Beginner Recommendations on camera system to start with?

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Hi all! First post as I just found this forum. Excited to participate with you all! Seems like a very helpful group. With that said, I could use some help and guidance.

I am currently taking some photography classes and have a Fuji x100f and a Canon 77D. These are shared between my wife and I. I have three non-L lenses for the Canon (Sigma DC 17-50mm, Canon 50mm, Canon EFS 55-250mm) and am trying to determine if I want to stick with Canon or not before making any further purchases. I am brand new and learning as is my wife, but want to ensure we get into a system that we both will grow in to. Budget is not much concern nor would making a system change as we could comfortably sell off what we have.

Our goals are to have a wide array of shooting capability. We would start with one camera and a few lenses and add a second body, so we want to be able to share lenses. My primary interest lies around landscape, wildlife (larger animals, bear, wolves, etc) and astrophotography. I also enjoy urban/architecture but use the Fuji for that. My wife has a passion around wildlife (birds specifically) and macro. My difficulty is that there is so much information out there, it is simply overwhelming.

I greatly, greatly prefer to have the EVF and size of the mirrorless over the Canon I have now. I love shooting with the Fuji...not so much the Canon. My wife and I do extensive hiking and back country travel, so having a smaller, durable and mirrorless option is something we would like to have. I also know that most systems now are moving to mirrorless, with Canon recently confirming production focuses on their RF lenses versus the EF series.

As we look to invest into a specific system, can you recommend a potential pathway for us to go? I've been heavily toying the idea of the Sony A7R3 or 4, but unsure if it will fit all of our goals, specifically with the bird and wildlife shooting. Also have looked at the D850, Z7 and the Canon EOS R. I'm a bit leery of going with first generation like the EOS R or Z7. We have a trip coming up in a few months to Alaska, so as we are going through some classes and learning, we want to get started with the system we will be using.

Thank you for your time and recommendations. Should you have any questions for me, please let me know! Thank you again!!
 
I have a Sony a7Riii and twined with a Sony 200-600mm is absolutely spot on for wildlife and birds- full frame and mirrorless, what more do you need ?

Most camera's will record decent image of wildlife- Its the lens that makes it for me


Like this

DSC01363 Male Chaffinch by Les Moxon, on Flickr

Les :)

Ps welcome to the forum click on my flickr account below and see a few more shot with the above Sony combo
 
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Welcome to the forum.

If you like the images the Fuji delivers but want more "reach", maybe the X series of interchangeable lens Fujis would be an answer. Smaller and (a little) lighter than most SLR systems and with an excellent EVF, a couple of X-T3s could be the solution. Not a cheap solution but photography isn't a cheap hobby!
London Camera Exchange at the top of Fore Street might have some second hand Fuji kit in stock, failing that, Mifsuds in Brixham often do (assuming that Exeter refers to the city in Devon rather than elsewhere in the world!)
 
With that said, I could use some help and guidance.
There are plenty of people who will happily spend your money for you. On the other hand: if you really want to get pictures you probably need to stick with what you have until you have a list of pictures you couldn't get because of the limits imposed by your equipment and not by your lack of experience.

Take pictures. Take more pictures. Take yet more pictures. Eventually you'll work out what you need to buy to get the results you want.
 
I have a 77d and the eos R, very happy with both!

There was a big jump in image quality when I bought L lenses to use on the 77d, and those same lenses work perfectly on the R as well. But those lenses are heavy and not great for travel, I use them when specifically going out shooting something but don't really want them in my bag when travelling. The problem is when you have see the fantastically clear images they produce, it is harder to go back to a smaller lower quality lens!

The camera requirements are specific to you so maybe try renting first, lets you really try it out and it will show you the pro's and con's of the system that are specific to you.

T
 
My two cents. Get a Canon 100-400 mkii for the 77D for the wildlife and get a Fuji xt-..with lenses for travel. Camera systems are continually evolving as is your experience so the best advice is to try and see what works for you. Everyone on this forum will have a different answer!
 
Another vote for the Fuji system - then editing will be the same across cameras, including your street photography camera. They do good wildlife/macro lenses and the bodies are pretty compact for hiking etc.
 
If you're going to Alaska you won't want big heavy equipment so that rules out full frame really (assuming you want long lenses).

When I did Alaska I took m43 gear, I could get from fisheye to 800mm full frame equivalent in a small backpack. I did, at one point, bump into someone who had a big Canon tele and he needed a whole backpack bigger than mine just for the lens, bear in mind that if you are going anywhere remote it will be in a tiny Otter sea-plane, things like massive cameras leave little room for other essentials.

edit: oh, also in Alaska you will want your kit to be weather sealed, if at all possible.
 
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Welcome to the forum

As Nawty has eluded to in the post above the key for your travels is size. I have moved to micro 4/3rds recently and the size of the overall system was the major reason to make the moving no more lugging large amounts of kit around! I have the Olympus OMD E M Mark 2 which along with the pro lenses offers excellent weather protection. The crop factor on Olympus bodies is 2x which does help to provide longer reach lenses in a smaller foot print and weight. All the current formats Full frame/APSC/4/3 all have benefits and advantages one size in this case does not fit everyone.
 
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Another very happy m43 user - G9 in my case, which is just a wonderful camera. Bear in mind that whilst the bodies themselves might be no smaller /lighter than the Sony etc equivalents, the lenses are a fraction of the size.
 
Thank you all for the replies! I am looking at the Fuji series at the moment, but think the best advice may have been to shoot with what I have until I can't take shots because of some type of limitation. It may be worth my while to sit for a bit longer and see where the Canon line evolves to, and maybe grab myself an L lens or two from Canon in the interim.

Thanks again folks!
 
Is there not a local camera shop where you can try them. A lot depends on what feels better in use in YOUR hands.

You might hate how Nikon put the buttons or menus etc.

A lot of people like canons menu system, it makes sense to them they get it.

You need to try yourself and see what you think of it.
 
Thank you all for the replies! I am looking at the Fuji series at the moment, but think the best advice may have been to shoot with what I have until I can't take shots because of some type of limitation. It may be worth my while to sit for a bit longer and see where the Canon line evolves to, and maybe grab myself an L lens or two from Canon in the interim.

Thanks again folks!
The Canon roadmap is hardly difficult to predict.
Like it or not they’ve been market leaders for over 40 years.

The variables in this scenario are your requirements. We all have different requirements and different preferences.
 
and maybe grab myself an L lens or two from Canon in the interim.

A few years ago that might have been best but now I am not so sure. I would not be surprised if the resale value of Canon EF lenses starts to fall as more come on to the second hand market due to people moving to mirrorless. Yes I know EF lenses work on Canon R with an adaptor but I think people will be tempted to move to native R lenses. Also the Canon R is a bit behind the competition in terms of specs so unless Canon have something stunning in the pipeline then I think the drift to Sony and Fuji will continue. I guess it depends on your timescales and how much you are prepared to lose on lens resale.
 
A few years ago that might have been best but now I am not so sure. I would not be surprised if the resale value of Canon EF lenses starts to fall as more come on to the second hand market due to people moving to mirrorless. Yes I know EF lenses work on Canon R with an adaptor but I think people will be tempted to move to native R lenses. Also the Canon R is a bit behind the competition in terms of specs so unless Canon have something stunning in the pipeline then I think the drift to Sony and Fuji will continue. I guess it depends on your timescales and how much you are prepared to lose on lens resale.

I would buy good second hand lenses, the hit would be minimal (if at all) when/if sold on.
 
I would buy good second hand lenses, the hit would be minimal (if at all) when/if sold on.
I think this is good advice. If you're after a 100-400 zoom for your 77D then perhaps have a look at the current Sigma and Tamron versions. The image quality isn't that far behind the Canon 100-400 L MkII and they're around £1000 cheaper (yes that's 1 thousand pounds less!), they're also slightly smaller and lighter. The downside is you'll lose a third of a stop or so of minimum aperture compared to the Canon, but if you want reasonable depth of field in your shots then that's not going to matter, as you won't be using the widest aperture. Besides, even in low light, will a third of a stop really make much difference to you in most situations? So, around 90% or so of the lens for around 45% of the money might be worth some thought? However, I'm not sure how well these Sigma and Tamron lenses would work with a converter if you subsequently switched from Canon to Sony.
 
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