Which camera should I go for?

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muttyhc

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Harrison
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Hi all,

I am wanting to get a new camera.

My needs are as follows:

I take a lot of images of my two kids, so accurate AF is important - more important to me than simply 'fast af'. Good face tracking/ eye tracking really.

IQ is important, However, I won't be printing much bigger than 8x10 however.

Range could be useful, as I do want to do some birding occasionally or zoos etc, but it isn't a deal breaker.

Video would be used but not too often, I have a hx9v for that and it is only for home movies. I may get into it but in reality I want excellent stills and good video.

I do a fair amount of shooting indoors and this will continue really, so again low light af/iq is important.

So my options have been...

Olympus EM5 w/ 12-50 lens (adding 45mm 1.8/ 20mm 1.7 later on) (approx £450 + extra lens costs)

Sony a6000 w/ 16-50/55-210 adding 50mm 1.8 later on (£549 +extra lens costs)

Panasonic GX7 w/ 20mm 1.7 (£499 + extra lens costs) adding 45-175 later on.

Nikon d5300 w/ 18-55 and 35mm 1.8 (£470) adding 55-200/300 later on.

Panasonic FZ1000 £557

Fuji X-E1 w/ 18-55 + 50-230 £579

I am at the top of my budget with the Fuji so cannot afford more than that.

So from this the nikon d5300 offers the best overall 'price/performance ratio' but I am concerned that it's af is while fast, not accurate. I currently have an A57 and it's af is super quick but incredibly inaccurate (I use aperture priority mode).

Size isn't a huge issue for me, but being able to take the camera most places would be fabulous but my main concern is capturing important memories etc.

From this what makes the most logical sense? I have swayed from each camera a fair few times, I do like the larger sensor for DOF but I know M43 is mature and has excellent lenses.

In future I do plan to add a TTL flash so that would be of consideration as well.

Thanks!
 
I don't think any will offer much more than your current A57. Maybe just get a good 2.8 zoom for that?
 
Welcome to TP

Difficult questions to answer so my basic reply is to do a lot of research within your price range. Write down the cameras you are strongly drawn to and go check them out in store to see which suits you best. Hands on may decide for you having checked out its capabilities.
No camera is a be all end all and different makes offer a good range of lenses which also should be considered.

What I would suggest if I may is to look at what you have already taken as a guide as to what would be your main interest in subject matter and base your new camera on that
 
firstly for kids, instax trumps pretty much everything, so buy one of those off ebay or amazon, and some film.

secondly what lenses you got for your a57? some lenses arent that acurate with focus, and the a57 doesnt have micro adjust? but the a77 does, and you can get a a77 cheap used, or go mk2
 
there is absolutely no reason why your current A57 can't capture the kind of images you mention. Buy a fast prime if you don't have one already... If you're in any doubt check out 500px and the images that others have created, it's not the arrow its the indian as they say - https://500px.com/search?category=People&license_type=-1&order=score&page=2&q=sony a57&type=photos&utf8=✓

If on the other hand you just want o buy a new camera then there's no shame in that either, it is just unlikely to yield results that different to an a57 + decent lens.
 
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re AF - the Canon 1 series is pretty good place to look for the very best performance. Even the cheap old mk2 beater will print an A3.

I'd ditch the sony a system - it is dead in the water with the new E mount.
 
well it would be better value to get a lens like the 35mm 1.8 and use his current body, and even if a mount dies completely, i think it would work well on the lae3 adapter (but im not sure)
 
daugirdas said:
re AF - the Canon 1 series is pretty good place to look for the very best performance. Even the cheap old mk2 beater will print an A3.

I'd ditch the sony a system - it is dead in the water with the new E mount.
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You can't be serious. Canon will go the way of Kodak any day now and your 1 series will be good for nothing except holding doors open for the Nikon and Sony delivery guys. Is your 1 series even a Camera? The OP wants a camera, maybe the 1 series is a photocopier, I hear Canon make those. Maybe you could advertise it for sale in Exchange and Mart?
 
Can't see Canon going the way of Kodak anytime soon.
 
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odd jim said:
Can't see Canon going the way of Kodak anything soon.
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You have to be a serious fanboy to spout what has been said above. While I may agree that Canon might have a lot of trouble with the low end dSLR line (the consumer upmarket bodies) I can't see anything else changing.
 
It was a bit of an odd comment...

Canon could survive with the sports photographers alone.
 
If you are going nikon get the best DX body you can afford ..forget the kit lens or 35mm and get a 18-140 or 18-200 Nikon and to keep the costs down buy the lens grey market .I have had great service from Katacha on e bay 20% cheaper than other grey imports.
 
daugirdas said:
You have to be a serious fanboy to spout what has been said above. While I may agree that Canon might have a lot of trouble with the low end dSLR line (the consumer upmarket bodies) I can't see anything else changing.
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I read it as a sarcastic reply to your comment about the Sony system being dead in the water...
 
odd jim said:
Can't see Canon going the way of Kodak anytime soon.
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No, sorry. Tongue in cheek as a certain persons answer to everything is a Canon 1 series, no matter how inappropriate and so much so that I personally find it difficult to take the above posters comments as anything other than tongue in cheek. He isn't serious, is he? :D

Sorry if anyone took me seriously :D
 
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Amp34 said:
I read it as a sarcastic reply to your comment about the Sony system being dead in the water...
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Indeed. If there's a fan boy here is sure isn't me:D

Again, sorry for the misinterpreted "humour" :D
 
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woof woof said:
No, sorry. Tongue in cheek as a certain persons answer to everything is a Canon 1 series, no matter how inappropriate and so much so that I personally find it difficult to take the above posters comments as anything other than tongue in cheek. He isn't serious, is he? :D

Sorry if anyone took me seriously :D
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Lol I can't believe anything I read in here anymore!
 
TBH almost any DSLR camera will give you what you want if you use it properly.

I have taken thousands of pictures of children in my family using a Canon 350D, 450D and finally a 1Ds MKII and the pictures have come out great.

Lenses from a 50mm f1.8, and the 28-135mm IS USM have been used the most for the children and are, in my opinion, a great compromise between price and quality.
.
 
Look carefully at the prices of things you dont want yet like lenses..I just bought a new Nikon 28-300 for £550 the Canon one is £1700
Once you go Nikon or Canon or Sony you are stuck with it ...
 
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