My Switch Story

Why I switched from Panasonic Lumix micro 4/3s to Sony Alpha Full Frame mirrorless.

Phone or Camera

In March 2025 I shot my Granddaughter's first birthday entirely on my iPhone. The image quality is nearly identical to my m43 system in good light, and it was a full blown daylight (got a nice tan in the process). I could even shoot RAW and get DNGs to edit in Lightroom if I want. Of course there is no match when you need more reach, or shoot in lower light, but for a regular daytime photo shoot, there was no point in lugging around a camera body and multiple lenses, for almost no image quality gain.

In April 2025 I decided it was time to start moving into a system that will provide more flexibility, improved support, research and development, and also widely available for resale. So the Sony Alpha system made a lot of sense. For far too long I've been researching the system, only to get disappointed every time I looked at the price, size, and weight. Until I saw this kit which completely changed my mind.

Equivalent lenses, MFT versions are f:2.8, and Sony Alpha are f:4, but are equivalent in depth of field rendering. Besides, the extra stop is very well handled as the Sony full frame sensor manages noise at high ISOs surprisingly well.

Thoughts of Change

My thought process swarmed around my head, and began looking into different options. Sony clearly won, so started selling most of my old gear, and get the A7R IV plus 3 lenses and a Teleconverter. It can easily cover from 20mm up to 420mm.

I would have gone for the A7R V, although I'm not ready to spend that kind of money on a camera until I start getting paid jobs. Besides the V has exactly the same sensor as the IV, so image quality will be almost the same. It has an improved EVF, AI assited AF and better IBIS, but I think I can survive with the IV for a couple years. By that time, the VI should have been released, and the price of used Mark V should have gone down considerably.

This comparison is more balanced, as the OM Systems lenses are of similar quality, and while the 40-150 will render a 80-300 equivalent field of view at 20 Megapixels, the Sony 70-200 can reach up to 280mm using APS-C mode, and still render a 26 Megapixel file.

The 61 Megapixel sensor provides room for cropping, and still get a usable image. It has an APS-C mode, which I configured to a function button. I just press it and it multiplies the field of view 1.5 times, still getting a 26 Megapixel file, which is more that what any MFT body can provide.

In APS-C mode, my 70-200mm will become a 90-280mm, still f:4, and if I add the 1.4X teleconverter, I can get to up to 420mm at f:5.6.

Did the Kit grew or shrunk?

My fear about Full Frame was the cost, size and weight of the kit. Not so much the camera body, as is similar, and even smaller than flagship micro 4/3s bodies, but the lenses. Specially the longer ones. And while they are indeed bigger, heavier and considerably more expensive than MFT equivalents, you can now find way smaller and lighter lenses. The 20-70mm + 70-200mm combo is a match made in heaven. They even share the same filter size, and constant aperture.

So, my former kit was:

  • G9/G95/GX9

  • 12-35mm f:2.8

  • 8-18mm f:2.8-4

  • 12-60 f:2.8-4 (for single lens travel)

  • 12-60 f:4-5.6 (for light travel)

  • 35-100mm f:2.8

  • 9mm f:1.7

  • 15mm f:1.7

  • 25mm f:1.4

  • 45-200mm f:4-5.6

Basically 6 zooms, 3 primes, and 3 camera bodies. Impossible to carry all on a trip. I had to decide what I “expected” to see while away. Most of the time I missed leaving one of the lenses at home.

This kit covered from 16mm to 400mm at 20 Megapixels.

My new Sony kit is:

  • Sony A7R IV

  • 20-70mm f:4

  • 70-200mm f:4

  • 35mm f:2.8

  • 1.4X TC

That's it. One body, one prime, two zooms and a teleconverter covering from 20mm to 420mm. 4mm shy on the wide end, and 20mm more reach compared with the MFT kit.

Contrary to all my expectations, my kit shrunk. Considerably.

The reality of Depth of Field

I remember on my film days playing with aperture to control Depth of Field, or the distance between the closest and farthest object that is still in focus. With Micro 4/3 I don't remember even considering Aperture, and I kind of forgot about it. In reality since I got my first APS-C camera back in 2005.

After 13 years with MFT, and just a couple of days ago I really understood why I was either:

a) Shooting wide open all the time, avoiding the ISO to go too high or
b) Not stopping down above f/8, for the risk of diffraction

Doing some math I realized that my most cherished lenses, the 12-35mm and 35-100mm, both f/2.8 in reality rendered the Depth of Field of an f/5.6 lens in Full Frame terms.

Not that glamorous anymore, are they?

Eureka moment

AHA!!!

So that's why my shots were so sharp all the time!. My goodness, these lenses are amazing — I though… And they are, but it was not the lens, it was the depth of field. Everything was tack sharp because I could still miss focus, the subject fell within the wide DOF.

Full Frame is nowhere near as forgiving.

But wait!

I'm not ranting against micro 4/3s. Far from it. I've been using the system for well over 13 years, so my issue with aperture and depth of field is completely my fault. I realize that MFT have a huge advantage when you need long reach and wide depth of field. That's the main reason why it is so popular to the wildlife and BIF (Birds in flight) photographers. Since I'm neither, logic dictates I have been using the wrong format. But I'm not complaining. I loved MFT, and still do and hope for the best, but sadly looking at the latest releases I'm not confident that at least Panasonic is still committed to the format. I know OM Systems have no choice, so they will dedicate all their R&D to the wildlife/bif genre. Understandable.

Nikon FE, circa 1977

3:2 a familiar aspect ratio

The final reasoning why Full Frame makes sense to me is that it feels like home.

Way back in September 1977 my brother bought me my first SLR. A Nikon FE. I used Nikon ever since, up to the mighty F100 which I loved with all my heart. Most comfortable camera I have ever owned.

The 3:2 aspect ratio is wider than 4:3, so is less "boxy”. I find myself sometimes cropping 4:3 into 3:2. I find it more aesthetically pleasing than 4:3. Suits better my preferred subject: Landscape. My Granddaughter is close 2nd. But very close.

Jobo UniTank

A Family Tradition

I shot Slide film almost exclusively for almost 30 years. I even owned a darkroom at home, printed and developed reversal film, even did Cybachrome, amazing media.

On later days, our typical weekend was to go out on a Saturday with the family, to an interesting place around the city, or maybe to the beach, with my camera and a couple rolls of slide film. Then Sunday afternoon, after lunch, I turned on the JOBO development tank system to bring it to the right temperature. Cracked open the cartridges in a light proof bag, and fed the film into the reels of a JOBO UniTank. Started the development process: first developer, reversal, color developer, bleach, wash and stabilizer. I still remember the scent of E-6 chemicals.

Kodak Carousel

After drying and cutting the strips of film I mounted them on slide frames. Loaded the slides into a Kodak Carrousel, and at dawn, it was family time to watch the 72 photos I captured over the weekend. We used to live in a country house, with no Cable or Internet, so it was so relaxing and amazingly fulfilling to sit down for a few minutes and enjoy "the catch of the weekend” with the family.

It might be the reason why I miss the 3:2 aspect ratio of the 35mm frame so much.

The Death of a Legacy

In 2002 my F100 died with an Err in the screen, and no way to repair it. So I stopped photography for good. It was my last SLR. In 2005 I got my first DSLR, the first Canon Digital Rebel. Basically the only “affordable” DSLR at that time.

Customizing your Nomatic McKinnon Camera Pack 25L

Is your Nomatic Peter McKinnon Camera Pack 25L the best backpack you have bought to date? It is for me. After going through a plethora of different backpacks, starting from early model Lowe Pros, passing through a few Think Tanks, and all Peak Design bags (and sling bags) they make, I finally found the holy grail in camera backpacks.

Although for an almost perfect backpack, there is still room for improvement. And I'm not talking about design changes, but inexpensive additions that makes it a more whole experience.

1. Magnetic sterum buckle

I love sternum straps. They provide the wrap around feeling to a backpack that makes it feel more secure, but I also like detaching, and if possible clipping them in with only one hand. The edge here is with Peak Design for the best sternum strap system I tried, and is also the simplest, with just a metal hook that wedges between different spots in the shoulder strap. Is also the easier to adjust for height, but that really happens only once or maybe twice in the lifetime of the backpack, unless you share it with someone else.

Then comes the Bellroy magnetic buckles, which are a bit fiddly, and in my opinion don't feel very secure. You also need to pay attention to squeezing the buckle correctly to detach it one handed, but locking it in is still not really a proper one hand operation. The left side of the buckle is a bit on the heavier side, and the strap itself is thin and lightweight, so is difficult to clip it one handed.

Finally, every other sternum strap I have found has the standard buckle that you see in any other backpack. I was hoping Nomatic being so modern and high tech would have come with a fancier system, but I was a surprised, and a tad bit disappointed that it uses a standard buckle. Don't get me wrong, the standard buckles are not bad, they have been used for decades, they are simply… well… boring.

Can be detached one handed, but clipping it in is a two hand operation.

My last backpack before the Nomatic was a Vanguard VEO GO 64M, which was really a good idea, but sadly a bit poorly executed. I sold it very fast, though. The problem is that this bag didn’t come with a sternum strap, so searched Amazon for a solution and found the 8TIMBER Stern Link Quick Release Magnetic Sternum Strap. (Amazon link: https://amzn.to/4cmURv8)

It worked somewhat well for the Vanguard, but since I parted from it, it was left unused. I wasn’t going to give it away for free.

The clear and grey version was on discount, so I got that one instead of the black, and it kind of stands out, so I kind of like it.

One thing that I hated was the weaving clip it uses to attach to standard shoulder straps, so when I decided to use it for my new backpack I was not going to use the ugly and quite harsh webbing strap it came with, so instead modified the Nomatic strap, removed the buckle by cutting the threads without damaging the strap, and sewing it back in with the magnetic buckle. You can see the final results on the right.

This buckle is a breeze to use. Since the Nomatic strap has some heft to it, it mostly remains horizontal, and you only need to bring the main buckle closer and it makes a very reassuring "Click!”, then you know is ready to go. To detach it, simply pull the rubberized zipper pull with the 8TIMBER logo, and both sides come apart easily. If you have sewing abilities, is very easy to do. If not, ask your Grandma and she'll be happy to help you.

Is not always possible to use only one hand to attach it, mostly depends on how busy you are, and how full the backpack is, but most of the time is a one hand operation

2. Cable Management System

The reason why I came with this idea is simple. I dropped a few cables on the top zipper, and moving around they started bulging and I didn't like that. So I though there should be a better way.

Welcome to the Cocoon Grid-It system. Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3IFouuj

I found it in Amazon, and bought the smaller size I could find, but the initial idea was to slip it inside one of the pockets. It barely fits inside, but trying to use anything weaved into it I need to pull it out, and that is not very practical. So it occurred to me to put it outside, but where?

What if I glue a strip of velcro to the back of the Grid-It (BTW, Cocoon guys? Please do it from the factory. It won't change the thickness much, but it'll be so much worth it. BTW, please forgive me for my very lousy glue job. But it'll be hidden anyway, so I wasn't too careful.

Then the logical spot was the “Loft”. There is plenty of furry material in the back side to fit it there. And if I close the loft, it'll slide down. And initially it worked, but when I put a 2nd camera cube, the Grid-It gets completely unusable, unless I remove the cube. Not elegant or practical at all.

Then I thought: when the backpack is open, there is a space above the two zippers that is simply, well, unused. Don't you think they should have done something in it? Sadly it doesn't have the same furry material than the rest of the inside of the bag, so you can't really attach anything with velcro there, but… can you?

Let's do the same. But I don't want to glue long strips of velcro to my new bag with hot clue, just a few little squares that can be easily removed is needed. NOMATIC, please. Put the same furry stuff up there in the next version, yes?

Version 1, not a very good hot glue job.

Version 2, better glue job, but not very simmetric.

And there you go, the final product. Since for this Blog I removed and reattached the Grip-It a couple times, the Velcro spots started tearing out, but if I leave them alone, it should hold for a while.

In the future I might consider sewing the velcro, just to make it neater, maybe get brown ones so is more "stealthy", but so far is working.

3. Red Zipper pulls

One complaint from some of the reviewers is that all zipper pulls are black, and when they are together in the top of the bag can get a bit confusing to figure out which is which. I try to keep the main bag pulls on the down and left position, and the Loft pulls in the top right.

So, heat shrinking tubes to the rescue. You can find here (https://amzn.to/3IHStSf) the specific tubes I used, which have an internal adhesive, much like the originals that came with the bag.

Initially I thought about using a size big enough to cover the whole pull, without removing the factory black tubing, but it looked too thick and bulky, so I clipped the black ones with a fine scissor (Victorinox Swiss Army knife scissors are great for this), and adhered the red ones.

I know, buying 190 pieces of tubing to only use one is kind of too much, but I really love heat shrinking tubing. Looked like magic when I saw it the first time when I was like 12 years old. So I use it for everything electrical, and also mod zipper pulls for my other bags.

4. Peak Design’s Floating Pockets

That’s the name the people from Peak Design gave to this little gadgets. I really never used them on my older PD Travel Backpack. They are designed to be used inside their camera cubes. I sold that backpack years ago, although kept the pockets in a box just in case one day I might find some use to them. I know that I had two of them, but just found one. I searched the PD website and they are no longer available for purchase. Searched amazon, nothing. Finally found them in B&H: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1449658-REG/peak_design_bcc_pk_1_floating_pocket_for_camera.html

They are pretty cheap at less that $5, so bought two of them and they are in the mail as we speak. This bag is amazing for this kind of Velcro thingies, as it has furry surfaces all over the place. Except above the two zippered pockets. NOMATIC, please…

5. Attachments Galore

I got this pack of assorted attachments for Molle straps from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4afMVdq. There are dozens of attachments, and I have really not found any use for most of them, but there are a few that really helps to the practicality of this bag.

I'm pretty sure you'll have much better ideas than me on what to do with them. I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

The bungy cord attachments are great for holding a tripod, an umbrella, a Roost laptop stand in its bag or even a foldable light modifier in a pinch. The Nomatic straps (which I also got) are supposed to be used for this but just attached them to the front of the bag. I have other plans for them.

There is also a very neat bottle holder that I use with my Nomatic 8L sling on my daily walk. It bangs around a bit when I walk, so I’m trying different attachment points.

Right now is in one of the front Molle straps.

And finally I attached a couple of C clips to the front, weaved into the Nomatic straps, where I can attach my gym bag and go completely hands free when walking in and out of my office every day. I look like Sam from The Lord of the Rings, but I don't care. Love the comfort.

And that is it. Five ways you can customize your already awesome Peter McKinnon 25L Pack without breaking the bank. The bag itself already broke it :D

Feria Internacional de La Chorrera

This weekend we took a stroll around the local farmer's fair. I could only stay for a few minutes as the heat and humidity was building up, and I can only tolerate such weather for so long, but it was a good photo opportunity. Next time we should go either earlier in the morning, or much later in the afternoon.