Update: June 2022

After a gap of some years (of not owning/using a “real camera”) and almost always shooting with my iPhone 12, I have taken the plunge to buy into the mirrorless platform, and bought a Panasonic Lumix G7. I’ve found that the mirrorless platform has evolved significantly over the past decade (especially the last 5-7 years), and now offers real advantages over the (old and outdated) DSLR systems. The word in the market is also that DSLRs are practically dead, with the biggies (Nikon & Canon) both investing heavily in the new system. I chose the G7 for its large grip, extensible menu and buttons, and because for a camera launched 4 years ago, it still beats the pants off most newer models!

Update: June 2018

After two and half years of shooting with the Nikon D3300 and a host of mobile phones, I took the opportunity to compare some pictures shot in the same place and at the same time, between the two platforms. My analysis confirmed the suspicion that mobile phone cameras have significantly improved over the years, and that comparable pictures shot on a DSLR vs a capable camera phone are virtually indistinguishable. In fact, in some cases, the camera phone performed even better!

Sure, there are situations in which a DSLR (or full frame) with the right lens will vastly outperform anything small and mobile. Some examples that come to mind include ultra-wide, ultra-fast, ultra-zoom or very low light. Since I don’t do too much of that kind of photography, I sold off all my Nikon gear, and now intend to continue shooting with the camera that is almost always in my pocket – an appropriate ending for a post on how Bigger does not always mean Better, don’t you think?!  

Update: Oct 2015

After 3 years of working exclusively with the mirrorless Olympus E-P3 platform, I switched back to a Nikon D3300. 

The mirrorless platform was a great experience, but given my large hands, I missed the grip of holding a larger camera in my hand. Also, while the size of my E-P3 was considerably smaller than DSLRs, the weight was not much less. Finally, over the past few years, DSLRs have also evolved quite a bit, offering ISOs of upto 12,800 in even entry-level models. I now look forward to using the trusty old DSLR format in exciting ways, leveraging its capabilities to the extent possible!

Most of us would’ve encountered the situation where, in a group of trigger-happy camera-toting enthusiasts, someone whips out a larg-ish lens mounted on a larg-ish DSLR body, and the typical reaction was: “He/she must surely be a serious photographer”!

The truth is that having a more expensive (or larger) camera or lens makes you no better a photographer than buying a bigger piano makes you a better pianist. In fact, most intelligent folks do not make this extrapolation in any other vocation or profession, except in photography.

All that gear comes at a price, of course. And I don’t mean just the monetary kind. Once you have the stuff, you need a place to store it, the means to carry it, the time to maintain it, etc. etc. etc. As this writeup will explain in great detail, for many wannabe photographers, the path is quite well laid out. They keep adding to their gear until, one day (and only if they’re lucky), they realize that those with more basic equipment are making better pictures than them!

Now, some of you may not know this, but DSLRs evolved from SLRs (yes, the film kind!). And the folks at Canon and Nikon who were responsible for decades of investments in the technologies involved, were less inclined to start from scratch and reinvent the wheel. As a result, some of the most revolutionary advancements in this space were born out of research & design by players like Panasonic and Olympus. If you’ve been following the action, you would have encountered terms like “mirrorless”, “EVIL” and “Micro Four Thirds” and the likes.

I’d been watching this space for a while now, and recently concluded that the third-generation of camera technology has finally evolved to a level that poses a serious threat to the world of DSLRs (at least for amateurs and hobbyists like myself). But, like most people who have been practising the art, I already had a Nikon D90, a Nikon F75 and 3-4 Nikon-mount lenses that would not work with these new formats (with some exceptions).

So I sold every thing!

Yes, that’s right. I ditched my DSLR and started from scratch. Then came the tens of manhours of research to find out the best solution for my specific needs. I was looking for something that would be much smaller and lighter than a mid-level DSLR, but would offer comparable image quality. Having reaped the benefits of a “platform”, I was also keen on making a beginning with a platform that would keep up with my evolving needs. HD quality video would just be an added bonus. Finally, I wanted to keep the overall spends to under $900 (or INR 50,000).

I loved the retro styling of Fuji’s X100 and the range & affordability of Fuji’s X10, but they came with fixed lenses. I liked the small body of Sony’s NEX series, but its choice of APS-C sized sensor made its lenses extra large. To be fair, I also evaluated Nikon’s recent attempts with the V1 and J1, but it’s still early days for them. After extensive research, I settled on the Micro Four Third platform as the answer to my needs. Finally, I took the plunge and went for the Olympus E-P3, built on the legendary PEN platform.

The newest PEN series range of cameras from Olympus offers significant advancements over older models, notably in the area of autofocus response and image processing. I specifically chose the E-P3 since it was the biggest of the three models (I have large hands) with more advanced features (like OLED touchscreen, manual zoom ring, etc.) than the others. The image sensor was about 40% smaller than APS-C, but 5-7 times larger than compact cameras, making the body+lens combination much smaller and lighter than traditional DSLRs. Finally, the Micro Four Third platform (jointly developed by Panasonic & Olympus) would also offer me an array of more than 40 interchangeable lenses for all my needs. Yes, the Olympus menu system is nowhere near Nikon’s, in terms of ease-of-use, but the design is so customizable that you don’t need to dig into menu levels to get to your often-used functions, once you’ve set it up.

With the E-P3, I got every thing I was looking for in a camera that is less than half the bulk and weight of its DSLR counterparts, and I couldn’t be happier. You have a choice too – Do you wanna be the guy who “looks” like a photographer, or do you want to shoot more photographs?

The fact of the matter is, sometimes, bigger does not equal better.