Why I switched to Olympus and Sony from Nikon.

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My journey in photography started with a Nikon camera a few years ago! I went to Mail Champlain in Brossard and was going for a Canon Rebel. I was young, I liked the name! But after trying it out, there was something about the ERGONOMICS (for me!) that didn't work. (PS: Ergonomics is massively important to me.... more than any review on DPReview..) The unsexilly named Nikon F60 on the other hand, fitted perfectly! and so from 1998 till 2016 I was exclusively a Nikon photographer.

Then, for all sorts of reasons, I started looking elsewhere. A lot of professionals started raving about the Fuji and so did I! I used to LOVE fujifilm when I was shooting film. So I went to The Photography Show (where you can find me this year on stand H4 with my friends from Zenfolio) and tried the Fuji cameras.
Now. My wife being the amazing person she is stood there for about 2 hours (7 months pregnant!) while I was holding this camera I really wanted... but didn't feel I could use professionally because the ergonomics didn't work FOR ME. Ergonomics is a very personal thing.. So I was gutted and went on my way.

The reason I found Fuji so interesting was because it was smaller and lighter than my DSLR because it's a mirrorless camera and believe me, small is good when you carry your gear for 30 hours on a weekend! Then I discovered with the cameras for me: the Olympus Em-1 and the Sony A9!

Switching for me was a big thing because:

I'm not one of those photographers with Gear Acquisition Syndrome
I'd been using Nikon since my teens and was rather attached to it!
We've been consistenly winning awards for our wedding albums and wanted to make sure we weren't compromising.

Guess what? I am SO HAPPY I switched!

I'm not going to bore you with lot's of technical stuff but here's the crux of why I like my Sony and Olympus cameras so much:

The EVF. It's AMAZING.
SILENT shutter. Not quiet. SILENT. It allows me to take more intimate shots (like the one of the bride and her friends praying before going into the church) and get in closer and capture more truly documentary wedding photography without people being aware.
The articulated screen. The fact that I can move really changed how I shoot, giving me different pespectives and again allows me to take images without disturding the subject or making them aware.
Tracking.Both cameras can track subjects like I've never experienced before! In fact I shot the National Track Cycling Championships with my EM-1. That's how good the tracking is! And I didn't have to lug a massive camera or lens to do it either..
ISO: I've taken shots at 10k ISO and printed them, no problem!
Weight. They're lighter, SPECIALLY the Olympus.
Fun! I just really enjoy using them much more for whatever reason which means I actually take the Olympus with us on holiday (I never used to take my DSLRs on holiday..) and get to enjoy photography in a way I hadn't done in a long time!

So here are a few random images we took with the A9 last year! Hope you like! Make sure you comment or feel free to ask ANY questions you might have about switching from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras!

Comments

Argha Dutta(non-registered)

This was a pretty interesting read and now I'm considering getting an Olympus based on the quality of shot you've produced. Curses...... I was hoping to be disappointed rather than pleasantly enlightened.

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Why I switched to Olympus and Sony from Nikon.

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