Changing camera brands (Page 3): I have the Sony a6500 and the Sony rx100v, love them both. I have traveled with both and they did great. The menu is different but not hard to learn.

PCB_smv

I have the Sony a6500 and the Sony rx100v, love them both. I have traveled with both and they did great. The menu is different but not hard to learn. After just a few times I found it very easy. Like a lot of people my Nikon stuff is sitting on a shelf, I even sold a lot of lenses and just kept the basics. I really like the lighter weight.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

DSLR Reliability: I use Sony for my DSLR... Why? Simple answer, I had Minolta lenses. You have your collection of Canon lenses, thus for practical reasons, one with a particular brand of lenses is compelled to stick with Canon for DSLR. Your unusual failure rate is a result of offending the god of destruction Shiva. Shiva dislikes red baseball caps. One always finds someone who will substantiate that their Aunt Sally had a similar failure of Canon... it is not the general case. Sq Trade insurance says: "For DSLR Cameras, Nikon and Canon were equally reliable."
https://www.squaretrade.com/htm/pdf/Camera_failure_study.pdf

Travel Camera: Your comment: "3-week trip through China and considering purchasing a Sony RX10Mark 4 due to its lightweight, smaller less intrusive size and yet still has great features as my travel camera." Sounds good, but Size if my negative thought... The Sony RX100 with an equal to the RX10 one-inch sensor is my suggestion. I have a Panasonic ZS/TZ 100 which fits easily in my pocket [I chose it over Sony RX100 for the telephoto reach being greater.]. The Sony RX10 is a bulky bridge camera not a pocket 24/7 camera like the RX100.

Both the Sony and Panasonic [Canon now has one] can use 58mm filters using a low cost [$20?] adaptor. These cameras are full of tricks such as the 4K capture motion bursts and multi-focus point exposure. After three weeks you will appreciate the lightweight and the compactness. Also, your personal being is safer with a smaller unobtrusive $ sign camera around your neck.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

EM wrote:

I am a hobby photographer. My first DSLR was a Ca... (show quote)

The camera's gotten great reviews, and members here seem to love it. I prefer DSLRs, but for travel, I like something smaller. Have you considered something that would fit into your pocket - with a built-in lens? I did a search a while ago, and I wasn't thrilled with the search results and reviews. I have a Fuji X-T30, but even with the 27mm pancake lens, it's hardly pocket-able. You have to balance the convenience of carrying a camera in your pocket vs the quality and performance you require. dpullum's Panasonic sounds good.
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-zs100-tz100

Travel cameras-
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/2017-buying-guide-best-cameras-for-travel/1
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/lists/travel-gear/top-10-compact-cameras-travel/

Compact -
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2401971,00.asp
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/2017-roundup-compact-enthusiast-zoom-cameras
https://www.techradar.com/news/best-compact-camera

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

EM wrote:

I am a hobby photographer. My first DSLR was a Ca... (show quote)

I added a Sony RX10M4 after "road testing" a M3 for a day. Sony stores will let you borrow a camera for a day for free.

I liked the lens and image quality, and had no problem with the sharpness at 600mm. The sparrow below was taken with an M3 @220mm (600mm eq). The rest were just random street shots in Manhattan. The menus are fine, but different from anything out there other than Sony. Except for the last one, these images were shot with just a few minutes experience with the camera and it's menu system, and I have never used a Sony before, other than briefly helping out a friend that owned an A6000.

I took the last image with the M4, a great blue heron in flight, after I accidentally flushed it - it is uncropped. It shows just how fast it acquires focus and how well it tracks moving subjects.

So, I just waited a few weeks until the M4 was released. Took it to Ireland for 3 weeks. No regrets. See the links below which contain images I took on the trip and some others. It's a very versatile camera with excellent optics and pretty snappy handling. Yes, there is a lag when you turn it on and the menu has many pages, but you will end up using the Custom Menu option to put your most frequently used commands which saves having to go through pages of menus to find stuff.

Does it return the image quality I get with a Nikon FX camera? Nope! Does it represent a reasonable alternative to carrying 25+ pounds of gear without making an extreme compromise in image quality? You bet! Have I sold off my Nikon cameras and lenses? Nope, and I have no plans to at the moment! I suggest you seek out info in greater detail from those who actually own one and use it regularly. It's easy to get a wrong impression - both good and bad - from reading reviews online, and from reading well-intentioned advice from those who have read the same reviews and have no first hand experience with the camera.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/albums/72157694805547345
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/albums/72157705352997741
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/albums/72157678751148018
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/albums/72157697217633732
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/albums/72157696606493264
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/albums/72157689083645890
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/albums/72157665487054018
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/albums/72157693140571925
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/albums/72157690214837382
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/albums/72157665486900208
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/albums/72157705234321622

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Peterfiore Loc: Where DR goes south

I have the Sony RX10 IV. I got it a year ago for a trip I took to Newfoundland. I was there to gather reference for a new series of paintings. I needed something relatively light and all in one. Changing lenses is not good idea on a rough sea, with tons of spray. The Sony is water resistant, I have Canons, Fuji and M43 as well. They all serve for various needs. The Sony is a very capable camera. The range 24mm-600mm is amazing. It was a perfect choice.

Peter

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

Take a look at Olympus while you’re at it. I swapped my Nikon gear for the Olympus OM-D e-M5 Mark II for the same reason you’re considering the swap and I love it! Great internal image stabilization and wide variety of lenses. Mine is weather, dust sealed as is the 14-150 II zoom.

ggenova64

Check out Sony A7 II with a 28-70mm lens? The best camera deal 2 years in a row! under $1,000.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

GENorkus wrote:

If weight the the deciding factor, you'll be changing brands the rest of your life.

I've always wondered how people that can't hack the weight of a camera go through winters wearing a heavy coat? I guess they end up being "snow birds" and migrate to warmer climates. Moving all the time.

If one has health problems, weight is a significant factor. As for the coat thing, there aren’t very many that weigh as much as a heavy camera (even my Carharts that I wear to the barn), and, to boot, its weight is distributed evenly across the upper body rather than on the weight of a strap around the neck--there's a big difference. I used to carry heavy cameras; but, after a liver transplant including a three-month hospital stay six years ago that I have never completely recovered from, I can’t do it comfortably anymore. I’m very sure from previous comments on other threads that I am not alone. If you can lug the heavy equipment around, more power to you, but that doesn’t mean everyone can.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

GENorkus wrote:

If weight the the deciding factor, you'll be changing brands the rest of your life.

I've always wondered how people that can't hack the weight of a camera go through winters wearing a heavy coat? I guess they end up being "snow birds" and migrate to warmer climates. Moving all the time.

It's not just weight; it's bulk. If you're walking around a city looking to do photography of strangers, smaller is better. If you're traveling overseas, smaller takes up less room, doesn't require a huge shoulder bag or backpack. I handled a heavy chainsaw for hours yesterday, but I still got rid of my FF Nikons and their pro lenses. My Fuji's are a lot more convenient and the image quality is superb.

neilds37 Loc: Port Angeles, WA

I think that trying to make full use of the capabilities of the Sony by yourself is like having all the ingredients for a cake laid out and think you can put it together without a recipe. Friedman has written a book which, in clear format, puts the parts of the menu together for just about any situation you would want to photograph. I understand that White has done a very good book also. If you do get the Sony (which I think is a good move), save yourself a lot of headaches and get a "cookbook" or two at the same time.

dan59019 Loc: Washington Mi

If you already are comfortable with Canon and have the lenses you want why not look at the SL2 or SL3. Both are light (1 lb) and much smaller than most DSLR cameras (3.6" x 4.8"). Great camera.

Dickbas Loc: Southern New Jersey

I am a longtime Canon user with a heavy 1Dx, and lots of heavy L glass. Now at the age of 71, I am faced with a right shoulder replacement.
I purchased a Sony RX10 Mk III when it first came out and have been so happy with it! In Oct of 2017, I took a photo workshop in Yellowstone and actually took both my Canon gear in a ThinkTank roll on suitcase, and my Sony. During most of the workshop my 1Dx and $12,000 200-400mm with builtin 1.4x Converter stayed in the trunk. My workshop guide and another person in our group of three kind of looked down on the Sony at first. But by the end of the 3 day workshop were continually amazed by the shots I got with the wonderfully sharp Zeiss 600mm. I will include two or three photos I took on this trip. One photo is of two 60”x40” canvases I had made from shots with the Sony. They are displayed side by side in front of my 65” TV! They were sold during our photo club show last year.
The mother bear was taken across the Gibbon River in Yellowstone where I had to walk and weave between trees on the opposite river bank for about 3/4 of a mile trying to keep up with her and her cubs. I couldn’t have done that with my heavy Canon equipment! That shot was a 600mm shot.
The third shot is included to show the bokeh and sharpness of the Zeiss lens! My recommendation to you is try and rent a Sony RX10 Mk 3 or Mk 4 and use it for a weekend trip. I think you’ll be amazed! Good luck with your decision.
Dick

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CWGordon

I gettit! Weight, especially when walking around, can literally be a pain. I can find nothing more sharp than my D850’s. However, if I need to carry that stuff a long way the subject matter I am looking to shoot better deserve the weight I am lugging around. When doing touristy things and just walking I can probably get by w/less camera/lens. I have Olympus OMD-1. Great camera. Currently though for vacation, biking, I find the Sony a6000 is small and light, but an APS-C sensor. I bicycled for 2 weeks across Europe last year. Space was even more important than weight. Whatever went in a bag or pannier meant something else I wanted couldn’t go. My gear was well over 30 lbs. so weight mattered to just not as much. The bike weighed over 30 and so did the gear. Let me tell you about the trip up and over a long steep mountain I did. Well, you can figure out what 9,11,14% inclines are like when your 200+ pounds has to haul another more than 60 pounds up a mountain, which took many hours. Did I mention that was a wrong turn, btw? But, I digress. The point is weight and size matter. In Nicaragua, I only had a small point and shoot, but the hotel desk manager stopped me from carrying it around outside. He said the children would kill me for my camera! Imagine if I had my old D800 with me! I am riding in Europe again this Fall. I will take the a6000 and only one lens, a small zoom. Hopefully, one learns from their mistakes. I keep trying, anyway. There are plenty of times I need less camera with me than what I am carrying. I have seen magnificent work taken with cell phones. There are good reasons to carry smaller and lighter gear. If in Patagonia or some very special places, or doing sports or wildlife, nothing is better than a full-frame type of camera. That is, unless you might have a handicap. Clearly, there are many good reasons for ALL types of cameras. Remember, some people just aren’t as interested as others. Why would they wish to carry substantial weight when a lesser camera meets perfectly their needs and re quirements.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

EM wrote:

I am a hobby photographer. My first DSLR was a Ca... (show quote)

I purchased the RX10 IV last July for a Danube River Cruise in August. I also purchased the Friedman book (www.friedmanarchives.com/RX10-IV/index.htm)
I am delighted with the Sony and have almost stopped using my two Canon DSLR's since I made the jump. Several months should provide sufficient time to practice and become comfortable with the menu system. I highly recommend making the jump.
Mark

carney2

My trusty Sherpa (wife) forced me to switch from Nikon to mirrorless Sony last year after helping me lug that heavy Nikon gear through airports on the way to Iceland. Just make certain that you allow time to jump the learning curve. They all do pretty much the same things, but not in the same ways.