Some advice please ...

[phlodge]

Hi there, this is my first post. Apologies if its in the wrong forum.

I currently have a much used D7100 a rarely used D300 and a Fuji X10 which acts as my everyday, save lugging round a heavy payload, nice to put in a pocket, good for street photography type camera.

I want to upgrade the X10 and to do so I need to probably sell the D300 and the X10 and put some money towards my purchase.

My knowledge of Sony kit is sadly lacking, but trawling through the forums and reviews it would appear that the A6000 and the RX100 MK3 are reaping the praise in terms of image quality and functionality. I am aware of the difference between the 2 (CSC and compact), but not sure which one as both seem to be around the same price. I have found a UK retailer selling an A6000 with 16-50 and 55-210 lens for £699 and the RX100 MK3 for £662.

That said I am in no hurry to buy and may wait to see if the RX model drops in price over the coming weeks when the newness has faded a bit.
My leaning is towards the RX100 MK3, due to its great reviews and indeed its compactness, I have never used a CSC system before so not sure what the image quality is like and whether its right to just buy another interchangeable lens camera.

Anyway, hopefully you get where I am going with this and would appreciate any help or suggestions from anyone who has used either or both camera's.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this.

Phil.

 

[Swanseajack]

I suppose only you can decide if you want another interchangeble system. As for the CSC I have Fuji XT1, previoulsy the XPro-1, I changed for the better viewfinder. To me it's superior to the Nikon D7000 I had before it, have a look at the different threads on here for the XE-1 & 2, Xpro1, & XT1 to see what their capable of. A CSC in general would blow the Sony compact out of the water for IQ due to the larger sensor and better lenses available.

There doesn't seem to be a owners thread for the Sony A6000, so I cant comment on it. I also, looked at M4/3, but the cameras were too small for my large hands (EM5 & GX7).

As for compacts the Sony has excellent reviews, but again for me I found it a little too small so bought a Fuji X20, the wife has a Fuji XF1 and for the money @ £129.00 it's a no brainer. It seems that Fuji are bringing out the X30 shortly, it will be interesting to see what the improvements are over the X20. Myself personally I would wait for this to hit the shops then compare with the Sony, which may have reduced in price more. Also your familiar with the Fuji system.

Also, always go and try the cameras out in a shop before buying, to make sure it's comfortable to use.

 

[phlodge]

Good idea re the X30 and with Photokina only 6 weeks away its probably worth waiting to see what else is on the horizon.

Thanks for your input .. wish there were more camera shops around to try gear out, they seem to be few and far between these days and a trip to Manchester seems to be the only way of seeing one i.e. Calumet and LCE.

Phil.

 

[woof woof]

Good idea re the X30 and with Photokina only 6 weeks away its probably worth waiting to see what else is on the horizon.

Thanks for your input .. wish there were more camera shops around to try gear out, they seem to be few and far between these days and a trip to Manchester seems to be the only way of seeing one i.e. Calumet and LCE.

Phil.

Same for me. I buy most stuff on line these days and I'd much rather buy in a shop but when the shops are so far away it becomes a major issue to get the free time to go on a camera hunting expedition.

There are advantages to buying on line though such as the distance selling regs so if you're not happy you can send the gear back... That's not something I've ever done but it's nice that the safety blanket is there and it goes some way to making up for there being no stock of gear I'd be interested in in any local shop for 50 miles at least.

One thing that I'd be pretty confident in buying on line is a Sony A6000 as a couple of family members have Nex's of various types and the image quality seems to be very good indeed.

 

[Swanseajack]

It's getting more difficult these days unless your in a major city to try local camera shops. I have two options where I live and one of them is Currys, at the independent shop it's allways difficult to park anywhere near so it's difficult for me with my disabilities.

I buy most of my gear online as it's easier for me, and as Alan has said the DSR are useful when an item is un-suitable. Sometimes you do have to buy blind but I always look at camera size comparison site to compare against camera models I am familiar with.

http://camerasize.com/compare/#396,535

 

[phlodge]

Its a shame though when you consider the cost of even a basic camera that its becoming harder and harder to actually see the item before you buy it.

Would I buy a Hi Fi without hearing it first .. probably not, but I am in a way forced to buy a camera without seeing the images first.

In addition a camera is a tactile object that has to feel right and therefore needs to be in the hand. For me to do that I have to travel 35 minutes into Manchester, pay £4 to park my car, then drive 35 mins back home.
It has therefore become easier to buy online and send back if its not right, even returning goods these days is easier then ever.

I remember the day I bought a D70, took me hours to decide and I kept on going back and forth into Wildings trying to decide, the sales guy was brilliant, well informed, very helpful and above all he gave me his time

They call it progress, so I guess I need to embrace it and get on board.

 

[andy1868]

I don't know if you've seen the thread in the Bargains section, basically outlining the Canon EOS M with 18-55mm lens and EX90 Flash for £200 and a £10 Argos voucher in return. APS-C sensor, image stabilised lens in a compact little package. Only a handful of lenses available at the moment, but with the lens adapter you technically have access to all Canon lenses (just a shame i haven't got any as a Nikon user)

Argos stores tend to be nice and local too (depending on where you are) and they can be happy to let you view things first (I've seen them do it with toys for children etc before) but whether they'll let you take it out of the box etc may be a different matter.

The link to the Argos page is here: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2583178.htm#pdpFullProductInformation?cmpid=COJUN&catalogId=10001&cjsurferid=774101847501161288&_$ja=tsid:11674|prd:6155933&storeId=10151&referredURL=http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2583178.htm#pdpFullProductInformation&referrer=COJUN

The thread discussing it is here: http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/canon-eos-m-18mp-compact-system-camera-with-18-55mm-lens-£199-95.552525/