It’s been just over a year since I decided to protect my finances from inflation with some “sensible” investments. Stocks? Real estate? No – my limited imagination always came back to the idea of a new camera. In the end, I bought a mirrorless body for the first time, the Nikon Z9.
What unexpected surprises has the switch to a mirrorless system brought me? Am I glad I switched? That’s what this article is about.
The Sound of Silence
You may remember the big marketing claims made when mirrorless cameras were first introduced. A lot of attention was paid to weight savings and size reduction. Without a mirror, cameras would be smaller, lenses could be lighter, and bread would sell for cheaper. Well, when I was shooting a wedding with a Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 lens, I wasn’t so sure of those marketing claims.
But there is an advantage of mirrorless cameras that has proven more useful to me than the marketing claimed – pressing the shutter button and hearing the sound of silence (not that of Simon and Garfunkel). It’s only now, if I go back and shoot with a DSLR, that I realize how much noise they make.
A friend and I were photographing and filming the very strange behavior of a certain jay recently. (I’ll publish that story for you soon.) As soon as I started filming, my friend began shooting with his Nikon D500. And then my video became unusable – or at least, my audio. It sounded like a busy tailor shop rather than a forest after sunset.
On the other hand, my Nikon Z9’s 20 FPS is as quiet as an owl’s flight. It has been unexpectedly nice not to disturb my fellow photographers, and more importantly, the animals I’m photographing.
Where’s Its Eye?
I imagine this question is probably echoing through my camera’s circuitry when I press the AF-ON button. With all my previous cameras, I had to puzzle over this question myself. Luckily, I have a degree in biology, which made my eye search a lot easier. But it is one thing to recognise an eye and quite another to focus on it. You know how it goes.
Although I sometimes want to send my Z9 back to school for a refresher course in animal anatomy, most of the time, it does a great job here. I think the ability to autofocus on the eye is one of the greatest strengths of modern mirrorless cameras, not matched even by the newest DSLRs like the Nikon D6.
I’ll put it this way – the joystick on my D500 stopped working after years of frenetically sweeping the focus point across the viewfinder. With the Z9, I predict a much longer life for this control. My brain can spend more energy on the visual side of photography and less on the “eye spy” side of focusing.
Coated Like a Cake
That’s how I often returned from my photographic expeditions. Only, instead of the classic coating of sugar and frosting, I am usually coated in dust and mud, thanks to lying on the ground to capture animals from their eye level.
Even the best DSLRs had better autofocus in the viewfinder and worse autofocus via live view on the rear LCD screen. On most (all?) mirrorless cameras, however, the viewfinder and LCD are identical in focus performance.
I remember photographing a Mandarin Duck last year. To get my D500 to water level, I had to put on waders and follow the duck into its element. If I wanted to photograph it through the viewfinder from a sloping bank, I likely would have slipped into the water on my chest like an Emperor Penguin. My friend, without waders, had no choice but to shoot from the bank using the tilting screen and live view. To this day, I can still hear his cursing caused by the frustration of not being able to focus.
Now it is 2023, and everything is different. When I photographed the Egyptian Geese family that you see below, I stayed comfortably on shore. I tilted up the rear display, and I could compose and autofocus as well as if I had been looking through the viewfinder.
After a year of using this approach, I would find it difficult to go back, even to a DSLR that has a tilting LCD. For something like landscape photography, it would not matter. But for photographing birds, not having to keep my eye glued to the viewfinder has opened up possibilities that were much more complicated with a DSLR. And I can return home less coated in mud.
There are pros and cons to every camera switch, and certainly other things (good and bad) that have stood out to me after a year of going mirrorless, but I have deliberately not exhausted the topic. I would love to hear your experiences switching, or not switching, to the mirrorless format, and why. Feel free to share your thoughts in the discussion below the article.
First! Any photograher should know how to take a picture. Before thinking what camera equipment they should use. I could write a book on that subject! Why is my work in the Smithsonian, 2 Books one was number one, published in 4 music magazines, and published many times. I have far from great camera gear. Also over 300 photos on a great local News show. With a $100 Dollar cell phone. I am sure they think I am using great camera gear. My point? You don’t need the latest camera gear for taking great photos! It’s all about sales and money! So much more I can say! Everyone go out take pictures with what you have. Learn by experience. And never compare yourself to others! Thanks!
Ps. I have zero training or schooling. Tomorrow is that sad day 9/11 again. My feelings go out to all the victims & families! I have photos at the Smithsonian & Ground Zero Museum. And the closing photo at the 9/11 exhibit at the Smithsonian. Every photo was donated. Taken with a old film camera.
For readers who are interested, Doug Potoksky is mentioned in the following article…
September 11: Photographers and their stories
By Michelle Delaney, August 26, 2011
National Museum of American History
americanhistory.si.edu/blog/…ories.html
Thank you for this article. It’s quite obvious as to the silent shooting of the amazing Z9. And it’s live view is very welcomed to those shooting wildlife, whether video or still capture. As for your poor friend, am wondering how professional he is? Knowing the issues with using live view with his DSLR, he should have come better prepared. A 90 degree viewfinder attached to the eyepiece would certainly have fine the trick. Does for me. Focusing manually has never been a oroblem in over 50 years of shooting. Nice article on a marvelous camera and a ‘debatable’ subject of DSLR and mirror less. Thank you.
Hi Tim, thanks for the comment. You’re right that an angled viewfinder would pretty much solve this. But not in this particular case. In this case, along with the tilt screen, being partially submerged in water was essential. The banks were too steep even for an angled viewfinder.
I absolutely agree! And I as I have switched quite some time earlier, I know that one can quickly forget about some advantages that the Z mirrorless system has compared to DSLR world. For me it was image stabilization with prime lenses, razor sharp Z lenses, no backfocus, eye autofocus to name a few. I had to accept for some years that the autofocus is (a little) weaker, but now with Z8 / Z9 that should be history as well. Best
Really! This is killing me! What you guys are writing. What about all the greats with so many classic famous photos using a film camera? Please read what I just posted. You think the Smithsonian cares about the camera gear you are using? No! They care about the picture. Has nothing to do with a 10,000 camera or a $100 cell phone. You guys bought the package sealed and delivered by the camera companies! Just voicing what I think! Plus I honor any camera equipment. And never say what anyone should be using. REMEMBER i said work with what you have!
Having grown up starting with my dad’s Nikkormat film camera to FM, F100, N80, D200, D5100, D800 along with the F2.8 trinity lenses, I am ready to consider switch to a Z. Why? [1] The weight! Next [2] is the shutter noise. I take lots of recital hall performances and to hear the shutter click ricochet from the back of the auditorium to the stage and back is very disruptive to fellow audiences and embarrassing too. I also do lots of kids sports events. Although ambience is noisy, I still can be so disruptive to my neighbors with my rapid continuous clicks, etc. [3] I shoot with D800, a separate (Canon) camcorder (that still uses tapes), and iPhone together. Synchronizing all 3 can be very challenging. For those reasons alone, I need to consolidate and reduce the gears with a simpler solution. Enters the Z30. Anyone here can help share their opinion? I might just take the plunge and get the Z30 with the 2 kit lenses (16-50mm & 50-250mm). Sure, I am giving up the 36MP to 20MP and FX. Can anyone comment of the quality of the still image taken during video capture? Thanks!
I agree with all these points! For me, the AF speed and precision with TCs was also a game changer – I used TCs on DSLRs only in very few situations because of the AF restrictions, and now it practically doesn’t matter if you add a TC (especially a 1.4x), both with native Z lens/TC and adapted F glass.
Beyond the question of photography there is also the question of videography. I enjoy the option with the Z9/Z6 to do both on equal footing. All new Z cameras have much better video capabilities and better objectives for videography.
I agree; however, every: style, genre, format, and design as a place in photography. Your equipment should match your needs. Switching for the purpose of change is okay, but try to remember your old equipment is still useful.
I agree. When I’m in a camera shop looking at, say, the newly launched Nikon Zf, there are two questions (both perfectly legitimate) that run through my mind: “Do I want it?” and “Do I need it?” Personally, I try to hold off making a purchase until I can answer both questions in the affirmative. Although, let’s be honest, when we want something, we can convince ourselves that we absolutely need it.
I can see advantages to mirrorless and with more time those advantages will only grow because Nikon/Canon aren’t doing anymore R&D on DSLR’s. Eventually because camera companies will discontinue repairing or making parts most photographers will make the switch. Photography is a hobby for me and as others have said and found that over the years I have bought high quality f mount lenses. Yes I could use them with a FTZ converter but there goes the size weight advantage plus not native glass so the enticement would be to purchase new lenses when you make the switch or closely afterward. Being that mirrorless is smaller plus more simpler in design it is surprising that they are so costly and so are the lenses. That may change with time however when have prices over gone down on most products (Z9 was a one off but I think Nikon needed a home run so priced accordingly). Unfortunately for a lot of us doing this as a hobby where money really counts, we will continue with our current cameras and lenses for as long as possible. This is my reality anyway.
Les, if you’ve invested in quality F-mount lenses and none of the mirrorless features are essential to you, then use what you’ve got until the last breath of your shutter. And even then, buy another second-hand DSLR for a few bucks. This is one of the other great advantages of mirrorless cameras. Second-hand shops are now full of great cameras and lenses.
These are fair points, there are certainly things the mirrorless cameras do better, even if some of that is just because Nikon decided to keep features exclusive to their new cameras. Not entirely a commendable business practice, but it’s just the way the market works, and people accept it so they keep doing it.
None of the things listed as pros have much bearing on my photography needs, so I have no reason to spend thousands on new gear. I don’t doubt some of the new Z-lenses are technically better than what I have, but when 90%+ of my work is seen in relatively small images on websites, it’s just not something anyone is going to notice. It’s also not like the F-mount lenses from the 2010s were bad.
I imagine someone taking photographs of private or corporate events (not concerts!) would find the silence whilst photographing through the viewfinder to be worthwhile. That’s definitely something that I appreciate when taking my mirrorless compact out. People get very self-conscious when they hear that incessant click-click-click that’s often unfortunately necessary to get a good image without any awkward and unflattering facial expressions.
I had a d750 which I really liked. But the advantages of mirrorless seemed so many – the viewfinder ignores that there is a ND6 filter on, it’s not so dark that you can’t focus properly – so I switched to a z7ii. Then I found that its autofocus wasn’t that great. I now have a z8 and simply adore it. Fast and spot on. But of course I got an early one, so now it’s sent for repair of the lens mount and maybe the strap thing.
I’ve had Nikons since the mid 80’s and this is the first time I’ve had any problems. I have five z lenses and they are marvels of engineering.
Oh, I bought my wife a z5 as well.