What System Should My Coworker Buy

Good friend at work wants a new camera. He likes nice photos and is medium competent, but not a serious enthusiast. Mid-30's gent, getting married and this year and looking to shoot some interests plus honeymoon travels etc. A couple unique features, he especially knows he likes to have some long telephoto reach, and also has some interest in macro.

I've suggested he look at the Sony a6xxx, the Canon M's, the micro 4:3 options, and perhaps the Fuji system. Figure a body and two lens kit (wide normal zoom _ telephoto zoom) what would you suggest.

No hard and fast budget has been proposed, but I sense the budget is more in the $1000-$1500 range for the whole kit.

JeffreyG wrote in post #18998136
Good friend at work wants a new camera. He likes nice photos and is medium competent, but not a serious enthusiast. Mid-30's gent, getting married and this year and looking to shoot some interests plus honeymoon travels etc. A couple unique features, he especially knows he likes to have some long telephoto reach, and also has some interest in macro.

I've suggested he look at the Sony a6xxx, the Canon M's, the micro 4:3 options, and perhaps the Fuji system. Figure a body and two lens kit (wide normal zoom _ telephoto zoom) what would you suggest.

No hard and fast budget has been proposed, but I sense the budget is more in the $1000-$1500 range for the whole kit.

Do you have any idea what he means by "long telephoto reach" that could go anywhere from 200 - 600mm and would eliminate quite a few cameras the longer it gets .
If he wants a real telephoto reach I would strongly recommend an EVF for the 3rd point of support to avoid camera shake.

Also, really critical is what he wants to do with his photos.
Will he put them on social media, view them on screen, make medium prints (say 11x17) or go for really big prints? The further along that list he goes the better (and more expensive) gear he needs.

If he is inclined to anything except big prints, he might want to consider the Sony RX10 IV, bridge camera. It has a 1" 21 MP sensor, is environmentally sealed and has good IS @ 4.5 stops. It's FoV is 24-600mm Equivalent. It can be controlled by a smartphone and it takes 4k video - it even has headphone and microphone sockets...

see: https://www.sony.co.nz …ompact-cameras/dsc-rx10m4
Review: https://www.dpreview.c​om …y/compacts/sony​_dscrx10iv

No changing of lenses, simple solution, should be within budget.

I say that buying a camera is like buying a car..."No matter what ANYONE suggests you buy, it is very important that the buyer handle (drive) different ones before you select, because the personal 'fit' is a VERY IMPORTANT consideration.

Generally you will not hear, "You should buy the brand that I wish I owned, instead of what I have." Common in photography is the sentiment, "You should buy the same brand that I own, maybe the fancier more expensive model which I would LOVE to own (but cannot afford)!"

And, just like buying a car, unless you know in advance what the prospective user's NEEDS are, how does anyone recommend that someont buy [electric vs. hybrd vs. gas vs. diesel], or [2 door vs. coupe 4 door sedan vs. SUV vs pickup truck]?!
A mom with 4 kids has very different set of needs, even though she might secretly desire to own the same 2dr convertible that the 30yr old bachelor wants to have, and both have different wants/needs than a 40yr old contractor in the construction industry.

Wilt wrote in post #18998183
I say that buying a camera is like buying a car..."No matter what ANYONE suggests you buy, it is very important that the buyer handle (drive) different ones before you select, because the personal 'fit' is a VERY IMPORTANT consideration.

Generally you will not hear, "You should buy the brand that I wish I owned, instead of what I have." Common in photography is the sentiment, "You should buy the same brand that I own, maybe the fancier more expensive model which I would LOVE to own (but cannot afford)!"

And, just like buying a car, unless you know in advance what the prospective user's NEEDS are, how does anyone recommend that someont buy [electric vs. hybrd vs. gas vs. diesel], or [2 door vs. coupe 4 door sedan vs. SUV vs pickup truck]?!
A mom with 4 kids has very different set of needs, even though she might secretly desire to own the same 2dr convertible that the 30yr old bachelor wants to have, and both have different wants/needs than a 40yr old contractor in the construction industry.

I completely agree.

I have posted regularly on the same theme, but what makes this different is that the question is not being put by the person who wants the camera. I would rather the fellow that wants the camera posted for advice, then we could go through the process properly with him. You will note that I prefaced my comments with several questions, and then advised based on the premise that this person wanted some serious reach and was not going to produce large prints. The desire for environmental sealing was not unreasonable, and taking a bunch of lenses on a honeymoon does not usually go down well - the idea after all is to enjoy the moment and not dither around with changing gear.

That said, I did not recommend the Sony because I have it. In fact I do not, but I prefer to recommend on specs and benefits rather than what I own, as my situation will inevitably be different. One salient point was that the inquirer wanted "long telephoto reach, and also has some interest in macro." So one has to start somewhere...

There are not many cameras that have a long reach, plus macro capability in a compact form and can provide all that within around $1,500. On the other hand it is not unreasonable to expect that he will want the ability to take fairly wide angle shots and some in between. That shrieks bridge camera.

I would not recommend most bridge cameras as they have very small sensors (like the Canon PowerShot SX70). The other option for a bridge camera is a 1" sensor and there are two models in the game here: the Canon PowerShot G3X, which also has a 24-600 FoV and the Sony. I have the Canon and would not recommend it unless one purchased the optional EVF, which adds expense and is also very clumsy to use. It has been compared to the Sony and the Sony came out with the better review.

https://www.imaging-resource.com …anon/g3x/vs/son​y/rx10-iv/

I provided the reviews and specs so that the person seeking advice could evaluate this for themselves. This camera has some unique features that make it a good contender.

That said, I would encourage both the poster and inquirer to go through the process I outline in this post in response to a similar inquiry:
https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=18986075

JeffreyG wrote in post #18998136
Good friend at work wants a new camera.

Could be key information; what is his “old” camera and what gear (like lenses) is he using?

If he is not a "camera guy" then the RX10 might be the perfect option for him

I would agree with John from PA if that is possible. So far all we have to go on is that this person: "is medium competent, but not a serious enthusiast."

So in my post of questions to ask:
What kind of photographer are you? By that I mean something between casual social use of a camera, through student, enthusiast, pro-sumer to professional. At each level there is a cost/benefit envelope to gear that increases according to the level of commitment. As one moves up the scale the expected investment is likely to increase, but then the cost of switching increases too as often lenses have to be swapped or adapted (always a compromise).

In that scale of intent, I would place them on the social to casual user area (pending clarification), and the Sony provides a huge range of capability without complexity. My expectation would be that they don't want to spend time swapping lenses and carrying a bag of gear, but they want a wide range of capabilities, and maybe video of their special time.

As I said, you have to start somewhere and I would expect that if it is not on target we will get further clarification. What would be best is that they should join the forum and engage directly.

OK, Few updates. First, I am the person that plans to help him figure out what he wants / needs. My problem is that I'm much more into photography than he is so I am most familiar with systems that are way to big, expensive, etc. for him. I'm looking to get up to speed a bit on what the current landscape looks like for cameras like the Sony a6xxx, the Canon M, the micro 4:3 stuff. That suggestion of a non-interchangeable lens like the RX is interesting and I will look at it.

He used to have or has a Canon 300D, which is obviously not recent and he feels is too out of date. He has some travel planned this year, which is the main driver.

As for long telephoto.....he just said that a lot of his interests had him previously in the telephoto range. My suspicion is that he will find the commonly available (and cheap) 50-200 kind of lenses for the M or Sony a6xxx to be too short. Sony has a 70-350 APS-C lens, but it's $900. I'm looking to help him thing about those kinds of tradeoffs.

The RX10 might be an option. I'm sure the 1" sensor isn't going to be as versatile as a m4:3 or APS-C, but he probably isn't going to be making huge prints either. Mostly web sharing I suspect.

JeffreyG wrote in post #18998531
OK, Few updates. First, I am the person that plans to help him figure out what he wants / needs. My problem is that I'm much more into photography than he is so I am most familiar with systems that are way to big, expensive, etc. for him. I'm looking to get up to speed a bit on what the current landscape looks like for cameras like the Sony a6xxx, the Canon M, the micro 4:3 stuff. That suggestion of a non-interchangeable lens like the RX is interesting and I will look at it.

He used to have or has a Canon 300D, which is obviously not recent and he feels is too out of date. He has some travel planned this year, which is the main driver.

As for long telephoto.....he just said that a lot of his interests had him previously in the telephoto range. My suspicion is that he will find the commonly available (and cheap) 50-200 kind of lenses for the M or Sony a6xxx to be too short. Sony has a 70-350 APS-C lens, but it's $900. I'm looking to help him thing about those kinds of tradeoffs.

The RX10 might be an option. I'm sure the 1" sensor isn't going to be as versatile as a m4:3 or APS-C, but he probably isn't going to be making huge prints either. Mostly web sharing I suspect.

The Canon 300D is what was called a Digital Rebel here in the States. I would suggest looking at a refurbished 80D unless he wants to reduce equipment size. Couple that with one of Canon’s all purpose zooms. Link to the refurb 80D is at https://shop.usa.canon​.com …/eos-80d-body-refurbished.

He would like a smaller camera than the 300D, and he is interested in some of the interface advantages of mirrorless.

I think what makes it hard is if there's a long telephoto requirement. Perhaps if he's more casual, a bridge camera will fit the bill better (as mirrorless interchangables get more expensive). There are superzoom ones...and something like the Nikon P1000 get somewhat big just because of the really large lens:

Top 9 Bridge Cameras compared | Super zoom Cameras

Final IQ verdict: Matt Granger liked the Sony R10 the best (for zooms). And that the latest cell phone cameras can be better at wide angles.

For someone going on a honeymoon, I would heartily suggest, "Bring a nice quality compact P&S, leave the fancier camera (mirrorless/dSLR/bridg​e) behind, at home!

My wife and I went to Kauai about 3 months ago, we have been married almost 20 years, my Canon S110 is what I brought, not lugging a kit of body and lenses...absolutely no regrets. 20 years ago, on our honeymoon in Maui, I brought a film P&S and left my Olympus kit and Bronica medium format kit at home...absolutely no regrets. Neither were photo trips, they were to enjoy the setting completely, and each other's company.

Since the friend had a 300D, he may own some lenses that fit perfectly on Canon EF mount bodies, and with the adapter, fit Canon R mount bodies...so I start with a bias toward that, only for not throwing away the old investment entirely.

M4/3 is good start to get married and for first macro, tele.
For travels even better.

If I were starting out with no gear, looking for a compact mirrorless system, (not top of the line mega-mega-pickleFF) my choice would be between 4/3 and fuji.
Both systems have amazing NATIVE lens options. IMHO Canon's M is only flushed out by the EF adapter, which is not a good reason for someone starting from scratch to consider them. Nikon abandoned it's compact Mirrorless line (Nikon 1) ages ago, which has me worrying about the future of M with so few lenses.

An additional bonus, in both cases (4/3 and Fuji) the system/bodies are evolving so fast that if one were willing to buy last years flavor used you'd be getting a $1,200.00 body for $500.00.

B&H is offering the M5 with 15-45mm lens at $449 (about 1/2 price). $569 with the 18-150mm.

See https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …5_mirrorless_di​gital.html