jerzee.shore.shooter

After schlepping my Canon 6D + battery grip, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L, EF 70-200 f/2.8L and other assorted lenses, extra batteries, etc. etc. in a backpack throughout a recent tour of the Peruvian Andes (w/altitudes up to 14,500ft), I'm wondering if it's time for a change, time for an update, and time to lighten my load. Sony's a7 (or a7R, a7S or a7II) and its system seems like a likely candidate to consider although I'm not alone in wondering if Canon will EVER come out with a mirrorless FF and let me keep all my cherished Canon glass without ditching it all and starting over again. Guess I just need to bounce this out there and hear what you all have to say.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

If they do, you can be assured they will put a new mount on it and your existing lenses will only work via an "adapter", that's just Canons standard business plan. But with the abysmal failure of their M cameras to date I would not expect a FF M camera anytime soon.

Jcmarino

If budget allows the a7II is out of the ball park fun. I have played with one after buying a6000 which is also a great camera for a lot less money. With an adapter, your Canon lenses will work on the Sony. Im a Nikon user and I love the Sony more and more each day. The 6000 is a crop (as of now boasts the fastest auto focus out there) and the 7II is full frame and 5 way stabilization. Worth the while to check them both out.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I know you're a Canon user, and you're talking about some pretty nice lenses, but my Nikon 28-300mm, although a step down from the exotics, takes some pretty good photos, and covers a wide range. Besides this lens all I need is a wide angle and it all fits in a fairly small bag.

The other alternative would be to enjoy yourself and go with a good bridge camera like the Panasonic Leica.

Haydon

Maybe you should consider a bridge camera when you have to travel to points in altitude parallel to the sun. I wouldn't give up your body or L lenses. Your glass is every bit as good as the competitors.

You may find regret when you have to compromise.

a2000c Loc: ND

[quote=jerzee.shore.shooter]...I'm wondering if it's time for a change, time for an update, and time to lighten my load. Sony's a7 (or a7R, a7S or a7II) and its system seems like a likely candidate to consider although I'm not alone in wondering if Canon will EVER come out with a mirrorless FF and let me keep all my cherished Canon glass without ditching it all and starting over again. [/quote

Seems to be a common theme as of late. I'm waiting for Nikon's FF mirrorless to use my existing glass with....I'm not holding my breath. Whoever does it first successfully, (Canon or Nikon) will definitely gain the upper hand in the market. Just my opinion.

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

I do think that mirrorless is the future of prosumer cameras. They are now in the process of development, but there are some Pros that are using them and swearing by them even at this early stage. If you are adventurous, go for it, but if not there will probably be some mighty interesting mirrorless in the near future, that will be worth the wait.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

I agree with this thought. Both Canon and Nikon try and fail the first time around with new things. Then sit back, watch and see what sells and then come out with a superior product letting some other firm do the R&D on what is desired and what is not. Both I am sure will come out with pro level mirrorless cameras some time in the near future.

redrocktom Loc: Sedona

My short list: Sony A7II, Samsung NX-1, Olympus EM-1 or EM-5II

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

I'm in the Nikon camp, but when it comes to mirrorless, Nikon does not seem to be doing any better. Sony, Fuji, and Samsung all seem to be ahead of the two "big boys".

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Played around with the Samsung at the NY photo show in October. The features blew me away. 15 shots a sec., unlimited buffering in jpeg mode, touch screen that when
touched, instantly focuses on the person or thing you are pointing to and takes a photo. I was super high on this system until I read reviews. The camera gets really high marks while the lenses are just so, so. If you don't have lenses that are equal to or better than the body, you'll be disappointed with your results. Also the system is pretty small compared to Nikon, Canon, and Sony.

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

The technology is developing unevenly - which is normal at this stage of the game - it is an immature technology. Nikon and Canon will move in and take advantage of a riper technology.

redrocktom Loc: Sedona

The reviews I've read so far say the Samsung 'S' glass is as good as the Canon and Nikon pro glass, although there are not many out yet. I haven't seen one poor or even average review yet. Can you refer me so I don't make a mistake. The only poor/ mediocre reviews I'm seeing are for the Zeiss/Sony 24-70 F4, which has given me pause on the Sony A7II.

MarkD Loc: NYC

The Canon T5i weighs an ounce less than an a7. You can get the T5i, Sigma 17-50 f/2.8, and Tamron 70-300 VC for the price of the a7 body alone and still have excellent image quality in a much lighter kit.

You could cut the weight even more with a superzoom like Canon 18-200, Sigma 18-200 Macro OS HSM (mine is very sharp), or Sigma 18-300. You'll give up some IQ, but you'll cut the weight significantly.

Most of the weight you're carrying is in the lenses. The a7 weighs 8 ounces less than your 6D, but the comparable Sony lenses are probably just about as heavy as your L lenses.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Check out DxO reviews.

Also from another review: from Photozone
The Samsung NX 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 ED OID iFn is the weakest Samsung NX lens that we've tested so far although given its extreme 11x zoom ratio this is hardly surprising. The performance is actually pretty decent at 18mm and 24mm between f/5.6 to f/11. However, from here on things are strictly heading downwards. At 50mm the quality is Okayish but at 100mm and 200mm the results are very poor specifically at f/6.3. Stopping down improves the situation a bit but the outer image region remains very disappointing at 200mm. The relatively high amount of lateral CAs doesn't help either in terms of subjective image quality perception. Vignetting is only a real problem at 18mm @ f/3.5 and only if you are not using Samsung's distortion auto-correction. The latter is actually a good idea due to the rather heavy amount of barrel distortion at 18mm.
So the optical quality isn't really impressive but what about the mechanical implementation at least ? Well, Samsung did a good job here. The quality of the used materials is better than average and the lens is also assembled pretty tightly. The AF operates fast and basically silently. Make sure to use the latest firmware in your camera - initially we weren't happy with AF accuracy both in the lab (although it didn't matter here) as well as in the field but the situation improved somewhat after a firmware update. This is not a lens problem but a weakness in the camera AF for whatever reason - contrast AF systems shouldn't really have an issue here. Samsung's optical image stabilizer (OIS) certainly comes handy given the rather slow max. aperture at 100-200mm (f/6.3) but it seems slightly less effective than in other systems.

Verdict

The Samsung NX 18-55mm f/3.5.5.6 OIS (II) is, of course, not a perfect lens - the low pricing sets limits to what you can expect here. However, it is a decent offering nonetheless. The image corners are somewhat soft at 18mm @ f/3.5 and 55mm @ f/5.6 but if you stop down to the sweet spot - around f/8 - you can expect sharp results across the frame. The quality stays, of course, short of what you can achieve with prime lenses but that's no surprise anyway. Lateral CAs are generally well controlled. You will see some light falloff in the image corners at max. aperture but if you stop down a little the issue is not really relevant anymore. Image distortions are an issue at the wide end of the zoom range but this is rather typical for a lens in this class.
The plastic lens body is tightly assembled. However, we didn't like the rather uneven zoom action and the high amount of friction. This may also be a bit of competitive disadvantage when interested users compare the various kit offerings (especially vs Sony E) in shops out there. The AF operates fast and silently. The optical image stabilizer (OIS) works just fine and its efficiency is comparable to other systems.

Mirrorless systems are certainly the future but as of now their major appeal is size and low weight. The NX200 + NX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS is certainly small compared to a DSLR but still the biggest "kit" in the mirrorless system class. So at least size-wise some users may find the Samsung NX 20-50mm f/3.5-5.6 more appealing.

To be fair, their 20-50 lens does get a decent review from this source but still garners only a 3.5 out of 5 stars.