Can Someone Give me a Digital Camera Primer?

giganova said:
What I want is: small form factor with one prime lens for under $3k.
  • Sensor size: how importanrt is it? Full frame is always nice, I guess, but are DX, APS and 4/3 sensors a "step down"?
  • Is mirrorless the way to go? I find the latest Nikon Z and Canon R butt ugly, not my thing. Plus, they might be out of my price range.
  • Is L-mount the way to go? Stellar lenses are available from Leica and others, and the number of lenses and later down the road fresh new camera bodies (the new "disposable film" :D) is steadily increasing.
  • What's up with the Foveon sensors in the Sigma Quattro cameras? I absolutely love the form factor of these cameras, but they seem ultra slow, 10-sec to write one photo to the memory card?!
  • Love the look of the Leica TL2, but doesn't come with an EVF (the Leica add-on EVF is expensive and doesn't seem to be well integrated into the body), only the screen on the back, must be awkward to frame and focus.
If sky's the limit, I'd probably get a Leica SL or an M10 and stop thinking about it, but they are out of my price range.

Any recommendations for a 1-prime lens + digital body for under $3k?
Click to expand...

- Full frame is great. The latest 24mp aps-c/DX sensors are very decent, too, but you take a hit on depth of field.

- mirrorless is way more than Nikon Z and Canon R. Fuji and Sony make excellent aps-c cameras which can be discreet and don't scream pro photographer at all. If you like the rangefinder form factor, Fuji X cams are great.

- L mount is very new, although it will be supported by a boatload of lenses which will give you a lot of choice. If you want small, though, L mount is only really applicable if you go with an aps-c camera, and the Leica T, TL, TL2 and CL are currently the only aps-c L mount cameras. By many accounts from experienced users, the CL has image quality which is on par with the Leica M10.

- the Sigma SD Quattro cameras suffer from small-company syndrome. Since they want to do everything in house, they lack the resources to make cameras as fast and functional as their contemporaries. But their image quality and look is unique.

- The SL is going to look like a pro camera, and is darn heavy.

For your desires and purposes, a secondhand CL with one of the small primes like the 18mm f2.8 or 23mm f2 might be the thing for you. It has a built in EVF, is faster in operation than the T, TL or TL2, and looks very discreet. Not even Fuji make a camera/lens combination this small.

If you're willing to go bigger than the CL, the Fuji X cams are worth looking at, but note they have bigger lenses than the TL/CL in general.

If you only want a fixed 35mm equivalent lens, a Fuji X100F is the latest iteration of this series, costs way under 3k, and has great image quality and handling. It's a touch bigger than a CL but smaller than a Fuji X something with equivalent prime.


Also consider a secondhand Sony RX1r. Full frame 24mp sensor, smaller than anything mentioned so far, and with a superb Zeiss 35mm f2 lens bolted to the front. I regret not getting a fantastic deal on a secondhand RX1r a few years ago.
 
Fantastic responses, thank you so much for your help!

I decided to get the Fuji X100F because I like the hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder and the prime lens.

Amazon lists it for $1,299.- and a Japan version for $999.-, which I presume is without warranty? $300.- cheaper is tempting!
 
giganova said:
Hi all!

I've been shooting film my entire life, started on a Leica R system, later M, and recently medium format. But I think it's time to get into digital photography. So many sensors, sensor sizes, camera models, my head is spinning! I'm into social documentary projects, lots of travel, occasional street photography, with occasional landscape photography. I briefly had Nikons D810 and D610. Great picture quality, but D810 file sizes were too big for my taste, I think 24 Mpixel is more than enough. And I hated the form factor of these cameras and that they screamed "Caution! Professional photographer present!"

What I want is: small form factor with one prime lens for under $3k.
  • Sensor size: how importanrt is it? Full frame is always nice, I guess, but are DX, APS and 4/3 sensors a "step down"?
  • Is mirrorless the way to go? I find the latest Nikon Z and Canon R butt ugly, not my thing. Plus, they might be out of my price range.
  • Is L-mount the way to go? Stellar lenses are available from Leica and others, and the number of lenses and later down the road fresh new camera bodies (the new "disposable film" :D) is steadily increasing.
  • What's up with the Foveon sensors in the Sigma Quattro cameras? I absolutely love the form factor of these cameras, but they seem ultra slow, 10-sec to write one photo to the memory card?!
  • Love the look of the Leica TL2, but doesn't come with an EVF (the Leica add-on EVF is expensive and doesn't seem to be well integrated into the body), only the screen on the back, must be awkward to frame and focus.
If sky's the limit, I'd probably get a Leica SL or an M10 and stop thinking about it, but they are out of my price range.

Any recommendations for a 1-prime lens + digital body for under $3k?
Click to expand...

Leica CL body only - $2795
Leica M Adapter L - $395​

Use one of your M lenses ... 35mm is the focal length for a normal lens (50mm eqFOV on FF). Add other adapters to the M-mount to use your Nikon or Leica R—or any other, really—lenses. (Buy adapters that go onto the M-mount, you have more options at lower prices that way. They won't vignette on the APS-C format.)

That nets the most bang for the buck. The CL body has an excellent, 24Mpixel sensor. The body is beautifully made and has excellent controls and is easy to configure to your needs. If you ultimately want the latest in AF and all the other features of the CL body, you can buy the native TL or SL series lenses later. Batteries for the CL are the same as the Q and some other models: Easily available for $12 to $20 third party (Leica branded batteries are $99.99).

Or, just go for the "starter bundle":

Leica CL + Elmarit-TL 18mm f/2.8 ASPH bundle - $3195​

The Elmarit-TL 18mm is tiny, light, and produces lovely photos. Fully native to L-mount, it supports AF and every other feature of the CL body. On the APS-C body, it gives a 27mm eqFoV on FF.

Done.

G
 
I highly recommend to try to check it in store.
Not to buy it, but check if you are ok with the build quality and menus handling.
I did :)
 
giganova said:
Fantastic responses, thank you so much for your help!

I decided to get the Fuji X100F because I like the hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder and the prime lens.

Amazon lists it for $1,299.- and a Japan version for $999.-, which I presume is without warranty? $300.- cheaper is tempting!
Click to expand...

I always hesitate to buy gray market these days. There is no warranty and some manufacturers won't work on gray market equipment even if you're willing to pay for repairs.

B&H has several used X100F's listed right now in the $1000 to $1100 range graded from 8+ to 10. New ones are $1299, like Amazon, but they'll give you a free card and a cheap case. Depending on where you live, they may not charge sales tax. I've had good luck with B&H new and used gear over the years. I also like KEH for used gear but they have no X100F in stock right now.
 
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