Camera recommendation?

[GhostWhere29]

Hi all,

I am keen to get my first camera, but i know totally nuts about camera.
usage mainly for travel, landscape and people.
prefer mirrorless for its compact, interchangeable lens and the setting like DSLR. There are many system sensors in mirrorless which i do not quite understand.

I am initially aiming for Olympus Pen E-PL9 but i missed the deal for the year end promotion. Hope that i can narrow down my search and find one that is bang for buck. If i am looking for 2nd hand, what do i have to look out for?

Budget around ~$800-$1000 for brand new.

Thank you for reading and helping.

 

[260Wolskel]

I have an Olympus EP-L8. I find the LCD too small to my liking. Indoor shots are always yellowish, need to adjust WB. Other than these, the camera has a beautiful design and the size is excellent for travel. I am planning to sell it away.
I also have a Lumix FZ1000, i find it better than the EP-L8 but too bulky. Now, I am looking at Nikon D5600. I reckon all of these are entry level cameras.

 

[260Wolskel]

 

[yusoffb01]

can look at qoo10 for a6000 for less than $500. Much cheaper than carouhell second hand

 

[johnsonchia]

You can get the Sony A5100 secondhand for $450. It has a flip screen for your selfies and vlogs.

And a Sigma 16mm for $450 secondhand. Or just stick with the 16-55mm kit lens, which sucks, but gives you some zoom.

If you wanna take better photos and videos and have more budget, choose the Sony A6300 or 6500.

 

[hanz170]

Buying a camera is no longer just about the camera alone, you are buying into a system, meaning its lens lineup as well. You have to really look at whether the system you are investing in have what you need and want for your progression and future proof your hobby/interest.

You mentioned Mirrorless, there are several.. the Olympus E-PL9 is M43 system, I think this system is nice for travelling due to its smaller body and lens with excellent lens lineup from both Olympus as well as Panasonic that could complement it.

While you can future proof by upgrading the camera bodies your lens lineup is reusable on the same system, so having a good wide selection helps future proof your investment.

Choosing other mirrorless system, especially Fullframe bodies would need for you to have a better understanding of how the systems differ, there are physics involved here, some brands make smaller bodies (Sony) but their lenses are larger, whereas other brands have larger body but their lens are smaller, I've never liked Sony because of that. Usually, people don't just buy one lens, we buy specific purpose built lens for it and buying into Sony means many larger (here I mean like for like comparison aperture and focal length) lenses.

You can source alot of information and read reviews from DPReview website on the cameras and also browse the lens lineup to compare before you go feel for the actual cameras at the shop.

 

[fongwk8]

Yes, I agree with hanz170 that buying a camera is no longer about the camera only, its really getting the entire system (camera, flash, lenses, other accessories etc.).

For first starters, its good that you've already identified a specific brand and model (most probably a camera brand that you like, or hear good things about it). The most important thing I suppose for starters is the weight of the camera set (together with the lens, flash (if any)). If you're lugging a heavy system around, you'll get tired quickly and not using it to shoot photos after that.

Once you've identified the camera you want, its time to call up several reputable camera dealers for a cheaper price (the brand's official shop tend to sell the cameras a tad higher in price).

 

[alamakazim]

there are quite a number of very good condition/like new mirrorless on carousell

many of them just go for a trip... then kept storage... now want sell

can consider a preown epl6 , check sensor dust

 

[Beefsteak]

Or you can also consider other compact MFT cameras like the Olympus OM-D series or Panasonic GX85 / GX9 which are quite suitable for travelling.

 

[rboyboy]

Check out the Canon M50. Brand new only slightly more than 1k with kit lens.

 

[GhostWhere29]

I am considering A6000 body with 5k shutter counts, however i do not have any idea what lens is suitable? have been looking in 2nd hand market. i might not want to spend too much on 2nd market as well.

Sony A6000 or Pen EPL X ?

Anyway what is a sigma len? Does it mean that there is no zoom for the len?

 

[illumnae]

if compactness matters to you and you want an interchangeable lens system, you can't go wrong with m43 as a system to grow with. Every other system will involve larger lenses for equivalent reach/quality in the long run.

My opinion after starting out with Canon, switching over to Olympus and being regularly bitten by the GAS bug and researching other systems.

 

[fongwk8]

I am considering A6000 body with 5k shutter counts, however i do not have any idea what lens is suitable? have been looking in 2nd hand market. i might not want to spend too much on 2nd market as well.

Sony A6000 or Pen EPL X ?

Anyway what is a sigma len? Does it mean that there is no zoom for the len?

Q) What lens is suitable?
It depends on what you intend to shoot. For landscapes, there's 10-18 mm
For general, there's 16-50 mm
For zoom, there's 18-200 mm

If you're unsure, I think its best to get the camera with the kit lens (18-50 mm). Then you see from there.

Q) What is Sigma Lens?
Its a 3rd party lens maker. They make lenses for various camera brands like Sony.

Q) "No zoom" lenses
These are called Prime Lens. They only come with 1 focal length. Eg 35 mm only, 50 mm only

Btw, you can check out ClubSnap Forum's marketplace. People sell camera, lens and accessories there.

 

[hacktic]

hard to find a sigma prime 16mm at $450

anyway sony seems to be the leader in mirrorless...but the canons and nikons are catching up
4/3s seem to be the realm of panasonics and olympus