There’s a real buzz around mirrorless
full-frame cameras nowadays, but what’s the
best option for Canon and Nikon shooters?
There’s a lot to be said for high-end
mirrorless cameras. Zero mirror
bounce helps to ensure sharper
handheld shots, and some of the latest
electronic viewfinders give excellent clarity,
with the added bonus of a live preview
showing the effects of exposure and white
balance settings.
However, until recently switching to
full-frame mirrorless meant switching to
a Sony body. That’s not a bad thing in
itself, unless you’re an experienced DSLR
photographer with a prized collection of
Canon or Nikon-mount lenses that you
don’t want to ditch along the way. But the
recent advent of four full-frame camerasfrom Canon and Nikon
has made the prospect of going
mirrorless much more alluring. There’s a
growing range of excellent new lenses from
both manufacturers, plus the availability of
mount adapters for using existing DSLR-
compatible lenses.
Panasonic’s new S1 and S1R mirrorless
full-frame bodies are really chunky and
weigh more than high-end DSLRs like the
Canon 5D Mk IV and Nikon D850. At the
other end of the scale, Sony’s A7 series of
mirrorless bodies can feel a little small and
cramped for natural handling, especially
when mounted with a top-class lens. Canon
and Nikon have mostly struck a goodbalance in their new mirrorless models.
They’re more compact and lightweight
than comparative DSLRs, but large enough
to handle like ‘proper’ cameras.
Even so, there are drawbacks in the
design of all four Canon and Nikon
mirrorless cameras. None of them have
dual memory card slots, so unlike in
competing Panasonic and Sony models,
you can’t create instant backups while you
shoot. And typical of mirrorless cameras,
poor battery life can be an issue. Let’s take
a closer look at exactly what Canon and
Nikon have to offer. All images © Olly CurtisGROUP TEST
There’s a real buzz around mirrorless
full-frame cameras nowadays, but what’s the
best option for Canon and Nikon shooters?
There’s a lot to be said for high-end
mirrorless cameras. Zero mirror
bounce helps to ensure sharper
handheld shots, and some of the latest
electronic viewfinders give excellent clarity,
with the added bonus of a live preview
showing the effects of exposure and white
balance settings.
However, until recently switching to
full-frame mirrorless meant switching to
a Sony body. That’s not a bad thing in
itself, unless you’re an experienced DSLR
photographer with a prized collection of
Canon or Nikon-mount lenses that you
don’t want to ditch along the way. But the
recent advent of four full-frame cameras
from Canon and Nikon
has made the prospect of going
mirrorless much more alluring. There’s a
growing range of excellent new lenses from
both manufacturers, plus the availability of
mount adapters for using existing DSLR-
compatible lenses.
Panasonic’s new S1 and S1R mirrorless
full-frame bodies are really chunky and
weigh more than high-end DSLRs like the
Canon 5D Mk IV and Nikon D850. At the
other end of the scale, Sony’s A7 series of
mirrorless bodies can feel a little small and
cramped for natural handling, especially
when mounted with a top-class lens. Canon
and Nikon have mostly struck a goodbalance in their new mirrorlessmodels.
They’re more compact and lightweight
than comparative DSLRs, butlargeenough
to handle like ‘proper’ cameras.
Even so, there are drawbacksinthe
design of all four Canon and Nikon
mirrorless cameras. None ofthemhave
dual memory card slots, so unlikein
competing Panasonic and Sonymodels,
you can’t create instant backupswhileyou
shoot. And typical of mirrorlesscameras,
poor battery life can be an issue.Let’stake
a closer look at exactly whatCanonand
Nikon have to offer. All images © Olly CurtisGROUP TEST