Samplers

Thom Hogan wrote an interesting article on "Samplers".  Samplers are people who buy and try out other cameras while keeping their existing primary camera system.  I was a sampler who became a leaker.  I started with Canon film camera from the 90s and then got into their digital cameras around 2001.  Since that time, Canon had been my primary camera system.  I sampled other cameras, from Olympus (E300, E-M5), Pentax (K10D, and few other *ist models), Sigma (SD10), Kodak (SLR/C), Nikon (D70s), Panasonic (G1) and possibly others, but always stuck to Canon because the competition didn't create anything as good, or better.

But, sampling Sony's NEX-5, NEX-5N, NEX-6 and finally A7, pretty much moved me away from Canon.  I still have all the lenses, which I intend to use on the A7 with full autofocus capabilities, and a 1D Mark III, which Dillon is now using for school's sports events, plus the 20D which was modified for Infrared.  I will not buy any more Canon lenses, or camera bodies, unless they introduces a revolutionary sensor.  Judging from Sony sensor patents, I don't think Canon will be able to touch Sony in the sensor area for a while.

So here I am.  From a sampler to a leaker.  It took a few years, but I am not even looking back.  It was the best move I have made.  No more vintage lenses hitting the mirror box and no more bulky and heavy bodies.  I do, however, miss Canon's colours, especially the skin tones and the very pleasing blue in the blue sky/white clouds.  All the products that Canon and Nikon have introduced in the last few years did not interest me, except the 7D Mark II which I don't mind replacing my 1D III with, for the improved autofocus and lighter weight, but even that is not enough to sway me.

Now that Sony has introduced the A7 Mark II, with the excellent 5-axis in body image stabilization, what a wonderful feature for us manual focus lens users! I highly doubt Canon or Nikon will ever have this feature in their DSLR camera bodies.  They would rather sell you lenses with the stabilization feature instead.

While the trend is smaller, lighter, mirrorless and more capable cameras, Canon and Nikon still have their head stuck in the sand.  Sad, really.  They could have done so much more.

Milkweed Seeds - Sony A7 & Carl Zeiss Jena Visionar 109mm f1.6 Projection Lens.

Nikon's EVIL

Red Pedal -- NEX-5 & Leica Summicron 90mm f2.

The long rumored Nikon EVIL camera(s), the V1 and J1 have finally been unveiled. I think people are just surprised to find that the sensor size is some weird 2.7x, and than many got angry.  Most would expect Nikon's version of the mirrorless camera to be better than the offerings from Sony and the Micro 4/3 camp, but it turns out to be not what everyone expected.  Personally, neither the J1 and V1 interest me even one bit, I guess they are not targeted at consumers like me.  I understand they do not want the new mirrorless system to directly compete against their own entry level DSLR line.  So, to Nikon, this makes perfect sense, just not to the Nikon dire hard fans who were expecting more.

The samples I have seen look disappointing.  ISO 400 is already too noisy.  Seriously, they don't look much better those from the Canon G12 point & shoot.  What's the point?

So, Canon is now officially the only major camera maker who does not have a mirrorless camera system.  If they are planning something similar to Nikon's offering, I would be very disappointed.  I am hoping Canon will make something more innovative, better than what's already or soon to be on the market.