I am not opposed to a shift to mirrorless cameras. But after looking carefully at a Z7 a few months ago (holding it and "messing" with it), my conclusions were mixed. I am a person who uses camera controls extensively. The smaller form factor necessarily squeezed tome things close together that I would have wished to be further apart. Lots of folks here have already made mention that we've not yet seen a "professional" mirrorless camera. And I believe that is correct. As an engineer with some experience in these matters, my conclusion is that neither the Z7 nor the Z6 has the level of ruggedness or durability that most people who make their living with those tools would require, especially over time. Let's remember...two of the big advantages that everyone talks about when discussing mirrorless are less weight and reduced size. Those advantages are both going to have to be sacrificed to achieve durability and ruggedness. So I'm guessing that we likely won't see true "professional" mirrorless cameras until the consumer technology is firmly established and its reputation can withstand larger and heavier models. At least that is how I would suggest playing the game.

A bigger problem, regardless of comments that I have read here and other places, is the exposed sensor. This is very real for working photographers opening their cameras in difficult environments, like near erupting volcanoes. It's actually very real for all of us as time passes. Sensors are incredibly sensitive components. Have you stopped to think what it means to have 50 million semiconductor devices exposed to the environment? Cleaning can be as damaging as being contaminated. Current reflex cameras provide two levels of protection for the sensor...the mirror and the shutter. Even if designs are changed to close the mechanical shutter during lens changes, contamination om the front surface of the shutter can much more easily get onto the sensor than contamination on the front surface of the mirror.

This shift in technology is almost certain to happen eventually. As we have more experience, and as our new cameras become older cameras, we'll have to see if what we got was really what we wanted.

The volcano example was offered really as an extreme but real case based on an assignment by a photographer that I know personally. Pele's Hair from the eruption floats in air and can enter a camera from any angle. It is both sharp and abrasive, and can quickly destroy a shutter.

You are correct that we don't yet know how durable and reliable the Z6 and Z7 are going to be. The nature of the IBIS system makes it subject to damage from handling or unintended bumps and bruises. But the reality is that all we have right now are visual and tactile clues. The ones I got from handling the camera were not encouraging. I may be completely wrong, though. We will hope.

I did not mention pricing in this post. I'd actually love to have a Z7 to use with a limited array of lenses in some situations. But not for $3700 or for anything close to that price. When compared against the performance and capability of a D850, a price around $2500 or so would start to arouse my interest.

In short, I am interested in this technology. But not at the current pricing. And not until we know a little bit more about it as it is used over time.

These are good points, Larry. Personally, I have yet to hear of any user of a camera with IBIS (and/or ILIS) system that the IS failed due to handling or unintended bumps - within the range of the normal day-to-day use of these cameras, of course. And so I don't know the extent to which, in practice, this is a serious issue that mirrorless camera users need to consider. Perhaps someone on this forum has figures on this topic that (s)he could share?

Many photographers consider that the Z7 is way overpriced (I agree) and so its price may not be representative of that of mirrorless cameras in the same category. Excellent such cameras can be purchased for substantially less money.

You know, I just wouldn't worry about crap like this.

Cameras are cameras. They're all similar (lens, aperture, shutter, light sensitive medium...), and they're all different in the ways they work.

New technologies come and go. Some stick around. Some fade away. Some disappear.

We still have AM and shortwave radio stations.

We still have a few daily newspapers printed on actual paper.

We still have vinyl LP recordings.

We still have buggy whips.

The dSLR will eventually fade to its appropriate level of market interest. If it fades far enough, the manufacturers will quit making them and only the used market will supply them.

Mirrorless cameras represent marketing excitement and higher margins of profitability. I have no doubt that they will, eventually, dominate the market for adjustable cameras used by professionals and high end amateurs. We can argue about when, but it's rather pointless.

Meanwhile, let's all go out and use what we have! It's more important to use a camera than it is to brag, worry, debate, or whine about it.

Bill BTW I have won in World Press Photo Contest more than once over the years. Is anyone else in this discussion actually a pro photojournalist who has entered this World Press Photo contest and won? I know a little about what my fellow pros are shooting and why.

Look at the actual sale numbers from CIPA. You can hide your head in the sand but DSLR sales are down 50% from last year, a huge drop, their worst in history. DSLRs won't disappear entirely until the last one breaks and manufacturers stop fixing them. Yes there are a few new DSLRs planned for release, but the major camera makers are putting the bulk of their money and tech into the mirrorless market, cameras and lenses. That is where the present and future sales are in an overall shrinking international camera marketplace, which continues to shrink, due in large part to the rise of better cellphone cameras. .

Nikon will have a new D6, as Canon will have a new EOS1, both ahead of the Olympics. But the physical limitations of DSLRs will leave Nikon and Canon's best DSLR efforts still lagging behind the best sports fullframe camera in the world, the Sony A9 with its exclusive stacked fast readout sensor allowing 20fps, no viewfinder blackouts, electronic shooting to 1/32000 second with no rolling shutter or banding. No DSLR can ever physically match that.

There will always be room for good, solid and inexpensive DSLRs, but they will never dominate the market ever again. Just a fact. Don't ditch your DSLRs if you love them. But they won't be interesting many new buyers who prefer the tech and innovation of the best mirrorless gear from Olympus, Panasonic, Fuji,Sony, Leica, and other fullframe mirrorless newcomers like Nikon and Canon. Cheers

Bill BTW I have won in World Press Photo Contest more than once over the years. Is anyone else in this discussion actually a pro photojournalist who has entered this World Press Photo contest and won? I know a little about what my fellow pros are shooting and why.

Look at the actual sale numbers from CIPA. You can hide your head in the sand but DSLR sales are down 50% from last year, a huge drop, their worst in history. DSLRs won't disappear entirely until the last one breaks and manufacturers stop fixing them. Yes there are a few new DSLRs planned for release, but the major camera makers are putting the bulk of their money and tech into the mirrorless market, cameras and lenses. That is where the present and future sales are in an overall shrinking international camera marketplace, which continues to shrink, due in large part to the rise of better cellphone cameras. .

Nikon will have a new D6, as Canon will have a new EOS1, both ahead of the Olympics. But the physical limitations of DSLRs will leave Nikon and Canon's best DSLR efforts still lagging behind the best sports fullframe camera in the world, the Sony A9 with its exclusive stacked fast readout sensor allowing 20fps, no viewfinder blackouts, electronic shooting to 1/32000 second with no rolling shutter or banding. No DSLR can ever physically match that.

There will always be room for good, solid and inexpensive DSLRs, but they will never dominate the market ever again. Just a fact. Don't ditch your DSLRs if you love them. But they won't be interesting many new buyers who prefer the tech and innovation of the best mirrorless gear from Olympus, Panasonic, Fuji,Sony, Leica, and other fullframe mirrorless newcomers like Nikon and Canon. Cheers

Bill BTW I have won in World Press Photo Contest more than once over the years. Is anyone else in this discussion actually a pro photojournalist who has entered this World Press Photo contest and won? I know a little about what my fellow pros are shooting and why.

Look at the actual sale numbers from CIPA. You can hide your head in the sand but DSLR sales are down 50% from last year, a huge drop, their worst in history. DSLRs won't disappear entirely until the last one breaks and manufacturers stop fixing them. Yes there are a few new DSLRs planned for release, but the major camera makers are putting the bulk of their money and tech into the mirrorless market, cameras and lenses. That is where the present and future sales are in an overall shrinking international camera marketplace, which continues to shrink, due in large part to the rise of better cellphone cameras. .

Nikon will have a new D6, as Canon will have a new EOS1, both ahead of the Olympics. But the physical limitations of DSLRs will leave Nikon and Canon's best DSLR efforts still lagging behind the best sports fullframe camera in the world, the Sony A9 with its exclusive stacked fast readout sensor allowing 20fps, no viewfinder blackouts, electronic shooting to 1/32000 second with no rolling shutter or banding. No DSLR can ever physically match that.

There will always be room for good, solid and inexpensive DSLRs, but they will never dominate the market ever again. Just a fact. Don't ditch your DSLRs if you love them. But they won't be interesting many new buyers who prefer the tech and innovation of the best mirrorless gear from Olympus, Panasonic, Fuji,Sony, Leica, and other fullframe mirrorless newcomers like Nikon and Canon. Cheers