Rebel SL1 or Mirrorless (Fuji or M43)

I'm tired of lugging around my heavy Canon EOS Rebel T3 at the major indoor trade shows I attend a couple of times a year. These are outdoor gear shows so most of my shots will be of product and not people. Also, the first day of the show is usually outside in the Nevada desert where the media gets to try stuff out.

I'd like to use something that gives me better quality than a point & shoot or my iPhone 6. I had been considering going with either the Fuji X system (X-E1/2 or A2) or the Olympus OM-D M10. I have gotten plenty of opinions on one or the other of those.

However, I never really thought about the Rebel SL1 until recently. As I understand it, and please correct me if I'm wrong, my existing Canon EF-S lens will work on a SL1 body. I have the 18-55, the 70-250, and a Sigma 18-250 lens.

How does the SL1 compare in size to say the Olympus OM-D? Am I giving up a lot by going to a mirrorless system?

I want something light and compact that will let me take really decent photos for my blog which is why I thought of the Fuji and Olympus.

Any suggestions, thoughts, or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I would try them both, but it's only half of the weight equation, you need to think of the lenses too; I would see if the two pancake lenses work well for you in terms of focal length; then I would look at decent and small lenses with mirrorless cameras and then decide...

jpr9954 wrote:

I'm tired of lugging around my heavy Canon EOS Rebel T3 at the major indoor trade shows I attend a couple of times a year. These are outdoor gear shows so most of my shots will be of product and not people. Also, the first day of the show is usually outside in the Nevada desert where the media gets to try stuff out.

I'd like to use something that gives me better quality than a point & shoot or my iPhone 6. I had been considering going with either the Fuji X system (X-E1/2 or A2) or the Olympus OM-D M10. I have gotten plenty of opinions on one or the other of those.

However, I never really thought about the Rebel SL1 until recently. As I understand it, and please correct me if I'm wrong, my existing Canon EF-S lens will work on a SL1 body. I have the 18-55, the 70-250, and a Sigma 18-250 lens.

How does the SL1 compare in size to say the Olympus OM-D? Am I giving up a lot by going to a mirrorless system?

It doesn't

http://j.mp/1U3xfO6

you have to take the lenses into consideration too. And m43 lenses are tiny compared to their equiv. Dslr lenses. With the SL1 you can keep using your existing lenses with a slight gain in image quality and a touchscreen.

I want something light and compact that will let me take really decent photos for my blog which is why I thought of the Fuji and Olympus.

Also think about the Sony rx100 mk3. It's a P&S but it's large sensor and bright lens will surprise you. Then the GM-1 in the size comparison is cheap these days and comes with a sharp but very small kit-lens.

Fujifilm has great image quality especially with the XF 18-55mm. Actually a lot better then what you currently have. But then this combo doesn't come cheap and isn't any lighter then the Canon T3/SL1 set-up.

The Olympus em10 is still a great option too especially with the powerzoom pancake which keeps it really small.

Any suggestions, thoughts, or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I recently intended to buy an Olympus OMD for light weight, but I wound up buying a Canon SL1. I am an old dog photographer and I feel more confident with the set up of a real SLR.

If if you put the 24mm pancake lens on the SL1, it feels like a point and shoot in weight.

I like it. It also costs less than most mirrorless cameras.

scarlet knight wrote:

I recently intended to buy an Olympus OMD for light weight, but I wound up buying a Canon SL1. I am an old dog photographer and I feel more confident with the set up of a real SLR.

If if you put the 24mm pancake lens on the SL1, it feels like a point and shoot in weight.

It's not a P&S equiv. The Sony RX100 for instance weighs half of the SL-1 combo while filling 1/3rd of the volume. It does deliver compareable image quality as the SL-1 with the 18-55(not with a prime lens) And it's that tiny thing on the left. Shoots higher quality video too. This also counts towards the Olympus by the way that also needs fast primes to outshine this very capable P&S.

http://j.mp/1OMOIHu

With a pancake it starts to make sense but then you have only 2 lens options with a fixed focal length. 1 of them is neither here nor there and pretty much useless on a crop body(40mm F2.8)

The other is a nice 35mm equiv. And very cheap for what it does. The mirrorless equiv. are indeed more expensive. But then you buy the small body for just 1 lens. And a mirrorless can retain it's small size with a variety of lenses in comparison.

The strength of a Dslr is tracking autofocus and versatility in a large ergonomic body that balances well with larger lenses. The SL-1 doesn't balance well with long telephoto lenses apart from the 55-250mm STM and the tracking AF performance leaves a lot to be desired for a Dslr.

Not that the EM-10 would be better in that regard but it does come with other strengths.

I like it. It also costs less than most mirrorless cameras.

The em-10 is $100 more these days. In europe they cost more or less the same today due to Olympus summersale cashback action.

The EM-10 is better equiped with 2 control dials faster burst speed and just more additional features in the firmware. Intervalometer that very clever night time shooting mode that allows you to see the image form.

The in body stabilisation system it's just a very good overall package that comes with more bells and whistles then the SL-1.

BarnET wrote:

It doesn't

http://j.mp/1U3xfO6

you have to take the lenses into consideration too. And m43 lenses are tiny compared to their equiv. Dslr lenses. With the SL1 you can keep using your existing lenses with a slight gain in image quality and a touchscreen.

I want something light and compact that will let me take really decent photos for my blog which is why I thought of the Fuji and Olympus.

Also think about the Sony rx100 mk3. It's a P&S but it's large sensor and bright lens will surprise you. Then the GM-1 in the size comparison is cheap these days and comes with a sharp but very small kit-lens.

Fujifilm has great image quality especially with the XF 18-55mm. Actually a lot better then what you currently have. But then this combo doesn't come cheap and isn't any lighter then the Canon T3/SL1 set-up.

The Olympus em10 is still a great option too especially with the powerzoom pancake which keeps it really small.

Any suggestions, thoughts, or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

That size comparison tool is great!

We only have one "real" camera store in town and they don't carry the Fuji products.

I've had other recommend the Sony RX100 III as well. I'll have to reconsider that and the GM-1.

jpr9954 wrote:

BarnET wrote:

It doesn't

http://j.mp/1U3xfO6

you have to take the lenses into consideration too. And m43 lenses are tiny compared to their equiv. Dslr lenses. With the SL1 you can keep using your existing lenses with a slight gain in image quality and a touchscreen.

I want something light and compact that will let me take really decent photos for my blog which is why I thought of the Fuji and Olympus.

Also think about the Sony rx100 mk3. It's a P&S but it's large sensor and bright lens will surprise you. Then the GM-1 in the size comparison is cheap these days and comes with a sharp but very small kit-lens.

Fujifilm has great image quality especially with the XF 18-55mm. Actually a lot better then what you currently have. But then this combo doesn't come cheap and isn't any lighter then the Canon T3/SL1 set-up.

The Olympus em10 is still a great option too especially with the powerzoom pancake which keeps it really small.

Any suggestions, thoughts, or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

That size comparison tool is great!

We only have one "real" camera store in town and they don't carry the Fuji products.

I've had other recommend the Sony RX100 III as well. I'll have to reconsider that and the GM-1.

It seriously pains me to align with BarnET on anything (HeHe).  But here's a +3 for the RX100 Mk1,2,3,or4.  The big "1 inch" sensor and the tiny size combine to produce a pocket powerhouse.

R2

jpr9954 wrote:

How does the SL1 compare in size to say the Olympus OM-D? Am I giving up a lot by going to a mirrorless system?

I want something light and compact that will let me take really decent photos for my blog which is why I thought of the Fuji and Olympus.

Any suggestions, thoughts, or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I use both systems, Canon and m4/3, You don't give up anything with the Olympus OM-D; image quality wise, the Olympus has a better sensor, it is smaller, more handy, I should get a 20 or 25 mm fast prime lens for your indoor photography.

I use mirrorless all the time, it is fun and very good quality, even if you shoot only jpeg.

Regards,

Jozef.

What about Canon M1 2 or 3?  I have the sL-1.  It is a capable little camera, but I don't know how it compares to the Canon M .  Bab

pardon my ignorance, what is magic lantern?

thechoson wrote:

OP, if seems like your problem is not the body, as the T3 is a very small DSLR, but rather the lenses, as you seem to use more telephoto lenses for range. That being the case, SL1 is probably not a good choice. Yes you can use your current lenses on it, but the body itself is not that much smaller than the T3.

Same thing with Fuji. There will be some space savings there, but not much if you put on telephoto lenses.

I think Micro 4/3 is your best bet. Micro 4/3 as a system really starts providing some space/ weight reductions due to the smaller lenses. Panasonic's GM1 and some of the lenses they have made for the GM1 are ridiculously tiny. And the OMD series with some of the smaller and lighter lenses would be good as well.

I shot with an OMD-EM10 a while ago and am a current owner of the SL1. As far as IQ is concerned, I saw no dropoffs from the Canon to the OMD.

I am strongly leaning towards the Micro 4/3 and Olympus. I saw the OM-D E-M10 in a local camera store (one of those unicorn things!) and I was really blown away by how small it was.

Rumor has it that the OM-D E-10 Mark II will be out within the next month. I think this should cut the prices of the older models. I see BHPhoto has the OM-D E-M5 for $100 less that the E-M10.

I'm not looking at the mirrorless camera so much for long shots but rather for use indoor at trade shows. In my case it is gun and outdoor gear. I want something that will pick up the detail of the rifle or pistol under fluorescent lighting conditions AND that doesn't wear a ton. I think any of the Olympus or Lumix line could do the trick.

jpr9954 wrote:

thechoson wrote:

OP, if seems like your problem is not the body, as the T3 is a very small DSLR, but rather the lenses, as you seem to use more telephoto lenses for range. That being the case, SL1 is probably not a good choice. Yes you can use your current lenses on it, but the body itself is not that much smaller than the T3.

Same thing with Fuji. There will be some space savings there, but not much if you put on telephoto lenses.

I think Micro 4/3 is your best bet. Micro 4/3 as a system really starts providing some space/ weight reductions due to the smaller lenses. Panasonic's GM1 and some of the lenses they have made for the GM1 are ridiculously tiny. And the OMD series with some of the smaller and lighter lenses would be good as well.

I shot with an OMD-EM10 a while ago and am a current owner of the SL1. As far as IQ is concerned, I saw no dropoffs from the Canon to the OMD.

I am strongly leaning towards the Micro 4/3 and Olympus. I saw the OM-D E-M10 in a local camera store (one of those unicorn things!) and I was really blown away by how small it was.

Rumor has it that the OM-D E-10 Mark II will be out within the next month. I think this should cut the prices of the older models. I see BHPhoto has the OM-D E-M5 for $100 less that the E-M10.

Olympus has announced the em-10

Even though retail prices are likely to fall you will no longer be able to get the $75,- cashback

https://olympus-summer-special.sales-promotions.com/customer-apply-for-promotion/?country_promotion=2&lng=en

I think haggling at your local store right NOW would be the cheapest option

BarnET wrote:

jpr9954 wrote:

thechoson wrote:

OP, if seems like your problem is not the body, as the T3 is a very small DSLR, but rather the lenses, as you seem to use more telephoto lenses for range. That being the case, SL1 is probably not a good choice. Yes you can use your current lenses on it, but the body itself is not that much smaller than the T3.

Same thing with Fuji. There will be some space savings there, but not much if you put on telephoto lenses.

I think Micro 4/3 is your best bet. Micro 4/3 as a system really starts providing some space/ weight reductions due to the smaller lenses. Panasonic's GM1 and some of the lenses they have made for the GM1 are ridiculously tiny. And the OMD series with some of the smaller and lighter lenses would be good as well.

I shot with an OMD-EM10 a while ago and am a current owner of the SL1. As far as IQ is concerned, I saw no dropoffs from the Canon to the OMD.

I am strongly leaning towards the Micro 4/3 and Olympus. I saw the OM-D E-M10 in a local camera store (one of those unicorn things!) and I was really blown away by how small it was.

Rumor has it that the OM-D E-10 Mark II will be out within the next month. I think this should cut the prices of the older models. I see BHPhoto has the OM-D E-M5 for $100 less that the E-M10.

Olympus has announced the em-10

Even though retail prices are likely to fall you will no longer be able to get the $75,- cashback

https://olympus-summer-special.sales-promotions.com/customer-apply-for-promotion/?country_promotion=2&lng=en

I think haggling at your local store right NOW would be the cheapest option

Fortunately or unfortunately, I live in the United States so wouldn't be eligible for that rebate. My local store wants $799 for the E-M10 while it is $599 on Amazon. I don't think they can afford to go that low.

jpr9954 wrote:

BarnET wrote:

jpr9954 wrote:

thechoson wrote:

OP, if seems like your problem is not the body, as the T3 is a very small DSLR, but rather the lenses, as you seem to use more telephoto lenses for range. That being the case, SL1 is probably not a good choice. Yes you can use your current lenses on it, but the body itself is not that much smaller than the T3.

Same thing with Fuji. There will be some space savings there, but not much if you put on telephoto lenses.

I think Micro 4/3 is your best bet. Micro 4/3 as a system really starts providing some space/ weight reductions due to the smaller lenses. Panasonic's GM1 and some of the lenses they have made for the GM1 are ridiculously tiny. And the OMD series with some of the smaller and lighter lenses would be good as well.

I shot with an OMD-EM10 a while ago and am a current owner of the SL1. As far as IQ is concerned, I saw no dropoffs from the Canon to the OMD.

I am strongly leaning towards the Micro 4/3 and Olympus. I saw the OM-D E-M10 in a local camera store (one of those unicorn things!) and I was really blown away by how small it was.

Rumor has it that the OM-D E-10 Mark II will be out within the next month. I think this should cut the prices of the older models. I see BHPhoto has the OM-D E-M5 for $100 less that the E-M10.

Olympus has announced the em-10

Even though retail prices are likely to fall you will no longer be able to get the $75,- cashback

https://olympus-summer-special.sales-promotions.com/customer-apply-for-promotion/?country_promotion=2&lng=en

I think haggling at your local store right NOW would be the cheapest option

Fortunately or unfortunately, I live in the United States so wouldn't be eligible for that rebate. My local store wants $799 for the E-M10 while it is $599 on Amazon. I don't think they can afford to go that low.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I live in the United States so wouldn't be eligible for that rebate. My local store wants $799 for the E-M10 while it is $599 on Amazon. I don't think they can afford to go that low.

Sorry my mistake.

Is that 799,- body only?

If so then that would be a rip-off.

I presently own the SL1. Previously I owned a Panasonic G5 MFT. While I enjoyed the G5 I find the SL1 to be a far superior camera for photos. I do believe the G5 and most other MFTs will all be better at video.

The main reason for keeping the SL1 was the canon colors and availability of lenses. Yes MFT lenses have come a long way but nowhere near what is available to canon. I also found I could spend allot less on Canon lenses. I have also tested the Olympus you mention and surprisingly found I preferred the Panasonic. The Panasonic had lens stabilization much like the SL1. I never found it to a problem. I did like the rotating screen on the MFTs. It was useful at times.

It may sound funny but the short period I had the Olympus and long time with the Panny, I found the pictures looked kind of Flat. No real depth like the SL1. I also found the colors on the SL1 superior to both.

They are all fine cameras and I'm sure you will be happy with your choice. Good Luck!