Camera advise

Tom v S · Sep 21, 2018

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some advice on spending €500-€1000 on a camera that will upgrade my IPhone SE and was hoping you could help me out. I am an artist based from the Netherlands and am curently using my SE in my studio and in galleries for taking photos and videos of my paintings (I have attached some examples below). I love using my IPhone because it is portable and it makes sharing on social media easy, but it’s far from a professional camera. And it’s lacking quality for using my photos (overview, close up and galerie shots) on my website and portfolio.

I am looking for a professional camera that will give me the best quality photos and videos (photos are most important) I can get for the budget. I have limited experience in photography and am looking for a portable model (without compromising quality) that is easy to use, so, without me having to become a pro and having to purchase new lenses and accessories to get the perfect shot. I am willing though to give up compactness/portability for quality if it comes down to it.

I have been asking some local dealers for advice and summed up their advice in the list below:

Sony CyberShot RX100 V
Leica D-Lux with f1.7 Summilux
Panasonic Lumix LX100
Sony A6000 with a 16-50mm lens
Sony A6300
Sony A7 with a 28-70 lens

Again, I am a photography rookie, but I am more than willing to learn and look forward to making a start with a new camera.

Thanks,

Tom

Jeff15 · Sep 21, 2018

Hello and welcome, good luck with your camera choice.....

Derrel · Sep 22, 2018

I shoot the iPhone SE every day. I know what you mean.

I am not familiar with the cameras you're interested in, but have read reviews of the earlier Sony RX100 and the Sony A6000. The RX 100 is an all-in-one with a wide zoom range, and might be very handy as an all-in-one solution. The A6000 was good but had some flaws, but uses interchangeable lenses, so it's less of an all-in-one solution. The A6300 is supposedly better than the A6000, or so I have read.

I would look for on-line reviews; this forum does not have a lot of people who are interested in the types of cameras you've listed.

Solarflare · Sep 25, 2018

Maybe the new Fujifilm XF10 could be a good choice for you.

Its a prime lens compact, offers really high image quality in a very small and very affordable package.

Dont expect wonders from the autofocus though. But for your subjects you wouldnt need it.

Normally I would recomment the Ricoh GR but mine is in the process of dying ... so build quality unfortunately is an issue with that one.

P.s.: About the choices you gave:

None of these cameras is a professional camera.

You need a lens for a system camera. A bare A6300 is thus useless.

Of the RX100 line I'd recomment the Mark 2. Thats the one in which Sony managed to make the perfect instance of this camera concept.

If you really want an affordable professional camera, I'd recomment Nikon D700 plus Nikkor AF 35mm f2 plus Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro. I'd have to warn of a very steep learning curve though. This is a camera made for professionals that know what they're doing.

jaomul · Sep 25, 2018

I'd recommend something like a Nikon d5600 and maybe a 35mm f1.8 lens. The camera and lens combo is capable of good image quality while having snapbridge built in so you can set it up to auto transfer said photos yo your phone

JoeW · Sep 25, 2018

Welcome.

Rather than say "pick this camera" let me point out a couple of things you (I believe) want this camera to be able to do (and other things that aren't important).
1. White balance is important (because it seems like you'll often be shooting indoors with artificial light).
2. A wide angle lens (at least 35mm) is important b/c it looks like you may be shooting in confined space or at large works. Conversely, "reach" (like a 200mm zoom) is useless to you.
3. It's unclear to me how "portable" you want something to be. I have multiple Nikon bodies, a family full of lens but I still take some photos with my iPhone because "the best camera is the camera you have with you."
4. "Speed" (or the ability to capture movement) isn't important to you. So "fast" lens or a fast shutter speed are irrelevant to you. Conversely, with a cheap table-top tripod you could take a long exposure with your camera if the light is weak.

If you agree that all of the above are true for you, then here are my thoughts:

1. Point-and-shoot or mirrorless cameras (Sony is the leader here) will be the lightest and smallest, therefore the easiest to carry around all the time. A step up from Point-and-shoot will be the Nikon D5000-series (ie: D5100, 5200, 5300, etc.). They don't have an auto-focus motor in the body, they rely on a lens that has an autofocus motor. This saves weight and seize. These are inexpensive for a DSLR, will allow you to swap lens. They're bad for photojournalism (fast moving subjects) and are technically limited. But for static subjects (like paintings) they'll be excellent.

2. With a Nikon D5000 series camera, you can get their DX35mm lens. It has an f1.8 aperture (so lets in a lot of light--good for natural light settings) and will allow you to blur the foreground and background with such a narrow depth of field. It's light, it's inexpensive, it goes well with the D5000 series. There are two considerations for you to consider. The Dx35mm lens sometimes has chromatic aberration (meaning: colors get distorted) if you are shooting in to a light. This can be resolved either in how you shoot or in post production. Second, with ANY lens that is that wide angle, you can get a "keystone" effect which means if you're shooting a rectangular canvas, it will not appear rectangular (depending upon how close you are to it and the angle). And that is resolvable post-production.

There are plenty of good options available to you--especially if your intention is to use it primarily just in-studio. Points to remember:
--the lens will be almost as important to you as the camera body. You really need to acquire a wide-angle lens
--white balance will matter a lot to you since you'll be shooting indoors. So look at that issue when considering camera bodies. You'll have a learning curve but it will be important for you to accurately reproduce your work with photography.
--a tripod (not a full 5 foot when extended tripod, something you could set on a chair or table) probably makes sense. Without something that stabilizes your camera and allows for a shot that is a second or maybe 1/10th of a second exposure, you'll need to invest in a lot of artificial lights and triggers and modifiers (like soft boxes) and that's a big learning curve. You'll need to worry about hot spots and glare off of frames and glass. Instead, start with natural light which means either investing huge money in professional lens OR doing a slow shutter speed (and thus putting your camera on something to stabilize the body).

Tom v S · Sep 25, 2018

Thank you all for taking the time to give me useful advice!

From what I understand is that the compromise of a point and shoot or mirrorless camera is the sensor. A full frame sensor (in comparison to a 1", 4/3 or APS-C) will do a better job at IQ, depth of field, and dynamic range low-light; thus the overall image quality, right? What I also understand is that it all depends on what you use your camera for and what the circumstances (like lighting) will be when photographing.

I have been looking at the Nikon A5000 and the Canon A6000 series and the available lenses for both and I know that there are a lot of great lenses out there. But due to my lack of knowledge and experience in this field I find it difficult to make a informed choice. My dad has an old Nikon D3000, so perhaps I will start using that on the side and get a feel working with a DSLR until I am comfortable enough to invest in a body with a proper lens. For now, I think a mirrorless or point and shoot, it being easy to use and carry around, will be the best choice for me.

My current top 3:
- Sony RX1, full-frame sensor (secondhand)
- Fujifilm X100F with APS-C sensor
- Canon RX100 M2-M5, 1" sensor

Which one would you choose if you were me?

Thanks again!

beagle100 · Sep 26, 2018

Tom v S said:
Thank you all for taking the time to give me useful advice!

From what I understand is that the compromise of a point and shoot or mirrorless camera is the sensor. A full frame sensor (in comparison to a 1", 4/3 or APS-C) will do a better job at IQ, depth of field, and dynamic range low-light; thus the overall image quality, right? What I also understand is that it all depends on what you use your camera for and what the circumstances (like lighting) will be when photographing.

I have been looking at the Nikon A5000 and the Canon A6000 series and the available lenses for both and I know that there are a lot of great lenses out there. But due to my lack of knowledge and experience in this field I find it difficult to make a informed choice. My dad has an old Nikon D3000, so perhaps I will start using that on the side and get a feel working with a DSLR until I am comfortable enough to invest in a body with a proper lens. For now, I think a mirrorless or point and shoot, it being easy to use and carry around, will be the best choice for me.

My current top 3:
- Sony RX1, full-frame sensor (secondhand)
- Fujifilm X100F with APS-C sensor
- Canon RX100 M2-M5, 1" sensor

Which one would you choose if you were me?

Thanks again!