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Back into photography, need new camera

G

geta

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May 18, 2010
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The Moon
Its been ages since i was into photography, and now i would like to go back. Was thinking to get either Canon EOS M6 or Sony A6000 (not interested in full DSLR at the moment), both with standard kit lens for start (Canon 15-45mm\Sony 16-50mm), plus adapter for Canon lenses, since im having few lying around from my old 35mm SLR (Canon EOS 5) days.

Which one having better image quality, options, lenses & accessories? always liked Canon, but looks like Sony cameras are the new ‘hot’ thing at the moment… which one should i go for?
 
geta said:
Its been ages since i was into photography, and now i would like to go back. Was thinking to get either Canon EOS M6 or Sony A6000 (not interested in full DSLR at the moment), both with standard kit lens for start (Canon 15-45mm\Sony 16-50mm), plus adapter for Canon lenses, since im having few lying around from my old 35mm SLR (Canon EOS 5) days.

Which one having better image quality, options, lenses & accessories? always liked Canon, but looks like Sony cameras are the new ‘hot’ thing at the moment… which one should i go for?
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I'm a Nikon guy, so I have not used either of these cameras. The consumer reviews favor the Sony.
For any camera to be usable, it has to feel right. It is very worthwhile to spend a little time shooting with each one. Hopefully you have a local camera shop that will allow you to do that.
Good lenses are expensive, and that might weigh in favor of the Canon. Depending on how old those lenses are, however, you might lose some or all of the camera's automated features (focus, shutter and aperture control, etc). Check on that so you can decide how much you want that to impact your choice.
Whatever you decide, have fun with it. There are a couple of different forums on MR where we post our images. We hope to see some or yours.
 
What's important to you? Of the non-dslr systems, there's Sony, Fuji and M4/3. All have their strengths and weaknesses in different areas. Without providing any criteria it's pretty difficult to recommend anything.

The latest tech, Sony.

Sports, you want Sony for its AFC, tracking. For uses where AFS is used, Fuji then Sony, Oly in good light.

Don't like PP, Fuji or Oly, Sony would be a disservice to you.

Ergonomics, Fuji, Oly, Sony a distant 3rd. Some people value tech, others value how much they enjoy using their cameras.

Lenses, M4/3, Fuji, Sony a very distant 3rd. Including the kit zoom which is a POS.

And on and on and on. What's important to you?
 
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deep diver said:
I'm a Nikon guy, so I have not used either of these cameras. The consumer reviews favor the Sony.
For any camera to be usable, it has to feel right. It is very worthwhile to spend a little time shooting with each one. Hopefully you have a local camera shop that will allow you to do that.
Good lenses are expensive, and that might weigh in favor of the Canon. Depending on how old those lenses are, however, you might lose some or all of the camera's automated features (focus, shutter and aperture control, etc). Check on that so you can decide how much you want that to impact your choice.
Whatever you decide, have fun with it. There are a couple of different forums on MR where we post our images. We hope to see some or yours.
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I learned photography with Canon AE1 (still having that kit around), so going full manual if needed is not an issue for me, as long as i can use my lanes with the adapter. :)

The only active camera im having at the moment is the iPhone SE camera, so i think i will wait a bit longer till i'll post some of my creations...

Ray2 said:
What's important to you? Of the non-dslr systems, there's Sony, Fuji and M4/3. All have their strengths and weaknesses in different areas. Without providing any criteria it's pretty difficult to recommend anything.

The latest tech, Sony.

Sports, you want Sony for its AFC, tracking. For uses where AFS is used, Fuji then Sony, Oly in good light.

Don't like PP, Fuji or Oly, Sony would be a disservice to you.

Ergonomics, Fuji, Oly, Sony a distant 3rd. Some people value tech, others value how much they enjoy using their cameras.

Lenses, M4/3, Fuji, Sony a very distant 3rd. Including the kit zoom which is a POS.

And on and on and on. What's important to you?
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Whatever camera i will end with, its need to feel comfortable in my hands with easy menu navigation and of course full manual control when needed. I will use it mainly for landscapes (nature & urban), macro shots and low light capture at night. Portraits and sports are secondary. Good video capture would be a nice bonus on top.
 
If you're going for a SONY a6xxx, I'd be looking at either the a6300 or the a6500 first...
 
geta said:
Its been ages since i was into photography, and now i would like to go back. Was thinking to get either Canon EOS M6 or Sony A6000 (not interested in full DSLR at the moment), both with standard kit lens for start (Canon 15-45mm\Sony 16-50mm), plus adapter for Canon lenses, since im having few lying around from my old 35mm SLR (Canon EOS 5) days.

Which one having better image quality, options, lenses & accessories? always liked Canon, but looks like Sony cameras are the new ‘hot’ thing at the moment… which one should i go for?
Click to expand...
What's the budget? I'd seriously consider buying second hand from a camera shop rather than fleabay.

If Canon is what you know, then I'd say stick with them. But if I was starting again today I'd go Sony.
Truth is, whichever you choose they are all good enough these days.
 
I own an A7 and it’s takes lovely pictures but is a bit soulless if connecting with a camera is your thing (it is for me). I’ve owned a few Fuji’s before and I can’t recommend them enough. I’m considering selling my A7 and picking up a used Fuji again.
 
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Hard to say without knowing what you do with it.

For example, the Canon doesn't come with an EVF. For outdoor use I consider one essential. I think the Sony has weathersealing as well.
 
I'm a Fuji shooter. Have owned a Sony NEX-7/CZ24 and the 16-50.

In hand experience is totally personal. But for me I'd take a Fuji any day. They are photographer's cameras, lovely in hand and to look at. Other than formatting, I haven't been in a menu for years. There's a short personalized menu and enough customization that the normal menu is near irrelevant. Sony is pretty much the same. There's a lot of criticism of Sony menu's but they can be avoided as well. Buy a book, spend a few days understanding what's possible, voila, you don't need the menus. Full manual control; almost all Fuji lenses have aperture rings, shutter speed is always a dedicated dial, as is ISO on most bodies.

While Fuji shooters may disagree, if I were a serious landscape shooter I'd avoid Fuji's XTrans sensor. Some post processing apps are better than others. Adobe the worst, Iridient and C1 better, in camera converter the best. Foliage can smear. Heavily forested areas need a touch cooler WB. I spent $35 on Iridient Transformer which demosiacs and spits out a DNG file when I have smearing issues. Avoids Adobe's demosiac yet allows me to edit in Lightroom. The files aren't like my old D800's but good enough for less than serious pixel peeping.

On the other hand, XTrans is superb when ISO is being pushed in low light scenes. Noise is better controlled, noise pattern is more pleasing than Sony, m4/3 falls apart quickly in low light. AFS is very good to excellent in low light. f1.4 lenses are readily available and not insanely priced with M4/3 and Fuji. Sony's APS-C lens line is pitiful. Even the renowned CZ 24 pales in comparison to Fuji's 23/1.4. There's a decent 50. Not sure anything else.

Macro: I'm assuming use of a legacy MF lens for cost effectiveness and AF is almost a hindrance. m4/3 with its deeper dof, Sony and Fuji a wash.

Video: Panasonic, then Oly superb. Sony a6500 (IBIS) good. I'd only rate the Fuji XT2 as borderline acceptable (no IBIS). I'm not a video shooter so you'll likely get better input from others.

I've been through 6 Fuji bodies, 3 purchased used. All fine. Never had one go down and I'm not gentle with them. The XT1 and 2 have water resistance, as do some of the M4/3 bodies.

Good luck. Whatever you get will do the job so subjective decisions work.
 
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I highly recommend going to your local camera store and testing these in hand. You can also do a side by side comparison on dpreview.com if you want to check specs as well as check the detailed reviews on them. This forum is great for discourse and getting info but purchasing a new camera system is so personal and really depends on what you're shooting. Plus, most haven't shot extensively enough on both (except @Ray2 it seems!) to give proper comparison reviews as my comments below will illustrate. Most everyone here is already loyal to a brand so their opinion will skew towards that.

On a personal note, I've also been a Canon girl from film to a few DSLRs. But I've sold them all and made a full switch to the Olympus m4/3 system. The OMD EM-5 looks like the old Canon AE-1, which I really liked. The EVF was a selling point for me and the Olympus pro lenses are superb pieces of glass. I considered the Canon EOS M series at one point but it honestly didn't feel right in my hand. Using the adapter to use your old lenses sounds good in theory but it just makes the whole kit heavy and out of balance, which defeats the purpose of these mirrorless cameras to a certain extent. The whole thing feels clunky, especially if you're doing any street photography. The Olympus cameras and many of the lenses also have weather proofing which helps if you shoot landscapes.

I can't speak on the Sony as I've never shot on one but I have a couple of friends that have them and they LOVE them. I'm just too deep in the Olympus kit to switch at this point. lol
 
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Fishrrman said:
If you're going for a SONY a6xxx, I'd be looking at either the a6300 or the a6500 first...
Click to expand...

Budget wise is max €1000. It would be nice to if i can manage to get a body plus 2 lenses in that budget, or at least body, one lens, and Canon adapter...
The Canon EOS M6 body cost €627 (€699 with 15-55mm), while Sony A6000 body cost €430 (€549 with 16-50mm) and A6300 is €889 (€890 with 16-50mm), Is the A6300 body really worth the extra money?

The only reason im considering the kit lens coz its not much more expensive compared to body only. Except that lens, based on my old film days, i would like to have 2 prime lenses for a start - 30-35mm\F1.8 and 16mm\F1.4 (should be equivalent to my old 50mm & 24mm lenses..?). And assuming the adapter for my old Canon lenses will work, this setup should cover my needs for the start.

@E3BK , the Olympus cameras looks really nice, can you share more details OM-D E-M5 vs M10 (mk2\mk3)? Is there any adapter for Canon lenses as well?
 
A good rule of thumb is half the budget on a body, the other half in 2 - 3 lenses. Saving money on lenses allows you to take great shots of compromised images.
 
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geta said:
@E3BK , the Olympus cameras looks really nice, can you share more details OM-D E-M5 vs M10 (mk2\mk3)? Is there any adapter for Canon lenses as well?
Click to expand...

I highly recommend using that side by side comparison tool for the technical differences between the different models and marks. It will do a much better job than I can can at the details. Definitely read the reviews on them. DP is quite good at evaluating them and is a great research tool for equipment.

I've never used the EM10 but it is the entry level OMD. That doesn't mean it's a bad camera. I'm still on my EM5 Mark I and have been considering an upgrade to the Mark II for some spec bumps and built in WiFi but I honestly am still very happy w/ my Mark I. It still works perfectly and delivers what I need it to. It's a very sturdy camera. I tend to hang on to bodies for a long time and invest in lenses. I may add the EM1 Mark II when the price comes down a bit because I do like to shoot at sporting events from time to time. Also, you can use the Panny m43 lenses on Oly bodies and vice versa. You lose some image stabilization features but it has not been a problem for me.

There is an adapter to use the Canon lenses on the Oly bodies but you lose AF & sensor capabilities. As mentioned in my previous post, the adapter just makes the rig feel unbalanced IMO. I gave up trying to use it. But that's me. If you have a camera store nearby, I'd call and see if they have an Oly & adapter in stock, bring one of the Canon lenses you want to use and see how it feels. You might be fine with it.

And I agree that you should skip the kit lenses of any camera line and buy a good walk around lens instead. If you go the m43 route, I would recommend the LUMIX G 20mm / F1.7 II pancake lens and the M. ZUIKO ED 14-42MM to start if you're on a budget. But get the M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO if you can instead or soon after once you've sold some Canon lenses to pay for it ;)
 
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@E3BK , tnx for your help and the link! will check it out. :)

Ray2 said:
A good rule of thumb is half the budget on a body, the other half in 2 - 3 lenses. Saving money on lenses allows you to take great shots of compromised images.
Click to expand...

In that case, the Sony A6000 body plus couple of lenses is the best option with my budget..
 
geta said:
@E3BK , tnx for your help and the link! will check it out. :)

In that case, the Sony A6000 body plus couple of lenses is the best option with my budget..
Click to expand...

Don't count out refurbished models direct from the manufacturer. They come with the same warranty as new in box but usually heavily discounted. Or even used from reputable dealers.
 
E3BK said:
Don't count out refurbished models direct from the manufacturer. They come with the same warranty as new in box but usually heavily discounted. Or even used from reputable dealers.
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tnx for your suggestion, didnt thought about this option before.
 
I got a refurbished canon directly from them for my first camera and it was a great camera and I didn't have any issues with it. I actually like that route for electronics and it saves me some good money and the way I figure you actually had your item inspected to ensure it functions properly. I really haven't had any issues with my refurbished items (I've had about a handful and I usually do get them direct from the company) and with electronics it's either usually broken immediately or works for a long time in my experience so refurbished works well.

I switched to Fuji mirrorless last year and I'm really happy with the move and to mirrorless in general. The things I really like about it are I can easily change and view the main picture settings and the EVF really allows me to see how those changes impact the images. So I feel like I'm learning a lot more with that combination and I really enjoy shooting with it.
 
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