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Author Topic: New travel/street camera  (Read 18971 times)

Eric Brody

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #40 on: January 09, 2014, 09:57:51 pm »

I'm another voice for the Fuji X system. There will ALWAYS be announcements of new cameras. If you wait, you'll be waiting forever. Every electronic device you buy and now that means camera bodies, is obsolete as soon as it's made. Lenses are the closest thing in photography to a "forever" product. As an example, I recently put a 1975 Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 on my Fuji with an adapter and made some nice images with it. The current Fuji lenses are superb. Even the "kit" 18-55 zoom is impressive and their high ISO performance is extraordinary. I've shown 13x19 images made with the Fuji X E-1 with the 14mm right next to the same size images made with a D800E and a PC-E lens.
Which camera you choose is up to you, the Fuji X100S is arguably the best fixed lens camera out there, at half the price of the finder-less RX1. The X E-1 and 2 are impressive and not that much more money than the X100S. The one thing the Olympus machines have going for them, and I sold my OM-D, is the body based stabilization, but with the high ISO on the Fuji's open the lens, up the ISO and you're just fine. There are a lot of good cameras out there. Just remember, while you wait, you're not making ANY images at all. I have one word for you... Fuji. Just have fun.
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douglas frost

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #41 on: January 09, 2014, 10:28:42 pm »

@JV - Thanks for the link - interestingly, there are even better offers around in Australia (I'm in Sydney) at the moment. If I were to get a Nex camera, it would be the Nex 6 (better autofocus and high iso performance) and probably pair it with the zeiss 16-70 f4. Definitely still considering the X100s or maybe and XE-2.

I'm planning to buy towards the end of march, so I still have plenty of time to look at other options. As others have said, there are plenty of good cameras out there, but most of them just don't make want to pick them up and use them (it's not always a logical, rational reason...).

As this is going to be an additional camera for me, I want it to be as simple as possible, so if it's a fixed lens like the X100s, that's fine and if it's a Nex 6 or XE-2 or something else, I will likely only get one lens for it.

And Eric, fear not. There is no shortage of cameras to shoot with now...  ;D
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stever

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #42 on: January 09, 2014, 11:04:39 pm »

from my experience so far, and reviews - if you're considering the NEX-6 and 16-70, I think the Panny GX7 and 12-35 is worth a look even if you don't like the 4/3 format (I don't either, but it's tolerable as a second camera).
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JV

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #43 on: January 10, 2014, 10:02:11 am »

As others have said, there are plenty of good cameras out there, but most of them just don't make want to pick them up and use them (it's not always a logical, rational reason...).

I know this is probably more than you want to spend but somehow the Leica M9 has been achieving this for me lately.

It obviously does not have AF, focusing is manual and slow, framing inaccurate, ISO performance not impressive, etc but somehow it seems to bring back the fun in photography...

And I do feel like picking it up and using it... more than other more capable, more usable and more modern cameras...

A used Leica M9 can be had for $3,500-4,000.

You don’t have to buy expensive Leica lenses either, some of the Zeiss lenses available in Leica mount are excellent and do not cost more than the corresponding Fuji lens
« Last Edit: January 10, 2014, 02:04:17 pm by JV »
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capital

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #44 on: January 12, 2014, 01:06:44 am »

Hi Douglas,

Have you considered the Canon EOS-M or Canon Powershot G1X?

The EOS M can be used with existing Canon lenses via their adapter.

The Canon Powershot G1X is a highly capable APS-C sized travel camera with a 28-112 lens and the tilt-swivel design LCD, plus it fulfills your needs of not needing to budget for an additional lens, since it has been around a while it can be routinely had for around $550.
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douglas frost

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #45 on: January 12, 2014, 02:59:46 am »

hi capital, nothing i have read or heard (including the opinion of a canon employee) would convince me to buy an eos m. in terms of the g1x, whilst i'm sure it's a very capable camera, it just doesn't make me want to pick it up and take photos with it.
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stever

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #46 on: January 12, 2014, 11:45:20 am »

I so desperately wanted the EOS M to be at least somewhat useable as a backup that I bought one - and sent it right back.
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JohnAONeill

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #47 on: February 10, 2014, 07:47:07 pm »

perhaps I can weigh in on this since I have shot with and owned both the nex 7 and more recently the Fuji XPro 1. Whilst the nex 7 is a very usable camera with nice files, for me it just didn't feel like a camera that I could connect with as a photographer. The sony nex menu system seems to me more like a camera trying to be all things to all people. Design by committee, so to speak. When I first bought the camera i really liked shooting with it but i found that anytime it was left unused for a while and I started using it again the menu kept confusing me. i have often missed the shot because I spent too much time browsing menus to find the setting I wanted. To me i just want a camera to work like a camera. The fuji is far more tactile and logical to use and allows me more time to forget about the camera and just concentrate on the subject. The final nail in the coffin for my sony nex was the very poor availability of lenses. the fuji lenses are well made, nice to use and are great performers. The price for lenses is also better than sony options (at least in ireland) which for me makes this an all round better option. Throw in the high Iso performance and the really nice fuji colours and you have a winning combination! Having read the initial negative reports online for the xpro auto focus performance I'm happy to say that with the latest V3x firmware updates the xpro1 auto focus works just fine for me. I'm glad I made the change ;-)

regards
John
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scooby70

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #48 on: February 11, 2014, 06:40:41 am »

I'm phased by all this talk and criticism of menus.

Once the camera is set up how often do people actually use the menus?

Personally I only seem to use the menus for two things, for formatting the card and activating the sensor clean function. The former I do quite often but it's not a problem finding the format option as it's in the same place in the menu every time I look... and the latter I only do now and again.

Personally I find the menu organisation about as much of an issue as the colour of my socks.
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chez

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #49 on: February 11, 2014, 06:47:24 am »

I'm phased by all this talk and criticism of menus.

Once the camera is set up how often do people actually use the menus?

Personally I only seem to use the menus for two things, for formatting the card and activating the sensor clean function. The former I do quite often but it's not a problem finding the format option as it's in the same place in the menu every time I look... and the latter I only do now and again.

Personally I find the menu organisation about as much of an issue as the colour of my socks.

I'm in the same boat as you. If that is the biggest issue with a camera...then it's a winner.
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JohnAONeill

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #50 on: February 11, 2014, 08:50:54 am »

I'm phased by all this talk and criticism of menus.

Once the camera is set up how often do people actually use the menus?

Personally I only seem to use the menus for two things, for formatting the card and activating the sensor clean function. The former I do quite often but it's not a problem finding the format option as it's in the same place in the menu every time I look... and the latter I only do now and again.

Personally I find the menu organisation about as much of an issue as the colour of my socks.


At the end of the day any intelligent person will eventually figure out how to use any menu system and after enough use then it will become second nature. I am not disputing that, so I respect your comment as a valid argument. My position having owned and extensively used both systems if that the fuji implementation of control is far more intuitive than the nex system. Of course I am a middle aged photographer that has shot extensively with many film cameras in the past and old habits may die hard, however not everything that is new or the latest craze is necessarily better. In fact I feel that the current trend for "retro styled" cameras with manual controls is largely due to the fact that so many photographers prefer this type of camera control. I hope it continues!
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scooby70

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #51 on: February 11, 2014, 03:02:16 pm »

I'm not disputing that some menu systems are better organised than others although which is best will always be a personal thing... I'm just a bit puzzled why it matters that much.

I've hardly used the menu systems of any of my digital cameras and I can honestly at the moment only think of the two previously mentioned reasons for diving into them.

When I first get a camera of course I go through the menu and set everything how I want it set but once that's done I usually only change the aperture (that's on the lens,) the shutter speed (via a dial,) the ISO (another dial,) exposure compensation (a dial,) and other than that I'll call up the magnified view (a button,) shift the focus point (a button,) review shots (a button,) maybe delete a shot (a button) format the card (the menu!) and maybe activate the cleaning function (the menu!)

The menu is a little used thing.

But that's just me :D
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douglas frost

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #52 on: February 11, 2014, 04:01:36 pm »

when i first decided to get an extra camera, the fuji was top of my list, but having used a friend's x100 for a few months, the 'old style' has lost a little bit of it's appeal for me. i have spent a little time with both the nex 6 and 7 and don't really have an issue with the menu system, so now just waiting to see what the alpha 6000 is really like. i don't really need to buy before mid-april, so plenty of time.

as many have said, the various cameras are all capable of great images and terrible images, so then it becomes a very personal choice - not every great carpenter uses the same chisel...
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dds

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #53 on: February 11, 2014, 08:57:39 pm »

I've used a NEX-7 for a couple of years, alongside my Nikon SLR equipment. Unlike many on this thread, I think it's a killer camera, for most uses.

I also think that after a slow start, there are now some excellent autofocus lenses available, including some fine Zeiss optics and the Sigma 60mm, which is stunning. The NEX-7 adapts well to other brands of lenses for manual focus. It has great build quality, is quiet and has no shutter lag. The built-in viewfinder is good. The tilting LCD is top notch. I find that the camera fits my hand perfectly, which is important to me. I like the ability to move autofocus to a button on the back instead of the shutter release. The files at ISO 100 are stunning with good lenses. They can make very large prints.

There are some downsides to the NEX-7. So-so focus speed. Grainy files above ISO400 (although the grain is actually pretty nice and doesn't wreck detail until higher ISOs). Crappy menus, partly redeemed by lots of button customization. Corner problems using super wide lenses of certain types. I expect the new A6000 will help with most of these.

If "street photography" means quick autofocus grab shots, I'd go with something else--probably one of the fast-focussing Oly or Panasonics. But for less hectic street work, travel, portrait, architecture and landscape, the NEX-7 is a worthy choice.
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SangRaal

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #54 on: February 12, 2014, 01:56:26 pm »

I have used the NEX 7 almost since it's introduction as a small take along mtn biking/ ski camera( the rest of my kit is as yours canon 5d3 and 1d4). The output has been excellent as well as it's ability to use legacy M mount lenses (I have used cheap sigma lenses for skiing andf biking light and unafraid of damage). However it is an end of life product, A replacement the alpha 600 has already been previewed. That camera appears to be an combination of the best features of the Nex 6 and 7 with the latest engine from the A7 7r. I assume that sony has cleaned up some of the Nex7 issues. I also tried the sigma DP merril series as a high quality output compact but sigmapp drove me crazy and I gave up on that.
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BJL

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #55 on: February 12, 2014, 02:33:30 pm »

I have used the NEX 7 ... However it is an end of life product, A replacement the alpha 600 has already been previewed. That camera appears to be an combination of the best features of the Nex 6 and 7 with the latest engine from the A7 7r.
The A6000 is mostly a good step forward (like the improved PDAF and frame rate with CAF), but it backtracks on some features, like EVF resolution less than that of the NEX-7. I wonder if this means that:
  • There is a higher end "A7000" coming
  • Sony is capping the quality of its APS-C format offerings to encourage more customers to supersize their kit to full 35mm format, as Canon and Nikon seem to have done in recent years (Witness Nikon D700 features not offered in any subsequent Nikon DX format body, and all new EF-S and DX lenses in recent years being slow f/5.6 zooms.)
One crude measure of intent is how many prime lenses and faster zooms (f/2.8, or at least faster then f/5.6) are being introduced; lately Fujifilm, Olympus, and Panasonic are offering more than Canon, Nikon or Sony are for  their "APS-C" format.

P. S. To be fair to Sony, its lens system for E-mount APS-C format includes three f/4 zoom lenses, so better than Canon's or Nikon's recent efforts for that sensor size.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2014, 03:02:42 pm by BJL »
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werner from aurora

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #56 on: February 12, 2014, 06:03:40 pm »

    I use a Panasonic GF3 with a powerzoom for my pocket camera and really like it. But you may want to look at Sony's newly announced A6000. This is the first nex that really got my attention.        http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/is-the-sony-a6000-superfast-hybrid-af-going-to-kill-the-slt-tech/
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douglas frost

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #57 on: February 12, 2014, 06:09:16 pm »

i have been following the rumours and now announcement of the alpha 6000 and it definitely looks like the one for me.

now to see if i can get my hands on one before an overseas trip in early may...
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werner from aurora

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #58 on: February 12, 2014, 07:13:50 pm »

Amazon has a release date of April 20th. Good Luck!
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archman

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Re: New travel/street camera
« Reply #59 on: February 19, 2014, 03:21:17 am »

I'm looking forward to the new Nikon p340.  Sharp lens, RAW and manual controls and so they say faster writing times than the 330.
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