JohnR Loc: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

I note (and admire) quite a few of your posts are of film photographs! Does this indicate less than a total dedication to mirrorless ?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Nope, nope, nope.

If I succeed, then there is nothing more for which to strive.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

If someone wants to argue about something as silly as a mirror, I've got more stones to throw than they have mirrors ....

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

You can see it too -- and even on your monitor. I shot it for you. I just happen to have a best example of a retrofocus lens designed for a DSLR. Designed for FX with a 90 degree angle of view I have a Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 Distagon. Arguably one of the best in class in that type of lens. The folks at Zeiss are no slouches and they make their best effort bar no expense. What that means is if you have a similar brand __________ lens odds are it's not as good.

So I set up a tripod in front of my mailbox -- window to the side and brick wall behind. I put an FX camera on the tripod with the Zeiss Distagon and did my best to square up the camera. I didn't get it perfect but I did well enough to show the difference.

Then without moving the tripod so much as a mm I switched cameras and put up my Fuji XF 14mm f/2.8 lens. Same angle of view but designed for a DX sensor. The two images are then very close in content. And what you'll see if you compare them is what we call mustache distortion in the Zeiss lens -- that's pincushion distortion on the edges with some barrel in the middle -- very hard to deal with in software. The Fuji lens on the other hand is free of distortion. All you see is my failure to square up the camera (it's not perfectly horizontal to the wall).

The Zeiss lens although some years older cost a whole lot more than the Fuji lens. Why the problem with the Zeiss lens? The DSLR mirror plain and simple. If they didn't have to design the lens clear of that floppy mirror they could remove the distortion like Fuji did. The Fuji lens of course is on a mirrorless camera and is not a retrofocus lens like the Distagon.

It may not be a difference that matters to you or a lot of other folks. It's great that we're not all the same. It is a difference that matters a whole lot to me.

(Download)


(Download)

Photolady2014 Loc: Southwest Colorado

The one big thing I like about mirrorless is while looking through the viewfinder you can see the changes in the photo as you change settings.

JohnR Loc: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

My goodness me you are super critical of your work I have a 27" Retina iMac and looking at your shots full screen I see very little difference - I'd be quite happy with either - can't say ones better than the other. Very very interesting though so thank you for your examples and comments. Cheers JohnR

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Slight curvature in the <horizontal> mortar for the bottom left brick and top left brick.
(Four corners actually.)
But you're right, most people will not notice. I had to look for it since he mentioned "pincushion".

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

I started working in this industry in 1976. Since then photography has been my sole source of income. It's what I do (retired now).

NOTE: The lens I selected that shows distortion is the best of the best of those retrofocus design lenses. Expect the other brands_____________ to be worse. There are some pretty horrendous examples out there.

twosummers Loc: Melbourne Australia or Lincolnshire England

Mirrorless = the future
DSLR = the past

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

It’s not an opinion. It’s a well known challenge for lens designers, not an easy thing to accomplish.

wide2tele Loc: Australia

This is a 2000x2000 pixel section taken from a larger image.
No adjustments, no resizing, no sharpening, no nothing, straight from the camera.

Was it taken with a prime lens or a zoom?
Was it taken with a manufacturer lens or a 3rd party lens?
Was it taken with professional grade fast glass or was it taken with consumer grade slow glass?

If you can't even tell if this was a pro grade manufacturer prime or a 3rd party consumer grade zoom, do you really think DSLR or mirrorless will make any quality difference in reality?

You will literally need to shoot lines and conduct tests to see any difference as demonstrated earlier in this thread.

I'm sticking with my DSLR! The world can go crazy and convince themselves they are doing things they never could before. Good luck to them!

(Download)

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

As soon as you trust your mirrorless camera, you will know how to become a photographer.

wide2tele Loc: Australia

You are very quick!

BebuLamar

I don't care about success either.

tcthome Loc: NJ

I Think Mirrorless has just caught up to the DSLR & have some features that make some shooting scenarios easier like seeing your exposure before taking the shot, better ISO, faster frame rates etc. As the tekk improves & if manufactures stop making mirrored cameras ( or even if they keep making them ), IQ will get better because of the new lens & sensors they produce now. Doesn't mean your 7 year old DSLR can't make great pictures anymore. But some people enjoy using the new system more just like some still like shooting film & knowing how to get a good exposure doing so.