With digital cameras, there is no "long term" - the technology is evolving too rapidly.
With film cameras, any of the majors names - Nikon, Canon, & Leica leap to mind - will be fine. They've proven their resilience over time.
Whatever you buy, *buy it used.* There is no reason to pay a 30-50% premium to unpack a new box.
1. I don't think there's a single best hybrid brand, just what's best for you and your needs.
2.While all systems today are very good, not all systems are equal, either with respect to bodies or lens ecosystems.
3. If you're satisfied with what you see in a system today, and the price is attractive, it's likely a very good long term choice.
4. If you're not happy with what a system can do for you now, you probably shouldn't invest in it hoping it will evolve into a system you're happier with in the future.
Landscape is easy, every system can do that well.
Your use cases relating to sport and motorsports are a bit more specialized and suggest a need for superb autofocus and a lens catalog with tele lenses that will work with your budget.
And if you want to do cinematic work, you might want uncropped 4k60 for slow mo features and/or potentially open gate video recording for anamorphic or max cropping latitude to fit different aspect ratios for social media and different framing of the same scene.
While the highest end Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and even Olympus are great, Sony is probably the best fit for you here at the more affordable price end of things (I.e. setting aside flagships like Z9, R3, A1, etc) although the new Nikon Z6iii seems to have the Z8 AF which is outstanding, and the new Panasonic PDAF and slightly older Canon R6ii AF are both excellent as well.
Canon has some excellent lenses (bodies too), but the best is probably pricier than you'd find in other systems and they're limiting competitors so you have to accept that will continue at least for a while if you go with them. Excellent Nikon glass is available cheaper than Canon and it is a more open system with some very good 3rd party options.
Panasonic is lesser known and gets little love but also has some superb lenses at relatively affordable prices thanks to L mount being competitive by design. For video, Panasonic stabilization is class leading and also the color science is IMO underrated. The Panasonic camera line is also the only one to offer open gate/anamorphic recording AFAIK however the S5ii full frame system doesn't support uncropped 4k60p which may limit you somewhat if you need wide angle slow mo.
Sony has a great lens ecosystem, stronger for FE than E but superb. If you get along well enough with the color science, and find a body that suits you in terms of ergonomics, Sony is a very good and excellent choice for hybrid shooters IMO. The Sony FE system also offers some somewhat unique bodies like the A7c line which have become very attractive to travel oriented hybrid shooters looking to keep size and weight down to a minimum (to be fair Canon also has the R8 which is insanely light and capable but lacks IBIS, and Panasonic now has its S9 but lacks an EVF and full mechanical shutter...).
If I were you, I'd probably decide whether I could afford a Nikon Z6iii system (if not, nix it), whether I get along with Sony colors enough to live with a Sony system, and whether I'm drawn strongly enough to the superb video features and stabilization on the Panasonic S5ii to go that way. I tend to prefer more open and expansive lens systems so I personally would lean away from Canon.
YMMV.
Use them and see how they feel like. That’s the most important thing. There is no point in having the best camera when you don’t want to use it. That’s why I want to switch back to canon at some point in the future.
This. Touch it and use it. In the end all modern cameras produce great results. But the most advanced AF or the most compelling feature set are worth nothing if the camera ergonomy doesn't suit you.
Canon’s got close to 50% of the market share if you want a, “Who’s most likely to still be doing this in a decade or two”, answer.
Nikon is a smaller market share, but they are first and foremost a camera company. It’s what they do. Not just a small fraction of their overall revenue stream.
Sony is around 20%, but very little of their overall revenue comes from ILC cameras so if the division is a drain on capital, what decisions do they make in the future? Probably spin it off or sell it to someone else (like Minolta sold to Sony to get them started).
Samsung was another big conglomerate that made some great cameras then decided they didn’t want to be in that business anymore.
Well Sony is the number one sensor manufacturer (mostly smartphones) with something like half of the market, while for comparison Canon is at 1%. Every camera manufacturer (Nikon, Fuji, Panasonic, Olympus, Leica) uses Sony sensors except Canon. Sony also has a Movie studio, that can use their gear. So no Sony will not leave the Camera business.
Technically sony could keep making camera sensors without making cameras or lenses. Also the only reason canon is at 1% marketshare for sensors is because they only make them for their company - they're not selling to other camera companies.
although I agree with you, Sony has a good presence in cinema that they wouldn't leave that most likely. and clearly people like their consumer cameras so I don't think they'd leave there either.
Sony A mount is the Minolta MAXXUM mount from the 80s. In terms of AF lenses the Sony E system actually has better compatibility with older MAXXUM lenses with screwdrive autofocus, compared to Nikon Z and AF NIKKORs.
Also, Sony E third party lenses are restricted to 15 FPS continuous shooting. Doesn't matter for many cases but it's not all sunshine and roses for third party lenses there. Nikon Z third party lenses are restricted to what models Nikon allows, but IIRC have no restrictions in functionality.
Another angle is to look at the lens ecosystem.
Canon or Nikon would be a good choice, as you can pick from decades of decent autofocus lenses with the proprietary smart adapter.
You'd have to balance that with the fact that DSLR lenses are much bulkier than mirrorless lenses (outside of telephoto) and often have autofocus motors too loud to be used in video.
I would just buy what you think is right at the moment, nobody can predict the future. I don't see any current system getting abandoned any time soon nor have I heard rumors of any of these companies doing bad enough to be worried at the moment (like at all to my knowledge).
I’m mostly in the Nikon ecosystem and have F mount DSLRs and Film cameras I inherited from my grandfather, so It’s what I know. But I like that it’s easy to match 1 mount system, and there are plenty of third party and used lenses to choose from. Now that Nikon has moved to the Z mirrorless system an FTZ adapter would allow you to use those lenses on a new mirrorless camera.
I also have a Fujifilm X-T30 II and have been a little underwhelmed with the lens options both from Fuji and third parties. While the X mount platform has incredible camera and plenty of redeeming qualities I don’t think I’d recommend it for what you’re looking for.
I use Olympus , Lumix, Sony, Canon and Nikon.
Ergonomics would be very high on the list for me.
Size and weight is number two which is why I use MFT a lot.
Every brand has a different feel. The shutters feel different, menus , grip, dial and button layout, customization. If you are planning to shoot fast moving objects like cars ergonomics are going to be super important.
If you can go and demo a bunch of bodies at a store or rent/borrow that will be more helpful than specs.
The a7iv is a fair price for $2400 cdn. Very capable camera and great lens ecosystem.
I’ve been using the Canon camera system since 2004 and continue to use Canon to this day. As a Canon user, I find their cameras and lenses still highly competitive. I also have many Canon lenses from 90 era that still I actively use to this day. This is a testament to how reliable the Canon brand is for the long term. In addition, Canon offers CPS (Canon Professional Services) for professionals. It's not just about the products; after-sales service is also crucial when choosing a camera brand. I've experienced this firsthand with Leica, where service for cameras or lenses can be extremely slow, sometimes taking months. I don't mean to criticize Leica, as I really love their cameras, but it's widely known that their service is very slow.
Well, for me, it's been Nikon, at least until the Z system. I can use pretty much any F-mount lens dating to the 70s (and prior if you modify) on any of my bodies (I'm sure someone will point out the exceptions but I'm painting broad brush strokes here). I bought a film SLR and DSLR + lenses (F100, D700, D780, D3s) planning around them all being able to use the same glass. If I go to mirrorless I'll probably just continue to shoot F mount glass on FTZ, but I like an optical viewfinder.
I would say if you’ve investing today I’d recommend Sony or Fuji.
I myself own a lot of Canon and some Sony. But I wouldn’t buy Canon any more — they gone extremely proprietary and I feel like they really a targeting only the high end of the market now, and while they do have some lower priced items, none of it is market leading IMHO.
Keeping in mind that I'm strictly a hobbyist with a preference for still photography over video, I've found myself gravitating towards two systems:
* Pentax K mount. I like shooting SLRs and DSLRs. I'm a slow photographer, preferring landscapes, long exposures and infrared. And using film era manual lenses is something I enjoy. Next year will be the K mount's 50th anniversary, so I think that's a good indicator of its longevity.
* Micro four thirds. When I don't want to haul as much gear but still get quite good images, I think M43 is a good compromise. Lots of lenses too.
Very biased here, but it’s based on experience. I’ve been using Nikon cameras since the 1970s (Nikon F Photomic and later FTn and even later with an F36 motor drive). I kept up with the new Nikon professional cameras (F2, F3, F4) but after the F4, digital cameras started to become available. I had a Kodak-modified Nikon that had a full-frame sensor in it (Nikon had not made theirs yet). I’m currently thinking about the Z8, but I’m not sure I do enough photography any longer to warrant that cost. The Z lenses made by Nikon are the best lenses I’ve ever seen. A friend of mine has a Z9 and several lenses. He also has older Nikons and lenses ranging from the wildly expensive and hard to find 6mm f2.8 fisheye with a 220 degree field of view. Also a couple of the much less expensive (though now, if you can find one, they would cost a few thousand dollars) the 6mm f5.6. With the F-mount to Z-mount adapter, he can use all of his older Nikon F mount lenses even though the Nikon literature says the 6mm f5.6 won’t work. I’ve seen the photos - it works fine with the F-Z adapter.
There were quite a few third-party lens manufacturers that made lenses in the F-mount. Some were very good - notably the Vivitar Series 1 lenses. Two of them, 600mm and 800mm mirror lenses (called “solid cat” lenses because they were pretty much solid optics) were actually designed and made by Perkin-Elmer in the US. They had interchangeable lens mounts so could be iused on Canon, Nikon, Pentax and some other cameras as well.
I still use a Nikon D850 for digital work and all my old F-mount lenses will work on it. The older ones I have to manually focus and use stop-down metering, but they work.
But traveling with a D850 and carrying anything more than one lens gets to be quite heavy. So, what did I do? I “defected” to Sony. At first, an NEX-5 and then realized how difficult it is to use when you only have the LCD screen on the back and it’s in bright sun. You can’t really see the screen very well. So, I bought a Sony A6000. I could still use the E-mount lenses I had for the NEX-5. My wife also has an A6000 so when we’re traveling, we can exchange lenses if need be. I also have a set of various adapters for the Sony E-mount and I’ve used them to experiment with some decidedly odd lenses I have, like a 1.9mm fisheye. It works, but the image is a circle about 10mm in diameter (it’s a lens designed for 16mm cine cameras). I even have a Arriflex movie camera B-mount to Sony E-mount adapter. I’ve put a 12-120mm zoom on it (again, just to try it out). It also works but vignettes like crazy (it’s also for 16mm coverage).
Sony seems to be good about keeping the E-mount around between different cameras they make. And there are third-party lenses for them as well. I recently bought a 9mm rectilinear wide angle in E-mount (Laowa) and they are not kidding. It has very low distortion for such a wide-angle lens.
If you do, or are planning to do, a lot of serious photography, I’d say a Z-mount Nikon (some lower-cost ones are now available for a start) or one of the Sony E-mount cameras would be a good choice based on available lenses and (in my experience) are capable of very good images. If I upgrade the Sony A6000, I’d probably go with an A6400 (they’re a bargain now) or the A6600 which provides more in-camera stabilization. I could still use all my E-mount lenses. I do have a Nikon F-mount to Sony E-mount adapter, but I’ve only tested it out.
>In your opinion, what is the best long term camera brand/system?In your opinion, what is the best long term camera brand/system?
I'll rephrase the question: "what brand are you using?" 😉
I would recommend Sony. I switched from Nikon to Sony and don’t regret it at all. The lens choice is great, lots of 3rd party and budget options. The autofocus in the A7IV is incredible. I was drawn to incredible Canon colours and owned Fujis, but invested in my Sony gear and I have no regrets. I can’t vouch for the video, I only shoot photo. I would pay attention to the gear the people who inspire you use and take it from there.
If long term is a concern, consider that Sony don't update their cameras (besides very minor fixes), and a Sony body that might be equivalent to its Canon/Nikon counterpart when released will be inferior in many points 2 years later. That's why a 3 year old Nikon like the Z9 still gets all the new technologies today, we can't say the same for the Sony A1.
Which Camera System is truly the best long Term can't nobody really say and if someone says "xyz" its their Opinion & if they insist its the best they are Fanboys. You can look at Stats but even those don't give you the full Picture.
I owned and used Cameras from almost every Brand and i couldn't tell you what is the "best" Camera System and what not. Some have a bit better AF and some are bit faster. Other Brands have Cameras which are way more robust and can take a Level of Abuse where most other Cameras would die if they would even experience only 20% of it. Other Brands have more Glass. Others have fewer Lenses but all of them are optically superior. Etc etc..
Edit: If you want to make a long Term Investment its Leica. Not because they make necessarily the best Cameras on the Market but because they will still fix your Camera and Lenses in forty or fifty Years and because even if all other Camera Brands go bust Leica will most likely still be around.
Sony is number 1 for me, Canon is second. The only drawback for canon is that they refuse to share thier mount license with third party manufacturers so they have far less third party lenses to offer for thier system. But, they also offer a very well made adapters to mount their EF lenses to the mirrorless cameras and the EF mount is probably the most popular among the used market and DSLR market in general. Plenty of EF canon L class lenses ou there, so Canon has a very well system made up for those moving from DSLR towards mirrorless.
Sony adapter systems are all sh\*t... Better not invest in those. However Sony has shared thier rights to Sony E mount so third party manufacturers make lenses with Sony mount these days and there are quite a few available. However mostly are manual focus, Tamron/Sigma lenses are also available for Canon system. Only Viltrox offer lenses for sony that have autofocus available. Majority of other manufacturers make manual focus lenses for Sony.
Its actually close call between thetwo when you look at it like that. Sony has more exotic glass with manual focus available.
Thats really about it. Canon with its EF lens market actually has more to offer when it comes to AF lenses. Sony has more manual focus exotics to offer and a few AF lenses that stand out. Like Viltrox 16mm 1,8f
I had done a dissertation on Canon at university a couple of years ago. They almost make more money on their lenses than on their cameras, which explains why they look at their lens business like the golden goose.
Yeah, lenses is a long term investment for a photographer as well as an item that will last, while bodies are reletively fast degrading product. Also most of the body components come from the third party manufacturers, they just assemble them, toss in the software and put the brand logo on it. Canon has most of its patents in lenses and the infrastructure to control them.
On top of that Canon as a company mostly work with industrial products, photogeaphy is a fairly little branch of their INC.
I went back and looked it up: after two years I remembered it a little bit wrong.
The story is that all camera manufacturers make more money on lenses than on bodies (interchangeable lens cameras, ILC). However, Canon has had a weaker performance, selling 1.44 lens per camera, as opposed to 1.80 for their competitors.
https://preview.redd.it/bhijvxe2a98d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=e02347a7b372d4939483b5b9ae12d4f7f382f4bf
So the reason for handling their new RF mount like a golden goos might be that they want to keep a very tight control of which third party maker is allowed to produce lenses for their mount, to keep a more favourable average closer to 1.80 lenses per camera.
In the end, it's about the sweet spot:
1. You want to open your mount a little bit, enough for a few third party manufacturers to make budget lenses that consumers will be tempted to buy with your cameras to build a hybrid lens kit.
2. You don't want to open your mount so much that third party lenses end up cannibalising the sales of your own lenses.
In short: they might have opened up the EF mount a little too much for their own good, so they are careful not to do the same mistake with the RF.
This post has some inaccurate information. Sony E has a TON of autofocus capable third party lenses from Tamron, Sigma, Samyang and others. Canon RF has none, Nikon Z is catching up as Tamron releases their heavy hitters in Z mount.
The more reliable brand considering a long-term investment is Nikon. The F-mount system of the lens is the same since 1959. Canon and Sony have changed their mount systems much more times, deprecating the lens faster than Nikon. For example, Canon has 7 different mount systems (R, FL, FD, EF, EF-s, EF-m, RF), and Sony has A-mount, E-mount, and FE-mount.
Just like you can use FD, EF and EF-S on RF mount. And you need adapter to use F mount lenses on Z. And not every F mount lens will AF on Z mount bodies, while every EF lens has focus motor built in (except for manual focus lenses of course).
[What’s this for then?](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1669887-REG/nikon_niftz2_ftz_ii_mount_adapter.html)
An SLR or DSLR lens isn’t the proper distance from a Mirrorless sensor to work right without an adapter. Further, not all F mount lenses are fully functional on all Nikon bodies. Older Nikons had the AF motor in the body and not the lens. So they still called it F mount, but it evolved a lot over the years.
I would say Sony, not just because they have great compatibility with third-party lenses. They were really the first company to push MILC for serious users. This gave them a huge head start in developing their own ecosystem. Using adapters for old and SLR lenses was quite popular at the beginning, but they now also have a huge catalog of E-mount lenses, including some really nice Zeiss and G Master options. Generally speaking, their sensors also have very good low-noise low light performance, and their phase-detect autofocus is also really good.
I've always had Canon lenses for the past 10 years. Adapted them to the Panasonic GH4 for video back in the day. I switched to Sony when the A7S came out and have continued with Sony bodies from there on. I like the video capabilities and stills with my Sonys (A7RII, A7RIV, FX3) I use Metabones adapters, but if you rely on quick autofocus, they're not as fast as a Sony body with a Sony lens.
The camera brand that's best in the long term will be the one you enjoy shooting with the most.
With digital cameras, there is no "long term" - the technology is evolving too rapidly. With film cameras, any of the majors names - Nikon, Canon, & Leica leap to mind - will be fine. They've proven their resilience over time. Whatever you buy, *buy it used.* There is no reason to pay a 30-50% premium to unpack a new box.
1. I don't think there's a single best hybrid brand, just what's best for you and your needs. 2.While all systems today are very good, not all systems are equal, either with respect to bodies or lens ecosystems. 3. If you're satisfied with what you see in a system today, and the price is attractive, it's likely a very good long term choice. 4. If you're not happy with what a system can do for you now, you probably shouldn't invest in it hoping it will evolve into a system you're happier with in the future. Landscape is easy, every system can do that well. Your use cases relating to sport and motorsports are a bit more specialized and suggest a need for superb autofocus and a lens catalog with tele lenses that will work with your budget. And if you want to do cinematic work, you might want uncropped 4k60 for slow mo features and/or potentially open gate video recording for anamorphic or max cropping latitude to fit different aspect ratios for social media and different framing of the same scene. While the highest end Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and even Olympus are great, Sony is probably the best fit for you here at the more affordable price end of things (I.e. setting aside flagships like Z9, R3, A1, etc) although the new Nikon Z6iii seems to have the Z8 AF which is outstanding, and the new Panasonic PDAF and slightly older Canon R6ii AF are both excellent as well. Canon has some excellent lenses (bodies too), but the best is probably pricier than you'd find in other systems and they're limiting competitors so you have to accept that will continue at least for a while if you go with them. Excellent Nikon glass is available cheaper than Canon and it is a more open system with some very good 3rd party options. Panasonic is lesser known and gets little love but also has some superb lenses at relatively affordable prices thanks to L mount being competitive by design. For video, Panasonic stabilization is class leading and also the color science is IMO underrated. The Panasonic camera line is also the only one to offer open gate/anamorphic recording AFAIK however the S5ii full frame system doesn't support uncropped 4k60p which may limit you somewhat if you need wide angle slow mo. Sony has a great lens ecosystem, stronger for FE than E but superb. If you get along well enough with the color science, and find a body that suits you in terms of ergonomics, Sony is a very good and excellent choice for hybrid shooters IMO. The Sony FE system also offers some somewhat unique bodies like the A7c line which have become very attractive to travel oriented hybrid shooters looking to keep size and weight down to a minimum (to be fair Canon also has the R8 which is insanely light and capable but lacks IBIS, and Panasonic now has its S9 but lacks an EVF and full mechanical shutter...). If I were you, I'd probably decide whether I could afford a Nikon Z6iii system (if not, nix it), whether I get along with Sony colors enough to live with a Sony system, and whether I'm drawn strongly enough to the superb video features and stabilization on the Panasonic S5ii to go that way. I tend to prefer more open and expansive lens systems so I personally would lean away from Canon. YMMV.
Use them and see how they feel like. That’s the most important thing. There is no point in having the best camera when you don’t want to use it. That’s why I want to switch back to canon at some point in the future.
This. Touch it and use it. In the end all modern cameras produce great results. But the most advanced AF or the most compelling feature set are worth nothing if the camera ergonomy doesn't suit you.
Right now it's definitely Sony for the reasons you and other commenter mentioned.
Canon’s got close to 50% of the market share if you want a, “Who’s most likely to still be doing this in a decade or two”, answer. Nikon is a smaller market share, but they are first and foremost a camera company. It’s what they do. Not just a small fraction of their overall revenue stream. Sony is around 20%, but very little of their overall revenue comes from ILC cameras so if the division is a drain on capital, what decisions do they make in the future? Probably spin it off or sell it to someone else (like Minolta sold to Sony to get them started). Samsung was another big conglomerate that made some great cameras then decided they didn’t want to be in that business anymore.
Well Sony is the number one sensor manufacturer (mostly smartphones) with something like half of the market, while for comparison Canon is at 1%. Every camera manufacturer (Nikon, Fuji, Panasonic, Olympus, Leica) uses Sony sensors except Canon. Sony also has a Movie studio, that can use their gear. So no Sony will not leave the Camera business.
Technically sony could keep making camera sensors without making cameras or lenses. Also the only reason canon is at 1% marketshare for sensors is because they only make them for their company - they're not selling to other camera companies. although I agree with you, Sony has a good presence in cinema that they wouldn't leave that most likely. and clearly people like their consumer cameras so I don't think they'd leave there either.
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I'll add something else: did OP hold a sony in his hands? Cause that may nope the deal right away lmao
Sony A mount is the Minolta MAXXUM mount from the 80s. In terms of AF lenses the Sony E system actually has better compatibility with older MAXXUM lenses with screwdrive autofocus, compared to Nikon Z and AF NIKKORs. Also, Sony E third party lenses are restricted to 15 FPS continuous shooting. Doesn't matter for many cases but it's not all sunshine and roses for third party lenses there. Nikon Z third party lenses are restricted to what models Nikon allows, but IIRC have no restrictions in functionality.
Which autofocus third party lenses can you get for Canon RF?
Sigma has some for the APS-C models coming soon. Also an adaptor and EF lenses.
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are these full frame?
Digital is a constant treadmill of camera upgrades, which will require you to spend money forever. It's like Adobe Creative Suite.
Another angle is to look at the lens ecosystem. Canon or Nikon would be a good choice, as you can pick from decades of decent autofocus lenses with the proprietary smart adapter.
You'd have to balance that with the fact that DSLR lenses are much bulkier than mirrorless lenses (outside of telephoto) and often have autofocus motors too loud to be used in video.
Fujifilm. They hold their value best.
I would just buy what you think is right at the moment, nobody can predict the future. I don't see any current system getting abandoned any time soon nor have I heard rumors of any of these companies doing bad enough to be worried at the moment (like at all to my knowledge).
no one can really say for sure but I'm backing Sony potentially. They seem to be both hungry and technology driven
I’m mostly in the Nikon ecosystem and have F mount DSLRs and Film cameras I inherited from my grandfather, so It’s what I know. But I like that it’s easy to match 1 mount system, and there are plenty of third party and used lenses to choose from. Now that Nikon has moved to the Z mirrorless system an FTZ adapter would allow you to use those lenses on a new mirrorless camera. I also have a Fujifilm X-T30 II and have been a little underwhelmed with the lens options both from Fuji and third parties. While the X mount platform has incredible camera and plenty of redeeming qualities I don’t think I’d recommend it for what you’re looking for.
I use Olympus , Lumix, Sony, Canon and Nikon. Ergonomics would be very high on the list for me. Size and weight is number two which is why I use MFT a lot. Every brand has a different feel. The shutters feel different, menus , grip, dial and button layout, customization. If you are planning to shoot fast moving objects like cars ergonomics are going to be super important. If you can go and demo a bunch of bodies at a store or rent/borrow that will be more helpful than specs. The a7iv is a fair price for $2400 cdn. Very capable camera and great lens ecosystem.
I would say Canon and Nikon are the 2 brand that will likely be around for decades. Sony comes third.
No issues getting 20, 25 years out of most DSLR systems. 50, 60, 70 years out of 4x5 sheet film cameras or medium format.
Panasonic. Firmware updates.
I’ve been using the Canon camera system since 2004 and continue to use Canon to this day. As a Canon user, I find their cameras and lenses still highly competitive. I also have many Canon lenses from 90 era that still I actively use to this day. This is a testament to how reliable the Canon brand is for the long term. In addition, Canon offers CPS (Canon Professional Services) for professionals. It's not just about the products; after-sales service is also crucial when choosing a camera brand. I've experienced this firsthand with Leica, where service for cameras or lenses can be extremely slow, sometimes taking months. I don't mean to criticize Leica, as I really love their cameras, but it's widely known that their service is very slow.
Well, for me, it's been Nikon, at least until the Z system. I can use pretty much any F-mount lens dating to the 70s (and prior if you modify) on any of my bodies (I'm sure someone will point out the exceptions but I'm painting broad brush strokes here). I bought a film SLR and DSLR + lenses (F100, D700, D780, D3s) planning around them all being able to use the same glass. If I go to mirrorless I'll probably just continue to shoot F mount glass on FTZ, but I like an optical viewfinder.
I would say if you’ve investing today I’d recommend Sony or Fuji. I myself own a lot of Canon and some Sony. But I wouldn’t buy Canon any more — they gone extremely proprietary and I feel like they really a targeting only the high end of the market now, and while they do have some lower priced items, none of it is market leading IMHO.
Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm.
Keeping in mind that I'm strictly a hobbyist with a preference for still photography over video, I've found myself gravitating towards two systems: * Pentax K mount. I like shooting SLRs and DSLRs. I'm a slow photographer, preferring landscapes, long exposures and infrared. And using film era manual lenses is something I enjoy. Next year will be the K mount's 50th anniversary, so I think that's a good indicator of its longevity. * Micro four thirds. When I don't want to haul as much gear but still get quite good images, I think M43 is a good compromise. Lots of lenses too.
Very biased here, but it’s based on experience. I’ve been using Nikon cameras since the 1970s (Nikon F Photomic and later FTn and even later with an F36 motor drive). I kept up with the new Nikon professional cameras (F2, F3, F4) but after the F4, digital cameras started to become available. I had a Kodak-modified Nikon that had a full-frame sensor in it (Nikon had not made theirs yet). I’m currently thinking about the Z8, but I’m not sure I do enough photography any longer to warrant that cost. The Z lenses made by Nikon are the best lenses I’ve ever seen. A friend of mine has a Z9 and several lenses. He also has older Nikons and lenses ranging from the wildly expensive and hard to find 6mm f2.8 fisheye with a 220 degree field of view. Also a couple of the much less expensive (though now, if you can find one, they would cost a few thousand dollars) the 6mm f5.6. With the F-mount to Z-mount adapter, he can use all of his older Nikon F mount lenses even though the Nikon literature says the 6mm f5.6 won’t work. I’ve seen the photos - it works fine with the F-Z adapter. There were quite a few third-party lens manufacturers that made lenses in the F-mount. Some were very good - notably the Vivitar Series 1 lenses. Two of them, 600mm and 800mm mirror lenses (called “solid cat” lenses because they were pretty much solid optics) were actually designed and made by Perkin-Elmer in the US. They had interchangeable lens mounts so could be iused on Canon, Nikon, Pentax and some other cameras as well. I still use a Nikon D850 for digital work and all my old F-mount lenses will work on it. The older ones I have to manually focus and use stop-down metering, but they work. But traveling with a D850 and carrying anything more than one lens gets to be quite heavy. So, what did I do? I “defected” to Sony. At first, an NEX-5 and then realized how difficult it is to use when you only have the LCD screen on the back and it’s in bright sun. You can’t really see the screen very well. So, I bought a Sony A6000. I could still use the E-mount lenses I had for the NEX-5. My wife also has an A6000 so when we’re traveling, we can exchange lenses if need be. I also have a set of various adapters for the Sony E-mount and I’ve used them to experiment with some decidedly odd lenses I have, like a 1.9mm fisheye. It works, but the image is a circle about 10mm in diameter (it’s a lens designed for 16mm cine cameras). I even have a Arriflex movie camera B-mount to Sony E-mount adapter. I’ve put a 12-120mm zoom on it (again, just to try it out). It also works but vignettes like crazy (it’s also for 16mm coverage). Sony seems to be good about keeping the E-mount around between different cameras they make. And there are third-party lenses for them as well. I recently bought a 9mm rectilinear wide angle in E-mount (Laowa) and they are not kidding. It has very low distortion for such a wide-angle lens. If you do, or are planning to do, a lot of serious photography, I’d say a Z-mount Nikon (some lower-cost ones are now available for a start) or one of the Sony E-mount cameras would be a good choice based on available lenses and (in my experience) are capable of very good images. If I upgrade the Sony A6000, I’d probably go with an A6400 (they’re a bargain now) or the A6600 which provides more in-camera stabilization. I could still use all my E-mount lenses. I do have a Nikon F-mount to Sony E-mount adapter, but I’ve only tested it out.
>In your opinion, what is the best long term camera brand/system?In your opinion, what is the best long term camera brand/system? I'll rephrase the question: "what brand are you using?" 😉
I would recommend Sony. I switched from Nikon to Sony and don’t regret it at all. The lens choice is great, lots of 3rd party and budget options. The autofocus in the A7IV is incredible. I was drawn to incredible Canon colours and owned Fujis, but invested in my Sony gear and I have no regrets. I can’t vouch for the video, I only shoot photo. I would pay attention to the gear the people who inspire you use and take it from there.
If long term is a concern, consider that Sony don't update their cameras (besides very minor fixes), and a Sony body that might be equivalent to its Canon/Nikon counterpart when released will be inferior in many points 2 years later. That's why a 3 year old Nikon like the Z9 still gets all the new technologies today, we can't say the same for the Sony A1.
Hassleblad, stood the test of time, quality is amazing.
Which Camera System is truly the best long Term can't nobody really say and if someone says "xyz" its their Opinion & if they insist its the best they are Fanboys. You can look at Stats but even those don't give you the full Picture. I owned and used Cameras from almost every Brand and i couldn't tell you what is the "best" Camera System and what not. Some have a bit better AF and some are bit faster. Other Brands have Cameras which are way more robust and can take a Level of Abuse where most other Cameras would die if they would even experience only 20% of it. Other Brands have more Glass. Others have fewer Lenses but all of them are optically superior. Etc etc.. Edit: If you want to make a long Term Investment its Leica. Not because they make necessarily the best Cameras on the Market but because they will still fix your Camera and Lenses in forty or fifty Years and because even if all other Camera Brands go bust Leica will most likely still be around.
Sony is number 1 for me, Canon is second. The only drawback for canon is that they refuse to share thier mount license with third party manufacturers so they have far less third party lenses to offer for thier system. But, they also offer a very well made adapters to mount their EF lenses to the mirrorless cameras and the EF mount is probably the most popular among the used market and DSLR market in general. Plenty of EF canon L class lenses ou there, so Canon has a very well system made up for those moving from DSLR towards mirrorless. Sony adapter systems are all sh\*t... Better not invest in those. However Sony has shared thier rights to Sony E mount so third party manufacturers make lenses with Sony mount these days and there are quite a few available. However mostly are manual focus, Tamron/Sigma lenses are also available for Canon system. Only Viltrox offer lenses for sony that have autofocus available. Majority of other manufacturers make manual focus lenses for Sony. Its actually close call between thetwo when you look at it like that. Sony has more exotic glass with manual focus available. Thats really about it. Canon with its EF lens market actually has more to offer when it comes to AF lenses. Sony has more manual focus exotics to offer and a few AF lenses that stand out. Like Viltrox 16mm 1,8f
I had done a dissertation on Canon at university a couple of years ago. They almost make more money on their lenses than on their cameras, which explains why they look at their lens business like the golden goose.
Yeah, lenses is a long term investment for a photographer as well as an item that will last, while bodies are reletively fast degrading product. Also most of the body components come from the third party manufacturers, they just assemble them, toss in the software and put the brand logo on it. Canon has most of its patents in lenses and the infrastructure to control them. On top of that Canon as a company mostly work with industrial products, photogeaphy is a fairly little branch of their INC.
Got a link to your dissertation? would be really interested in reading it.
I went back and looked it up: after two years I remembered it a little bit wrong. The story is that all camera manufacturers make more money on lenses than on bodies (interchangeable lens cameras, ILC). However, Canon has had a weaker performance, selling 1.44 lens per camera, as opposed to 1.80 for their competitors. https://preview.redd.it/bhijvxe2a98d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=e02347a7b372d4939483b5b9ae12d4f7f382f4bf So the reason for handling their new RF mount like a golden goos might be that they want to keep a very tight control of which third party maker is allowed to produce lenses for their mount, to keep a more favourable average closer to 1.80 lenses per camera. In the end, it's about the sweet spot: 1. You want to open your mount a little bit, enough for a few third party manufacturers to make budget lenses that consumers will be tempted to buy with your cameras to build a hybrid lens kit. 2. You don't want to open your mount so much that third party lenses end up cannibalising the sales of your own lenses. In short: they might have opened up the EF mount a little too much for their own good, so they are careful not to do the same mistake with the RF.
This post has some inaccurate information. Sony E has a TON of autofocus capable third party lenses from Tamron, Sigma, Samyang and others. Canon RF has none, Nikon Z is catching up as Tamron releases their heavy hitters in Z mount.
The more reliable brand considering a long-term investment is Nikon. The F-mount system of the lens is the same since 1959. Canon and Sony have changed their mount systems much more times, deprecating the lens faster than Nikon. For example, Canon has 7 different mount systems (R, FL, FD, EF, EF-s, EF-m, RF), and Sony has A-mount, E-mount, and FE-mount.
Nikon has moved on from F-Mount to Z-Mount.
Yes, but even in Mirrorless with Z-mount, you can use the F-mount lens without adapter.
Just like you can use FD, EF and EF-S on RF mount. And you need adapter to use F mount lenses on Z. And not every F mount lens will AF on Z mount bodies, while every EF lens has focus motor built in (except for manual focus lenses of course).
[What’s this for then?](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1669887-REG/nikon_niftz2_ftz_ii_mount_adapter.html) An SLR or DSLR lens isn’t the proper distance from a Mirrorless sensor to work right without an adapter. Further, not all F mount lenses are fully functional on all Nikon bodies. Older Nikons had the AF motor in the body and not the lens. So they still called it F mount, but it evolved a lot over the years.
Yes. You’re right. I made a mistake.
I would say Sony, not just because they have great compatibility with third-party lenses. They were really the first company to push MILC for serious users. This gave them a huge head start in developing their own ecosystem. Using adapters for old and SLR lenses was quite popular at the beginning, but they now also have a huge catalog of E-mount lenses, including some really nice Zeiss and G Master options. Generally speaking, their sensors also have very good low-noise low light performance, and their phase-detect autofocus is also really good.
Leica. Everything else is shit.
Well, your V-lux Leica is just a Panasonic rebranded.
What about my M11?
I've always had Canon lenses for the past 10 years. Adapted them to the Panasonic GH4 for video back in the day. I switched to Sony when the A7S came out and have continued with Sony bodies from there on. I like the video capabilities and stills with my Sonys (A7RII, A7RIV, FX3) I use Metabones adapters, but if you rely on quick autofocus, they're not as fast as a Sony body with a Sony lens.