Zooman 1 wrote:
As I have reached 80, I find my R5 and RF100-500mm, which I like very much are too heavy for me to carry, left and hold. I am thinking about Switching to Sony with the 200-600mm, not sure which camera. Any thoughts?
You will be disappointed.
Not that Sony gear is bad in any way. In fact it's good.
But you won't reduce the weight of your kit by making that switch. In fact, you'll be making your kit heavier.
The Sony camera most comparable to the R5 is the A7R IIIA.
The R5 weighs 26 ounces. The A7R IIIA weighs 23 ounces. So you would save 3 ounces with the switch of camera.
The Canon RF 100-500mm weighs 48 oz. The Sony 200-600mm 75 oz. So you would ADD 27 oz to your kit with the switch of lens.
Make that switch and you will end up with a 24 oz. HEAVIER kit of gear.
If you are serious about reducing weight, the best way to do so would be to switch to a crop sensor camera, which in turn would allow you to use smaller, lighter lenses.
For example, with Canon R7 there would only be modest weigh savings from the camera alone (4.5 oz. less than R5)... But you also could switch to the RF 100-400mm lens. On the APS-C format camera, that lens will "act like" a 160-640mm would on full frame. And at 22.5 oz. the RF 100-400mm is less than half the weight of the RF 100-500mm (48 oz.)
An R7 with the RF 100-400mm would save close to 2 lbs (about 30 oz.) weight compared to your current rig. Plus you get "perceived" additional telephoto reach of an additional 140mm.
You could build similarly lightened kits with APS-C Sony, Fuji or Nikon cameras, or possibly even a little lighter with Panasonic or OM micro 4/3 system cameras and lenses.
But it may make more sense to stick with Canon, keep the R5 for when you want full frame (ideal with short focal lengths, for example), be able to use other accessories you already have (batteries, chargers, other lenses, flash, etc.)