burkphoto wrote:
Sometimes you have to take other things into account than sensor size and rating. Here is a list I actually used when choosing a camera platform:
Availability of a wide range of excellent native lenses
Excellent adaptability of existing lenses from various manufacturers
Ability to record both stills and video using the same system (body, lenses...)
Ability to record high quality audio with no AGC, using peak meters and headphones
Ability to record 4K video without limits on recording time
Compatibility of raw images with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop (ACR)
Ability to work acceptably well at ISO 1600
Ability to print 15x20 at true photographic quality (240 PPI from original, in-camera pixels that can be interpolated to 30x40)
Small, light, portable, and inconspicuous — full range kit fits under an airline seat (body, two flashes, two LED lights, two zooms, a macro lens, wireless mic, shotgun mic...)
Weather- and dust-sealed
Excellent battery life
Shutter tested to 200,000 cycles MTBF (mean time before failure)
Cost that leaves room in the budget for other accessories (software, copy stand, lights, audio mixer...)
I couldn't find that COMBINATION in a Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm, Leica, Sony, or Olympus, (or even Pentax) so I bought a Panasonic GH4.
Previously, I had used a mix of Canons and Nikons from 1968 on. I have also used a Calumet 4x5, Camerz Classic with 35mm, 46mm, and 70mm full frame unperforated film formats, Camerz ZII and ZIII with split 70mm unperforated film format, Bronica ETRSi, Fuji 6x17, Mamiya C330 and RB67, Yashica Mat 124G, Olympus Pen F (half frame 135 film), and probably half a dozen other cameras on occasion. Throw in my Dad's Polaroid, my uncle's Argus C44, a Stereo Realist, and a few junky box cameras and Instamatics... Each served a need for something I needed to photograph at the time.
Here's my point: To use the right tool for the job, choose your tools based on your needs. Photography relies on a SYSTEM of components that must work together. You can optimize any one component in the system, but your results are limited by the weakest component in the system. So consider your goals and try to balance things out.
It is nearly impossible to buy a BAD camera today. Lens designs are getting more and more sophisticated with each new generation. The latest gear from ALL the manufacturers will satisfy SOMEONE's needs quite well.
The old mantra that you should follow the crowd because it's "safe" can leave you with a heavy investment in the wrong tools, if you're not paying attention.
Sometimes you have to take other things into accou... (
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This is a very helpful knowledgeable and thorough check list for making a purchase in today's complicated camera electronic industry. In addition, my current dilemma, is sorting out quality control and quality repair services. I, personally, had a 2 year and 10 month old Olympus camera that had a shutter gear case replaced twice and the motherboard fail with no replacement available. In a search for a replacement camera, other quality control complaints have surfaced about knobs falling off, viewfinder burn, and camera strap attachment bracket lug bolts failing. This poses a serious challenge for consumers.