Yeah, I’m still alive… just not really active.
Long story short, my priorities changed. I guess I’m getting old, but I feel far less connected with people at conventions nowadays. Also mentally I just wasn’t really feeling the cosplay scene anymore and decided if I ever shoot at cons anymore, I’ll just revert to my 2011-2012 style of hallway shots + free private shoots if I was really interested. COVID didn’t help either since it essentially removed everyone from the convention scene for a good year and a half to 2 years.
I guess I’ve become a cosplay snob too but truthfully, I’m usually only motivated by what I see at Anime North as far as quality, aside from a select few impressive displays I see locally. Since I’ve largely been away from cons for going on 3 years now, maybe I’ll feel differently after some time away from the scene, but that remains to be seen. There’s a possibility I show up to Youmacon 2023 but I don’t see myself going to anything before that.
In 2015 I was talking about I wanted to shoot less but make more… now I’m not shooting and making $0 from it essentially, aside from maybe a one off senior portrait session / couples photo shoot / and a possible maternity shoot this year. My stated goal income for photography back then was about $5000/year… well it’s around 4% of that usually a year now. I’ve chosen the old school route of overtime at work instead haha.
I’m still taking photos… but the doll hobby is primarily where my photo energy goes now. I plan to revive blog.rensuchan.com, and doll photos will definitely be posted. I think writing and getting some personal feelings out in the open is a good thing and I should probably do more of it, even if ultimately nobody is reading it.
My 2016 gear recommendation – updated to 2023.
Back in 2016, I made a gear recommendation based on what I saw in the market at the time. Admittedly, I don’t pay as much attention to the tech as I used to, but things have changed a lot since then, in many ways that I didn’t foresee.
I still have Nikon gear. I also have a few Panasonic compacts. I haven’t bought a new body since 2021 and probably won’t for a while. Camera tech has gotten to a point where a non-pro like me doesn’t really need anything better than what I already own body wise. Lenses on the other hand, I still ultimately want to acquire and I have adopted a “buy it once” mindset for those, so I’m eyeing Nikon’s top end primes.
How the major players have changed
The short version…
- DSLRs are dead. Mirrorless is king.
- Sony has grown. They now hold more market share than Nikon.
- Nikon put out the best DSLR ever made, but crapped the bed moving to mirrorless. This hurt them.
- Canon is still Canon.
Back then, Sony was the newcomer… but they are now established and put out very popular cameras. They were also the first major mirrorless manufacturer, which gave them a bit of an edge since the market has 100% shifted that way. Buying a DSLR at this point is basically a money saving decision, as every brand has something that basically beats out their last generation flagship now. If you’re new to the game, just don’t buy a DSLR if you’re looking to build up. If you are thinking of just buying one camera and a kit lens though, you can probably save a lot of money getting an older DSLR kit.
Nikon unfortunately made the mistake of putting out their first gen mirrorless with “bad autofocus.” I can say from experience using a Z 6 and Z 7II that neither of these are “bad,” but given that the competition was better, it put them in a hole from the start of this market shift which has contributed to allowing Sony to overtake them. It’s also important to note that “bad autofocus” only refers continuous focus on subjects for ease of capturing clear images when movement is involved. This basically applies to sports, and other things that can be tracked such as human/animal movement.
Canon still owns the most market share and that’s not likely to change. They have the best brand recognition when it comes to cameras and I think that’s been true since the 90’s. Sony has recognition because they are involved in everything. Nikon…. well, they’re Nikon. They seem to not mind the loss in market share though and have shifted their product strategy in response.
Image Quality
Largely, this is a non-issue today. In the DSLR world, Canon was simply lacking behind for a while and never really bothered to change it. Largely there’s been a convergence in image quality now though so there’s really no reason to dwell on it. The next major breakthrough in image sensor tech really just has not come yet so the gains to be made are pretty limited as long as things remain as they are. In short, if you’re getting a camera with a BSI (backside illuminated) CMOS sensor you’re in good shape, and you’re likely looking at stacked sensors at the high end. Generally lower end is using regular CMOS still. All of them are good enough.
Why choose Canon in 2023?
Before I dogged on Canon a lot, but today there’s no real reason to not choose them. They are making solid cameras with solid features and not lagging behind in image quality anymore. Just don’t make the mistake of buying a M series mirrorless, as that platform is probably on the “to be axed” list. Make sure you are buying a R series mirrorless if you buy Canon. I would avoid their first R cameras, the R and the RP, as those weren’t the greatest. Everything since has been solid.
Canon has offerings at every level except complete entry for their mirrorless lineup, so expect to spend at least $900 for a kitted R10 if you go that route.
Why choose Nikon in 2023?
I’ll be honest… if you shoot any kind of fast action professionally and you’re not willing to spend $5500 for a Z 9, don’t.
If you rarely, or don’t at all shoot fast action, you’re fine. I’ve taken completely usable photos of high school aged soccer athletes with a Z 7II in very mediocre indoor lighting and a f/4 zoom, so it’s not unusable for sports, but if you are making money with it then go all or nothing.
That being said, Nikon is actually the current value king in full frame mirrorless. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a Z 6II for anyone that wants a reliable, full frame mirrorless camera that can handle just about anything aside from fast action and not miss a beat. Unfortunately, it’s not a lie that paying $500 more for the Canon or Sony of the same general tier will get you a more capable camera, hence my statements earlier about Nikon kind of screwing themselves at the start of the mirrorless wars. The Z 9 is a badass camera but most of us aren’t here looking at the flagship.
The other unfortunate truth about Nikon is that they don’t have a crop sensor mirrorless with in body stabilization yet. This is sorely missed in my Z fc.
Nikon has potential lower entry costs at $700 for the Z 30 with kit lens. Canon’s R10 has a different target market though so the Z 50 is the comparable option at the same price, $900 kitted.
Why choose Sony in 2023?
Back in 2016 I basically said don’t choose Sony if you’re a pro since their bodies all lacked a backup card port, but that has changed now. Anyone is fine to choose Sony as they are solid cameras, and I generally still consider them the tech leader as they’re generally the first to come out with new features and tech. That being said, they’re still the worst in build quality so don’t bang them around.
One thing I said in 2016 that ended up being completely and utterly incorrect… is that Canon and Nikon would always have a lead in native lens mount options. This was with a silly mindset that the DSLR vs Mirrorless war would be waged for a long time and each company would continue on their respective platforms into the future. Eventually though, it became clear to even Canikon that mirrorless cameras were the way of the future and the inevitable switch happened, resulting in new lens mounts for both companies that completely destroyed that advantage. Naturally, Sony now dwarfs them in native options. Both Canon and Nikon have adapters for their old lens system, but using Nikon as an example, their Z mount native glass is in a different league entirely than old F mount glass since the new glass is engineered specifically to take advantage of the new mount’s capabilities.
That being said, Sony’s mount, being created earlier, isn’t as robust as the new mounts from Canon or Nikon, so the potential for ridiculously good glass is better on both of the newer mirrorless systems. I think this puts them at a slight disadvantage moving forward when it comes to the potential quality of new lenses.
Entry price for a current model falls right in the middle for Sony, with the Alpha ZV-E10 running $800 kitted. The Nikon Z 30 is designed for the same market though and saves you $100.
What about video?
I’m honestly not in a great position to give a deep comparison as it’s just not a feature I pay that much attention to. That being said, Nikon gets a lot of praise for minimizing focus breathing in their lens construction, which results in less change of field of view when focusing for video. I think all of them are viable options now as Nikon has been putting in effort to catch up and offer features that previously they lacked.
In conclusion…?
If I was starting today, I’d probably buy Canon being perfectly honest. I stuck with Nikon because I know their interface and there wasn’t really a convincing reason to switch away. The Z 7II has been perfectly capable for my doll photography, portraits, and non-professional action. That being said, the Canons and Sonys at around the same price perform better at that latter action aspect. I think in media, the difference is blown a bit out of proportion since most of the reviewers are educated in how to operate cameras, and I imagine that most lower end users aren’t going to be all that disappointed. Focus accuracy for non-moving subjects is fantastic for all mirrorless.
And there you have it… a post after 6 years of a completely dead blog. Probably nobody will read it, but it was fun regardless.
~rensuchan