Fuji Will cameras like Fuji X overtake DSLR's in the end?

[JamesTheLast]

It's hard not to notice the rapidly rising popularity of the fuji X-styled camera's. To be honest I wasn't that impressed by them in the first place, but after reading a bunch of reviews and seeing the incredible results taken with these camera's I was quite convinced I needed to add one to my arsenal

Now I start to notice I'm prone to leave my DSLR (which is a wonderful camera, don't get me wrong) at home and take my Fuji out on trips. It's just so much lighter to carry around and it gives me the same -and sometimes even better results.

There's no doubt there is still a market for DSLR's, but as for the photo-enthusiasts, I reckon the market is shifting/has shifted towards the smaller bodied-camera's. The DSLR-hype seems to be coming to an end. Is this just my experience?

Thanks for your replies.

Kind regards,
J

 

[flysurfer]

Define "in the end".

I doubt there will any cameras like we know and use them today in, say, 15-20 years. By then, typical DSLRs will be as exotic and rare as medium format film cameras are today. And so will CSCs as we know them today. In 15-20 years, the Bayer sensor will a faint memory, as well.

 

[RT Panther]

Better watch out for full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens systems/kits with bodies priced at D600 prices or lower

 

[JJJPhoto]

While I agree that more and more photographers from casual shutterbugs to full-time working professionals have discovered mirrorless cameras (fixed lens or interchangeable), predicting the future involves too many variables.

I don't think most (if any) photographers back in the early 90s would have predicted the way modern photography (and the type of gear we use) has evolved thanks to digital. While it's probably reasonable to say that the popularity and sales figures for mirrorless will continue to grow and we'll probably see less interest -- particularly among amateurs -- in DSLRs, "in the end" suggests a level of finality.

"In the end" I suspect mirrorless cameras will largely (NOT completely) be replaced by ridiculously high resolution (beyond 4K) video cameras that can capture stills simultaneously while shooting uninterrupted video. The idea of a "traditional" hybrid still camera -- DSLR, mirrorless, or whatever -- will be looked at the way we look at people using old Large Format (4x5 inch) or Ultra Large Format film cameras.

 

[dcartier]

In retrospect, it is curious that the direction high quality digital took was toward SLR, rather than range-finder variants.

Now that the "cobra is out of the basket", and with FF mirrorless on its way, it just seems to be a matter of time until all those DSLR devotees realise that they can keep their heavy glass and put it on a more capable and lighter weight body.

 

[AlbertInFrance]

I don't really know that going mirrorless would save much weight in a professional-level camera kit. And a lot of 'serious amateurs' pitch their kit at professional level, whether or not this matches their skills or real needs.

For all the squabbling about sensor sizes I can't see any way that using the same technology on a large sensor won't give better quality than a smaller one.That means that, long term, full-frame is likely to be a defining parameter. There are physical limits on how much information a lens can deliver in a given image size, or to put it more technically "a good big 'un will always beat a good little 'un".

Taking (at random) the Canon EOS 6D, weighing 770 grams and the X-E1, at 350 grams, even now you're saving about 400g (roughly a pound) on the body. Scaling the X-e1 up to FF would reducethe difference a bit.

The big weights involved are in lenses. For a given sensor size there is nothing to choose between DSLR glass and mirrorless glass with similar spec and performance (optical and mechanical).

I'd expect that, medium term, mirrors and pentaprisms will go the way of the daguerrotype. It's much easier to manufacture electronics reliably rather than mechanical kit.

Yes, still and video cameras will converge. Yes, the low end will mostly disappear becaquse of phone cameras. Yes, one day there may be direct links into the optic nerve that will do away with the need for view finders altogether.

 

[RT Panther]

No because film rangefinders never took over SLRs....

 

[kevwilfoto]

I don't see lens formats like Canon EOS EF mount or Nikon F mount ever going away. It should be easy enough to make a mirrorless version of the D800 / 5DmkIII but I suspect what keeps mirrors around are:

* optical viewfinder
* fast tracking autofocus for sports

As soon as mirrorless autofocus can keep up with DSLRs, we'll probably have 3+ megapixel EVFs with 120 Hz refresh rates and the excuses will be eliminated.

Maybe.

 

[AlbertInFrance]

No because film rangefinders never took over SLRs....

Precisely. The value of 'looking through the lens' compared with a separate optical finder was established long before digital came along. Why do you think Nikon & Canon gave up on range finders back in the 60's?

I used to own a 1/4 Plate SLR that was probably built about 100 years ago. 200mm f2.9 Pentac. Bokeh? you ain't seen nothing like it.

 

[Steve B.]

I think DSLR's will be around for a long time. They may ultimately be a more high end product because of the cost of the mirror box. However, I think for a significant number of professional photographers not having an optical viewfinder will not be an option.

 

[Amin]

For all the squabbling about sensor sizes I can't see any way that using the same technology on a large sensor won't give better quality than a smaller one.That means that, long term, full-frame is likely to be a defining parameter

Maybe so, but I think just as likely maybe not. If it were that simple, the manufacturers would steadily move towards ever larger sensor sizes, working on lower cost medium format offerings, medium format CMOS, etc. The reason why they don't is that each of us has a sense of when the image quality is good enough, and going to larger formats than that always involves tradeoffs, whether it be size, cost, or other things.

It seems to me that ~5 years from now, every phone will have two camera-sensor units spaced apart from one another by a couple (or few) inches. That plus a really good CPU gets you every bit as much DOF control as a full frame frame camera with a lens aperture of a couple (or few) inches. Plus you get to pick the DOF after the shot, and that CPU plus some great software lets you emulate every great lens from history. Add a couple more lens-sensor units, and your collective light gathering/low light capability starts to escalate.

 

[Landshark]

it seems that some form of dslr will be around for awhile, but who knows what the future holds