Camera gear that is

Regular followers of this blog know me to be a bit of a gear nerd and I'm happy (sad?) to report that's still the case. I still consider myself a relatively "new" photographer so while I (like everyone) have preferences and biases I'm pretty open minded to making changes -especially if that means less time processing, editing, etc.

With that said I have made the decision (at least temporarily) to work exclusively with the Canon RF mount system and more specifically their EOS R and EOS RP (with the RP primarily being a "backup") for a number of reasons which I'll delve in to momentarily. I was already kicking around the idea late last year and it was our trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico that really sealed the deal. It's not that I was unhappy with the images I got from the Sony system, to the contrary, it was real world and usability items:

  • Sensor dust. If you've shot mirrorless, and specifically Sony, you know this can be nutso. I should have either brought a rocket blower or wet cleaning kit with. I didn't. As a result MANY of the images have OBVIOUS dust spots (especially noticeable at smaller apertures) and yes I know they're pretty simple to remove in post but it's time consuming.
  • Grip size. While Sony has made great strides in the ergonomics of their cameras they just never quite "fit" my hands properly with the grip being a bit too short and not quite deep enough. What's more on some lenses your fingers actually hit the lens and after a while that can be kinda uncomfortable.
  • Screen articulation. Having a tilting screen is pretty great if you're shooting landscape orientation (whether that's up high, down low, or on a tripod) and comes in handy. What if you want to shoot in portrait orientation? Tough luck as Sony's screens only tilt. Canon's screens tilt and flip.
  • Touch Menus. This sounds like a small deal but having a touch screen menu is dang handy.

Those were the big ones for me and I'll be honest that it was a decision I wrestled with since there were a few other factors not the least of which were cost, learning curve for me (and for Tracy who uses them periodically), and a bit of a disadvantage in the area of sensor dynamic range. The good news is I'm pretty close to two months in to owning the new system and I'm pretty happy with it overall because it has largely addressed the things I'd mentioned above. One thing I REALLY like is their Fv mode which is kind of like aperture/shutter/ISO/manual mode blended all in to one. How it works is one of the dials adjusts the parameters of the exposure triangle value you've got selected (say shutter speed) and unless you make a change it continues to impact that value. However, if you rotate the other rear dial it shifts to another variable like, say, aperture which makes it very easy to dial in the exposure the way you'd like it.


The last thing I'll say about the RF mount system is that the lenses are INCREDIBLE!!! Also, they're heavy and expensive (well not relatively speaking to Sony's G Master line) so I've largely been renting them and have purchased the EF to RF adapter which works great too. I LOVE the 85 F1.2 (the images from the concert were shot on that) as it's tack sharp, fast, and practically sees in the dark.

I'm enjoying the change for now and maybe if someone figures out how to toss the guts of a Sony A7Riii in to the body of a Canon EOS R I'd finally be satisfied with gear...until something better comes along of course.

Stay safe out there and better days are to follow.