Rienzphotoz said:
Like others have mentioned, every system has its strengths and limitations ... the trickiest part is to know how to get around the weaknesses and use the strengths to their full potential ...
Figuring out how to get around those weaknesses is the part that starts to get the most troublesome after a while. This is especially true when you have multiple systems to choose from which offer very different shooting experiences.
Taken by themselves, I could imagine that my Fuji or Sony rig would be just fine. But when used in conjunction with my Canon rig and my sometimes borrowed Nikon rig, I realize how much having to "get around" weaknesses truly bothers me.
This was a key point to bring to light regarding work arounds. While I do not mind thinking about and planning for getting around obstacles with shooting a certain rig, using the Canon rig after all is said and done reminds me of how it feels to shoot (for all intents and purposes) in a hassle free fashion. I am not preplanning for how I am going to get something done and how to deal with the compromises of the rig I'm holding. I am simply just......shooting.
It all goes back to what it is I can accomplish with any given system. When you latch onto specific strengths and ignore weaknesses is when you get into the trap of seeing the greener grass on the other side. GAS, unfortunately grabs ahold of you during this period. I have now gone through the a7r, xe-2, xt-1, and a slew of adapters, work-arounds, etc.
If I have a rig out with me, I don't want to have to think to myself "oh sh*t, wish I had the other rig." And that is where the Canon (for me) comes in. It is the only kit I have currently that allows me to feel confident in that I can shoot absolutely any scenario that I come across. I may not have the most dynamic range/resolution, it may not be the smallest/lightest, but I never have to worry about solving the problem of how to get a shot because my rig makes it difficult to do so.
The other issue I have with this is that often times, I will go ahead and work around the issues of the rig I'm using. But then upon review of the images, I realize that the end product isn't really much, if any improvement at all over my Canon kit which then makes me feel as though it was all done in vain.
There will always be the guys that only shoot this, or that, and don't concern themselves with other things. For me, I chase my kids around, landscape/travel, events on occasion, portraiture, macro - food and product, and possibly some other things I have forgotten at the moment. The Sony and the Fuji can get a lot of that done. But neither one handles all of it very easily. The rig that has consistently allowed me to get the most usable/keeper shots in general? Still the Canon.