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Copied From the Learn Photography Master Thread: Lesson 1


Choosing a camera: Point and Shoot vs. Mirrorless vs. DSLR


Before you even start thinking which camera model to buy, you have to decide something much more important: the type of camera. There are three main types of cameras on the market today, and they each offer some things the others don't. Let's take a quick at them and see what the differences are and why you might choose one over the other.


Point & Shoots (P&S): These are by far the most popular cameras out there. Usually extremely compact, they're all easy to use, relatively cheap, and deliver great images. The point & shoot ranges from tiny shirt-pocket cameras such as the Canon Elph series, to large superzooms (sometimes called all-in-ones or bridge cameras) such as the Panasonic FZ series, to 'advanced' P&Ss like the Canon G series or the $2800(!) Sony RX-1. All P&Ss have fixed (non-removable) lenses.


Point & Shoot pros:
--- Amazing selection: At the time of this writing, B&H has 328 cameras in stock listed under Point & Shoot. A basic Canon Elph-style camera usually has a 3-8x zoom lens, a 3" screen, 1080p video, image stabilization, and a million other features. Should you could choose a superzoom, you'd get a 24-50x zoom, manual controls, a viewfinder, and (usually) a hotshoe for flashes. Advanced P&Ss will give you even more control, better, larger sensors, and higher quality lenses. Want a camera your baby could drop into a bowl of cereal? There are currently 18 different shock and waterproof cameras [url=http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ipp=100&Ns=p_PRODUCT_SHORT_DESCR|0&ci=8612&N=4288586279+35+4052359761&srtclk=sort]available
. Want a screen that swivels? Built-in GPS? WiFi? Check, check, and check. One screen not enough, you want two of 'em? Check!
--- Cheap: Even a $100 P&S will give you better pictures than a $500 camera from 5 years ago. You do not need to spend a fortune to get amazing pictures.
--- Light and easy to carry: No excuses for not shlepping the camera. If fits into your shirt pocket, a purse, just about anywhere.
--- Great video: Most current cameras are capable of recording 1080p HD video, or at least 720p. Combined with ubiquitous image stabilization P&Ss are capable of outputting awesome video.
--- Easy to use: Most P&S will only have an Auto or P mode, although some advanced or superzoom models will have full manual control. In Auto mode all you have to do is press the button. Some cameras even have an 'intelligent' auto feature where it could detect if you're shooting a flower, a portrait, etc. and adjust itself accordingly. This actually works pretty well on most cameras. In P mode you get a bit more control (you could turn the flash off, adjust the picture brighter or darker, etc.), but the camera still handles most of the decisions making for you.


Point & Shoot Cons:
--- Image quality relative to mirrorless and DSLRs: Yes, P&Ss will give you great picture quality - when situations are ideal. But if you plan to be shooting a lot in darker situations (indoors, your kids' school play) you will notice a considerable difference in quality compared to the other two. Sharpness will also not be as good as the others - the combination of a small physical lens, a small sensor, and over-zealous noise reduction (more on all of these later) is not a recipe for razor-sharp photos. These factors will be much less of an issue with advanced cameras such as the Canon G15, although a mirrorless or DSLR will still be far better.
--- Hard or impossible to achieve certain effects: You know that portrait look where the entire background is just blurred into creamy nothingness? That's one of the hardest things to create with a P&S (and conversely one of the easiest things to do with an SLR/mirrorless). Later on I'll show you some techniques to force this effect out of a P&S (to a degree), but the physics are simply not in your favor.
--- Speed: Compared to a DSLR, the P&S is practically a turtle. It takes a few seconds to turn on, zooming takes time, every setting change takes time. Most importantly though, is the speed at which the camera takes the picture. While a DSLR focuses almost instantly, a P&S could take a second or two. Once the image is in focus, there is a maddening delay called shutter lag, which is the time between you pressing the shutter button and the camera actually taking the picture. Between focusing and shutter lag, it could sometimes take 3 or more seconds to get your shoot, at which point the moment may be long gone. Later on we'll discuss some techniques for speeding this process up, but it'll still take far longer than a DSLR.
--- Not much control: The flip side to the P&S's ease of use it its lack of control. Want to lower your flash power so that people don't have that 'deer in headlights' look? Tough noogies. Want to change your aperture? Your shutter speed? Ain't happenin'. Of course some cameras do let you change all that, but a) they're in the minority by far, and b) since these are secondary features, you'll probably have to dig through 6 menu pages every time you want to make a change.
--- Limited expandability: A P&S is a closed system. Want a longer or wider lens? Want to use filters? No dice on most cameras. This is also a big issue if you ever want to dabble in lighting - it'll be quite difficult with a P&S.
____________


DSLRs: The big, black, "professional" looking cameras. Big, heavy, and (relatively) expensive, these have interchangeable lenses and optical viewfinders. The big players are Canon and Nikon, with Sony and Pentax having a small but dedicated market share. A typical 'starter' DSLR will have a 18 (Canon) or 24 (Nikon) megapixel sensor, come with an 18-55mm lens, and have actual buttons for only the most important tasks. As you move up through the lineup, you'll get more direct buttons and knobs, status LCDs, better focusing/metering systems, more lens support, metal or magnesium bodies, weather sealing, wireless flash control, higher frame-per-second rates, and more. You also get better kit lenses (that's the lens that comes with the camera) as you move up, and at a certain level (usually the third camera in the lineup) you'll also be able to buy the camera body by itself without any lens.


DSLR pros:
--- Image quality: This is the number one benefit of the DSLR - even the cheapest camera and lens combination will give you better pictures that any point and shoot, even if the P&S costs much more. (B&H currently lists 3 DSLR kits (camera and lens) for $450 - that's cheaper than some P&Ss.) Looking at pictures of a P&S and a DSLR side by side, you'll be blown away by the difference in sharpness, color, and dynamic range (explained later) of the DSLR. When it comes to low light, there's no contest; the DSLR wins hand down.
--- Control: In a DLSR you have control over every single shooting parameter. There are no limits to what you could create; everything's at your beck and call. Flash power, exposure, color, and most importantly, RAW shooting. (I'll get into far more detail on that last thing later.)
--- Special effects: Out of focus backgrounds? Easy peasy. Long exposures? Timelapse? You bet.
--- System expandability: DSLRs are sometimes called 'system cameras'. This is due to the fact that unlike P&Ss, a DSLR is not just a camera; it's at the heart of an entire system. Each brand has dozens of lenses available, plus many more from third-party lens manufacturers. You could get flashes, transmitters, remotes, and many other goodies and they will all work seamlessly and communicate properly to one another. BTW, this is why you should choose your first SLR very carefully: you're probably buying into a system. First you get a camera and lens, then another lens, then maybe another lens or a flash, and then the a new camera comes out so you buy that. It's quite the pain to switch to a different brand once you're bought in to the system.
--- Viewfinder: By definition, a DSLR is a single lens reflex camera; what that means is that inside the camera just behind the lens mount there's a mirror, which projects the image from the lens into a prism, which in turn shows up in the viewfinder. The big advantage of this is that when you look through the viewfinder you're actually looking through lens, and as such are seeing exactly what the lens sees. This gives you an extremely accurate and life-like view, which makes it easy to compose your shots properly. A viewfinder also lets you use the camera in bright light without worrying about not being able to see the screen.
--- Speed: A DSLR is ready to shoot almost instantly after being turned on. No matter where you are, be it a menu or playing back you pictures, a slight tap of the shutter button and the camera is instantly ready to shoot. Focus is nearly instantaneous, and shutter lag is pretty much a non-issue. Another speed aspect is continuous shooting - holding down the shutter button while the camera rattles off picture after picture. An entry-level camera  could easily do around 4.5fps (frames per second), while higher level cameras could do 7 or 8 (or 12, if you count the $6800 Canon 1D X).


DSLR cons:
--- Size and weight: There's no getting around it: DSLRs are big and bulky, especially if you're carrying more than one lens.
--- Price: DSLRs start at about $450, and go way up. One of the most common cameras, the Canon T4i, will set you back about a grand. And then you want to buy another lens. And another one. And another one... :D
--- Video: DSLR video is a really weird situation. On the one hand the quality is INSANE. Just look on Vimeo and see what people have been doing with the Canon 5DMk2 and Mk3 and you'll see what I mean. On the other hand, if you look at the behind the scenes video of one of those, you'll see that the camera is mounted on a rig costing $10K or more. The rig stabilizes the camera and provides support for the focus controls, the zoom controls, the sound system, and many other things. Why is all this necessary? Very simple - because the camera does a horrible job at all this if left to it's own devices. Focusing during video is horrible, especially if anything's moving through the scene. What this means is that if you're buying an SLR and are planning on taking videos of your kids running around in the park, you will be sorely disappointed - nothing will be in focus half the time, and when the camera finally does achieve focus, the built-in mike will have picked up every grind and whirr of the lens as it moved back and forth. Canon has made some progress on eliminating these issues with their new STM lenses, but for now that's only two cameras and two lenses, and even that isn't perfect.


__________


Mirrorless: Known by many different names (ILCs and EVILs for example), the industry has seemed to settle on Mirrorless lately. This was the brainchild of a joint venture between Olympus and Panasonic, and was aimed on creating an interchangeable-lens camera in with a P&S body and DSLR-like image quality, and has been wildly successful. Olympus and Panasonic are still the major players with their Micro 4/3s system, followed by Sony with their NEX line. Many others have tried to take over market share from the big 3, but have been largely unsuccessful mainly due to inferior products. Nikon 1, Canon, M, and Samsung NX are examples of fairly unpopular systems.


Most mirrorless cameras have a P&S form-factor, albeit somewhat larger. With the exception of Olympus and Panasonic, the lenses are not interchangeable between brands, but adapters are available to convert practically any DSLR (or old rangefinder camera) lens to just about every system. Most adapters will not autofocus the lens, so it's not exactly a perfect solution.


Mirrorless pros:
--- Size and weight: This is the main draw for most people. While not exactly pocket sized once a lens is in place, it it still a fairly compact kit and could be carried in a purse with ease. It's more like a large P&S than a small DSLR.
--- Price: Generally cheaper than a DSLR of a similar level. The Panasonics and Olympus (Olympusus? Olympi? ??? ) especially seem to be on sale more often than not.
--- Image quality: About as good as an SLR, simple as that.
--- Expandability: Like DSLRs, these cameras are part of a system. In the last couple of months more and more third parties have started to make lenses too. Micro 4/3s is a much more robust system then Sony NEX though, with many more lenses available.
--- Video: Video on mirrorless cameras is insanely fantastic. Similar in quality to an SLR, but with the ease of use of a P&S. It focuses quickly, perfectly, and fairly quietly.


Mirrorless cons:
--- Lenses: Far smaller selection than SLRs, although to be fair most important lenses are covered.
--- Image quality: A DSLR will still have slightly better image quality, especially in low light scenarios.
--- Viewfinders: Most don’t have viewfinders at all, which make it harder to use in low light. Some of those have axillary finders you could out in the hotshoe (usually at exorbitant prices or some reason), but these are just to give you a general idea of what the camera is seeing.
--- Batteries: Uses batteries like a P&S (200-400 shots), while a DSLR usually gets around 2000 shots per battery.
--- Speed: Focusing, while worlds better than P&Ss, isn't quite up to DSLR standards yet, but that's getting better every day.
--- Control: While mirrorless camera offer the same level of control as DSLRs, very often you'll have to dig through menus to get to where you want to. The main point of mirrorless being cutting down on size, buttons and knobs were eliminated without mercy.


___________


Lesson Summary:
--- Point & Shoots are great for most everyday shooting. Cheap, more options than you could ever want, great image quality and video. Quite difficult (but definitely possible - I'll show you how) to get the 'pro' look.
--- DSLR are king when it comes to image quality, control, and expandability. For the best pictures in any situation, go for a DSLR. Video, not so much.
--- Mirrorless cameras are the best of both worlds, with some caveats. Amazing image quality, the best video, and fairly small and portable. Less control and versatility than an SLR, though.

___________


For the full lesson series visit the Learn Photography Master Thread.

____________________________________________________

Links to additional Info:

Learn Photography Master Thread: Lesson 2: Camera specs - What do they mean, and which ones matter to me?

Canon's DSLR naming scheme
Nikon's DSLR naming scheme
« Last edited by Curlyhead on August 10, 2016, 11:42:18 AM »

Author Topic: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread  (Read 383425 times)

Offline sky121

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #620 on: April 30, 2014, 07:38:09 PM »
Just FYI I bought the sx280 as a gift for someone and it came brand new with a known flaw. The battery going to low while in video mode. I sent it in to Canon and it came back with the problem not fixed and a buzzing noise. Not all the sx280s have this problem. But just be warned.
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Offline askmoses

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #621 on: May 01, 2014, 12:18:08 PM »
What do you think of this deal? Olympus E-PM2 (white) w/ 14-42 lens for only $250? Amazon prices it at $312. I don't think I'd buy it but I think it's a good deal for someone looking to take the next step from P&S.
http://www.neweggflash.com/product/30-111-548
Now even cheaper on Ebay with Newegg! Only $200 (Amazon has it for $315).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301164437154
Great deal for a camera with amazing reviews (for those looking to take one step up from P&S).

Offline askmoses

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #622 on: May 01, 2014, 03:50:11 PM »
Is this a good deal on what looks to be a good zoom lens for my new Nex 6? Amazon sells for $348 and here its only $206.30 http://www.ebay.com/itm/230980238329
« Last Edit: May 01, 2014, 03:54:53 PM by askmoses »

Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #623 on: May 01, 2014, 04:36:56 PM »
Is this a good deal on what looks to be a good zoom lens for my new Nex 6? Amazon sells for $348 and here its only $206.30 http://www.ebay.com/itm/230980238329

It's your basic zoom lens. Seems like a good deal.
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Offline askmoses

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #624 on: May 01, 2014, 04:52:23 PM »
It's your basic zoom lens. Seems like a good deal.
Thanks! Reviews seem great. I need 1 zoom lens and 1 prime to really get down my basic lenses (w/ included kit lens). I don't do much photography with this type of lens anyhow. I'd rather put money into a prime if I need to.
EDIT: Seems like there are a quite a few listings with this cheap price (some as low as $195) on Ebay. All are from Hong Kong/China. Even stranger is that there is nothing even close to that price when I search for the same lens in black. They all seem to go to nearly $300. Is this something to be concerned about? I don't want a fake or something that is really refurbished...
« Last Edit: May 01, 2014, 07:48:12 PM by askmoses »

Offline whYME

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #625 on: May 02, 2014, 02:30:06 AM »
I ordered the NEX-6 earlier today, now I need to decide if I want to keep it.
I was planning on getting something smaller as a backup / smaller option for when I don't want to schlep around my big camera, and perhaps more importantly, for video.
So as much as I would love to keep it, I just can't justify spending this much on a "backup" at this point in the game.

I think I'd be much better off spending ~$200 on an s110 (or is there a better option in that price range?) and than I'll still have money for a GoPro, which has also been on my wishlist for a while.
Fishy, what do you think?

Offline Dan

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #626 on: May 02, 2014, 03:27:55 PM »
Finally installed the WiFi apps onto my NEX-6, really neat stuff.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline askmoses

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #627 on: May 02, 2014, 03:29:51 PM »
Finally installed the WiFi apps onto my NEX-6, really neat stuff.
I read an amazon review posted a while ago that Sony charged for some of those apps. Is that still the case?

Offline MC

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #628 on: May 02, 2014, 03:31:40 PM »

Finally installed the WiFi apps onto my NEX-6, really neat stuff.
Which ones?

Offline whYME

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #629 on: May 07, 2014, 01:12:35 AM »
For those who missed out on those tripods from Costco last time, They're back!

Offline Fan of Dan

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #630 on: May 07, 2014, 09:28:36 AM »
For those who missed out on those tripods from Costco last time, They're back!
Thanks for posting. I have spent a while looking for a good one that folds up small yet isn't really short when extended, and this fits that bill really nicely. Is it a good quality tripod aside from the flexibility or travelling with it?
« Last Edit: May 07, 2014, 09:37:26 AM by Fan of Dan »

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #631 on: May 07, 2014, 10:05:00 AM »
Thanks for posting. I have spent a while looking for a good one that folds up small yet isn't really short when extended, and this fits that bill really nicely. Is it a good quality tripod aside from the flexibility or travelling with it?
I really like it.
It seems quite solid to me.

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #632 on: May 07, 2014, 11:00:53 AM »
Which ones?
Phone remote, upload, etc.
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Offline zale

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #633 on: May 07, 2014, 01:18:13 PM »
I'm having trouble deciding between the RX100 (or RX100 II) and the NEX-6.

Basically, all the photos my wife and I take now are with our Iphones, and we are looking to get better pictures of our kids, events and vacations.

The main things I am looking for are:

  • Excellent low-light photography, even without using flash. (Iphone is grainy and disgusting indoors and in low-light)
  • Excellent motion photography. (If a kid is moving or jumping while taking the shot, it should capture the in-action motion and not blur it. Motion is non-existent on Iphone, if a kid moves, there's just a blur.)
  • Super fast shutter speed, even when using flash (so as not to miss a cute moment).
  • Super fast AF (for the same reason - not to miss a cute moment).
  • Compact. Doesn't need to be tiny, but needs to be small enough to fit in my pocket so that I shouldn't have second thoughts taking it with me when I take my kids to the park on an average day, or taking it with me to a L'chaim, wedding, Bar Mitzvah, cousin's birthday etc..

Doing some research, I have found that the above-mentioned things can exist in a camera, but only at certain settings. For example, some cameras and lenses have excellent low-light abilities, but only at the base MM level. Once zoom is utilized, those abilities become limited etc...

Now, I don't necessarily NEED to be able to swap out lenses if the RX-100 can provide everything I need with its built-in lens. From what I've read, the built-in Carl Zeiss lens on the RX-100 is the equivalent of a $1000 lens for the NEX, and the kit lens that comes with the NEX is mid-level quality at best.

My budget is around $650.

Any input here would be appreciated.

Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #634 on: May 07, 2014, 01:39:53 PM »
So...

- Video is more or less identical between the two. You could remove that from your decision making process.

- Size: the RX is obviously smaller. The NEX fits in a pocket, but only a fairly large one. No way of knowing if it's small enough for you without holding it.

- Lens: quality-wise they're similar for the type of pictures you mention you'd be taking. I don't think you'll be able to see a difference in real life use.

Low light: No question that the NEX is better overall. While the RX has a faster lens, the NEX had a far superior and larger sensor to outweigh any low light advantage the faster lens gives you. Remember that both lens are variable aperture and get slower as you zoom (which you've alluded to above). That means that there is an even smaller difference in the lens regarding low light.

Focus speed and shutter lag: the two most important things you need to "not miss a shot". Again, the NEX wins hands down.

There are other aspects where the NEX is better, such as dynamic range (able to see both bright and dark parts of a scene without the brights turning solid white or the darks going black).

In conclusion: the NEX will give you a better picture, and it'll do it faster too. If you like the size (your gotta try it!), go for it.
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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #635 on: May 07, 2014, 02:36:15 PM »
So...

- Video is more or less identical between the two. You could remove that from your decision making process.

- Size: the RX is obviously smaller. The NEX fits in a pocket, but only a fairly large one. No way of knowing if it's small enough for you without holding it.

- Lens: quality-wise they're similar for the type of pictures you mention you'd be taking. I don't think you'll be able to see a difference in real life use.

Low light: No question that the NEX is better overall. While the RX has a faster lens, the NEX had a far superior and larger sensor to outweigh any low light advantage the faster lens gives you. Remember that both lens are variable aperture and get slower as you zoom (which you've alluded to above). That means that there is an even smaller difference in the lens regarding low light.

Focus speed and shutter lag: the two most important things you need to "not miss a shot". Again, the NEX wins hands down.

There are other aspects where the NEX is better, such as dynamic range (able to see both bright and dark parts of a scene without the brights turning solid white or the darks going black).

In conclusion: the NEX will give you a better picture, and it'll do it faster too. If you like the size (your gotta try it!), go for it.

Thanks for the quick response!

When you speak of the qualities of the NEX, do you mean the NEX and the kit lens? (There seems to be a lot of negativity toward that lens from reviewers.)

Dynamic range is very important to me actually, thanks for mentioning it. I assume you are talking about scenarios where I would be shooting on a sunny day, and the entire sky will come out white in the picture. Happens to me all the time.

Some comments on the RX-100 II did have people complaining of slowish shutter speed. (Even though SONY is promoting this as one of the best features of this camera.)

As far as portability goes, I do have big pockets, and my wife has a handbag, so as long as it's not "bulky" and annoying to take along to a Simcha etc. I would go for it. (in other words, if I have to think twice about "shlepping it along" with me, It's useless.). I see that the 16-50mm kit lens is advertised as a pancake lens, yet it appears to stick out beyond the depth of the camera body. This lens: http://bhpho.to/1hxHJjK looks like it can really make the NEX portable.


Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #636 on: May 07, 2014, 02:43:42 PM »
Thanks for the quick response!

When you speak of the qualities of the NEX, do you mean the NEX and the kit lens? (There seems to be a lot of negativity toward that lens from reviewers.)

Dynamic range is very important to me actually, thanks for mentioning it. I assume you are talking about scenarios where I would be shooting on a sunny day, and the entire sky will come out white in the picture. Happens to me all the time.

Some comments on the RX-100 II did have people complaining of slowish shutter speed. (Even though SONY is promoting this as one of the best features of this camera.)

As far as portability goes, I do have big pockets, and my wife has a handbag, so as long as it's not "bulky" and annoying to take along to a Simcha etc. I would go for it. (in other words, if I have to think twice about "shlepping it along" with me, It's useless.). I see that the 16-50mm kit lens is advertised as a pancake lens, yet it appears to stick out beyond the depth of the camera body. This lens: http://bhpho.to/1hxHJjK looks like it can really make the NEX portable.

(I'm on Tapatalk so I can't quote properly; I'll answer in order of your questions.)

- Yes, I mean with the kit lens. The negativity you see is from pixel peepers; under normal real-life use it's a beautiful lens.

- Yup, white skies will mostly be a thing of the past.

- The RX is a fast camera - for a point and shoot. But compared to a mirrorless, it's molasses.

- Sound like the right size for you, then.

- The 16-50 is a marketing pancake; the lens you linked to is a real pancake.
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Offline zale

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #637 on: May 07, 2014, 02:53:06 PM »
(I'm on Tapatalk so I can't quote properly; I'll answer in order of your questions.)

- Yes, I mean with the kit lens. The negativity you see is from pixel peepers; under normal real-life use it's a beautiful lens.

- Yup, white skies will mostly be a thing of the past.

- The RX is a fast camera - for a point and shoot. But compared to a mirrorless, it's molasses.

- Sound like the right size for you, then.

- The 16-50 is a marketing pancake; the lens you linked to is a real pancake.

Sounds like the NEX is the way to go. One more question: Is the A6000 worth the extra $300? Will it do that much better on fast shooting and low light?

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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #638 on: May 07, 2014, 04:04:22 PM »
I really like it.
It seems quite solid to me.
From what I can read the only thing it lacks that I would want is a level. Did you use ever use it with the center column extended?

I am on the fence between the Costco one you linked and the Promaster XC525 http://www.amazon.com/ProMaster-XC525-Blue-Tripod-With/dp/B008M7R83K which costs more at 169 but has a level. It folds up to 15 inches and it weighs pretty much the same. It also can become a monopod  and has the quick release mechanism. Only reason I would pay 100 dollars more is that I tried it out in a local camera shop and really liked it. Any opinion?


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Re: Which Camera Should I Get? Master Thread
« Reply #639 on: May 07, 2014, 09:22:11 PM »
From what I can read the only thing it lacks that I would want is a level. Did you use ever use it with the center column extended?
I definitely did when I first tested it out, other than that I'm not really sure.
I think I did but I'm not 100% sure.

I am on the fence between the Costco one you linked and the Promaster XC525 http://www.amazon.com/ProMaster-XC525-Blue-Tripod-With/dp/B008M7R83K which costs more at 169 but has a level. It folds up to 15 inches and it weighs pretty much the same. It also can become a monopod  and has the quick release mechanism. Only reason I would pay 100 dollars more is that I tried it out in a local camera shop and really liked it. Any opinion?
That promaster looks virtually the same as mine. I would say get the one from Costco and if you don't like it you can always return it and get the more expensive one.