Mirrorless Camera Suggestions??

Michael Carter

Michael Carter

Veteran
I'm stumped. I currently use the D7100 for gigs where I want a prettier look than my Panasonics. My daughter is looking for a mirrorless size camera which I'm clueless about.

Gh4's too pricey.

She's about to go to Europe for 10 days, her BF has a large credit at B&H. So a handy still camera is a priority.

But... her and the BF do a lot of business stuff, they run one charity and work for another, and they want to capture video with more ease than a DSLR and mic setup, and hopefully get all their needs in one camera.

So - micro 4/3 or APS-C... I've been looking at specs for the following:

Both 30p and 24p (they can live with just 30 if necessary);
Mic input or available external hotshoe setup;
Prefer image stabilization;
Manual audio levels;
Optimally a headphone jack...

They hire me when they need pro stuff (one of the charities is in the Caymans so I'm usually very available!). But they do want to be able to grab an occasional interview, etc.

Thanks for any ideas!
 
It seems to fit the bill.

I was thinking that or the Sony NEX or current equivalent, but those have that proprietary hot shoe and no headphone jack I think?
 
Yes, seeing a lot of models with the hotshoe setup... some of those cost more than the cameras!

She may give up 24p to open the selection up. Not a huge issue for the kind of stuff they do.

Tried to talk her into a D5300... but I've got a spare Rhode videomic I can give her...
 
I would say Sony a6000 with Sigma 30mm f/2.8 and 19mm f/2.8.

If that doesn't fit the budget either, then an older NEX, maybe a 5R or something like that.

My Flaat 2012 shootout featured the 5N (still my main camera, until the a7s arrives home) against the D800, GH2 and T2i.

If they do interviews, the mic thing may be a problem. I have to do either internal-mic or dual-audio with my 5N.
 
I have seen some reasonably good stuff out of the Panasonic GX7 which I think has been discontinued. Great carry-around camera really. I haven't tried the A6000 but I did use a NEX6 for several months, I thought the video output was inferior to the GH3 and some people think the GX7 might be a hair better than the GH3.
 
It depends on what you care for. The Panasonic image is usually sharper than the Sony image, but the Sonys have better DR (AFAIK, only the GH4 with cinelike has better DR than my NEX-5N, and the a7s trumps it by a wide margin).
I'm not a resolution fanatic, I'm a DR fanatic.


My 5N has about the same aliasing/moire as the GH3, the a6000 was the first Sony mirrorless without aliasing/moire, and it's also sharp and has nice color and it can take a SpeedBooster if you want the FoV and DoF of FF.
 
If you are considering a GX7, which has no headphone jack, then have a look at the G6 also. Has some of the nice features of the GH4 (focus peaking, etc) at one third the price.
 
She ended up with an Olympus. Some audio control, nice footage, only 30p though.

Funky thing is - it has a dedicated button that brings up a curves control... you can roll off the highs, open up the lows and even make the image very flat. Damndest thing I've ever seen on a consumer camera and really kind of cool. Played with it for a minute, but when she gets back from france I want to test that and see if it's really close to the sensor in the signal path or a noisemaker in the lows. On the LCD it was super-cool.

Thanks for all the comments!
 
I want that on the a7s. Able to use the whole range from the sensor and without creating unnecessary noise. Thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top