Computer languages differ not so much in what they make possible, but in what they make easy. -Larry Wall, creator of the Perl programming language offering an idea that is perfectly applicable to cameras and photography.
Canon just announced its newest mirrorless camera, the R5, causing the usual online buzz among photographers. One band of naysayers has me perplexed - nature photographers who use digital equipment but say things like “Never mirrorless!” in response to such announcements. Even though mirrorless cameras have been out for years and are used by many photographers, these negative attitudes persist. Given my own recent experience with a mirrorless camera, my response is “Why not mirrorless?” As I share below, some features specific to mirrorless cameras help remove barriers to creative expression and have enabled me to create photographs that I previously would have passed up due to technological limitations of my equipment.
I certainly do not think that the newest and best technology is necessary to create meaningful, inspiring, and technically sound photographs. And, for people with limited financial resources, spending money on experiences and time in the field is almost always going to be a better investment than buying a new camera. A camera is a tool and a skilled photographer will be able to create with a range of equipment. However, if new technology helps expand opportunities for creative expression, why not have an open mind?
I found this colorful patch of rocks and lichen along a trail cutting across a steep slope. Since it was not possible to photograph this subject from above, I took ten separate exposures at an angle and stacked them in Helicon Focus. Because of the contortions necessary to get my camera into position, I would never have stopped for this photo with my old equipment as it would have been too time-consuming and difficult to create the files. Death Valley National Park.
My Switch to a Mirrorless Camera Body
With my six year-old Canon 6D at the end of its life, I switched to the Canon R, the company’s first full frame mirrorless camera, in early 2019. I was hesitant about switching to an electronic viewfinder but otherwise figured the camera would be pretty similar to my 6D – a tool that I mostly like and that does its job, creating digital files, well. After using the Canon R exclusively since making the switch, I know that I will never go back to a DSLR because I now see mirrorless as a superior system for my type of nature photography. And, most importantly, I can definitively say that two features in particular have made a dramatic difference in my photography – touch-to-focus combined with focus peaking and the electronic viewfinder.
Expanding Opportunities for Photography
When I teach photography, one thing I most want to share is that nature photography can be an expansive pursuit and is often more enjoyable when a photographer can see photo opportunities throughout the day, in all kinds of ecosystems, and under all different lighting conditions. Specifically, I encourage photographers to look for opportunities rather than accept the conventions and rules that apply limitations. While mindset can play a big role in expanding opportunities and seeing photography in an expansive way, so can technology.
A hillside of colorful plants in the Mojave Desert winter. Given the distance between the front point of focus and back point of focus, it would be impossible to get all of the plants in focus in a single file with my camera equipment. Because of wind, I had to work quickly during a lull, which touch-to-focus paired with a remote makes easy. Death Valley National Park.
Focus Stacking: Mirrorless Makes the Process Quick & Precise
A quick look at my portfolio will show that I enjoy finding and photographing patterns and abstractions in nature. These scenes often present significant technical challenges because of depth of field (think of a long telephoto lens pointed diagonally at a subject, with a lot of distance between the near point and the far point of focus, like in the example above). While it is possible to focus stack this kind of photo with any digital camera, it is a time-consuming and imprecise process with a DSLR even when using auto-focus and especially when using manual focus. (Focus stacking is selecting a composition while using a tripod-mounted digital camera and then moving the focus point through the frame, creating a separate file at each different focus point - all while keeping the composition and framing exactly the same. These files are then combined - stacked - in software like Adobe Photoshop or Helicon Focus. This technique helps overcome limitations related to depth of field because once the files are stacked and merged, the subject can be rendered in full focus throughout the frame, thus overcoming the technical limitations of your equipment.)
With a mirrorless camera with a touch screen and focus peaking, creating a focus stack is a quick and precise process. With focus peaking turned on, it is easy to see the band of a subject that is in focus and how it changes with adjustments to aperture and changes in the focus point. With Canon cameras, focus peaking shows the parts of a subject that are in focus by highlighting them in red. When I change my focus point, I can see the plane of focus change on the LCD or in the viewfinder, which helps me easily and more precisely move through a focus stack. Even without focus peaking, having a touch screen with a touch-to-focus feature adds significant ease to this process. Add in a camera release/remote (as opposed to using the camera’s built-in timer) and creating a precise focus stack of five to ten files can be completed in seconds. All of this makes it simple to quickly take multiple exposures to stack later in software, ensuring that a subject is sharp from front to back and in each corner.
To take this photo, I stood on a seastack high above a tidepool. Since my camera was pointed downward and at an angle, I had to take focus stack to get all of the grasses in focus. I also had to work between waves because bigger waves would move the grasses around. I would not have been able to create this photo with my previous equipment because the grasses would have moved too much during the time-consuming process. Olympic National Park.
Technology Can Remove Barriers to Creative Expression
This technology helps expand opportunities in the field and has substantially improved my ability to express my interests in nature through my photography. Before switching to a mirrorless camera, I often identified subjects that I wanted to present this way but the technical process got in the way – I had the creative spark but not the patience to execute on the idea. Or, quickly changing light or windy conditions made going through the slow and cumbersome process an exercise in futility. I would only go through the laborious steps if the subject was really important to me. Now, because this process has been streamlined with technological innovations, my equipment is no longer a barrier to expression. Any time I see a subject that requires focus stacking to render the final result as I envision, I go ahead and do it because my camera makes the process so easy and reliably accurate.
I took this photo in bright midday sun. The electronic viewfinder made the composition, framing, and refinement process a lot easier than using the LCD or an optical viewfinder. I was also able to use the viewfinder to review the initial file to check for sharpness instead of having to look at a dim, glare-prone LCD under the bright sun.
The Benefits of an Electronic Viewfinder
Using a camera with a very good electronic viewfinder is another example of how mirrorless technology helps expand opportunities while in the field, or at least makes the photography process a lot more enjoyable. Since nature photographers often work outside in difficult light, an electronic viewfinder makes it dramatically easier to work in bright or dark conditions. When increasing the exposure, for example, the screen in the viewfinder brightens as well. This simple feature makes it much easier to fine tune a composition, refine your exposure, and identify opportunities in challenging lighting. I find myself making fewer mistakes and working on photos that I might have previously passed up because the viewfinder makes this essential part of the photographic process easier. Being able to review completed files in the viewfinder is also an improved process, as it is like having a perfectly lit, private viewing booth always available versus looking at a dim, glare-prone LCD.
I often take this type of photo without a tripod. In such scenarios, it is very helpful to be able to access information like the histogram in the viewfinder without having to remove my camera from my eye. This helps keep my creative flow going, especially when working in more challenging lighting conditions. Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument.
I can also display a histogram, level, and other information right in the viewfinder, which is especially helpful when hand-holding my camera. I often take my dreamy plant photos without using a tripod (above example). When using a DSLR under changing lighting conditions or when moving my composition in a way that could affect the exposure, I would need to interrupt my process and check my files. This would mean losing my precise framing and composition because I had to remove the camera from my eye.
Being able to instantly check the histogram in my viewfinder makes the working process much more seamless. This helps me get in and stay in a creative flow when out in the field since I no longer need to stop, remove the camera from my eye, and check my exposure. Instead, I can hold a composition, check the histogram quickly, and continue working on the same scene without interruption. This change in process has made a significant difference in my results for the better since I can more deeply and completely work on a subject without interruption. Again, mirrorless technology helps the camera get out of my way so I can better focus on expression and creating.
I took this photo right before I dunked my mirrorless camera in a nearby lake. It came fully back to life a few days later after drying out. I also focus-stacked this file to get sharper corners, a process that is incredibly easy with touch-to-focus. Southwestern Colorado.
Durability & Using the Camera in Difficult Environments
I spend a lot of time outside photographing in difficult weather conditions and I have found my mirrorless camera to be as resilient as any DSLR I have ever used. I have fully dunked it in a lake and it came back to life a few days later. I have used it in an angry sandstorm and had no issue with the weather sealing or dust getting into the body. I have used it up to 24 degrees below zero and the only issue I had was a little ice on the outside of the viewfinder, which could happen with any camera. And I have used it in wet snow and rain with only a bit of fogging in the viewfinder, which has been my only complaint about my specific mirrorless camera. I also like the small form factor of the camera body, as it fits in my small hands much more comfortably than a comparatively massive and heavy DSLR.
This is another example where it was important to move quickly. The soft light on this scene was due to changing clouds, so I had to complete my focus stack before the light became harsher. Olympic National Park.
So, when nature photographers say they will never switch to mirrorless, I invite them to open themselves to the possibility that mirrorless cameras are actually better than DSLRs in some important ways. My mirrorless camera has opened up creative opportunities that I would have otherwise passed up, makes photography feel more enjoyable, and helps me express my ideas about nature in a more complete and seamless way. While cameras are just tools, a better tool can enhance the creative process and facilitate personal expression.