Mirrorless Cameras Pt. 2

Description

In Mirrorless Cameras PT1 we went along to see the lovely folk at London Camera Exchange who showed me what the system (also known as CSC) is all about and explain the technology. Here in PT 2 Pete and I take them out on the street to see how they handle taking a few pics.

This is not a review - it's just seeing how the cameras feel and operate at the sharp end of photography.

I took along the Fuji X-T1 and Pete used the Sony A7. Both are small and fit nicely in the hand. For me, getting used to an electronic viewfinder was a bit of an issue because I love the clarity of a DSLR. However I loved having the control I use most, exposure compensation, readily to hand as a dial on top of the Fuji's body. This makes it quick and easy to adjust exposure in an auto mode.

Now the purist may say why are you not using full manual? Well, if the camera can do most of the work for me I'd rather let it get on with it. Even in a semi auto mode the photographer is still in control. It's just a case of finding which shooting mode works best for the individual.

None of the images in this video have had any post production work. Pete and I shot Jpegs only and let the cameras handle image processing for us. We used aperture priority exposure mode, auto ISO and that's all.

When you look at the images at the end of this vid there is a bit of a difference between those taken on the Fuji and Sony. But that's not a judgement on either camera. Pete is an expert on modern cameras and the technology available to us today. It's what he does each and every day.

I'm not. I know very little about cameras per se. I'm an expert in using them to capture light and composition etc when taking pics. That's what I do each and every day.

You should always choose a camera according to your needs and it's ability to fulfil them. And if you find it easy to use. last thing you want is to be fiddling about missing shots because you can't get at the controls you need. Both the Fuji XT-1 and the Sony A7 have advantages and disadvantages and no two people will want the same thing.

The camera you use will have very little impact on the shots you take because they don't make creative choices for you. That's why I'm big on training the person to be a photographer - not a camera expert. So before rushing out to spend a few £1000s invest about £100 in my Beginner’s Course and The 7 Building Blocks of Photography. When you can capture great images with any camera that’s the time to upgrade to a great camera.