dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

The Nikon 1 J1 is 10y old so not new technology. It was a 1" sensor entry level Nikon, but now cheap, tho now camera and lens sell for about $100 which is why I bought one for conversion to IR.

EL said "compromise my requirements of having a built-in flash,"
From a practical stand point a built in flash is great until they fail, then oops... no external possible.

EL, keep your old camera as long as it works. With Topaz AI software you can make your images look as tho you have upgraded to the best of the best. Presently on sale the Trio for $150 and Photo AI for $75.

The older cameras while not as crisp in image is a short coming that is no longer a problem with the Topaz AI Trio and Topaz Photo AI. The lower pix count is quickly improved and made into a 40mp low ISO like image. See my post on a 2001 3.3 mp camera image. The heavely cropped image of of a face was, "Crop to face SOOC, 0.283 Mb vs Clean & Sharpened by AI, 2.1 Mb. Gigapixel gave 5.3 Mb." ... 0.28 mp made into 5.3 and so crisp and clean!!! Remarkable Topaz work indeed. Almost 20x file enlargement and so clean.
"
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-753293-1.html

The Topaz Photo AI selected and fixed nose eye glass original noisy pixolated made into a very usable image from my old Kodak DC4800 top of the 2000 cameras rated for 3.3mp RAW.

AS TAKEN BU HEAVY CROP


PHOTO AI IMPROVE SHOWING THE SAMPLE BEFORE AND AFTER

Bigmike1 Loc: I am from Gaffney, S.C. but live in Utah.

You know, I used mirror-less for years from the early 50's to 1963 when I bought my first single lens reflex while in Germany. My mirror-less was a Kodak Holiday Flash Camera I got for Christmas in 1954 and then a Petri Green Window Range Finder I found in a pawn shop in Fayetteville, NC while I was in the army. I still have that mirror-less camera.

wingclui44 Loc: CT USA

I started taking photography as my hobby since early 70s with a TLR and a range finder camera, and I followed up with a pair of Nikon SLRs, Now I am using a couple of Nikon DSLRs, and a Micro 4/3 mirrorless which I just carry with me whenever I go out for snap shot but not for serious shooting. I won't up date to any of the current mirror less unless when I really want to, I will get myself a Leica M (Mirror less)series camera that was my dream for my life!

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Paul, you have made a statement that equipment will make the photographer better. There is a fairly strong feeling that photographers make the equipment better. Is it your premise that equipment is more important than the person using it?

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

I think there have been at least 5 firmware releases for my Z9 since I bought it. All offering new features in most cases. Now if I could only remember them all.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

If we gave two people each a digital camera and a lens, and after a week we learned one was given a mirrorless camera, who do you think will be better?

BebuLamar

I think the one with the mirrorless as he can sell it for more money.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

If you can't feel that an image came from a mirrorless camera, it probably didn't.

neillaubenthal

It isn't the mirrorless per se that makes them 'better' than DSLRs. What it is is the newer sensors, faster processors, and more sophisticated AF algorithms that those two things provide. The mirrorless part mostly is coming along for the ride because it's fewer mechanical parts to break and they can make the body smaller and/or lighter for the same sensor size generally. If…but we won't…we were to see a new DSLR body introduced today it would have a great deal of the mirrorless advantages included…not all obviously since (for instance) the mirrorless has an EVF which shows you what your image will look like at current settings and a DSLR has an optical viewfinder which won't. A lot of folk get hung up on MILC vs DSLR when it's really older vs newer/more powerful electronics. There are also some advantages in that MILC generally has a wider lens throat at the body and that along with improved optical design software makes mirrorless lenses generally better than older DSLR lenses…but again a lot of that is just technological progress and not an inherently better thing.

pendennis

I'm smack in the middle of side-by-side tests of the two systems. I've been using SLR's since the late-60's when I owned a Petri FT. They were a quantum leap from rangefinders, and I've always preferred the actual image in the viewfinder. Along comes mirrorless, and now there's another quantum change in technology.

I bought a used Z5 with a 54-50 kit lens, and I was pleasantly surprised at its functionality. In fact, a couple months back, I also found a used Z7, and have since added a 24-200mm zoom, and a 105mm f/2.8 Micro.

Right now, I'm actively comparing my D850 and D810 against the two mirrorless cameras. And, it seems to be a matter of "horses for courses". There are advantages for the DSLR's, primarily the previously purchased inventory of F-mount lenses. While I use a couple of FTZ adapters for convenience and savings, I've been impressed with the quality of the Z-mount lenses, especially the 105 micro. The only real change has been the slightly off-putting, barely perceptible time lag of the mirrorless. It's really only noticeable when I change from one camera to the other "on the run".

Being a former IT manager, I've never been foolish enough to believe that any technology is permanent, that it's all transitory. However, I always embraced and enjoyed the fun of change.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

For me the ability to see the exposure prior to taking the shot was worth the price of admission all by itself, not withstanding all the other advantages that can be found with a google search.

tdozier3 Loc: Northern Illinois

I have a 3 year old D7500 and managed to aquire a new D500 last February, so I'll be good for quite some time.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Wait for a sale or look for refurbs.

stevinri Loc: Rhode Island

The one with the eye?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I do that. It's called previsualization. It works with every camera I use.
--Bob