Buying a new camera!

on

Buying a new camera was a 10-month endeavor, from when I decided to replace my 6-year-old camera to when I purchased the new one.  I also considered several things when making my decision.  I'm sure my logic and preferences will differ from yours, so I've decided to provide the research I completed and then have a quick summary at the end of why I chose it.  However, I have some biases that affected why I decided to research what I did, so I will try to add some notes as I go.  Though, I don't want to write this in a complete narrative style in the interest of post length.

I started with a Canon Rebel T6 camera body with an 18-55mm kit lens and two additional lenses: 10-18mm and 55-250mm (see previous post for more details).  I found the full setup quite large and difficult to carry when traveling, which is when I use my camera the most.  For this reason, I was looking for a more compact travel setup.  I'd heard that mirrorless cameras were smaller, and I'd also hoped to replace my APS-C camera with a full-frame camera.  At the time, Sony was the frontrunner for mirrorless cameras, and other big names, such as Canon and Nikon, were still catching up.

Sony Mirrorless Cameras

When I started searching, Sony had the most options available, especially considering when they started.  Specifically, their full-frame lineup was the most robust, so that is where I started.  Generally speaking, I was looking for a camera under $2500 with an ability to flex about $1000 if necessary, so several options were immediately removed.


Initially, I wanted to have a full-frame setup, but considering I found the APS-C camera setup large, the full-frame setup was about the same size but heavier (more metal, less plastic).  So, I started to look at the APS-C cameras.


Since I purchased my camera, a few additions to the Sony lineup have been made.  I've included them below.  Note: this update was completed in December of 2024.

Canon Mirrorless Cameras

While I was very happy with the selections available from Sony, I am biased by brand loyalty.  Therefore, even if the mirrorless technology was still being developed, I had to consider some Canon options.  Also, at the time, Sony had many lens options, but I still wanted some lenses that were missing from their lineup.  I also knew that there were options to use old EF lenses on Canon's new mirrorless camera through an adapter, minimizing the amount of purchases I'd have to make.  Additionally, some of the glass I'd inherit from family members are L-series lenses.


I quickly learned that Canon offered very few APS-C cameras, which use a different lens mount than their full-frame mirrorless cameras.  This means the adapter I mentioned doesn't work on these cameras.  So, I started looking at Canon full-frame mirrorless cameras (do you see the back and forth between sensor sizes *facepalm*).


While the EOS RP looked pretty promising for a full-frame camera in my price range, I was worried.  Many reviews discussed how it is a good camera. Still, it is one of Canon's first attempts at a mirrorless camera, and the improvements made between the RP and the R5 & R6 were rather significant (and expensive).  Many online rumors suggested that Canon's subsequent mirrorless releases would be in the same price range (~$2000 w/ kit lens) and have the newer technology.  With that in mind, I decided to wait to make a major camera purchase.  However, I was still tired of carrying around a large camera setup for travel, so I decided it might be interesting to buy a less-expensive compact camera in the meantime.

Compact Cameras

I'd heard that compact cameras have made great strides since my last purchase, a Canon Canon Powershot SX130 IS.  Also, using my mom's Canon S5 IS on a Girl Scout trip when I was 12 is how I got started in photography.

Honestly, I was surprised by how great compact cameras are now.  But...I'm still worried about having only one lens.  So, I decided to look at some other companies' compact cameras that have some serious glass (nod to Leica).

At this point, I realized I was now looking at price points close to what I'd pay for an interchangeable lens camera, i.e., my original plans for a compact camera were lost.  By now, Canon has announced that it will create APS-C cameras compatible with RF lenses.  Ahh yes, Canon and their impeccable ability to suck you back in.  Now, that's some good marketing.  So, basically, I decided to wait it out.

New Canon Releases

After a pretty long wait, I was rewarded with the Canon EOS R7 & R10.  Outside of the questionable numbering choices, I was very happy with the result.  In November of 2022, I finally walked into a camera store and got my hands on some cameras.


Unfortunately, I didn't leave with one.  We specifically looked at the Canon EOS RP, R7, and R10.  The M50 was suggested; it never came out of the box.  I liked the R10 the best, but of course, I wanted the specs of the R7.  The debate was comfort versus technology.  My dad and the store manager suggested the $500 bump to the R7 for the improved tech, specifically the added image stabilization and weather resistance.  I wanted to choose the R7, but the grip was too large.  I know it seems like a superficial factor and not nearly as important as weather sealing, but the grip was large enough that I was worried about dropping the camera.  When using both hands, the grip was just uncomfortable, but when using one hand, especially with the added weight, it felt like the camera was slipping out of my hand.  I'd love to say that I'm very careful with my camera, that it'll always be on a strap and I'll carry it with both hands, but that's not true.  When you shoot, the camera becomes part of your hand, and I don't walk around holding both hands together.  I wasn't sure, and new rumors (and the store manager) told me that Canon would announce some more APS-Cs next year.  This one suggested that an R version would be made of the R50 or the R100, so I decided to wait again.


When the R8 and R50 were announced, I was a little disappointed.  The R50 wasn't really better than the R10, and they changed the lens.  During our November visit, even though I wasn't sold on the camera, I was sold on the glass, specifically the RF-S 18-150 mm lens.  The R8 was exciting and definitely more enticing in size and price than the R5 & R6, but after seeing them in person, I fell in love with the compactness of APS-C lenses.  Lenses are another conversation, one to which I plan to dedicate an entire post, but in November, I decided to go the route of an APS-C camera because of the lenses.  The RF-S 18-150 mm lens ends up being a little longer than the RF 24-50 mm lens and my EF-S 18-55 mm lens, but it gives much more range and is skinnier.  It reduces the need for an additional telephoto lens and is very light.  So, given the announcement of the R8 and R50, I decided to return to the store and walk out with either the R7 or the R10.  The announcement for the R100 in May confirmed my decision, and a few days later, I was back in the store.

Final Result

In May of 2023, I walked out of Foto Forum, the same store where my uncle purchased our family's first Canon (the F1), with a Canon EOS R10 and the upgraded RF-S 18-150 mm kit lens.  After the R8 and R50 were released, I got curious and returned to the Foto Forum to see them in person.  The R100 was also there; once I had them in hand, I was very happy with my decision.  I've been very pleased with Canon's new additions to their mirrorless lineup in the past few years, and I'm very excited to see what comes next.  I don't know if it's good or bad marketing, but Canon always seems to come up with just what I am looking for right after I think of it.  It just means that I keep holding off on buying anything, but if I had been more impulsive with these purchases, I would've regretted my decision every time.  With that in mind, be patient.  If it's a major purchase like this, find something you will love.  I know there have been times when I've wanted something like a specific lens that doesn't yet exist for a particular trip, and my options are to make do with what I have or buy something in the meantime.  Make do with what you have!  I traveled around Europe with a giant wide-angle zoom lens setup because I brought my EF-S 10-18 mm lens tacked onto the EF to RF adapter.  This contraption was three times the size of the RF-S 10-18 mm lens released 3 months later, but I am very happy that I didn't settle for a random prime lens in that range.  Don't get me wrong, I want to try my hand at prime lenses (see future post about my ideal lens setup), but I find zoom lenses incredibly effective for traveling when I haven't been before.  Basically, I am hooked on Canon, so even if I am momentarily frustrated by their lack of mirrorless options, I know they are growing their line.  I mean, they only finally debuted that coveted R1 spot this year.  Even so, I am very excited to see what their next APS-C camera will be.  Let's just say I like what Richard said in his post on canonrumors.com and would love to add his version of an R200 to my collection as the perfect upgraded compact camera.

References



Foto Forum (Arizona): https://larmon.com/

Opinion: Let's redo the APS-C lineup in 2025. Please.: https://www.canonrumors.com/opinion-lets-redo-the-aps-c-lineup-in-2025-please/

Related Posts

Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA

Comments

Post a Comment