My conversion from Canon to Sony happened a LOT faster than expected. In two ways. First, I didn't expect to even consider Sony until an α9R hit the market, then I'd wait and see what the reviews said, then I'd wait for the price to drop or for used bodies to be available, then, maybe, I'd buy one. But with Canon showing their hand with the 6D Mark II with regards to pushing the technological envelope (summary: they'd rather be complacent), I decided to give the α7RII a try. Second, I really didn't think the α7RII was as good as it is. It's definitely been a pleasant surprise.
One of the things I promised myself when considering a move from Canon to Sony was that I would focus on getting things as small as possible without sacrificing too much. During the conversion, I went from...
- 5D Mark IV --> α7RII (I also had a 5Ds but I'm going to hold off on a second Sony body for now - wanting the α9R)
- EF 16-35 f/4L IS --> FE 16-35 f/4
- EF 35mm f/1.4L II --> FE 35mm f/1.4
- Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art --> FE 55mm f/1.8
- EF 85mm f/1.2L II --> Batis 85mm f/1.8
- EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro USM --> nothing - I might pick up the 100 STF
- EF 135mm f/2L USM --> Batis 135mm f/2.8
- EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM --> Nothing, never used it anyway, considering a RX100 V
- EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II + EF 2x III converter --> FE 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 G
I didn't lose much in terms of light and shallow depth of field capabilities except with the 85 primes and the telephoto zooms, but I'm okay with that given the substantial difference in performance/weight for the 85 and weight/size for the telephoto zoom.
What I gained was a smaller kit and I'm so thankful for it. I also gained a lot of technology that has improved my images thanks to
- compositional freedom
- more accurate focusing
- face/eye detection and tracking
- lower shutter speeds thanks to IBIS.
- better skin tones - yeah, I think Sony's skin tones are better! Especially for my ginger wife and son which Canon made much too orange/yellow.
I also went from 2 of the Canon 600EX II-RT flashes and 3 of the Yongnuo 600EX RT-II flashes (plus MagMods for all of them), a Canon transmitter, a Yongnuo transmitter, and an Orlit RoveLight 610 HSS TTL strobe to a much smaller lighting kit. I now have the Flashpoint Zoom (aka Godox V860II), Flashpoint Mini-Zoom (aka Godox TT350), and 1 Flashpoint eVOLV 200 (aka Godox AD200) with another and the twin head on the way (thanks to a sale at Adorama yesterday), and 2 R2 transmitters.
Thanks to all this downsizing, rather than use a Pelican iM2950 I've fit everything into a Pelican 1510 which is MUCH smaller. To put it into perspective, the iM2950 is 4.5 cubic feet whereas the 1510 is 1.6 cubic feet. The weight difference is just as dramatic. The weight difference for just the case is 42 lbs vs 15 lbs, and then you factor in the weight savings from the equipment on top of that... WOW!
When I go out with a shoulder bag, the bag used to weigh SO MUCH and be rather bulky. Now, with a similar lens setup, the same bag is MUCH lighter and it's not bulging out either.
I lost a little more money on my Canon gear than I thought I would during the switch thanks to a fairly soft Canon market right now, at least in my opinion. But it was worth it and it wasn't an alarming amount by any means. Also, because I bought everything used, or new at a fantastic discount, I'll basically break even once I pickup a second camera body (right now I'm several thousand $$ ahead).
This post is just me thank you all. All of the forum people, YouTube personalities, reviewers, etc., for sharing your insight and experiences with Sony's E mount system - good, bad, and indifferent. It's been incredibly enlightening and educational. Without y'all, I would not have switched and would have remained blissfully ignorant.
I'm including a shot of my Pelican 1510 case. I know that if/when I add the 100 STF and another body, I'll have to rearrange the case, but I think I can still make it all fit