To Mirrorless or Not?

Many photographers are toeing the line of "do I buy a mirrorless camera or stick with my current camera?" There are more options than ever when it comes to digital cameras, so you should choose a camera, not based on trends, but one that works best for your business! With that said, lets jump into this review!

I have been shooting Canon for 15 years, I have gone from the Canon 20D, 50D, Mark III and finally the amazing Mark IV. I love my Mark IV, it's fast, crisp, has amazing dynamic range and is incomparable in low light! So needless to say, I was a little nervous to make the switch to mirrorless. I did a TON of research and finally decided to pull the trigger and buy the Canon R5 mirrorless.

Image shot with R5/RF 50mm

You may ask..."Why not the R6?"

Here are some reasons I went with the r5 over the r6

1) The r5 has double the megapixels. 45mpx for r5 vs 20mpx for the r6. More megapixels means more fine details which gives a crisper picture

2)The r5 takes the CF express card, which will allows the images to process faster. It also has a slot for the SDHC card.

3) The r5 has the High-Resolution OLPF feature which stops high-frequency image information and reduces the effects of moiré and false color caused by high-frequency waves in images. So no more magenta outlines with backlit images!

The question isn't whether you should get the R6 or R5....both are great cameras, it really comes down to price and great quality images (r6) and super great quality images (r5)...

Image shot with R5/RF 50mm

The REAL question is... "should you go mirrorless or not???"

YES

- it's the next phase in photography and the image quality is superb.

But lets start with what I DON'T like about the R5:

1. The super large files (45mpx) means they take longer to process. And when using High Shutter setting, the buffering takes a good minute (which seems like an eternity during a session) So I use the regular multi-shot to avoid the dreadful "busy" icon. *also wedding photographers may not like the super-sized file size when having to save and edit thousands of photos. The quality of the R6 is still good enough to deliver to clients...just avoid cropping in too much in post!

2. The R5 battery life sucks! Well at least compared to the Mark IV... The R5 utilizes the live view a lot more and the larger file sizes drain the battery faster. The R5 battery lasts about 4-5 hours...but I messed around with the settings to make sure the LCD screen turns off, the wifi is off and the auto-shut off was on. My Mark iv lasts 10+ hours as long as I wasn't using the live view all day.

3. Learning where all the settings were...there is a bit of a learning curve, the cameras are laid out a little different...but it's NOT like switching from Canon to Nikon...the language is all the same, just the buttons from the Mark iv are now digitized on the LCD screen and viewfinder.

4. You are going to need a RF lens mount or to purchase new lenses for the mirrorless. I chose to get new lenses, since the new RF lenses are amazing also...but that might be a whole other blog post!

5. Price...whooweee, it's an expensive camera...and like I said above the R6 might be a better price for you, depending on your budget!

6. I needed new connections for my computer. I usually connect my Mark IV to my laptop via USB cord provided with the camera...however the R5 didn't come with a compatible USB cord, so I ordered a CF express reader from Amazon.

Image shot with R5/RF 50mm

Now onto the Positives! What I LOVE about the Mirrorless R5

1. Insane Quality:

   1. The r5 has the dual pixel raw feature, which allows photographers to perform incredible micro adjustments to the images while editing. You can adjust sharpness, bokeh and lighting in portraits, and use background clarity to get images looking their best.

   2. The r5 has the High-Resolution OLPF feature which stops high-frequency image information and reduces the effects of moiré and false color caused by high-frequency waves in images. So no more magenta outlines with backlit images!

   3. Huge file sizes...this can be good and bad...bad because it take longer to process and takes up more space on HD...but GOOD because you have more info to work with and thus better quality images! You will see below that when I zoom WAY in, colors are not affected by editing or pixelation.

*I used my donkey Maurice as a model to show detail, the fur makes a good comparison and I doubt any of my clients want me to zoom in 200% on their faces! lol

*You can see fine details in the fur on the R5. But on the Mark iv, color distortion and pixelation starts to happen from editing and zooming in. The colors on the R5 are stabilized from that High-Resolution OLPF feature

Canon R5 RF 50mm on a cloudy day: zoomed in to show details of Maurice's cute fuzzy nose!

Positives continued....

2. Easier to grip than the Mark IV. This last year I struggled with carpal tunnel and tennis elbow from all the shooting and editing and it became extremely painful to grip my Mark IV. But the grip on the R5 is much smaller allowing me to curl my fingers and cup the grip with my palm. I am hoping the easier grip will help with the wrist pain!

3. The digital preview is so helpful when you are in a hurry or get flustered with settings. The mirror in a DSLR is showing you the subject through the lens (the reflection) without settings. The mirror snaps up when the shutter is triggered. But the R5 doesn't have a mirror, so it shows you a digital preview with settings. You can literally see the final product BEFORE you press the shutter, allowing you to have perfect exposure every time!

4. The R5 is super quite compared to the Mark iv...there is no SNAP of the mirror going up when you press the shutter. I never really minded the noise of the Mark iv...but newborn photographers might be interested in the lack of sounds from the mirrorless camera.

So in conclusion...if you are in NEED of a new camera, definitely go mirrorless...the photographer geek in you will love the color and quality!! The Mark iv is still a great camera and the R6 is a wonderful mirrorless for a much lower price.

But I go by the motto..."go BIG or go home..." So I went BIG for the R5!

Image shot with R5/RF 50mm

Missie Lafrenz Photography

Indianola, Iowa

How to be a happy & successful photographer.

I see so many articles about how to be a successful photographer. But what about being a HAPPY AND Successful photographer. This will be my 11th year taking pictures...that is crazy to me. In the last 4 years, I have made the transition from casual/hobby to serious business. And I have found the secret to a happy & successful photography business...

Yes, you should be good with finances

Yes, you should pay your taxes

Yes, you should be a good person in general

but none will sky rocket you in epic proportions.

Here is the secret...ready for it......

{SHOOT FOR YOURSELF}

Yes, I still please my clients wishes...but I encompass their requests into my vision. Like Picasso, I approach my pictures as if they are subjective art; Picasso simply painted something without any vision for the person who will see it, without any idea of the person who will look at it. My goal is to keep that mind-set...to bring my clients into my world-my mind and photograph them.

My vision is not the same as another's...and vice versa...In the beginning of my photography venture, I copied others work, I'll admit it. Of coarse it was pre-facebook and pre-pinterest age and it was much harder to copy. I would find photography books and book mark the pages I wanted to copy. Or google ideas and attempt to duplicate the approach/idea. Years of this form of plagiarism left me empty and bored with my work. And in 2012, I was DONE...ready to leave it all behind. I was attracting clients that were telling me where, what and when to shoot sessions and my work was no longer my work, but a vision of someone else using me to push the shutter.

If you are wanting to try this approach of shooting for yourself, making your work subjective, this means you will have to say goodbye to the masses. No more creeping another local photographers website to see what they charge. Or trolling their instagram to see what location they were at...

It means doing your own work, being the one green apple amongst the red. Being UNIQUE and DIFFERENT will bring a WHOLE BUNCH of NEW clients who adore your photos and value your time and effort!

I don't care what other photographers do, I don't care what other photographers charge, I don't care what camera they use, clients they shoot or locations they go! I really don't care. I use to spend SO MUCH OF MY TIME checking out other pages and websites, I thought I was doing myself a favor by competing with other photogs. But after 11 years of this, I just don't care. I DO NOT want to be manipulated by pinterest and I do not want to copy other's work. I DO want to be inspired by life, nature, fashion, relationships, hair, personality, colors, weather, seasons...you get the point!

I now have clients who contact me and say "whatever YOU want...I TRUST YOU completely!" How amazing is that!!!!??? As an artist that is music to my ears! It allows me to be free and make amazing images! It allows me to post what I love...not what I think my clients and page fans will like. I know that seems backwards, but I only want to show what represents me and my vision.

But the most valuable gift you get from focusing on you and making your own work, is the sense of pride and love you have for your craft. Success is not measured by the amount of money you make or the amount of followers and likes, it is measured by the amount of happiness it brings you! And I believe that my clients can see and feel my enthusiasm and joy for what I do! So don't just be another photographer...be an individual artist people seek out and love!

Be a HAPPY Photographer and then success will easily follow!

Bring Me All The Dogs!

I get it...between convincing your husband or your boyfriend that you NEED pictures and then getting the kids ready and trying to show up to the appointment on time-the last thing you want to do is bring your crazy dog...or is it....

Family sessions are crazy/hectic anyways BUT it's the craziness and the chaos that I love to photograph-and no I'm not talking about hissy fits or snotty noses. The kind of chaos I'm talking about is the laughter and the spontaneous adventures that may or may not happen! Most clients leave my session with a new funny story or are in amazement at how much fun their kids had. So guess what- your family pet automatically makes everything more fun and everyone feel more comfortable, the kids-the hubby-your fiance who is missing the game because of pictures...there is just something about dogs that makes us...RELAX.

Your dog is apart of your family...and just like us mom's, we forget or neglect to include them in the pictures. So BRING THEM! Bring a leash, dog treats, a bottle of water and tupperware. Tie them to a tree or put them in the car with a bone when we are done with the pooch.