Recommend me a non-DSLR

Rapscallion said:
One thing, the 20mm - whilst a great lens - is not a quick focusser.

Also an olympus em5 can go for around £400 on ebay. depends if your budget is body or body + lens.

the cheapest great lens on m43 is the 45mm, which could be a great lens for your portraits.
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yes, I've discounted it now I think.

Andysnap said:
Dean, if your struggling to get your mojo back try something different... FILM ....
You can pick up a Nikon F100 for less than a ton which your lenses will work with, its digital equivalent is the D700, its af is super fast and it does everything perfectly. I was in a similar boat but the move back to film has really got me interested in photography again. I still shoot digital as well but in a more measured way eg a weekend in the Lakes I shot about 120 shots of which 10 were worth printing and about 30% I was pretty happy with, a much bigger percentage than in the past.
Give it a go the F100 keeps its value so you won't lose out if you don't enjoy it, pop over to the film and conventional section, its fun.:banana:

Cheers

Andy
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I would only be interested in film if I could process myself and I'll never be able to do that because of the chemicals involved. In another lifetime maybe. :)
 
Steve T said:
:agree::plus1:

Just bought an AE1 , an A1 and a Pentax ME super, plus I have an Olympus 35 RC that i rescued from the loft. I can tell you that as far as I'm concearned Digital was a backwards leap for enjoying photography. Seems to me its just punishing your cranium trying to work out every single aspect of a cameras guts and settings potential, verses simply composing and taking your shot. Screw Digital, I won't go back apart from product photography.
The canon A1 is sheer porn, its the most gorgeous camera I've ever seen and it loves me back with simplicity and great street cred at a price that isn't silly.

As for the Adobe digital religion, I'm afraid I am a complete atheist, far too complex and contrived to hook geeks into becoming experts on vaguely pointless technology that corrects a lack of real skill.

We took fantastic shots with our 35 RC back in the day and I am going to do so again.

Just sold a poxy, nigh on mint 50d with a genuine battery grip and stuff that i paid over £375.00 for in the last six months for £ 208.00 on ebay today. Must be bloody mad to subscribe to the incremental tweaking of the modern DSLR model upgrades. I'm done with them now. I will get an iphone camerarse, use a 1000d for product shots but concentrate on film for anything i love or care about.

Just feels more creative and real to me.
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I disagree completely, but it's cool that you're passionate about it.
 
The23rdman said:
I would only be interested in film if I could process myself and I'll never be able to do that because of the chemicals involved. In another lifetime maybe. :)
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I fully understand, its something I'm about to attempt for the first time....:runaway:I
 
I'm just a keen amateur, but I've been impressed by the quality of photos from my Canon G15. I bought it over the X20 because of it's video capabilities. I don't do a lot of video, but I like to try and video when we ski. You can shoot RAW and fully manual if you wish, and it has a hotshot mount.

The thing I find hard, is recalibrating my brain for the different depth of field you get, and the different focal lengths. It has a viewfinder but I tend not to use it - although on my 5D3 I virtually never use live view. It doesn't give a readout of your settings in the viewfinder which the X20 does. The colours on the LCD sometimes looks a bit odd too.

Yesterday in flat light, I was happier with the photos from my G15 than my 5D3 although it was partly because I'd taken the wrong lens -doh!.
 
I'm currently narrowing the field a little. I've decided that it's probably between the em5, X100s and a nex 6. I am more likely to go for the M4/3 option though... I think.
 
The23rdman said:
I'm currently narrowing the field a little. I've decided that it's probably between the em5, X100s and a nex 6. I am more likely to go for the M4/3 option though... I think.
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There seem to be some tempting deals on the Panasonic GX7 at the mo. Seen it at a couple of places for £689.

PS. If the 20mm mentioned is the Panasonic 20mm f1.7... I've never found the focus to be too slow in real world shooting.
 
I'll be buying used. I think I discounted it for some reason or another.
 
There are some interesting thoughts on the m4/3 vs full frame here http://lindsaydobsonphotography.com/blog/why-i-use-micro-four-thirds-cameras/ and on the related links - although i'm not sure how much that will help you with the budget end of things.

I'm one of those people who was initially sceptical about CSC (those looking at my old posts will be saying 'sceptical is a polite way of putting it') - based largely on having briefly owned a GF3 and hating the bloody thing, the lack of a viewfinder really peed me off, and i just couldnt get on with the holding it arms length like a compact to look at the screen thing.

however reading those articles and more importantly seeing the quality of Lindsays work with a top end m4/3 has pretty much changed my mind - i just need to find the 1300 notes to get a new OMD now :LOL:
 
I'm not shooting pro any more and just want something decent, quick and smallish that might encourage me to take the thing out on occasions again. The GX7 is now on the maybe list after reading some reviews.
 
The23rdman said:
I'm not shooting pro any more and just want something decent, quick and smallish that might encourage me to take the thing out on occasions again. The GX7 is now on the maybe list after reading some reviews.
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To be honest my most used camera at the moment is my Tz35 compact - its light enough to live in a pouch on my belt and cheap enough that i don't worry to much about taking it out in the rain or otherwise nasty weather and it still takes quality images (or at least its capable of doing so -my input is less realiable ;) ). I'd have said that about 80% of what I've taken lately gets taken on that or on my iphone 4

this was the role i was hoping the GF3 would take when i bought it a couple of years back but it just didnt do it for me - i think the main problem was that with a lens added it wasnt actually that small and light (although it obviously was still lighter than a DSLR) and the lack of a viewfinder forced me to use it like a compact - resulting in me saying sack it i'll just get a compact then
 
big soft moose said:
To be honest my most used camera at the moment is my Tz35 compact - its light enough to live in a pouch on my belt and cheap enough that i don't worry to much about taking it out in the rain or otherwise nasty weather and it still takes quality images (or at least its capable of doing so -my input is less realiable ;) ). I'd have said that about 80% of what I've taken lately gets taken on that or on my iphone 4

this was the role i was hoping the GF3 would take when i bought it a couple of years back but it just didnt do it for me - i think the main problem was that with a lens added it wasnt actually that small and light (although it obviously was still lighter than a DSLR) and the lack of a viewfinder forced me to use it like a compact - resulting in me saying sack it i'll just get a compact then
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I can completely live without a viewfinder, but IQ is another thing. I enjoyed the X-10 despite the quirky AF, but the IQ just wasn't good enough for me. Yep, it's fine if you never look at 100%, but that, to me, is part of the pleasure. I love taking a photograph and then studying it at 100%. I want IQ as close to a DSLR as my budget allows.
 
Size is the least important of the important points. :)
 
hs50 discounted?
 
The23rdman said:
I can completely live without a viewfinder, but IQ is another thing. I enjoyed the X-10 despite the quirky AF, but the IQ just wasn't good enough for me. Yep, it's fine if you never look at 100%, but that, to me, is part of the pleasure. I love taking a photograph and then studying it at 100%. I want IQ as close to a DSLR as my budget allows.
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A7? :D

I use Rokkors on mine.
 
Oh God, the A6000 is making me drool...
 
If your after a non DSLR with £400 budget with fast focus and good image quality M43 might well be the way too go, Fuji X Series are also very good but it depends on what your after personally.
I've owned various M43 and i do prefer the X series even though focus speed is not as quick yet find i like the X series images better.
( the CAF in X-T1 is better than any M43 IMO :) slightly out of £400 though !)
 
Throttle said:
If your after a non DSLR with £400 budget with fast focus and good image quality M43 might well be the way too go, Fuji X Series are also very good but it depends on what your after personally.
I've owned various M43 and i do prefer the X series even though focus speed is not as quick yet find i like the X series images better.
( the CAF in X-T1 is better than any M43 IMO :) slightly out of £400 though !)
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I've increased the budget now. I realise I'll be left wanting somewhere at £400. This is my last chance to reignite my love for photography and whatever I buy has to have some wow to it.
 
Throttle said:
If your after a non DSLR with £400 budget with fast focus and good image quality M43 might well be the way too go, Fuji X Series are also very good but it depends on what your after personally.
I've owned various M43 and i do prefer the X series even though focus speed is not as quick yet find i like the X series images better.
( the CAF in X-T1 is better than any M43 IMO :) slightly out of £400 though !)
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I've increased the budget now. I realise I'll be left wanting somewhere at £400. This is my last chance to reignite my love for photography and whatever I buy has to have some wow to it.
 
What about the Canon 100D , only 399 with kit lens, extra battery etc. Could get the 40mm 2.8 cheap too. Its a tiny camera but still have a large 18mp APSC sensor
 
F/1.4 said:
What about the Canon 100D , only 399 with kit lens, extra battery etc. Could get the 40mm 2.8 cheap too. Its a tiny camera but still have a large 18mp APSC sensor
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I have considered it and will go and have a look at one. The downside is it's just not as sexy. I can't really tell just how small from pictures and videos and, tbh, I might prefer a screen rather than viewfinder in such a small camera.

100D IQ not on a par with the A6000 either.
 
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