Next camera - general direction?
Discussion
So, done the compact->dslr->more kit thing, and got used to lugging a D90 w/vertical grip / 50mm / wide-zoom / 70-200/2.8 / teleconverter / flash around.. then over time I've kinda lost my mojo, and found I'm not taking the camera on trips with me 'cos it takes up half the baggage allowance, gives me backache etc.
Options I'm pondering:
Fuji X100s. Couple of friends have the 100, and swear by them, seems to be getting positive noise on the interwebs.. but the fixed focal scares me. I guess I'd hang onto the DSLR for sporting events / occasional wildlife.
Micro 4/3 / other compact system cam (sony nex?). Know very little about these.. reduced weight, but similar situation wrt many different bits of kit?
Stick with the D90, ditch the grip and travel with just the minimal kit - body and 50mm?
Video is / would be a consideration / nice to have.
Options I'm pondering:
Fuji X100s. Couple of friends have the 100, and swear by them, seems to be getting positive noise on the interwebs.. but the fixed focal scares me. I guess I'd hang onto the DSLR for sporting events / occasional wildlife.
Micro 4/3 / other compact system cam (sony nex?). Know very little about these.. reduced weight, but similar situation wrt many different bits of kit?
Stick with the D90, ditch the grip and travel with just the minimal kit - body and 50mm?
Video is / would be a consideration / nice to have.
Last summer I bought an X100, now it's very unusual for me to take anything else out the house. Added the wide angle adapter, a light weight tripod, some filters and batteries, who lot weighs less than 2kg.
Rather than finding the fixed lens restrictive, I have found that it has made me more creative, you really have to think!
Its not much cop for sport (slow focus) and wildlife (no zoom, but for everything else it's just brilliant, I've certainly found my photography mojo again!
Rather than finding the fixed lens restrictive, I have found that it has made me more creative, you really have to think!
Its not much cop for sport (slow focus) and wildlife (no zoom, but for everything else it's just brilliant, I've certainly found my photography mojo again!
I 'sort of' did the same thing. I bought a decent compact to compliment my SLR (nothing in the league of the X100 or similar, just a Nikon P300) and to be honest, I probably use that more than my SLR now. Still takes great photos and is so much more convenient. I've even left my SLR at home completely on holidays where I've flown with Easyjet or Ryanair where I try to squeeze everything into hand luggage.
Unless you are replacing your whole system, I'd say you should stay away from interchangeable lenses. Once you've packed a few you end up with a kit that is not much smaller than an SLR but more limited.
Instead spend the money on a great compact. Fuji X100S, Nikon Coolpix-A, Canon S110, Lumix LX7 or Sony RX100 depending on budget and whether you want something pocketable or just portable.
Don't be afraid of fixed lenses. I'd rather have high quality fixed glass than a low quality zoom and it makes everything lighter and smaller. Within the "normal" range you can make up the difference for 99% of shots by moving and as others have said, it encourages creativity and more interesting shots.
Instead spend the money on a great compact. Fuji X100S, Nikon Coolpix-A, Canon S110, Lumix LX7 or Sony RX100 depending on budget and whether you want something pocketable or just portable.
Don't be afraid of fixed lenses. I'd rather have high quality fixed glass than a low quality zoom and it makes everything lighter and smaller. Within the "normal" range you can make up the difference for 99% of shots by moving and as others have said, it encourages creativity and more interesting shots.
I'm in a similar boat, I looked a the X100s and am still tempted, but for most of the stuff I do it won't be as good as my 5D with prime lens and having used one I wasn't too keen on the viewfinder.
I've gone down the route of taking out either just my Canon S90 or my S90 and 5D with 50mm lens, unless it is an actual photography trip where I'll bring all my gear.
Rather than upgrading my DSLR I think I'll upgrade my compact camera next, either Canon G15 or Fuji X20.
I've gone down the route of taking out either just my Canon S90 or my S90 and 5D with 50mm lens, unless it is an actual photography trip where I'll bring all my gear.
Rather than upgrading my DSLR I think I'll upgrade my compact camera next, either Canon G15 or Fuji X20.
I have a Canon 5Dmk3 and Fuji X100.
Money aside, I would be hard pushed to tell you which one is my favourite.
Will upgrade to X100s very shortly.
I have now decided that the 5D only comes with me for 'jobs' and for the rest of the time, X100 it is. It packs a similar punch to the 5D, in just a much smaller (and lighter!) form factor.
The autofocus is not great (hence my upgrade to X100s soon), but it makes up for it by its image quality.
I am quite evangelical about it!
Money aside, I would be hard pushed to tell you which one is my favourite.
Will upgrade to X100s very shortly.
I have now decided that the 5D only comes with me for 'jobs' and for the rest of the time, X100 it is. It packs a similar punch to the 5D, in just a much smaller (and lighter!) form factor.
The autofocus is not great (hence my upgrade to X100s soon), but it makes up for it by its image quality.
I am quite evangelical about it!
Thanks folks. Not really digging the 4/3 option then, seems to be compact/x100 type vote..
After a little consideration, I'm going to stick the 50 on the bare D90, lock the rest in the cupboard, and see if I can rediscover that a bit as it's the zero-cost option - and it should inform whether I can hack going to a fixed focal length camera
After a little consideration, I'm going to stick the 50 on the bare D90, lock the rest in the cupboard, and see if I can rediscover that a bit as it's the zero-cost option - and it should inform whether I can hack going to a fixed focal length camera
CommanderJameson said:
If size is an issue...
...Canon 100D and 40mm pancake?
I thought that, but 40mm on an APSC is a bit long IMO....Canon 100D and 40mm pancake?
I am thoroughly enjoying a NEX 7 at the moment. Did'nt like the NEX first time round, but I picked one up cheap on ebay and I like it. Got a little Sigma 30mm on it. ( a nice 45mm FF equivalent )
toppstuff said:
I thought that, but 40mm on an APSC is a bit long IMO.
I am thoroughly enjoying a NEX 7 at the moment. Did'nt like the NEX first time round, but I picked one up cheap on ebay and I like it. Got a little Sigma 30mm on it. ( a nice 45mm FF equivalent )
Fair point on the APS-C factor.I am thoroughly enjoying a NEX 7 at the moment. Did'nt like the NEX first time round, but I picked one up cheap on ebay and I like it. Got a little Sigma 30mm on it. ( a nice 45mm FF equivalent )
I'd love something nice and short but somewhat less imposing than my 10-22 (which is a bit big for a walkabout, esp. with the lens hood on). And less than three hundred quid, too, which rules out the Sigma 30mm.
Hmm.
>goes lens shopping<
mad4amanda said:
My brother has just bought a canon Bridge camera and I used it last weekend for a few shots. Very impressed at how good the shots were considering its such a small and light camera . I will certainly be going for one soon it saves me lugging my Nikon dslr around with the baby!
Try a size smaller first. The best compacts out-shoot most bridge cameras (which compromise things to include a massive but useless zoom).I ditched all my Canon kit in favour of m4/3. I now have an Olympus OM-D which I really love. I have a tiny Lowepro bag in which I mostly carry the camera plus a 14mm (24mm eqv) and a 25mm (50mm eqv) which I find will cover almost any situation. This way I have the flexibility of carrying a load of kit, or just something minimal. The camera plus 14mm will fit in my jacket pocket.
toppstuff said:
CommanderJameson said:
If size is an issue...
...Canon 100D and 40mm pancake?
I thought that, but 40mm on an APSC is a bit long IMO....Canon 100D and 40mm pancake?
I am thoroughly enjoying a NEX 7 at the moment. Did'nt like the NEX first time round, but I picked one up cheap on ebay and I like it. Got a little Sigma 30mm on it. ( a nice 45mm FF equivalent )
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