The recently concluded PHOTOKINA 2018 witnessed a flurry of launches in the full-frame mirrorless segment. Sony was joined by Nikon and Canon and very soon, the Panasonic-Leica- Sigma combine will add to that list. One notable feature of the new launches is that they are all rather expensive. This includes the lenses launched so far. Do not forget that the rupee has depreciated from Rs. 45 to Rs. 74 for a dollar in the last 10 years.
Does this mean that photography is getting almost unaffordable? Far from it. For a start, everybody does not need full frame. APS-C and Micro Four Thirds can fulfil the needs of a large percentage of photographers very well. More important is the entry of quality second-hand equipment into the market, courtesy the D-SLR brigade moving to mirrorless. Second-hand prices are likely to see a huge dip making photography more affordable to those who cannot afford the full-frame mirrorless products.
H. S. Billimoria
