Retina Loc: Near Charleston,SC

If someone tends to use Live View because they often need a tilting or articulating screen, then a mirrorless is not such a bad jump. These folks are already used to DSLRs sucking most of their battery worse than mirrorless cameras do. Granted, it is a minority of shooters, but exceptions tend to be in the minority. I do like the battery life in a DSLR having come from advanted P/S cameras that also lack mirrors. If I go back to the EVF I will just have to plan for extra batteries. It's not such a bad problem in the scheme of things.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Mizzee, if you ever move up to the E-M1 mrII, you will find the the Super Panel is a must. If one has enough time, they can work their way through the menu. And for some of the more specialized functions, one more or less has to learn the menu system. But if it hadn't been for the Super Panel, I probably would have turned my E-M1 mrII in for the Panasonic GH4 or GH5. The Super Panel makes it so easy to change some of the more common settings so quickly.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

What cameras are they using? I go out every day to shoot and I charge my batteries once a week. The newer cameras with the larger batteries go toe to toe with dslrs.

On another note, to me what’s unacceptable is not being able to see my shots right away and not being able to use my camera after 36 shots.

Angmo

I pick a camera based on its ability to produce a decent image. Not weight. If my fav camera was 25 pounds, I’d use it. If weight is an issue I suggest weight lifting at the gym. Cameras really aren’t heavy.

I even carried about 30 pounds of camera gear in the Himalayas. Invest in high quality lenses. Digital resolution has finally caught up to the ability of a lens to work well. I have some 25+Year old Nikon glass that worked well on film and up to 20mp cameras. Now, at 45mp, I’ll be looking for better glass on certain lenses. Not all but a few primes.

NCMtnMan Loc: N. Fork New River, Ashe Co., NC

I find that a good part how well I shoot with a camera has to do with how comfortable it feels in my hands. This is also true of the tools that I use in my woodworking, the mouse and keyboard that I use on my PC, the knives I use cooking and anything else that I operate with my hands. So, if I ever move to mirrorless, it will have as much to do with that as anything.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Are you aware that the Fuji X-T3 is almost exactly the same size and weight as your 550D?

And did you know there are 43 autofocus lenses for the Fuji X-mount, compared to 179 AF lenses for your 550D (not to mention all the ones no longer being made, but still usable on your camera)?

Don't get me wrong... I really like Fuji gear. I shot with several of their large format lenses and used a couple different Fuji medium format cameras and lenses in the past. Excellent stuff!

Just be realistic about it. There really isn't any size/weight advantage. In fact, a Canon SL2 (200D) is smaller and lighter than either your 550D or the X-T3... And an SL2/200D would be a solid upgrade from the 550D, and it costs a whole heck of a lot less than the Fuji (about $550 instead of $1500), and it would be fully compatible with any lenses you already have for use on your 550D.

There are some cool features with mirrorless (MILC or "mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras")... The electronic viewfinder (EVF) can be handy in low light conditions, can help with manual focus, and gives you a preview of exposure based upon your current settings. A mirrorless also can be very quiet (no moving parts to speak of) and might have ultra fast shutter speeds.

OTOH, an EVF draws power constantly while in use and requires the sensor to be powered up too, providing the EVF's image. The optical viewfinder of a DSLR requires no power and its image sensor is only powered up during the fraction of a second when a typical exposure is made. As a result MILC typically get far fewer shots per battery charge than a DSLR does. MILC are relatively new, so it's hard to say if they will have the long term durability and reliability of DSLRs... probably yes, but it worries me a little that a MILC's sensor will accumulate many hours of powered-up use taking the same number of shots as a DSLR, which only accumulates a total of few minutes of powered-up sensor time. Everyone's "mileage" varies depending upon how they use their camera, but a 550D is rated to be able to take 20% more shots per battery charge than the X-T3 (an SL2/200D is even more efficient and is rated to get 66% more shots per charge). And, I don't know about the X-T3 in particular, but many (most?) MILC's sensors are exposed to gather dust and vulnerable to accidental damage any time the lens is removed, where a DSLR's sensor behind the mirror and a closed shutter most of the time.

Yes, MILC are the "future" and likely to largely replace a lot of DSLRs in the future. But they are still in their developmental stages. And DSLRs are far from "dead". The Fuji system is actually one of the best among MILC... but even it still has limited selection of lenses and accessories, as well as less 3rd party support than the major DSLR systems enjoy. It's nowhere near what's available for Canon or Nikon DSLRs. It can even be tough to find stuff within the system... in another thread today someone was seeking a replacement lens hood for a Fuji lens and having a tough time of it. There's not even a model designation for the specific hood needed on Fuji's own websites or anywhere else! Makes it hard to find or order something that doesn't have a name! And there certainly aren't any 3rd party "clones" available, the way there are for virtually every Canon and Nikon lens hood.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Although battery life can be an issue, with the newer cameras they let you set up the power ergonomics for one's type of shooting. Four hours of continuous at the ready and shooting for a birthday party for former state senator did not drain my E-M1 mrII battery completely. And every photographer should carry a fully charged spare. And check both batteries for full charge the night before going out shooting.

Boonebb

I switched to Fuji Mirrorless when the EX-1 came out.
I had Canon equipment- 2 bodies, 4 lens, 2 flashes and much more.
It was the best move ever.
Fuji has excellent camera bodies and lens.
I would suggest the X-T20 body. The price is a great bargain.
I purchased my X-T20 when they first came outand have been very satisfied with it.
The X-T20 is a good size, light weight and has all of the controlls right at your finger tips.
The kit lens 18-55 mm is an excellent lens. My lens range from 10-24 mm up to 100-400 mm
and they are all tack sharp.
Hope this is helpful.

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Right you are. But you seem to live in some
alternate universe where forumites actually
READ the OP and the following posts before
spewing whatever blowhard "info" upholds
their ill-informed beliefs.


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HarryBinNC Loc: Blue Ridge Mtns, No.Carolina, USA

It seems that I am going to have to keep reposting this image until you delusory minded folks get it, or at least back off in your deceptions/confusion regarding weight comparisons between MFT and DSLRs/FFM ("Full-Frame Mirrorless"). The only leg you have to stand on is that a high-end micro four-thirds camera BODY might be close in weight to the latest miniaturized FF cameras (Sony, Nikon, Canon). I'll give you that, but I won't let you get away with ignoring the massive difference in the weight of "equivalent" lenses. I hear that "weight saving not significant" nonsense over and over whenever anyone asks a question regarding comparisons of MFT and DSLR/FFMs That is just as lame and untrue as the derogatory commentary regarding EVFs, IQ, etc.

Check out the lens weights in the image - the combined weight of the Canon and its lens is MORE THAN DOUBLE the MFT combo!

Image borrowed from Mike Johnson's blog - check it out:
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2018/09/the-biggest-smallest-reason-to-go-micro-43.html

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

I find it quite amusing that now that the mirrorless have demonstrated superior performance on almost every level, that the DSLR users are down to battery life as the major argument in their favor. An extra battery in a pocket is now the deciding factor in choice of a camera? The last gasp?

Angmo

I thought the last gasp was Kodachrome...

It’s not the hardware that makes a good image. It’s the fotog that matters most. Gear? Not so much. Skills matter a bunch.

User ID

Your weight savings will not be enormous. But when
the time does come to switch, you will appreciate a
modest but noticeable weight difference, assuming
you stay with your current APSC format size, which
seems destined to remain the mainstream hobbyist
still-photos format for the imaginable future.

You are almost correct in thinking that live view is
the future. But it is not the future. It was the future
but "the future" has this unstoppable tendency to
become "the present".

Even tho live view is now the present norm, there's
no reason to prematurely abandon the very recent
past, which is still quite viable. When the very recent
past [your current SLR system] becomes a real relic,
and the inevitable need for a replacement descends
upon you [accidental damage, unavailable batteries,
or whatever], you won't face the dilemma of SLR vs
Live View. The question will be long settled.

IOW, forget about it for a little while. The question
will go away all by itself, verrrrry soon. Actually, the
question already went away, but all the opinionated
ARGUMENTS linger on for a bit. It's simply the time
it takes for the "dust to settle".


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Bill_de Loc: US

This is the internet where we pick and choose the 'facts' to make our point.

It is up to the reader to separate the wheat from the chaff.

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