streetmarty Loc: Brockton, Ma

Hello, I own the Fuji X-T1 and love it, did a lot of research before buying it, a lot. Now that the X-T2 is out, not much difference, you can get it at a bargain price. Go to Ken Rockwell and read his review http://www.kenrockwell.com/fuji/x-t1.htm. If you're a jpeg shooter the, dare I say after what I read in here the other day, SOOC jpegs are perfect! (Sorry Mr. R.) Good luck.

RWCRNC Loc: Pennsylvania

Sony a6000

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Lots of choices -

Read comparisons and specs, and decide what features are important to you.
(Reviews) https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCameraStoreTV/videos
http://cameras.reviewed.com/
http://camerasize.com/
http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM
http://snapsort.com/compare
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/cameras?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=mainmenu&utm_medium=text&ref=mainmenu

joseph premanandan

i am no expert on mirrorless cameras but i like using Fuji X-T1.it is very versatile and less intimidating.joseph

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

It is always nice to know what people think about the cameras they own.
I would suggest though, that few of the folks here on the Hog have the experience with the different cameras, necessary give you the guidance you want. Each one would tell you that the camera they own is the best. Heck, I do that about my camera!
MTShooter is one who could tell you differences, as he sells cameras.
Rejecting advice from B&H doesn't really make much sense. I don't shop these "big-name" American stores, but I believe that the staff in these stores is knowledgeable about what they sell.
My go-to camera shop is near me, fairly small store, but I won't hesitate to ask for opinions from the staff. All of them are interested in photography themselves (and I believe this to be true for the staff in most camera stores). All of them are able to point out the differences between cameras (including the "good" and the "bad").

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

I've had a Fuji X-E1, then got an X100s but missed the ability to change lenses as well. Went back to the Fuji X-E2. https://m.dpreview.com/products/Fujifilm/slrs/fujifilm_xe2
Great little camera. Great lenses! Intuitive interface. When I got my first X-E1, I didn't even open the manual for a month. I use mine for travel and hiking. I have 2 16x20's on the dining room wall shot with the Fuji. 2 of the shots from my Scotland trip are in the link below.

Bill1967 Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado now Wilmington NC

Just purchased Fuji xe-2 with 35mm f2 lens and X trans sensor. Outstanding build quality and super sharp lens selection. Tried Nex-7, felt filmsly and poorly constructed. LCD separation, totally menu driven, very expensive high quality lenes.

magpix Loc: St. Michaels, MD

I agree with others about getting the camera in your hands. That's why I chose Fuji, starting with the little XE-1, then the XT-1 and now XT-2. I tried handling a couple of Sonys and found that I really did not like the feel of them...too much like a little computer, although they perform very well. While I liked the Olympus, and their entire system is highly regarded, the Fuji just seemed to be a camera that was more fun to use. Their lens lineup is quite incredible, especially their small primes. FYI, I shoot professionally for magazines and have been a Nikon shooter forever. I bought the Fuji as a personal camera system because of its smaller size and lighter weight. After three years, I finally sold all my Nikon and am now using the Fuji for my pro assignments as well. (For a great value, check out the Fuji XT-10...very good performance....a little smaller than the XT1 or 2 although not weather sealed.) From a performance level, Fuji, Olympus, Sony and Panasonic will produce great images. So if you can, go to a real camera store and play with them first. You really can't go wrong with any of these brands.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony all make excellent mirrorless cameras. And they all have their quirks. I found Panasonic Gx8 and Sony a6000 have the easiest camera menus to learn and use. That can make a big difference if you end up liking the camera or not. Both are weather resistant (Sony a 6500) which could be important if you plan to use in dusty or wet conditions. Both produce excellent video. Size of the camera is important and only you can make that determination but a little larger is better ergonomically. The Panasonic Gx8 fits my hands perfectly. I had to add a leather case to the Sony a6000 to make it more comfortable. The Olympus E-M5 and E-M10 were both too small to be comfortable. It's unlikely you will be able to try before you buy (in person) as many (most) camera stores specialize in Nikon and Canon equipment. Do you want your camera stabilization to come from the lens or the camera or both. I prefer from the camera/both. And does the camera have the lenses that you will be using most? Price is tricky- if you buy new and then a new model comes out 6 months later and another new model 6 months after that, you may only get 50% of your original cost back selling on the used market. The new top end Fuji and Olympus models run around 2000.00 and the respective lenses can be quite pricey as well. You may plan to keep your new camera "forever" but it's hard to resist the new features on the latest and greatest. All things to think about. Don't hurry the process.

magpix Loc: St. Michaels, MD

Just an added note about investing in a camera system. Unlike several other manufacturers, Fuji provides regular firmware upgrades to its bodies and lenses, reducing the need to keep buying new models as technology improvements are made. Sony, on the other hand, seems to introduce new "improved" models on a regular basis....a very costly way to stay ahead of the curve.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

You are so right!!

repleo Loc: Boston

I'll add my vote for the A6000. It is featherlight and will fit in a jacket pocket with the kit 16-50 lens, although my preference would be for the bigger and heavier 18-105 F4.0 G lens. Its a phenominal camera for night photography with the Rokinon 12mm F2.0 lens. You can download Sony's Stop Motion app to the A6000 for $5 which will do stop anime or add a valometer app for star trails work.
If cost is not the deciding factor, I would look at the A6500. The ISO performance of the A6500 (and the A6300) is nearly as good as the Full Frame A7ii. The A6500 has IBIS which is nice because some of the great Zeiss lenses don't have OSS.

TimNutshell

Take it for what its worth but here is my experience. I started out with a Sony a55, then a77, then switched to the Sony A7r mirrorless. Loved the high resolution but focus sucked so I supplemented with a Sony A6000. Sold it all and bought a Nikon d750. Missed mirrorless so I bought a Fuji Xt1 with all the lenses (yes I have more money than brains). In October I sold it all ($24000 worth of gear) and went back to Sony with the Sony A7r ii and prime lenses, then added a couple of zooms. Any camera will take great pictures but here is my experience and my opinion about the cameras I bought.
1. If you really want to take great night pictures you will never be satisfied with a smaller sensor-at least I wasn't. The noise, the lenses, etc are just better in a full frame. The Xt1 was fine and I had the 16mm f1.4 but it never was as good as the Sony or the Nikon DSLR.
2. If you like art and just want to have fun you can't beat the Fuji and I suspect the Panasonic is the same. Lightweight, easy to shoot, good pictures. Adequate landscapes, okay at night, great for street but I always found it was lacking something. If you take an amazing photo of the northern lights, the moon highlighting an arch in Canyonlands, the milkyway over the desert, you will find yourself wanting to blow it up and hang it on the wall. You've taken that once in a lifetime photo and wish it had a little more detail, better color and a little less grain.
3. If you feel you want to shoot any action, personally my experience is that mirrorless still sucks. The A6000 was the best that I shot (and I suspect the A6300 is a lot better) and they claim the Xt2 is better but my a6000 and xt1 never came close to the Nikon d750. (low light focusing still sucks on all the mirrorless I have shot).
4. If you are doing it for weight, truthfully the d750 setup was lighter than the Sony I have now. I backpack and travel and bought the Xt1 for that purpose but found I ended up carrying the Nikon because of image quality and focusing speed.
5. I moved back to mirrorless for two reasons. First I wanted higher resolution (yea a smart person might have bought a used D800). But secondly, I missed the benefits of mirrorless (focus peaking, though truthfully I rarely use it and find it less accurate than I want) and mainly so that I can see what I'm shooting in the viewfinder and get a true preview of the results before shooting. I am old and wear readers so I was constantly taking them off, taking the shot, putting them back on to chimp the shot on the back of the camera and then starting over. I miss the faster autofocus of the d750 but I love the Sony A7r ii and think it will be the last camera I buy (for a while). I have fallen back in love with shooting again and thoroughly enjoy my outings with it. I carry less gear and have more fun. I found the best package for me was a Zeiss Batis 18mm F2.8 for landscapes, the Sony Gmaster 24-70 F2.8 (I have the 35 and 50 Sony Zeiss F1.4 but prefer the the 24-70 now for daily shooting because I don't change lenses as much and I found I did miss the zoom), and the Sony 70-300G instead of the 70-200. For me it is the perfect combination of price and quality for shooting pics of people, landscapes, street etc. In the studio I do shoot the new 85 f1.4GM and I love it but again, I have more money than brains and didn't need it.

So just my opinion, if you're on a budget but want to buy it right the first time, consider a full frame mirrorless. You can save a bit of money with the Samyang/Rokinon lenses for landscapes. I chose the 70-300 for the extra reach and sharpness, and found I didn't use the f2.8 in that range and didn't want to carry the weight of a 70-200 f2.8. Then add a 35mm for the middle focal lengths and you will find you're good 90% of the time.

And by the way, looking back on it, the original Sony A7r was perfect for landscapes and night shots. You can buy them cheap and I paired it with a couple of Canon Fd lenses I bought for $50 each and got great shots, had lots of fun. Only two problems, you can't shoot lightning well as the shutter response time is too slow, at least for the trigger I had, and you miss stabilization for handheld, possibly an advantage of the Panasonics.

Good luck on your purchase and have fun.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Olympus or Fuji are great. Just avoid those without a real viewfinder as it is hard to see the screen in the sun.

rawlins

Excellent advice. I'm heading to Maui on a one way ticket end of March - trying not to be in a hurry to buy. I'll be shooting ancient ruins, some in remote locations. Last time I was hiking through streams, then on hands and knees in bamboo forest. I want something pocket small and rugged. I'm unsure about not being able to have interchangeable lenses on the x100t.