Help me make a choice please

[ears]

I have recently given my canon 5d mk2 and lenses to my son.  Too big and heavy for me and I simply stopped using them.  I have been considering em1, xt1 and a7mk2.

I looked at cost of the xt1 and em1 are almost identical at present.  Sony a7 is too expensive by comparison for my use, especially when you look at the prices of the additional lenses.

I don't print large (a3 at most).  And I haven't time to process lots of raw files although I will shoot raw+jpg.  Which brings me too the question, which camera has the best out of Camera jpgs?  I haven't found the usually review sites useful to compare due to the images used and the compression used.

Your opinion and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

ears

[Ken Bennett]

Both cameras can be configured to create good jpegs in camera. I happen to like the output from the Fuji a little better, but that's a matter of taste, of course. I think the Fuji engineers do a pretty good job with color rendition. (I have both systems, though not an EM1.) Both systems will make a 16x20 inch print with no problem given decent technique.

Other considerations: Given similar kits, the m4/3 system will be smaller, maybe significantly so. Online test results suggest the EM1 is better at autofocus, though the X-T1 is no slouch. There are a lot more lenses available for m4/3, though of course many of them overlap. The EM1 and the X-T1 differ quite a bit in their user interface, which might be a consideration.

Good luck and happy shooting.

[E.J. Peiker]

You haven't really said what you like to shoot. If it's fast action, the 7D2 will probably be best. For anything else, out of the three you mentioned, I'd go with the X-T1.

[spidermike]

Speaking to one professional a couple of years ago we were discussing Olympus vs Panasonic (I know the latter was not non your list) he prefers the jpegs from Olympus but prefers to work with raw files from Panasonic so this type of experience may be of interest to you. However, as Ken says you can configure a digital camere to output any jpeg you want.

If size is a concern to you I would go straight for the micro four-thirds because the lenses on the X-T1 are the same as any APS-C lens.
In a test last year the camerastore tested a E-M1, Panasonic GH4 with a Nikon D4 (video is on youtube) on a bike track and found that with good technique there was not a huge difference in AF between the three of them. Yes, the test was somewhat limited and for extended tracknig the Nikon wold probably win out but I think if you shoot action only occasionally you may not need to go as far as the 7D2.

I have the 7D (original) and the E-M5 and the Panny GX7 - since I got the latter two the 7D is now used almost solely for wildlife because I find the images are more amenable to havy cropping but if I can get a frame-filling subject I can see little difference; but I occasionally take out the 7D with the 70-200 f4L for no other reason than it is a beautiful lens to use and the constant f4 is something I miss but have not yet tried the Panasonic 35-100 f2.8.
The E-M5 with the 60mm prime and the GX7 with f1.8 Panasonic 12-35 create a kit hat in total is barely bigger than the 7D with battery grip (body only) and is a kit I grab almost every time I go out. Before getting it I would often leave the 7D at home because of its bulk.

[armand]

...
If size is a concern to you I would go straight for the micro four-thirds because the lenses on the X-T1 are the same as any APS-C lens.

...

If you go into the telephoto range, yes. Otherwise they are not really as big as my APS-C Nikon.
The 18-55 F2.8-4 is smallish, the 10-24 F4 is a magnitude smaller than the shorter range non-OIS Sigma 8-16 that I have.
The primes are smaller (not that much lighter) than the Nikon APS-C with few exceptions (the Nikon 50 F1.8 D is as small as it gets, the 35 F1.8DX is bigger but as light as the Fuji 35 F1.4 albeit at a smaller aperture).

While I don't have the m43 when I researched the system their lenses were smaller although the difference was not that big if you needed bright lenses.

PS. come to think of when I chose the X-E1 instead of the EM-5 when I added all the lenses that I wanted for each system the m43 was just a little lighter, enough not to care that much; now with brighter bigger lenses from Fuji the temptation might be to go with those which would increase the weight differential