Total thickness plus lens

Hi guys, looking for a cheap/small camera for my family to take photos of kids and travel. They already have an old point and shoot but were looking for something that can deliver faster focus and better quality, which takes us to the advanced compact/entry mirrorless/entry DSLR price range.

Research narrowed my non-DSLR choices down to Sony a6000, Canon G1x Mark II and Canon EOS M 10 (doubt with this last one if focus speed is good enough for kids?). They seem to start about $400+ used on ebay. Although that is a huge discount on brand new in-store prices, I find it hard to justify when used DSLR's, which will deliver equal or better picture quality, like the Canon T6 and Nikon D3400-3200, can be purchased for $100 (give or take) less. Why do better cameras cost less? Is it simply the size?

The sticking point for my family is the size of DSLRs. They need something to fit comfortably in their travel handbag. The Canon T6 dimensions are given as 129 x 101 x 78mm which would fit, but with the kit lens at 75mm [not focal] length, I assume full dimensions would be quite a bit bigger than 78mm, which wouldn't fit. Can anyone confirm total thickness for T6 with kit lens attached at its widest zoom? Of course they could detach the lens, but it still takes up precious space! (I know the SL2 is smaller, but its also more expensive on ebay).

If anyone owns the other cameras mentioned in this post, I'd appreciate their total thickness plus lens at widest zoom as well. (Is their a website that documents this? I can find camera dimensions and lens dimensions, but never the two combined). The G1x MII (116 x 74 x 66) being a compact speaks for itself. That size fits their bag perfectly, so if any of the others are close to that it would be ideal.

Any help much appreciated!

IMHO you'll do (a lot) better than any of your above listed choices with a Canon SL2 kit.

DSLR autofocus speed when you need it, the ease of Live View (and excellent video AF) for general purpose shooting. Excellent camera with Canon's latest sensor, plus a boatload of features.

The SL2 + the (great) 18-55 STM Kit lens can be found on Canon's Refurb Site at fantastic prices. Many of us have purchased from Canon Refurb and the equipment has been excellent (virtually brand new in my case). Here's a link to this week's special:

SL2 Kit at Canon Refurb

Other choices for small and light include the mirrorless M6 + 15-45 STM Kit lens (even smaller and lighter than the SL2, but no viewfinder) for $50 more right now:

M6 Mirrorless Kit at Canon Refurb

(Keep in mind that you can mount one of the pancake lenses to either of these bodies for minimum size (esp depth)).

And if you want a good step up from point and shoot to an intermediate sized sensor, the cameras with the "1-inch" sensor can be really small (but obviously lack the powerful autofocus and great low light capabilities that the above cameras have.

Happy shopping!

R2

timbeach wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

IMHO you'll do (a lot) better than any of your above listed choices with a Canon SL2 kit.

SL2 Kit at Canon Refurb

Unfortunately the SL2 is not available at those prices in my country. I wish it were!

Thanks for the reply.

Well darn.

I wouldn't buy anything without a Dual Pixel sensor though. That M100 with the 15-45 that Mike' mentioned would be the next best bet then. The kit is $200 off at @mazon right now, and the size is right there with the G1X2...

Canon M100 Kit for $399 at @mazon

It's a little bit deeper than the G1X2, but the M100 Kit (450g) still weighs significantly less than the G1X2 (563g), for comparison. The M100 does have mostly touchscreen controls (I love the touchscreen on my M5), but be sure to try it out first.

M100 size comparison link

Note. Be sure to check the 15-45 kit lens for decentering when you get it (there are some bad copies out there). Mine has a little of it at 15mm (on the left side) but I don't find it to be troublesome (to me)...

15-45 Kit lens (@ 15mm, max aperture) on the Canon M5. Click on "original size." (Fellow photo club member, shhh)

.

That Dual Pixel autofocus is fantastic though (I shot these all afternoon)...

15-45 Kit lens (15mm @ f/4, 1/200 sec) on the Canon M5. Click on "original size"

AF is very fast, but does get sketchy at times in low light (at small apertures).

Good luck to you,

R2

Forget the M10 & G1X (and a6000).

Just get a new Canon M100 or even better if budget allows, an M50 (It's discounted to about 450-500$ in the USA).

If these are expensive where you live, look no farther than a Canon 200D/SL2.

This newest generation is awesome, and starting out I'd pay the extra for one of the three. If budget is constrained, I'd definitely go straight to the cheapest used DSLR I can find, like a Canon T6 for a 100$, so that I could add a 50mm f/1.8 STM lens,and or a 55-250mm STM IS.