Mirroless (or not) camera for enthusiastic beginner

<p>Hi guys,</p>

<p>So I'm looking to purchase a new camera that'll allow for fairly good pictures with all-around zoom capabilities for traveling... <br>

My budget is at MOST around 650$. Another criteria is that I absolutely want the viewfinder as well as the LCD screen.</p>

<p>Now I came across the Fuji X30 which seems not bad, but would like to get feedback first. Any comments on this one ? Or perhaps another suggestion ? I did find the Sony Alpha 6000 to be quite interesting, however, it is over budget :(</p>

<p>I'll be leaving on a trip to Ireland next week so hopefully I can buy before hand. Much much thanks in advance :)</p>

<p>Patrick</p>

<p>I think the best travel camera is the Panasonic Lumix ZS40. Has a super duper zoom and 18mp and GPS and charges using a phone charger (camera input is smaller than phone but supplied). I have two extra batteries with external charge. Image file contains date time and location plus nearby landmarks. Best travel camera I have seen. This is last year’s model – this year has no GPS. Off to Greece, see you soon. Camera under $400 US dollars.</p>

<p>For travel when i don't want to carry my full DSLR gear, I have a Canon Powershot G15. The current model is the G16 but within your budget. This is a high end point and shoot rather than a mirrorless per se but very sharp lens with good zoom range and you can put it in fully automatic mode or you can go fully manual, even raw.<br /><br />If this is going to be your only camera, I would go with an entry level Nikon or Canon DSLR rather than a mirrorless camera. A DSLR can also be put into fully auto mode or fully manual but gives you the greatest range of options as you learn more. Mirrorless cameras are very popular, partly for their smaller size and light weight. But by the time you get into the higher end models that offer most of the features of a DSLR, you've spent as much as you would spend on a DSLR anyhow.<br /><br />What camera do you have now? One piece of advice that has stood the test of time is not to buy a new camera a week before leaving on a trip. If there's anything wrong with the camera, you won't know until it's too late. And you won't have time to learn the camera before you leave. If you have a good camera you are comfortable with, I would stick with it and not buy anything new until you get home.</p>

<p>These days, and actually for some time now, you can hardly go wrong.<br>

One option is to get one of the new, very small dSLRs. With a kit lens, in your price range.<br>

Point-and-shoot cameras, to the extent that they survive the phone camera, like the Canon Powershots, are very good and highly portable/pocketable.<br>

A particularly sophisticated option is the new "full-frame" mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (MILCs). They're a little more money, but have lots of potential for future expansion into great old manual lenses, and such like.</p>

<p>Echoing Craig's advice-if you are a week away from the trip I would suggest you use the camera you have and are familiar with. I have a Fuji X-T1 based travel setup to complement my Nikon DSLR system-and i spent 2 months using the system before using it on a trip.</p>

<p>Arguably, the best bargains are refurbished kits. Search the rumor sites or Amazon.</p>

<p>On Amazon, you can get a Sony NEX-5TL with a standard zoom for, say, $350, then you can buy separately a telephoto zoom for another $200 or so. However, I think that you need probably three or four weeks between buying a camera and going on holiday.</p>

<p>The Panasonic that Alan mentioned looks pretty damned good, too. Don't worry too much about outright quality, unless you're taking photos for a stock library or something. Smaller sensors, such as those in the Panasonic, are pretty good these days.</p>

<p>Alright. Thank you all for your responses. I'm actually leaving in about 2 weeks from now, and dont have any camera at all (besides my phone!). I've looked up the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS40, but already seems to be discontinued. No one mentioned the X30... Feeling like it might not be such a good deal then.<br>

Ill look at the canon's powershot series... giving myself one more week of research.. </p>

<p>Thanks :)</p>