Now for something completely different: which camera for getting back into photorgraphy

Back story: I was big into photography 20 years ago. Or at least cameras; Nikon SLR, then medium format 'cause that's what you needed if serious, then large format 'cause that's what you did if you were really serious, and then digital 'cause that was the ultimate. Curiously (not really) I didn't take that many pictures. And even more curiously (not really) I wasn't having fun. I had gotten caught up in the gear cycle. I jumped off, took a smattering of photos with the DSLR (Pentax *st which I still have), but basically dropped out.

Fast forward to 5 years ago with my first smartphone. Started taking snaps again. And street stuff. And landscapes. It was fun. I always had the camera with me, and didn't have the need or desire to be upgrading. I'm pretty active on Instagram (search Jeff R, yes, I'm very original with my screen names) if you want to see what I shoot.

Two weeks ago, I fired up my Epson wide format printer (1400) and started printing some of my images. Pretty happy overall, but 13 inch wide prints really push the quality of the Note 4 camera. So I've started thinking about cameras, which scares the hell out of me ;-)

So here's the long awaited question. What camera should I get? I don't need to print any bigger than the 13 inch wide I can currently do. I'm more of a landscape, street, portrait, travel photog; not much action, wildlife, or sports. I don't want to take a ton of gear around with me. I want something that I can always or nearly always have with me. Oh, I need an eye level viewer for framing (that's the other thing I hate about my phone).

I'm thinking either one of the high level point and shoots or a small mirror less with just a couple of primes. I'm fine with searching for something used. And I don't want to spend much more than $500. Thoughts?

Thanks.

Have a look at the Olympus E-M10.

I bought one and I love it, mirrorless micro 4/3 camera.

Uses all my excellent Minolta glass with one simple adapter and no change to the camera settings.

My old Vivitar Series 1 70-210 gets a ton of use once again.

M4/3 is probably the cheapest way in, but my recommendation is for one of the Fujis. I absolutely love the way their sensor (non-Bayer array) renders. Mine is an X-E1 - relatively old at this point, but plenty capable - that I use exclusively with adapted lenses, but if you're going to use Fuji lenses the X-Pro1 offers a better VF (but the combo will push your price point). Another option is the fixed lens X100 (35mm FOV), which will be under $500 used now.

I too suffer from Gear Acquisition Syndrome. In digital I've been downscaling and quality has gone up. Went from dSLR to a Panasonic mirrorless with a couple primes. Then to a Fuji X100T which has been the bomb dot com.

I agree with 02Pilot that Fuji's sensor and processing engine is fantastic, way better than the mirrorless stuff at producing usable jpgs straight out of the camera. Very like 35mm film.

If you can live with one focal length (it's surprisingly freeing), I would look at a used X100s. Probably can get a nice one for about $500.

If you're interested in m4/3 I still have my Panasonic GX1 with a couple great primes which I would sell you. You'd have to buy an accessory VF for eye level though.

what's your "edc" (for lack of a better term) setup look like? Backpack? Fanny pack? Cargo Pants?

Best advice I've seen is: "pick out the bag that looks right for you, and then find a camera/lens combo that fits inside it"

other than that, make sure it shoots RAW. With RAW, anything over 6mp, and larger than a 1/1.7" sensor should make a 13" print fine.

Mirrorless micro 4/3 is every bit as good performance wise for most shooters and even better in portability and some useful features than DSLR's. Personally, I've always been an Olympus shooter for 35mm SLR/DSLR's (Fuji rangefinder for medium format though.) Within the last year I picked up an OM-D E-M5 Mark II in the limited Titanium Edition, because it so much reminded me of the OM-3 Ti SLR I always wanted and I was able to get it for a HUGE discount going grey market.

Even though it has an EVF, it's a most excellent EVF and the camera is a joy to use and I have zero inclination to pick up the E-3 I also recently got any more. Takes fantastic video as well. Absolutely the perfect size in the hand with the added accessory grip (seems a little over 1/2 the size of a normal DSLR) and works with all the Olympus E-series DSLR accessories I have. The camera scales wonderfully with all uses: can keep it very small and light for travel photography with just a few wide angle primes (and the amazing small full featured FL-LM3 flash unit that it comes with) in a very small fanny pack or go full out DSLR mode and shoot with additional battery grip on a flash grip with large flash and slaves.

When it comes to glass though, no matter the camera I only use manual focus OM 35mm prime lenses... with appropriate mount adapters on the camera bodies. The lenses are the most important part of the camera system and what will absolutely eat you in cost for modern glass...that's why you should choose the system based on lenses you have or plan on using. And buy used glass not new. Picture of my OM-D E-M5 Mark II Ti and most of the lens selection (missing the f1.8 50mm):

One of the first test shots I took with it in a dark room at night only lit up by an FL-50R flash:

Another vote for Fuji - I recently bought an X-2s and am very, very happy with the picture quality. The fact that it also does film simulations of some of my favourite film emulsion is just an added bonus.

I do need to try it with the Yashica adapter I have and some of my Contax/Yashica Zeiss glass, but I haven't got around to that yet.

I tried a ton of point-and-shoot cameras and found them all to be lacking. They might be 20mp, but they sure don't look it. Lower quality CMOS, poor/small optics... just didn't cut it for me.

Plus I had spent so much time with film SLR that the ability to manipulate functions took me straight to DSLR. I got a Nikon D3400 package for $475 with two lenses and a truckload of accessories that I plan on selling. They were cheap baubles like low quality macro and tele lenses, lens dusters, lanyards, cheap filters, and other ways of ruining your photos.

It came with two bags, a Nikor 18-80mm, Nikor 80-300mm, and all the other useless junk listed above. I want to find a good 300-1000mm-ish lens and I'll be done.

There is only so much to be said for the numbers like megapixels and f-stops. If its crap glass and junk software, or a camera that doesn't do what you want it to do, you won't be happy.

But, its entirely possible that a point and shoot will fill your needs. It just didn't fill mine.

That's why I like using vintage glass.

Good stuff is cheap as chips and still great quality.

I've got a Minolta 50mm F1.2 that I absolutely love for my film bodies and my M4/3

Consider the crop factor when using older glass on non-full frame bodies. If you're someone who like relatively wide focal lengths, you'll need some really wide lenses. Fuji X is x1.5 crop, M4/3 is x2.

I'm a natural 50mm shooter, which means I need to use a 35mm lens on my Fuji; I've got lenses as wide as 21mm (~32mm equivalent), but that wide you get into issues in the corners at wider apertures.

I have been using a Nikon J1 for a few years, and I love it. Mine is the very base model, but the V1 upgrades to an actual viewfinder and a hot shoe. You can get a used one with the 10-30 and 30-110 lenses for $300. There are a few other lenses, like fixed 10mm and 18.5mm and $$$$ telephoto, available.

I love the size and weight, it allows me to pop it into my coat pocket and take it with me anywhere. It is no big deal to take it on trips, I don't think twice about dropping it into my carry-on. With a DSLR, it's a hassle. The quality is much better than a cellphone and for what I do with it, good enough to leave the DSLR at home.

Compared to an Olympus PEN, Panasonic G, Sony NEX or Samsung NX, the Nikon image quality isn't as good and doesn't have as many lenses, but it is smaller and lighter and cheaper. Any small mirrorless camera will give you enough control and options to enjoy photography again, without the hassle and cost of a DSLR. I recommend finding a used one and checking it out.

In reply to 02Pilot:

There is that, but the upside is the crop factor puts the sensor right in the sweet spot of those ultrawide lenses.

Trans_Maro wrote: In reply to 02Pilot: There is that, but the upside is the crop factor puts the sensor right in the sweet spot of those ultrawide lenses.

Depends on the system the lens was originally designed for. Mine are RF lenses, which sit closer to the film plane, so the problem of "smearing" in the corners can be more apparent than with native SLR lenses.

In reply to 02Pilot:

Ahh, was not aware of that.

I learned something new today.

Thanks.

Hi guys, thanks for the feedback. I went and handled the Fuji XT and Olympus O-MD today (with a not very good salesperson who couldn't answer basic questions). Leaning toward the OM-D ( had an OM-1, loved it, sold like an idiot). Vracer111, love you lens collection. How does it work on your OM? Are there adapters for other 35mm lenses that you can use on the OM?

I think I need to go down to the main Henry's store in TO and talk to someone there who has a clue.

That new Canon EOS M5 looks pretty cool.

I hope that Nikon goes in a similar direction. The 1-Series cameras are kinda meh currently. The only real reason to go with Mirrorless Canons or Nikons is for better lens compatibility. If you're starting anew, then that doesn't matter. I keep thinking of getting a longer lens (600mm) for bird and wildlife photography, but I'm half debating just selling off what I've got now and restarting with M4/3 and something comparably long.

Fuji and Olympus are kinda running away from them all.

when you go, you might check out whatever Sony a5xxx mirrorless they have around. They've been making their mirrorless bodies long enough there's a number available used.

While the alpha lens range is smaller than Oly/Pano/Fuji... they can handle adapted lenses as well as the m4/3. Plus, the mount is the same as the full frame a7's... and the software auto-crops (?) when it detects the apsc lens on it. Seeing that you like to shoot landscapes, having a path to a full-frame sensor down the road might be worthwhile.

Fotodiox is the brand of lens adapter.

They seem to make them to fit any lens to any body.

I went from an SLR to a 4/3 (Olympus PEN E-PL2). The smaller size of the camera and lenses make a big difference to actually carrying the thing around. I'm more likely to have it in my pocket than the big SLR and it definitely outshoots the iPhone. I added an electronic viewfinder and it's been great.

Sometimes I'll pack it around with a pancake lens so it's really easy to carry. That was my SEMA rig, because that show's hard enough without 15 lbs of glass on your back. It'll slip in a pocket like a point and shoot that way. Sometimes I'll throw in a couple of zoom lenses that take me from 9mm to 150mm instead, and that's my National Park Hiking Setup. Small and light is good when you're climbing thousands of feet.

One thing about digitals - if you don't need this year's hottest toy, then you can save a bunch of money. I mean, I'd love to have the new thousand dollar PEN-F Olympus, but no. Five years seems like forever to gear nerds, but there were some really good cameras five years ago and the E-PL2 was near the top of the heap. Pixel peepers will get all wound up about one sensor vs another, but fundamentally they're all awfully close and it's the actual shot that matters. NIB E-PL2 bodies are cheap as chips right now. When you spend less than $200 on the body, you have a lot more to spend on the lenses.

If anyone's interested in what quiver of lenses I carry, I can check that out on Friday when I'm in the same state as my camera again. One neat thing about the PL2 kit lens is that there's a bayonet mount wide angle adapter available from Olympus that's fantastic - no aberration and really quick to snap on and off. I actually use it as my lens cap when I'm using that lens, gives me a wider range of options with no decrease in accessibility or weight penalty.

I have nothing of substance to add, except to note that thanks to the minor typo in the thread title, I can't help but read it as "What camera for getting back into pornography?"

Well we are talking about shots. And money

I just saw that Kipon does an EF to M4/3 Adapter with Autofocus support and apparently it's no slower than stock.

That's pretty cool. I hope someone does something similar for Nikon to M4/3 and maintains autofocus.

I was looking for similar last year but ended going with a Nikon D3300 with 2 lenses. I find it to be a bit much most of the time, and I haven't used it since August.

What I really want it a wide(35mm?) lenses on my AE-1 and a dark room to do B&W.

Duke wrote: I have nothing of substance to add, except to note that thanks to the minor typo in the thread title, I can't help but read it as "What camera for getting back into pornography?"

Well for that you want large format.

spitfirebill wrote:

Duke wrote: I have nothing of substance to add, except to note that thanks to the minor typo in the thread title, I can't help but read it as "What camera for getting back into pornography?"

Well for that you want large format.

That's really a matter of preference. Some prefer equipment with a smaller frame.