Advice Needed: Recommendation for mirrorless camera

[illusionxchong]

Hello everyone! I'm thinking of getting a mirrorless camera but i'm unsure of what to get. Hoping that some kind souls would help me out!

ideally, i hope to get a camera with the following features:
1. Wifi
2. viewfinder
3. Able to take night scene and landscape

i'm hoping to get one below $700. is it a reasonable budget?

I've shortlisted nikon 1 v2 (con: small sensor ) and olympus pl6 (con: no viewfinder). Perhaps you guys could share with me what you know about these cameras and also other cameras that you would recommend? Hoping to hear more from you guys soon!

 

[rhino123]

Hello everyone! I'm thinking of getting a mirrorless camera but i'm unsure of what to get. Hoping that some kind souls would help me out!

ideally, i hope to get a camera with the following features:
1. Wifi
2. viewfinder
3. Able to take night scene and landscape

i'm hoping to get one below $700. is it a reasonable budget?

I've shortlisted nikon 1 v2 (con: small sensor ) and olympus pl6 (con: no viewfinder). Perhaps you guys could share with me what you know about these cameras and also other cameras that you would recommend? Hoping to hear more from you guys soon!

Both the Nikon and Oly are good. One other thing to ask, must the camera you are looking at are interchangeable lens camera? If not, you can also looked at Canon G7X (I believe it shared the same sensor as the RX100 and Nikon 1 series of cameras), is very small and very portable... but lack of a viewfinder.

As for the ability to take night scene and landscape... all cameras can. I would however suggest that you use a tripod for this purpose.

 

[illusionxchong]

Both the Nikon and Oly are good. One other thing to ask, must the camera you are looking at are interchangeable lens camera? If not, you can also looked at Canon G7X (I believe it shared the same sensor as the RX100 and Nikon 1 series of cameras), is very small and very portable... but lack of a viewfinder.

As for the ability to take night scene and landscape... all cameras can. I would however suggest that you use a tripod for this purpose.

Hey rhino123, thanks for the advice! I'm hoping to get one with interchangeable lens so that I can play around with the different settings.

Do you think the 1" sensor for Nikon v2 is good enough?

 

[rhino123]

Hey rhino123, thanks for the advice! I'm hoping to get one with interchangeable lens so that I can play around with the different settings.

Do you think the 1" sensor for Nikon v2 is good enough?

Yes. I have been using sensor that is even smaller than 1 inch and getting good result even at low light condition, I think it should be okay. If you have the time and willing to wait, you can also looked into the Canon EOS M3, which had a larger APS-C sensor and is pretty small in size.

Photo taken with Nokia 1520 (much smaller sized sensor):

Of course I would not say that my skill is up there, but if a very small sized sensor mobile phone is able to capture those pics, I believe a Nikon V2 will have absolutely no problem. Undermentioned will be some pics I have captured with the G7X (which is a 1 inch sensor camera).

 

[brapodam]

Hey rhino123, thanks for the advice! I'm hoping to get one with interchangeable lens so that I can play around with the different settings.

Do you think the 1" sensor for Nikon v2 is good enough?

If you don't care about shallow DOF/blurring backgrounds, the 1" sensor should be enough for most uses. Dynamic range may be limited and low light performance won't be as good as larger sensors. For your uses, night scene may be a problem if you need higher ISOs. If by night scene you mean night landscapes or street shots with good lighting but at night, you should be fine. If by night scene you mean poorly lit scenes at night, I think the smaller sensor will struggle.

 

[richiemccaw1]

Maybe it's better that you start off with a 1" sensor and then make your way up. This way you can try it out properly to see if it fits and convince yourself that you need/dont need something else.

 

[illusionxchong]

Wow!! Those pics are really well taken! Thanks for the advice!!

 

[illusionxchong]

Hello brahodam, thanks for the reply! In that case, do you think that pen epl5 is better than Nikon v2? The sensor is micro four third but doesn't come with a viewfinder.

 

[SkyStrike]

Hello brahodam, thanks for the reply! In that case, do you think that pen epl5 is better than Nikon v2? The sensor is micro four third but doesn't come with a viewfinder.

Is it really that important to have the viewfinder?

 

[illusionxchong]

Is it really that important to have the viewfinder?

I'm hoping to get one with viewfinder cos it would be more convenient when I'm taking photos under bright light. But it's not "really must have".

 

[silvermoon1407]

Hello everyone! I'm thinking of getting a mirrorless camera but i'm unsure of what to get. Hoping that some kind souls would help me out!

ideally, i hope to get a camera with the following features:
1. Wifi
2. viewfinder
3. Able to take night scene and landscape

i'm hoping to get one below $700. is it a reasonable budget?

I've shortlisted nikon 1 v2 (con: small sensor ) and olympus pl6 (con: no viewfinder). Perhaps you guys could share with me what you know about these cameras and also other cameras that you would recommend? Hoping to hear more from you guys soon!

If you can stretch your budget, you can get a brand new Sony A6000. A used A6000 or Nex6 will meet ur criteria too

 

[brapodam]

Hello brahodam, thanks for the reply! In that case, do you think that pen epl5 is better than Nikon v2? The sensor is micro four third but doesn't come with a viewfinder.

You can get an external EVF for the E-PL5. Might exceed your budget though.

 

[rhino123]

Actually hor, I saw the newspaper today (or was it yesterday), the EPL7 with basic 14-42mm lens are going off at $7XX in megastores. I believe street price will be lower than that. Can check that out. The EPL7 is newer (and I believe with a newer sensor and processor), would be very good.

In short, the Nikon V2 should meet most of your requirement, or you could go for Oly EPL7, stretch your budget abit, you can go for what Silvermoon had suggested, the Sony A6000 or a A5000 (closer to your budget). You can also go for the EOS M3. price for 18-55 is around 8XX though.


Do note that you can always go down to places like the Cathay Photo, SLR revo, Orient Photo, etc to check out street prices (which can be significantly lower than the SRP found in megastores like Courts and Harvey Norman). The full list (or quite a complete list of the recommended shops can be found;

Alan Photo, #02-07 Funan The IT Mall | 6883-0922 | alanfoto@singnet.com.sg
Alan Photo, #01-38 Sim Lim Square | 6336-0922 | alanfoto@singnet.com.sg
Cathay Photo, #01-11, 14 Peninsula Plaza (Main) | 6337-4274 | email@cathayphoto.com.sg
Cathay Photo, Peninsula (Printer Section) | 6338-7783 | email@cathayphoto.com.sg
Cathay Photo, Peninsula (Tripod Section) | 6338-0451 | email@cathayphoto.com.sg
Cathay Photo, #02-215, Marina Square | 6339-6188 | email@cathayphoto.com.sg
Iphoto (formally known as Lord's Camera) 304 Orchard Road, #01-79, Lucky Plaza, Singapore 238863 | 6235 4248 | 6235 4605 | iphoto78@yahoo.com.sg
MS Color (Main), 711 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, #01-3501C | 6457-6380 | sales@mscolor.com.sg
MS Color (AMK Hub), 53 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 #02-24 | 6452-2828 | sales@mscolor.com.sg
Orient Photo, #06-31 | 53 Sim Lim Square | 6339-1035 | sales@orientfoto.com.sg
Parisilk (North), 7 Transit Road | 6452-1593
Parisilk (Central), 15A Lorong Liput | 6466-6002
Parisilk (East), Blk 214 #01-179 Bedok Central | 6441-6066
SLR Revolution, #05-K7 Funan Digitalife Mall | 6336-8767 | slr.revo@gmail.com
T.K. Foto Technic, #02-14 Funan Digitalife Mall | 6292-4533 www.tkfoto.com.sg

Sorry, I have not been updating my knowledge on the shops and not sure if all the information are accurate. Anyway, you can try emailing them and ask for quotation and availability of the camera you want before going down to the shops.

I also cannot promise you which shop will give you the best price and value, you need to do your own homework.

 

[swifty]

Just a few observations.

- I thought wifi on the V2 was an optional extra adapter. Unless I have that permanently plugged in, I just know I won't use it much so you may want to consider this.

- Almost all new camera models have built-in wifi. But if this is a must, it limits you from some good and better value outgoing slightly older models.

- They can all take night scenes and landscapes. But I guess you're referring to high ISO performance in regards to night scenes for hand-holding night photos. Here it's not just the camera, but you need to consider what lens you will be using and where your photos will be displayed. If it is typically on social media or similar then the criteria isn't so stringent. Many smartphone results will be acceptable. Basically the larger you display your photo, the better the image quality needs to be.
You should also consider the AF performance in low light. AF systems typically start to struggle in low contrast and low light situations. Ironically here, some smaller sensor cameras can appear to do better because their deep DOF hides some of the AF inaccuracies.
Something like a Panasonic GX7 claim to focus down to -4EV. If you don't know what that means, it is very dark situations bettering most, if not all DSLRs. But this is a claim and I haven't used one before so I can't verify.

- If viewfinder's a must, I personally prefer a built-in one to an add-on one. Again for me, if it is something extra I need to carry I seldom use it. And if it's permanently plugged in, then a built in one is less bulky and typically cheaper once you add in the price of an optional extra external VF to a non-built-in model.

Some models for you to research:
Panasonic GX7
Olympus E-M10
Panasonic LX100

I don't know their current street price but I'd imagine they're probably a little higher than your budget but like I said, if you can relax some of the criteria then your options increase. Note the LX100 is not an interchangeable lens camera. The lens is fixed but it is a nice, fast zoom.

 

[pwnies5600]

I hope I'm not too late to join the conversation. Personally I think the Olympus OMD EM-5 (the mark 1) is not bad. Got mine second hand for slightly less than 700. Came with a 12-50mm lens too. Has an electronic viewfinder, although no wifi. If you are concerned about transferring photos you can consider getting a Toshiba FlashAir SD card. Slightly more expensive then conventional SD cards but hey, you get wifi.

As for night scene and landscape, the high ISO handling is pretty decent, better than most entry level DSLRs. The in body image stabilisation is rather handy for slower shutter speeds in the dark, but do get a tripod if you want to shoot night time / landscapes / night time landscapes.

I have not used before the Nikon 1 system, but you can also consider the E-PL6 as it has most of the features of the OM-D system but more compact. Con is it does not have a viewfinder.

 

[brapodam]

I hope I'm not too late to join the conversation. Personally I think the Olympus OMD EM-5 (the mark 1) is not bad. Got mine second hand for slightly less than 700. Came with a 12-50mm lens too. Has an electronic viewfinder, although no wifi. If you are concerned about transferring photos you can consider getting a Toshiba FlashAir SD card. Slightly more expensive then conventional SD cards but hey, you get wifi.

As for night scene and landscape, the high ISO handling is pretty decent, better than most entry level DSLRs. The in body image stabilisation is rather handy for slower shutter speeds in the dark, but do get a tripod if you want to shoot night time / landscapes / night time landscapes.

I have not used before the Nikon 1 system, but you can also consider the E-PL6 as it has most of the features of the OM-D system but more compact. Con is it does not have a viewfinder.

Actually I think the more important thing you can do with WiFi is use your phone as a remote trigger, which you can't achieve with a WiFi card. I never transfer photos to my phone via WiFi because I always just shoot RAW anyways.

 

[ckwomdem10]

Hello everyone! I'm thinking of getting a mirrorless camera but i'm unsure of what to get. Hoping that some kind souls would help me out!

ideally, i hope to get a camera with the following features:
1. Wifi
2. viewfinder
3. Able to take night scene and landscape

i'm hoping to get one below $700. is it a reasonable budget?

I've shortlisted nikon 1 v2 (con: small sensor ) and olympus pl6 (con: no viewfinder). Perhaps you guys could share with me what you know about these cameras and also other cameras that you would recommend? Hoping to hear more from you guys soon!

give the EM10 a serious consideration,

it have built in wifi, viewfinder and image stabiliser. I got mine about 6 months back just over 900, now should be 800+ i think. its wide array of lenses is cheaper than sony's and I have used to take night scenes handheld thanks to its IS...

uploading to my iPhone & iPad with the wifi is a snap and the mobile devices can be used as a remote to focus & shoot...

 

[hellsing]

If you can stretch your budget, you can get a brand new Sony A6000. A used A6000 or Nex6 will meet ur criteria too

@illusionxchong, apologies for jacking your thread. I am also looking for a mirrorless camera. IMO i am aimming to get either the EPL6/7.

hi silvermoon1407, I did consider A6000, from what i have read, it doesnt have a touchscreen for the LCD. Do any user feel that the APS-C make a difference between the sensors? Any forumers care to share more? [/quote]

One question you need to ask yourself... do you really need touch screen? If the answer to that question was... you cannot live without touch screen, then, yeah, go for one with touch screen. Just sharing my own case, I once thought touch screen was god sent. But... when I looked back, I have been using cameras for years without touch screen and only get a taste of it when I bought the EM5, and frankly, it was fun for a while, then I am back shooting without paying heed to the touch screen, not even utilizing it much... but that is just personal preferences.

Then... talking about sensor size... do they make a difference, yes... period. They do make a difference or professionals and manufacturers will not bother with larger sensor size. But will hobbyists feel a difference, most will not. Many don't even know what sensor size they have in their camera. The main thing is, you get whatever you are comfortable with.

 

[ahblack]

IMHO... I think the difference of sensor size is pretty much negligible for hobbyist. It's not like you're going to print every photo of yours into big canvas and hang on the wall (I assume...) You can easily see in the gallery section, where amazing photos were taken regardless of how big/small the camera sensor.

The 1 inch sensor from Nikon 1 series, small sensor of the bunch yet its compactness and blazing speed made it a versatile camera of its own class.

The M4/3 sensor from panny/oly, still small if you compare it with Full Frame/APS-C, yet the way it handles high ISO and color while retaining its small form factor, makes it one of the most popular camera brand nowadays.

The APS-C sensor from many brands (I'm using Fujifilm though...), great for many occasions and held up at its own, kinda like Jack of All Trades, offers many options with difference perks from different brands, to suit the individual needs of every person.

So in the end, it's down to the person's choice, whether you prefer compactness without sacrifice much of the IQ, or IQ with a little bit extra weight and size.

I honestly think you won't go wrong with any of the choices you shortlisted, they are all great cameras, each with their own pros and cons. You just need to take some time to go around and test the cameras, and then decide which one got "feel". I chose Fujifjilm so I might be a bit bias when it comes to brand hehehe...

Happy hunting!

 

[iluvs90]

on a lighter note, it can depend on how good your mathematics is... i use 4/3 sensor coz crop factor is 2x so easy to calculate FL... hehehehe

meanwhile, i always appreciate a VF coz it helps when the surrounding is very bright and also it helps with stability when shooting

finally, i think u should consider not just the camera but the range of lenses available per system and IMHO, i felt the prices of m4/3 lenses are pretty reasonable hence also affected my choice when i was deciding... however if u look at the birding shots from a 1" nikon sensor, u will probably be blown away like i have been... amazing detail but i suppose probably amazing technique & experience comes into play too

start with something you are comfy with, most importantly, get liao then go out to shoot