Why micro four-thirds | How I chose my camera
In two weeks, I’m photographing my first wedding! I’m excited and nervous and watching as many Craftsy classes on portrait and wedding photography as I can possibly squeeze in before that time.
When I was talking to the bride about final details last weekend, she asked if I would need any help carrying my gear around. It was very sweet of her to offer to find someone, but I picked my set up specifically for carrying up mountains - and as I’ve mentioned before, I’m a weight weenie. (I’m suddenly realizing that my need to pack as light as possible may have something to do with my recently diagnosed asthma. Wouldja look at that!)
When I decided I was ready to upgrade from my bridge camera that I got for my high school graduation, I spent hours agonizing over what camera to get. (I also spent hours agonizing over a new hiking pack to carry said camera - I like to be well-informed.) When I got that bridge camera, I desperately wanted a DSLR, but that wasn’t in the budget at the time. So when I started looking for a new camera, I went straight to looking at DLSRs, assuming those were the best on the market and still what I wanted.
However, in the last 10+ years, mirrorless cameras have come a long way, and were actually a viable option.
There were three main considerations that ultimately sold me on a mirrorless micro-four thirds camera:
Weight. Mirrorless cameras tend to weigh less for roughly the same quality of photo than DSLRs.
1 Size. As a subcategory of weight, mirrorless cameras also tend to be smaller and easier to transport.
Better for videography. I still have dreams of starting a YouTube channel about our travels and adventures, and having a camera that can do both vlogging and landscape photography is ideal.
Price. The price of a mirrorless camera is a little less than the equivalent DSLR.
However, it was a close race. There were a couple of factors that almost swayed me towards a DSLR, and I honestly might pick one up secondhand at some point.
Better battery life. DSLRs have much better battery life, and I have definitely run through more than one battery on one cold night of astrophotography.
Better for astrophotography. Not to say you can’t do astrophotography with a mirrorless camera (see my previous blog post - part 2 coming eventually), but for those super long exposures with star trails, DSLRs do tend to work better.
DSLRs tend to produce photos with higher resolution, but it really only matters when you get to giant prints - like shower curtains and billboards - so this wasn't really a factor for me.
Ultimately, I decided on a mirrorless camera, and for the most part, I am happy with it. I think every photographer struggles with the n+1 conundrum, where the number of cameras (and lenses) they want is the number they currently have + 1 at any given time. I’m really trying to control myself, as I don’t know how often I would realistically take multiple camera bodies with me.
However, I think if I had known what I now know about astrophotography, I may have made a different choice. I still love my camera and it’s great for the bulk of what I do, but when I’m ready to level up my astrophotography game, I might finally get that DSLR I’ve been wanting since I was 16.
I’ve also been following the OM system (formerly known as Olympus), and they are making some pretty cool strides in terms of in-camera upgrades, including live ND (neutral density) and starry AF mode (I think that’s autofocus, not “as f***,” but I keep reading it the wrong way).
When the budget allows for it, we’ll see what next camera I end up with. I love seeing the leaps in technology that are happening right now, and I also love shooting with my lightweight, flexible, does-all-that-I-need-it-to mirrorless micro four-thirds.
