Hi Everyone: I have several current Nikon DSLRs and lens and have been caught up in all talk lately about the new mirror less cameras. Then I realized I have a Fuji FinePix S9450W, which I bought years ago refurbished for only $150 and realized that it too is a mirror less. So I started to play with it after sitting in my closet for two years and found it to be fun. It has a wonderful long lens and makes no noise when you take a picture. It has all kinds of features and will do a whole lot of cool but useless things. HOWEVER it has a point and shoot sensor. So my question is, in general, unless I enlarge larger than 8X10, will I notice a big, not slight, difference in my photos. I realize that it will not focus or expose as well as the $5000 new models coming out from Canon and Nikon, but this thing is mirror less and cost me next to nothing. Can I be happy with this mirror less? Bob

Weird thoughts come to old people with too much time on their hands.

Should we continue to call ourselves photographers? Photographers record analog images on film, process and print the images creating photographs and if you are a professional sell these little pieces of reality as a source of income. I suggest that we have become collectors and manipulators of electrons. For many, if not most of us, the great majority of our electron collections remain just that--electrons. I sent my last roll of film in for processing and what did I get back, a link to a web site so I could retrieve my electron collections. I have begun thinking of my images stored on my computer as Electron Collections and the prints stored in my photo albums and files as pictures. Electron collections only become images when they are viewed or printed.

Before I change my mind I am going to send this and see what happens

I have been taking pictures for 50 years (started with a Nikkormat FTn) with candids at the many weddings I have attended through the years.

This was a first!

In the ceremony program there was a statement (printed in the middle of the first page of the program) about the "excellent" photographers the couple had hired and not to take cell phone pix and post during the ceremony. I had my Nikon 7200 and took some pix and went to the reception took a few more. The sister of the bride came up to me and said cease and desist, I tried to tell her that what I was doing was to make an album of candids for a gift for the happy couple which I have done many other times. I stopped, didn't want to make the bride unhappy. I even had the grandparents come up to me as ask me to shoot some portraits of them - which I declined to do at that point because I wasn't the "official" photog. It made me feel bad for them later because I never saw the official wedding photogs over on the side of the room where they were sitting away from the noise.
Later the mother of the groom came up to me and explained that the picture statement in the program was done at the photographers insistence because the photographers didn't want their time and photos "devalued" by amateurs at the wedding. THEY are the picture takers and no one else can shoot the wedding? First I've heard of that! I had even been trying to stay out of the pros way so I wouldn't get in their way or ruin their shots! By the way, on the next day there must have been at least 10 postings on Facebook of cell phone vids and photos from the wedding and reception.

Are the pros really that paranoid and insecure about their work AND that amateurs could possibly make their work look bad or not as good? The photogs didn't even have the b...s to ask me themselves?

Yes in the past I have had several couples or families say that the album I put together as a gift was better than the pro BUT I think that because they were family.

Any other experiences or opinions???

The new Z cameras were blogged by just about every major and wanna be reviewers out there. I watched probably a dozen or more and the fan boys are in their glory.

Even though all the available cameras for review are pre-production the features are pretty much set since there is not enough time to make significant changes if they want to deliver on the promised date. I wouldn't be surprised if Nikon is already stocking their warehouses at this moment.

Do they live up to the hype that was generated. No... in my opinion. Did Nikon reinvent ML as they claimed? I don't believe so. Are there any earth shattering features? I didn't see or here about anything that isn't already out there.

Its too early to talk about performance but at this point they seem to not even be competitive, although not too bad for a first attempt.

Will it appeal to wedding shooter? Not with one card slot and no eye focus. Will it appeal to bloggers? Not without a reversible viewing screen. Limited native lenses, poor battery life, big price tag when including the adaptor, and we don't know if the adaptor performance respectable.

Nikon had a chance to hit it out of the park but didn't take the opportunity. Although they ARE really good at hyping their cameras.

Dear friends from UHH,

After extensive research, I've decided to purchase a Canon EOS 70D. Unfortunately this camera is not in production any more, but I was able to find many used 70D's that appear in excellent condition. (Adorama, Ebay and MBP) Yet many people have said that the EOS 77D is the replacement for the 70D. A new 77D body only cost a little more than a really nice used 70D. I've watched several 70D vs 77D reviews on youtube and the 70D always seems to win out. Other than the pixal count and a few other doodads, they seem pretty much alike. So, what I would like to ask is what you guys think? I know there are alot of 70D users in this esteamed group and I greatly value your opinions. I don't need to be referred to any web site, I'm mostly after your experiences with the 70D or the 77D. Please help me decide which body I might buy. Thank very much for your time and efforts.

DaveD