Advice for new camera

[Antonmb]

I'm looking for a new camera and hope the photography aficionados here can give some advice. I'm not a serious photographer but do like to shoot landscapes, wildlife, and of course the usual tourist stuff. I'd like something reasonably small and light, that can maybe fit in a jacket pocket, but also would like to have a strong enough zoom for shooting birds from a bit of distance. I have no problem changing lenses for this. I also would like good low light capability. Price target is $500-1000 for the body. From what I've read so far, a compact mirrorless may be a good option for me. I really like the size of the Fuji X100T and have seen the great pictures Stephen has posted using this camera, but it has no zoom and a fixed lens. I've been looking at the Fuji XA1 and XE2. Does anyone have any knowledge of these cameras, or other suggestions of a similar type and size? Thanks for any help.

Tony

[Rilands]

If I were looking for a new camera I'd be speaking to Stephen.
http://www.audioaficionado.org/photo...pproaches.html

Just a few of his photos I've been impressed with.

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by Rilands

If I were looking for a new camera I'd be speaking to Stephen. http://www.audioaficionado.org/photo...pproaches.html Just a few of his photos I've been impressed with.

yes, hoping he'll chime in.

[nicoff]

Sony RX100 MK. III is one of the best point and shoot out there.

[Eisener Bart]

Originally Posted by nicoff

Sony RX100 MK. III is one of the best point and shoot out there.

I am agree. I have first version, but 3rd version is stronger.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by Antonmb

I'm looking for a new camera and hope the photography aficionados here can give some advice. I'm not a serious photographer but do like to shoot landscapes, wildlife, and of course the usual tourist stuff. I'd like something reasonably small and light, that can maybe fit in a jacket pocket, but also would like to have a strong enough zoom for shooting birds from a bit of distance. I have no problem changing lenses for this. I also would like good low light capability. Price target is $500-1000 for the body. From what I've read so far, a compact mirrorless may be a good option for me. I really like the size of the Fuji X100T and have seen the great pictures Stephen has posted using this camera, but it has no zoom and a fixed lens. I've been looking at the Fuji XA1 and XE2. Does anyone have any knowledge of these cameras, or other suggestions of a similar type and size? Thanks for any help.

Tony

Tony,
Both of those Fujis would well meet your needs. I own the little X-A1 in particular, and it is impressive for the money; it has outstanding image quality (better than the Olympus OM-Ds), dynamic range, and noise performance, and is compact and portable. It also has a conventional Bayer sensor, so you can convert Fuji RAW files with Lightroom without having to resort to Iridient Developer, Photo Ninja plug-ins, or Capture One 8 to get the best RAW conversions out of the camera. The Fuji X-E2 is a more sophisticated camera, uses the X-Trans sensor, has an eye-level viewfinder, and has the more "retro" style controls that the X-Pro1 and X-T1 have, as well as more metal in the camera construction. Same size sensor but a bit more money.

Some X-A1 images are at DPReview:
DSCF3254: dpreview review samples: Galleries: Digital Photography Review


Some of my X-A1 images










Tony,
Let me know if you have any more questions.

-Stephen

[AudioNut]

Hey Tony . . . .

I am the proud owner of a couple of Fuji cameras (X-E1 & X-E2) and love them - for their incredible sharpness and lush colors . . . but have found them to be a little large and bulky for (my) travel use.

(Old folks like me think small and light is better - and I'm a guy that previously used and carried huge Canons and Nikons with motor drives with "pro" f2.8 zooms and 50+ pound camera bags).

Prior to leaving for a recent three week cruise to new and exotic places (through the Panama Canal to ports on the Pacific) I bought a little Sony A6000 (interchangeable lens mirror-less camera) - which is easily carried in a jacket pocket with its little collapsible zoom lens. I also bought the Sony 35mm f1.8 lens - which is supposed to be "just as sharp as the Fuji lenses" and a very small 55-210 zoom to complete the outfit.

I found the Sony to be extremely manageable and transportable, and the picture quality was extremely good on the 976 photos I took with the camera during the trip.

The A6000 has received extremely good reviews and I am extremely impressed by it and the pictures it takes. (And, for what it's worth, the Sony takes excellent movies - although I haven't tried it for that purpose, and doubt I ever will.)

It is also a "fun" camera to use and I heartily recommend it as a great travel, do any and every-thing, camera.

On my cruise, I also took a Nikon D7100 and a few lenses but quickly abandoned them in favor of the little Sony for most of my shooting.

P.S. One of the strong reasons I chose the Sony was the fact that my wife has and uses a Sony NEX-6 camera - the model that preceded my A6000 - and we have both enjoyed that camera and my new Sony made us into a matched pair.

.

.





And, Certainly, one of the nicest things about the Sony outifit is that the whole shebang - the camera and all three lenses - fits into a very, very small Billingham bag - which, fully loaded, weighs less than 4 pounds.

.

[Antonmb]

Thanks all for the great suggestions. As it happens, Stephen has offered to sell me his Fujifilm X-A1 for a great price and it looks like it will be just what I'm looking for. Now to order a good telephoto lens and SD card!

[Puma Cat]

Tony,
The Fuji 50-230mm f/4.5-6.7 might be a good bet. Either that or the 55-200.

[Eisener Bart]

I bought Sony DSC RX-100 mk III few days ago - satisfied on 100%.

And, by the way, Sony already announced regarding release of version 4, retail wiil be 949 USD.