Saying Good Bye

June 17, 2015 ·

Kevin Raber

nikonsony

I am leaving for Iceland for a two-week Luminous-Landscape and Rockhopper photography workshop with Daniel Bergmann. I’ve been going to Iceland for years and it is one of the most remarkable places for photography, especially if you get off the tourist paths. Daniel Bergmann is one of the most knowledgeable leaders to get you to the best spots for shooting photographs.

If you are a regular reader of Luminous-Landscape, you know that over the last year I have become a big fan of mirrorless cameras. I own the Olympus system with 3 bodies and a full set of lenses. My favorite go-to camera has been the Fuji X-T1 because it is so easy to work with and the image quality is great. Then, not too long ago I bought into the Sony A7 II camera and a stable of lenses. I use the Sony a lot these days and I’m very excited about the NEW Sony A7r II announcement. I had the Sony A7 II on the last Antarctica trip; it performed as expected and my images were great.

My Nikon Kit, D800e, D7100, 14-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 80-400mm, shutter release, GPS unit, 2x extender and filters

During this time I have neglected my now dusty Nikon system sitting on the shelf. Every time I go into my camera closet I look at the Nikons and have a moment of sadness. as if it’s a forgotten friend. My Nikon system of a D800e and D7100 with 14-24mm, 24-70mm. 70-200mm 80-400 and a 8mm fisheye were one of my most trusted camera systems and yielded some excellent images over the last few years. They have visited both Polar Regions as well as many spots in between. The cameras took a beating, yet the files were excellent and there were no problems. After a quick check, I found images on the card from the Svalbard trip last August. Has it really been that long since I used my Nikons?

Normally Michael and I are trading in our equipment for new gear every few months so we can report on what’s new and stay up to date. I have been holding onto the Nikons and wasn’t sure why. Maybe deep down inside I thought that Nikon might surprise us with a super new camera. Maybe they would go full frame mirrorless and would use the existing lens. Maybe they would get a bigger chip and put the whole system into a smaller body. Nope, none of this happened.

So, I looked at my Nikons sitting there on the shelf and decided I would take them on one last trip. I’d experience a few weeks with an optical viewfinder and the heft and weight of the old system I had come to love. I know, maybe I am just trying to give myself a chance to fall in love with this system again. But I don’t think so. I have so totally moved onto mirrorless. I think I am just looking for a proper closure.

Airport Navigator Rolling Bag packed and ready to go

The weight and size factor alone is enough to make me change. I can literally put the Sony system into a small shoulder bag and have a four-lens kit covering a full range of focal lengths. The same goes for the Fuji X-T1. None of this matters today as my Nikon cameras and I are excited about our one last journey together. It’s time to move on but not without saying a proper good-bye. Sensors are cleaned, batteries charged and lenses have been checked. We’re set to go.

I know I am not the only photographer thinking of moving away from traditional DSLR to mirrorless. Based on the chatter on the Luminous-Landscape forum, as well as what I hear from my favorite camera store (Robert’s Photo) and a number of photographer friends, the move is on. If you are making the move you owe it to yourself and your old trusty full DSLR system to take it out for one last go. Give it a proper good-bye and enjoy the images that is has so faithfully produced over the years.

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Kevin Raber

See all articles by Kevin Raber

Photography is my passion and has been for 45 plus years. My career in photography has allowed me to travel the world, meet some of the most interesting people on the planet and see things I could never have dreamed of. My goal is to share the passion of pictures taking through photographs and teaching with as many people as I can hoping it brings them as much joy and happiness as it has me. I do this through Rockhopper Workshops and other projects as well as teaching at my Gallery in Indianapolis.

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Saying Good Bye

Kevin Raber

Kevin Raber

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