Am I the only one still using DSLRs?

[EricBowles]

Without question the advanced features of mirrorless also bring a serious learning curve. Most of the problems I see are from new features. I suspect you'll be fine with a DSLR for another few years - and even beyond that with most of your lenses.

I would think about sticking a toe in the water with mirrorless at some point. Each generation of new cameras is more powerful, but also adds a layer of more learning curve. It can be a bit overwhelming to learn those new features. Even a small kit like the Z50ii and the 16-50 kit lens makes a terrific travel kit and sets the table for future transition with a lot less pain.

 

[Mal Paso]

DSLR’s are doing just fine for me…D500, D800 & D850. No issues with short battery life. Worth more to me than trying to sell them.
older cameras, good glass, I’m happy.

I left my D810 on for over a week and still had 2/3 battery. Nikon offered me $600 for my D810 and I hear they sell used for $800 but I know the care it has had and it's worth more to have a high quality house camera just for wildlife. It is always ready to go with a 200-500 or 28-300. When critters show up there is usually no time for lens changes or fussing, just grab and go.

The Z7ii travels with me full time but is usually in one of the vehicles when I need something fast.

 

[Calson]

Photography is not a rational endeavor for hobbyists. My wife gifted me with a Nikon underwater camera and it turned out to be a very expensive gift. I added UW strobes and brackets and bought and inflatable boat and trailer to get me and my gear out past the surf zone. When I moved to a SLR camera I added a $3,000 housing and spent another $1000 on ports and $600 on special brackets and arms.

For me a camera with internal stabilization and subject detection makes it easy to focus on and photograph small fast moving birds which are the primary subjects near me. If I lived in Florida or near Yellowstone it would be quite different.

The PF lenses are also very appealing when I can have a 5 lb 800mm lens it is a gamechanger for me, much as the 500mm PF was with my DSLR cameras.

 

[Jamie Baker]

I'm still using my D500 and D850 as my primary bodies. No doubt DSLRs will not be produced anymore, and mirrorless is a superior tool. HOWEVER, the quality of the image is the same as far as I can tell between the Z8/Z9 and D850. I also much prefer the optical viewfinder. And I don't have the funds for a Z8 at the moment . I do own a ZF and really love it! While I probably won't be replacing my long lenses anytime soon, I'm slowly buying shorter focal length lenses in the Z mount. Something to consider.

 

[RichF]

While the photography world has shifted to mirrorless technology, I've not yet made the transition myself (call me an old fogey ), and I'm wondering if I'm the only holdout among serious and committed amateur photographers? Yes, I do understand the many advanced features of leading edge mirrorless cameras, and that using them would likely improve my keeper rate. However, as an amateur wildlife photographer, would acquiring a Z9 or Z8 really increase my imagery and personal satisfaction enough to warrant the investment required? Here's my rationale for sticking with my tried and true D850s and FX lenses, at least so far:

1. I'm an amateur, not a professional, and my wildlife photography is for my personal satisfaction only, not for any commercial purpose.
2. My images are reproduced mainly on social media, my website, for family and friends, and for occasional printing and charitable donations.
3. The last time I checked, my D850s and FX lenses are still considered top quality equipment, and arguably are capable of producing images as good as any mirrorless camera and lens.
4. Changing to a mirrorless platform would require a significant investment of money, and of time to relearn the new system. While I have both sufficient money and available time to make the change, would it really be worth it given my primary photographic purposes?

Judging from the many posts on Backcountry Gallery over the past couple of years, I'm beginning to feel very much in the minority, and so my overriding question is am I missing something obvious that everyone else has already gotten? Am I alone in the photographic universe?

the longer you wait, the cheaper the dSLR gear will become ..

 

[Calson]

When I got a new telephoto lens I would spend time dialing in the autofocus with the lens and with the 1.4x TC and with the 2x TC and then repeat the process with my second camera. These AF adjustments were never accurate as I needed to use a target or subject distance of 50 feet and know that at 25 feet or 100 feet the focus would be off.

With my mirrorless cameras I now use autofocus 100% of the time as compared to using manual focus the majority of the time with my DSLR cameras.

 

[Rixpx]

I’ve printed lots of 13 by19 photos taken with my D7000 and D800. They still look good to me. I switched to the Z7 in 2021. I’m not convinced the switch made me a better photographer. There was a definite difference between focus modes between DSLR and mirrorless. It took some getting used to.
I recently traded my last F mount lenses in for another Z mount lens. The FTZ adapter allowed me gradually make the transition from F to Z.

If you’re happy with your current setup, then I suggest you stay with it. Having made the switch, I’d say the benefits for me were incremental rather than astounding.

 

[RikWriter]

I’ve printed lots of 13 by19 photos taken with my D7000 and D800. They still look good to me. I switched to the Z7 in 2021. I’m not convinced the switch made me a better photographer. There was a definite difference between focus modes between DSLR and mirrorless. It took some getting used to.
I recently traded my last F mount lenses in for another Z mount lens. The FTZ adapter allowed me gradually make the transition from F to Z.

If you’re happy with your current setup, then I suggest you stay with it. Having made the switch, I’d say the benefits for me were incremental rather than astounding.

I'm not a Nikon guy, but it's my understanding that the Nikon Z9 and Z8 were the first mirrorless cameras the company made with truly superior AF.

 

[WcWarren]

I just switched to a z9 a couple months ago. Had a d5 and still have 850. Loved everything about the D5 never quite bonded with the 850. I used 200-500 for wildlife and the 14-24 for night landscapes on the 850. I switched because of the z600 6.3. The 200-500 is too heavy for me and the zooming out, ugh. I got the z9 because of the battery and form factor. I absolutely love it and the 600. sure the 600 has trade offs but it’s the only prime with a longer reach that I could really justify buying and to be able to handhold easily? amazing. I also Got the 20 1.8 for night landscapes and it is another winner. Beats out my 14-24 2.8. The 20 1.8 is faster and so much lighter than the beast that is the 14-24.Also, i haven’t had the opportunity for much night stuff but the z9 as far as I can tell easily focuses on stars. I think subject detection on the z9 can be pretty amazing. Like anything, one has to know your tools well to get the best out of them.

 

[GG1]

While the photography world has shifted to mirrorless technology, I've not yet made the transition myself (call me an old fogey ), and I'm wondering if I'm the only holdout among serious and committed amateur photographers? Yes, I do understand the many advanced features of leading edge mirrorless cameras, and that using them would likely improve my keeper rate. However, as an amateur wildlife photographer, would acquiring a Z9 or Z8 really increase my imagery and personal satisfaction enough to warrant the investment required? Here's my rationale for sticking with my tried and true D850s and FX lenses, at least so far:

1. I'm an amateur, not a professional, and my wildlife photography is for my personal satisfaction only, not for any commercial purpose.
2. My images are reproduced mainly on social media, my website, for family and friends, and for occasional printing and charitable donations.
3. The last time I checked, my D850s and FX lenses are still considered top quality equipment, and arguably are capable of producing images as good as any mirrorless camera and lens.
4. Changing to a mirrorless platform would require a significant investment of money, and of time to relearn the new system. While I have both sufficient money and available time to make the change, would it really be worth it given my primary photographic purposes?

Judging from the many posts on Backcountry Gallery over the past couple of years, I'm beginning to feel very much in the minority, and so my overriding question is am I missing something obvious that everyone else has already gotten? Am I alone in the photographic universe?

I've had a D850 for about 2 years now and love it. I have no intention to switch. The biggest reason is $$$, the second is another learning curve and finally. I am very satisfied with the results I'm getting now with the 4 Tamron lenses on have . While I could get the ztf adapter
I can't see doing that. I guessing it would cost me $17,000 to get to the point I'm at now . I'll admit the mirrorless have better focusing systems and some other perks but I'm 74 now and am content with where I'm at. Inclosing I just don't feel like it.

 

[tomcat]

While the photography world has shifted to mirrorless technology, I've not yet made the transition myself (call me an old fogey ), and I'm wondering if I'm the only holdout among serious and committed amateur photographers? Yes, I do understand the many advanced features of leading edge mirrorless cameras, and that using them would likely improve my keeper rate. However, as an amateur wildlife photographer, would acquiring a Z9 or Z8 really increase my imagery and personal satisfaction enough to warrant the investment required? Here's my rationale for sticking with my tried and true D850s and FX lenses, at least so far:

1. I'm an amateur, not a professional, and my wildlife photography is for my personal satisfaction only, not for any commercial purpose.
2. My images are reproduced mainly on social media, my website, for family and friends, and for occasional printing and charitable donations.
3. The last time I checked, my D850s and FX lenses are still considered top quality equipment, and arguably are capable of producing images as good as any mirrorless camera and lens.
4. Changing to a mirrorless platform would require a significant investment of money, and of time to relearn the new system. While I have both sufficient money and available time to make the change, would it really be worth it given my primary photographic purposes?

Judging from the many posts on Backcountry Gallery over the past couple of years, I'm beginning to feel very much in the minority, and so my overriding question is am I missing something obvious that everyone else has already gotten? Am I alone in the photographic universe?

Stay with what you have. I am stll kicking myself for getting rid of my D3s. For whatever it was that made me want to trade it, that rationale was stupid and I really need it back for my granddaughter's band concerts. I've tried finding one, but nothing with a low shutter count like I had. So keep what you have, so long as Nikon has spare parts available

 

[Mal Paso]

Nikon USA Customer Service cooled my jets on new equipment. If the 180-600 doesn't go on sale for $1700 or the Z8 for $3300 I will spend the money on something else. I think a used Lexus 4wd might be more fun.

I have 9 very sharp lenses from 20-500mm, an extra 100mm isn't significant and I don't do enough BIF to make the Z8 a must have.

 

[SonoranDesert]

I’ve taken the plunge…(purchased the Z8). The only reason I did (because I LOVE my D850!) is shutter sound. Even on “quiet” the D850 has scared/startled more birds than I can count. I’m keeping my D850, though, because it has been true blue and…well, I’m attached.

 

[Walter Baliero]

You are not alone, I too stay to DSLR thanks to my D850 and D810, no matter how much hype some people give to the mirrorless. I am all for the advancement of technology - as I have discussed in several threads here - but it has come to a point where the inclusion of "improvements" through tools that supplant the photographer - such as eye-tracking focus, overwhelming FPS and the very tricky AI - have diminished the worth of the photographer. If the unbridled development of technology means that I have to accept all these "advantages", I prefer to stay behind and enjoy my photography thanks to myself and not to the algorithms hidden in my camera. Stay to DSLR, it will give you much more satisfaction!

 

[JAS]

I switch between DSLR and MILC with bodies and lenses in both camps. For IR work I have a converted D600 that is used with the 24-120 f/4 and 28-300 f/3.5-5.6. Those are great IR friendly lenses and will stay in my set. I also have a D850 that Iuse with my 70-180 D Macro lens because I like the look of the output. Plus, I use my 500PF on the D850. These F-mount bodies are in good shape and will last as long as I do (I am 73).

I am also into Z with a Z6 and Z9 with a wide range of lenses from the kit 24-70 f/5, both macros, 70-200, 100-400, 800PF, 85 f/1.8 and both TCs. If funds allow I would add a Z8 so I would have 2 high megapixel cameras. However, for now, I like what I have and it lets me cover so many situations.

The F-mount gear is of low resale value. In fact, Ijust passed on a 400mm f/2.8 G for $3K because the weight is more than I can handle. So, I will keep it and use it for so long as I am shooting. Being in both camps works just fine and I do not see much of a reason to add another $4K body to the set of some higher priced lenses when what I have is doing so well with the DSLR/MILC kit I have.

 

[njtrout]

I just purchased my D850, new, in July. I have been in photography since I was about 14. I believe it is not the camera, but the photographer's eye. Should we discard all the photographs made before mirrorless cameras? Should we throw away every photo made with film or a DSLR because of mirrorless cameras? I don't think so.

 

[MikeInMI]

If You are happy with your results and shooting experience, I wouldn’t spend too much time thinking about switching. Those on forums such as this are always going to be the more passionate enthusiasts and you can get a distorted view of what people are doing.

Having said that, if you do birds in flight or something that demands a lot of the autofocus system, I think you’d find that the autofocus systems of the mirrorless systems more advanced.

 

[HRB]

There is that special “something” about a D500 or a D850 mirror slap sound that sticks with you despite the fact that you just scared away your intended subject! Realize that you are at the top of the evolutionary chain in the DSLR world - there will be no advancements there. If you move to the mirrorless world and it’s ever evolving technologies, you’ve consigned yourself to endless rounds of camera upgrades/purchases.

 

[Abinoone]

I think that if I could go back in time to before I had invested in so many mirrorless lenses I very well could still be using DSLRs. I shoot a Z8 now but I really very much miss my D500. There are certainly some functional or technical reasons why - an underrated one is the performance of low light AF, particularly in event-type scenarios where the AF-assist light on speedlights is so essential (the Z cameras do have the built in green AF assist light, but these do not function with AF-C) - but apart from this there was simply something very enjoyable and visceral about the experience of shooting with a DSLR that I miss with the mirrorless cameras. There is a difficult to describe "connection" to the scene/subject that I don't feel with the mirrorless cameras. Especially with wildlife, it feels more like I am watching a video of the subject and occasionally taking freeze-frames than it feels like I am there with the animal capturing photographs.

I at times really do consider going back, but the cost to do so would be a challenge.

That said, the single biggest reason I can't see going back is the durability of mirrorless vs. DSLR cameras. I have 300,000 shots on my Z8 after a year and a half. If this were a DSLR, there is a reasonable chance it would have failed by now - and there is almost a certainty that I would have been far stingier about pressing the shutter so as not to put that level of wear on it. This is really I think that rarely-talked-about but single most impactful advantage of mirrorless vs. DSLR cameras.

All I can say is OH MY GOD! 300,000 shots in a year and a half?! Maybe I'm just an old Luddite fuddy-duddy, but that seems like it would be an enormous waste of time to review so many images! I've shot with my oldest D850 for about 5 years, and it only has 80,000 actuations, and I think I'm out shooting fairly often. Even so, it seems like I've spent decades just reviewing those shots. If your experience is typical, I think I'll just stay in the DSLR world, and spend the time I save not reviewing images just enjoying my family!

 

[Cameron T]

80k in 5 years is super low. I put over 100k in a year through my z9. Getting quick at post processing (including picking the good images) is also a skill, and usually combing through 1k images takes me maybe a half hour? if that?

 

[BWP]

I’m still in transition with a z8 and a d850, and wow did I notice the difference using the 850 as my backup in Africa. So loud! Z8 number 2 is planned for 2025.

The D850 will remain my underwater camera for the foreseeable future as I am not doing enough UW photography at this time to justify a new housing and I’m perfectly content with the rig I have. If the z8 battery consumption situation significantly improves so I can throw the camera in the housing and forget about it, and if low contrast focus improves, I may bite. Maybe in a z8 ii… all depends on Nikon.

Hi Brad, just curious which underwater housing you are using? I've done loads of underwater photography with a Canon G9, but would like to upgrade to my D850. Here's an example.

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[BWP]

80k in 5 years is super low. I put over 100k in a year through my z9. Getting quick at post processing (including picking the good images) is also a skill, and usually combing through 1k images takes me maybe a half hour? if that?

Hi Cameron, Which software are you using for combing through your images? I find Lightroom Classic very slow in loading the images, so for me it's not useful for parsing my images. I've tried all of the Lightroom tricks to speed it up..... so there's that.

 

[Cameron T]

Hi Cameron, Which software are you using for combing through your images? I find Lightroom Classic very slow in loading the images, so for me it's not useful for parsing my images. I've tried all of the Lightroom tricks to speed it up..... so there's that.

I use Capture One. Once I get home, import everything and walk away and get food or whatever, come back to it, comb through quickly after checking each burst for better framing/critical focus/etc which takes very little time for me. Some people use faststone or whatever else, but it doesn't take too long. Shooting an airshow with 12k images in a long day probably took me 2 hours, because I overshot and didn't need the extra, and I feel like I could have done that quicker even.

 

[Rodamu]

I haves gradually moved to mirrorless cameras and lenses. At first I used the old lenses on the new camera with the available adaptor. Now I use a Z8 with zoom lenses most of the time but I still use the D850 with a micro lens and the 28-300 zoom. The resale value is not good for the D850 and it is still an excellent camera that has some advantages over the mirrorless cameras. As an experienced D850 user, it may not be worth your changing now. One reason I did change was that most of the mirrorless cameras are smaller and lighter that the SLRs.

 

[BWP]

While the photography world has shifted to mirrorless technology, I've not yet made the transition myself (call me an old fogey ), and I'm wondering if I'm the only holdout among serious and committed amateur photographers? Yes, I do understand the many advanced features of leading edge mirrorless cameras, and that using them would likely improve my keeper rate. However, as an amateur wildlife photographer, would acquiring a Z9 or Z8 really increase my imagery and personal satisfaction enough to warrant the investment required? Here's my rationale for sticking with my tried and true D850s and FX lenses, at least so far:

1. I'm an amateur, not a professional, and my wildlife photography is for my personal satisfaction only, not for any commercial purpose.
2. My images are reproduced mainly on social media, my website, for family and friends, and for occasional printing and charitable donations.
3. The last time I checked, my D850s and FX lenses are still considered top quality equipment, and arguably are capable of producing images as good as any mirrorless camera and lens.
4. Changing to a mirrorless platform would require a significant investment of money, and of time to relearn the new system. While I have both sufficient money and available time to make the change, would it really be worth it given my primary photographic purposes?

Judging from the many posts on Backcountry Gallery over the past couple of years, I'm beginning to feel very much in the minority, and so my overriding question is am I missing something obvious that everyone else has already gotten? Am I alone in the photographic universe?

I purchased the Z8 almost a year ago now and I really do think it's a step up from my D850. However, I'm not going to invest in all new lenses as that's where most of my money is. Instead, I bought the adapter and use all of my old lenses, including my 600mm f4 lens. The one exception was the purchase of a Z mount 180-600 lens. It's not the sharpest lens on the block, but it works fairly well out to about 500mm and then gets a little soft at the far end. Eventually (as soon as I win the lottery) I might convert, but for now I'm pretty happy with my Z8 and using the D850 as my backup camera.