Thread: Do you still have a DSLR?

I crossed the Rubicon in the end of 2011. This year has been totally DSLR-free, but not totally mirrorless, though.
I traded my DSLR system to a Sony SLT camera and since then, no moving mirrors in this household. Apart from the semi-retired film SLR, which I will keep, whether or not I ever use it again. The lenses are still mostly usable.
Since the switch I've used a couple of mirrorless systems like the Olympus µ4/3 system and the Sony, and now I've settled for the Sony SLT system as the main DSLR replacement and a Ricoh GXR as the smaller compact system. Or as the 'serious compact.'

So technically I no longer use a DSLR, but the Sony SLT system is pretty close to one. It does have a mirror, albeit not a flipping one. I can use most, if not all of my pre-existing SLR gear with it. I still have the DSLR-like AF and the only thing missing is the optical viewfinder. I'm quite content with the system so far, even though I did have serious doubts about the system at first. Now I think I will no longer buy any new DSLR cameras. From now on I'll buy either the SLT or the mirrorless system cameras, or both.

Although I still might go for a certain used (full frame) DSLR body, like a Sony A-900, for example, but only if I saw a super deal on one. However, chances are I won't bother any longer. I'm looking forward to (and trying to save my impulse buy dough for) the forthcoming A99, which is expected to be a 35mm full frame SLT body.

I have no particular grudge against the DSLR. The SLR system is still quite usable and there's nothing wrong in using one. If you're a Canikon user, your choices are rather limited, anyway.
I started my shooting career with film cameras. I've already spent many many years with SLR systems and I loved it. But now in the digital era, I thought I might as well try something new for a change, and sort of start over again with the new, native digital systems. I thought that it would sort of make sense to do so in the long run, too.

I've also noticed that I tend to choose the small compact system camera much more often than before. Especially when traveling, and I often try to pack as lightly as possible. I also tend to use one in the situations when I need a more 'stealthy' look, or when I just feel lazy, and don't want to carry around the larger gear.

I've never really felt too exited about typical p&s cameras. I used to hate the digital ones only with an lcd screen with a passion. The better compact system cameras, however, do have a certain charm of their own. I'm slowly getting comfortable with them. I consider my GXR as my digital rangefinder camera, even though it may or may not be a technically accurate expression. I think it has the same kind of feel charm to it as the traditional rangefinder cameras like Minolta CLE. The other mirrorless systems like Sony NEX, Samsung NX and mFT are quite interesting and increasingly useful, too, and no doubt will become even more popular than today. At one point I was entertaining the thought of replacing the DSLR with the existing mirrorless systems even in professional use, or starting a new professional career based on mirrorless gear only. It'll be interesting to learn if someone has done it, or if/when someone does it.

I only use DSLR's for work now, and hardly for personal shooting. Yesterday we did a real estate job with two Canon 5D Mark II's, a 16-35L and a Sigma 8mm fisheye for the panoramic virtual tour work. I wouldn't shoot these jobs with a compact, even a serious one. :D For these jobs I rely on high resolution, high dynamic range, remote triggers, ease of bracketing etc. But at the end of the day my 5D Mark II went back into the bag and the GXR was sitting in my lap for the drive home. Now that I think of it, it would be interesting to see how the GXR-M files handle multiple exposure stacking in LR/Enfuse.

On one interstate trip I took the GXR and 28 and 50 modules instead of the M9 or 5D Mark II, and it was great. There is really something to be said for the aps-c modules' image quality, and being able to palm the GXR and make it disappear was great. Compacts are now at the level of many DSLR's of yesterday, something for which I'm very grateful!

This is why I keep my DSLR

hand held at 1/320 sec at f4