The Mirrorless Dilemma

I'm recently very into video and I spent a lot of time around Taipei shooting various videos and clips this month. That's one of the reasons why I neglected this blog, I was out shooting. But now the weather in Taipei is a bit cold and gloomy and I have more time to blog again. For a while now I'm interested in getting a mirrorless camera for video and stills. I love my D810 and would not want to let go of it unless it breaks down, but it would be nice to have a less bulky video camera that does 4K. We have a mall in Taipei where you can get a hands-on experience with various latest cameras, and I went to check out the Canon EOS RP, the Nikon Z6 and the Nikon Z50, three cameras that I find very interesting candidates for my needs.

Canon EOS RP

The Canon EOS RP is for my hands the most comfortable camera to hold. The grip has the best ergonomics of any Mirrorless full frame camera I ever held in my hand, and I tried a lot of them (all Sonys, all Nikons, and the EOS R). Canon did I great job here. Let's look at some images:


The grip is perfect for my fairly large hands.


The back screen was quite OK. Not as good as the one on the Z6, but acceptable.


I tried the thumb game, and it was a good thumb game.


I did not really like the back side button layout, tho.

All in all the Canon EOS RP was great to hold, but the unfamiliarity with the system, the back button layout, and the fact that I would need to spend a lot of money to buy new Canon lenses was eventually a turn-off. The price is amazing for what you get, I think Canon did a great job for Canon shooters here, but the grip itself is not enough for me, a Nikon shooter, to switch.

Nikon Z6

I've been eyeing the Nikon Z6 for a long time now. When the Z7 was available for a hands on experience in October 2018 at the Taipei Photography Expo I went there and tried it out. I highly praised the camera at that time, but in terms of ergonomics, I did have issues with the weight (the 24-70 f/4 kit was over 2.2 lbs/1kg) and the front scroll wheel was hard for me to operate, because I have long fingers. But I guess there will be these kind of issues when you make such a small power house.


The grip is nice, but not as nice as the Canon EOS RP.


The thumb game is great because of familiarity.


I love the OLED screen, would not want to miss it.


Here you can see my index finger struggling to find comfort.


I also noticed the weak spots of this camera's build.


The rubber is peeling off and there's a side pocket.


The inside is all torn here as well.


I've heard about this issue from other photographers, unfortunately.

Of course these demo cameras are touched by hundreds of people every day for a year now (people with greasy and dirty hands), so there's no surprise that wear and tear will show up very fast, but it's interesting to see where it appears to be the worst (the grip area). This does bother me a little, but maybe less than initially. As for the ergonomics, I would definitely also buy the battery grip which would extend my time of shooting 4K video as well as add a more comfortable feel for my pinky.

Nikon Z50

The Nikon Z50 is Nikon's most recent mirrorless camera and I have to say I had mixed feelings about it when it was launched, but then when I went and tested it out a bit with a hands on experience, I was pleasantly surprised. The camera is super light, despite being built really well (it feels all metal). The kit lens was plasticky, but that was fine, because you save on weight and bulk. The AF was extremely fast, which was great. The downside was again the front scroll wheel which was even harder for me to operate and the shallow grip. But since the camera is so small and light, you don't really need to hold it firmly, so it's not a big issue.


The kit lens extends before it can be used at 24mm.


It's amazing how small this camera is.


Another look.


The backside is very simple, the LCD screen dominates.

In conclusion

I don't really need a second camera right now, but I do have plans to travel a lot next year and would love to take more video during my trips. I do take videos with my iPhone, but it's not the same, I want to up my quality. Right now my top preference is Nikon Z6 followed by the Nikon Z50, however I will wait more and see if prices go further down, and perhaps Nikon launches some follow-up model as well. I would love to see in which direction they will be going with the Z-system before I start buying into it. I also love pancake lenses, and Nikon still hasn't launched any such lens for the Z cameras. Until then I will continue to shoot with my trusty D810.