Beginner Camera Reviews

Carpy2001

Carpy2001

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Hi all, This is just a quick moan I suppose lol, I have been looking at various camera reviews on youtube for a few days, as a beginner who is totally new to this hobby, and unsure what camera would suit me, although MFT is looking good, things can get a bit confusing when you have so many cameras to choose from. But almost every review I have watched about a camera has banged on about its video capabilities??. I understand that things move on but, what happened to a camera being a camera? if you wanted moving images you bought a cine camera, or more recently a video camera. When looking at reviews of cameras I would like to know about things like, ease of use, image quality etc etc, not its great for walking and shooting videos at the same time. I suppose it is my own fault for not living anywhere near a camera shop lol, so everything has to be done via the internet.
Sorry for that lol.
 
Do you already have a camera?

If so, make a list of what you like about it and what you dislike. Then, when you see reviews, you can look for what the reviewed camera has that you like and what it has that you don't like. Also, I'd ignore videos. Written reviews tend to be more detailed and easier to grasp.
 
Norkie said:
Hi Andrew, this guy is good and impartial.
kenrockwell.com

KenRockwell.com: Photography, Cameras and Taking Better Pictures

Ken Rockwell: Photography, Taking Better Pictures, Recommended Cameras, Canon, Sony, Nikon, LEICA, Fuji & More Camera and Lens Reviews
kenrockwell.com kenrockwell.com
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Lol! :ROFLMAO: If there's one 'reviewer' I'd avoid, it's Ken Rockwell. His website is a good resource for technical info on myriad cameras and lenses, but it's mainly just stuff he's copied and pasted from manufacturer's websites; I've seen 'reviews' of cameras not even released yet, that he's never actually used. But gems include things like 'this $500 camera is just as good as this $5000 camera because it has the same number of megapixels'. Right. There is so much he misses/ignores, that is important to give more information and context.

The problem with many YT reviewers, is that they have a vested interest in gaining revenue form 'likes' and views. So they'll say stuff designed to attract viewers. A lot are biased towards particular brands, so very subjective. Some may even be paid by those brands to promote their products. It's hard to find genuine impartiality and objectivity. Take anything they say with a pinch of salt, and remember that anything they say is always going to be subjective and all about what they want form a product, and not necessarily what you do. . My rule of thumb is that if everyone is saying a particular product is good, then chances are it probably is. An awful lot of 'reviewers' (KR I'm looking at you...) do little more than handle a camera for a video, and talk about it. And you have no idea what processes their 'sample images' have been through. Trust no-one. And if you start from there, then you'll be in a better position to make your own judgments.
AndrewFlannigan said:
Also, I'd ignore videos. Written reviews tend to be more detailed and easier to grasp.
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I'm much the same. I prefer the kind of reviews where a photogrpaher has had a particular product for a while, so has had time to learn its particular pros and cons according to how they work. This can be useful information.
 
Thats understandable, its a bit of a minefield.
The best thing to do is start off by deciding what you want and rank them in importance.
For example, is video important ? ( in my case no)
Is low light capability important
Do you want fast focusing and high frame rate ( action shooting )
Do you want touch screens/menu driven or the ability to select things , Shutter , speed, ISO etc manually
What is your budget? Don't forget lenses, flash etc ( you might need one later)
Finally don't forget if you get an interchangeable lens camera you are buying into a system, so look for availability of 3rd party lenses ( sigma , tamron etc) as they are often cheaper than manufacturer brands and often just a good
The reason being some brands ( Canon ,Nikon) there are a wide range of 3rd Party lenses, Fuji not so many.
Best of luck
 
The late David Thorpe had good YouTube reviews mainly (all?) M43 which are still available though obviously no use for recent stuff.
 
Carpy2001 said:
Hi all, This is just a quick moan I suppose lol, I have been looking at various camera reviews on youtube for a few days, as a beginner who is totally new to this hobby, and unsure what camera would suit me, although MFT is looking good, things can get a bit confusing when you have so many cameras to choose from. But almost every review I have watched about a camera has banged on about its video capabilities??. I understand that things move on but, what happened to a camera being a camera? if you wanted moving images you bought a cine camera, or more recently a video camera. When looking at reviews of cameras I would like to know about things like, ease of use, image quality etc etc, not its great for walking and shooting videos at the same time. I suppose it is my own fault for not living anywhere near a camera shop lol, so everything has to be done via the internet.
Sorry for that lol.
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If you don’t want to know about or use video there’s a simple answer use a Ricoh GR series. Ricoh includes video just so you have it if you *really* need it at some time but it’s deliberately (I think) rubbish so no one would use it from choice. Otherwise I think you have to go to Haselblad etc to avoid video which invilve you selling a kidney or going back to film. Or Fujifim Instax or similar, now there's a thought :LOL: .
 
I like Digital Photography Review review.

If you get down to a shortlist you could always ask some questions on here and maybe get some raws to play with.

If you do settle on MFT and if there are any Panasonic cameras on your shortlist I personally would go for a camera with the redesigned shutter mechanism which could well be anything after the G7/GX7 but if buying new this shouldn't be an issue.

Good luck and remember to post thoughts and some of your pictures here :D
 
Also the new Nikon Zf has a switch for still/video which disables video, I think even in the menus.
 
The thing with video reviews is that they are usually done by people who do videos, so they are interested in video features. I usually use the https://www.dpreview.com/ website when researching cameras.
 
Craikeybaby said:
The thing with video reviews is that they are usually done by people who do videos, so they are interested in video features. I usually use the https://www.dpreview.com/ website when researching cameras.
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Good point! Or to put another way, most of them are idiots who don’t realise that themselves and so are not putting themselves in the position of their audience.
 
Seeing as video reviewers are making videos it's no surprise they go on about the video capabilities of the cameras they review.

I really don't know why people complain about their camera having a video function. If you don't want to make video recording it's simple: don't switch the camera to video mode.

Chris and Jordan (currently at Petapixel, previously DPReview) make Youtube reviews that cover camera's handling and layouts. And they're entertaining. You can skip past the video functions in the reviews.

Ken Rockwell's site is great for comparing the features in different cameras as all 'reviews' are laid out in the same format. His lens pages are great for that too. Also tucked away in the bowels of his site is one of the the best bits of photography advice I've read on the web. Although I doubt most of his critics ever get beyond his 'reviews' to read it. Their loss.

Sadly you can't stand up for the bloke on TP without the pitchforks coming out! :LOL:
 
Bridges said:
Lol! :ROFLMAO: If there's one 'reviewer' I'd avoid, it's Ken Rockwell. His website is a good resource for technical info on myriad cameras and lenses, but it's mainly just stuff he's copied and pasted from manufacturer's websites; I've seen 'reviews' of cameras not even released yet, that he's never actually used. But gems include things like 'this $500 camera is just as good as this $5000 camera because it has the same number of megapixels'. Right. There is so much he misses/ignores, that is important to give more information and context.

The problem with many YT reviewers, is that they have a vested interest in gaining revenue form 'likes' and views. So they'll say stuff designed to attract viewers. A lot are biased towards particular brands, so very subjective. Some may even be paid by those brands to promote their products. It's hard to find genuine impartiality and objectivity. Take anything they say with a pinch of salt, and remember that anything they say is always going to be subjective and all about what they want form a product, and not necessarily what you do. . My rule of thumb is that if everyone is saying a particular product is good, then chances are it probably is. An awful lot of 'reviewers' (KR I'm looking at you...) do little more than handle a camera for a video, and talk about it. And you have no idea what processes their 'sample images' have been through. Trust no-one. And if you start from there, then you'll be in a better position to make your own judgments.

I'm much the same. I prefer the kind of reviews where a photogrpaher has had a particular product for a while, so has had time to learn its particular pros and cons according to how they work. This can be useful information.
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Yes, this is how it works. It's a bit like politicians, they publish a manifesto that they hope will help them to get elected. The manifesto tells people what they want to hear and has little or nothing to do with what the politicians actually believe, or with what they intend to actually do if elected.

But, let's assume, just for a moment, that you stumble upon an honest reviewer who actually knows what they're talking about. Their recommendations are bound to be biased towards their particular photographic interests, which may be very different from yours. They may be a great landscape photographer but if you want to photograph football then their advice won't help you.

My own specialty is studio photography. My own camera and lens choices wouldn't suit insect photographers, nor would they suit someone who just wants to have a camera with them everywhere they go, because my choices are for large, heavy cameras that nobody would want to carry for long.
AndrewFlannigan said:
Do you already have a camera?

If so, make a list of what you like about it and what you dislike. Then, when you see reviews, you can look for what the reviewed camera has that you like and what it has that you don't like. Also, I'd ignore videos. Written reviews tend to be more detailed and easier to grasp.
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Good advice

If you don't already have a "suitable" camera, and you want to learn about photography, the advice in my book for beginner photographers https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/free-e-book-about-photography-for-beginners.752112/ is to get an old DSLR with manual controls and learn how to use it properly. Doing so will tell you - based on your own experience and on your new knowledge - what to look for in your next camera.
 
There is only one valid opinion and it's yours. It's your money at the end of the day. Most brands have some kind of try before you buy option so borrow some cameras, see what you like and then visit your local camera shop and take a look at what is available with a list of priorities in mind. Almost all digital cameras are going to do a good job so you can't go far wrong but at the same time they are really expensive so taking a little time to try some out seems smart. You might even want to try a medium format Fuji as well as a full frame or an MFT. do you have lenses? Do you want to stick only to the camera brand lenses or do you want a wider, perhaps cheaper, third party lenses? Do you want to use an app to control the camera (can be useful if your subject is low to the ground etc)? Maybe a Pentax K3 monochrome would blow you away if you were to try one but do you want such a specialised camera?
You need to ask yourself these questions and others so you can form an informed opinion.
 
The “review” sites that are useful are those like dpreview which are reasonably independent and have been going for some time and list and discuss specifications in a consistent format partly because, unless you are already very knowledgeable, the manufacturers advertising is always somewhat coded -- anything missing won’t be mentioned and so on, and advantages emphasised, especially novelties.

Reviews aren’t so useful for suggesting output quality because it all depends, as eg @Garry Edwards mentions above. Handling can be useful but that also is very personal.

If you read a review site regularly you can get to know the quirks of particular reviewers. For example, the preview of the original Ricoh GR Digital was pretty damning, and rightly so for most people looking for a compact camera but although I thought it was a very odd looking beast and much too pricey I bought it because reading “between the lines” I was persuaded that the reviewer liked and it was what I needed. Most people here probably don’t think much of it (except that Ricoh’s reputation has gone up with the similar but very different GR series) but it was perfect for me. :)
 
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Phil V said:
And an utter nob.

Just goes to show that no matter how you look at it, reviews are subjective and opinions of reviews are also subjective.
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I like Ken Rockwell for specs and facts and figures but whenever I go to his site I want to ask him to step away from the saturation slider.
 
woof woof said:
I like Ken Rockwell for specs and facts and figures but whenever I go to his site I want to ask him to step away from the saturation slider.
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On the other hand he’s been going for a long time, makes a living at it, so it would seem he knows his audience. Of course you can say that of a lot of scoundrels on the web these days but Rockwell isn’t doing anything bad, like him or not.
 
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AndrewFlannigan said:
Do you already have a camera?

If so, make a list of what you like about it and what you dislike. Then, when you see reviews, you can look for what the reviewed camera has that you like and what it has that you don't like. Also, I'd ignore videos. Written reviews tend to be more detailed and easier to grasp.
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Yes, on top of that, don't bother reading reviews of cameras that are out of budget, you want to find what suits you not what to dream of :)

Narrow the choices down to the ones that suit what you already know you want, then there is far less to become confusing.
 
I hear you Carpy. I felt the same when I first bought a mirrorless camera. Unfortunately we customers don't seem to have any choice. I can sort of understand it. It's probably cheaper to produce one camera that does both than it is to produce two specialist cameras. I haven't, to this day used any of the video features on mine. It's something I'm not remotely interested in. However, I'm philosophical. I accept that a lot of people do find video features useful, and I'm very much in the minority. Plus which it may even have kept the cost of my camera down.
 
Been looking today for something, being realistic and within my price range. I would like a fully articulating screen, and easy to use, I don't need anything fancy, just simple to understand. I have been looking at the Nikon D5300, or maybe the Canon equivelant whatever that is ( canon numbers get confusing). It will have to be a used camera so should cost around £350ish, which would leave me a little bit for another lens. Like I have said though, this would need to be done via the internet as there is nothing local to me, so the option to try before you buy is not realistic. I also looked at the Panasonic G80 new at £550, but by the time I get another lens and battery etc, I suddenly becomes to expensive. I do not have an issue carrying the gear, it is just my legs that play up from time to time, I suffer with arthritis in my hips, so not sure weather to go Aps-c Dslr or MFT. To many bloody choices for for the beginner who knows nothing lol.
 
I think mirrorless is a better option than DSLR because you get consistent focus (no focus micro adjust faff on as you can get with DSLR's) and the ability to focus anywhere in the frame (DSLR's usually only have focus points clustered around the central area unless in live view) and this gives real compositional advantages.

Some will argue that optical view finders are best but for me the electronic viewfinder is much better. Other than the OVF all I can see as a positive for the DSLR is cost as there may be bargains about. Personally I'd go for an older mirrorless over a bargain DSLR set up every single time.

If you're going to be shooting in reasonable light and don't need high ISO abilities have a look at the Panasonic G2 or G3 and a 14-45mm kit lens on the used market. You could be up and running for £200 or so, or even less.

The first time I took my Panasonic G1 out instead of my Canon 5D such was the difference in bulk and weight that I honestly had to keep checking the bag to see it was still in there.
 
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Carpy2001 said:
Been looking today for something, being realistic and within my price range. I would like a fully articulating screen, and easy to use, I don't need anything fancy, just simple to understand. I have been looking at the Nikon D5300, or maybe the Canon equivelant whatever that is ( canon numbers get confusing). It will have to be a used camera so should cost around £350ish, which would leave me a little bit for another lens. Like I have said though, this would need to be done via the internet as there is nothing local to me, so the option to try before you buy is not realistic. I also looked at the Panasonic G80 new at £550, but by the time I get another lens and battery etc, I suddenly becomes to expensive. I do not have an issue carrying the gear, it is just my legs that play up from time to time, I suffer with arthritis in my hips, so not sure weather to go Aps-c Dslr or MFT. To many bloody choices for for the beginner who knows nothing lol.
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Here's my very simplistic opinion.

YouTube reviewers are absolutely full of crap.

DP Review is a fantastic resource - but you really need to have some idea of what's important to you first.

Meanwhile forums are absolutely brilliant as a source of advice.

All you need to do is clearly lay out your budget and requirements (as best you understand them) and then through a conversation you'll come to a conclusion that fits (maybe not perfectly - but better than anything you'll get from a generic web search)
 
Carpy2001 said:
Been looking today for something, being realistic and within my price range. I would like a fully articulating screen, and easy to use, I don't need anything fancy, just simple to understand. I have been looking at the Nikon D5300, or maybe the Canon equivelant whatever that is ( canon numbers get confusing). It will have to be a used camera so should cost around £350ish, which would leave me a little bit for another lens. Like I have said though, this would need to be done via the internet as there is nothing local to me, so the option to try before you buy is not realistic. I also looked at the Panasonic G80 new at £550, but by the time I get another lens and battery etc, I suddenly becomes to expensive. I do not have an issue carrying the gear, it is just my legs that play up from time to time, I suffer with arthritis in my hips, so not sure weather to go Aps-c Dslr or MFT. To many bloody choices for for the beginner who knows nothing lol.
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What does a G80 do that you need that a G5 doesn't do?

You say it has to be a used camera, then compared a new one?
You would probably find a used G9 for 550.

I gave a link previously for a dealer from whom you could get a G3or G5 with lens for between 140 and 200, so as stated above, you could be up and running with a good mirrorless camera for less than 200

At some stage you will need to commit to a direction to try, and I think maybe your confusion is not the cameras, but deciding what you want to do and what is important to you.
You did state a couple of points above, I think the Canon 650D was the first with an articulating touch screen, but easy to use? If you put any of them on P they are easy to use, but once you need to go into the menus, that depends a lot on the individual.

Canon numbers are simple, usually the less digits there are, the nearer to "professional" and the more digits there are, the more "entry level" it is (ie a 5d is better than a 500D and a 50D would be in between, Doesn't always follow exactly, but the single digit range is better than the two digit range which is better than the three digit range.

Again, if you see two Canons you think would suit you, you will quickly get answers here about the two, but not an answer to "which Canon is best for me" as nobody can know what you want to do exactly.
 
Phil V said:
Meanwhile forums are absolutely brilliant as a source of advice.

All you need to do is clearly lay out your budget and requirements (as best you understand them) and then through a conversation you'll come to a conclusion that fits (maybe not perfectly - but better than anything you'll get from a generic web search)
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Forums, where people make recommendations way above your stated budget, suggest alternatives you don't want or need, and generally confuse you. :LOL:
 
Ed Sutton said:
Forums, where people make recommendations way above your stated budget, suggest alternatives you don't want or need, and generally confuse you. :LOL:
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Yeah that can happen - but a little clarification and persistence should garner the right answer.
 
Garry Edwards said:
the advice in my book for beginner photographers https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/free-e-book-about-photography-for-beginners.752112/ is to get an old DSLR with manual controls and learn how to use it properly. Doing so will tell you - based on your own experience and on your new knowledge - what to look for in your next camera.
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This. If you get into photography you won't get the perfect camera for you first time. May as well buy something cheap and work out what you do & don't like about it.

The old Olympus OMD EM5 Mk1 is a bargain now and no less capable than it was ~10 years ago. It's also a lot more automatic than the sort of thing Garry has in mind ;)
 
juggler said:
If you get into photography you won't get the perfect camera for you
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Snipped for truth! Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a perfect camera - they all have at least a couple of things we'd like to change as well as a number of things we'll never use.

Back when I wanted to get back into photography, I fixed a budget, decided on a load of features the camera system had to have then made a list of kits that met those requirements. I'm lucky enough to live somewhere where there were 3 or 4 proper camera shops, one of which had all 3 kits that were on my shortlist in stock so I could try them all for feel but I'm sure I'd have been as happy with either of the others.
 
woof woof said:
I think mirrorless is a better option than DSLR because you get consistent focus (no focus micro adjust faff on as you can get with DSLR's) and the ability to focus anywhere in the frame (DSLR's usually only have focus points clustered around the central area unless in live view) and this gives real compositional advantages.

Some will argue that optical view finders are best but for me the electronic viewfinder is much better. Other than the OVF all I can see as a positive for the DSLR is cost as there may be bargains about. Personally I'd go for an older mirrorless over a bargain DSLR set up every single time.

If you're going to be shooting in reasonable light and don't need high ISO abilities have a look at the Panasonic G2 or G3 and a 14-45mm kit lens on the used market. You could be up and running for £200 or so, or even less.

The first time I took my Panasonic G1 out instead of my Canon 5D such was the difference in bulk and weight that I honestly had to keep checking the bag to see it was still in there.
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I think a lot of the time people are comparing top end OVF to mid range EVF.

Personally I have an A900 (excellent OVF), A6000 (entry / mid range EVF) and A7iv (Mid-High end EVF), and while I'd take the A900 OVF over the A6000 EVF without question - I'd also take the A6000 EVF over an entry level OVF (which tend to be small and dark).
A900 OVF vs A7iv EVF - difficult choice, the OVF is more 'immersive' - you are viewing the scene directly, but the ability of the EVF to show a 'live view' of how the image will appear, to magnify when manually focussing, etc, are all big plus points. And EVF's continue to improve, with ever increaing resolutions available in teh higher end cameras, and filtering down to the mid range.
 
Truth is, I have no idea where to start, I dont know anyone with a camera to look at or try. I have no idea what I want to do with photography, other than I enjoy walking around and taking pictures of what catches my attention, even playing with things in the house is fun. I do like close up shots of different things like bugs, flowers etc, but I don't seem as keen on landscape shots, atleast not around where I live. I dont print pictures, they are just viewed and maybe edited a bit on my computer, I don't even have a flikr account although I may open one. I have tried to photograph the squirrels in the local park, but they just run away when I get close enough, so may need a decent zoom lens?. People keep saying to work out what I need from the camera and what features are important, well I have no idea lol. What I do know is the fixed screen on my fuji is anoying at times, especialy when trying to get low down, and I use the viewfinder 90% of the time. It just seems the more I look and read, the more confusing it gets, but then I am a thick old git.
 
Carpy2001 said:
Truth is, I have no idea where to start, I dont know anyone with a camera to look at or try. I have no idea what I want to do with photography, other than I enjoy walking around and taking pictures of what catches my attention, even playing with things in the house is fun. I do like close up shots of different things like bugs, flowers etc, but I don't seem as keen on landscape shots, atleast not around where I live. I dont print pictures, they are just viewed and maybe edited a bit on my computer, I don't even have a flikr account although I may open one. I have tried to photograph the squirrels in the local park, but they just run away when I get close enough, so may need a decent zoom lens?. People keep saying to work out what I need from the camera and what features are important, well I have no idea lol. What I do know is the fixed screen on my fuji is anoying at times, especialy when trying to get low down, and I use the viewfinder 90% of the time. It just seems the more I look and read, the more confusing it gets, but then I am a thick old git.
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Join a camera club. You can then talk to people face to face, and handle their cameras to find out what suits you best.
 
Carpy2001 said:
Truth is, I have no idea where to start, I dont know anyone with a camera to look at or try. I have no idea what I want to do with photography, other than I enjoy walking around and taking pictures of what catches my attention, even playing with things in the house is fun. I do like close up shots of different things like bugs, flowers etc, but I don't seem as keen on landscape shots, atleast not around where I live. I dont print pictures, they are just viewed and maybe edited a bit on my computer, I don't even have a flikr account although I may open one. I have tried to photograph the squirrels in the local park, but they just run away when I get close enough, so may need a decent zoom lens?. People keep saying to work out what I need from the camera and what features are important, well I have no idea lol. What I do know is the fixed screen on my fuji is anoying at times, especialy when trying to get low down, and I use the viewfinder 90% of the time. It just seems the more I look and read, the more confusing it gets, but then I am a thick old git.
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Don't think it has anything to do with being thick or old.
Maybe a little impatient :)

Looking at that post, I would suggest you are not in need of another camera yet, and rushing will just result in a repeat performance some months down the line.

A different camera won't instantly make your photos masterpieces, but will almost surely result in more frustration.
 
Do you have a 'phone with a camera? If so, start with that. Just snap away at things that interest you; think about the lighting, tones, textures, colours, shapes. Think about context, and what story you are trying to tell. You don't need to buy anythingjust yet.When you start to get a 'feel' for particular subjects/situations, then you can use that as the basis for deciding what kit to buy. If it's street scenes, or close ups, or portraits, etc etc etc. Give it a few weeks, then you'll hopefully have a better idea of what you need.
 
I see that you live in Coventry, which isn't exactly in the middle of nowhere . . . Perhaps you can team up with other TP members in the area, see what you think of their cameras and their approaches to photography?

TP is a bit like a massive camera club with thousands of helpful, knowledgeable people.
 
L320Rio, I would but the nearst club is over 8 miles away and I dont drive lol.

Sangoma, I am frustrated with the one I have lol, I am fed up of it not wanting to focus on close objects, which having watched "Mike Browne" compare a bridge camera to a DSLR camera, he said not wanting to focus properly on close objects is just the way bridge cameras are they are fiddly. He says "I like the compact nature of bridge cameras (and compact cameras for that matter) but personally I find them complicated compared to a DSLR. But that's me!". I am not trying to get magical pictures, I dont think the ones I have taken are that bad, but when I think about trying to photograph the spider I saw in the garden today, when I get close this camera either has yellow camera shake warning or/and red af warning, so I have to move right back to take the image lol, hope that makes sense.
 
Garry Edwards said:
I see that you live in Coventry, which isn't exactly in the middle of nowhere . . . Perhaps you can team up with other TP members in the area, see what you think of their cameras and their approaches to photography?

TP is a bit like a massive camera club with thousands of helpful, knowledgeable people.
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Garry I have no idea how you got Coventry??? I live in Bradford West Yorks lol.
 
Carpy2001 said:
Garry I have no idea how you got Coventry??? I live in Bradford West Yorks lol.
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Sorry, I must have clicked on the wrong name :(
Again, Bradford has a lot of people, so my suggestion stands. I live there myself (well, Baildon, which is fairly close).
 
Carpy2001 said:
L320Rio, I would but the nearst club is over 8 miles away and I dont drive lol.

Sangoma, I am frustrated with the one I have lol, I am fed up of it not wanting to focus on close objects, which having watched "Mike Browne" compare a bridge camera to a DSLR camera, he said not wanting to focus properly on close objects is just the way bridge cameras are they are fiddly. He says "I like the compact nature of bridge cameras (and compact cameras for that matter) but personally I find them complicated compared to a DSLR. But that's me!". I am not trying to get magical pictures, I dont think the ones I have taken are that bad, but when I think about trying to photograph the spider I saw in the garden today, when I get close this camera either has yellow camera shake warning or/and red af warning, so I have to move right back to take the image lol, hope that makes sense.
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I don't know who Mike Brown is, but in the context you have quoted, I would say absolute codswollop.

I use Panasonic compacts, bridge and G3s up to G9s, and all the menu systems and basic operations are just about the same.
None of them struggle with focus close up ( as long as it is within the focus range) and none of them are fiddly.

In comparison, I think you need to be Houdini when using a Canon dSLR, and a mental Houdini to get what you want out of the menu system. Pentax used to be one of the best to use, but their customer service is worse than a four letter grocery store.

I say that because you will probably get most who disagree, just to show how opinions differ, but if I put that on youtube, it would probably be quoted
 
It sounds to me like you have a requirement for a viewfinder and tiltable screen, along with good macro capabilities. With interchangeable lens cameras, the macro capability usually comes from the lens.
 
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