Camera Labs

I would like to but new camera for using family event.

I have $1,000 budget for buying new camera.

As I heard Samsung NX, Sony NEX and Panasonic GF are good cameras.

Please give me advises.


ps. I saw Samsung NX1000 is released last week. Newest camera is better, right?
http://www.samsungimaging.net/2012/04/1 ... and-nx210/


And GF2??
http://www.trustedreviews.com/Panasonic ... era_review

New cameras dont always mean better. You have to look at cameras like a buying a New car - you have to judge the model for itself and then judge the brand. Ferarri make beautiful cars but they also make some horrible models in the past - some just keep breaking down and some models are just plain works of art and sold a lot. Mazda make ok cars but the MX5 is the biggest selling car model in the world because its a reliable and cheap convertable, and its a very old model - new does not mean better.

As for Cameras, the Samsung Im not so pleased about. For the money you can get the Sony NEX - people have voted with their wallets with this range of cameras because of the quality Sensor and size of the camera itself. The downsides is that its probably the most annoying menu system in a point and shoot mirrorless camera - Sony aims the NEX range to people who want to point and shoot and then later want to use manual and creative functions as they get better at it.

People also voted with their wallets on the Micro four thirds sytem because it has the biggest selection of lenses and the cheapest selection of lenses. Panasonic and Olympus are also 2 generations ahead of other companies on perfecting the mirrorless sytem. The Auto focus and the shooting speed is better than other sytems too. The sensor isnt as fantastic as the Sony NEX but the userfriendlyness of the GF2 and the build quality as well as the functions are at the top of my list IMO. Also, people forget that for the NEX and the Samsung ranges you have to purchase a seperate flash. (please correct me on this as 2 friends have a NEX and a NX1000 and they both dont have flashes in the box when I saw them with it in December.)

Keep in mind, the Sony system relies on its APS-C sensor size and Megapixels and some expensive lenses as its main attraction. If you want a smaller sized body with a BIG sensor in it, get the Sony. If you want a metal body, a LARGE selection of cheap and expensive lenses and ease of use and better Auto Focus and Frames per second, Id get the GF2.

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1) Olympus OM1 [Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8]
2) Pentax MZ-60 [Sigma 28-90 & 100-300]
3) Canon 7D [EF-S 15-85 & 70-200mm f/4 IS]

Leo's Flickr Page

Hi naganora,

May I wish you a warm welcome to the CameraLabs forum.

I'm currently in the market for a CSC (Compact System Camera aka "mirrorless") myself so, as I've yet to make a decision, I can hardly offer advice. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is occupying a lot of my attention at the moment but if you'd like to see what Gordon is travelling with check out this video.

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

As a NEX user, I can't really disagree with this - the menu system is just a mess in my opinion. However, I wanted to point out that at least the menu system can be largely avoided on the NEX, as there are a large number of programmable buttons available, so that up to 9 functions can be routed to direct external button control helping avoid ever going in the menus in the first place.



I'm not 100% on the Samsung, however, the NEX cameras should all come with a flash unit in the box - it's a small screw-on type that fits to the top, and can be left on as it's quite small - or left off if you're not likely to use it or need it. The flash is standard issue with the NEXes.

Otherwise, I'll just add that there are no 'best' mirrorless cameras or systems - each has advantages and disadvantages, and different people have different needs or likes that help guide them to the system that will work best for their needs. So no worries - just check them out, read about the features, and then pick the one that fits you best.

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Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

Thank you for your kind answers, guys!!

Have a good day