Tonight I wanted to share with you a recent video produced by the relatively new web show known as Camera Diner. I stumbled upon this video they produced by accident. It’s a great preview of the upcoming Panasonic Lumix GH3. The camera has been expected for awhile but just recently officially announced. For those of you who follow this blog you know of my appreciation for the fledgling Lumix Micro 4/3’s camera system and the new GH3 may finally be the camera that awakens Nikon and Canon. We shall see.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/ptUUEkWv6YQ[/youtube]
I have a theory why the mirrorless system cameras are gaining steam, and it relates to people finally getting tired of carrying such heavy camera equipment. Here’s how I see it. As people became interested in photography, many photo enthusiasts wanted the same quality pictures as the professionals they looked up to. They knew that traveling to the same places as the pros that they too could get spectacular images, as long as they had the right gear. That’s what we do with Natural Exposures Invitational Photo Tours. These photo entusiasts read all the magazines, websites etc. and found that many professionals used huge, heavy lenses and camera bodies. Big lenses and big cameras are the professional’s tools of the trade. Something similar would be the tool box a professional truck mechanic might have such as the big, red, monster made by Snap-on. Its size relates to the size and amount of the tools inside, making it big and heavy.
So the photo enthusiast bought in to all those large, heavy tools. The 300mm F/2.8, 500mm F/4, 600mm F/4 and other lenses such as the 70-200mm F/2.8, 14-24mm F/2.8, 24-70mm F/2.8, not to mention the big heavy camera bodies. All of it crammed in a rolling camera bag or backpack and causing many to rethink what they were doing in the name of having fun. And that’s what I think is happening. Millions of new photo enthusiasts are rethinking how much fun, or lack thereof, it really is, to schlep all that gear around as they travel the globe taking pictures. The professional has always accepted the weight and bulk since big and heavy was just the norm for the tools of their trade. They accepted it so they could put food on the table for themselves and their family. But for the photo enthusiast it’s not about earning a living; it’s about having a good time and carrying that heavy equipment does not fall into the category of pleasure. So that’s it. All these newly found photo enthusiasts shooting the big Nikon and Canon glass and massive industrial bodies are starting to rebel by searching for lighter, smaller alternatives. Alternatives such as the mirrorless systems being developed by Panasonic, Sony and Olympus. Only time will tell if this trend will continue or not, but I think the writing is on the wall and all camera manufacturers will be adding smaller, lighter professional, grade equipment to their line of photography products. For me the sooner the better. My back is killing me.
What do you think? Share your thoughts on where this is all going by adding your voice to this blog. Looking forward to hearing from you.