smithro3

I want to replace my Canon A1 with digital(For obvious reasons). I've been looking at the Canon 6t and the Nikon 1 J5 mirror-less. I take mostly bird, flower, animal, and some indoor pictures. Which do yo think I would enjoy the using the most?

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

There is no Canon 6t, there is a 6D and 6D mk II and T6i T6s and T6 which is the current base model. I to have an A1. You may want to look at the Canon SL2 also, it's the smallest DSLR available. I personally do not own any of the Canon Rebel Tn series cameras, I do have an SL1. If it's in the budget I recommend the 80D, it is a really nice camera. Of my crop frame bodies, the 80D is the one I use most often with telephoto lens for photographing birds followed by my 7D mk II. What I like best about Canon's system is the incredible selection of lenses available, both new and used plus I personally feel Canon cameras are easier to learn and use. I do own Nikon DSLR'S and lenses also.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Most of these things come down to budget, can you give us a range?

Why did you select those two models? There may be better options for you. Do you have lenses for your A-1? If so, what are they?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The Nikon 1 series is the bottom of the mirrorless barrel. It is okay "for what it is", but the quality of Canon T6i images blows it out of the water.

If I were you, I'd go for a size and weight compromise and get a Micro Four Thirds body and lenses.

erinjay64

The Canon may seem more familiar to you, but the Nikon 1 J5 would be: smaller, lighter weight, easier to use, and have more options in burst rates, etc. With a Nikon FT-1 lens adaptor, the J5 can use nearly any Nikon F-Mount lens...those made for the DSLR cameras. The J5 has a 2.7X Crop Factor, so a 100mm lens has the field of view that a 270mm lens would have on a FF camera. A 35mm lens has the FOV of a 94.5mm lens. This lets you spend less on lower power lenses, but-in effect-get longer reach out of them. I bought a used Nikon 1 S1, and an FT-1 adaptor, awhile back, to see what it would be like. I liked it, and will soon be getting a J5...unless Nikon releases a J6, or V4, in their Nikon 1 line soon....in which case I will get one of them. If you are interested in the J5, get one soon. It may be discontinued before long. The DL line was discontinued, and the Nikon 1 line has not seen an update yet, though it should have. I won't wait past Christmas. If I get a J5, or an updated item like the J6-if one is released-and the line is then discontinued, I will still have a great working camera, and be able to use my F-Mount lenses for my Nikon DSLR with it. If we wait too long to get a J camera, and it is discontinued before we buy, we may not be able to get one. A Sony, Olympus, or other brand-in M4/3, or whatever-won't have as many lenses, flash units, etc, available for it as will the Nikon.

BebuLamar

Perhaps a Canon 6DII? Since the Canon A1 is a full frame camera so I would recommend a full frame.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Here are some useful comparison sites -

Read comparisons and specs, and decide what features are important to you.
(Reviews) https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCameraStoreTV/videos
http://www.cameradecision.com/
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

Al Freeedman

Stay with Canon, and I would suggest the T6i. A great camera.

Captain AL

mkaplan519

There are a lot of choices.
First you have to ask yourself what kind of camera do you really want?
I was also a Canon A-1 owner since the 70's but have long moved on.
Do you want to stay with a DSLR? Do you want interchangeable lenses or would a large zoom be preferred?
What kind of shooting do you do? What do you want the camera for. Any specific wants/needs?

Since any gear you have is no good for the newer cameras and you need to start from scratch anyway, you can go towards any brand/system.
Of course, the ones with the largest systems are Canon and Nikon. There are a lot of alternatives though if what they are offering is enough for what you are looking for.
Sony has become a big player in recent years. They are unfortunately still missing a lot of lenses but they will eventually catch up as they keep putting out new ones. If you want mirrorless then Sony, Olympus and Panasonic are some of the most popular. There are also bridge cameras made by Panasonic and Sony that have large zooms, great quality with larger than normal sensors (1"). A bridge camera is DSLR shaped but a bit smaller and lighter than a DLSR and has a fixed non-removable zoom lens. THere are also many other choices but answering the above questions will help guide you closer to what might be the best for YOU!.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Of those 2 the T6 (You accidentally reversed the digits) would be far and away better than the Nikon 1 J5.
The T6 is more versatile many times over than Nikon 1 and it is a system that has legs where the Nikon 1 who knows as Nikon is looking I believe to get serious in the mirrorless market and rumors it is not based on the Nikon 1 system.
If you want mirrorless there are excellent offerings by Sony, Olympus, Canon Panasonic that are far better choices than the Nikon 1.

smithro3

Over all I would like to keep it under $1500... I have two lenses, the Quantaray 58mm 1A and a Canon Zoom Lens FD 80-200 1:4. Obviously I'm an amateur. I haven't used the Canon since Digital matured. I have a couple of small digital cameras, Cool Pix 7600 and Cool L20. Good basic digital cameras. I miss the feel of the A1 but like the flexibility of digital. Every time I go to Sams I always go to the cameras and look and touch. The cool pix cameras are okay but they don't have the same feel as a SLR or DSLR. I was going to get the basic kit w/two lenses but then I was readingy that the kit lens are not as good as the reqular lenses. ,,,,Still don; know B0b

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Canon kit lenses today are quite good. No they are not L lenses but take incredibly sharp photos if you do your part and use them properly.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

If you want a feel similar to the A-1, then a modern Canon DSLR would be the closest to that experience, but there is no reason not to consider other brands such as Nikon or Pentax. Your lenses will not work easily on any modern DSLR. It's not impossible, but can get complicated and may not be worth the effort. Mirrorless cameras are a bit of a different animal, your lenses could be adapted, but the operational feel is quite different. We have some UHH members that are very strong advocates for mirror less cameras and others that feel that mirror less cameras have a long way to go before they replace DSLRs. Lots of reading for you to do.

First a comment on kit lenses. There is nothing wrong with kit lenses, they just happen to lenses that are bundled with a camera body. They are normally always available to be purchased separately. Some are entry level inexpensive lenses, some are top quality high end lenses depending upon the bundle. When you bought your A-1 the typical lens it was sold with was either a FD 50mm f1.8 or FD 50mm f1.4. Both were decent lenses. This is also true today, the lower end kits have inexpensive lenses, higher end kits can include some very good quality lenses. My recommendation if you buy a kit is to research the lens that is included independently.

I have had Canon cameras since 1976, an AE-1. My wife had an A-1, so I know what you talking about. I still have an AE-1 and also a T90. I have chosen to stay with the Canon brand for a number of reasons, but one thing you will find is that although modern DSLRs are much more complicated computers than the A-1 (yes even that was a computer disguised as a camera) the controls are very similar - Av, Tv, Program and so on. Personally I find that user interface consistency to be of value in learning the complexities of a modern DSLR. I would not recommend the Rebel T6. All the Rebel Tx models are cut down entry level cameras with limited growth potential and typically have older technology than the very latest. They are not bad cameras, but in the Rebel line up the Txi models are a better investment for an enthusiast. If you have or had an A-1 (which was top of A series line) I would call you an enthusiast. Amateur vs professional just means whether you earn a living from photography or not, not really about ability.

Now we know your budget I will make some recommendations for consideration from the Canon lineup. First I would consider a refurbished camera direct from Canon. They are usually as close to new as you can get, and come with a full year warranty just like a new camera. Here's a link to the Canon refurbished site: http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras

Here are a few ideas that I would recommend at different price points:

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-rebel-t6s-ef-s-18-135mm-is-stm-lens-kit-with-ef-s-55-250mm-f-4-56-is-stm-lens-refurbished

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-t5i-18-55mm-is-stm-lens-kit-refurbished

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-80d-ef-s-18-135mm-f-3-5-5-6-is-usm-kit-refurbished

I have T3i plus several lenses and have just ordered a refurbished EOS-80D body which is currently in transit. The EOS 80D is widely regarded as being Canon's best all round enthusiast level DSLR at this point in time. The lenses in all of the above recommendations are good lenses.

As for your old lenses, it may be possible to adapt the zoom lens, but it is a non trivial exercise. There are relatively inexpensive adapters, but they need a corrective lens to focus to infinity. Some are better than others, but mostly people feel that they reduce the image quality. The other method is to replace the lens mount, which can be done - I have done several, but it is not for the faint of heart. This will give you an idea: http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-246186-1.html

Unless you are deeply in love with your old lenses I would not bother and consign them to history.

Good luck, whichever brand or style of camera you choose.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

as a former ae1 and a1 owner, I say pick a brand and price range. then decide what features you need or want.