Thinking of picking up a new camera. Anyone have one of the new Sony (alpha) line cameras? I'm looking at a couple of good deals for the a5000 and a6000. Just trying to decide is $300 difference if worth it for the a6000.
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Mirrorless Cameras
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Understand. The a6000 is at the very top of my range. Other suggestions welcome. Fairly sure I want interchangeable lenses.
Recently sold my a300 DSLR based on size so obviously looking for something smaller.
A friend has the a5100 - cheaper than the a6000, but with the same sensor, and even a few bonus features.
Take a long look at lens availability and lens price then.
I was looking earlier this year, and wound up with an Olympus E-M10. For me, the built-in viewfinder was key since I use the camera outside a lot. The new cameras have very good screens, and most tilt, but still. This is very much mitigated if you get a wifi camera, and if it has a good app, as Sony's does. I thought wifi was gimmicky; now I wouldn't be without it.
Sensor size can matter, but sometimes it's hard to see the diff depending on other factors.
I liked the Oly over some others because of in-camera stabilization, rather than lens-based. Helps when using old lenses. Which in itself is really cool; there are bazillions of adapters for cheap for use on my Oly and I am accumulating tons of great glass off eBay at ridonculously low prices. No autofocus, but I'm old school and don't need it for most stuff.
Good Friday coming up so fasten your seat belt. And check http://www.sonyalpharumors.com and companion sites; I think I saw some stuff about huge discounts on the a5000 and to a lesser extent a6000.
I was looking earlier this year, and wound up with an Olympus E-M10. For me, the built-in viewfinder was key since I use the camera outside a lot. The new cameras have very good screens, and most tilt, but still. This is very much mitigated if you get a wifi camera, and if it has a good app, as Sony's does. I thought wifi was gimmicky; now I wouldn't be without it.
Sensor size can matter, but sometimes it's hard to see the diff depending on other factors.
I liked the Oly over some others because of in-camera stabilization, rather than lens-based. Helps when using old lenses. Which in itself is really cool; there are bazillions of adapters for cheap for use on my Oly and I am accumulating tons of great glass off eBay at ridonculously low prices. No autofocus, but I'm old school and don't need it for most stuff.
Good Friday coming up so fasten your seat belt. And check http://www.sonyalpharumors.com and companion sites; I think I saw some stuff about huge discounts on the a5000 and to a lesser extent a6000.
Good Friday? Did I miss Christmas? I think you mean Black Friday!
But yes looking at the lens choice and pricing is good advice.
I adore my NEX 7.
Not saying to get that one (it's old news) but my point is that the whole Sony mirrorless line really impresses me. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.
My one suggestion is to maybe spend less on the body and more on lenses. I know with your stated price range you won't be getting either of these anytime soon...
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/818649-REG/Sony_SEL50F18_50mm_f_1_8_Telephoto_Lens.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892387-REG/Sony_sel35f18_35mm_F_1_8_Optical_Steady.html
...but after a year or so, if it were possible for you to pick one of those, you'll find yourself falling in love with your camera all over again.
Not saying to get that one (it's old news) but my point is that the whole Sony mirrorless line really impresses me. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.
My one suggestion is to maybe spend less on the body and more on lenses. I know with your stated price range you won't be getting either of these anytime soon...
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/818649-REG/Sony_SEL50F18_50mm_f_1_8_Telephoto_Lens.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892387-REG/Sony_sel35f18_35mm_F_1_8_Optical_Steady.html
...but after a year or so, if it were possible for you to pick one of those, you'll find yourself falling in love with your camera all over again.
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Much as I like saving money, I would struggle with a camera which didn't have a viewfinder. I really like good EVFs and, for me, outdoors where I take most of my photographs the viewfinder allows me to see what I am taking, regardless of ambient light intensity. There is also a certain focus that comes with a viewfinder that I lack when composing on a screen. Otherwise (and not having used either camera) I'd go and try each as they will both take great photographs, if they suit you.
With regard to Small White Car's comment about less on the body, more on the lenses, I couldn't agree more. Cameras depreciate hugely, and for most uses each upgrade is overhyped and incremental. I would consider a used body as a way of saving money for top-notch glass.
With regard to Small White Car's comment about less on the body, more on the lenses, I couldn't agree more. Cameras depreciate hugely, and for most uses each upgrade is overhyped and incremental. I would consider a used body as a way of saving money for top-notch glass.
I have a Sony NEX-5 which I like a lot, but sometime down the road when I get the itch to upgrade I want a camera with a viewfinder. Lack of a viewfinder isn't show stopping, but like others it can be annoying to not have one if you shoot a lot in bright sunshine. I also like that with a viewfinder I can use my head as third point of contact (one hand on the body, one hand on the lens, back of the body against my face) and that helps keep shots steady if you are on the long end of a zoom/telephoto lens.
Ah, wow. Just realized these other NEX cams don't have viewfinders. My 7 does, so that wasn't even on my radar in my first comment. Yes, I find it quite useful for the reasons mentioned above.
And yes, it's an electronic viewfinder and not optical, but in terms of blocking out the sun or bracing the camera against my face it works the same as any other viewfinder. (And I don't know if it's just me, but I honestly kind of prefer having the electronic screen-zoom-while-focusing feature over the sharpness of an optical viewfinder. I know I'm not supposed to say that out loud, but I really do love that feature.)
Not so sure what to say about these other bodies, then. I do use that eyepiece a lot. Looks like the a6000 does have one but the a5000 does not. That's a pretty big step up in my book, then, for that alone.
And yes, it's an electronic viewfinder and not optical, but in terms of blocking out the sun or bracing the camera against my face it works the same as any other viewfinder. (And I don't know if it's just me, but I honestly kind of prefer having the electronic screen-zoom-while-focusing feature over the sharpness of an optical viewfinder. I know I'm not supposed to say that out loud, but I really do love that feature.)
Not so sure what to say about these other bodies, then. I do use that eyepiece a lot. Looks like the a6000 does have one but the a5000 does not. That's a pretty big step up in my book, then, for that alone.
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The wife and I sold off Canon DSLRs and went with Olympus E-M1 we just got our second Olympus Pro lens, the 40-150 f2.8 It has the equivalent FOV of a 80-300 35mm FF.
I have a Sony A6000. I bought it to replace a Nikon D7000 DSLR.
I travel a lot and the Nikon was just too big and cumbersome.
The A6000 is incredible value for money. The features and quality that you get with this camera are quite brilliant at this price point. It easily outguns my D7000.
I would not be without that optical viewfinder. I prefer it even to the lovely sharp pentaprism viewfinder in the Nikon.
The only area the DSLR wins out on in my opinion is ergonomics. It is always going to be easier to get this right with a bigger camera.
I travel a lot and the Nikon was just too big and cumbersome.
The A6000 is incredible value for money. The features and quality that you get with this camera are quite brilliant at this price point. It easily outguns my D7000.
I would not be without that optical viewfinder. I prefer it even to the lovely sharp pentaprism viewfinder in the Nikon.
The only area the DSLR wins out on in my opinion is ergonomics. It is always going to be easier to get this right with a bigger camera.
One thing to consider with the Nex-7 is that with adapters you can mount about any make and model of lens. Of course the focusing is then manual, but I like that better for many things anyway. It is a super camera and I have owned a few nice cameras in my day. I don't even lust for a "better" camera for the first time in my life.
I have the a6000 with a 10-18mm sony lens. Amazing camera!! I absolutely love this camera. I am coming from a a700 so its a huge difference but I will soon be upgrading to an a7r. I have been in the Sony family for a number of years starting with their a700. I also own a a65. I like what they are doing with the mirrorless systems but just hate their lack of lenses.
I was at the camera store today and tried out the metabones adaptor with a canon 70-200 f4 lens. Autofocus isn't super quick but having the ability to use other manufactures lenses is a plus. I do mostly landscape shots and with sonys manual focus assistance its totally acceptable.
Not happy with the new zeiss lenses and price.
I will be purchasing a 70-200mm and possibly a 16-35mm from canon in the not to distant future.
I was at the camera store today and tried out the metabones adaptor with a canon 70-200 f4 lens. Autofocus isn't super quick but having the ability to use other manufactures lenses is a plus. I do mostly landscape shots and with sonys manual focus assistance its totally acceptable.
Not happy with the new zeiss lenses and price.
I will be purchasing a 70-200mm and possibly a 16-35mm from canon in the not to distant future.
Another NEX fan here. While it doesn't have the lens selection of Nikon or Canon, the lenses available meet my needs. When talking about mirrorless I tell people that it has all the features of a DSLR without the bulk and weight.
The comments about a viewfinder are spot on. I wouldn't want a camera without one.
The comments about a viewfinder are spot on. I wouldn't want a camera without one.
And just pulled the trigger (pressed the shutter?) on buying my first mirrorless. Been looking at the Nikon 1 AW1 for a while. It's unique in that it's a waterproof interchangeable-lens camera. (And freezeproof down to -10°C, and shockproof to a 2m drop.) I got the kit that comes with the AW zoom lens (AW - All-Weather, lenses that when paired with the body are also water/freeze/drop proof.) There is also a fixed-focal AW lens, but it isn't enough better than the zoom to be worth the extra $200+ to me. I'll get a couple of non-AW lenses (it uses the "Nikon 1" aka CX lens mount,) sooner or later. There is a good mid-to-long zoom, and a good low-light/fast available reasonably cheap in that format. (And an excellent ultra-long zoom and an excellent REALLY-fast also, but those are $1000 each.)
Anyone who thinks they have to have an optical viewfinder...direct or via a mirror, check out the EVF on the Olympus E-M1. Don't forget to adjust the diopter for your eye. Rotate through the many difference choices of data you can have displayed on the EVF or large LCD screen. There are more data choices than I had on my Canon 5D3.
I recently bought a Fuji XM 1, to complement my DSLR and for use in situations when dragging around a heavy camera and lenses isn't very practical. It was on offer, which is why I ended up with this particular brand and type, and overall I've been very happy with it. It's got an APS-C sensor and the image quality is very good. I do miss a view finder, and sometimes I miss not having a couple of more external buttons to adjust settings, but for me it was a very decent combination of image quality/size/prize.
There's a review here:
http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/fujifilm_x_m1_review/
Here are some photos I've taken with it:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/104815519@N08/15672222939/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/104815519@N08/15378535441/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/104815519@N08/14934079664/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/104815519@N08/14934079664/
There's a review here:
http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/fujifilm_x_m1_review/
Here are some photos I've taken with it:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/104815519@N08/15672222939/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/104815519@N08/15378535441/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/104815519@N08/14934079664/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/104815519@N08/14934079664/
Former NEX user here.
As much as I loved my NEX-3 and NEX-5, I went back to a small and old Sony a230, which I found like-new for 120 euros.
My problem with the NEX -and it seems to be a problem for lots of you- is mainly the lack of viewfinder. Although I could get a high image quality, the framing and composition was most of the time off. Crooked pictures, subject "chopped", weird horizon placement. On the top of it, having to dig into the menus was horrible. I mostly shoot on Aperture Priority, nevertheless turning that weirdly positioned dial was getting me bananas.
Other comments, poor choice of lenses, poor choice of non-oddly-sized lenses, body still quite heavy, awful battery life.
As much as I loved my NEX-3 and NEX-5, I went back to a small and old Sony a230, which I found like-new for 120 euros.
My problem with the NEX -and it seems to be a problem for lots of you- is mainly the lack of viewfinder. Although I could get a high image quality, the framing and composition was most of the time off. Crooked pictures, subject "chopped", weird horizon placement. On the top of it, having to dig into the menus was horrible. I mostly shoot on Aperture Priority, nevertheless turning that weirdly positioned dial was getting me bananas.
Other comments, poor choice of lenses, poor choice of non-oddly-sized lenses, body still quite heavy, awful battery life.
I have an even older NEX-C3 that I replaced a Canon DSLR with a few years back. I thought I'd struggle without a viewfinder, but I can manually focus just fine using the option to use a color outline around whatever is in focus. I disabled the "zoom in" feature for manual focus and just use the color outline. I just shot a hockey game this past weekend and the auto-focus couldn't keep up, so I switched to manual and was able to quickly and easily obtain focus using the screen. Plus the fact that I can hold the camera above my head or down at my feet and still frame a shot is a huge advantage.
There are certainly moments when I miss the viewfinder - the extra stability is great - but IMO if you explore the camera's options to compensate for not having one, you may be able to come away with just as good an experience. The few times I've missed it have been heavily outweighed by the thousands of times NOT having it has been critical for getting the shot.
I also can't speak highly enough of Sony's sensor technology. They always seem to make a good sensor.
There are certainly moments when I miss the viewfinder - the extra stability is great - but IMO if you explore the camera's options to compensate for not having one, you may be able to come away with just as good an experience. The few times I've missed it have been heavily outweighed by the thousands of times NOT having it has been critical for getting the shot.
I also can't speak highly enough of Sony's sensor technology. They always seem to make a good sensor.
Ended up getting the a6000 with kit lens from Amazon for $598.
Just couldn't get past the lack of viewfinder on the a5000 and a5100.
Just couldn't get past the lack of viewfinder on the a5000 and a5100.
I have the NEX-5n with the kit 18-55mm, 18-200mm zoom and 50mm f/1.8. I also added the EVF. Fantastic camera. I wish I had the dedicated knob at the top like the new ones have, but my wife said it would take a power higher than an act from god or wait 10 years before I could upgrade. Still waiting for that green lightning.
Here's a shot from the kit lens of my old pup. Miss the little monster.
Here's a shot from the kit lens of my old pup. Miss the little monster.
Sony NEX 5TL is on sale at amazon today for $299. That price is insane. I have the Nex 5N and it is an excellent camera. Totally recommend it if you are looking for a mirrorless! http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B00ENZRP38?tag=tbprod-20
Im using a a3000 and its honestly the best camera I've ever used. Its got a DSLR body with the internals of a NEX-3 so you get more or less the best of both worlds. highly recommend it!