Need advice on next camera after my first.

[lookatdan]

Hi all.

I currently have an Olympus EP1 with Olympus 17mm f1.8 lens (and a few others). I've had it for a few years now, it's helped me learn about the exposure triangle, composition etc. I'm still a beginner, but I would like to buy a new camera now. The EP-1 is only 12mb, so I would like something with better quality. I like black and white photography but I want to do more coloured photography, and prefer street, portrait. I have around $1000 for body and first lens. I thinking perhaps a APS-C camera as a good step up, possibly the Sony A6400 or something similar. I guess I want a bit of an allrounder. From a pure practical usage, I don't like the sensitve rear turning wheel on the EP1 to change settings, and I've looked at the Canon APS-C cameras and the grip feels too small.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[NAwlins Contrarian]

I currently have an Olympus EP1 with Olympus 17mm f1.8 lens (and a few others). I've had it for a few years now, it's helped me learn about the exposure triangle, composition etc. I'm still a beginner, but I would like to buy a new camera now. The EP-1 is only 12mb, so I would like something with better quality. I like black and white photography but I want to do more coloured photography, and prefer street, portrait. I have around $1000 for body and first lens. I thinking perhaps a APS-C camera as a good step up, possibly the Sony A6400 or something similar. I guess I want a bit of an allrounder. From a pure practical usage, I don't like the sensitve rear turning wheel on the EP1 to change settings, and I've looked at the Canon APS-C cameras and the grip feels too small.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

There are a lot of factors in play, but some thoughts:

* How do you find your existing body and lenses limiting? What do you want to improve? IMO 12 MP is fine unless you want to print fairly large. The only other issue you mentioned is a control wheel.

* The step from micro-four-thirds to APS-C is not that much. Specifically, it's 1.30x, i.e., smaller than the step from APS-C to full frame (1.52x) and the step from 1-inch to MFT (1.36x). The only smaller step among current enthusiast sensors sizes is full frame to 44x33mm (1.27x).

* You don't say what are the other lenses you have now, how well they serve your needs, and/or how well you subjectively like them. The ability to keep using your existing lenses seems like a potentially important factor.

* Neither your post nor your profile says where you are, and sometimes that affects things. You use "coloured" but mention a budget in dollars, so maybe Australia or New Zealand, both of whose dollars differ greatly from U.S. dollars, or maybe it's something else.

* A $1000 U.S. budget for a body-plus-lens is somewhat tight unless you're willing to buy used or refurbished; the options tend to include a mediocre (optically and/or in terms of zoom range) kit zoom lens.

* How about just buying a more modern MFT body to use with your existing lenses? In the U.S. right now, a new OM-5 is $900. That should be a major step up in quality and capability from your EP1. Or you could buy a used OM-1 for around $1000.

* If you really want to go to APS-C, and plan to buy new, a bit above your budget but maybe the best ways to spend your money are the Nikon Z50 II + Nikon 16-50mm lens, or else if you really want Sony / an A6400 (IMO a very good but aging camera), there's the kit of the body plus the Sony 18-135mm lens, albeit currently close to $1500 U.S.

 

[Planterz]

All the Canon APS-C bodies will be bigger and have more substantial grips than your E-P1, even the R50 and R100, which are smaller than the R7 and R10. All will give you more grip purchase than any Sony APS-C body, not without adding some sort of baseplate. The Sonys might have a slightly deeper grip than the R100 or R50, but not much.

I'm not sure I can honestly recommend any of the Canons for your use though, as the lens selection is pretty limited. The kits lenses aren't fantastic, and there's only a handful of 3rd party lenses so far that are worthwhile (Sigma 18-50mm f2.8, the prime "trio", etc). With Sony you have far, far more options. It'd be hard for me to recommend the R50 and R100 as well. IMO the R10 is too expensive for what you get and the R7 is out of your price range.

There's probably some Fuji cameras that'd fit your bill, but I'm not knowledgeable enough of their cameras to recommend any. The lens ecosystem is almost as extensive as Sony, with a healthy selection of Fuji lenses and tons of 3rd party ones.

I also like the recommendation of upgrading your micro 4/3 camera, although I definitely understand the desire to upgrading to a more "serious" APS-C sensor.

 

[Martin_99]

I used A6400 mainly with 18-135 and also Sigma 18-50f2.8 for about 4 years, still own it as a backup. I can recommend.

Good alernative could be Nikon Z50 II with kitlenses or maybe even with newly released 16-50f2.8 (but pricey).

 

[ahaslett]

With that budget, you will get the best result by buying MFT used and keeping your lenses.

The EM1.2 would be my pick for a 20Mpix body with IBIS and PDAF. The IQ improvement fron the older sensor will be obvious, and there will be some budget left for a lens.

If you want to stay small, a used OM5 mk i will use most of your budget and has slightly more functionality than the EM1.2.

The difference between 24Mpix APSC and 20Mpix MFT will be less than the benefits of IBIS and lens IQ. Getting good lenses matters.

A

 

[yardcoyote]

I'd get a better equipped MFT camera if you like your lenses. There are a wide variety of options with viewfinders, higher definition sensors and more features. The "5" sized cameras (EM 5 series and OM 5) have EVFs and various other improvements without being too big. The OM 5 is new; the older models are pretty easy to find secondhand.

Just in general, before you reject any camera you otherwise like for having a grip that's too small, check for the availability of accessory grips. Sometimes a little boost is all you need.

 

[lookatdan]

Thanks all for your replies. I actually meant £1000 for body and lens rather than $1000. I think I am set on an APS-C rather than MFT. I want something a little more powerful, better in lower light etc. Good point about the grip, and that I could buy an aftermarket grip or learn to get used to it.

If I can pick up a second hand body, then this will give me more money for a better lens. Does it matter that a body was first released in 2019? Seems quite old for technology, but maybe it doesn't matter too much with photography? Thanks all.

 

[NAwlins Contrarian]

Thanks all for your replies.

You're welcome.

I actually meant £1000 for body and lens rather than $1000. I think I am set on an APS-C rather than MFT.

Looking just now, I see the Sony A6400 + Sony 18-135mm kit is £1,049 at Ffordes, and the Sony A6400A + Sony 18-135mm kit £1,099 at Wex (the -A version is newer but AFAIK actually worse, deleting USB charging due to stupid E.U. regulations). The Nikon Z50 II + Nikon 16-50mm kit is £999 at Wex. So the options I previously mentioned at available at or just above your stated budget.

If I can pick up a second hand body, then this will give me more money for a better lens.

Whether used makes sense probably depends on how much you'd save versus new. Personally I'd need to save at least 20 - 25% off of new to choose instead excellent-condition used. See what sort of deals you can get.

Does it matter that a body was first released in 2019? Seems quite old for technology, but maybe it doesn't matter too much with photography?

The basic camera technology in most areas has not improved that much since 2019. Autofocus systems have improved, but the A6400's remains excellent, and it's an absolutely massive step up over your E-P1's.

But really I don't think the age of the camera design is important. Instead, consider how the cameras you've considering compare in the ways that matter to you. Read the reviews of each. Consider the respective systems: do they have the lenses you think you'd want in the short to medium term, and if so, how to those compare and what do they cost?

 

[NowHearThis]

With that budget, you will get the best result by buying MFT used and keeping your lenses.

The EM1.2 would be my pick for a 20Mpix body with IBIS and PDAF. The IQ improvement fron the older sensor will be obvious, and there will be some budget left for a lens.

If you want to stay small, a used OM5 mk i will use most of your budget and has slightly more functionality than the EM1.2.

The difference between 24Mpix APSC and 20Mpix MFT will be less than the benefits of IBIS and lens IQ. Getting good lenses matters.

A

 

[ahaslett]

With that budget, you will get the best result by buying MFT used and keeping your lenses.

The EM1.2 would be my pick for a 20Mpix body with IBIS and PDAF. The IQ improvement fron the older sensor will be obvious, and there will be some budget left for a lens.

If you want to stay small, a used OM5 mk i will use most of your budget and has slightly more functionality than the EM1.2.

The difference between 24Mpix APSC and 20Mpix MFT will be less than the benefits of IBIS and lens IQ. Getting good lenses matters.

A

I deleted my post because in 27 paragraphs I didn’t articulate this point as well as you did in just 4. I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. And now no one will suffer with an overly worded post.

If I could emphasize one point you made, it’s how important having great glass is; it’s one thing in life you never ever regret.

I still find it amazing that a picture of moss taken at 150/300 with my 40-150/2.8 and 100-400mm GM looks the same despite the 20 to 61 Mpix sensor difference until you have such a tiny crop (and I do mean tiny) that the sensor resolution matters. The contrast of the MFT lens is so good. Normally you can see IQ differences fairly easily based on sensor resolution, but semi macro is more demanding of lens rendering.

A

 

[Owlsfan]

I would get the OM5 or OM5ii. You can buy both with a nice Olympus pro lens.

Or get a used Panasonic GX9 and 25mm 1.4 from mpb around your budget.

Sony apsc is good but I'd want a model with ibis myself and the A6400 isn't as good imo as the OM 5 bar the sensor size.

I'd skip canon Aps-c personally unless you were into wildlife photography.

I have Nikon full frame and I'm thinking of getting the Z50ii but I probably wouldn't want one as my only camera.

 

[yardcoyote]

Re does it matter that a camera body was released in 2019?. In a word, no. I regularly use a Fuji X-M1, introduced in 2013, a Fuji X-T2 (2016) , and an Olympus E-M10ii (2015). None of them were new when I bought them, and I still find them perfectly satisfactory for the way I shoot. If you don't need suoer-fast autofocus, huge buffers for burst, and the latest in video, an older camera may be just what you need to stretch your budget.

Just make sure the model you choose takes batteries you can still buy new, and you will be fine.