Thanks to everyone for your thoughts!
I have used both the OMD E10ii and the X-T10 and both work well for me ergonomically.
I have only flirted with the Canon M5 in stores but maybe i do need to try it. I did not love it's ergonomics and I have misgivings about going to Canon or Nikon mirrorless frankly because they have a poor track-record in that space so far whereas both Fuji and Olympus are committed. Also, at close to $1,000 just for the body, it is a bit off putting. I know my Canon glass will work, but frankly it is big, heavy and unwieldy for toting along traveling now that I am a father.
I'm finally winnowing down my choices for my first mirrorless system. I am down to Fuji or Olympus. I do not have many ducats to spend on camera gear nor will have moving forward (my Canon T1i is finally giving up the ghost at 8 years and counting). I'm probably looking at an OMD E10ii or Fuji X-T10 as the very best I can afford (each with their equivalent f2.8 kit zooms).
Here is my sticking place: In-body stabilization so I can stick any lens on the OLY body and have a stable shooting hand, or in-lens stabilization on the Fuji (but have fewer choices for stabilized shooting)?
I prefer the IQ on the Fuji, but I shoot a lot in low light and the Olympus also seems to have better low light focusing.
Will Fuji eventually bring IBIS to their bodies? I hear than in-lens is superior but money is always going to be a difficulty for me moving forward.
Thoughts and/or Recommendations?
While it is inaccurate to say that there are no advantages: Lower overall cost of ownership, superior reliability, quality and alacrity of support, environmental practices, color gamut and depth (speaking of laptops and all-in-ones, there are 3rd party monitors that provide this), integration of hardware and software to maximize performance/efficiency are all concrete advantages of the Mac platform, amongst others.
Your larger point, however, is accurate in that it is possible to use a PC or a Mac and have a very good experience and system for image editing work.
I am in the gap between DSLR and Mirrorless right now and not sure what to choose.
I love my DSLR, but humping it and it's lenses around now that I am also carrying a diaper bag or a baby has proved untenable, not just because of weight, but also because of bulk. It has now died and i am left looking for new kit.
I've been looking to make the move to mirrorless in order to always have that area by me to shoot my family pics. but I also need to shoot concert/theatre events. It is making it really tough. A midrange DSLR would work for the stage work, but i am not going to always have it on hand when traveling or around my boy.
LOVE the fuji image quality. Can't afford an x-t2 and the AF on others doesn't seem to be quick. love the m43 size and weight and it seems to focus quick enough, but not sure if an OMD e10ii will meet my needs. Would love an OMD e1M1ii, but again, don't have the ducats.
but to address the OP, I think once I have decided on a mirrorless system, i will never go back to a DSLR..
The apples don't light up anymore. ;-(
I have a good deal of experience with computers which I will briefly recount before providing my recommendation.
In addition to be a computer user myself for many years, I have sold computers (Macs and PCs) in a specialized retail environment, provided training, education and end user support as well consulting and IT support for Macs and PCs in such companies as Time Out New York and Consumer Reports as well as several publishing companies in NYC as well as professional photographers in NYC. I worked for 6 years at Teklserve as an Apple certified hardware and software technician, until recently the largest Apple Authorized Service provider apart from Apple. I continue to work with computers in TV/Film production as well as web design and image editing. What follows is my opinion based upon my experience and your being in the photographic arts and seeking a computer and knowing no more about your needs than that.
If it needs to be portable you are looking at a MacBook Pro and I would urge looking at an external monitor with that.
If it does not need to be portable I would recommend a 27" 5k iMac.
Now matter what you get max out the RAM. If it is a matter of cost and you have to choose between more RAM or a faster processor, choose the RAM.
In my opinion I do not recommend a PC unless you are someone who likes to 'tinker.' While there are some VERY capable pieces of kit available in the PC market, and given that Windows is HIGHLY usable, I still find there are concrete advantages to choosing a Macintosh.
Please feel free to PM me if you want more info. I know there are a allot of folks who are passionate about their platform whether it be Mac, PC, Linux, etc and those are all valid and wonderful, useful platforms. The last thing I want is to have a thread hijacked into a platform war when you are just looking for recommendations. :-)
Sony has always charged a premium for their products no matter what area of the electronics market they are a part of. They are obviously of very good quality, but even so, the prices are inflated because you are paying for the brand as well.
James,
You are on the same quest I am! I am downsizing from a Canon and have been researching and test driving mirrorless rigs for a couple of months now.
What I have tried (owned for at lest 2 weeks, not just tire-kicking in the stores):
SONY: a6000, a6300
FUJI: X-T10
OLYMPUS: OMD E10II, OMD E5II
What I have eliminated:
SONY: a6000, a6300:
The Sonys focus and track as fast as advertised (though they can struggle in low light to find focus). I end up shooting a great deal in low light and I found the noise of the Sony sensors at higher ISOs to be quite unattractive. This eventually took them off my list. Additionally, I loathe their industrial Design (though they have a great grip), I found them so ugly that I did not want to pick them up.
OLYMPUS OMD E10II:
The Olympus was just too small for my hand and I moved up tot he E5II I am testing now. I am still addressing my own concerns about moving to a m4/3 system in terms of IQ. There are distinct advantages in terms of size and weight, but some drawbacks as well. However, IQ is not necessarily one of them depending upon your needs. The pixel density on a 16 MP 4/3 sensor is actually a tiny bit higher than on a 24 MP APS-C. The cost some because the sensor itself is smaller so you are not dealing with as many discreet pixels per frame as on a micro 4/3. So, if you don't crop a lot and you really compose this shots the way you want them, you will be fine in terms of resolution.
What I like so far:
OLYMPUS OMD E5II:
Feels great in the head, weather sealed, fantastic build quality, 5 axis in-body stabilization (this is killer, it makes every lens a stabilized lens), the images are good (but the colour leans to the yellows and needs correcting on mine).
FUJI X-T10:
Feels great in the hand, good build quality, and my favorite IQ of any camera I have ever had. If you are going to be skootingpeople the colour and 'grain'(in low light) are AMAZING.
What I'd buy if I had the cash:
For me it would be either the kit you are looking at, the Fuji X-T2, or the Olympus OMD EM1II. Both weather sealed, both ergonomically great, great Industrial Design, lots of manual control, great-enough resolution, both systems have fantastic glass. I am still on the fence between Fuji's Image Quality and Olympus' 5 axis in-body stabilization system (because I do shoot a lot in lower light).
I hope you will keep us posted on what you decide upon. I hope this has been some use.
tdekany,
I didn't find the Olympus bad, but it wasn't what i had hoped for. I feel I am getting better results with the Fuji X-T10, but I didn't have the chance to be test those side by side. It was sony and olympus side by side, then sony and Fuji side by side. I have been temped to grab an open box Olympus if I can find one to do a true head to head! Given what you posted, I will make a more concerted effort to give Olympus another look. IS there a particular model you'd recommend?
I must confess though, the IQ from the Fuji X-Trans has really been spoiling me when it comes to shooting people. The Sony had better auto focus but the IQ just wasn't as pleasing to my eye.
Sylvia,
Let me preface my post by saying these are my opinions based on my hands and eyes. I am an enthusiast, not a professional, and I am here to learn as much as share. Ultimately it is the photographer and not the equipment that makes the difference.
I am in the very same decision making process myself! I have a 7 month old son and want to have something easy to take everywhere that can be used for family shots but also flexible enough to have for travel as well as shooting stage plays for my department. My iPhone is perfect in good light for baby snaps, but not in low light. I have a Canon DSLR system (two lenses) that needs replacing and have been thinking of making the switch to mirrorless. I've been shooting various mirrorless systems over the past 2 months and I will share what I have discovered for myself, hopefully it may be of use to you...
SONY a6000 & a6300
I heard and read raves about the Sony cameras. I bought an a6000 and hated it. I found the image quality to be exceedingly poor & gritty in any kind of low light (I know noise is a factor in low light higher iso situations but this was very unattractive noise). I also found that it hunted and failed to focus quite often in any kind of low light. (PS, by low light I mean a family room). Moreover, while it was brilliantly easy to grip and hold and shoot one-handed with, everything else about the industrial design of it felt like a toy rather than a camera. I ditched that and moved to an a6300.
The a6300 is a MUCH better camera in terms of IQ and build quality. It feels very solid in the hand and is faster in operation than the a6000. However, the images while much improved still have incredibly unattractive noise and grit to them in any kind of low light. But I really think it would be a very nice piece of kit if it were $699 - $799 rather than $1000+.
When I looked at the glass I would be buying with it I made my decision to leave the system. Everything was very expensive for my wallet, significantly more than other mirrorless systems I also looked at.
I tried an Olympus OMD E10 II micro 4/3 camera and liked it pretty well. I liked the OMD E5 II even better. Lovely build quality and ID! These things look at feel like cameras and offer MUCH more out of menu control via dials than the Sonys. And they have a ton of fast glass that is really affordable! In Body 5 axis image stabilization, great carry anywhere size, etc. I really wanted this system to be 'the one' for me, but I wasn't getting great results with the auto-focus system and I was concerned about the sensor size being a bit small.
Right now I am still testing a Fuji X-T10. Good solid build quality, nice ID, decent amount of dial control, decent autofocus and a good selection of glass that, while not as affordable as the m4/3 stuff is not as expensive as the Sony. And don't believe anyone who says that the 16MP sensor on a Fuji doesn't match up to anyone else 24MP sensors, it just isn't true. I am getting great detail out of the Fuji. In low light, like every other camera shooting low light high iso there was noise...but O, what noise! The noise from the fuji systems looks so much like film grain it is amazing (this is w/o using any of their custom film simulation modes). Shots taken side by side with the Sony a6300 of the same subject are unusable and the images I am getting form the Fuji X-trans sensor look like old, rich color film shots. Right now this system is the one under very serious consideration for me for mirrorless. I would like to get an X-T2, but it is too rich for my pocket.
The other thing that I am thinking about is just slapping that 50mm 1.8 prime back on my Canon and shooting with it till the body dies and then checking out Mirrorless again. I do not want to be hauling around my heavy glass to take shots when I travel, but for family stuff it really isn't that heavy or bulky. And while thoughts of getting a Canon mirrorless so I can use my old glass are seemingly attractive...that is great, but if you have big glass, like I do, what does it matter if the camera weighs 1/3 less when you are carrying 5 pound of lenses around with you?
It is a quandary to be sure. I also think that the mirrorless market is developing faster than the DSLR market and because of this any investment in a mirrorless camera body now might not hold up as well as the value of a DSLR body over time. If you have no problem shelling out for new bodies it is a very rich time to be a photo bug. Good luck on your search and please post what you decide to do! I am still in the weeds myself and the experiences of others have definite value!
Thanks, I will take a look at those! I appreciate the help.
Hello All!
I am new to the sight and I don't think I could have this community at a better time!
I have a 7 month old son (our first) and I am looking for a camera that I can keep about me so as not to miss any of those magic moments.
I also provide service to my University shooting the plays (think concert lighting) in the theatre department where I teach.
I was hoping to end up with one system to meet both needs but I am not sure if this is practical. I have a Cannon T1i that is about to give up the ghost. Until my son arrived it was also my travel camera, but now it is just too big to lug around with the glass.
I have been trying o find a mirrorless system that can do it all for me. I tried the Sony a6000 but really am disappointed with the noise that arrives in anything low light. I am currently test driving a Sony a6300 and a Fuji X-t10. Right now, I love the Fuji for it's IQ and 'feel', but I know empirically the Sony has a better auto-focus and tracking system (though the images are less pleasing to me).
Sony lenses are also expensive, and while the Fuji lenses aren't cheap, I can get what Iu need there for considerably less.
I am now wondering if a micro 4/3 system is the way to go, perhaps an Olympus OM- D5 Mark II? The glass on 4/3s is really affordable, but will I be sacrificing too much image quality to go with a sensor that small?
The other wonder I have is would I be better served with a midrange Point and Shoot for baby snaps and a separate rig to use for show shots and travel?
Advice?
my deepest thanks in advance!
- Mark
www.MarkMineart.com