Which camera brand is offering the best value in mirrorless right now?

[Dallas]

Looking at everything out there today, which of the big names in cameras do you think is offering the best value for your money when it comes to mirrorless cameras? Think about body and lens range, price, re-sale value and general suitability for the kind of photography you like to do.

 

I've asked myself this question quite often this year and looking at things from my own perspective I have to say that there are only two brands who are making things that interest me as a commercial photographer. These are Sony and Fujifilm. If I was to choose one based on all the criteria I would have to go with Fujifilm, mainly because the prices of their gear seem to be the most reasonable, plus the fact that being APS-C the lenses are smaller and hence it's less of a mission to take around with you. While Sony also have some great cameras in their APS-C line-up, the lens range is far behind what Fujifilm has to offer. 

 

Your take? 

[Dallas]

Sorry, for some reason I screwed up the poll and replies weren't allowed. Now fixed hopefully. 

 

This should make for an interesting discussion. I am actually quite amazed at how much more affordable Fuji has become when compared to MFT these days. I will definitely be moving this way next year some time. 

[danielm]

"Offering the best value" is a very subjective notion. For sure the three major brands, Canon, Nikon and Sony are still the manufacturers that most professional photographers will choose before considering the others Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic or even Leica, Pentax, etc. 
But we have to make a distinction between the news reporter needs and the independant entrepreneur ones who may explore different makers options.
The other question could be a discussion about the perennity  of the different photo equipment lines which is always a tricky one. Who knows really what will happen in the five or the ten years ahead. We simply don't know. Technologies are moving fast and the world is changing at a fast pace in terms of resources and industrial constraints. 
At the end, the personal choices will prevail over the strict technical argues but, yes, as usual, the major have always the edge advantage.

[Markus]

Best value everyone has to decide for himself.

For me I want resolution, the lenses and their qualities play a role as does the interface. The future of "my" system should be bright and if I like the company that helps, too ;-).

 

So my very personal reasoning concerning brands and sensor sizes is the following:

As much as I like Olympus (my first cameras) and Panasonic (one of my favourite brands) I won´t count on m4/3 for my part, it will get more and more niche and eventually will become eaten up from below (phones).

APS-C might stay, but maybe not as a full blown system at the side of a full frame manufacturers full frame system, more like an entry thing.

APS-C could live longer at Fujifilm because they don´t have full frame and it is their volume product compared to GFX and they really put effort in the X-System.

Full frame I think will stay and become standard again (like in the old days) and the bigger the companies market share the better the chances are for that system.

Besides all that there is plenty room for niche products or companies, but they won´t have the same pace for bringing new products as the big companies, so if you like new stuff from time to time better stick with one of the big ones...

And for all the others there is an ever growing and fascinating used market, especially for glass.

 

My vote was for Fujifilm.

Was I to start from scrach these days I´d consider Fujifilm, Sony, Nikon and Canon.

 

[Dallas]

After 10 years of shooting with it, I find myself somewhat bored with the Micro Four Thirds system. I have whittled it down to 5 lenses; 8-18mm PL (which is the best wide angle lens I have ever used on any system), 12-40mm Olympus 2.8 PRO, the best general purpose zoom lens I have used on any system, 35-100mm Pan 2.8, it's OK, not Wow!, but OK and the Olympus 30mm 3.5 Macro (used once) and Olympus 60mm 2.8 Macro, also used once. 

 

They are all great lenses and they work wonderfully on my Panasonic G9 and Olympus E-M1, but honestly, I never feel like putting this kit in a bag and going out to enjoy some outdoor photography. They are work tools for me. 

 

So my approach to this question is this, if I want to go out and have some fun with the least expense, which system is going to let me find that fun at the least cost? I don't think it can be any other system than Fuji. They are inexpensive, the lenses are great and there's a whole lot of them on the used market here. 

 

I've been looking at the X-H1 and maybe just one zoom lens to start with. Probably something wide(ish). But now YouTube is showing me videos of people extolling the fun factor of the X100 series... 

[danielm]

7 hours ago, Dallas said:

...

So my approach to this question is this, if I want to go out and have some fun with the least expense, which system is going to let me find that fun at the least cost? I don't think it can be any other system than Fuji. They are inexpensive, the lenses are great and there's a whole lot of them on the used market here. 

 

I've been looking at the X-H1 and maybe just one zoom lens to start with. Probably something wide(ish). But now YouTube is showing me videos of people extolling the fun factor of the X100 series... 

You are right at pointing that the "wow" factor seems to evaporate over the years since many mirrorless products are now more mature photo devices than innovative ones. And there is also our own fatigue to be taken in account of course.

The Micro Four Third sensor format in particular for still photography have reached an obvious plateau and except for a few new items, the manufacturers actual trend is concentrated to some niches lines of products (Video, Pro All-Weather, Traveller) and future development might be limited. Olympus and Panasonic have fallen in this category.

The APS-C sensor format also have a reduced offer with some Canon and Nikon camera and lens models. Fujifilm is the only manufacturer to holding higherthe APS-C flame. Fuji has earned a very good reputation among its faithful users that are maintaining their interest to them but time will tell if the constant appeal to the (so-call) Full-Frame sensor format could deter them from their present strong loyalty.

The Full-Frame sensor format is suffering its inherent flaw because of its highly inflated devices size with the exception of certains Sony and Leica products. How can Canon and Nikon to manufacture "ballooned" cameras and lenses when we are asking for more mobile and compact devices of all sorts (The same is occurring in the automobile industry). So FF format is certainly not an enthusiasm way of doing photography in the future but some like Web camera gear reviewers appear to believe in that...

Modestly I may point out that "rangefinder" style camera designs (Fuji X-E3/4, Olympus Pen-F, Pana Lumix GX series, Sony A 6000 series) that are in essence what could be a real compact camera, might prevail after all, but on a very tiny market scale if the major camera manufacturers don't want to invest somme effort in that field. Otherwise there is still the used market ....

The cameras of today are now like many other products, disposable ones that won't certainly lasted and be reliable as long their famous analog-film predessessors. It is a fact that our present consumer market is imposing to us.📸

[Alan7140]

Having just read through the specs of the new Fujifilm X-T5, it appears that Fuji have hit the nail squarely on the head with this one for me, reduced in size compared to the X-T4, re-oriented to stills photography instead of the video bias that its other recent cameras have been focused on, and a 40MP sensor with pixel-shift enabling 160MP hi-res mode, all at a release price that seems eminently reasonable. Along with a long-waited for 30mm f/2.8 1:1 macro lens to finally(!) give me a macro lens that equals the angle of view and nearer lens-to-subject distance that the 50mm macros of the 35mm film era cameras were pretty much standardised on.

 

For my principal use on a copy stand this outfit will be unsurpassed and will finally enable me to produce high quality files from the large format B&W paper and film negs that I'm currently concentrating on without having to copy and stitch sections in order to produce a resolution that properly compliment these ultra-fine grain original negs. 160MP is as much as I'll ever need, I reckon.  Granted this is a truly left-field and unusual requirement, but this camera will deliver in spades for me, bolstered by the fact that I already have a bag full of XF lenses and accessories - seems I chose wisely when I switched to the Fuji-X system way back in 2012 (X-Pro1, followed by X-T1 & X-T2). The X-T5 is the one I've always hankered after, though, and I sat out the X-T3 & X-T4, and Fuji have finally got there for me. 😃

[Dallas]

The X-T5 does look very compelling for stills photography. I am actually quite amazed at the release pricing. With a kit lens it's less than I paid for a "discounted" Nikon D700 in 2009. Given our collapsing currency that says quite a bit about the value on offer almost 14 years later. 

[danielm]

35 minutes ago, Dallas said:

The X-T5 does look very compelling for stills photography. I am actually quite amazed at the release pricing. With a kit lens it's less than I paid for a "discounted" Nikon D700 in 2009. Given our collapsing currency that says quite a bit about the value on offer almost 14 years later. 

Hi Dallas,

 

Surely if you choose to go ahead with the Fuji X-mount system, it could be a "visible" image improvement from the MFT format, no contest about that, even if I used to prefer the MFT compactness slight advantage. The Fuji color science is excellent and is referring to the film-analog past days.

 

Fuji models like the X-H2 and X-T5 are fairly expensive in my book since I am still able to locate in Canada the previous X-H1model at $1200-1400 CAN price level for a brand new one (incredible but true!). For my modest point of view, Fuji smaller size models such as the X-S10, X-T30 or even the X-E4 have my preference for travelling around especially when they are combined with smaller optics (XF18-55mm; XF23mm; XF27mm; XF35mm; XF50mm F2 series).

 

At the end the choice is yours!

Good day to you and yours.

[Dallas]

Well, I'm not really looking for any increase in image quality. I am looking for something new to enjoy, because the joy of going out and doing photography for myself seems to be gone. I look at my current tools and I am not inspired to do anything with them, to be honest. There's absolutely nothing wrong with what I have, I just don't get turned on by using them anymore. 

[danielm]

6 hours ago, Dallas said:

Well, I'm not really looking for any increase in image quality. I am looking for something new to enjoy, because the joy of going out and doing photography for myself seems to be gone. I look at my current tools and I am not inspired to do anything with them, to be honest. There's absolutely nothing wrong with what I have, I just don't get turned on by using them anymore. 

I understand truly our present mood in regard of your actual photo gear since, for myself, I like to try and play with different camera end lens just to challenge me to learn and be able to use to their individual abilities and get different picture results (my wife call this a kind of mental disease to always look for new material things especially in photo). 
Why not try something that is a strong departure from your actual photographic equipment? You were interest with the Fuji X100 series but there is also the X-E ones (X-E3; X-E4) that may interest you as well. You can combine the very competent XF27mm F2.8 R WR or the WF23mm F2 R WR prime lenses which can be  perfect all-around optics to bring with you everywhere.
From the challenge to try something which is a strong departure from your usual way of using your actual gear, you might ignite an all new part of your photographic creativity.
P.s. Choosing a new camera model is like to go to a candy store: Which one is the most tasty? 📸📷📸🎅

[Anthony]

I don't think new photo gear is a cure for artistic block.

[crowecg]

On 07/11/2022 at 02:36, Dallas said:

The X-T5 does look very compelling for stills photography. I am actually quite amazed at the release pricing. With a kit lens it's less than I paid for a "discounted" Nikon D700 in 2009. Given our collapsing currency that says quite a bit about the value on offer almost 14 years later. 

If you are not after the resolution of the X-T5, then I think there are still places listing the X-T3 at even more reasonable prices that will give you a similar experience.  
 

You loose a few controls as you step down the range, but you do get a smaller lighter package.  Going to the extreme, an X-E model with the 27 f2.8 is pocketable almost compact size, but with capabilities right up there with many much bigger cameras.  

[danielm]

On 07/11/2022 at 12:26, Anthony said:

I don't think new photo gear is a cure for artistic block.

Sometimes it can be, like a new brush for the painters, a new pen for the writer, a new hammer for the builder, etc. The tools are also a cultural expression in human behavior or, at least, part of it. So yes, a new camera can reignite our creative flame.

[Anthony]

9 hours ago, danielm said:

Sometimes it can be, like a new brush for the painters, a new pen for the writer, a new hammer for the builder, etc. The tools are also a cultural expression in human behavior or, at least, part of it. So yes, a new camera can reignite our creative flame.

But only if the new tool enables you to do something different. Otherwise, once you have mastered the new tool, you are stuck with the same problem. What do you do with the tools at your disposal.

 

Example. I moved to Fuji eight years ago for specific reasons. I benefited accordingly (some may say my photography was no better, but that is another issue).  Last year I moved back to Nikon for specific reasons. None of these moves inspired me to enjoy or create in any different way, but they did facilitate me to do things I wanted to do.

 

Dallas has exposed his issues here, so it is legitimate to comment on them. Nothing he has said suggests that a change of technology is the answer. The answer is to be found elsewhere, but where that is, only Dallas can say.

[Dallas]

Everybody is different and we are all motivated in our actions by different things. For better or worse, changing camera systems does, for me, to an extent inspire me to go and make photos, but not just for the sake of making photos (because I can do a fairly competent job with a 5 year old iPhone) - it inspires me to produce content for this website, which many of you may know is my real passion. 

 

I recall now how I was inspired to start this community back in 2005 when after 3 years of shooting with Canon gear I moved back into the Nikon world with the purchase of a Nikon D70 and a few lenses. As you say, Anthony, it probably didn't do much for my photographic ability, but it did have a rather large impact on a large number of people. I started Nikongear and while that website may have been only one of many, so many friendships were formed from the creation of that platform. I'm still quite proud of that, even though (for me) it ended rather acrimoniously. My move to mirrorless sparked the formation of this community. 

 

I have held on to Fotozones through some incredibly tough times with support from so many of you. I have done this because I love creating content for this website, be it documentary or technical in nature. It just strikes a chord in me. I feel that if I can make new content for FZ by exploring a new (to me) camera system good things can emerge from that process again. Hence the real purpose of this thread, to see what systems our members view as being the most accessible. 

 

To be honest, as much as I would love to return to Nikon, or even become a Sony shooter, those systems are well beyond my ability to obtain. Since I attended the "touch and try" event for the Fujifilm X-H2s I have been looking at the Fuji system a little closer and I am very impressed with what I see. It has grown so much in 10 years. What's even more compelling is the outstanding support the company has for its products in my country, which is infinitely more than what I see from OM-Systems or Panasonic. 

 

So hopefully that explains, in a round about way, why I think moving to a new system will inspire me again.