DSLR Revival
I started my photography journey on a mirrorless camera. I stuck with them for several years before trying out the Canon DSLR systems and all of a sudden, I realised they were built for photographers rather than hybrid shooters. The joy of instant availability, optical viewfinders and old school simplicity appealed straight away. I stuck with Canon for a while before trying Nikon DSLR s . They were equal but different to Canon and as much fun to use. Then I had my accident and couldn’t contemplate taking the heavier gear around with me.
Ever since, my tastes and needs in Mirrorless have got more expensive and more capable. My current Mirrorless beast has 61mp , blindingly fast autofocus and a relatively small footprint. What it doesn’t have however is any enjoyment in using it. It works flawlessly and is immensely powerful but it lacks something. Photography for me, needs a soulful connection between me and the machine. I was looking back at my most popular and those that have sold well. I realised 80% were shot using DSLR cameras. They all print to a good size and have tons of detail where necessary. The low light images are grain free, sharp and they have a certain look about them.
I decided to sell some mirrorless lenses and my second Sony body to fund re acquiring a couple of old bodies and some lenses . I got hold of the Canon 6D a couple of days ago and have used it a few times now. It’s a joy to use, very comfortable, efficient and surprisingly portable for a full frame DSLR. I’m awaiting a 5D Mark iii which is bigger but not unwieldy. I have a few lenses that all work well and are optically excellent. The camera technology is over 13 years old but doesn’t feel old. The Canon menu system is a breeze and operation is very simple. They clunk when you press the shutter in a quite satisfying way. You feel like you’re taking a photo rather than handling a machine over engineered and crammed full of specs. Don’t get me wrong, my Sony can really deliver but it’s not much fun. I understand why many professionals still like DSLRs for their rugged, dependable abilities and feel more comfortable using them. We’re told in many spheres of modern living that small is beautiful and desirable. I don’t always think that’s the case if pleasure of use is taken away.
My plan therefore, is to slim down my Sony gear to the bare essentials for professional studio shoots and use my Canons for landscapes, travel and street photography. I am more comfortable using big cameras in street situations now and now recovered enough to carry heavier gear, I don’t worry about a couple of extra kilos in gear. One great advantage to DSLRs is the phenomenal battery life you get. Twice, sometimes three times as long from one battery as you would get from my Sony.
Canon made formidable cameras in the 6D and 5D Mark iii. I’m not certain they intended the 6D to be quite as good as it is but they had every intention of beefing up the 5D from the previous model. I fully intend to keep the Canons and not sell them unless I’ve really pushed up their shutter counts. It’s such a joy to use the 6D and long live the DSLR!
