Mirrorless camera for beginner

[akash_shah]

<p>Hi all, <br>

Which mirrorless cameras would you recommend for a beginner (who has never used a dSLR or mirrorless before). Will be taking lessons once I have a camera. A few specifics: </p>

<ul>

<li>$500-$800 price range.</li>

<li>I have been looking at the fuji XT-10, the new fuji XA2, and the sony a6000 which I have been told is arguably outdated</li>

<li>This is not for professional work.</li>

<li>Primary use is for everyday, family, and travel pictures.</li>

<li>Easy wi-fi connectivity and transferability is a must!</li>

</ul>

<p>Also, which lenses should I start out with? <br>

Thanks for the help!</p>

 

[akash_shah]

<p>I forgot to mention that I would also want decent video capability. </p>

[Peter_in_PA]

<p>The one that fits in your hand best and the one that you can figure out the menu system the fastest on will be the one that makes you happiest imho.</p>

[SCL]

<p>Peter +1<br>

All cameras will take good pictures, but their true quality will depend on your own creativity and understanding your camera and the fundamentals of photography.</p>

[sid_chatterjee]

<p>Welcome to the forum Akash - Instead of those that you have listed, I suggest that you look at the Panasonic LX10. I think it will do everything you want, at least for now. If the interchangeable lens is something you may transition to, the LX10 will become a great little pocket camera you will carry all the time (forgetting those silly mobiles with camera). After all these years, I still carry with me LX5 a camera out of the stone ages compared to the LX10. </p>

[john_tran14]

<p>If you have never used a DSLR before, you should try one instead of going straight to the mirrorless otherwise you will never know what you are missing. A full featured Pentax DSLR with 100% pentamirror is around $300 now like the Pentax K50. It is also easy to find cheap lenses to use on a Pentax.</p>

<p>I myself just got a Pentax DSLR K50 (used in mint condition) for $150 and use it with my old Pentax lenses (AF and MF). I just bought a Vivitar 100mm F3.5 MF with aperture ring and A setting, macro 1:2 for about $45 which can manually focus easily at EV3, thanks to the pentamirror of the K50. With this K50, I often shoot at ISO 1600-6400. It is light and it has Shake reduction that helps a lot when I shoot at 1/8s</p>

[john_tran14]

<p>a typo : pentaprism not penta mirror</p>

[Jochen_S]

<p>Welcome. - Not sure what to suggest to you. Fuji cameras have always generated great stills images in camera. Their weakness were the AF system. My knowledge is limited; I own early stuff I bought 3 years ago: X-M1, X-E1 2 consumer zooms & flash. - Both cameras suffer form the rather horribly sluggish contrast AF. I read Fuji's current top of the line model X-T2 finally comes with praise deserving phase detection AF and maybe some lenses in the line keep up with it, but the consumer 50-230mm zoom is <em>very </em>unlikely to be among them. I am not into video and don't know where the interim Fujis, like X-T10 are lined up performance wise. All I know: for video you most likely appreciate an almost instant AF and in the long run at least 4K format + a few video friendly features like headphone jack, zebras ... somebody will complete the list and I am sure bottom line Fujis are lacking a lot of that stuff.<br>

Personally I see no giant problem in taping: "storytelling grandparent in armchair" with a Fuji, if you bring a tripod and get your sound right externally. "Baby's 1st steps towards you" will drive you nuts if you aren't doing that tape professionally in manual focus by squatting a pump truck that your assistant will keep constantly in the same distance to baby by pulling it away. - With their unmarked focus by wire lenses Fujis don't lend themselves to the normal production technique of having an assistant pull your focus by hand according to subject movements. For "my RC plane in the air" Fuji AF seems not well suited and I'd want a camera with EVF for that shot.<br>

Stills: I am torn to fully recommend Fuji. - Mine keep everything a P&S camera ever promised when I am walking around in daylight taking touristic landscape snaps. - Indoors they become close to unusable due to decreased EVF / screen refresh rate in the dark or dim. <br>

My bottom line: If you are on a tight budged and want a video capable stills camera look at the Canon EOS Rebel line of affordable DSLRs too. They are a tad heavier, more bang for the buck, should provide a sufficiently decent AF performance and images might look OK straight out of camera and good after editing them in your PC. - They will not match Fuji's in camera editing, but odds to nail the critical shots seem better with Canon. <br>

I don't understand John's suggestion above me. - I shoot Pentax as my DSLR system (if I have to). Even the unspectacular Pentax AF seems better than what I got in my Fujis. - But where are the video features you are asking for in Pentax? - The bodies I have are lacking video entirely and I read the DSLR video crowd is leaning towards Canon or maybe even Nikon. Everything I described about Fuji video should be true about Pentax too. I further don't know if Pentax' in camera shake reduction works <em>while you are filming</em>. - If not you'll be better off with that feature built into your lenses.<br>

Maybe read up on Panasonic cameras if video is really important to you. <br>

Sorry about the incomplete answer. - Myself I am sitting on the fence and might buy an X-T2 a couple of years from now used or get more unspectacular video capability by accident on the side, when I'll buy another camera for its stills features. <br>

Warm recommendation: Hit the "petting zoo" area of your electronics mall, handle various cameras on display there. to get an impression how fast they aren#t focusing from a close to a distant subject. - It is never wrong to have swift AF! - If they come with electronic finders figure out if those are refreshing much slower than you are panning the camera. - Keep in mind that you have to film in an SLR's live view mode according to the rear display, so luk for one you can tilt o and check how well AF performs in that mode. It is usually worse than when you are using the optical finder. Figure out what fits your hand and budged. Don't buy! - Go home, read / watch reviews, make an <em>informed</em> decision!<br>

Lenses: On a shoestring budged a kit with 2 zooms leaving a bit of room for an external flash is the no brainer. - Once you are hitting a serious phase you should have figured out what focal length see most use and buy either primes or heavier fast zooms in that range. <br>

On a midrange budged it can make sense to go for a long zoom range in a single lens. - My buddies all shoot something like 18-(aproximately)135mm or 24-120mm on FF. <br>

To the serious poor man with money I recommend sticking with cheap zooms decent primes and multiple (partially used) bodies to be as versatile as the others with their long range zooms which weigh less but won't last forever although they cost a pretty penny. - As a kid I wore out zooms within 2 to 4 years. - According to lensrentals.com even the best professional grade $2k zooms only last 50 rental weeks until they need to go for repairs. <br>

Fuji X-T10:</p>

<ul>

<li>608Euro body only</li>

<li>770 with 16-50</li>

<li>900 with 16-50 + 50-230</li>

<li>1025 with 18-55</li>

<li>1175 with 18-135</li>

</ul>

<p>I paid 500 for my X-M1 with 16-50 + 50-230. The lenses take pictures that hold up well enough on a 4k screen. Fuji apply a lot of math in camera to tame the wild barrel distortion of the 16mm end of the short zoom. The long one suffers from sluggish AF through the 2nd half of it's range. Build quality might be worse than all other Fuji lenses'.<br>

I am sure that more money buys noticeably better image quality. - The 18-55mm has an really excellent reputation, i.e. reviewers were blown away by it. If you could afford a X-T2 as your only or best camera I 'd recommend getting the 18-55 to make real use of it. <br>

For now you are better off to scoop up the 2 lens kit <em>1st</em>. Fuji's pricing policy on those lenses on their own is beyond my comprehension - Entirely overpriced! <br>

IDK about the 18-135mm's performance, let's suspect it to be on par with the 2 cheapos. The focal length range is "broad enough to make you happy" and changing lenses is really annoying, when you do lazy tourism or costs you missed shots when you are documenting action. <br>

I had gear fail on me and believe although I am not a professional <em>wedding</em> photographer, I should bring something home, where ever I go, no matter what happens.<em> I</em> want to be able to get the photo job done, that's why I'd aim for cheapo kit + 18-55 & 2 bodies to be backed up, YMMV. <br>

Personally I consider the reach of 230mm "sometimes nice to have, although not essential." and that zoom is light enough to take it out, so yeah it is worth 130 Euro for sure, although it might let you down at huge family events and won't be useful for sports. <br>

If your mortgage permits buying more gear in the long run, Fuji might be a good choice. If you win the lottery tomorrow, you won't find the system complete enough to buy everything <em>now</em>. - Folks are waiting for a 2nd version of the 60mm macro lens for example.</p>

[Allen Herbert]

<p>"I paid 500 for my X-M1 with 16-50 + 50-230. The lenses take pictures that hold up well enough on a 4k screen".Jochen</p>

<p>I paid less than that for a-1... lot less with two lenses.</p>

<p>Might be plastic fantastic but the image quality is up there with anything screen or print. Try to avoid living in snob camera land.</p><div></div>

[Allen Herbert]

<p> </p><div></div>

[Allen Herbert]

<p>50-230mm, 18-50mm...</p>

[jonathan_klopp]

<p>I just got the Panasonic g85 with 12-60mm lens. A little more expensive than you were looking for, but, speaking as a beginner, pretty good. Really like the EVS, although, as pointed out there are always a few problems in low light (not insurmountable, but annoying). Being able to see the image with whatever modifications you have made prior to shooting (ex if you change white balance you see the changes immediately in the EVS or on screen) has been a big help in my learning photography and the camera. The menu system is comprehensible, the controls pretty intuitive, and I like the image quality so far.<br>

That said, I'm still a beginner, and there are many more experienced people here who can weigh in with greater knowledge, but from that perspective, I like it.</p>

[randy_roy]

<p>I recently piked up a Sony A6000 with 16-50 and 55-210 lenses, 2 extra batteries w/charger, SD cards and some other extras for $698. Pretty nice starter kit for the price.<br>

A6000- a couple of years old, yes, but I wouldn't call it outdated.</p>