how to respond when asked "why don't you get a DSLR?"

The only reaction I get from other people who are used to seeing me shoot with a large SLR + big lenses, is surprise. When I explain them what this camera can do, what it does on the technical side and what the (small) differences are compared to SLR's, I mainly get very interested listeners and even people who find it very compelling and wanted to get to know more. So I guess Sony should pay me something for extra advertising.

That said, I keep going back and forth between my NEX6 and my Canon 7D. I have a pretty nice lens-setup for my NEX (including the Zeiss 24mm) so I definitely don't lose anything when it comes to picture quality. But I still use my 7D with a lot of love because of the fast AF and the diversity my SLR offers me when it comes to lenses (especially tele).

Still, I feel that when mirrorless evolves even more and the AF speed gets up to the same level as the Canon 7D (which is as good as it gets imo), and the lenses on offer are even more diverse, I really think it's possible there comes a moment where I forget about my (heavy/bothersome) SLR all together.

As of now, I'm going on a safari in a few weeks and I'll be taking both my NEX and 7D. The NEX will be used as a landscape camera with the Zeiss mounted, and also for late night dinners or low light shooting. This allows me to get amazing shots without compromising quality. For the safari's, I'll be taking my 7D with the 70-300L which give me a great reach and very fast AF tracking for wildlife.

I went to China last year with only the NEX5n+kitlens and got amazing shots. A lot of people on that trip (who know me well and always saw me lugging around a backpack) asked why I didn't take a 'pro' camera like I used to. But when I explained them about the sensor inside and the weight gain, they were all very interested. I get almost no negative comments about my mirrorless use. But then again, I wouldn't use if for paid work for now, still kinda feeling odd when using a small thing that LOOKS like a compact (but isn't!) for this kind of work. Clients usually have a sense that bigger and heavy (like the white L lenses) equal professionalism and quality. Wrong, but not easy to explain.