Monthly Archives: October 2018

Equipment Review: Nikon Z7

10.25.18

Over the last three or four years, I have been watching the mirrorless market as it grows and matures. While teaching workshops, I have had the chance to play with quite a few different mirrorless cameras brought by participants. Every time I have picked up a mirrorless camera in the past my reaction was no,...

2018 Annual Fine Art Print Sale – 25% Off

10.20.18

To get the ball rolling for the fall holiday season, I am happy to announce a 25% off sale on all of my fine art prints until December 31st, 2018. How this works is very simple, just take 25% off my standard fine art print pricing, which can be found here, and contact me to order...

Random Thoughts on Mirrorless Camera Systems

10.15.18

Over the past year or more, in anticipation of this time–where Nikon, Canon and everyone else would jump on the mirrorless train–I have been testing out and thinking a lot–too much really–about the equipment I use and what the future holds. It has been clear for a while now, at least to me, that mirrorless...

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Martim VidigalOctober 15, 2018 - 2:04 pm
Hi Michael,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the Mirrorless world.
Since Nikon and Canon entered the full frame Mirrorless focusing most of their marketing on the lens mount itself I have been wondering what are the advantages of having a bigger diameter mount like Nikon vs the Sony smaller mount diameter.
In 1987 Canon introduced the EF mount with a much bigger diameter than Nikon and Nikon was still able to build awesome lenses on pair with Canon.
Do you know what are the advantages of the bigger diameter lens mount?

Cheers
Michael ClarkOctober 15, 2018 - 2:19 pm
Martim – Hello. There are quite a few benefits to a larger lens mount, and especially with such a short flange distance like the Z series Nikons and R series Canons. First it simplifies the lens design pretty seriously, allowing lenses to be built with fewer elements, which means more light reaches the sensor (i.e. fewer lens surface interfaces). Second, you can also collimate the light so it is striking the sensor straight on instead of being bent at radical angles. This reduces Chromatic Aberration and also allows for much sharper rendering in the corners than previously. Thirds, it allows for using IBIS to it’s full potential. Fourth, in the case of the Nikon, it might mean that we are using the center of the lens more – i.e. the best part of the optics. With the Z7 I have not really seen any CA at all, which is pretty phenomenal. I will discuss this more in my actual review. This covers the basics of a larger lens mount. I am sure there is a lot I don’t know. Nikon released a very extensive PDF all about the reasoning behind the larger lens mount.
Equipment Review: Nikon Z7 » Michael Clark PhotographyOctober 25, 2018 - 9:02 am
[…] I wrote about in my last blog post, entitled Random Thoughts on Mirrorless Camera Systems, while the small, lightweight form factor of the Z7 is great for some situations, it can be a […]
Tony BonannoOctober 29, 2018 - 6:23 pm
Excellent thoughts about mirrorless Michael! I totally agree that the future will be (or should be) a range of mirrorless cameras incorporating the advantages and minimizing the disadvantages of mirrorless. I’m very pleased with the Z7, but already thinking about a Z850 :-).
Wilbur NormanNovember 1, 2018 - 11:48 am
Many Thanks for the article. As a long-time (mostly) Leica user I am clearly not in the telephoto or ‘need for speed’ lane. As such, I now cannot imagine having to use those big, long-lens units of my youth! (Especially as most Leica lenses are basically miniaturized.)

At Photokina a few weeks ago the crowds of people around the mirrorless stands were many bodies deep. Probably 75% of them were carrying DSLR cameras so it was possible to see, first-hand, the enormous interest in mirrorless. I did persevere and got to fondle the Nikon Z7. Very nice!