What It’s Like Switching from a 2014 DSLR to a 2023 Mirrorless Camera

Despite the huge advances in camera technology, many photographers are still using DSLRs from the 2010s — like the Canon 5D series and Nikon D800s. And while they remain great cameras, mirrorless rule the 2020s.

I was one of those photographers for a long time. Until recently, I shot professional photos with my trusty 2014 Canon 5D Mark III. But then I got a brand new, 2023 Canon R6 Mark II.

What has changed?

In short, everything. Both are Canon cameras so I was immediately familiar with the camera, but as soon as I started going through the menu I realized that the R6 II is a completely different beast.

Focusing

As I scrolled through the menu, I couldn’t believe all the options available to me. The AI servo has advanced in leaps and bounds with so many more functions. The ability to focus was important because of the test I was going to put it through — high-octane roller skating in Athens, Greece.

Selecting which eye to focus on has been a feature of Sony’s mirrorless cameras for some time, but as an “old school” DSLR user I was excited by this option on the R6 II. Even the face tracking alone impressed me a lot. And while it didn’t work every time in my fast environment, it worked well enough.

Rollerblader celebrates trick landing. — In this dimly lit scene, the camera managed to follow the face of the roller skater who was celebrating landing a huge trick. The camera did a great job keeping the emotionally charged photo in focus.

Simply put, I was taking photos on the R6 II that my 5D III would have no chance of sharpening. That alone is worth its weight in gold.

Rolaš jumps over hurdles — Despite the low light conditions and fast action, the R6 II did a good job of focusing.

Shutter

The R6 II can shoot 40 frames per second (FPS) with the electronic shutter engaged. Breathtaking.

Going from a 5D III that shoots six FPS to an R6 II that shoots 40 FPS is a bit like going from a horse and cart to a Lamborghini. When I was tracking a roll on the 5D, I had to wait for the perfect moment to press the shutter. On the R6 II I just spray.

Panoramic shot — I got more bite when trying to pan thanks to the R6 II’s extremely fast shutter.

A roller with a smile on her face — This photo illustrates the number of frames per second well. I got a dozen photos of the roller skater, but only one with a great expression in this frame. That’s a shot I would have missed on my old camera.

A twist on roller skates — See how I caught someone’s camera flash in the background? 40 frames per second, baby.

There’s an old saying in photography: “If you’ve seen the shot in your viewfinder, you’ve missed it.” That was true for my 5D III, but 40 FPS is a shame for it.

Covering the action as I was, I got so many shots that I was able to pick a photo that captured exactly the right moment.

When it got dark, I planned to switch to a mechanical blind to avoid the blind. But I didn’t really notice it on the back of the camera and I didn’t want to give up the incredible speed so I just kept shooting electronically.

Space for card and battery

As excited as I was — shooting 50 RAW photos at any given moment — I unsurprisingly filled up two 64GB SD cards in no time. Next time, I’ll have to record more sparingly so I don’t take up so much disk space on my computer.

The battery drained pretty quickly and actually died right before the event ended. I didn’t have a backup. Rookie mistake.

The roller grinds the handle — One of my last frames before the battery died.

Images

The Canon 5D was a beautiful camera that captured beautiful colors. And while the R6 II was an upgrade, it wasn’t a huge step forward in terms of focus and frame rate.

As it was getting late, I pushed the ISO all the way up to 8000 and noise started creeping into the photos. For some of these photos, I ran the AI-powered Denoise tool on Photoshop Camera RAW.

Denoised photo — The AI Denoise tool in Photoshop’s Camera RAW brought some magic to this photo, shot at ISO 8000. While the overall effect is cool, look closely at some of the faces and you’ll see nightmarish AI distortion.

RAW comparison — As my subject wandered off into the darkness, I just kept shooting. It was too beautiful a moment not to try to capture and with the help of Photoshop RAW and the R6 II sensor, I got something back.

The combination of Photoshop RAW and Canon’s full-frame sensor can drag otherwise unusable photos to some level of acceptability.

Conclusion

I love the Canon R6 Mark II, where has it been all my life?

However, I am seriously talking to many photographers for PetaPixel who are still using old DSLRs. And while these cameras are still excellent in terms of image quality, the technology inside them is now outdated.

I remember in the mid-2010s when some of my peers started switching to Sony. They were delighted with the Sony a9’s ability to focus around the subject. I never took that leap because, frankly, I couldn’t justify it at the time.

But after my experience with the R6 II, I wish I had. Everyone’s situation is different, but the latest camera technology really is a necessity for many photographers.

Credits: Big thanks to Nicholas Kouros, Syeahskate and Athens Bladehouse for organizing such a good event. All photos by Matt Growcoot.

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