Canon Rebel XTi to Fuji x100s to ?
September 21, 2013 5:28 PM Subscribe
I loved my Canon Rebel XTi, then sold it and got a Fuji x100s. There are things that frustrate me about the Fuji, and I need some help figuring out what camera might be a better fit for me.
I loved using a Canon Rebel XTi DSLR for 5 years. As iPhone images got better and better, I used the Canon less and less. I loved using it but it was just too big to take on every trip, to every dinner party, to every family function, etc. It sat at home and I used my iPhone to take lots of mediocre photos.
A few months ago I sold the Canon and bought the brand new Fuji x100s. I expected to love it because of the size and image quality. I do love these things, but I also miss having a zoom and am often frustrated by the slow autofocus, especially in low light. I do get lots of amazing photos from it, but I feel like I have to take 10x as many photos as I used to have to take with the Canon to end up with a few good ones.
I know many people like the Fuji because it's a perfect camera for street photography. I don't take photos of people when I shoot on the street - it's usually buildings or interesting things, so I don't need a stealthy camera. I miss the speed and image stabilization of my DSLR.
Is there another mirrorless camera I should consider - one with interchangeable lenses? Or a small DSLR that might work for me? Or should I just get the latest Canon Rebel (T5i?) and accept that if I want DSLR quality, I need a DSLR?
One more guideline - I spent $1300 on my Fuji and I think I could sell it for about $1200 if I sell it soon... so my budget for a new camera and lens is $1300. I think I could be happy with a kit lens with IS if it's not too big, or a kit lens and a pancake lens.
Thanks for any advice!
I loved using a Canon Rebel XTi DSLR for 5 years. As iPhone images got better and better, I used the Canon less and less. I loved using it but it was just too big to take on every trip, to every dinner party, to every family function, etc. It sat at home and I used my iPhone to take lots of mediocre photos.
A few months ago I sold the Canon and bought the brand new Fuji x100s. I expected to love it because of the size and image quality. I do love these things, but I also miss having a zoom and am often frustrated by the slow autofocus, especially in low light. I do get lots of amazing photos from it, but I feel like I have to take 10x as many photos as I used to have to take with the Canon to end up with a few good ones.
I know many people like the Fuji because it's a perfect camera for street photography. I don't take photos of people when I shoot on the street - it's usually buildings or interesting things, so I don't need a stealthy camera. I miss the speed and image stabilization of my DSLR.
Is there another mirrorless camera I should consider - one with interchangeable lenses? Or a small DSLR that might work for me? Or should I just get the latest Canon Rebel (T5i?) and accept that if I want DSLR quality, I need a DSLR?
One more guideline - I spent $1300 on my Fuji and I think I could sell it for about $1200 if I sell it soon... so my budget for a new camera and lens is $1300. I think I could be happy with a kit lens with IS if it's not too big, or a kit lens and a pancake lens.
Thanks for any advice!
Response by poster: Thanks chrchr - I thought the Fuji x100s was a micro 4/3 camera? What's the difference?
posted by kdern at 6:15 PM on September 21, 2013
posted by kdern at 6:15 PM on September 21, 2013
The Fuji has a larger sensor and therefore better image quality, especially in low light, but the micro 4/3 cameras from Panasonic and Olympus have interchangeable lenses. A huge number of lenses are available for those cameras. Also, the firmware is supposed to be faster and more reliable. I haven't used a Fuji, but slow focusing and buggy firmware is a common complaint.
posted by chrchr at 6:32 PM on September 21, 2013
posted by chrchr at 6:32 PM on September 21, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks! Do you find that shooting with your Olympus is any slower than the Canon (focus, shutter lag, etc.)?
posted by kdern at 6:36 PM on September 21, 2013
posted by kdern at 6:36 PM on September 21, 2013
I believe some of the newer micro 4/3 cameras from Olympus like the EM-5 and the newly announced EM-1 in particular have faster (and purportedly more accurate) autofocus systems which employ contrast detection, but you'll pay through the nose. They even beat out modern dSLRs.
As an owner of a Fuji X100 (which is much slower than the X100S) there are a few important strategies you can use to RADICALLY increase usability. The first is to leave the camera on MF all the time, and instead use the AFL/AEL button on the back to activate AF when you need it. I don't know what it is about the firmware, but when using the AFL/AEL button the AF becomes MUCH zippier. Specifically, leave AF on center-point (and make sure the AF square is as small as possible), hit AFl/AEL button where you want to focus, reframe, and shoot. Center point AF tends to be the fastest, and most accurate mode of AF. I shoot this way with all my cameras including my Nikon D800.
It really helps to seek out high contrast areas. These tend to be edges of objects/subjects, especially in low light. When you focus on these areas, the speed of autofocus improves considerably because most cameras employ a contrast detection system (the Fuji uses both phase and contrast). You should remember that you don't even need to find an area of high contrast in your subject. When shooting in dark rooms I'll frequently find a door frame in the same depth and use that as my AF guide. I find the easiest "edge" of contrast within the frame and center the focus there, activate AFL/AEL, wait until red AF point flashes, reframe and shoot. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it's much faster and the results tend to be higher quality than relying on Fuji's AF.
Last piece of advice: you're not going to find a better quality camera/lens setup than the X100s for $1300. My personal philosophy is that a camera's limitations can often inspire a significant increase in technical skill. But with that in mind there is something very convenient about a zoom lens (even if you lose out on IQ and portability) just be wary about churning through equipment.
posted by ghostpony at 7:00 PM on September 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
As an owner of a Fuji X100 (which is much slower than the X100S) there are a few important strategies you can use to RADICALLY increase usability. The first is to leave the camera on MF all the time, and instead use the AFL/AEL button on the back to activate AF when you need it. I don't know what it is about the firmware, but when using the AFL/AEL button the AF becomes MUCH zippier. Specifically, leave AF on center-point (and make sure the AF square is as small as possible), hit AFl/AEL button where you want to focus, reframe, and shoot. Center point AF tends to be the fastest, and most accurate mode of AF. I shoot this way with all my cameras including my Nikon D800.
It really helps to seek out high contrast areas. These tend to be edges of objects/subjects, especially in low light. When you focus on these areas, the speed of autofocus improves considerably because most cameras employ a contrast detection system (the Fuji uses both phase and contrast). You should remember that you don't even need to find an area of high contrast in your subject. When shooting in dark rooms I'll frequently find a door frame in the same depth and use that as my AF guide. I find the easiest "edge" of contrast within the frame and center the focus there, activate AFL/AEL, wait until red AF point flashes, reframe and shoot. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it's much faster and the results tend to be higher quality than relying on Fuji's AF.
Last piece of advice: you're not going to find a better quality camera/lens setup than the X100s for $1300. My personal philosophy is that a camera's limitations can often inspire a significant increase in technical skill. But with that in mind there is something very convenient about a zoom lens (even if you lose out on IQ and portability) just be wary about churning through equipment.
posted by ghostpony at 7:00 PM on September 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
The Olympus (which is last generation now) focuses slower than the Canon and it bugged me a little at first. It doesn't hunt though. SLRs use phase detection auto focus and mirrorless cameras mostly use contrast detection, and there are pluses and minuses. Phase detection is faster but contrast detection is more accurate. When it finds the focus point, it tends to be right and it tends to stay there.
posted by chrchr at 7:05 PM on September 21, 2013
posted by chrchr at 7:05 PM on September 21, 2013
Or should I just get the latest Canon Rebel (T5i?) and accept that if I want DSLR quality, I need a DSLR?
I definitely don't think that this is true. I don't know, it sounds to me like you're just looking for an interchangeable lens mirrorless, of which there are tonnes. The Fujis are notorious for poor focus, especially in low light. I mean, it's a Thing with them that's mentioned in lots of reviews etc.
If I was you, I would consider one of the Sony Nex's, or the Panasonic or Olympus Micro-four thirds. If you get a NEX, I think you would struggle to notice a difference in image quality. The m4/3 cameras are not *as* strong in darkness, but the difference is not as big as you might think, and they have way way more lenses available than the NEX's do currently.
I switched from my APSC Pentax to a Panasonic G5 (which is just criminally cheap at the moment), and I've had no complaints. The lenses are great, image quality is fine, the whole package is considerably smaller -which was my main desire.
tl;dr I wouldn't give up on mirrorless just yet. I think you just picked the wrong mirrorless for what you need. In terms of performance, the nex cameras particularly will comfortably equal a traditional DSLR.
posted by smoke at 7:14 PM on September 21, 2013
I definitely don't think that this is true. I don't know, it sounds to me like you're just looking for an interchangeable lens mirrorless, of which there are tonnes. The Fujis are notorious for poor focus, especially in low light. I mean, it's a Thing with them that's mentioned in lots of reviews etc.
If I was you, I would consider one of the Sony Nex's, or the Panasonic or Olympus Micro-four thirds. If you get a NEX, I think you would struggle to notice a difference in image quality. The m4/3 cameras are not *as* strong in darkness, but the difference is not as big as you might think, and they have way way more lenses available than the NEX's do currently.
I switched from my APSC Pentax to a Panasonic G5 (which is just criminally cheap at the moment), and I've had no complaints. The lenses are great, image quality is fine, the whole package is considerably smaller -which was my main desire.
tl;dr I wouldn't give up on mirrorless just yet. I think you just picked the wrong mirrorless for what you need. In terms of performance, the nex cameras particularly will comfortably equal a traditional DSLR.
posted by smoke at 7:14 PM on September 21, 2013
I would recommend looking at the Sony NEX line. Here is The Wirecutter's review of the NEX-6
posted by entropic at 5:59 AM on September 22, 2013
posted by entropic at 5:59 AM on September 22, 2013
If you liked your Rebel and are considering a pancake lens then you could make a really small dslr combination with a EOS Rebel SL1 (100d) (smallest, lightest dslr on the market and has all the updated feature of the latest Rebel - it's essentially a shrunken Rebel) and the highly rated Canon 40mm pancake lens.
I've got the lens and it is truly tiny, sharp and great. I can pretty much put my old Rebel/450d in my coat pocket and it's much easier to consider taking out the house. The 100d and it's through the lens viewfinder is the one thing stopping me from going mirrorless.
posted by Brian Lux at 8:13 AM on September 23, 2013
I've got the lens and it is truly tiny, sharp and great. I can pretty much put my old Rebel/450d in my coat pocket and it's much easier to consider taking out the house. The 100d and it's through the lens viewfinder is the one thing stopping me from going mirrorless.
posted by Brian Lux at 8:13 AM on September 23, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
I have a t3i that I've taken on a couple of trips but it mostly sits here and gathers dust. I bought a Olympus PEN E-P3 a couple of months ago and I found myself carrying it with me every single day. This I had not expected. It completely restarted my infatuation with photography. (And now I'm carrying around an old 35mm rangefinder and developing film, but that's a different story).
posted by chrchr at 6:13 PM on September 21, 2013 [1 favorite]