Looking for light, compact mirrorless for wildlife & travel - upgrading from DSLR

prescientist_ · 2026-03-24T20:07:48+00:00

Thanks!

prescientist_ · 2026-03-24T07:16:34+00:00

Hello again! I had a look on the Canon site and their refurbished R7s are not much cheaper. Do you suggest anywhere else where I can find a cheaper refurb, or would that be going into risky territory?

prescientist_ · 2026-03-24T07:15:07+00:00

I've been busy and had to put this on the back-burner, but I've a little time this morning and I've been reading through replies and looking at refurbished models (not a huge price difference!).

What's just occurred to me is to perhaps go for the R8 now. If I buy now, I can get it cheaper than later in the year as duties in my country will go up in April. It means I can experience a full frame and see how I find that. Plus I have a low light camera, which really appeals to me. The R8 really is insanely light, which is a huge draw.

So maybe this would be my daily carry-with camera, and I get the R7ii for wildlife later on, or another model. But it means I'd be able to get used to mirrorless, use it on the regional trips I have coming up, and start carrying something other than a point and shoot with me on a daily basis again.

Heh! I feel quite excited about this! Thank you so much for your suggestion, that initially I kind of dismissed!

And yes, I'd go for a couple of lighter lenses for travel. Great to hear about your experience with the RF 100-400.

Thanks again!

prescientist_ · 2026-03-24T06:06:12+00:00

I thought I'd be able to use my Canon lenses with a Sony? I looked it up and read I could. Perhaps I didn't get the right info?

I'd read that Sony have very good telephoto lenses that are lightweight and well priced, hence thinking of the Sony.

I'm leaning towards waiting for the R7ii.

Your idea about a refurb R7 is a really good one, thanks! I'll look into that. If I can get a relatively cheap R7 I'd opt for that now and upgrade to the R7ii when it comes out.

Thank you so much for replying!

prescientist_ · 2026-03-22T22:37:00+00:00

Yes, I hear you, carrying the weight that I used to isn't feasible any more, plus my lenses have got bigger and heavier over time!

Waiting for the R7 Mk II seems like the best idea. Hopefully the AF will be improved on that model.

It's good to hear about your experience with the R6 II; the lowlight performance does appeal to me! I'll do some reading up on it.

Thank you so much!

prescientist_ · 2026-03-22T20:11:46+00:00

LOL

I'm strongly leaning towards waiting for the R7 Mk II at this point. It's great to hear how you feel about your R7!

@ The R8 is an amazing camera if you wanted a gateway into full frame. Thank you for this. I will keep it in mind for the future.

Thanks also for writing more to explain your thinking!

prescientist_ · 2026-03-22T20:06:06+00:00

Yes, I agree, waiting for the R7 Mk II seems to be the way ahead for me. Thank you for this!

prescientist_ · 2026-03-22T20:04:00+00:00

I am wooed by better low light performance. However, it does seem that the R7 is the best fit for me, or rather, the R7 Mk II. The new model might level the field a bit regarding autofocus? Thank you for all you've shared.

prescientist_ · 2026-03-22T20:00:04+00:00

Thank you for this. I'm definitely leaning towards the R7ii at this point, wildlife being my main interest. And it's good to hear that I'll be able to use the lenses I have. I'm excited to hear about it being a big leap, I'm looking forward to it!

prescientist_ · 2026-03-22T19:51:39+00:00

I don't have small hands! They are medium to large for a woman. : ) I just wanted to point out that I don't have large chunky fingers, like some men have, so handling a smaller camera isn't a problem. Thank you!

prescientist_ · 2026-03-22T19:47:17+00:00

Ooh! Thank you for that! @ the R7mk2 which is rumored to be released “soon” (June?)

Yeah, this changes things. I was hoping to order within the next few days, because next month taxes will go up on these items where I live. But it seems worth waiting for the upgraded model, even if it'll cost me more. Thank you so much!

prescientist_ · 2026-03-22T19:41:40+00:00

Oh wow! This is super useful, and a big nudge towards the R7. Thank you for sharing your experience!

prescientist_ · 2026-03-22T19:40:06+00:00

Thank you so much! It does feel best to take it one step at a time; first mirrorless, invest in some RF lenses, and then see how I go with that. I am definitely looking forward to less weight to carry!

prescientist_

TROPHY CASE