What mirrorless camera to get?

xkaes · Sep 15, 2023

I'm not the only one wondering where digital cameras will go -- considering consumer demand. How many photographers will want more pixels? How many consumers will settle for their better and better in-phone cameras? I have no crystal ball, but interchangeable lens digital cameras may be facing the fate of the film camera or the desktop computer -- important to some (like me), but a dwindling niche of the market.

Fortunately for me, I've found the film and digital cameras that meet my needs.

Paul Howell · Sep 15, 2023

Makes sense, the Sony line up is light, I would need the battery grip to give me more grip. The A7 and 9 changed photography, but AP and Reuters use the A9. potnged jhawere

xkaes · Sep 17, 2023

I just heard that the new Apple iphone -- the i15 PRO comes with seven "lenses" from 13mm to 120mm, plus MACRO with 42MP. Whose going to want a digital camera?

Besides me, of course.

Duceman · Oct 4, 2023

Update: Bought a camera.

In the end, as is par for the course, I blew through my budget.... or at least what I had in mind at the time of beginning the purchasing decision. After reviewing many vids on YT, online comparisons, and of course considering the comments in this thread, I ended up going with a Fujifilm X-T5 with the XF 16-80mm F4 lens. This camera should suffice my needs for at least the next coming decade or so. (crossing fingers) Came as a bundle, and my thought process was, though my main purpose in getting this camera was to use some of my old vintage prime lenses, the lens that came in the bundle would be a nice addition.

Haven't even shot it yet. Will report back on that later.

Sirius Glass · Oct 4, 2023

Duceman said:
Update: Bought a camera.

In the end, as is par for the course, I blew through my budget.... or at least what I had in mind at the time of beginning the purchasing decision. After reviewing many vids on YT, online comparisons, and of course considering the comments in this thread, I ended up going with a Fujifilm X-T5 with the XF 16-80mm F4 lens. This camera should suffice my needs for at least the next coming decade or so. (crossing fingers) Came as a bundle, and my thought process was, though my main purpose in getting this camera was to use some of my old vintage prime lenses, the lens that came in the bundle would be a nice addition.

Haven't even shot it yet. Will report back on that later.

Enjoy your new, to you, camera.

runswithsizzers · Oct 4, 2023

Excellent choice! I neither need nor can afford an XT-5, but after using an XT-1 for several years, I think the Fuji XT series are very nice cameras. They are well suited to using adapted lenses, and Fuji lenses are excellent, too!

Duceman · Oct 6, 2023

runswithsizzers said:
Excellent choice! I neither need nor can afford an XT-5, but after using an XT-1 for several years, I think the Fuji XT series are very nice cameras. They are well suited to using adapted lenses, and Fuji lenses are excellent, too!

Thanks! As I am finding out, the learning curve on this camera is tremendous. I'm literally amazed by all of its features. My other digital cameras are Canon 5D's (with the "newer" one being a Mark II), and there is hardly anything in common between the two. I had held off on getting a mirrorless digital for quite some time, partly because I was more interested in film, but also partly because I was put off by Canon (whom I had been loyal to) entirely changing its line of lenses and so forth with the introduction of the R-series mirrorless cameras. With this X-T5, who knows, maybe I'll get interested in digital again. I did just order a Godox TT685II-F Speedlight to play around with.

Hassasin · Oct 6, 2023

Duceman said:
Thanks! As I am finding out, the learning curve on this camera is tremendous. I'm literally amazed by all of its features. My other digital cameras are Canon 5D's (with the "newer" one being a Mark II), and there is hardly anything in common between the two. I had held off on getting a mirrorless digital for quite some time, partly because I was more interested in film, but also partly because I was put off by Canon (whom I had been loyal to) entirely changing its line of lenses and so forth with the introduction of the R-series mirrorless cameras. With this X-T5, who knows, maybe I'll get interested in digital again. I did just order a Godox TT685II-F Speedlight to play around with.

Best part is that it is a quick starter, just use JPGs and play with different film simulations. Many will not need any editing sans cropping perhaps.

Also note, as you will surely get to that eventually, Fuji's primes are between larger aperture versions and the significantly smaller 2.0s, which are just as good, but first choice if weight/size is a factor. I tend to stick with newest versions if I can and with weather sealing (not all have it).

Anon Ymous · Oct 6, 2023

Duceman said:
I was put off by Canon (whom I had been loyal to) entirely changing its line of lenses and so forth with the introduction of the R-series mirrorless cameras...

How come? EF lenses can be used with an adapter on mirrorless bodies without any restrictions. IMHO, the worst thing they did lately was not allowing third party RF mount lenses use the new protocol, although this seems to be changing.

Alan Edward Klein · Oct 6, 2023

Big cameras are too heavy and bulky any longer to take on vacations and trips. LF film photography I do at home conveniently from my car. When I travel, a little P&S with 1" sensor is perfect.

lecarp · Oct 6, 2023

HOLGA!

Duceman · Oct 6, 2023

Anon Ymous said:
How come? EF lenses can be used with an adapter on mirrorless bodies without any restrictions. IMHO, the worst thing they did lately was not allowing third party RF mount lenses use the new protocol, although this seems to be changing.

Primarily personal bias. This is not a fault exclusive to Canon. But after having purchased and invested a ton of $$ with canon L-series EF-mount lenses, to learn that in order to use them on their new camera bodies, I'd have to buy an adaptor (and it wasn't very clear that the old lenses would work exactly the same with the new R-Series)... or invest another ton of $$ on their new lenses, this just left a bad taste in my mouth. Add to it that it had been several years of me not at all paying attention to what was going on in the photography world (like, from 2012 - 2020), so maybe ignorance on my part. But still... I made a decision then and there that I was done with Canon. Was it the correct decision? I really don't know. Time will tell.

benveniste · Oct 6, 2023

Duceman said:
Update: Bought a camera.

Congratulations and enjoy! I'm a big fan of the 16-80mm (24-120mm 35mm film equivalent) zoom range for casual shooting, but if you have some fast C/Y glass you may wish to try an adapter.

xkaes said:
Using manual-focus lenses on AF cameras isn't for everyone. The biggest drawback is that AF cameras just have matte focusing screens -- no manual-focusing aids (microprism, split rangefinder), although many have a focus-confirmation LED.

Many mirrorless digital cameras have a "focus peaking" feature, where the areas of sharpest focus are highlighted in the finder with a "halo." Unfortunately, from what I've read, the X-T5 has one of the less friendly implementations of that feature.

Duceman · Oct 25, 2023

A few weeks into this camera, I'm really liking it. It's been fun discovering and playing with the film simulation "recipes." I've found a few that make for some really nice looking black/white images (see below). This past weekend, I was at a family function, and I brought the X-T5 as well as my Canon Selphy CP1500 printer with me. I went around taking some candid shots, sometimes without anyone even knowing that I was taking photos. I would then print out some of the better images, and present the prints to those who were the subject of the images. They were floored by them!

Hassasin · Oct 25, 2023

Duceman said:
A few weeks into this camera, I'm really liking it. It's been fun discovering and playing with the film simulation "recipes." I've found a few that make for some really nice looking black/white images (see below). This past weekend, I was at a family function, and I brought the X-T5 as well as my Canon Selphy CP1500 printer with me. I went around taking some candid shots, sometimes without anyone even knowing that I was taking photos. I would then print out some of the better images, and present the prints to those who were the subject of the images. They were floored by them!

Great. How is that Selphy working out for you? Can you use non Canon paper ? And B&W photo quality ?

Duceman · Oct 25, 2023

I'm really liking the Selphy. Haven't tried any other mfg's paper in it... no reason to, I guess. Not even sure if others make paper for it, as it requires removable tabs at each end. As for the quality of B&W photos it prints, I have no complaints. For my purposes, they are more than adequate.

What mirrorless camera to get?

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