EOS 6Dはあまりの買取額の安さに、結局持ち帰ることにしました。そんなわけで、我が家のカメラは、EOS 6DとEOS RPの2台、実質的にEOS90Dと何本かの交換レンズを売却して、ミラーレスに買い替えただけということになりました。 引き続き使うことになったEOS6D。ミラーレスのRPと比べると文鎮のような重さですが、100mmマクロと35mm単焦点専用機として当面使おうと思います。
********************* Because I stopped going hiking and have been suffering from back and waist pain, I haven’t been carrying my DSLR around much lately. Another big reason is that smartphone cameras have improved so much that they’re more than sufficient for casual shooting. (Also, I usually carry two smartphones — one for work and one for private use.)
At home, I had two DSLRs: an older full-frame Canon EOS 6D and a relatively newer APS-C Canon EOS 80D. I also had a decent collection of interchangeable lenses, including some expensive L-series lenses. However, for the past three years or so, I hardly ever took the cameras outside. I only occasionally used the EOS 6D to photograph wine labels, and I hadn’t even touched the 80D for years.
Even if the COVID situation settles down, I realized I probably won’t be hiking with a heavy DSLR or carrying two cameras at once anymore. So I decided to sell all my equipment and replace them with one inexpensive, compact mirrorless camera.
With that decision, I went to Map Camera in Shinjuku last weekend carrying my heavy gear. In hindsight, I wish I had made this move a year or two earlier. The used camera market in Japan is well developed, and I have bought and sold cameras secondhand since the film era. Usually, if you time it right, you can sell at about one-third of the purchase price. But now it’s a mirrorless era.
I kept only two lenses I liked — a 100mm f/2.8 macro and a 35mm f/2 prime — and sold the rest. Fortunately, I got a decent price for some of my L lenses, which gave me enough money to buy the replacement.
Here’s what I bought:
Canon EOS RP + 24-100mm (F4-7.1) zoom lens
This is the entry-level model in Canon’s R-series mirrorless lineup. It’s a full-frame camera but has a body lighter than the EOS Kiss and a surprisingly affordable price of around 100,000 yen (body only). There are many ways it’s inferior to higher-end models, but since I don’t shoot fast-moving subjects in burst mode, don’t record 4K video, and rarely print large enlargements, this is more than enough for me. Most importantly, it’s lightweight and compact. These days, I really appreciate the value of light gear.
Because the trade-in price for my EOS 6D was so low, I ended up keeping it. So now I have two cameras at home: the EOS 6D and the EOS RP. Essentially, I sold the EOS 80D and several lenses and switched to mirrorless.
Well, with this setup, the 6D will be for prime lens shooting, and the RP will be my daily carry. Its lightness and convenience have rekindled my desire to go out and shoot photos around town again.