DSLR or mirrorless camera?

[Tarheel girl 1975]

After years of using point and shoot cameras, I'm thinking about upgrading to better camera. There are so many choices though. Is there a reason to choose one type over the other? My budget is right around $500, so I'm looking at a Sony 5000, Nikon 3300, or Canon SL1. I do have small hands so I'm a little concerned about the size of the camera.

 

[Lionsy]

Mirrorless cameras are MUCH lighter and smaller, and give great results. What about something like a Lumix GX7?

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Mirrorless cameras are MUCH lighter and smaller, and give great results. What about something like a Lumix GX7?

A GX7 is over my budget.

 

[havoc315]

The differences are exaggerated.
The a5000 (the a5100 has much better AF and be worth the extra cost) will indeed be a bit smaller. But it only has LCD, no viewfinder at all. (The a6000 has an electronic viewfinder). Size differences will largely depend on the lens you choose to use. And there aren't really long telephoto options for the a5000/5100/6000. But you may not need long telephoto.

The sl1/d3300 are a little bigger, but still fairly small. They have optical viewfinders. When using the viewfinder, the camera will be fast and responsive. When using the lcd, autofocus may be painfully slow. (On the mirrorless, they are very fast with the lcd).

Image quality will essentially be the same regardless of your choice.

 

[xlxo]

Thoughts...

• Look closely at the mirrorless sensor size. Not all mirrorless cameras match the D3300 sensor size to get the same quality.
• in addition to the lenses.... does the mirrorless have the same potent flash as the SB910 for the D3300?
• look at the lens and flash prices for the mirrorless. Do they cost the same or is there a signficant price difference?

 

[havoc315]

Thoughts...

• Look closely at the mirrorless sensor size. Not all mirrorless cameras match the D3300 sensor size to get the same quality.
• in addition to the lenses.... does the mirrorless have the same potent flash as the SB910 for the D3300?
• look at the lens and flash prices for the mirrorless. Do they cost the same or is there a signficant price difference?

Of the cameras being considered by the op, the a5000/5100/6000 uses a version of the same sensor as the d3300. Dxo scores are virtually identical.

The a5000/5100/6000 actually can use the Nikon flashes, though full functionality comes with the Alpha flashes, including the very powerful f43 and f60.

Now, a traditional dslr does currently still have a much much bigger lens selection than a Sony mirrorless. But for most photographers, the few lenses a typical person may use, the needs are there at fairly competitive pricing. In some cases, the Sony mirrorless lens may run slightly more. But not typically a huge difference.

An enthusiast needs to look more carefully at the lens selection and prices. (As a full frame enthusiast, I chose Nikon d750 over Sony a7, because there were more budget friendly high quality lenses).

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

I would love to get a Sony a6000, but it's out of my price range right now. Amazon has the Panasonic GF6 for $329.00 right now. Any feedback on that? At my price point, it looks like I can get a viewfinder or Wifi and an articulating screen, but not both. I haven't used a viewfinder for a while since neither of my point and shoots have them. I do want something with fast AF.

 

[ilovelucydog]

Do you have a Best Buy near you? They have something called open boxes sometimes and it's basically a camera that has been used for display or a returned camera (because someone changed their mind in the 30 days). Yesterday at my Best Buy there was a Sony a6000 with a kit lens for $550. The warranty is the same on open box cameras. Just something for you to consider if you have a Best Buy!

 

[boBQuincy]

I would love to get a Sony a6000, but it's out of my price range right now. Amazon has the Panasonic GF6 for $329.00 right now. Any feedback on that? At my price point, it looks like I can get a viewfinder or Wifi and an articulating screen, but not both. I haven't used a viewfinder for a while since neither of my point and shoots have them. I do want something with fast AF.

In general the Sony can deliver better image quality because of the larger sensor (APS-C vs micro 4:3). In general the Sony lenses will be larger and heavier for the same reason. We prefer a real viewfinder so in Panasonic that means a G6 or GX7. We went with Panasonic partly because Sony does not have any f/2.8 zoom lenses. These are usually larger, heavier, and more expensive than their slower counterparts. Because of this many non-professionals do not use them although it seems many photographers on this forum have the f/2.8 lenses.

 

[havoc315]

In general the Sony can deliver better image quality because of the larger sensor (APS-C vs micro 4:3). In general the Sony lenses will be larger and heavier for the same reason. We prefer a real viewfinder so in Panasonic that means a G6 or GX7. We went with Panasonic partly because Sony does not have any f/2.8 zoom lenses. These are usually larger, heavier, and more expensive than their slower counterparts. Because of this many non-professionals do not use them although it seems many photographers on this forum have the f/2.8 lenses.

Well..... many "amateur" photographers don't use 2.8 zooms because they are big and heavy... and they are EXPENSIVE. Before I really really got into photography, I wouldn't be able to image spending more than $200-$300 on a lens. It takes a pretty advanced photographer to really appreciate the difference in quality between a $250 lens and a $2500 lens. How often do we see people essentially looking for, "I need a 10x lens." Only concern being a long focal length, nothing more.

Now, as a full frame enthusiast photographer, I don't currently have any 2.8 zooms -- Because they are expensive and HEAVY. I can get the results I want with primes and with f4 zooms, so I don't bother with the weight and expense of 2.8 zooms. But when I shot APS-C, I did use a 2.8 zoom as my walk-around... it was more critical on the smaller sensor.

 

[boBQuincy]

Micro 4:3 f/2.8 lenses are smaller, lighter, and less $$$ than their APS-C/full frame counterparts. Panasonic's highly rated 12-35 and 35-100 f/2.8 lenses are each about $1000, not cheap but a lot less than the larger ones.

 

[fractal]

In this bag I have my Sony Nex-7 (aps-c sensor) mirrorless camera with the Sony-zeiss 24mm 1.8, the Sel 50mm 1.8, the Rokinon 8mm 2.8 fisheye, the Minolta Maxxum 200mm 2.8 with the Sony LA-EA4 af adaptor attached, a microfiber cloth, a lens dust pen, an extra camera battery, an ND filter, and an extra SD card. There is no Aps-c Dslr + comparable lenses that could come close to this. Maybe the lenses in the bag and the camera around your neck.

 

[sharona]

OP, if budget is an issue, consider stretching your dollars by buying a used/refurbished body and lens from a reputable dealer like Adorama, B&H, Cameta Camera... Most of my equipment was purchased refurb or used and I have not had any issues. You can save sometimes 20% and with the camera bodies for refurb, the shutter count can be quite low.

 

[mom2rtk]

OP, if budget is an issue, consider stretching your dollars by buying a used/refurbished body and lens from a reputable dealer like Adorama, B&H, Cameta Camera... Most of my equipment was purchased refurb or used and I have not had any issues. You can save sometimes 20% and with the camera bodies for refurb, the shutter count can be quite low.

There have been some really great deals on the Canon 60D lately.

OP, if you think you might want a Canon, subscribe to Canonpricewatch.com. They'll notify you of the best deals, including when the Canon store has sales on refurbished items.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Thanks for all of the advice. I ended up getting a Canon SL1 at Target (love Redperks and the Red Card.) I had fun using it at my daughter's soccer game. Now I just need to look into camera bags and straps....