My on-off-on and off again love affair with Sony E-Mount or Mirrorless cameras in general is well documented. However in case you missed it, there are a few draw backs that stop me from jumping two footed into the world of mirrorless and burning all my A-Mount gear in the street outside B&H.

So, rather than go on a another rant I’m thinking positive that one day mirrorless will be king once Nikon and Canon bring out decent rivals to Sony and Fuji cameras superb line of cameras.

To try and help I’ve created my wishlist for mirrorless cameras that hopefully someone will read and go “hey, this guy is right” and give me exactly what I’m asking for.

Firstly the LCD screen, almost 70% of my work is done looking down at the camera either after I have completed framing the shot or because the angle is a little odd and I need to flip the screen out to compose first. I know there is a lot of the information in the rear screen but I rarely use mine outside of those circumstances I just mentioned. Plus those LCD screens have a nice battery drain in bright light when used all day. Hence the need for an LCD top display which almost every pro camera has had since Colonel Sanders first stole his chicken recipe, and I have found useful ever since. So for me anyway, a top LCD would make a transition from DSLR much better.

I’m sure I’m not alone in the majority of DSLR sized shooters that has a want list similar to these. But if not hold up, I’ll explain my choices in turn.

The EV wheel is there, I suspect, to give the camera a retro feel. To which end it does the job perfectly, however it’s just too difficult to get the EV just right when you’re a heavy handed oaf like me. Finding EV using the button and wheel combo on the a99II has never been a problem and countless other cameras with the same kinda set up, on the a7 /a9 a different story. The size of the wheel could also explain when the wheel “only” goes to EV3+/- which is limiting when you’re doing certain types of manual HDR bracketing. A button and LCD would fix that nicely.

Having an ISO button on my finger rather than thumb means I can still use the joystick on the back and use the ISO button up top quickly. Limiting most functions to the thumb gives my thumb much more work to do, that’s just not cricket.

Last one, and yes I want the camera to be bigger, not DSLR bigger but bigger. The idea of smaller is best is all good and all but having to spend more money on a grip to get that “larger” feeling just empties my bank account quicker for something which should be addressed on the “pro level” mirrorless at least. I find the small bodies difficult to hold and also have the feeling of knowing how the camera is laying against my body when attached to a black-rapid or something similar. I instantly know how my DSLR is hanging so to speak, mirrorless could be dangling anyhow and I would always grab for it wrong or hands on the lens scrambling to raise it in time for a shot. (I understand the last comments are ripe with double entendre, it wasn’t intentional)

I hate the rear LCD screen on all mirrorless cameras, I love the one on the Sony Alpha A99ii, why ? I can turn it in almost any direction I want, that includes back on itself so I don’t smudge or damage the screen. Doing so saves on damage, light radiating from the camera which is a distraction, plus my nose isn’t smudging the screen or enabling touch sensitive options. Talking of touch features, I don’t like them on a camera, my fingers are normally in gloves and I’m yet to see a good performing screen in low temperatures. Maybe this is something millennial types are after but I can’t see how it speeds my process up as a photographer.

Aggghhh just give me the exact screen on the A99ii as its the best screen on the market by a country mile.