What Camera Should I Buy? 3 to Consider.

3 Mirrorless Cameras to Consider

I was recently asked this question by a listener: “If I do buy a better camera, what would be a good lens if I was going to rely on only one lens?”

Here’s my opinion and response:

Smaller. Lighter. Very Capable. More Images. More Fun.

If I were just starting out, thinking about buying a capable camera and knowing what I know, I would take a serious look into a mirrorless camera system. In my opinion DSLRs are old technology which are simply too big and bulky for my style of shooting. Don’t get me wrong DSLRs still have some advantages (i.e. for high end sports and action), but the mirrorless technology is VERY quickly catching up and actually exceeds DSLRs in several areas.

The term Mirrorless covers a broad range of cameras, but basically it means not having a mirror and pentaprism like a DSLR. Mirrorless also means newer technology which is often upgraded like a computer operating system. This translates to new features and benefits as time passes unlike DSLRs which are not often upgraded. When Panasonic, Olympus, Fujifilm or Sony send out a firmware update, it can give your camera new or better features just like an update to a smartphone. Another mirrorless factor (and this is important to me) is size. Many times, mirrorless cameras are smaller and lighter because of two reasons: 1) the lack of the mirror box and pentaprism, and 2) the sensor size. There are 3 sensor sizes in most mirrorless cameras, going from smallest to largest: micro four thirds (MFT), APS-C and Full Frame. The smaller the sensor, the smaller the camera body and also the smaller the lens.

Right now, I shoot with 2 formats of mirrorless cameras, an Olympus MFT and a Fujifilm APS-C camera. I Love them both! Lightweight, nimble and VERY VERY capable systems. I can do just about everything I did on my DSLR rigs including (a really important thing to me) the ability to change lenses. This allows you to expand your optical options and change them according to your needs (and budget). Mirrorless camera systems have a very good lens selection now (they didn’t at first) and it continues to grow.

So, what would I recommend as “starter” mirrorless cameras to look at if you’re on a budget? Here are 3 really good choices:

Olympus OMD E-M10 Mark 2. I own this camera and love it. I have the 14mm – 42mm II R lens (28mm – 84mm full frame equivalent). This has a micro four thirds size sensor at 16mp. Here’s a link:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01CIXJIHW/pocklens-20

Fujifilm XT10 with 18mm – 55mm lens (27mm – 82.5mm full frame equivalent). I own this camera and love it. This is an APS-C sensor camera at 16mp. Here’s a link:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00X7QTUB4/pocklens-20

Sony A6000. I’ve tested this camera and really like it. This is an older model, the newer one is the A6500. The A6000 had come down a LOT in price and is still a rockin’ good camera. This one comes with a 16mm – 50mm lens (24mm – 75mm full frame equivalent). This has an APS-C sized sensor at 24mp.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00I8BICB2/pocklens-20

These examples are at the lower end pricing for mirrorless cameras. There are some less expensive choices, but these are great recommendations. You get what you pay for and in this case what you get is: smaller and lightweight,VERY capable, newer evolving technology, interchangeable lenses, the ability to shoot with DSLR quality and flexibility.

There are full frame mirrorless cameras out there and, from what I’ve heard, they are amazing. For me however, there are 2 things that have kept me from going full frame, the size and the price. Because they are full frame sensors, the lenses have to be designed accordingly (read bigger and heavier). This goes against my philosophy of smaller and lighter. The other is price, right now most of the full frame offerings, both bodies and lenses, are beyond what I’m willing to spend. Even if they weren’t, I don’t know that I would hop on to a full frame system because of the size factor.

I went with Mirrorless because I was tired of carrying around (or even worse leaving behind at home) my big heavy DSLRs BUT I didn’t want to sacrifice performance and the flexibility of an interchangeable lens camera. In addition, I wanted a decent size sensor. By the way, the sensors in my Fujifilm mirrorless cameras are actually larger than the sensors in the DSLs that I used to have (Canon 7D and 70D).

I’ve since been shooting professionally with my mirrorless camera system. The images that I produce easily meet my clients’ expectations. One big difference is that now, for my personal shooting, I find myself having my camera with me all the time, in a little backpack because it’s so lightweight and small. I’m less fatigued and annoyed now. This means more shooting, more practice, more creativity, more images and more fun.