Thanks. That's a great summary of current Sony gear.

I think the main resistance to mirrorless gear is current lens ownership. Photographers, especially Nikon users, have been reluctant to switch to something new because they have a locker full of expensive glass. (Unfortunately, as I learned, Nikon lenses adapt LEAST well to other brands of mirrorless cameras, and for professional use, the Nikon 1 is, well, not very appealing.)

Canon EF lenses, on the other hand, adapt particularly well to Sony and Micro 4/3 (Olympus and Panasonic) cameras. By well, I mean that you can get smart adapters and speed boosters that retain all the automatic features of most Canon lenses. There are a few limitations, but at least that is an option for Canon lens owners.

Back in 2012, I looked around for ONE camera system that could do everything I needed to do for training project work. A lot of what I do is multi-media oriented. I need stills, video, and with the video, great audio. Eventually, in 2014, I found my solution, the Panasonic GH4. It was/is a very well-balanced set of tools for the "hybrid photographer." I have a MUCH more efficient workflow, with better results than I could achieve with my old two-camera (dSLR AND separate video camera) system. For what I do, I need nothing more. When I need more, I can rent it.

Panasonic has since taken video to a whole new professional level with the GH5 (and GH5s, a special version made specifically for low light filmmakers) DPReview gave the GH5 their highest praise, a Gold Award, for video quality and features. They also chose it as their "best camera for video." Panasonic's newest camera, the G9, has capabilities similar to the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II. Both of those are oriented more toward still photographers, but still do a fine job with video. They each have some unique features that are simply not found on other cameras.

Meanwhile, Fujifilm has created some awesome gear. If you're mostly a stills photographer, it's worth looking at their whole line-up, especially the XT-2. It has great physical control layout, reasonably clear menus, and probably the best JPEG quality, straight out of the camera, of anything on the market. They put simulations of all their best films in their cameras, so if you like their film, try their digital.

The Big Four of Mirrorless all make some great glass, too. Sony partners with Carl Zeiss for their best. Panasonic partners with Leica for their best. Olympus makes their own PRO quality glass. Fujifilm uses Fujinon lenses, known in the graphic arts field for years as having some of the sharpest, cleanest optics on the planet.

The development of mirrorless cameras has been steadily accelerating since about 2008. Big Four of Mirrorless take it seriously, while Nikon initially considered it a fashion or lifestyle statement by introducing the Nikon 1 series, and Canon hasn't really supported their M series with native optics the way they could. Most of us who've been around the photo industry for decades are, frankly, a bit shocked at the complacency displayed by Canikon. It's a lot like watching BlackBerry (RIM), Nokia, Ericsson, and Microsoft cede the lion's share of the phone market to Apple and a few Android phone makers over the last decade.

This video is a good reminder of what that sort of complacency will get you. It's also hilarious to watch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eywi0h_Y5_U

Mirrorless cameras and DSLR's are comparable. Neither one is better than the other. The choice is going to depend on what features you need. Some have talked about the possibility of blur from the mirror moving, but I've never had any problems, . . . and that includes years of taking pictures on film with old SLR's, Nikon F, Nikon F2, all with mirrors. One of the clear advantages of the mirrorless cameras is that they're lighter, except once you add a top quality lens, the difference between that camera and a DSLR with a comparable lens isn't all that great.

Think also in terms of what "mode" you might be using. For instance, Nikon has a mode called "Vivid" that punches up the colors (rather like old Ektachrome film). Sony's mirrorless cameras have a different color palette, which you might prefer, but which, to me, doesn't look as good as Nikon's "Vivid." Having said that, I'll add that you can punch up the colors in post-processing.

Also, since the mirrorless cameras have an electronic viewfinder rather than a pentaprism, they should use up the battery faster than a DSLR, although I've been told that the latest mirrorless Sonys have much improved battery life. Again, not that much of a problem: put an extra battery in your pocket.