Going Completely Mirrorless

[NorthernFocus]

... for a couple of weeks. We're off to France in the morning. Will be on the ground there for two weeks. The only camera gear that's coming along will be the tiny Nikon V1 with 10-30mm and 30-110mm lenses. This won't be the first trip we've taken with minimal photo kit. If all we're planning on are keepsake photos, the DSLR stays home. Plus the image quality produced by the V1 is comparable to the D200 that we thought was awesome not so long ago. The real issue with the V1 vs. DSLR is that the controls are an exercise in frustration

But the V1 produces 10MP NEF format, has a wireless shutter release, and I've got a CPL filter for it. So it's great for selfies, general purpose tourist photos, and in a pinch if there's an awesome landscape opportunity I can shoot multiple frames and stitch them together. The compromises are worth not lugging a bag full of gear all over the place. Not to mention minimal financial exposure if the camera bag sprouts legs and runs off.

Maybe this will be the trip that convinces me to become liberated from the bonds of DSLR land. Or not....

[Donald]

... for a couple of weeks. We're off to France in the morning.

You lucky person. I'm going in June. Where are you going to be visiting?

[NorthernFocus]

...Where are you going to be visiting?

Paris five days then to Avignon for day and six day cycle tour from there. A couple more unplanned days in the south just looking at old stuff.

[davidedric]

Sounds great. Paris because if you are coming all that way you have to. Provence because it might be touristy and expensive, but it's great. I'd steer clear of Mont Ventoux on that bike, mind. Or you're a better man than I am (or ever was).

Btw, I'm doing a mirrorless trip to the US next month. Ooh Err.

Dave

[pnodrog]

Good looking photographers are not afraid of mirrors!....

Have an enjoyable trip.

[IzzieK]

Oh well...I hope you and your wife Paige (I got that one right, eh?) have a good time...unlike what we had experienced 6 years ago. We must have not blend in with the crowd well...

[Shadowman]

Lucky you, have fun!

[Donald]

Paris five days then to Avignon for day and six day cycle tour from there. A couple more unplanned days in the south just looking at old stuff.

Avignon is gorgeous. And not just the Palace.

[ajohnw]

Yes have fun. I probably have a few boxes of slides from around there kicking around some where.

I looked at the V1 and can see what you mean. Made me wonder why there isn't a half way house control wise version. I suspect the 1 Nikon that looks dslr has the lot but price wise I don't think I would pay that for it. And why oh why make it looks like a dslr.

John
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[NorthernFocus]

Thanks for the well wishes folks. Izzie sorry you didn't have a good time there. Several days of our trip is on the cycle tour so we'll have access to French speaking guides. Paige downloaded a French phrases app on her iPhone. That should be entertaining. She'll talk to anyone whereas I'll stay lost for hours rather than ask a stranger for directions. And that's even without a language barrier. While she listening to the French app I'll be reading the GPS

Well, we're all packed up, Grace at the boarding kennel, and just a few hours till flight time.

[Digital]

Dan, have a safe, and enjoyable trip.


Bruce

[FootLoose]

...She'll talk to anyone whereas I'll stay lost for hours rather than ask a stranger for directions... While she listening to the French app I'll be reading the GPS

And that is the difference between men and women

[IzzieK]

Good luck and have a great trip! Be safe...

[GrahamS]

Bon Voyage!

[Manfred M]

Have a great trip, Dan. I'm looking forward to your postings from this trip.

I'm looking forward to your views on how your mirrorless adventure goes as I am planning one or two mirrorless trips later on this year.

[Venser]

I just made the leap.
For years I brought a D700 everywhere. In 2012 I flew to Aruba and it was the first time the airlines had a problem with my camera bag. I had the 14-24, 24-70, 70-200, and the 105 in the bag. Turns out the airline only weighed the bag regardless of where the contents were located, so I emptied the bag, met the weight restriction, then reloaded the bag with the heavy stuff. Anyways, after that trip, I bought an Olympus OM-D E-M5 along with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 and Olympus 45mm f/1.8.

The following year, 2013, we went to Antigua and I brought both cameras, except I only took the 14-24 and 85 f/1.4 for the Nikon as I've been to Antigua before and had very specific shots in mind. Aside from those shots, the Nikon never left the room. In October, we traveled to Ireland for two weeks and this time I only brought the Olympus. Picked up the Olympus 12mm f/2.0 to complement the other two lenses. After looking at the images upon return, I was really impressed with the camera.

Just last week, I put all my Nikon gear up for sale. The only things I'll be keeping are the SB-910s as the Pocket Wizards still work as advertised. Even found a cable so I can use them to remotely fire the camera with the half press auto-focus behaviour. I've been hemming and hawing for months over this decision. Finally played with someone's E-M1 and the phase detection actually works. That was the missing piece from the E-M5, at least for me, that I finally made the decision to make the switch permanently.

Caveat - I shoot street predominantly. A rough guess would be 80% of the shots I take are that genre. Rarely do I take landscape or architectural shots. Sports and portraits would be the other 20%.

[thequacksoflife]

I just made the leap.
For years I brought a D700 everywhere. In 2012 I flew to Aruba and it was the first time the airlines had a problem with my camera bag. I had the 14-24, 24-70, 70-200, and the 105 in the bag. Turns out the airline only weighs the bag regardless where the contents are located, so I emptied the bag, met the weight restriction, then reloaded the bag with the heavy stuff. Anyways, after that trip, I bought an Olympus OM-D E-M5 along with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 and Olympus 45mm f/1.8.

it wouldn't have worked here. The budget airlines are notorious for saying that you can take one object in the cabin so cameras around necks etc don't work.

Dan - have a great trip. Paris is a lovely city, the only time you mave have an issue Camera wise is taking pics in some of the churches which can be VERY dark. All my trips are mirrorless.

regards

Pete

[ajohnw]

I just made the leap.
For years I brought a D700 everywhere. In 2012 I flew to Aruba and it was the first time the airlines had a problem with my camera bag. I had the 14-24, 24-70, 70-200, and the 105 in the bag. Turns out the airline only weighs the bag regardless where the contents are located, so I emptied the bag, met the weight restriction, then reloaded the bag with the heavy stuff. Anyways, after that trip, I bought an Olympus OM-D E-M5 along with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 and Olympus 45mm f/1.8.

The following year, 2013, we went to Antigua and I brought both cameras, except I only took the 14-24 and 85 f/1.4 for the Nikon as I've been to Antigua before and had very specific shots in mind. Aside from those shots, the Nikon never left the room. In October, we traveled to Ireland for two weeks and this time I only brought the Olympus. Picked up the Olympus 12mm f/2.0 to complement the other two lenses. After looking at the images upon return, I was really impressed with the camera.

Just last week, I put all my Nikon gear up for sale. The only things I'll be keeping are the SB-910s as the Pocket Wizards still work as advertised. Even found a cable so I can use them to remotely fire the camera with the half press auto-focus behaviour. I've been hemming and hawing for months over this decision. Finally played with someone's E-M1 and the phase detection actually works. That was the missing piece from the E-M5, at least for me, that I finally made the decision to make the switch permanently.

Caveat - I shoot street predominantly. A rough guess would be 80% of the shots I take are that genre. Rarely do I take landscape or architectural shots. Sports and portraits would be the other 20%.

Chis (Or any other E-M5 owner) I keep getting tempted to switch from an EM-5 to an EM-1. Increases in size I don't really want but the phase focusing would be a great help in some cases. I assume you are using lenses suitable for contrast AF still - does the phase contrast focusing always kick the AF in the right direction? Also not go straight through the subject at times - usually macro or telephoto with continuous AF and moving subjects?

I notice on the Olympus macro lens that they have 2 range settings - close=macro - normal which is longer distances. I feel I am just going to have to try that. The usual way full including macro and not including macro on others seems a little silly to me. I feel that the manufacturers need to remember that there is some intelligence driving the camera apart from what they put in it.

John
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[rpcrowe]

As I see it, a great advantage of the Nikon V1 over many other small mirrorless cameras is that the V1 has an eye-level viewfinder.

If I had to work with a camera that has only the LCD as my viewfinder, I would give up photography totally! Because, for me, the enjoyment of photography with be removed along with the eye level viewfinder...

Although I am willing to carry around 5-10 Pounds (~2-4 kilos) of camera gear on walk around excursions. If I were to be doing any serious bicycling, I would definitely consider a mirrorless outfit. Additionally, if I were traveling on business, with photography as only a remote secondary reason for travel, I would use a mirrorless outfit.

BTW: Too bad we don't live closer. Our Goldendoodle, Holly, would love to have a big dog friend, like Grace, visit her...

[Venser]

I assume you are using lenses suitable for contrast AF still - does the phase contrast focusing always kick the AF in the right direction? Also not go straight through the subject at times - usually macro or telephoto with continuous AF and moving subjects?

Don't have the 60mm macro, so I can offer no insight for that lens. The phase contrast only kicks in when shooting with continuous focus.

Two scenarios:
Sports - I shoot a lot of sports. It's the reason I picked up a camera in the first place. The 70-200mm f/2.8 was my first lens. The new E-M1 can follow a moving subject almost as well as my D700. The major difference is if there are two moving subjects in opposite directions, the D700 tends to follow the subject I want in focus better than the E-M1.

My kids - I couldn't tell you the last time I pulled out the Nikon to shoot my kids. The Olympus has the same hit rate in terms of focus chasing them around that having a camera I can stuff in my pocket wins every day of the week.