Any small, light DSLR to recommend?

[gibberi3h]

I'm still new to photography (5 months?) and am currently happy with my lumix lx3.

However after seeing the EP-1 & reading up on the 4/3 subforum, I'm so much in :lovegrin:

But an acquaintance of mine is lambasting me for wanting such a new system with few AF lens support & 2x crop factor.

Maybe I'm too new to photography but is a 2x crop factor that big issue for newbies like me?

My foremost priorities are:
- Price: I'm willing to spend $1.5k for cameras with kit lens
- Lens: Since I'm a noob, I'm just going to get a prime lens + telephoto lens.
- DSLR must be small, light and unobtrusive since I also like to take photographs in no-photography areas i.e museums. :embrass:
- So far my genre are: street, landscape, macro
- I hope to take the following genre: portraits with bokeh, birds

So what other small, light DSLR can you guys recommend? Thanks!

 

[jaypabie43]

Lumix panasonic G1 -
http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/default.asp?newsID=3788&review=panasonic+lumix+g1

 

[YSLee]

The crop factor really is irrelavent if you don't have legacy lenses.

 

[sinned79]

Lumix panasonic G1 -
http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/default.asp?newsID=3788&review=panasonic+lumix+g1

so big and its still not as good as canon rebel series.

 

[night86mare]

crop factor not important, the EP-1 has 14-42 lens if i'm not wrong, i know widest is 14mm for sure.

after crop factor 2x, that is 28mm in 35mm film terms.

for most dslr, usually people use 17mm or 18mm widest.. 17mm x 1.5 or 1.6 is 25mmish, that isn't too far off really from 28mm.

of course, most full fledged dslrs aren't going to be able to meet the size of EP-1.. but i think the pentax k-m is pretty small. pair it with one of pentax's pancake lenses, you can get pretty small:

 

[night86mare]

k-m is :

4.8 x 3.6 x 2.7 inches

ep-1 is :

4.8 x 2.8 x 1.4

 

[RezzShaz]

personally.....i feel, small and dslr should't come in the same sentence.

 

[XkaOnslaught]

for the requirments listed above, the only other option you have left is the EP1.

>- DSLR must be small, light and unobtrusive since I also like to take photographs in no-photography areas i.e museums.

however, if you dont mind something bigger, Sony A230 , or if you want Live view , A330. nikon wise you can get the D5000, which is pretty small already. also comes with live view. or canon 1000D. all are less than 1.2k iirc.

 

[Fotophilic]

if u can tolerate no built-in-flash, no VF, etc etc issues, E-P1 fits ur bill best.

one thing u need to remember is that m43 is still quite new, not many lenses availables. i know u can attach adaptors, but that will mean one more item u need to buy and may not offer AF for some lenses.

i am a happy user of E-P1. so far no major complains about it.

 

[Vulpix0r]

I believe the Nikon D60 is pretty nice.

 

[jaypabie43]

so big and its still not as good as canon rebel series.

hmmm.. then get the mini 5dmkII usb drive. (just kidding)

 

[Lomographer]

There are Nikon D40, D60, Canon 1000D, Alpha 100

If you have budget, can get the new upcoming D3000 kit

If you want fancy glass, you can buy them too,

And for the record, there is search button

 

[shelomoh]

- DSLR must be small, light and unobtrusive since I also like to take photographs in no-photography areas i.e museums. :embrass:

Er.. how do you do that? They have cameras and you mean you never got stop by the security guards?

 

[gibberi3h]

Thanks for the quick reply guys! Seems like I do have more choices than the EP-1.

for the requirments listed above, the only other option you have left is the EP1.

>- DSLR must be small, light and unobtrusive since I also like to take photographs in no-photography areas i.e museums.

however, if you dont mind something bigger, Sony A230 , or if you want Live view , A330. nikon wise you can get the D5000, which is pretty small already. also comes with live view. or canon 1000D. all are less than 1.2k iirc.

That's what I thought too. But I think for Sony DSLR line, my lens are even more limited? Heard from my acquaintance that I'll be stuck with Carl Zeiss lens?!

if u can tolerate no built-in-flash, no VF, etc etc issues, E-P1 fits ur bill best.

one thing u need to remember is that m43 is still quite new, not many lenses availables. i know u can attach adaptors, but that will mean one more item u need to buy and may not offer AF for some lenses.

i am a happy user of E-P1. so far no major complains about it.

I just need AF for the 2 lens that I want: Telephoto & prime kit.

There are Nikon D40, D60, Canon 1000D, Alpha 100

If you have budget, can get the new upcoming D3000 kit

If you want fancy glass, you can buy them too,

And for the record, there is search button

Thanks, now it's a matter of testing them. I don't need fancy lens that why I'm willing to try the 4/3 system.

Er.. how do you do that? They have cameras and you mean you never got stop by the security guards?

I've only gotten stopped twice. The beauty of PnS is that you don't have to focus via the viewfinder.

 

[gibberi3h]

crop factor not important, the EP-1 has 14-42 lens if i'm not wrong, i know widest is 14mm for sure.

after crop factor 2x, that is 28mm in 35mm film terms.

for most dslr, usually people use 17mm or 18mm widest.. 17mm x 1.5 or 1.6 is 25mmish, that isn't too far off really from 28mm.

of course, most full fledged dslrs aren't going to be able to meet the size of EP-1.. but i think the pentax k-m is pretty small. pair it with one of pentax's pancake lenses, you can get pretty small:

Thanks for the explanation. Thee way my acquaintance warned me about the x2 crop factor, it was as if my range was really going to be limited!

I hear that pentax's lens are also limited?

 

[YSLee]

I think the m4/3 system might be better for you.

 

[night86mare]

Thanks for the explanation. Thee way my acquaintance warned me about the x2 crop factor, it was as if my range was really going to be limited!

I hear that pentax's lens are also limited?

i never had much problem

of course you cannot just grab things off the shelf, but it's not that bad.

 

[gibberi3h]

I think the m4/3 system might be better for you.

That's what I initially thought too.

I wanted to rent a m4/3 system DSLR to see how chiam is the 2x crop factor but I don't think rental shops even offer m4/3 system nowadays?

 

[Lomographer]

if i am not wrong, CRC brought in the m4/3 system,

you may wanna check them out at commercial services offered

 

[puraime]

the 2x crop factor is not that bad especially when they also release wide angle lenses.
but the crop factor is really usefull for telephoto.