Camera Fuji vs nikon vs sony

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smoky004

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Have been using a nex 5R with a wide angle lens.Now need a second camera body with a general walk around lens.So my options are basically sony A6000 with 18-105 mm f4 lens, nikon D5500 with the 16-85 or recently released 16-80 f2.8-4 lens or get a fuji--either XA-1 with the 16-50mm & 50-230mm lens combo(total 50k) or get the dated XE-2 with 18055mm lens.

Now nikon is readily available and tried and tested device but combined with the very sharp and excellent 16-80mm or 16-85 lens is also very heavy??(weight is a real issue for me since have problem with my hands and will find it really difficult to balance a heavy camera).Besides i never used a mirror based camera before and am worried back focus/front focus issues and the fact that you have to check exposure after you have taken the shot.Will nikon service center fix focus issues since d5500 lack micro focus adjustment??Besides coming from mirrorless i just don't think i will be as comfortable.

Sony A6000 has a very good proven 24 Mp sensor(24 Mp is useful for me since there are times i crop images) and RAW files are great to work but i really hate sony jpeg output from my nex 5R.For critical shots i will always be processing from raw but hate doing it for every photo i take.Also while the quality of prime lens is great all zoom lenses except 10-18 mm are so so.But more than the lesn it's the quality of jpeg files that makes me hesitant to get a second sony body.Also sony is concentrating more on full frame these days and remains to be seen if they continue with nex series in future.

That's why the fuji. I "think i like" the jpeg output frm fujis as well as their film simulation modes.Interested in the cheaper XA-1(for 34K) and old xe-2(for 60k). Also their lenses are quite good.The quality of kit lens 18-55mm is comparable to canon L series.But and this is a big but...does it make sense to invest so much money in fuji when they have a negligible and dwindling presence in india.If the cameras for some reason stop working i may have to end up throwing the camera away or get a second body to use with my lenses.Also franklly fuji cameras are way overpriced in india.But then there is something about fuji photos that pulls me to it.
 
All the options make sense depending what you want. I'd list out the pros and cons for each as I know
1. A6000 - Great sensor, but that 18-105 lens is pretty big. I'd suggest the 16-70 f4 zeiss lens if you can afford it. Good thing about this is you essentially always have two body to use and can use all your E mount lenses. You can even put the two diff primes you mostly use and forget about the zoom altogether.
2. Nikon D5500 - Another great sensor. Fast autofocus, would be a very good combo with the 16-85 or 16-80. You will also benefit if you prefer to shoot wildlife in future. Of course the size will be would quite larger than the 5R and you'd have two different lens systems.
3. Fuji - If you shoot mostly jpeg, this should be at the top of your choice. However, suggest you to get the 18-55 f2.8-4 lens not the average grade 16-50. All the lenses are however quite expensive but they are all great lenses.
4. A high quality compact - Since you said you'd prefer a compact system and these days we have a few choices where you don't have to compromise much on IQ, you can look on to the various RX100 cameras, the Panasonic LX100 or even the Canon G1X.
Decide what you want from the camera, what type of photography you'd like to do with and prioritize based on them. Good Luck !
 
sabby said:
All the options make sense depending what you want. I'd list out the pros and cons for each as I know
1. A6000 - Great sensor, but that 18-105 lens is pretty big. I'd suggest the 16-70 f4 zeiss lens if you can afford it. Good thing about this is you essentially always have two body to use and can use all your E mount lenses. You can even put the two diff primes you mostly use and forget about the zoom altogether.
2. Nikon D5500 - Another great sensor. Fast autofocus, would be a very good combo with the 16-85 or 16-80. You will also benefit if you prefer to shoot wildlife in future. Of course the size will be would quite larger than the 5R and you'd have two different lens systems.
3. Fuji - If you shoot mostly jpeg, this should be at the top of your choice. However, suggest you to get the 18-55 f2.8-4 lens not the average grade 16-50. All the lenses are however quite expensive but they are all great lenses.
4. A high quality compact - Since you said you'd prefer a compact system and these days we have a few choices where you don't have to compromise much on IQ, you can look on to the various RX100 cameras, the Panasonic LX100 or even the Canon G1X.
Decide what you want from the camera, what type of photography you'd like to do with and prioritize based on them. Good Luck !
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Really considered getting the 16-70 zeiss but a no of them suffer from decentering defects.Also the edges are not that sharpand might be a problem since i mostly shoot landscape.Yes a second sony body does make sense but lack of a quality zoom and the fact that you have to post process almost every single photo is a major turn off.

That's why i am so interested in fuji.But like i said the lack of support is a cause for concern. Do you know any online site from where i can order fuji at reasonable rates ?? Amazon and other sites are charging a lot of money.I mean some are charging nearly 60k for the ancient Xe-1. Any other camera sustem that has amazing jpeg quality needing minimal post processing for landscape shots
 
smoky004 said:
Really considered getting the 16-70 zeiss but a no of them suffer from decentering defects.Also the edges are not that sharpand might be a problem since i mostly shoot landscape.Yes a second sony body does make sense but lack of a quality zoom and the fact that you have to post process almost every single photo is a major turn off.

That's why i am so interested in fuji.But like i said the lack of support is a cause for concern. Do you know any online site from where i can order fuji at reasonable rates ?? Amazon and other sites are charging a lot of money.I mean some are charging nearly 60k for the ancient Xe-1. Any other camera sustem that has amazing jpeg quality needing minimal post processing for landscape shots
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I do agree Sony jpeg engine does produce rather neutral looking colors. However, as someone who shoots mostly landscapes as well, I always found that to be a good thing. Usually I under expose by 2/3rd to 1 stop to save highlights and the neutral look helps me to have an idea about how much shadows and highlights I can recover during processing the RAW. I use a NEX 5R as well. A little tip - try the different DRO modes, they usually help liven up the jpegs.
If you do really want to exclusively shoot jpeg, I'm afraid your only options are either Fuji or Olympus. Both are quite difficult to find in India and both systems are quite expensive as well.
 
sabby said:
I do agree Sony jpeg engine does produce rather neutral looking colors. However, as someone who shoots mostly landscapes as well, I always found that to be a good thing. Usually I under expose by 2/3rd to 1 stop to save highlights and the neutral look helps me to have an idea about how much shadows and highlights I can recover during processing the RAW. I use a NEX 5R as well. A little tip - try the different DRO modes, they usually help liven up the jpegs.
If you do really want to exclusively shoot jpeg, I'm afraid your only options are either Fuji or Olympus. Both are quite difficult to find in India and both systems are quite expensive as well.
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I prefer jpegs to be a little punchy. True that if you want to process your images,neutral images are a great place to start but then why not just use RAW in the first place.And sony raws are amazing when you want to process landscapes images.There is a lot you can do with those.Just wish their jpegs were more like fuji or olympus.But yes both olympus and fuji are hard to find and very expensive in india. So maybe i will have a re-look at 1670 zeiss which offers punchy colors or wait till sony releases the version 2 of that lens with better optics and a bit better quality control.
 
I think the problem you are facing with sony camera is due to white balance. whenever I use the automatic white balance on my sony camera. I dont get good colors. I recently figured this out after I bought the white balance lens cap.
I suggest you either get a white balance lens cap or a grey card and set the correct white balance every time you start shooting. This could be a simple fix for your problem.
 
smoky004 said:
I prefer jpegs to be a little punchy. True that if you want to process your images,neutral images are a great place to start but then why not just use RAW in the first place.And sony raws are amazing when you want to process landscapes images.There is a lot you can do with those.Just wish their jpegs were more like fuji or olympus.But yes both olympus and fuji are hard to find and very expensive in india. So maybe i will have a re-look at 1670 zeiss which offers punchy colors or wait till sony releases the version 2 of that lens with better optics and a bit better quality control.
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I think you missed the bit where I mentioned I use the neutral jpeg to gauge what I can get from the Raw. I always shoot Raw+Jpeg for landscapes.
Anyway, why don't you take a look on the available primes ? Or better yet, get some old manual lenses - they have nice characters and usually tend to be much more sharper and contrasty than the E mount zooms. You can get a lot of old manual lenses at varying focal lengths for cheap and they are a lot of fun. That was one of the main reason I got a mirror-less. You can get cheap adapters and use lenses from all systems.
P.S. - I'd again suggest to experiment with the different DRO and HDR modes.
 
I would like to make a few comments here considering that I have owned the same camera in the past (Nex 5r). I currently shoot on a D3300 ( mostly potraits)

1. While the A6000 is fantastic camera ( for the money) , I always felt the sensor in the Nex 5r (and 5t) was better. In dynamic range esp ehn the ISO ranges around 3200 or more.

2. Also while Fuji is a solid choice in crop sensor, again as you mentioned availability and service are issues that have to be looked at

You mentioned street photography . Landscapes or people ?
D5500 might be too conspicuous for street photography.
How about a Panasonic LX100 or maybe even a Nikon 1 series ?[DOUBLEPOST=1444152469][/DOUBLEPOST]Oh and I for one used to love jpegs out of Nex 5r.
 
booo said:
I think the problem you are facing with sony camera is due to white balance. whenever I use the automatic white balance on my sony camera. I dont get good colors. I recently figured this out after I bought the white balance lens cap.
I suggest you either get a white balance lens cap or a grey card and set the correct white balance every time you start shooting. This could be a simple fix for your problem.
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Not sure It's entirely a white balance issue but yes white balance is indeed a bit off.What lens cap or grey card would you recommend and where to purchase it from ???
 
sabby said:
I think you missed the bit where I mentioned I use the neutral jpeg to gauge what I can get from the Raw. I always shoot Raw+Jpeg for landscapes.
Anyway, why don't you take a look on the available primes ? Or better yet, get some old manual lenses - they have nice characters and usually tend to be much more sharper and contrasty than the E mount zooms. You can get a lot of old manual lenses at varying focal lengths for cheap and they are a lot of fun. That was one of the main reason I got a mirror-less. You can get cheap adapters and use lenses from all systems.
P.S. - I'd again suggest to experiment with the different DRO and HDR modes.
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Always considered getting one.Any reliable sites ?the ones listed on ebays and other sites are usually fungus infested[DOUBLEPOST=1444322335][/DOUBLEPOST]
aka911 said:
You mentioned street photography . Landscapes or people ?
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Mostly landscapes and seascapes
 
smoky004 said:
Always considered getting one.Any reliable sites ?the ones listed on ebays and other sites are usually fungus infested
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I had bought several from ebay germany and ebay us. Read the description thoroughly and contact the sellers if needed. There should be many fungus free lenses.
 
smoky004 said:
you recommend and where to purchase it from ???
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I bought those cheap ebay ones but they are pretty accurate.
sabby said:
I had bought several from ebay germany and ebay us. Read the description thoroughly and contact the sellers if needed. There should be many fungus free lenses.
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ebay japan too.. they sell pretty clean lenses. the only thing is that you may have to clean them for dust if its bothering you very much. anyone who posts a picture of front element and the rear element in high resolution usually sell fungus free lenses. the ones which have fungus try to avoid posting high res images of front/rear element.

There are some camera shops on ebay like https://www.keh.com/ which sell old lenses. they are guranteed to be good quality as described. If I were you, I would buy from keh using global easy buy.
 
I am in the same situation just like you looking for a fairly compact size body with serious image quality without breaking the bank. These were my considerations and my observation so far

1.nikon d5500 or d7100. The reason i chose d7100 because that'd let me use the fabulous nikon 80-200 f2.8d which you can grab sed for as low as 40k.

And the lens choices are

Nikon d5500 body - 40-45k
Tokina 11-16 f2.8 - 24k
Tamron 17-50 f2.8 - 18k
Nikon 50 f1.8 - 8k
Tamron 90mm f2.8 macro - 34k
Nikon 80-200 f2.8 used/tamron 70-300 - 45k/24k
-----------------------------------
Total - 148k-169k



All these lenses have excellent sharpness and almost all of them are fast f2.8 glass. Nikon has almost equal if not better dynamic range than the a6000. Body is much better to hold and feel and built quality is far better than sony a6000 on my opinion, dont know about the fuji though as i havent had the chance to see it in any store.



sony a6000 body - 40k

Samyang 12mm f2 - 30k in india/$319 in us. Just outrageous. And its a manual lens.

Sigma 19mm f2.8 - 21k in india/ $189 us . Again not worth it and shipping it from us is too much hassel for me.

Sony 35mm 1.8 - 22k nowhere as sharp as the nikon one and costs 3times again.

Sony 50mm 1.8 - 18k

Samyang 85mm 1.8 - 35k

Sony 55-210 - 14k. Okay lens
----------------------------------------

Total ----- 185k


Sony zeiss 16-70 f4 - 50k not as sharp and as fast as the tamron 17-50 bt costs 3 times more.

Sony 18-105 f4 - 39k same as above and it really takes away the compactness.

Sony 70-200 f4 - 90k

There's no good autofocus macro

No good decent priced telephoto.

While it is really compact and has great sensor, on the downside if you really want good quality picture out of this sensor you need good glass and either they are not available in india or very expensive. Those above mentioned lens were the only lenses i could find with decent quality and within my budget even though they were on the higher side for what they offer. And yes you do get vintage manual lenses but they are either hit or miss.




Fuji. Lenses are good but cost a bomb. If i had so much money i would be thinking full frame.
 
Travel that includes landscape so i need a wide angle, normal walk around hence the 17-50. And the 50mm is like local delicacy, u have to try it and so cheap. Now i could stop there and i will when i'll be buying next month. Added the telephoto just in case i dont miss anything even though i won't be buying that anytime soon but i will. My point is u have all these flexible options, but with a6000 and fuji u dont have many budget friendly options.
 
soumyajit92 said:
Travel that includes landscape so i need a wide angle, normal walk around hence the 17-50. And the 50mm is like local delicacy, u have to try it and so cheap. Now i could stop there and i will when i'll be buying next month. Added the telephoto just in case i dont miss anything even though i won't be buying that anytime soon but i will. My point is u have all these flexible options, but with a6000 and fuji u dont have many budget friendly options.
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I think you should also consider the battery life and the no of shots you could get between charge. While you can always swap batteries, my personal experience with sony line of mirrorless cameras has been atrocious in this regard.
Conventional DSLR's on the other hand are almost always better in this regard, often by a margin of 2-3.

I have the trio of "cheap but good" Nikon lenses for my D3300, 50mm, 35 mm in 1.8 and the kit combo of 18-55 and 55-200. It has been a year and the only lens I ever use is the 35mm. I have become very used to the FOV it provides. The only lens I would consider in the future might be a wide angle zoom, but before that I might upgrade the body to maybe a used D7100 or something.
 
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