Help me pick a mirrorless

jam3s121 · Jan 19, 2014

I am looking for my first mirrorless (looking to spend around $500-750) with kit lens max only.

I have had my canon sx260hs for awhile and its nice, but I eventually learned auto mode and feel that my skill level is now ready to be taught some new things with a mirrorless camera. I want a mirrorless because I am not a pro, have no intentions of being a pro and dslr's seem bulky. I plan to buy a prime 30mm or 50mm f1.8 type lens for whatever camera I get.

The camera doesn't need a crazy list of features, I don't care if I have built in flash or not since i never use it on my point & shoot. I would like the ability to have a remote intervalometer, for time lapses. I understand sony and lumix cameras have this built in but the lumix cameras have a set interval min. of 1minute and i don't know how good the sony APP is. I would rather just use remote so I can set it myself. 60 fps 1080p video would be cool too. I have looked at the sony next 5t mainly.. i like the gx7 but its a little out of price range but willing to go up. Thanks.

Other than that a tiltable lcd would be nice. Thanks for your help

brunerww · Jan 20, 2014

Hi jam3s121 - and welcome to the forum! A couple of thoughts. First, if you've ever had a challenge seeing the LCD on your Powershot in bright sunlight, you may want to think about getting a camera with a viewfinder. Second - I don't know about other Lumix cameras, but the interval settings on the Panasonic Lumix G6's built-intervalometer are from 1 second to 99 minutes 59 seconds, so you wouldn't need a remote intervalometer (please see page 195 of the advanced features manual).

It seems to me that the $634 (on sale, as of this post) Panasonic G6 has everything you're looking for - the intervalometer, 1080/60p video, a completely articulated LCD - plus the built in viewfinder and an external mic jack for video (a feature the $598 NEX-5T and $998 GX7 both lack).

Here is a timelapse example from the G6 (tilt lens shots are with Ricoh GR - please watch at 1080p):

If you prefer the Sony NEX system and the larger APS-C sensor, I recommend a Sony NEX-6 body (with a built-in viewfinder) for $648 plus a used 18-55mm kit lens for less than $100. This is a great camera, but, like the NEX-5T, it requires the purchase of a $10 app from the PlayMemories store to add a limited time lapse feature. To set the interval yourself, you would have to buy an external intervalometer.

The NEX-6 does have a tilting LCD, but it does not flip forward for self-portraits. The G6 and NEX-5T screens are both able to flip forward.

Hope this is helpful!

Bill

jam3s121 · Jan 20, 2014

Thank you for that post, I really like appreciate it.

What do you think about the Lumix GF6 vs the Lumix G6 and the Nex 5/6 models.

I see that it has a lot of features but no hotshoe or EVF. I personally don't know what a EVF even is.. I believe a EVF is the viewfinder without the LCD screen.. and it shows what the lens see's based on my exposure settings? I personally only have shot with my rear lcd screen.. so I don't know how much I want/need a EVF. IS it that helpful?

I don't know.. I really like the styling of the lumix line but if I understand correctly a larger sensor sony camera is capable of more DOF/bokeh at equal apertures correct? I know I would probably be buying a sigma prime f2.8 lens with any camera or the panasonic f1.8 one i saw thats $220.

Do any of the olypmus cameras have a EVF? Its so hard to figure out what has what for these cameras I wish there was a site that you could simply input what you want from all these features and it would tell you what has what all on one page lol.

brunerww · Jan 21, 2014

Glad I could help. You're right about the definition of "EVF". It stands for "Electronic View Finder", and, for digital cameras, it reproduces what the sensor will "see" through the lens.

If you have never had a problem with taking photographs with the rear LCD on your Powershot, you may not need one - but for shooting outdoors in bright sunlight and for steadying the camera when I'm shooting video, I personally find a viewfinder to be invaluable.

And you're right about the larger sensor on the APS-C Sony cameras giving you shallower depth of field at equivalent apertures - but, in the real world, this can be addressed with ND filters and faster lenses.

Between the $634 (with kit lens) G6, and the $648 body only NEX-6, I would get the G6 for its mic jack, built-in intervalometer, fully articulated LCD, better video (less moire) and lower cost.

Between the $485 (with kit lens) GF6 and the $598 (with power zoom) NEX-5T, I would probably get the NEX for its larger sensor.

And Olympus does have a camera with a viewfinder - but it is $799 body only and lacks 1080/60p.

Overall, the G6 is the best still/video/timelapse value for your money, in my view.

You're also right about the lack of meaningful information on camera comparison sites (e.g., Digital Camera Database, Snapsort, Versus, Camera Size, etc).

I don't use them very often because they don't seem to care about some of the criteria that matter most to me (e.g., video codec, frame rate and bit rate; video moire and aliasing, mic jacks, headphone jacks, articulated/flip forward LCDs; intervalometers).

Again, hope this was helpful,

Bill

jam3s121 · Jan 21, 2014

thanks for all your answers, so if i went with a m43 camera.. is it easy to get good manual focus f1.8 or f2 prime lenses that are legacy? I wouldn't mind learning but it seems like f2 or higher coooosts so much but i ideally want a 35mm film equivalent f2 or higher prime lens. I see the sigma f2.8 isn't that badly priced not sure if its going to offer enough shallow DOF though.

right now I like that g6, but I kinda want a smaller mirrorless like the oly e pl5

funnyfarm · Jan 21, 2014

I may also be on the market for a mirrorless. Just following along.

Ron Evers · Jan 25, 2014

jam3s121 said:
thanks for all your answers, so if i went with a m43 camera.. is it easy to get good manual focus f1.8 or f2 prime lenses that are legacy? I wouldn't mind learning but it seems like f2 or higher coooosts so much but i ideally want a 35mm film equivalent f2 or higher prime lens. I see the sigma f2.8 isn't that badly priced not sure if its going to offer enough shallow DOF though.

right now I like that g6, but I kinda want a smaller mirrorless like the oly e pl5

You can use virtually any old SLR or rangefinder lenses on m4/3 bodies with appropriate adapter. I use both Canon & Minolta f1.4 lenses on my cameras for very low light situations. Here are a couple low light shots with adapted lenses:

duncanvogel · Jan 28, 2014

Since the release of the Fuji X-E2, the X-E1 has come down in price quite a bit. Its a great option and produces amazing photographs.
If you are wanting to spend even less but are ok with a fixed prime lens, check out the fuji X100s. Even pro street photographers like Zack Arias have dropped complete Canon DSLR rigs with L glass for this small little package.