Nikon Z50 will use the new Nikon EN-EL25 battery.

 

[LunarMist]

Both Sony and Canon are disappointing people today on the MILC front.

S*ny is doubling down on disappointment. The a9 II is massively underwhelming. It basically contains the same sensor as the a9 with some minor updates. Nikon would add an S to the name suffix or Canon an N. S*ny has the nerve to use II. Now there is still that giant gap between 24 and 61 MP.

 

[Stereodude]

File this in the I'll believe it when I see it category: https://www.canonrumors.com/canon-eos-r5-specifications/

Canon is way too innovation stingy to drop that. Someone is trolling us.

 

[snowhiker]

File this in the I'll believe it when I see it category: https://www.canonrumors.com/canon-eos-r5-specifications/

Canon is way too innovation stingy to drop that. Someone is trolling us.

Yeah saw troll post.

8K30. 4K120. LOL. Aren't 8k cameras like $10k+
12fps mechanical, 20fps electronic @ 45MP. Dream come true.
7-8 stops of stabilization w/ IBIS+IS. Isn't 6 stops like the theoretical max?

Now if said dream camera costs MORE than a 1DX3, a lot more, say $9500, then those specs are less crazy. But the mid $3k range that the 5D aims for? Not likely.

If the 8K spec is just a time lapse function like the Nikon D850 and not actual 8K video we take a huge step back toward reality.

Canon should actually deliver this dream camera. It would totally blow people away and be a huge positive market disruption for Canon and get a lot of new people to buy into the Canon RF mount.

 

[Stereodude]

Canon should actually deliver this dream camera. It would totally blow people away and be a huge positive market disruption for Canon and get a lot of new people to buy into the Canon RF mount.

They can pull another 5D II, disrupt the entire market, and then coast on that momentum for another decade.

 

[Stereodude]

Yeah saw troll post.

8K30. 4K120. LOL. Aren't 8k cameras like $10k+
12fps mechanical, 20fps electronic @ 45MP. Dream come true.
7-8 stops of stabilization w/ IBIS+IS. Isn't 6 stops like the theoretical max?

I'm still firmly in the I'll believe it when I see it camp given how stingy Canon has been in the past decade, but it's probably true. All signs so far point to it being true except for the seemingly incredible nature of the specs.

 

[snowhiker]

I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around 8K video and a mid $3k price point. If the price is $5-6k+ or it is 8k TIMELAPSE instead of 8k30p video then the rumor seems a lot less crazy.

Canon seems to be on a marketing roll lately. The 1DX3 actual upgrades; AF module, AF-selection joystick and video features are generating a lot of buzz. Now these R5 spec rumors. If true? Wow! Canon killing it marketing-wise.

Nikon better have something special inside the D6. If these Canon R5 specs are true ALL the buzz and conversation will be focused on Canon's 1DX3 and R5 and not the D780 overpriced snooze-fest/disappointment or D6 w/gps as the only upgrade.

I may have to turn in my Nikon fanboi membership card and jump to team Canon.

 

[snowhiker]

I'm still firmly in the I'll believe it when I see it camp given how stingy Canon has been in the past decade, but it's probably true. All signs so far point to it being true except for the seemingly incredible nature of the specs.

Well it looks like we will see it. Canon's EOS R5 will shoot 8k video.

Canon officially announces the EOS R5.

Canon also announced the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 IS lens and 1.4x and 2x extenders.

 

[Stereodude]

Well it looks like we will see it. Canon's EOS R5 will shoot 8k video.

Canon officially announces the EOS R5.

Canon also announced the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 IS lens and 1.4x and 2x extenders.

There is still plenty of room for them to Canon it up... Like no AF, using a less than 32MP section of the sensor to generate the upsampled "8K" output, only 8-bit, shooting MJPEG, etc. However, it would be a little weird to come out with a camera with a revolutionary feature list (when you didn't have to) only to cripple all of the revolutionary features to the point of them being largely useless to anyone who really cares about them.

 

[Stereodude]

Canon dribbling out more information:

• 8K video: 30fps, no crop, internal recording and dual pixel AF available in ALL 8K modes.
• Auto Focus: body, face and eye animal detect so you can steadily track your subject.

 

[snowhiker]

I saw this on fujirumors. 300/4 DOE and 500/5.6 DOE (Diffractive optical element) tele lens patents. If these come to pass and Nikon never gets around to updating the D500 (in a timely manor) the Fujifilm XT4 paired with either/both of the above lenses looks very interesting.

 

[Mercutio]

I upgraded to an EOS R6. I primarily shoot with the Sigma Art lenses I already had from the 5d2 I was using before it died. The autofocus is crazy good. I created 45GB of content and missed focus on MAYBE 50 stills out of 1600 that I took. I can shoot in pitch black and still get a usable image.

The R5 and R6 have a bad rap for overheating, but the longest clips I shoot are all under 10 minutes. I can't say it's been a problem. I genuinely like having the relatively low-res 20MP sensor. It keeps the processing time on stills more reasonable.

That is all.

 

[jtr1962]

Merc,

Great to see you around! It's been a long time!

 

[Chewy509]

Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan, and moving production to Thailand,

Nikon Is ending 70 years of camera production in Japan - mirrorlessrumors

The Japanese website Asahi reports that Nikon is ending the production of cameras in Japan and moving all production to Thailand. This is simply Nikon’s attempt to cut costs as much as it gets. Don’t think this is enough to make them stay in the business. Troubling times for Nikon :(

www.mirrorlessrumors.com

 

[Chewy509]

@Merc, great to see you back.

 

[Mercutio]

I specifically wanted to message LM. I see that he hasn't posted in more than a year. He didn't reply to an email I sent to the last address I have for him, either.

I don't have much else to say. I am glad SF is still an ongoing thing.

 

[sedrosken]

Hark, for he hath returned! @Merc, good to see you again. We had gotten a bit worried after what happened with P5... As for Lunar, that's actually a curious absence as well. I guess I just hadn't thought about it so much, even my own posts have dropped like a stone.

 

[time]

Missed you man. It's great to hear from you, no matter how briefly.

I specifically wanted to message LM. I see that he hasn't posted in more than a year. He didn't reply to an email I sent to the last address I have for him, either.

Yeah, I often wonder why he went quiet. I figured no-one had heard from him, apparently no-one here knew anything about him. I guess a sudden cardiac event can't be ruled out - he dropped enough hints. If not, I hope he too will drop a message some day.

 

[Newtun]

I am glad SF is still an ongoing thing.

We're glad you're an ongoing thing, too!

 

[fb]

Really nice to see you around Merc.

 

[jtr1962]

Missed you man. It's great to hear from you, no matter how briefly.


Yeah, I often wonder why he went quiet. I figured no-one had heard from him, apparently no-one here knew anything about him. I guess a sudden cardiac event can't be ruled out - he dropped enough hints. If not, I hope he too will drop a message some day.

Also, given his long list of pre-existing health conditions, if he caught coronavirus his odds of pulling through were relatively low. I hope he's OK, and just not posting because he lost interest.

Dave hasn't posted in a while, either. And SD left in the spring and hasn't come back.

I'm glad Merc is still with us.

 

[Mercutio]

LM has a very common real name, almost as common as P5 did. I have some idea of where he lives but not a specific place.

 

[Will Rickards]

Glad to see you, Merc.
I hope Lunar is okay.

 

[Handruin]

I got an email from Lunar about a month ago in Nov. I was happy to hear he's alive and seemingly well.

 

[Mercutio]

I'm glad he's OK. I was genuinely worried.

I wound up with enough of a photography side hustle this year that it's become self-funding, at least as far as my gear purchases go. I have access to prepress-grade and sublimation equipment and a couple plotters, so I can turn around prints if someone wants, and it turns out there's a real demand for maternity and boudoir portraiture among people I know. I don't want to call myself a professional photographer by any means but I've been slipped enough $20s to make a Canon R6 and a Sigma Sport 70 - 200 effectively free.

I bought a Canon 5D2 ages ago because my father had an old FD-based camera and some lenses sitting around and I thought I'd be able to adapt them. Turns out that it sucks to adapt FD to EF, but FD to RF is a completely different story since the viewfinder will 100% let you know when your FD lens is in focus. For all the grousing about MILCs, this feature has made manual shooting easy and fun.

Several SF members seemed unwilling to make the change from SLR tech, but I have to say I'm really glad I did.

 

[Handruin]

Congrats on your photo gig. That kind of work around here has slowed down dramatically due to covid. I haven't spent much time with my photo gear in a while anyway. I'd consider mirrorless now but I wasn't interested in the tech that was available a few years back. The Canon R5 looks like a nice upgrade from my 5DmkIII but it's not really high on my list of things right now. I don't have the same interest that I used to have.

 

[Mercutio]

I really thought the R5 was overkill. Yes, you don't HAVE to take 45MP stills and there's basically no chance you're regularly making or editing 8k-anything. Looking at the feature set between the R5 and R6, the only thing I'd really wish for is 4k120 (1080p120 is coming in a firmware update, apparently). I was a bit hung up on the R6 for being "only" 20MP, but that's more or less a rounding error vs. the 5D2's 21MP. In the end, I couldn't justify the cost for the upgrade for a lot of features I wouldn't use.

As far as Covid, it's not awful for one on one or two work with model(s). I've been asked to do weddings and that's been the line I'm not willing to cross. I more or less live in a National Park and vacation destination though, so scenic locations and rental properties are readily available. In a way the pandemic has really given me a growth opportunity.

 

[Handruin]

The R5 is likely overkill, agreed. If I was doing more with photography I might find a way to justify it. The R6 at first pass didn't seem like enough of an upgrade from my existing Canon body to bother but that could very well just be my ignorance of exploring it in-depth. If I were to spend $2500, I'd want to see enough of an upgrade to be worth the price of the R6. The video functionality likely is much better but I've rarely used that feature.

One of my initial concerns with a mirrorless body is how well the image is represented with the video-based viewfinder. I see that the R6 use an OLED which is nice but how's the delay/lag (if any)? I've also thought that in darker settings an active viewfinder could feel out of touch with the lighting if it wasn't able to illuminate low enough to represent the light. If you're doing dramatic boudoir or modeling shots you may have encountered this situation.

 

[Mercutio]

The R6 has the same image sensor as the R5 and the 1DX2, with the R5's being tuned for higher resolution and the R6's being tuned for increased accuracy, especially for low light. Both have IBIS and both have Face and Eye Detection for both human and animal subjects. This works so absurdly well that you can do things like burst shoot a butterfly in flight and not lose sharp focus on it. With RF lenses, you can get 7 stops of exposure correction and the body + lens stabilization means you can get away with crazy things like 1 second handheld exposures or usable hand-held video from a 70 - 200. I've also gotten worthwhile portrait photos from nothing but obstructed moonlight.

The R6 doesn't blank the viewfinder. It just leaves whatever it was most recently displaying on screen while the shot is recorded. It doesn't bother me at all. The 3 million pixel OVF is accurate enough for me, but I also live shoot when I can and if I'm using an HMDI rab

The other camera that really gave me pause was the Sony A7r, but having messed with those, the control systems, especially the weird semi-touchscreen and important functions buried in sub menus. And I think Sony is WAY too proud of its lenses, which IMO don't live up to what Nikkor and Canon offer. Going someplace touristy, I've seen a LOT of Sony cameras with Canon lenses adapted to them. I can't throw too many stones since I'm using almost all EF lenses, but Sony's 1.4 primes just aren't as compelling as "high end" products.

 

[Handruin]

Did you get an adapter to fit EF-RF lens mount for your Sigma lens? I was looking around and canon offers a few types and was curious if you went with the basic $100 one or the one with the controls on it.

 

[Tea]

G'day Merc, good to see you!

I am steering well clear of mirrorless after the bad experience with the EOS R, which had some nice features but, overall, was a complete pain in the arse. Sold just it this week, after hardly using it for six or eight months. No point having it lying around when the reality is I'll always reach for the 5D IV or one of the other ones with proper viewfinders and practical, well-designed controls.

The EOS R took a nice picture but it was an ergonomic horrorshow and I'm glad to see the back of it.

With the money, seeing as Canon aren't making anything we want to buy, Tannin bought a guitar. (Yes, another one.) To be fair, it gets a lot more use than the EOS R did.

 

[Mercutio]

Handy: I have the $100 Canon adapter as well as a Viltrox cheapie that just kinda-sorta works. I've had zero issues with the Sigma 50mm 1.4, 18 -35 1.8, 24-70 2.8 or 70-200 2.8 on the Canon adapter. The Viltrox sometimes doesn't let me autofocus through the display but it's fine via the EVF, but it was only $30 and I hardly ever use the display anyway. The $200 control ring adapter is basically impossible to source. I have stock alerts at Adorama and B&H and they disappear the instant they're made available.

Hopefully the RF glass with eventually become affordable but there is nothing wrong with those Art- and Sport-series Sigmas. The 50 1.4 is often said to be a better lens than the Canon EF 50mm 1.2. The Sigmas are heavy and they use big filters but they're also half the price of Canon almost across the board.

Also, for what it's worth, I have a Cinebloom 1/4 filter that I love to death for street photography in places like Vegas or Reno or downtown Chicago. Makes everything look like a video game, but in a good way.

The R is a mess. I played with one for a bit and I can't stand the touchbar. I had been holding out for a Canon with IBIS anyway and never would've bought the R, but I'm glad I had a chance to try one or I might've been tempted as well. The RP, on the other hand, does exactly what it says on the tin and they're cheap to top things off. Perfectly find if you need a second body for something or other. I'm hoping they see another price reduction on their way out the door, or that I can find one for under $800. They're basically full-frame RF mount versions of a Rebel or KISS and that's just dandy.

 

[Mercutio]

Just added an Akaso Brave 7 to my kit. It's basically a cheaper version of a GoPro, but this one has a 20MP sensor and can do 4k30 for $119. I hadn't really looked at Action Cams but it turns out that they're very handy for getting B-roll and for use in settings where I probably wouldn't trust the weather sealing on my R6, like inside a shower. Don't ask why I need that. It comes up.

The GoPro people are crazy with their pricing. They're expensive second hand or else they're completely outclassed by competing products.

I have a little studio set up for remote lectures and I have temporarily mounted my little guy on an articulated swing arm so I can do overhead shots of something if I feel the need.

Studio-wise, another thing I really love are FalconEyes F7 RGBW lights. They have all these cool little built-in effects, like a candle mode, police lights, TV flickering. They don't have app control, but it's easy enough to match two or three of them, and I've found them as cheap as $80 apiece.

On an unrelated anecdote, I use my R6 with an Elegato USB to HDMI capture dongle while I'm teaching because the Canon Webcam utility is super-stupid. The first time I did a 1080p stream with my studio lighting one of my students commented that I must be moonlighting as a camgirl.

 

[DrunkenBastard]

"The first time I did a 1080p stream with my studio lighting one of my students commented that I must be moonlighting as a camgirl."

See me after class...

 

[Mercutio]

All this month, I'm meeting and working with a couple to help with their production needs. I'm learning a lot about lighting for video and about camera movement and I can honestly say I felt lust for a $1200 light this morning.

 

[LunarMist]

G'day Merc, good to see you!

I am steering well clear of mirrorless after the bad experience with the EOS R, which had some nice features but, overall, was a complete pain in the arse. Sold just it this week, after hardly using it for six or eight months. No point having it lying around when the reality is I'll always reach for the 5D IV or one of the other ones with proper viewfinders and practical, well-designed controls.

The EOS R took a nice picture but it was an ergonomic horrorshow and I'm glad to see the back of it.

With the money, seeing as Canon aren't making anything we want to buy, Tannin bought a guitar. (Yes, another one.) To be fair, it gets a lot more use than the EOS R did.

I avoided the early Canon R stuff altogether, though I have plenty of bad experiences with the Sony a7 system as well to draw on.
I'm now using the R5 and it is decent, but it suffers from the inherent PITA and critical imitations of the MILD in general.
First and foremost it is a video camera with the video screen (good resolution, but much lower dynamic range than the human eye) and then it has a funky AI AF system based on profitable subject recognition. That may be good for missiles attacking small countries, but AI AF on subjects without traditional eyeballs suffers from being limited to vertical lines only. It's just ridiculous given than the EOS camera had cross point AF starting 1989 and was well developed in the 2000s. So the AF is fast and most of the times good, but then it will inexplicably fail completely, especially on the OOF subjects. The on-sensor PDAF baselengths are just too short.