DSLR to Mirrorless migration - talk to me about your experience

[West Coast Birder]

For those of you who converted, how did you do it? Converted the body and stuck with your EF lenses? Converted all the way and replaced your EF lenses with RF lenses? Have a mixture of EF and RF? Any EF lenses you stuck with and wish you had got the RF equivalent? Any RF lenses you regret paying through the nose for and wish you kept the EF?

I'm part of the way through the transition. Got an R7 to replace my 7D2 for birding. I couple an EF 600/4 III with it using an EF-RF adapter and, given the price of the RF 600/4, I don't think I'll ever switch. But I also have a 5D4 with an array of EF lenses and have wondered about getting an R5. Do I keep my EF lenses or switch to RF? My EF lenses are excellent, so no need to change necessarily, but some of the RF offerings are intriguing, for sure.

Talk to me about your experience!

 

[i-G12]

I got the R^ initially and used the converter for my EF lenses. Then I got a couple of RF lenses that covered the range I usually shoot and now I only use the RF lenses! Problem some have is the cost of some of the EF lenses already purchased. Can't just throw them away. I have an EF 100-400 II that I never use anymore and really should sell it!

I'm in love with mirrorless!

 

[West Coast Birder]

Yeah, I might get a body first and use it with my EF glass for the time being. I hear what you are saying about people already having a lot of money sunk into EF lenses already. I resemble that remark, although most of my lenses are refurbs or used but still... I figure I'll pay probably double of what I can get selling my EF lenses to get the RF equivalent. I've seen a refurb R5 dip below $2900 recently and almost pulled the trigger. Tempting for sure.

 

[digital paradise]

I had a Canon 7D2 and 5D4. One day I decided to explore ML so I sold the 5D4 and picked up an R. I was kinda lucky that Canon had just released a big FW update that enhanced eye AF quite a bit. Despite the poor fps and awful frame to frame blackout I had so much fun with it the 7D2 never came out of the bag again. I used my EF 100-400 II with both my 1.4 and 2X. Excellent AF. I really liked my RF 24-105 F4 IS as well on it. It was a good year.

When the R5 was announced I decided to get on the mirrorless train and sell all my EF gear. I thought this might be the chance to switch to Sony. I spent weeks mulling about it and one day my wife said do you really want to switch now at this time in your life? I relish learning new things but sometimes I go for months on shooting droughts. When I get out in the field I just want to shoot and have fun. My retention is not what it used to be so I'd have to refresh myself every time. Shooting with Canon is like riding a bike.

Then I ordered the R5, RF 100-500 and 1.4 and sold all of my EF gear. Best decision I ever made. Whoever bought my 7D2 got my MFA kit that included a FoCal hard target and few studio daylight balanced CFL's to light the target. I hated MFA and will never miss it. That was one motivating factor.

My 100-500 came first and I popped it on the R but only shot with that combo for a few weeks until the R5 arrived. There were days I wish I had kept the R. I did eventually sell my R5 and now shoot with an R7 and R6II.

R and 100-500.

 

[digital paradise]

I wanted to add this the previous post but something happened to the text curser so I had to reboot. I did have one white prime. An EF 400 DO II. I would have like the 500 or 600 F4 but they were a little out of my reach. A spectacular lens but ML provided to AF with slower lenses so that changed everything. I sold it to make room for the new gear. If I had owned an EF 500 or 600 F4 I'd likely would have found some way to keep it and still be shooting with one today.

 

[West Coast Birder]

Thanks for sharing your experience! Definitely want to get an R5 if I can catch it in a refurb store sale (Canon, are you listening?). I'll have to consider my EF lenses one by one. I love them so much

 

[MMP]

I went from the 5D3 and 5D4 to the R5. I had a fairly heavy investment (emotionally and financially) with the EF system. I've owned and sold many others, but at the time of the switch, I had 16-35L, 24-70II, Sigma 35A, 50 1.8, 100L, 85 1.8, 85L, 70-200II, and 100-400II.

Besides having a nagging itch to keep up with current technology, the main reason was I switched was for Face/Eye(human and animal) tracking through the viewfinder, but more importantly, to be done with AF micro-adjustments. My plan was to simply use the EF-R adapter and keep my current lenses for a long time. The one thing I wish I had known before switching was how annoying that adapter would become when switching between lenses. I think it would have prolonged the switch for at least another year or 2. More specifically, the adapter becomes exponentially more annoying when you have a combination of EF and RF lenses. Even as I type that, it sounds insignificant, but in practice it was a major issue for me. I suppose I could have bought an adapter for each lens, but it still adds unappreciated size.

After only about 2yrs, I never thought I would have as many RF lenses as I do right now. The only EF still in my bag is the 50 1.8, 85 1.8, and the 100-400II. Canon has 4 new L primes (14mm, 24mm IS, 28mm IS, and 35mm IS) in the works for the first half of 2024. I if I had to guess what my bag looks like a year from now, I'd say the EF 50 and 85 will be gone and replaced with the 85L (or 135L) and the 28L. I'm setting a reminder in my phone to look back on this post come 11/17/2024

 

[West Coast Birder]

My 600/4 shall remain on the EF side, as I got an incredibly good deal on it at the refurb store and I don't want to spend about 30-40% more to get the RF version. So, it stays married to my R7 with the adapter. I might sell off my 5D4 and get an R5 at some point, especially if I can catch a refurb sale. Parting with my 70-200 II is going to be so hard. I love that lens and I think I got a super good copy - the photos from it are just magical.

 

[05xrunner]

I made my conversion to Mirrorless back in 2018.
Back then I had a 7DII, Sigma 17-50 2.8, Canon 35 f2IS, Sigma 50 1.4, Canon 85 1.8, Tamron 70-200 2.8G2 and Sigma 150-600 C. I was shooting Canon since 2005

I made the switch to a Fuji XT2, 18-55, 35 F2, 56 1.2, 90f2, and 55-200
I was changing because i really liked the fuji setup and the size and weight. I shot using Fuji for the past 5 years and really enjoyed it. I currently had an Xt3 moved up from the XT2.

Then I got a bug about wanting to play with an optical viewfinder again. So i bought a mint used 7D to try it out and got a 70-200 I have and the 100-400II.
I quickly got the canon bug again and was on the fence about moving to one system. So I found a bestbuy that had a R7 as a demo to play around as my biggest concern was the viewfinder. The fuji XT3 was a very large 3.69m dot OLED screen and wasnt sure how the R7 would be with 2.36mil dot.

After trying out in store it is strange how canon seems to have made the viewfinder better experience than i had with the fuji even with a lower res screen.
I am now shooting all canon gear again and only have 3 fuji lenses left to sell off.
Also bear in mind this is a hobby for me so i am not doing this for any paid work.

 

[Lubos-PM]

I owned a 5D MkIV and a 7D MkII, and in January 2021 I bought an R5, and because EF/RF adapters were not available at the time, I bought the RF 50 1.8 STM - and to this day that is the only RF lens I own. I've already sold the 7D, and I'm about to sell the 5D, but I'll probably stick with EF lenses, mainly because of the price of RF lenses. I don't want to buy new, used ones don't appear much yet.

 

[West Coast Birder]

I too plan to start off with my EF lenses and slowly consider migrating to RF as deals emerge. I’ve got very sharp copies of EF lenses that have served me very well.

 

[Lubos-PM]

With a mix of EF and RF lenses, I find this thing annoying: I sometimes find myself shooting with the 50, leaving the EF/RF adapter on, say, the 16-35, then after the 50 I want to shoot with another EF lens and am surprised it can't be mounted because I forgot the adapter. A complete switch to RF would solve that, but...

 

[Joeseph]

With a mix of EF and RF lenses, I find this thing annoying: I sometimes find myself shooting with the 50, leaving the EF/RF adapter on, say, the 16-35, then after the 50 I want to shoot with another EF lens and am surprised it can't be mounted because I forgot the adapter. A complete switch to RF would solve that, but...

I have exactly the same issue - only 1x RF lens & always getting muddled with the game of "where-is-the-adapter?"

It gets worse if I've got my M5 out as well as I've got 2x M series lenses. must say I dislike the RF cap ends.

 

[Michael456]

I got an R first with the RF 24-105mm F4. Later upgraded it to an R5 and got the RF 100mm macro. These two are my only RF lenses to date.
I still have (and use) my 80D and EF lenses. I've been thinking about upgrading the EF 100-400mm II to the RF 100-500mm, but that would mean I'd have to replace my 80D with an R7.
Currently I don't see myself upgrading everything to RF - too expensive. Plus, there's no RF equivalent of the MP-E 65mm, a lens I use frequently. And I will definitely keep the EF 100 L macro, no matter what, as the RF 100mm macro doesn't offer FTM, which is annoying as heck.

 

[Joeseph]

I've been thinking about upgrading the EF 100-400mm II to the RF 100-500mm, but that would mean I'd have to replace my 80D with an R7.

why? wouldn't the R5 do much the same job? (only better?)

 

[West Coast Birder]

why? wouldn't the R5 do much the same job? (only better?)

Twice as many pixels on the subject with the R7 as with the R5.

 

[Pippan]

why? wouldn't the R5 do much the same job? (only better?)

At three times the price.

 

[Joeseph]

At three times the price.

but, but - they already have one!

 

[Joeseph]

Twice as many pixels on the subject with the R7 as with the R5.

gawd - it's difficult keeping up with all this...

 

[Pippan]

but, but - they already have one!

Ah yes, so I now see. And an RF 1.4 extender would be cheaper than an R7.