Another Camera Thread

[Fishcop]

Hi Guys

I've never been much of a camera buff, and remain relatively uninterested in hi-end photography (other than enjoying other people's work). However my recent New Zealand trip with the family saw me take some photos that I wasn't particularly happy with. Combine that with seeing some of my brother's great shots of the same things I was taking photos of has made me a bit more interested.

I normally just use my little Olympus point'n'shoot or more often my iPhone and leave everything set to auto, and this has been fine for working in the garage and taking snaps of my resto etc... But I want to get out and drive the car soon, and get some great 'location' shots.

So I know I don't want to get into DSLR cameras mainly because of bulk/weight and to an extent the cost - if it's too big or complicated I just won't take it with me. I certainly can't afford a $10k Leica rangefinder style of camera, but I see there is a new "in-between" format in the form of "mirrorless" cameras from pretty much all the usual suspects. These cameras have interchangeable lenses (some compatible with existing DSLR lenses), but no moving parts/complex prisms to increase size. The end result seems to be a great compromise with small camera body size and close to DSLR quality shots/effects/features.

My brother recently bought the Sony NEX-5N with 16mm and 18-55mm lenses. His portrait and landscape shots look brilliant, and the camera shoots film in true 1080 HD. All this for less than $700. My research sees that there are similar cameras across manufacturers including very sweet set ups from Olympus and Nikon, and the other great asian brands. Prices vary hugely though, as well as the size of the CMOS cell used (the bigger, generally the better etc...).

So I'm chasing some opinions from the gallery as I know there are genuine photo pros lurking here, as well as super capable amateurs. The "brief" for want of a better term is a camera and a couple of useful lenses for preferably less than $1000. The majority of photos will really only be jpegs for the net, but I may want to make photo books or big format prints for my favourite shots.

Thanks

[RSTarga]

Contact Bob Tilton, (i apologize for mistakenly writing Chris earlier). He used a Fuji X100.
I reposted due to my error and the fact that it seems to have erased itself.

[tpdorsey]

I'm interested in hearing about non-DSLR cameras, too.

FWIW, I recently picked up the Camera+ app for my iPhone 4 and it's a much better handling photo app than the default. Worth a few bucks to check it out. It won't replace my Canon gear, but it does make the iPhone camera far more useful.

[super9064]

http://werkcrew.com/

Bobs newest blog:

WHAT I LEICA ‘BOUT YOU

[Fishcop]

Yep, I've fired off an email to Bob

The Leica M9 rangefinder is a $10k beast new... Just too far out of my price/skill range

[bob tilton]

It's such a personal choice...much like what size engine to build or what color to paint a car. Hopefully, the far more seasoned professionals and enthusiasts offer some feedback and advice.

I do think the trend is to move away from DSLRs for the very reason you mention. The low-end point and shoots are done. Smart devices have already replaced them. For some, their smart devices are "good enough" but I would hesitate to have that as your only means of capturing those cherished photos for you and future generations. The next step would be to buy a high(er) end camera...not necessarily a DSLR but something in between. Fortunately, the camera makers are listening.

The Sony Nex series seems to be a big hit. I'm not familiar with them but can refer you to a "real world" user without whole lot of pointless high ISO pixel peeping commentary - www.stevehuff.com.

For me, I enjoyed the Fuji X100 but it has its limitations (fixed 35mm equiv lens). I would buy that again - no problem. You can pick up a used one within your price range. Jeroen of (deleted for spam) is doing some great work with his X100.

I think, not sure, that people want a DLSR in a cig pack size camera and for cheap. That day is not here yet.

I don't think I said anything useful. Seems to me your brother did you a big favor. I'd give a hard look at the Sony Nex5.

For thorough camera reviews, I like to reference www.dpreview.com. Then find blogs that use the camera and/or have similar subject matters. YouTube is extremely helpful as well.

[Fishcop]

Thanks Bob, your thoughts are indeed useful to me

I didn't realise the X100 had a fixed lens. I had a quick look the Pentax Q which is tiny and has a range of useful lenses, but the sensor is quite small compared to the 4/3 and full size formats. I'm really liking the NEX range and Olympus PEN series at this stage.

[Nine17]

DO NOT CLICK on the 9gear.com link above. It's been taken over by some kind of malware...

[Fishcop]

So I committed to the Olympus PEN EP3

Now to save for a Leica lens