- Jul 28, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 3, 2024
Refer to our previous blog post here posted in 28th September 2018, camera brands especially full frame manufacturers are focusing on its research and developments in mirrorless camera system department. The most fascinating equipments produced at that period were the Sony A7 series.
Early Days In Photography
Over the years, I have been using the Canon 5D Mark II for professional shoots and traveling. It had been a very reliable workhorse which had the ability to use in tough and critical conditions along the trip with large battery capacity, weather sealed, user-friendly settings, etc. This was the brand I started photography back in the early years.
Met The Master
Back in the years when I was living abroad (2014~2020), I got to know an old photography master, Mr.Hsu in Penghu archipelago, Taiwan who was still persistently using his self-customised 6x9 120 film camera. His masterpieces of local sceneries were well known, and sold to the local municipal office, government offices and the Pescadores Hotel.
Master Hsu started digital photography in the same year I knew him from the Penghu fireworks festival which lasted for 2.5 months every year. The events held on every evening during the whole perios, I assumed it was very pricey for the local government it seems, but I managed to brush up my fireworks skill along the years. His first digital camera was the first edition/classic Sony A7R, came with the Sony FE 16-35 F4 Zeiss model. I spent most of my weekends with him by exchanging knowledges in traditional and modern photography.
In transition from film camera to mirrorless camera, he always had a vision that this will be the future of photography world. Of course, there were also a possibility that he watched too much brain washing videos on social media which at the time that many were pushing hard on this brand for getting better sales? He was always being ignored when come to this topic as I am still eager to use my Canon after all. (due to insufficient of fund to upgrade anyway.)
Transition to Mirrorless Era
Few years later, when I was surfing on the pre-loved camera site, the similar A7R came across me. It was a good bargain, I bought the body at a very reasonable price and later purchased the same Zeiss lens as the master had. I was amazed with the super high megapixels packed in a small and sleek body. But, I regretted once being compared with old pal Canon 5D Mk II, it's totally incomparable, poor and expensive battery capacity, sluggish menu, etc. I kept it in the dryer box and never used it all, really disappointed after spending much on that gear.
Nevertheless, long stories short, I had managed to experienced some of the best mirrorless cameras on the market over the time, including the Sony A6000, the Leica twins brother - Panasonic Lumix LX100, the Canon M6. All sold with good secondhand value in the republic.
The Pandemic
Do you still able to recall how was your life before the pandemic? I was really very lucky indeed that had returned to my hometown at least four months before the first coronavirus hit our country, and the global lockdown begun. It was a hard life for everyone of us during the time which lasted till today, nearly three years and it still on-going. Same goes to my equipments, all come to a pause.
During the pandemic, the 'C' brand launched few high-tech and sophisticated mirrorless cameras and lenses. It had amazed me/us once again, I did went to some of their hands-on events for the R6, R5, R3, it was fascinating and got 'poisoned' by their products. Without mentioning, you'll able to guess for its high price due to technologies advancement and currency inflations in our country.
DSLR To Mirrorless
It's never easy to purchase something if you cannot afford it, that's why I had considered pre-loved gears. My old pal had been servicing me since 2010 and finally got himself successor, a Canon 5D Mark IV. This camera does look impressive on paper but it's not that practical during my workflow. Unfortunately, it just lasted for a year, and traded for a newer Sony A7 III. That means, the 5DII lost a brother but A7R finally got a successor to its throne.
Till date, this is the best mirrorless system I ever used, all the Canon lenses are usable with the face tracking function. Not impressive but usable, looking forward to purchase more native lenses for it.
Disclaimer: The above stories you're reading are just my experiences and personal opinions.
No biases review or discussion, no hate speech, no negative influences.
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