How soon mirrorless will replace DSLR for Pros?

I would do all I can (afford) to reduce the size of my gear and have it always with me, which is not the case with my DSLR package. I take it on photo trips and when I do take photos intentionally, but the camera is not always with me when I go out, etc. Mirrorless system is much smaller and so I was thinking how fast it will fully replace the flexibility, speed and quality of DSLR system? Sensors are good already now, but I do not think you have a 5D MKIII + 70-200 II combo available in mirrorless system today, do you?

Do you think professionals will switch to mirrorless soon?

I don't think so, at least not on the basis of size. Professionals only care about output - size of equipment doesn't come into it.

I think the Sony a7 is heading in the right direction. That system just needs to mature a little more to get the attention of more pros. As it is now, I think many are interested and may have even bought into the system but probably still have their dslrs.

light_pilgrim wrote in post #17043125
I would do all I can (afford) to reduce the size of my gear and have it always with me, which is not the case with my DSLR package. I take it on photo trips and when I do take photos intentionally, but the camera is not always with me when I go out, etc. Mirrorless system is much smaller and so I was thinking how fast it will fully replace the flexibility, speed and quality of DSLR system? Sensors are good already now, but I do not think you have a 5D MKIII + 70-200 II combo available in mirrorless system today, do you?

Do you think professionals will switch to mirrorless soon?

No.

Among the photographic needs of working professional photographers are the use of supertelephoto lenses. So-called mirrorless cameras do not have lenses such as the commonly employed 400mm f/2.8 units so often found at field events such as all codes of football, baseball, and athletics.

Mirrorless cameras also have yet to overcome the problems of image lag and blackout in their electronic viewfinders. For a working professional who needs constantly decisive and accurate sighting through a viewfinder, lag and blackout are unacceptable.

Those who paid attention to still cameras used at events such as the NCAA basketball tournament and the NBA playoffs would have seen the familiar shape of Canon's 70-200mm f/2.8 in near-exclusive use by baseline floor photographers. No mirrorless cameras there.

It's already been noted that at the football World Cup, while Sony purchased the right to have their Alpha logo on photographers' bibs, still photographers actually used Canon and Nikon still cameras.

Mirrorless cameras are several generations of viewfinder development away from extensive professional use. You won't see anything like the near-overnight switch from film to digital cameras that happened in professional deadline photography around a decade ago, because mirrorless cameras aren't ready to meet the needs of deadline shooters.

Also, deadline photographers are immune to hobbyists' gadget lust.

DC Fan wrote in post #17043308
Also, deadline photographers are immune to hobbyists' gadget lust.

No we aren't !

We just keep using the appropriate gear for the job !
As an example, there is around 10 photographers at work.
Of those, at least 5 have other systems** (Sony RX1, Leica M, Oly OMD, X100 etc) but we don't use them for work, unless they are the appropriate tool.

I agree with your points though, VF lag, and VF blackout are two big issues.
I think AF speed might be too, but I haven't had a good look at the newer Mirrorless models (the Leica M cured my gear lust)


**that I know of for certain, the others may have other "fun" cameras, but I don't know for certain
In this instance, "fun" camera means a camera used for personal work.

I use my a6000, which has wonderful and amazing AF. Sony's next a7, with a6000 or better AF certainly would be interesting. the problems is if you want full frame, and fast telephoto, there are no appreciable size savings in mirrorless, as the lenses will be large. Furthermore, working photographers dont seem to be consumed with size so much. Landscape, sure, if you are hiking and travelling a lot. but other than that, not so much. Some even prefer the size and construction of larger cameras, many opting for a 1dx with hardly marginal improvement, and twice the price of 5d3, over the 5d3 for some of the intangibles.
for the majorityof amateurs/family shooters, who do not need to shoot long and fast lenses, I think the mirrorless is only a couple of years away from replacing dslr for many. Also keep in mind, many dslr shooters will buy one, and shoot it with the kit lens the entire time, and for them, and a mirrorless is great.

kevindar wrote in post #17043642
I use my a6000, which has wonderful and amazing AF. Sony's next a7, with a6000 or better AF certainly would be interesting. the problems is if you want full frame, and fast telephoto, there are no appreciable size savings in mirrorless, as the lenses will be large. Furthermore, working photographers dont seem to be consumed with size so much. Landscape, sure, if you are hiking and travelling a lot. but other than that, not so much. Some even prefer the size and construction of larger cameras, many opting for a 1dx with hardly marginal improvement, and twice the price of 5d3, over the 5d3 for some of the intangibles.
for the majorityof amateurs/family shooters, who do not need to shoot long and fast lenses, I think the mirrorless is only a couple of years away from replacing dslr for many. Also keep in mind, many dslr shooters will buy one, and shoot it with the kit lens the entire time, and for them, and a mirrorless is great.

The 1D is built more solidly than the 5D - it doesn't really matter much, unless you are using your gear all day, every day, in which case you will wear out or damage a 5D quicker than a 1D (dropping or drowning it doesn't count, that will damage both equally as easily)
I can't find them now, but there is pics of my old 1D4 here somewhere, showing lots of paint missing, but the camera is still working, with a 5D, that would be deeply scratched, worn or cracked plastic instead.
A lighter camera would be nice though !

For professional use, the DSLR will be king for a few more years, for those who just want a decent camera to take nice shots of the family, pets and holidays Mirrorless is already there.

EVF has a few cool tricks up its sleeve too, I really like the hilight/shadow clipping warning in my friend's OMD, and the auto zoom when focusing, so you can actually see if it's sharp or not

joeseph wrote in post #17043181
I don't think so, at least not on the basis of size. Professionals only care about output - size of equipment doesn't come into it.

Too general of an outlook. I know two wedding photographers that have switched to the A7 camera for the lighter overall package. When you are lugging around two or more cameras hanging off your neck, the weight savings is very noticeable.

for birds and sports shooters >>> DSLR with big heavy lenses
mirrorless for family photos and travel

In my opinion mirrorless systems only gives slightly thinner camera bodies (2-4 cm less than DSLR), lenses are still the bulkiest component.

Some true innovation needs to be made in the lens area to make them smaller and lighter : for example with diffractive optics, or (maybe) planar lenses using nanopatterning of glass or metallic film. Otherwise, to really gain something by going mirrorless, you have to limit yourself to pancake and/or fixed focus lenses.

Some innovation can also be made in the acquisition method like for example with the Lytro camera.
But for the moment the Lytro who has some clear advantage over any current camera (for example no need to focus), "only" offers 4.3 megapixel images...

But on the wider end, you can save a bit of weight and size on the lenses too with a mirrorless camera. And a mirrorless camera with electroic viewfinder can allow zero blackout, except potentially when doing long exposures.

I agree with Kevindar regarding the next stage in new gen camera's.

At this point in time the noise control of the mirrorless camera's is mediocre compared to the mirror dslr products out there. The A7, a600 and Olympus EM1 have hybrid phase detection autofocus to calculate distance. That will be much better in the accuracy department.

I did play with an A7 but I did notice and unattractive looking noise pattern when you push that little sony in the high ISO department.

My little OMD em5 easily matches or surpasses my 5d classic both in noise and image quality. However accuracy wise I'd trust my 5dc if I had to shoot an event with that camera. My Panasonic GH3's image quality doesn't totally match the IQ with my OMD however for a video camera it surpasses the 5dmk3 video quality in many ways (except extremely low light video).

Since Sony has never been know to be a low light performer historically this is not shocking to know the A7 is "ok" for low light performance. I'd be totally certain once canon and nikon jump on the large sensor mirrorless the world will adopt mirrorless in a full size body.

At this moment in time for casual shooting many higher end mirrorless m43 bodies are easily equivalent or surpass Canon's latest rebel series dslr's even 60d,70d and even 7d. For reliability I'd definitely stick with mirror type phase detection though.

For the small m43 bodies the panasonic/leica 25mm f/1.4 prime is mind blowing for such a small 600 dollar lens.

It will take years for companies to develop specific native lenses for mirrorless. This is why adopted the M43 system instead of sony, Canon EOS-m. I purchased a GH3 instead of Sony A7 because I didn't want to adapt 3 different systems. Currently M43 has a very big selection of lenses for panny/olympus m43 bodies.

I think mirrorless (with phase detection) will become popular with sports photographers once they develop a sports camera with incredible iQ but rattle of more fps than the current 1dx, 1dmk4 etc.

It entirely depends on the professional... there are many different areas of photography, not all can be covered by mirrorless cameras (yet).

I know of numerous wedding, portrait and event photographers who've already made that switch (most to the Fuji X-T1 or Sony A7 series) and couldn't be happier. For pretty much anything but sports, wildlife and in my case, low light high ISO requirements, mirrorless is just as good as a DSLR.

I brought both my 6D and X-E1 with me on vacation last week thinking I'd want to use the 6D quite a bit... I took maybe 30 shots with it the whole week, for everything else I just used my X-E1 and I couldn't be happier. It's so much smaller and lighter (and the 6D is already one of the lightest FF DSLR's out there) that I barely even noticed it was on me (which was great when I got sunburn). The lenses for it are awesome and so is the sensor. In good light you'd be hard-pressed to find much difference between a shot from my X-E1 and 6D.

So when will it replace DSLR's for pros? For many they already are. It depends entirely (as it always has) on the needs of the professional. I just let my dad play around with my X-E1 and now he and his wife are thinking of picking up an X-T1 themselves for low-key events where they want to make a smaller footprint, both of them have been working professionals for 30+ years.

I suspect mirrorless will start to replace some DSLR use by Pros.
If it's happening now, I don't think they are obligated to inform POTN members..

The yet to be released Sony DSCR-Alphabet - full frame Exmore sensor.
At around $3000 it sure fit's one Pro criteria.

It's still common to see press photogs with 3 x 1D (or Nikon D equiv)
cameras around their neck with typical UWA zoom, 24-70 and either 70-200 or 100-400.
A lot of the UWA use is done blind, ie, camera held above crowd's head and pointed in general direction of subject. The proverbial spray and pray.

I see obvious advantages in having a mirrorless camera in that situation.
As an addittion, not much weight increase. As a replacement for 1 of the 3 x DSLRs, significant weight advantage (and therefore athletic ability, which is often required to get the shot)

Many pros now use mirrorless