Switching to Sony From Canon: 3 Years Later

Here are my honest and unedited thoughts after 3 years of using Sony mirrorless cameras. Overall the experience has been awesome, but there are definitely some rough points that make me unsure of whether or not I'll stick with the Sony system in the future.

I hope this is a helpful retrospective. I do really like my Sony cameras, but wanted to be honest about areas of frustration. And I thought the unedited approach was a good way to go since I already have nicely edited full reviews for each camera. Sometimes it's fun to just hang out and talk about cameras!

⏱️Chapter Markers:
0:00 - 3 Years of Sony
1:49 - Why Leave Canon?
5:05 - The a7SIII
6:24 - The FX3
7:52 - The a7IV
9:14 - Reliability
10:29 - Autofocus
11:35 - Customization Options
13:09 - Dual Card Slots
15:26 - Recording Limits
16:23 - Each Camera’s Strengths
21:50 - What I Don’t Like
25:02 - A Rant About Sony Lenses
32:55 - Conclusion

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Episode 410: Switching to Sony From Canon: 3 Years Later

[JonAdamsTech]

Dude these unedited videos are the best!

[lrfarias]

Tom, I love your videos and your puns. I bought an EOS R in 2022, just as you were switching to Sony, and from time to time I still watch your Canon videos just to remember the potentials those cameras have. I'm a photographer, so rarely do video. We can feel your passion on your videos. Keep on the good work.

[thequarantinecatholic]

Links to BH do not work. Your conversational style of camera reviews and spending your own money makes the videos enjoyable and enhances your credibility. Thank you for your post!!!

[quintkuhl]

I personally love these unedited videos! Feels more like we’re holding a conversation and I’m asking you questions about the camera, it also seems like more what you’re into especially considering you used to be a teacher!

[RogerAVHansen]

The first seconds of the video I was like "wow, what camera are you filming this video on, it looks really really good!" And OMG, it’s the OG EOS R! That camera really holds up! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[tdotgg]

The corrupted file story at 14:40 is the story of my life shooting Sony. Doesn't matter if I use the dual SD feature, my FX30 regularly corrupts files. I film for 4-6 hours straight, so I'd understand if it spit out warnings or something, but silently corrupting the file has ruined multiple days of filming for me. I talked to Gerald and he's had similar issues, albeit much less frequently

Since moving to USB C SSD recording on the Lumix S5II X, I haven't had a single issue. Moving OFF of Sony is the best thing I've done for my channel

[GuilDormeus]

I Iove this! Great video. The A7iv to me is one of best tools I have. The dual card slots, full size HDMI and a bunch more features make it stress free to use.

[flproductions]

you nailed all the frustrations of a sony owner! Especially the part where the cheaper cameras get features the expensive ones don't get.

[JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks, Tom. Another great discussion. I absolutely love my Sony FX3. For me, it is the colour profile. The picture is so sharp and the images are so vibrant. It was incredibly expensive, but I can’t see any reason to change it for a very long time.

[EposVox]

I have Sony a pretty good shot. A7s ii, A7c, a6400 and a5100. They were incredible webcams, but… something just didn’t mesh with me for using as primary cams. I still can’t explain it.
Wound up back at Canon and happy here.

[adrianvanleeuwen]

The Sony A7iv interests me, however I have too many Nikons, including Z6ii. Maybe someday, if I add a Sony. I totally respect Sony for what they do so well in video! I do photos more, however if I did mostly video, Sony would be at the top of my list.

[rogerballard]

Tom - great video. Valuable especially since your comments are so authentic. I like Sony and I have sticker shock from the costs of their many lenses. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[jphdznr]

Thanks for making this video Tom! Couldn't of come at a better time. I'm in the process of switching from Canon to Sony after 17 years. It was a huge step to let go of the known quantity for something that could actually work better for me. This helps me see that it is all going to be OK. Anyway, thanks again!

[texashammer]

Super helpful, as much of your content here is qualitative, and not conveyable on paper. Thank you for making it!

[jeffrey]

Can't be any regrets.
Obviously Canon had no real options but Sony did, it paid the bills. Some people prefer to sit down and wait for that perfect piece of equipment but you did what you had to do, so good for you. Now with the introduction to 3rd party lens and better autofocus, picking up a Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fuji or even a Panasonic is not a hard decision as it was before, it's pretty much depends on your preference, all are pretty good now.
Obviously some better than others but they can all get the job done.

[BillMcLean]

Been a Sony user since early 2022, picked up the A7IV and I love the Sigma lenses. I agree, the 16-35GM was a let down for me and the only GM lens I have left is the 50mm F1.4. Other than that Sigma 24-70mm, 16-28mm, and 24mm have all been amazing!

[DocBoA]

A7iv & A7c image quality and Af have kept me from moving to Lumix, Canon or Nikon. I do still have my m6ii and gh5ii. Great unedited video Tom!

[PaulMDiaz]

Watching this video and seeing the Canon do its slight focus hunt is interesting. I own Canon, Blackmagic and Panasonic. I sold my a6400 but kept some e-mount glass because I will own a Sony cam again. Good video Tom!

[harrisonmartin]

Thanks for that, Tom. I relate to this a lot. I have shot on Canon through my job for years and been reasonably happy. But I picked up an a6700 for my personal stuff recently and I feel similarly to you. It’s so small and SO powerful, but when the quirks do show themselves they’re pretty disappointing. EG losing raw and subject detection when using clear image zoom. And the ergonomics just don’t hold a candle to a chunky canon DSLR, but maybe that’s just me. Anyway, great video.

[levelupwithmikenewman]

I switched from the Canon Rebel t7i ( yikes for video! lol) to Sony cameras 3 years ago. The user experience has been so much better. Easier to find and order the right lenses for those who don’t know what you’re doing yet, video work flow has been better. Canon Rebel EF, EF-S, 🤯n mount was tough as a newbie, constantly ordering lenses that said it was compatible when it wasn’t…Totally different experience as a beginner growing into a hobbyist.