RiceCanon said:
Is it just me or does anyone else find themselves delaying lens purchases until we know more about Canon's prosumer mirrorless plans and timeframes?
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Emphatically yes. Stopped buying lenses last year, when the 6D ii came out. I don't know if I will stay with Canon or not going forward. But my 6D still gets me by, so I can wait a bit longer to decide.
You didn't ask, but... My camera body wish list (and not implying this should be anyone else's list) is:
- Higher resolution than my 6D. 24MP or above, but prefer considerably lower than 50
- A body size similar to my 6D (but I could make do with slightly smaller, or slightly larger. I don't want 1DX size)
- At a minimum, tilt screen. Flip would be a bonus.
- At least 6 fps
- Fast focus with solid tracking. I've lived with crap focus for way too long.
- Wysiwyg focus in the viewfinder (for macro, tilt-shift, and other reasons). EVF is fine with me.
- Truly silent shutter option (even if it sacrifices some frame rate)
- IBIS would be nice for future, lighter lenses
- It should be fun to shoot with. Sensible layout of buttons, sensible menu system.
- Solid video support, but secondary concern. (I'd probably shoot more video if the 6D video support was better)
I'm sure I'll have to give up something no matter which way I go. And yes... a mirrorless 6Dii is probably just the kind of thing I'd go for.
I don't really want to switch to Sony (I hate the idea of transitioning to Sony's menu system, the bodies are still too small, Sony support was terrible for laptops so why would they be different with cameras, etc.). It may be a full year before we really see Canon's real direction. But I'll switch if Sony ends up closer to my overall needs than Canon's mirrorless direction. Maybe the A9 will become lower in price to be a sensible option by then. And I'd rent the A7Riii or A9 before switching, because too much of what is reported seems overhyped. (I own the a6000, so I've seen the disconnect between hype and reality.)
So, for now, I rent the lenses I need that I don't already own. I had an indoor event to shoot last weekend and rented the 24‑70mm f/2.8L II. I really enjoyed shooting with it. I should own it. I WOULD own it (and the 100mm f/2.8L macro, the 85mm f/1.4L IS, ... I personally even enjoyed the week I spent with the 50mm 1.2L). But I don't want to keep investing in Canon glass until I know that's where I'll be for a long time to come. If I go Sony, most of the reviews indicate a serous downside to using adapters. So I have to believe I'd want to trade out to native Sony lenses. That's a serous bummer. If the Canon option requires an adapter for EF glass, I'll wait to see what compromises that entails. I may be selling glass either way.
So... I wait a bit longer. Impatiently. Renting glass, not buying.