Originally posted by Rondec My understanding is that lens design is easier for cameras with short registration distances primarily for wide angle lenses, particularly those close in focal length to the registration distance. When it comes to zoom lenses, the same tech is available to SLR lens design as to MILCs. For whatever reason, camera brands for the most part have stuck with traditional lens designs which for 70-200 f2.8 lenses meant internal zooming. Of course this makes the lens bigger, but also reduces the chance of having dust get into the lens during the zooming action. Anyway, suffice to say that it isn't fact that Canon designed this for an MILC that made the lens smaller.
The most challenging lens for Canon DSLRs was the 11-24mm f4L lens. Canon representatives said it in an interview. We have to wait and see if they will say the same when the RF version will become available. But the general impression which Canon representatives let us believe does seem to make your affirmation regarding the lens design for wide angle lenses correct.
Originally posted by Rondec There aren't a lot of direct comparisons on the Canon side of things, but the Z mount has a few more. What I can say for sure is that the new mirrorless lenses aren't cheap at all.
Let's compare the 5D Mark IV, EOS R, K1 Mark II, A7R IV, D850 with the f2.8 trinity of lenses and see the difference in weight and prices. It seems that Canon prices are similar, maybe around 600$ more if you replace EOS R with a 900$ more expensive camera.
Canon 5D Mark IV weights 870g with battery and card. Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L weights 790g. Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8L weights 805g. Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L weights 1480g. Total weight =
3,95kg Total price =
9899$
Canon EOS R weights 660g with battery and card. Canon RF 15-35mm f2.8L weights 840g. Canon RF 24-70mm f2.8L weights 900g. Canon RF 70-200mm f2.8L weights 1070g. Total weight =
3,47kg Total price =
9600$
Pentax K1 Mark II weights 985g with battery and card. Pentax 15-30mm f2.8 weights 1040g. Pentax 24-70mm f2.8 weights 787g. Pentax 70-200mm f2.8 weights 1755g. Total weight =
4,57kg Total price =
6541$
Sony A7R IV weights 740g with battery and card. Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM weights 680g. Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM weights 886g. Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM weights 1480g. Total weight =
3,79kg Total price =
10496$
Nikon D850 weights 975g with battery and card. Nikon 14-24mm f2.8 weights 1000g. Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 weights 1070g. Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 weights 1430g. Total weight =
4,48g Total price =
10594$
Note: the above prices are the release prices, not the current prices.
Nikon Z doesn't have the f2.8 trinity released yet, so we can't add it to this comparation.
Originally posted by Rondec As far as the battery life issue, you are clearly someone shoots more than he frames (I don't mean this as a negative). Someone like myself who takes fewer images, but will frame up a scene only to decide I am at the wrong spot and never even take a photo, will have very different number of frames capture to battery life.
At a marathon I was attending 2 weeks ago, I was panning most of the time because it became boring after the first 200 shots to freeze the athletes.
I was framing a lot and I took the shots only when I liked the look of the athletes.
Being more than 200 athletes in race, I was able to choose which one to photograph. When I shoot birds, I tend to keep the af on the bird and take the shot when the bird is preparing to take off. These are the times when I keep my camera at eye level and frame more than I shoot. I don't shoot landscapes or street and I don't know in these 2 cases how would I use my camera. In vacations I'm more after candid portraits or birds and sometimes I'm after building details.
Originally posted by Rondec The dynamic range is a big issue for landscape photographers because I don't really care about jpeg previews because I don't use them. Most sensors out there can certainly capture 12 to 13 EVs of dynamic range at base iso and the tiny EVFs fall way short of giving you a real preview of what the sensor is capturing. Yes, you can figure it out over time and work around it, but it certainly isn't ideal.
I don't know if I understood this correctly, but I had a few BIF occasions where the dynamic range of the scene was easier to shoot by looking through EVF. Again, I don't know if we talk about the same thing here...
Originally posted by Rondec Regardless, as you said in another post, both types of camera design are going to be around for quite awhile and certainly SLRs aren't going away any time soon. They may be more expensive for camera brands to manufacture, but they have certain advantages that photographers appreciate too.
I do hope DSLRs will stay for long time and the rummors about a Canon 5D Mark V makes me believe that we will see at least another generation of DSLRs from Canon and Nikon. And again, I'm hoping that Pentax will do some magic in terms of DSLRs and push Canon and Nikon to release DSLRs more years to come. I'm sure that combining IBIS and pixel shift from K1 with focus stalking from D850 with dual pixel af from Canon can make future DSLRs appealing to a lot of photographers. And who knows what other goodies can be added to DSLRs?!