Downsizing options?

[Andy Hewitt]

Hi all,

I'm looking to downsize my gear now. Health issues are beginning to take their toll, and having a D7000 and 18-200 round my neck are becoming uncomfortable.

I'm struggling with some long-Covid stuff these days, fatigue and pains mostly (still ongoing with the diagnosis). So I'm considering selling off the the DSLR gear and going with something more compact, probably a bridge model.

I have the D700, and that 18-200, plus a couple of other lenses, and a bunch of extra accessories of course. Probably worth £5-600 here in the UK I suppose. I've had a trade-in quote around £300 at one of the UK used camera stores.

My criteria is to get whatever I can within that budget really (there's no extra cash, so don't try to get me spending hundreds more we don't have).

I still want to enjoy the hobby though, and have been considering the 1" sensor models out there - something like a Nikon Pxxx or Panasonic FZx000. Not to bothered about having a ridiculous amount of super zoom, just something reasonable (but at least 300mm). I used to own a Fuji X-S1, and was reasonably happy with that, except for the horrible task of finding a Raw processor for those EXR images.

I'm a bit of an opportunist photographer, and just go out and about and shoot what I see, be it landscapes, architecture, close-ups of flowers or insects, quite often a museum. Almost anything really. Not much action sports though.

I had considered mirrorless, but I feel there's poor value for money there, with the kind of gear I want being much more expensive for similar performance.

I don't mind going with a 1/2.3" sensor if there's something that could work for me there. I still prefer to shoot raw (I enjoy the post processing part of it too). I had considered one of the Kodak's, as they could be bought new within my budget perhaps.

Just looking for a few suggestions on where I should be aiming my efforts

I'm quite happy to go used/refurbished (I'd use one of the UK known suppliers here, such as LCE, MPB or Park), indeed much of my gear has already been bought from those.

Cheers.

 

[MJ_Photo38]

Get an FZ1000 (the first one).

Very good value if you want to have it all in one package.

Personally for my "downsizing" kit, I went micro four thirds. Something like an E-M10 mark II with the Olympus 14-150 II or the Lumix 14-140 would be a good options as well.

 

[Andy Hewitt]

Get an FZ1000 (the first one).

OK, yes, one of the FZ models was probably at the top of my list (owned Panasonics before, and always been happy with them).

Out of interest, why the first model, and not the II?

Very good value if you want to have it all in one package.

Personally for my "downsizing" kit, I went micro four thirds. Something like an E-M10 mark II with the Olympus 14-150 II or the Lumix 14-140 would be a good options as well.

I started off with DSLRS using Olympus 4/3 gear, and would certainly consider the m4/3 stuff too. If the m4/3 14-150 is anything like as good as the old 40-150, it might do me.

It’s just a matter of pricing though.

thanks

 

[MJ_Photo38]

Get an FZ1000 (the first one).

OK, yes, one of the FZ models was probably at the top of my list (owned Panasonics before, and always been happy with them).

Out of interest, why the first model, and not the II?

Very good value if you want to have it all in one package.

Personally for my "downsizing" kit, I went micro four thirds. Something like an E-M10 mark II with the Olympus 14-150 II or the Lumix 14-140 would be a good options as well.

I started off with DSLRS using Olympus 4/3 gear, and would certainly consider the m4/3 stuff too. If the m4/3 14-150 is anything like as good as the old 40-150, it might do me.

It’s just a matter of pricing though.

thanks

An FZ1000 in good condition on MPB UK is £329

An E-M10II will run you $254 and the 14-150 is around £320. The Lumix 14-140 in good condition is around £260

Size comparison below :


weights, left to right : 675g, 655g, 831g, 1340g







--
(G.A.S. and collectionnite will get my skin one day)

 

[ZilverHaylide]

Hi all,

I'm looking to downsize my gear now. Health issues are beginning to take their toll, and having a D7000 and 18-200 round my neck are becoming uncomfortable.

I'm struggling with some long-Covid stuff these days, fatigue and pains mostly (still ongoing with the diagnosis). So I'm considering selling off the the DSLR gear and going with something more compact, probably a bridge model.

I have the D700, and that 18-200, plus a couple of other lenses, and a bunch of extra accessories of course. Probably worth £5-600 here in the UK I suppose. I've had a trade-in quote around £300 at one of the UK used camera stores.

My criteria is to get whatever I can within that budget really (there's no extra cash, so don't try to get me spending hundreds more we don't have).

I still want to enjoy the hobby though, and have been considering the 1" sensor models out there - something like a Nikon Pxxx or Panasonic FZx000. Not to bothered about having a ridiculous amount of super zoom, just something reasonable (but at least 300mm). I used to own a Fuji X-S1, and was reasonably happy with that, except for the horrible task of finding a Raw processor for those EXR images.

I'm a bit of an opportunist photographer, and just go out and about and shoot what I see, be it landscapes, architecture, close-ups of flowers or insects, quite often a museum. Almost anything really. Not much action sports though.

I had considered mirrorless, but I feel there's poor value for money there, with the kind of gear I want being much more expensive for similar performance.

I don't mind going with a 1/2.3" sensor if there's something that could work for me there. I still prefer to shoot raw (I enjoy the post processing part of it too). I had considered one of the Kodak's, as they could be bought new within my budget perhaps.

Just looking for a few suggestions on where I should be aiming my efforts

I'm quite happy to go used/refurbished (I'd use one of the UK known suppliers here, such as LCE, MPB or Park), indeed much of my gear has already been bought from those.

Cheers.

A partial downsizing could be achieved while still keeping your current camera simply by switching to primes. And only go out with one or at most two at a time. That lowers in-hand (and around-neck) weight. I've got back problems, and can feel the difference even between using a basic 24-70 f/2.8 zoom vs. my 8-ounce Sony 50mm macro, which is also very-good optically at longer distances, and so is usable for general walk-around. Sure, you won't get every shot that you'd get with a zoom, primes require a different mentality and shooting style. But, depending on your age, maybe you've even "been there" before, so it could even be a bit nostalgic to shoot that way.

A further extension of that would be to swap your camera body for a more-plasticky, "beginner"-oriented DSLR. Not desirable if you are used to the features of your better one. But if that's the only way to continue photographing because of weight issues... . And you might be able to find such a beginner body cheap-enough that you wouldn't have to get rid of your current one, could still keep it for when you need the features or better viewfinder, and aren't going far afield. (NOTE: You will need to check lens compatibility of such a body with current lenses or any future ones you might acquire. The more-recent low-end bodies can't use screw-drive lenses).

 

[Andy Hewitt]

Get an FZ1000 (the first one).

OK, yes, one of the FZ models was probably at the top of my list (owned Panasonics before, and always been happy with them).

Out of interest, why the first model, and not the II?

Very good value if you want to have it all in one package.

Personally for my "downsizing" kit, I went micro four thirds. Something like an E-M10 mark II with the Olympus 14-150 II or the Lumix 14-140 would be a good options as well.

I started off with DSLRS using Olympus 4/3 gear, and would certainly consider the m4/3 stuff too. If the m4/3 14-150 is anything like as good as the old 40-150, it might do me.

It’s just a matter of pricing though.

thanks

An FZ1000 in good condition on MPB UK is £329

Fair enough, so just a matter rather good value for a decent enough camera.

An E-M10II will run you $254 and the 14-150 is around £320. The Lumix 14-140 in good condition is around £260

Size comparison below :


weights, left to right : 675g, 655g, 831g, 1340g

Fantastic, thank you. I had not even thought of doing that comparison. That's very helpful.

Indeed, I didn't realise the FZ1000 was such a chunk of a camera. It is of course a fair bit lighter, but is it enough difference?

The m4/3 kit is a bit of an eye opener. And I do really love the look of those retro silver and black Oly's (I started off with an OM10 back in 1984).

That's definitely opened my eyes to thinking about this differently.

Cheers.

--
Andy H

 

[MJ_Photo38]

If you have a bit of time and don't mind watching a youtube video, I highly suggest you take a look at this one :

The previous cameras that came before the E-M10ii (so E-M5 and E-M10) are also worth a look (especially the E-M5)

 

[Andy Hewitt]

Hi all,

I'm looking to downsize my gear now. Health issues are beginning to take their toll, and having a D7000 and 18-200 round my neck are becoming uncomfortable.

I'm struggling with some long-Covid stuff these days, fatigue and pains mostly (still ongoing with the diagnosis). So I'm considering selling off the the DSLR gear and going with something more compact, probably a bridge model.

I have the D700, and that 18-200, plus a couple of other lenses, and a bunch of extra accessories of course. Probably worth £5-600 here in the UK I suppose. I've had a trade-in quote around £300 at one of the UK used camera stores.

My criteria is to get whatever I can within that budget really (there's no extra cash, so don't try to get me spending hundreds more we don't have).

I still want to enjoy the hobby though, and have been considering the 1" sensor models out there - something like a Nikon Pxxx or Panasonic FZx000. Not to bothered about having a ridiculous amount of super zoom, just something reasonable (but at least 300mm). I used to own a Fuji X-S1, and was reasonably happy with that, except for the horrible task of finding a Raw processor for those EXR images.

I'm a bit of an opportunist photographer, and just go out and about and shoot what I see, be it landscapes, architecture, close-ups of flowers or insects, quite often a museum. Almost anything really. Not much action sports though.

I had considered mirrorless, but I feel there's poor value for money there, with the kind of gear I want being much more expensive for similar performance.

I don't mind going with a 1/2.3" sensor if there's something that could work for me there. I still prefer to shoot raw (I enjoy the post processing part of it too). I had considered one of the Kodak's, as they could be bought new within my budget perhaps.

Just looking for a few suggestions on where I should be aiming my efforts

I'm quite happy to go used/refurbished (I'd use one of the UK known suppliers here, such as LCE, MPB or Park), indeed much of my gear has already been bought from those.

Cheers.

A partial downsizing could be achieved while still keeping your current camera simply by switching to primes. And only go out with one or at most two at a time. That lowers in-hand (and around-neck) weight. I've got back problems, and can feel the difference even between using a basic 24-70 f/2.8 zoom vs. my 8-ounce Sony 50mm macro, which is also very-good optically at longer distances, and so is usable for general walk-around. Sure, you won't get every shot that you'd get with a zoom, primes require a different mentality and shooting style. But, depending on your age, maybe you've even "been there" before, so it could even be a bit nostalgic to shoot that way.

Oh yes, I started off with an OM10 (upgraded to an OM40p later on) and F1.8 50mm Zuiko. Added a Zeiss 70-210, and was happy for many years.

A further extension of that would be to swap your camera body for a more-plasticky, "beginner"-oriented DSLR. Not desirable if you are used to the features of your better one. But if that's the only way to continue photographing because of weight issues... . And you might be able to find such a beginner body cheap-enough that you wouldn't have to get rid of your current one, could still keep it for when you need the features or better viewfinder, and aren't going far afield. (NOTE: You will need to check lens compatibility of such a body with current lenses or any future ones you might acquire. The more-recent low-end bodies can't use screw-drive lenses).

I did change from a D5300, which was a bit lighter. However, I found that my Nikon lenses all suffer with some level of back-focus issue, and needed the Fine Tuning setting. The D7000 was the only model I could afford with that feature.

My lenses are the 18-200, 55-300, and a F1.8 35mm. They're all OK lenses, but as I say, all need to be fine tuned to get the sharpest shots.

I do use the 35mm from time to time, but the nature of my habits are that I generally find I'll have the wrong lens all too often, if I chose a fixed prime. For me I am shooting more in a 'journal' kind of way, and take photos of where I am, and what I see at a given time.

That's why I prefer to sacrifice a little prime quality for the flexibility of a zoom.

FWIW, I never even knew this was an issue when I had the Olympus E-series gear (even now my old E-1 and Zuiko 14-54 photos stand up well).

Cheers.

 

[Andy Hewitt]

If you have a bit of time and don't mind watching a youtube video, I highly suggest you take a look at this one :

The previous cameras that came before the E-M10ii (so E-M5 and E-M10) are also worth a look (especially the E-M5)

Ok, interesting. You have my interested really piqued now .

Thanks.

 

[MJ_Photo38]

If you have a bit of time and don't mind watching a youtube video, I highly suggest you take a look at this one :

The previous cameras that came before the E-M10ii (so E-M5 and E-M10) are also worth a look (especially the E-M5)

Ok, interesting. You have my interested really piqued now .

Thanks.

I have been looking at entering the micro four third system for about a year and a half, and I finally made the jump last July with an E-M5 mark II and 4 lenses (14mm f/2.5 pancake, 25mm f/1.7, 45mm f/1.8 and 35-100 f/4-5.6 zoom)

Everything, including flash, ND filters and CPL, microphone, charger, 3 additional batteries, macro tube and lens hood + camera hand grip all fit in a 2.5L bag, this has been a big game changer for my travel photography. I used to travel around with Fujifilm cameras and they have been great, but often too big for backpacking if I didn't want to sacrifice anything in my kit.

Not anymore ! Now I can fit my laptop, enough clothes for a week AND my whole camera kit in a single 30L backpack. It's not as good as my full frame kit for image quality, but I honestly dont care ! Images are much more than good enough for what I do when I travel, and I would be comfortable using it everyday, even outside of travel photography.




I was using a 50mm Nikon F mount lens before I recieved my 45mm f/1.8







I have gone through the process of choosing a camera and lenses (and went more in deep than I would have liked), so if you have any question about the system, feel free to ask !

Some photos I've done with it since last July :









The E-M5ii is most likely out of budget for you, but it has the exact same sensor as you would find in the E-M5 / E-M10 / E-M10ii (aka 16MP with decent dynamic range and great colors)

--
(G.A.S. and collectionnite will get my skin one day)

 

[InkedMarie]

I can’t advise on camera to buy but look at getting a quick release strap. I have the Altura Quick release & safety tether from Amazon. I bought it to use on a vacation & it worked great.

Marie

Edit: look at the em10 series. I had the ii then the iv. One of those with the 14-140 (I think the mark 2 is better) would be awesome!

 

[Rodrigo Pasiani]

Panasonic FZ1000 if you really need more than 200 mm focal length.

Sony RX10 (I) if you are happy with 200 mm.




Having that constant f/2.8 is sweet (RX10)




RX10 on a tripod .



--
Gear list: eyes, brain, hands and a couple of cameras.
Instagram: @rodrigo_pasiani
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rodrigo_pc/albums/72157697391983321

 

[Bob A L]

If considering one of the 1" sensor superzooms, keep in mind that either the FZ1000 or the RX10's are as physically large and in the same weight range of your D7100 and 18-200. So you don't save much there at all. You could consider a D3300 or D5500 which is a bunch lighter and more compact than the D7100 and works great with your 18-200. Then there is also the Nikon Z options in DX which the bodies weigh about 1/2 what your 7100 body weighs and there are several DX Z lenses that are really light also. And the Z DX mirrorless can use your 18-200 lens with adapter. And as far as bulk, I have a Panasonic FZ300 which you could also consider, which is considerably smaller than the FZ1000, and a small slr pouch that the FZ300 barely fits in that my Z30 with the 18-140 lens fits in just as well as the FZ300.

Lots of choices, but not the huge difference in physical sizes you might think, but you can easily cut the weight in half though. I go for lighter and easier to pack myself as once I started having some health problems and went past the 80 mark, I have really had to cut down on what I pack.

 

[Andy Hewitt]

If considering one of the 1" sensor superzooms, keep in mind that either the FZ1000 or the RX10's are as physically large and in the same weight range of your D7100 and 18-200. So you don't save much there at all. You could consider a D3300 or D5500 which is a bunch lighter and more compact than the D7100 and works great with your 18-200. Then there is also the Nikon Z options in DX which the bodies weigh about 1/2 what your 7100 body weighs and there are several DX Z lenses that are really light also. And the Z DX mirrorless can use your 18-200 lens with adapter. And as far as bulk, I have a Panasonic FZ300 which you could also consider, which is considerably smaller than the FZ1000, and a small slr pouch that the FZ300 barely fits in that my Z30 with the 18-140 lens fits in just as well as the FZ300.

Yes, I had of course reconsidered the smaller DX bodies, but I switched from a D5300 because of the back-focus issues, especially with the 18-200.

Lots of choices, but not the huge difference in physical sizes you might think, but you can easily cut the weight in half though. I go for lighter and easier to pack myself as once I started having some health problems and went past the 80 mark, I have really had to cut down on what I pack.

I’ve been looking at a lot of the options lately, and do also wonder how much fuss do I really need to make. It’s the size/weight thing that’s becoming more important now. I had looked at the smaller Panasonics too. I’ve seen some excellent images from the smaller sensors, and I’ve seen a few of the FZ range being recommended.

My biggest want is to be able to shoot Raw, apart from that as long as the images are decent enough…

cheers.

 

[Bob A L]

I can't offer any input on the RAW part. Just never found reason to bother with it, as I absolutely hate processing photos and have been perfectly happy with jpeg's out of today's cameras as long as I can tailor the basics to my liking. On the D5300, I use a D5500 for some of the sports stuff, and have not had a problem with focusing accuracy as a whole. But now that I use my AF-S mount lenses like my 18-200 and 18-300 on Z bodies, precise focusing is a guarantee with the Z autofocus. Those lenses just moved up a notch in the sharp department with the Z bodies. And the weight of the Z bodies is way down the line also, and if coupled with Z lenses, weight is seldom even a consideration.

 

[Andy Hewitt]

If you have a bit of time and don't mind watching a youtube video, I highly suggest you take a look at this one :

The previous cameras that came before the E-M10ii (so E-M5 and E-M10) are also worth a look (especially the E-M5)

Ok, interesting. You have my interested really piqued now .

Thanks.

I have been looking at entering the micro four third system for about a year and a half, and I finally made the jump last July with an E-M5 mark II and 4 lenses (14mm f/2.5 pancake, 25mm f/1.7, 45mm f/1.8 and 35-100 f/4-5.6 zoom)

The E-M5ii is most likely out of budget for you, but it has the exact same sensor as you would find in the E-M5 / E-M10 / E-M10ii (aka 16MP with decent dynamic range and great colors)

OK, you got me convinced to go with the m4/3 system. After a bit of hunting about, I managed to get a sensible 'trade-in' price for my Nikon gear - so have accepted it. And, also found an EM-10 II with a 14-150 for almost the same value, so taking the plunge (just hoping the dealer still has it available).

That looks to me like a good walkabout kit, that could suit me well for a while.

Thanks.

 

[InkedMarie]

If you have a bit of time and don't mind watching a youtube video, I highly suggest you take a look at this one :

The previous cameras that came before the E-M10ii (so E-M5 and E-M10) are also worth a look (especially the E-M5)

Ok, interesting. You have my interested really piqued now .

Thanks.

I have been looking at entering the micro four third system for about a year and a half, and I finally made the jump last July with an E-M5 mark II and 4 lenses (14mm f/2.5 pancake, 25mm f/1.7, 45mm f/1.8 and 35-100 f/4-5.6 zoom)

The E-M5ii is most likely out of budget for you, but it has the exact same sensor as you would find in the E-M5 / E-M10 / E-M10ii (aka 16MP with decent dynamic range and great colors)

OK, you got me convinced to go with the m4/3 system. After a bit of hunting about, I managed to get a sensible 'trade-in' price for my Nikon gear - so have accepted it. And, also found an EM-10 II with a 14-150 for almost the same value, so taking the plunge (just hoping the dealer still has it available).

That looks to me like a good walkabout kit, that could suit me well for a while.

Thanks.

Good choice!

Marie

 

[MJ_Photo38]

If you have a bit of time and don't mind watching a youtube video, I highly suggest you take a look at this one :

The previous cameras that came before the E-M10ii (so E-M5 and E-M10) are also worth a look (especially the E-M5)

Ok, interesting. You have my interested really piqued now .

Thanks.

I have been looking at entering the micro four third system for about a year and a half, and I finally made the jump last July with an E-M5 mark II and 4 lenses (14mm f/2.5 pancake, 25mm f/1.7, 45mm f/1.8 and 35-100 f/4-5.6 zoom)

The E-M5ii is most likely out of budget for you, but it has the exact same sensor as you would find in the E-M5 / E-M10 / E-M10ii (aka 16MP with decent dynamic range and great colors)

OK, you got me convinced to go with the m4/3 system. After a bit of hunting about, I managed to get a sensible 'trade-in' price for my Nikon gear - so have accepted it. And, also found an EM-10 II with a 14-150 for almost the same value, so taking the plunge (just hoping the dealer still has it available).

That looks to me like a good walkabout kit, that could suit me well for a while.

Thanks.

The E-M10 mark II to me is one of the best value camera you can find in MFT world to me.

It's one of the few ones that has an OLED EVF (even my E-M5ii or the E-M1ii don't) which works better if you wear polarized glasses, or want a true to life kind of refresh rate or pixel response, with great contrast ratio (OLED pixels have an instantaneous respons time, unlike LCD which leads to ghosting when using some slower LCD displays. I can kind of see it in my E-M5ii. Not a big deal, but worth pointing out).

The E-M10ii also has prety much all the features of its bigger brother the E-M5ii : 5 axis IBIS (which is excellent), Live Composite, Live Time, and besides that it's still a magnesium body with lots of control points. It only lacks the sensor shift super resolution mode from the E-M5ii but I don't use it much anyway.

The 14-150 lens is pretty good and gives you a great range in a compact setup.

If you find yourself with a bit of spare cash in the future, I highly recommend you also pick up one of the small pancake lenses available for the MFT system. If you like 35mm equivalent, you can look at the Olympus 17mm f/2.8, or if you prefer 28mm equivalent, there's the 14mm f/2.5 (which I have). There is also the 20mm f/1.7 which is a much better lens, but also much bigger.

Those lenses help making those cameras really pocketable, and they help you take your camera more often with you as they can be stored in a coat pocket or a super small pouch and are great image takes for small events, like going out to a restaurant with friends and family or something like that. The 14mm f/2.5 is by far my most used lens on my E-M5ii, mostly because of the form factor (there's also small pancake zooms like the Olympus 14-42 EZ or the Lumix 12-32 which are pretty close when it comes to size)



Congrats on the new camera, and have fun with it !

--
(G.A.S. and collectionnite will get my skin one day)

 

[Andy Hewitt]

OK, you got me convinced to go with the m4/3 system. After a bit of hunting about, I managed to get a sensible 'trade-in' price for my Nikon gear - so have accepted it. And, also found an EM-10 II with a 14-150 for almost the same value, so taking the plunge (just hoping the dealer still has it available).

That looks to me like a good walkabout kit, that could suit me well for a while.

Thanks.

The E-M10 mark II to me is one of the best value camera you can find in MFT world to me.

It's one of the few ones that has an OLED EVF (even my E-M5ii or the E-M1ii don't) which works better if you wear polarized glasses, or want a true to life kind of refresh rate or pixel response, with great contrast ratio (OLED pixels have an instantaneous respons time, unlike LCD which leads to ghosting when using some slower LCD displays. I can kind of see it in my E-M5ii. Not a big deal, but worth pointing out).

The E-M10ii also has prety much all the features of its bigger brother the E-M5ii : 5 axis IBIS (which is excellent), Live Composite, Live Time, and besides that it's still a magnesium body with lots of control points. It only lacks the sensor shift super resolution mode from the E-M5ii but I don't use it much anyway.

The 14-150 lens is pretty good and gives you a great range in a compact setup.

If you find yourself with a bit of spare cash in the future, I highly recommend you also pick up one of the small pancake lenses available for the MFT system. If you like 35mm equivalent, you can look at the Olympus 17mm f/2.8, or if you prefer 28mm equivalent, there's the 14mm f/2.5 (which I have). There is also the 20mm f/1.7 which is a much better lens, but also much bigger.

Those lenses help making those cameras really pocketable, and they help you take your camera more often with you as they can be stored in a coat pocket or a super small pouch and are great image takes for small events, like going out to a restaurant with friends and family or something like that. The 14mm f/2.5 is by far my most used lens on my E-M5ii, mostly because of the form factor (there's also small pancake zooms like the Olympus 14-42 EZ or the Lumix 12-32 which are pretty close when it comes to size)



Congrats on the new camera, and have fun with it !

Thank you, I confirmed the order this morning, and it's on the way.

I actually like the old 50mm equivalent, I had the 35mm F1.8 on the Nikon, which was quite near. Maybe slightly wider might be more useful (I should have gone for the 40mm Macro perhaps).

The 20mm could be a good one to look for. I do like to frequent museums, so a small prime could be useful.

I'm also not averse to playing around with legacy glass too - what are these like using an adapter (I'm thinking of trying some old M42 stuff, just for some cheap fun).

I've had a bunch of Olympus camera previously - started off using DSLR with an E-500, and also owned an E-1 and an E-420. I had a lovely 14-54 lens as well (so regret selling that now). The old Olympus kit lenses were always pretty good for me, certainly seemed to perform better than the Nikon kit level lenses I've been using more recently.

Thanks again.

--
Andy H