Seriously question: Is a budget of $1500 to $2000 for buying a camera a good idea?
Let me get into why I'm getting a camera and what I'll use it for: When I'm walking around there have been many times where I want to take a picture to capture a natural moment. I also have a few ideas for creating an Anti-DRM Campaign. I also think I could take my Lightroom skills to the next level by taking Industrial themed shots around where I live. I could create some amazing wallpapers using the real world instead of the gaming world. Nothing against my video game wallpapers and yes I still plan to make them.
What type of camera I want to get: One I have to be able to change the lens, I'd like for it to be portable.
actually the body is less important than good lenses. For that I would say go look at Canon or Nikon. Canon has amazing lenses but their L series is kinda expensive but they like Nikon they have a good amount of 3rd party suppliers some with great lenses for low prices.
I myself have a Canon and am a happy user of it, but the lenses make the camera not the body and yes a great lens is generally a lifetime buy.
Things to consider, do you have an interest in learning photography and learning how to control the camera. Do you know anybody who is into photography, if so what brand do they use. I know a few Nikon shooters whom I may borrow lenses from for test drives. Go to a Best Buy or something and pick up all the cameras an see what feels right then research it and see how it stacks up. Here is the one that sealed the deal for my purchase.
The Angry Photographer is pretty blunt about what he considers good or junk, and has a shit-ton of experience with lenses. Anyone who shoots Nikon should check out his channel, lots of good free advice regarding lenses. He has tried them all. @anarekist@NJM1112@Eden@SpaceCat have you watched any of his vids? If not you should give him a try.
@trevsstrem That is good advice. Thanks for the video. Very informative. I'll be able to go to best buy this Saturday, so I can look at cameras there and see which one calls to me in a way. It'll be fun to research all of this heavily.
But if everyone here is permitting I would like to propose a different approach for selecting a camera in this situation.
If the initial intent is to have a camera used in conjunction with walking and natural moments of people we can categorize this as street photography, a field dominated by rangefinders and small D/SLR bodies. Being silent and low profile would go hand in hand with the Fuji X-T1 and the Sony a7 as the smaller bodies draw less attention and smaller focal plane shutters would not generate as much noise. If we look at Imaging Resource's comparison of features then see features that help the X-T1 stand out: lower latency in shutter release and start up time and faster burst speed (shutter speed information is incorrect.) If we look at it as architecture, nature, animals then it really opens up to any camera on the list.
However the other intention, industrial photography, may lead to many longer exposures and lower light and this is were things tilt in favor of the Sony a7 or the Nikon D610. The larger resolution would lend itself to more cropping options in post, the better ISO performance cleaner shots on longer exposures. Another side note be careful how you get close to industrial areas, they're very keen on security. A bad day will end on lengthy discussions with authority before being let free to walk.
Lens wise if you want to stay in the manufacturer's lens selection it would go to Nikon or Sony. Zeiss is a respected name with a proven track record; a smart partnership for Sony and the sample images show it. Fuji has primarily been film stock, paper, and an assortment of other products and judging by the sample images their lenses are good but not stellar. Nikkkors overall are a strong line as you would expect from a company that started with lenses, kit and budget lenes are ok but quality quickly ramps up as you climb the food chain. Otherwise it would be lens adapters, 3rd parties, and experimenting; a whole other can of worms.
If there is a camera store in your area head call them up or on over there instead of Best Buy as the staff will be significantly more helpful in making a good selection.
My advice is to decide on a sensor format and then trim your choices. I bought my first DSLR in 2007 and I'm now heavily invested in a Nikon system.
All the cameras you mention will work great used properly, so I feel the best advice I can give is to get the biggest system you are happy to carry around all the time. The SB 910 flash I have is bigger than the Sony a6000. A decent SLR lens can easily way over a kilo, even more if you go with a full frame sensor. I have no problem carrying my D5200 with kit lens anywhere but I still take a backpack to carry it. When I'm taking pictures at a wedding though the camera, lens and flash is easily 4-5 kilos. Sorry for the ramble but buy the best camera you are happy to carry everywhere (that may mean you get a Samsung S6) as the best camera you can have is the one you have with you.
I know this is a late post, but if you're still looking I'd recommend a Ricoh GR. I own an Fuji x100 and do mostly street stuff, but I very much like the slimmer profile of the GR. It sounds like portability is your biggest concern. You do not compromise quality with these either. I'd be happy to provide some samples from the x100 if you're interested but there is plenty of stuff out there already on it (all cameras for that matter).