Kuzano

Well, there are other reasons for mirrorless, but first of all most mirrorless camera's do not come as close to the weight of a full DSLR as you might imagine, when adding a grip. Generally the weight of the grip is light, as the objective is primarily to add grip surface to the camera for those who have bigger hands or cannot steady a small camera.

Added to that, many DSLR shooters are using added grips for ONLY two reasons. 1) added battery life per outing, 2) a vertical (portrait) shutter.

The advantages outside of adding a grip for mirrorless that you may not be aware of are (regarding the technology):

1) No mirror and as a result no mirror box and mechanism. Less fail points. (no likelihood of the D600 debacle)

2) No mirror "slap" or shake as a result of the moving mirror, which happens to also be the strong point that favored rangefinder focus systems long after SLR's came on the scene.

3) Shorter lens to sensor register distances, adding benefits to lens design. (also a strong point that favored rangefinder focus design)

Leica did play around with SLR in film for a while, and their reputation on the glass was good, but they went back primarily to rangefinder design primarily because of the desire for the shorter lens to film register. Even now, Leica did not ever make a DSLR, but rather used rangefinder focus to keep that register short and camera's small on their Digital offerings.

So, there are valid reasons for the mirrorless mechanism, beside just making small camera's. There are no mirrorless camera's that I know of that actually reach down to the dimension of shirt pocket carry.

The grip merely offers the ability to:

1) lengthen battery life per outing by holding multiple batteries
2) add gripping surface for large hands and unsteady use of small camera's

The advantages of mirrorless do actually go somewhat beyond making the camera small.

As far as the aspect of using a large lens on a mirrorless, that I have no problem with. I do not think of it as shooting the camera. I think of it as shooting the lens, with the camera merely along to capture the image. As long Zooms should normally be mounted to a tripod, and hopefully with a lens collar mount for the tripod, the package is NOT unbalanced as many suggest or complain.

I use zooms (legacy) with tripod collars. However, I plan to DIY a lens mount for tripod for lenses w/o a collar. It will consist of a composite block with a semicircular rest for the lens and a velcro strap to fasten the lens into it. Then it will have a thread mount on the bottom for the tripod plate.

I do not trust the socket in a mirrorless to mount to the tripod and hang a big lens out in front. My DIY tripod collar should work well for me.

Here is my Olympus E-PM2, with a 100-300 Vivitar (Tokina) in Olympus OM mount. With this package, I achieve a 600mm AOV. I shudder to think, and do not intend to pay the price, for a 600mm lens for a full frame digital DSLR.

If you look close at the adapter between the camera body and the lens OM mount, you will see a flat tubelike surface which will offer a nice location for my DIY tripod lens collar. This surface is about an inch long for the tubelike surface. I may even forego the velcro, and cut the circle for the tube, split the circle and then fix the mount to the adapter permanently, which will always hold the camera body level, leaving me to use lens controls to focus and camera controls to shoot. Granted this is not a fast shoot process, but will be excellent for landscapes and panos... which I mostly do.

E-PM2 w/ Vivitar 100x 300 f5 zoom

(Download)

mechengvic Loc: SoCalo

Totally,not true![/quote]

What would you know?!? You have three of the best cameras ever made!!...and a Sony. :wink:

amehta Loc: Boston

There is a "grip" which attaches to the front right hand side of the camera so the user's fingers can wrap around something. That is fairly small, and basically takes up no space when a lens is also attached. The "battery grip" is attached to the bottom of the camera, so the camera would now be taller by 1-2 inches. This gives the camera a square shape when looking from behind, and if you rotate it for vertical shooting, there is a second shutter release so your hand is in the same position as with horizontal shooting. The link was to the battery grip which would be attached to the bottom of your 6D.

amehta Loc: Boston

:thumbup: :thumbup:

I agree with mechengvic, Festus is cheating! :lol:

tradergeorge Loc: Newport, Kentucky

Many, many people add grips to their DSLR's. I think the motive is the same. It makes it easier to hold, easier to shoot vertical and more stable. BUT, in either case, it is a choice. Some need it, some don't.....I am not sure that a higher percentage of people with mirrorless cameras use grips than DSLR owners.

Many of the lighter DSLR's are lighter than some of the medium to heavy mirrorless. It is not mutually exclusive...

h2odog Loc: Brooklyn NY

Hey, people just get a grip already :roll:

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

For my EM1, I use it basically 2 different ways.

1. with the RRS BOEM-1 Camera Plate. While this is not an additional grip, it does add about 3/8" to the bottom of the camera. Not only does this allow for me to use it quickly on my tripod, but it also provides a nice groove for my pinky finger to sit in.
2. with the HLD-7. This is only on the camera about 10% of the time. I use this when I know that I'm going to be doing a lot of shooting (like a wedding). The additional battery in the grip is imperative, so I don't run out of juice. Honestly, this grip doesn't add much weight, to the overall kit, since the batteries are so small (it does obviously make it larger). The only thing it does is add a nice vertical grip option for working in portrait mode.

Are either one of these needed...no. The EM1 is nice for someone with medium sized hands. I can palm a basketball...barely.

Kuzano

I am bound to correct you on a small point. I think I recently heard that RRS (Really Right Stuff) is filing for a corporate name change and logo. The new logo will be RES emblazoned over a muted $1000 bill. RES stands for Really Expensive Stuff!!!

Me, I'm working on handcarving a nice grip/bottom plate for my E-PM1 out of a solid piece of ebony, with a remote shutter built in. Mounts on the bottom tripod socket, but stops just shy of the battery/memory card door so I can still access those pieces without removing the ART grip. Should be a show stopper. Oiled ebony. May market it through RES. ;-)

Oh yeah, and I can palm a basketball also, if using both palms is allowed. :XD:

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Of course, because some of the mirror less cameras do have the best viewfinders (that put a DSLR to shame).

tradergeorge Loc: Newport, Kentucky

Are you going to just sit there and roll your eyes?...OR perhaps offer a useful suggestion...

(I would think you are joking, except that you chose the wrong emoticon to suggest that. An eyeroll on serious answers to a thread is a good indication of trolling...)

tradergeorge Loc: Newport, Kentucky

Please name one? Yes, they are good, but do not compare with anything but the most entry level DSLR's..

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Yeah, their stuff isn't cheap, but it is well made. I bought mine used...a whopping $10 less than new.

h2odog Loc: Brooklyn NY

Excuse me for trying to add some levity to a stream that has seemed to go off topic. How about the Fuji XT-1 or the Olympus EM-1... as good as any DSLR viewfinder.

mechengvic Loc: SoCalo

You can explain till your blue in the face, those who have no experience with the top mirrorless models or who refuse to listen, they just won't get it. They will forever relegate mirrorless cameras to the equivalent of point and shoot without ever realizing that all that's missing is the mirror.

Kuzano

You're good on the post, and keeping it simple. I would have added:

"All that's missing is the mirror, the mirror box and all the attendant linkages that can break and a mirror that pushes the lens out to a longer lens register distance affecting lens design and infinity focus, not to mention being people who have never truly looked through the highest pixel count EVF's offered by the the higher quality mirrorless and taken advantage of the EVF ability to scale up the brightness in low light."

Effectively quite a group of "know it all's" speaking of what they know not.