Opinions please. Thinking of selling dslr & switching to compact camera.

4

480sparky

Senior Member
Life is chock-full of missed shots. No amount of gear, or gear changes, is going to alter that fact.

BTW, your signature is 2½ years out of date.
 
Z

Zeke_M

Senior Member
LenspirationalPhotography said:
As you guys know, I'm a professional photographer. I currently have a Nikon D7100 & various lenses. seriously considering selling all my dslr stuff & switching to a Sony alpha or a nikon PP900. Reason for this is several but one of the main ones is I have a really big issue with changing lenses fast enough for the shot. Say for instance, I see a hawk in a tree, i have my camera with a 50mm lens on it for landscape shots. I don't have my macro lens because it's at home. Even if I bring this lens, I usually can't switch the lens fast enough to get the shot I want. Second reason is its very heavy &- carrying it &- my lenses everywhere is just cumbersome for me. I've been thinking about this for a month or so. I seem to enjoy getting pics more with my phone than my dslr because of the convenience of it. The cameras I'm considering are the 2 I mentioned & possibly some others as well. It's not as easy decision & it kind of breaks my heart, but I need to make it. They need to have manualmode for certain. Thanks so much! Also please know, I'm NOT making this decision lightly under any circumstances. Photography is my world & a dslr is just not what is good for me anymore,
Click to expand...

Let's take a left turn.
Until a couple weeks ago I was using three lenses for 99% of my pictures.
The 35mm f1.8DX
50mm AF-D Nifty Fifty.
85mm f1.8 AF-S FX. This lens got most of the action. It still gets a lot of action.

With those three lenses I can do almost anything reasonable with a minimum of weight.

Add a SB-400 to take the place of the onboard flash and you should be GTG for most of your shooting.
As an option the 105mm f2.8 AF-D Micro lens gets you a good macro lens and can double as a walk-around lens. The 105 is everywhere used at a good price.

Don't sell your DSLR gear. You'll regret it.
 
T

Texas

Senior Member
I want to unload all my dslr gear as well. Or so I think. Seems like every time I sell a body or lens I buy two more.

One of these days I'll regain control.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
LenspirationalPhotography said:
... I go out to shoot, say some mushrooms & I see a hawk land in a tree nearby. Well, I don't have the correct lens for the hawk & I miss the shot.
Click to expand...
So what? Did you come to shoot birds or did you come to shoot mushrooms?

To put it simply, I don't think the issue is your gear; I think the issue is your approach to shooting.
....
 
Last edited:
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
You wrote in the original post that you are a professional.

Well, a professional uses the best tools he can afford to do his job. I don't think you could go around selling prints made with a bridge camera. Well, maybe you could, but I don't think you'd be earning a lot with it.

Now if you want to buy a smaller camera as a walk around camera for your pleasure (chasing mushrooms and eagles), than get the camera you'll carry with you for those times. But if you are talking about being a professional photographer, I'd certainly keep the Dslr, and all the lenses you can afford to keep. And don't forget that if this is your business, the lenses are not an expense, they are investments.

Good luck with your choice.
 
L

LenspirationalPhotography

Senior Member
Horoscope Fish said:
So what? Did you come to shoot birds or did you come to shoot mushrooms?

To put it simply, I don't think the issue is your gear; I think the issue is your approach to shooting.
....
Click to expand...

I definitely see your point. I just want something smaller, lighter weighted, less cumbersome to carry on vacations in a big backpack full of lenses. I have several chronic illnesses as I've mentioned &- these do unfortunately limit me.
 
L

LenspirationalPhotography

Senior Member
Marcel said:
You wrote in the original post that you are a professional.

Well, a professional uses the best tools he can afford to do his job. I don't think you could go around selling prints made with a bridge camera. Well, maybe you could, but I don't think you'd be earning a lot with it.

Now if you want to buy a smaller camera as a walk around camera for your pleasure (chasing mushrooms and eagles), than get the camera you'll carry with you for those times. But if you are talking about being a professional photographer, I'd certainly keep the Dslr, and all the lenses you can afford to keep. And don't forget that if this is your business, the lenses are not an expense, they are investments.

Good luck with your choice.
Click to expand...

Photography is more of my passion than my business. I am just hoping to make $ on the side as a photographer. I've sold images before but I don't mean for it to be my entire income.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
LenspirationalPhotography said:
I definitely see your point. I just want something smaller, lighter weighted, less cumbersome to carry on vacations in a big backpack full of lenses. I have several chronic illnesses as I've mentioned &- these do unfortunately limit me.
Click to expand...
LenspirationalPhotography said:
Photography is more of my passion than my business. I am just hoping to make $ on the side as a photographer. I've sold images before but I don't mean for it to be my entire income.
Click to expand...
*facepalm*

I'm done here. Good luck with whatever you decide.
....
 
4

480sparky

Senior Member
Then don't switch. Expand.

Use your DSLR for when you are concentrating on your chosen subject (the eagle in the tree or the mushroom on the ground). Yet carry a compact for those 'just in case' times.

Use the compact for your family reunions, vacations etc. when image quality is not paramount.
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
LenspirationalPhotography said:
Photography is more of my passion than my business. I am just hoping to make $ on the side as a photographer. I've sold images before but I don't mean for it to be my entire income.
Click to expand...
Take a look at what Fuji has to offer. The jpegs that come out of these cameras are simply amazing.
They have different bodies to choose from, their lenses are crazy sharp as well as not too heavy.
Just look at what is available, shop around, bring sd cards and do a few shots in stores with different models and you'll eventually be able to select the one that will suit you.

If you can afford it, keep the dslr until you are certain you will be happy with the mirrorless.

Good luck.
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
Deezey said:
You may have missed what I said. I 4/3 camera with a super zoom is what I am talking about. This is a walkabout option.

To be honest, mirrorless camera systems are just as bulky as dslr systems. You still need all the gear and stuff just like a dslr.

But I am talking as in a walkabout system it will be smaller and less of a burden. One lens one body situations


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


The Coolpix P900 is a 1/2.3-in. type CMOS so a lot smaller than a 4/3

Sensor-sizes_PhotoSeek.jpg
 
L

LenspirationalPhotography

Senior Member
Thank you guys for the help &- lightening up this thread. I will check out Fiji, which one do you have? Okay, thanks Michael. I've been wanting a reply from someone that switched & didn't have any regrets. Thanks!
 
Top