17 replies to this topic

[Serge]

Looking for a good camera to carry when I don't want to bring all my DSLR gear. I'm looking at some mirrorless cameras and am impressed with their capabilities. Problem is, there are a lot of them now and some go as far as $1200.

I'm hoping for:
* Sub $600
* APS-C sensor
* Small form factor
* Good glass
* Good manual controls (don't want to use menus to get to different modes like aperture and shutter priority)
* Good ISO quality

Any suggestions? Willing to get a used one to keep cost down. I also know the above feature list is asking for a lot.

Edited by Serge, 30 January 2012 - 09:53 PM.

[gdizzle]

Fuji x10 or nikon 1.


LOVE my Fuji X100. X10 has the same sensor and fantastic glass like the x100. The ISO is amazing on it.

Shot with my fuji X100, hand held. Exposure 0.05 sec (1/20) Aperture f/16.0 Focal Length 23 mm ISO Speed
3200

DSCF4150.jpg by KeysarPhoto, on Flickr

[prasamin]

Bought my dad a Panasonic GF2.....he loves it....but he's no expert in photography....the shot above by Greg looks beautiful...

what lense were you using?

[gdizzle]

The x100 is a fixed lens 23mm, 35mm equivelant.

[prasamin]

gdizzle, on 31 January 2012 - 04:01 AM, said:

The x100 is a fixed lens 23mm, 35mm equivelant.

doesn't look as wide as it should...maybe the length of the pier is throwing me off

[gdizzle]

That's what she said?

35mm=not that wide

[NEU]

prasamin, on 31 January 2012 - 03:49 AM, said:

Bought my dad a Panasonic GF2.....he loves it....

I LOVE my Panasonic Lumix, I bought mine in '05, 5MP, still has the original battery and stays charged for MONTHS! It's small enough to fit in an older iPod case in my pocket and takes great picture. It has a Leica lens, large screen, takes great video w/really good sound quality too. I was blown away by how good it was when I got it and won't think twice to buy another if I needed one.

In fact when I go to car shows I use it more then I do my work camera (Nikon D2Xs). I learned a long time ago that my SLR is nice but when your traveling, sometimes lugging it around isn't as desirable to a really good point and shoot.

[gdizzle]

The panasonic micro 4/3rds cameras are really nice, but APS-C is mo betta. Come on Serge, you know you want the x10... :drool:

[Serge]

gdizzle, on 31 January 2012 - 03:22 PM, said:

The panasonic micro 4/3rds cameras are really nice, but APS-C is mo betta. Come on Serge, you know you want the x10... :drool:

Ugh, making me really want that one now. It does fit my criteria! And yes, APS-C is much better. The controls look awesome, unlike the Sony Alpha NEX-3/5 cameras which have almost no buttons. Not to mention the Sony mirrorless has that bulge for a grip, which is kind of annoying.

[gdizzle]

Fujinon glass is amazing and the fuji sensors are second to none. A canon executive was recently quoted as saying Fuji is the only camera company they fear due to their sensor technology. It's freaking awesome. The OVF is amazing too..

[adamjjohn203]

How about the Canon G-12? I really like mine, they call it the professional photographers "other" camera.

[Serge]

gdizzle, on 31 January 2012 - 06:56 PM, said:

Fujinon glass is amazing and the fuji sensors are second to none. A canon executive was recently quoted as saying Fuji is the only camera company they fear due to their sensor technology. It's freaking awesome. The OVF is amazing too..

It looks really good. Except, will the glass be sufficient for most things? Not sure what the crop factor is, but the lens is 28-112mm. Looks good, though.

[gdizzle]

It's a 1.5x crop factor so it's a 42mm-168mm equivelant. And it's a f2-2.8, f2.8 on the long end, which is pretty amazing for such a compact system. It's only 1 stop of light, amazing.

[Serge]

gdizzle, on 31 January 2012 - 09:30 PM, said:

It's a 1.5x crop factor so it's a 42mm-168mm equivelant. And it's a f2-2.8, f2.8 on the long end, which is pretty amazing for such a compact system. It's only 1 stop of light, amazing.

It's pretty quick for 110mm. The more I'm researching, I'm finding that the X10 has quite a small sensor, actually. The X100 has an APS-C sensor, which is awesome, but it's also 3 times as much

[gdizzle]

Oh, well then. For some reason I thought it had the same sensor. :/ Maybe I'm thinking of the x1 pro.

Edit: This lays it out nicely..
http://briard.typepa...91f53115970b-pi

[gdizzle]

I say screw it and get the X100. It's worth every penny.

[gdizzle]

Pentax just released this: http://www.bhphotovi...amera_With.html
Just above your price mark but meets your specs.

[Serge]

gdizzle, on 02 February 2012 - 02:46 PM, said:

Pentax just released this: http://www.bhphotovi...amera_With.html
Just above your price mark but meets your specs.

Just saw it, too. Does indeed look like it matches. The X100 meets my specs, but not my price criteria. I want to be able to carry it around almost everywhere, so the less I spend on it, the better. That's why I'm okay with a used camera.