Time to upgrade from a smartphone. What camera should I buy?
January 23, 2015 7:38 PM Subscribe
I'm thinking I should pick up a camera to use on my honeymoon in Costa Rica this summer and just to have a better camera around in general (have an iPhone 6). I don't want a DSLR cause I want pretty good portability and no lens-swapping (although the ability to add lenses later doesn't necessarily need to be counted out), in addition to not spending as much as necessary for a solid DSLR/lenses.
That said, I think I've narrowed it down to a few choices but I thought I'd get opinions from people who have cameras and know more than I do despite a few hours of googling! I'm considering:
Fujifilm X-M1 ($600), Sony alpha a6000 ($700), Sony DSC RX100MII ($600), Panasonic DMC ZS40S ($340), Panasonic DMC GF7 ($600), used Fuji x100s (around $600?)
If I don't have any plans on buying additional lenses right now and want better quality than my iphone can take but still want a camera I could use with manual settings if I learned a bit, which of these is best? Any other models I should consider?
Lastly, I guess it'd be nice if the camera just "felt good" to shoot with; it might make me more likely to use it than leave it in a drawer, helping to justify my expenditure.
Thanks!
That said, I think I've narrowed it down to a few choices but I thought I'd get opinions from people who have cameras and know more than I do despite a few hours of googling! I'm considering:
Fujifilm X-M1 ($600), Sony alpha a6000 ($700), Sony DSC RX100MII ($600), Panasonic DMC ZS40S ($340), Panasonic DMC GF7 ($600), used Fuji x100s (around $600?)
If I don't have any plans on buying additional lenses right now and want better quality than my iphone can take but still want a camera I could use with manual settings if I learned a bit, which of these is best? Any other models I should consider?
Lastly, I guess it'd be nice if the camera just "felt good" to shoot with; it might make me more likely to use it than leave it in a drawer, helping to justify my expenditure.
Thanks!
I have the a6000 that I got to replace my aging Canon SLR. It's a full featured DSLR, and it's going to have a very steep learning curve coming from an iPhone. Don't get me wrong, it's a great camera, and I'm very happy with it. But, unless you have a fair amount of time between now and your trip to put into learning how it works, I'd go with some thing cheaper and simpler. You don't want to be fighting the camera.
I think you might be better off with a simpler fixed lens point and shoot with some manual and semi-manual modes that you can play with in addition to the usual program and scene modes. The a6000 has program and scene modes too (any new SLRs will) but getting an SLR for that is a waste of money. I think the ZS40 would be a good choice from your list.
posted by sevenless at 9:11 PM on January 23, 2015
I think you might be better off with a simpler fixed lens point and shoot with some manual and semi-manual modes that you can play with in addition to the usual program and scene modes. The a6000 has program and scene modes too (any new SLRs will) but getting an SLR for that is a waste of money. I think the ZS40 would be a good choice from your list.
posted by sevenless at 9:11 PM on January 23, 2015
I'm still very happy with my Fuji x100, which I've taken on several trips already. It is a camera that is just such a joy to shoot with and takes great, high quality shots. Fantastic built in lens and sensor.
posted by raw sugar at 9:50 PM on January 23, 2015
posted by raw sugar at 9:50 PM on January 23, 2015
I always look for a fully waterproof camera. If I'm going to carry an additional camera to my smartphone, it has to be one I don't have to worry about babying in the rain while travelling.
posted by fairmettle at 5:58 AM on January 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by fairmettle at 5:58 AM on January 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Fuji X100S. It's an amazing camera. Sharp, fantastic color, a joy to use, tremendously portable. The newest version, the X100T, just came out and I think it knocked the price for a new X100S down to around $600. The image quality from any of the X100* series is amazing- the X100S just gives you a much improved autofocus capability over the X100. These cameras turned me into a Fujifilm fanatic and reinvigorated my love of photography.
posted by incolorinred at 6:40 AM on January 24, 2015
posted by incolorinred at 6:40 AM on January 24, 2015
I love my DSC-RX100 i; it takes astoundingly good photos and is small enough to keep in my pocket!
There are now three models in this family. Each one has slightly different features, but basically identical image quality. I would suggest buying the DSC-RX100 i rather than the DSC-RX100 ii or the DSC-RX100 iii because it's cheaper.
The DSC-RX100 i has a slightly longer zoom, at the expense of having a slower aperture at the longest zoom setting. The DSC-RX100 ii has a hot shoe for attaching a flash (which seems really silly). The DSC-RX100 iii has a slightly shorter zoom, but has a faster apture at the longest zoom setting. The DSC-RX100 iii also has a pop-up viewfinder, which is very cool, but probably not that useful.
I'm a semi-pro photographer, and have a bunch of DSLRs and lenses. The DSC-RX100 i is what I carry around when I don't want to deal with the weight of the DSLR, but still want to take high quality photos.
posted by gregr at 6:44 AM on January 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
There are now three models in this family. Each one has slightly different features, but basically identical image quality. I would suggest buying the DSC-RX100 i rather than the DSC-RX100 ii or the DSC-RX100 iii because it's cheaper.
The DSC-RX100 i has a slightly longer zoom, at the expense of having a slower aperture at the longest zoom setting. The DSC-RX100 ii has a hot shoe for attaching a flash (which seems really silly). The DSC-RX100 iii has a slightly shorter zoom, but has a faster apture at the longest zoom setting. The DSC-RX100 iii also has a pop-up viewfinder, which is very cool, but probably not that useful.
I'm a semi-pro photographer, and have a bunch of DSLRs and lenses. The DSC-RX100 i is what I carry around when I don't want to deal with the weight of the DSLR, but still want to take high quality photos.
posted by gregr at 6:44 AM on January 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
Attaching a giant flash to a tiny camera IS silly. However they make cheap wireless flash transmitters these days and because the camera is so light, you can hold the flash in your left hand and take pics with the camera in the right. This actually makes the pictures MUCH better - straight on flash is literally almost the worst lighting possible.
My wife has the Sony RX-100 and she loves it, and I've used and liked it quite a bit myself (I'm normally a manual/manual SLR guy). It takes high quality photos - we've blown up and printed some at 11x17 with good results. I believe it even shoows RAW which for me is a must but for most people not so important.
The Fuji mentioned above is also superb and well loved. I haven't used one but more than one photographer friend has sold an SLR system and switched to the Fuji for good.
posted by RustyBrooks at 6:56 AM on January 24, 2015
My wife has the Sony RX-100 and she loves it, and I've used and liked it quite a bit myself (I'm normally a manual/manual SLR guy). It takes high quality photos - we've blown up and printed some at 11x17 with good results. I believe it even shoows RAW which for me is a must but for most people not so important.
The Fuji mentioned above is also superb and well loved. I haven't used one but more than one photographer friend has sold an SLR system and switched to the Fuji for good.
posted by RustyBrooks at 6:56 AM on January 24, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks for all the replies so far. Seems the RX100 (I or II) is leading right now. What if I threw the Olympus OM-D E-M10 into the mix? I'm guessing the Sony still wins out here but it's real nice looking and sounding from some reviews.
posted by rbf1138 at 7:01 AM on January 24, 2015
posted by rbf1138 at 7:01 AM on January 24, 2015
Those are all good cameras. It's almost impossible to go wrong lately, quality-wise anyway. So much of it comes down to the feel of the camera and controls.
The Fuji x100 is by all accounts excellent in both the quality of the camera and the images it produces. It's on my wish list and will probably be the next camera I buy. Of course you know it has no zoom; for some this can frustrating, for others it's freeing. Just something to keep in mind.
I do own a Fujifilm X20, which is my current favorite camera. The build quality is excellent, the handling is great, the size is wonderful, and it has an optical viewfinder, which I love. I can get a lot more shots out of one battery since I can leave the LCD turned off. It has a much smaller sensor than the x100, but it still produces very high quality images. You might want to put the x20 or x30 on your short list as well.
posted by The Deej at 7:02 AM on January 24, 2015
The Fuji x100 is by all accounts excellent in both the quality of the camera and the images it produces. It's on my wish list and will probably be the next camera I buy. Of course you know it has no zoom; for some this can frustrating, for others it's freeing. Just something to keep in mind.
I do own a Fujifilm X20, which is my current favorite camera. The build quality is excellent, the handling is great, the size is wonderful, and it has an optical viewfinder, which I love. I can get a lot more shots out of one battery since I can leave the LCD turned off. It has a much smaller sensor than the x100, but it still produces very high quality images. You might want to put the x20 or x30 on your short list as well.
posted by The Deej at 7:02 AM on January 24, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks for the opinions everyone! I went to two dedicated camera shops today, tried out all the models I had listed and some that you guys had, as well. Then I went to Best Buy and found the RX100mk3 for $520 open box, basically brand new. I couldn't turn that down, and so I bought it on the spot. Thanks again for your help!
posted by rbf1138 at 10:35 AM on January 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by rbf1138 at 10:35 AM on January 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
It's too late to make a difference, but I would definitely recommend the RX100M3 over the M1 or M2, so congratulations! I have an M1 and and M3, and the viewfinder is worth the extra cost.
posted by me & my monkey at 10:34 AM on January 25, 2015
posted by me & my monkey at 10:34 AM on January 25, 2015
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The thing that really sold me on the Sony was the fact that it charges via USB. I'd carried around various Canons and every one took a different proprietary charger for a different sized battery. Sony batteries- on the RX100 series at least- are removable, but are charged inside the camera via USB. That's fantastic for travel IMHO.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 8:57 PM on January 23, 2015 [1 favorite]