[[Updated]]Revisiting the Compact Interchangeable Lens Camera

[cobright]

I don't know when to leave well enough alone.

Now as it happens someone in my family has settled a debt with me by giving me his Nikon D7100, which is a much better camera than my D80. It requires lenses with the AF motor built in which kind of stinks for me but ... whatever I'm in pretty good shape with the two VRII kit lenses.

So I sold my old camera and even my absurd 28-300 lens to a mate and was going to go buy a nice fast wide angle Nikon AF-S lens to take to disney with me.

And I made the mistake of taking my wife to the camera shop. She's cooing over this little mirrorless like a baby dove and when I started playing with one I fell in love.

My problem is, it's the Canon EOS M. Apparently they got an autofocus issue worked out of it with a firmware update and now I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy one and only bring the DSLR a couple days on our coming trip.

So ... has anyone here done well with a mixed family? Can I keep a Canon in the house without the Nikon getting Jealous? I'm actually at the point where if I have to go all in on one brand or another I would jump ship and go Canon for this little camera. It's got the guts of a T4i and will take the canon EF and EF-S lenses with a (reasonably proced) adapter.

The D7100 I got today is brand new, still has the clear plastic on the LCD and the accessories in the box haven't ever been unpacked. I'm sure I could swap this thing (which really is a fine camera) for a comperable Canon and then have one set of lenses to deal with. To be honest, without an AF motor in the body, I have to buy a lot of new lenses anyway.

 

[hakepb]

You might be mistaking the D7100 for the lesser D5200 or D3200 on the AF motor:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d7100.htm

There is a focus motor in the D7100, so it works with every AF lens made since 1986.

Even better, there's an aperture-ring feeler, so it meters with all AI and newer (1977-on) manual-focus lenses. The D7100 also gives full-color Matrix metering and EXIF data with manual-focus lenses if you share the lens' data in a menu. More at Nikon Lens Compatibility.

 

[SkaGoat]

I'll start off saying I shoot Canon my self...

I wouldn't try to adapt EF/EF-S lenses to the EF-M mount of the EOS M. From what I've read the adapter makes the already slow Autofocus on the camera much slower.

Plus the advantage with the mirrorless setup is it's size and weight. Once you put a EF lens onto that camera you lose that advantage.

I would rather purchase a better mirrorless camera like the Sony Nex-5 or Nex-6, and keep a limited number of lenses for that system.

This is a more expensive option obviously, but it's probably a more ideal way to go.

Plus odds are your wife and yourself will want to use the same lenses at the same time while doing things like visiting the parks.

That said, I'd still hold off, rumours are a new much improved version of the EOS-M is due to be announced any minute now. They are bound to add their hybrid AF image sensor (like the T5i has).

If you really want to switch to a Canon system the 70D is probably the Canon comparable to a D7100, it's a nice camera and has some bells and whistles like a touch screen, and probably the best hybrid AF sensor on the market right now for use in video and live view.

 

[cobright]

You might be mistaking the D7100 for the lesser D5200 or D3200 on the AF motor:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d7100.htm

There is a focus motor in the D7100, so it works with every AF lens made since 1986.

Even better, there's an aperture-ring feeler, so it meters with all AI and newer (1977-on) manual-focus lenses. The D7100 also gives full-color Matrix metering and EXIF data with manual-focus lenses if you share the lens' data in a menu. More at Nikon Lens Compatibility.

No, your right. It's a 7100, I just haven't played with it much. Hmmm. Not sure if that changes my decision. Its a really nice Nikon but nikon's CILC is just so so.

 

[SkaGoat]

no, your right. It's a 7100, i just haven't played with it much. Hmmm. Not sure if that changes my decision. Its a really nice nikon but nikon's cilc is just so so.

cilc?

 

[cobright]

cilc?

Compact interchangeable lens camera.

 

[SkaGoat]

Compact interchangeable lens camera.

yeah I figured it out a few minutes after I posted

 

[cobright]

after all the bad-mouthing I have done Canon over the years I feel a bit traitorous contemplating switching sides.

I guess the EOS M system was a non-starter for it's horrible AF speed but the one I played with was really snappy after getting a firmware update.

I'm not thrilled with the small format lens selection but the 18-55mm zoom and the 20mm f2 both seemed more than adequate.

I'm not anything more than a dilettante when it comes to photography, I loved my old Nikon for the quality of pics but at the same time I'm really coming around in terms of trade-offs with this format of camera.

I'm still trying to put my finger on what it was about the Sonys that I just didn't like. I think it was just a bit too ... much all around. I'm looking for something to replace a PnS because I will still have a dslr with me several of the days and close at hand the rest.

 

[HPS3]

If you want to go mirrorless, buy the Sony Nex 6/7 or Olympus M4/3. I have owned both and love the Nex system. You can use practically any lens on them and they have excellent EVF's. The EOSM doesn't have a VF. No MILC will track focus very well compared to a DSLR. The sensor in the Nex is also better than the Canon with dynamic range and noise.

 

[ronfin]

Just remember this one piece of photography advice when choosing your equipment. It's not about the name, because so many great cameras are made by Canon, Nikon, etc. Choose a body that feels right in your hands, at whatever level you want to spend on, and invest in the glass. It's all about the glass anyway. Cheap glass on a great camera regardless of what name is on it will always look subpar.

 

[cobright]

I think if I were going to try and replace my dslr altogether with a compact I would pay more attention to the Sony.

In my mind I think I'm more interested in getting a PnS with a little more flexibility in the lenses. So it's like, I wouldn't pay more than $400 for a PnS, if I need more than that I'll take my dslr; but here's a camera for that same price with an optically stabilized f2 Prime 20mm lens on it. That's not a bad 'PnS' and the 18-55 lens can be a convenient serving of gravy and nothing else.

 

[nigelp]

Just remember this one piece of photography advice when choosing your equipment. It's not about the name, because so many great cameras are made by Canon, Nikon, etc. Choose a body that feels right in your hands, at whatever level you want to spend on, and invest in the glass. It's all about the glass anyway. Cheap glass on a great camera regardless of what name is on it will always look subpar.

Plus 1 on this

I find it sad that there are comments such as ...
"I feel a bit traitorous contemplating switching sides"

It is not about sides - I hate this brand loyalty that has been created (by the brands themselves) over the last 30 odd years. It started with trainers in the 80s I think.

I know many a good photographer who has switched brands because it meets their needs.

 

[kdanjou]

Firmware and updates aside, if you've already got Canon EF Lenses, especially a few primes, and EOS-M may not be bad as a walk around air backup camera. The fact the you can put a 40MM 2.8 on an adapter and on the front of an EOS-M, that's still not a heavily weighted camera. I've thought about picking one up simply as a back with a large sensor.

 

[SplashMo]

The D7100 is an excellent camera. No problem also having a EOS-M. Should be a great camera to have as well. Should be in the $350 with lens.

 

[cobright]

Well, I went ahead and picked up the Canon EOS M and I'm pleasantly surprised.

Yes, I got the red one ... because ... dunno...
To the point that I may only take the DLSR to Animal Kingdom. The quality of pics off this tiny camera is really astounding. Some of that is I'm still comparing it to a 4 year old 10MP camera but even compared to the D7100 I'm not giving much in the way of quality.

I rate it's performanc as a strong "Pretty Good" to maybe a tepid "Very Good". The Image Stabilization is phenomenal and I get crisp shots all the way down to 1/4 second shutter speed. Picture is great even at ISO 3200, very good at 6400 and not at all bad even at 12800.

I haven't had much time to play with it but I do have a pic from the front yard: