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Terry Donnelly talks the benefits of switching to a full-frame mirrorless system
Award-winning freelance photographer Terry Donnelly on embracing new tech
We are currently in very exciting times in the photographic industry, with advancements and innovations in technology redefining how we take photographs.
While kit alone does not make us better photographers, having kit that streamlines our workflow, and helps make the technical part of photography easier to handle, enables us to give more attention to other areas, such as finding great compositions and connecting with our subject. With more and more photographers switching from DSLR to mirrorless systems, I consider the changes that are taking place in the industry as big of a change as was seen with the transition from film to digital.
Recent innovations in mirrorless photography have enabled me personally to transition fully from using DSLR kit to a full-frame mirrorless system, capable of shooting demanding sporting action by delivering fast and accurate focusing and professional-grade image quality. Couple this with the advancements in LED lighting, with systems now delivering high-speed synch flash along with continuous light in a single unit, and it isn’t hard to see how technology is changing the opportunities we now have and empowering us as photographers.
In my work I sometimes literally have a few minutes to make a shot, and when shooting with mirrorless kit I can see what the sensor is seeing rather than what the lens is seeing, which is a much more intuitive way to work. Before I press the shutter and take the shot, I can see through the electronic viewfinder or rear screen exactly how the shot will look in terms of exposure value, depth of field and colour temperature. Combine this with continuous LED lighting and I can see a perfectly lit shot before I take it. This makes my workflow extremely fast and intuitive, and a true ‘what you see is what you get’ environment. Really great picture opportunities can sometimes only last a few seconds, so it is important to have kit that enables us to capture that opportunity in those circumstances.
We truly never know all there is to know in photography because it is continually changing and evolving. By embracing new technologies we can help free ourselves from technical limitations, allowing us to focus on the art that photography is. It is something I highly recommend all photographers investigate for themselves.