£1k to spend, equipment dilemma.

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SickAsAParrot

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Adrian
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A month from now i'll be getting a £1000 voucher from work as a long service award, I intend to spend it on a new camera to replace my ageing, and quite frankly not very good, Sony A200.

My instinct is to go for a D7100 and get a 50/1.8 with the bit left, it seems like the best BFB for that money.

But the little guy tapping on my shoulder is saying get a Fuji x-mount because it is smaller and will be taken out on short trips a lot more, and it has a better kit lens and is better in low light.

I'm concerned about the Fuji's ability to focus on my kids running around the garden, one thing my Sony is already useless at, and the high cost of extra lenses although it will be interesting to see what new offer will replace the 'free 55-230' at the end of March.

I'm also concerned about the reported D7100 reliability issues, although I suppose if I dug around i could find similar moans about most models.

If the A6000 had a decent kit lens I would hold out for that, but it doesn't and attaching a good one negates the small size advantage, I could only get one extra lens with the money spare..
 
I'd be tempted to look on the used market and find a good deal.

Have you tried out both Nikon and Canon cameras? Is there a reason why you're heading towards Nikon.
 
I've not tested my X-Pro AF on moving targets, but overall I'm very impressed with it. It's certainly more compact than my SLR, the higher ISO's are very usable and the image quality is excellent. There's some good deals on them currently, and it's definitely worth checking the Fuji Refurb store for a bargain.
The new XT-1 has had great reviews, and the AF is supposedly much better than the X-Pro, but is well out of your budget at the moment.
 
T_J_G said:
Is there a reason why you're heading towards Nikon.
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Mainly lens choice, my mate has a D800, Canon equivalent is over the money limit and I don't want video features I'll never use.
 
what do you shoot?
 
viewfromthenorth said:
the higher ISO's are very usable and the image quality is excellent.
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I agree it's peerless at the moment, If the X-E2 was a bit less and had some free stuff I would get it at the drop of a hat.
 
mart77 said:
what do you shoot?
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Difficult one that, I would have to say 'memories of wherever I go'. It could be stately homes, airshows, Spanish religious festivals, toddlers on the trampoline. I don't specialise in anything really.
 
The Sony A200 is ancient and fairly pants. The new sonys will blow it away. In fact a lot of the current bridge cameras will as well...What lenses do you have already?
 
I spoke to Fuji earlier in the week and they informed me that the current deals are finishing at the end of this month. I was enquiring as to buy another XP1 to change my lenses around.
 
SickAsAParrot said:
A month from now i'll be getting a £1000 voucher from work as a long service award, I intend to spend it on a new camera to replace my ageing, and quite frankly not very good, Sony A200.

My instinct is to go for a D7100 and get a 50/1.8 with the bit left, it seems like the best BFB for that money.

But the little guy tapping on my shoulder is saying get a Fuji x-mount because it is smaller and will be taken out on short trips a lot more, and it has a better kit lens and is better in low light.

I'm concerned about the Fuji's ability to focus on my kids running around the garden, one thing my Sony is already useless at, and the high cost of extra lenses although it will be interesting to see what new offer will replace the 'free 55-230' at the end of March.

I'm also concerned about the reported D7100 reliability issues, although I suppose if I dug around i could find similar moans about most models.

If the A6000 had a decent kit lens I would hold out for that, but it doesn't and attaching a good one negates the small size advantage, I could only get one extra lens with the money spare..
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For the same sort of money you could buy a very good condition used D700 and a 50mm f/1.4.
 
f/2.8 said:
For the same sort of money you could buy a very good condition used D700 and a 50mm f/1.4.
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i think this is the best comment so far. A d700 with a 50 but id get the 50 1.8g which is faster focusing and cheaper and arguably better. plus get a 24 2.8d or something wide.
 
srichards said:
The Sony A200 is ancient and fairly pants. The new sonys will blow it away. In fact a lot of the current bridge cameras will as well...What lenses do you have already?
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I've only got the kit lens, the 50/1.8, and a couple of cheap Tele zooms so not enough to prevent me switching brands. I also have a Nissin flash but it wouldn't work on the new shoe anyway. It would be nice to use my old OM glass via adaptors but that wouldn't be practical in 90% of the situations I'm in.

The D7100 would have it's 18-105 as well as the 50/1.8 so I would be happy with that range for the time being. I'm not sure about s/h stuff with it effectively being a gift from work.

So when the current Fuji offers run out on March 31 is it too much to hope there will be new offers or price drops?
 
f/2.8 said:
For the same sort of money you could buy a very good condition used D700 and a 50mm f/1.4.
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I agree on the D700 but the 50mm F1.4 is crud. Its super soft wide open and the 1.8G pounds it into the floor at all aperatures upto F4. Due to that, the D700 and 50 1.8G is what I'd put my money in.
 
SickAsAParrot said:
A month from now i'll be getting a £1000 voucher from work as a long service award, I intend to spend it on a new camera to replace my ageing, and quite frankly not very good, Sony A200.
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There's a Sony A7 in the for sale secton for £775.

I have one and use manual focus lenses on it and I'm very happy with it. Manual focusing is easy on these cameras using peaking and/or a magnified view. You could pick up a nice set of Minolta Rokkor, Olympus Zuiko or Canon FD lenses, something like 24 or 28mm f2.8, 50mm f1.4 or f1.8 and an 85mm f2 or 135mm f3.5. I think you could probably get a set including 28mm f2.8, 50mm f1.8 and 135mm f3.5 for well under £100 leaving enough money for a quality lens to body adapter although the MD to Nex mount adapter I bought for £10 off ebay seems to be fine as wide as 28mm but not to 24mm.

If you are happy to focus manually the image quality from an A7 plus old lenses is IMVHO very very good :D I'll be taking my A7 and three or four lenses to Thailand soon and the kit fits in a small bag :D
 
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