I know this topic has been discussed a lot before, but in my opinion there is no simple answer to this question.
Lately, I have been a bit disappointed with my Nikon DSLR kit (D3200) and thus I’ve been considering an upgrade. I got it many years ago, and it is undoubtedly a great, affordable camera that produces great images. I’ve had lots of fun with it and I can’t complain about its performance when shooting – given ideal conditions. When I am shooting more challenging subjects, however, I feel a bit hindered by my camera body/system. The points that bother me the most are:
- Size. The D3200 is a very nice, compact, and lightweight DSLR, but it is still relatively big compared to modern cameras. It won’t fit in a jacket pocket even without an attached lens. More current cameras with a higher image quality can be smaller than it is (but heavier). The situation is even worse for higher-end DSLRs.
- Autofocus. Again, the D3200 is a fantastic camera if you are just using the center focus spot using the optical viewfinder and nothing else. Live view (contrast) focus is straight up unusable, and there are only 11 (phase) focus points or so if using the viewfinder. At least that’s the case with “ordinary” Nikon lenses. I don’t know how it performs with higher-end lenses, like the Sigma Art line.
- “Low light” performance. I can’t bump the ISO significantly before image degradation becomes obvious. Low light in quotes because that’s the case even in fairly well-lit situations. Occasionally, I like to print on medium-sized paper (A3+), and if I need anything above ISO 400 to properly expose the image, it won’t look that good printed. Of course, I can always stick to printing bright images large and save the “low light” scenes to smaller prints, so this isn’t really my main concern.
- Custom controls. I wish I could customize the camera settings a bit more. For example, on my camera, the back button AF/AE can be set to lock the AF/AE or as a back button focus. But in image preview mode, the same button “locks” the image so it can’t be deleted. Thus, you need to quit image preview before using that button to trigger autofocus again. I would like to have a dedicated AF button so I can shoot straight from image preview if the opportunity arises. Another example of customization I can’t do: settings like auto-ISO and shutter speed can’t be capped/limited to a certain range. Let’s say I want to use auto-ISO but prevent it from going above 400 to avoid too much noise (and decrease shutter speed but risk shaky images). Or the opposite: prevent the shutter speed in aperture priority mode from going below 1/100 to avoid shaky images and then change ISO instead. Well, I can’t do either at the moment. Again, a nice feature to have, but totally something I can live with.
From what I have seen, cameras nowadays have gotten pretty good and they do look like a significant upgrade from 10-15 year old bodies. I guess all popular, entry-level, modern cameras (2019-) solve at least 3 of the 4 problems I listed above, so I don’t think I can go wrong with any big brand. However, I’m having a hard time deciding with so many options and sensor size/formats available. My options so far are:
- Nikon Z. Since I am already familiar with Nikon F lenses, I have read a lot about them and I know the strengths and weaknesses of many of those. That means I likely won’t be disappointed if I switch to another system, and I want a certain lens that doesn’t exist, or the optical performance is poor, or it is prohibitively expensive. The Z50, Z5, and Z6 all look amazing, and I can pick or switch between a full frame or cropped sensor easier than I would if I was stuck with a micro four thirds. They are more affordable than Sony.
- Sony. They seem to be fantastic cameras, with great image quality and features. Sigma and Tamron options for Nikon are likely available for Sony as well. I’m just slightly afraid that lenses might be too expensive for what they offer. Their cameras look super compact and pocketable, which is a huge plus to me. Full frame (A7iii) or cropped (A6400) are also both available for a seamless transition.
- Olympus. I think it is impossible to beat micro four thirds in size and affordability. It is perhaps the only system where you can get a wide angle, portrait, fast prime, macro, and telephoto that you can take everywhere in a small bag while not costing you a fortune. They also have pretty nice features, such as the “live mode”/“smartphone photography”, where you can get a frame that was captured slightly before the shutter button was pressed. This must be so cool for wildlife. Olympus stabilization is also highly regarded, with people claiming it to be “gimbal-like”. The E-M5 iii looks very appealing. My main concern is that I’ve never used a micro four thirds before and thus I don’t know how much I’m letting go in image quality. I already feel that the dynamic range I get with the D3200 rocking a larger, cropped sensor could be better.
I am not considering:
- Canon. I completely disagree with their “no third party lenses” policy. To me, that is unacceptable.
- Fujifilm. There are barely any telephoto options and they are one of my favorite lens types to use.
- Panasonic. I like what I read about the Lumix cameras, but they seem to be behind Olympus regarding micro four third still-focused cameras (apart from the G9). And I don’t know much about the L-mount.
- Hasselblad, Leica, etc. Too expensive. I want something that I can take with me everywhere and not worry too much if it gets damaged.
I would appreciate if you all could help me figure this out! Especially people who have used more than one modern mirrorless system or have recently transitioned from DSLR to mirrorless. Many thanks in advance!
Edited to add:
I forgot to describe how exactly I use my camera. I mostly shoot:
- “Lifestyle” photos, like something cool I’ve seen while biking to work, walking in the park, visiting museums, etc.
- Hiking, biking, backpacking photos, like landscape, close ups, macro, wildlife, etc.
- Birds of all sizes.
- Occasionally, street photography if there’s some cool event going on.
- I do like to shoot video, so something that would be 4K capable would be great.
deleted by creator
That’s actually a great tip! I was wondering if a trip to the store would be useful or not, because I’ll likely be buying an used and discontinued body. But I guess I can at least see how the different brands look and feel in person.
deleted by creator
Thank you again for the tip! Yeah, specs can be read online and they are just numbers I can look up if needed. If they aren’t really that physically different, I would be interested to see how those cameras actually feel, since I’ve personally only tried out Nikon, Canon, and Sony.
Digital Photography Review has great articles, buyers guides, and a side by side comparison tool: https://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/cameras
Personally I’ve got a Lumix G9 and I’ve been having a ball with it since I got it (I’ve got a link in my profile to where I share pics if you’re curious)
I’m by no means an expert but my use case lines up quite a bit with yours so I felt like sharing
It’s not bad to lug around and being able to have a couple lenses in my bag without worry is nice. But most of the time I just rock the 12-60mm Leica lens that came with it.
If you wanna pick my brain with questions about it feel free, though my lunch is about over so it’s going to be a few hours before I get back to you.
I’m checking out your pictures and they do look great and sharp to me. It’s great to know that you don’t think it is a large camera to carry around with extra lenses, because the image quality is indeed amazing.
I would actually like to ask you a couple of things, if you don’t mind. How often do you use high-res modes, and does it work well? If you shoot video, How do you feel about focus tracking? Are there any other “advanced features” that you feel like have been a game changer, like perhaps focus stacking?
Thank you, it’s always nice hearing that people like the shots.
Yeah it’s really not bad to carry‡ and I usually will take my 100-300 mm lens★ with me with the kit lens when I go out hiking or just brjng the 100-300 mm with me on a bike ride.
I use the high res mode sometimes and it works really well, the new G9-2 has a better high res mode from what I hear but I unfortunately haven’t tested it on the new version yet.
I have shot some video but I don’t shoot much that would require tracking focus. It’s more of a set it and forget it kind of thing. One thing I have used it for quite a bit is streaming video and it works fantastic for that.
In terms of advanced features, exposure bracketing is something I enjoy quite a bit. It allows me to more focus on framing and focus to nail a shot. But I’ve found myself not using that feature much lately. I’m not sure why I just don’t bother lol.
I think my favorite advanced feature though is connecting it to my phone over WiFi and controlling it that way. It’s so useful having a view from the camera on my phone and being able to control the camera. I’ve even done it with a tablet and it’s so freakin nice. Literally having a live monitor for the camera for no extra cost that allows full control of the camera.
★ Probably my favorite feature of the Micro 4/3 system is the lens sizes, there’s a huge variety of them and even the coolest lenses don’t weigh a whole lot. The 100-300 mm one I mentioned here is barely larger than a standard 12 oz soda can when stowed.
‡ The hikes I normally go on are north of 12 miles with thousands of feet of gain, it’s super chill to carry. I’ve got a peak design clip I use to put in on my hiking bag shoulder strap and my other lens is on the other strap. It’s a pretty great setup.
Of course I like them. They are nice pictures!
I’ve actually just arrived from my trip to the camera store and I was amazed by how small those lenses are. I was expecting the M43 lenses to be rather small, but not that tiny! I can totally see how a full setup with a couple of lenses would fit in a small camera bag/insert.
Exposure bracketing is indeed something I wish I had. I assume I would use it all the time, because my snow and skies are blown out fairly often.
I think the wifi control is cool as well. I can do the same thing with my gopro and I love it. I can place the camera somewhere and just comfortably walk away and shoot from wherever I am!
The G9 looked appealing online, but after seeing it in-person today, I felt like the body looked to big compared to what I originally had in mind. I kind of want something pocketable when I’m not carrying a backpack with me. I don’t think I would mind hiking with it, though. We do similar distances and elevation gains, and I also use the capture clip and I have nothing to complain about it. But for day-to-day stuff, I might prefer something smaller.
I will definitely look into Panasonic cameras with the similar features but a smaller form factor, like the GX9. Thank you again for making yourself available and your willingness to help me!
Older Sony mirrorless have most of what you’re looking for. I got a Sony a6000 for 350€ and it has auto iso with cap (but not auto shutter speed with cap), pretty good custom controls although I wish for more, great size, great autofocus. It does lack great low light performance, I also struggle with that, but maybe a full frame would be better for that.
You may want to try it out for cheaper and then buy lenses, and once you’re committed to the ecosystem buy a nicer more recent Sony.
I almost got a Sony A6000 two months ago for that reason, to “try it out” and “review it” as a day-to-day camera. As you said, it is nice because you can progressively upgrade within the same system without having to switch entirely. I will follow the advice below and go to my local shop to hold one more recent Sony in my hands, given that they all have the same format as older models anyway.
I use the Sony A7iii and have essentially zero complaints. Maybe the A7iv would have been nicer to get the fully articulating screen, but it hasn’t been a significant limitation. I got the Sigma 60-600 for birds and wildlife and then I use old SLR lenses when I’m taking fun photos that don’t need autofocus. I will eventually get the Tamron 35-150 for indoor sports. The Sony ecosystem is great with the huge selection of lenses, and while I don’t like that third party lenses are limited to 15 frames per second, it’s not as bad as Cannon’s policy.
I actually had the opportunity to check it out in-person today! It is a fantastic camera, impressive build quality and ergonomics. Buttons feel great and the image quality delivers. I feel like Sony is a great system because you go from compact, cropped rangefinder-style to amazing image quality, full frame SLR-style seamlessly. For now, I would prefer to stick to something smaller than the A7iii/iv, though. I was pretty pleased with the A6400. I am currently considering a model from the A6x00 (which I can later upgrade to an A7) or a mid-range M43.
I started with a used Nikon d3300 a while ago, and then upgraded to an a7iv when it came out. I was mostly starting to feel the limitations of low light performance and slow autofocus on the d3300. For me the a7iv seemed like the right choice at the time, and I’ve been very happy with it. But I think if I were making the same decision now, I might choose the a6700. It’s smaller, similar specs, cheaper, and most importantly for me, the apsc crop would be better for wildlife as it gives better reach. I recently went to Yellowstone and the number of times cool stuff was happening just a little too far away was a bit frustrating. If I had something like an a7riv or a7rv, it wouldn’t be a problem because of how high resolution they are. But those cameras cost a ton more. But I’m still very happy with my a7iv and will not be changing cameras any time soon.
I would say that unless you have a lot of nice glass for the d3200 already, don’t worry about switching to Sony. I think it really is the best brand for hobbyists because of how much affordable and excellent 3rd party glass is available for the system in both full frame and aspc. Just cannot be matched with any other system. Also, if you do want the crazy fancy stuff, the Sony G and GM lenses are some of the best in the game, and definitely have the most variety of lenses.
I would avoid m43. A lot of the newer cameras aren’t particularly light or small. I think the Sony apsc cameras are often more compact and more affordable.
Thanks for the input! I am considering the A6400 and A7iii, given the amazing reviews they always get.
I don’t own many expensive Nikon lenses, but I am planning on selling the more expensive stuff that I have to switch systems. That shouldn’t really be a problem, since I got quotes from MPB and KEH that I’m happy with.
Sadly, you are spot on regarding micro four thirds and the path they are taking. If I’m not mistaken, Panasonic’s last compact micro four thirds camera was the GX-9, released in 2018. Olympus’ bodies are not smaller than other brands, either. Some of them even dwarf high-end, full frame DSLR bodies (e.g. E-M1X vs D750), while most are only slightly smaller than full frame mirrorless (e.g. E-M5iii vs A7iii). But honestly, something that bugs me a lot is exactly the situation that you were describing about your trip to Yellowstone. I live pretty close to the Rocky Mountain NP, so I’m there somewhat frequently. I must say, there were situations where I regret not bringing a long telephoto with me, and I own a nice one. I have a huge Tamron 150-600, but I can’t hike with it on top of all the outdoor gear I’m bringing, so I only use it when I’m not walking that much.
Olympus, for instance, sells the 75-300 lens which is ridiculously small for the reach you can get. Especially if you compare that to a Nikon F cropped plus 80-400 or full frame plus the 150-600, the difference in size is jarring. At the moment, the only equivalent solution I see for Sony is a cropped body with the new Tamron 70-300, which is comparable in size to the E-M5iii plus the 75-300. Which isn’t bad at all. I suspect this would be an image quality vs reach battle, where I could see either winning.
I also agree that micro four thirds is sadly becoming pricier and pricier. In contrast, the market for Sony cropped seems to be always hot.
Actually, I’ll see if my local store will have Sony and Olympus bodies in stock so I can try them out some time this week. I’ve only ever handled a Sony ZV-E10 camera, I’m curious to see how the A6x00 series feels.
I actually was using my 200-600 with a 1.4x teleconverter. For photos it was a little easier but particularly for video was harder. But honestly it’s all great. I don’t do crazy hikes with a lot of gear so I’m happy to lug my 200-600 around. And it usually gets me the shot or close to it. I’m not a professional so it’s not like anything depends on me getting the shot. It’s more about the journey anyway haha
Main thing is my a7iv no longer feels like it’s limiting me like my d3300 did and more often than not, it is my own limitations
I am not familiar with super long reach photography, but I love telescopes. As a matter of fact, the latest DPReview photography challenge winner got the shot using a M43 camera with a telescope. Maybe you could look into digiscoping for your next trip if you need insane magnifications like 1200mm-3000mm or more. That should be way cheaper than a modern, high quality lens with extra features like stabilization and blazing fast autofocus.
That’s a good idea. I think in that situation the fancy stuff matters less than the magnification so the “cheaper” telescopes might make more sense. I’ll have to look into it!
