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mirrorless camera with requirements

rh71

rh71

No Lifer
We already have an old Rebel XSi DSLR but we never bring it anywhere due to its bulk so we're looking to go to the next best option in a mirrorless.

Requirements:
Under $400, new
Not bulky, with a 50mm or more zoom lens
Flash
Records video

Was considering the Nikon 1 J3 until we realized 30mm zoom was insufficient. Does 50mm zoom automatically mean the lens will be bulky on one of these?

Brother has a Sony NEX-3N and I think that's as thick as we'd go but hoping there were more options.
 
Ever thought about a Rebel SL1? Price is over your $400 limit -- around US$ 600. It's pretty small, especially with a pancake lens (e.g. 40mm f/2.8) attached. If you have any EF or EF-S lenses, they should work too. Might be able to get a used one, body only, for your price point.

A mirrorless with a pancake might be smaller. With a zoom lens, I'm not so sure anymore. My Sony A7 is huge with a zoom attached. The body is thinner than a DSLR, but I wouldn't call it compact.

I've heard good things about the Sony RX100. No interchangeable lens, but 1" sensor according to Amazon.com. It's $450, might be an older model.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-DSC-RX100...dp/B00889ST2G/
 
rh71 said:
Was considering the Nikon 1 J3 until we realized 30mm zoom was insufficient.
Click to expand...

Remember that the Nikon 1's have a 2.7 focal multiplier, so 30 * 2.7 = 81mm.
Sony and Nikon APS-C have a 1.5 multiplier, so 50mm * 1.5 = 75mm.

So, in this case, the Nikon 1 has "more reach."
 
rh71 said:
We already have an old Rebel XSi DSLR but we never bring it anywhere due to its bulk so we're looking to go to the next best option in a mirrorless.

Requirements:
Under $400, new
Not bulky, with a 50mm or more zoom lens
Flash
Records video

Was considering the Nikon 1 J3 until we realized 30mm zoom was insufficient. Does 50mm zoom automatically mean the lens will be bulky on one of these?

Brother has a Sony NEX-3N and I think that's as thick as we'd go but hoping there were more options.
Click to expand...
50 mm on 8x10 gives a 145.82° diagonal angle of view

50 mm on 5x7 gives a 130.82° diagonal

50 mm on 67 medium format gives a 85.35° diagonal

50 mm on 645 medium format gives a 73.74° diagonal

50 mm on small format gives a 46.79° diagonal

50 mm on a NEX-3N gives a 31.5° diagonal

50 mm on an olympus E-PL7 gives a 25.36° diagonal

50 mm on a nikon j1 gives 18.03° diagonal

so... which do you need?
 
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rh71 said:
We already have an old Rebel XSi DSLR but we never bring it anywhere due to its bulk
Click to expand...

Do you need an interchangeable lens camera at all? If you don't mind giving up the ability to change lenses, as well as a viewfinder in some cases, you could get a RX100 (or RX100 II, or III), LX100, or G7 X. Of those the RX100 is the only real shirt pocketable option; the rest are more jacket-pocket/pants-pocket size. The RX100 may have a smaller sensor, but with a fast lens it is on par with a DSLR using slower (kit) lenses.

Otherwise, the NEX-3N might be the best option so long as you don't need a hotshoe for a real flash. If you do, and you can stretch your budget, the a6000 is a great DSLR replacement. For under $400 new though, you're going to have to wait a while for it or try to buy used. The Nikon 1 series is on a road to nowhere (the RX100 and FZ1000 almost obsoletes it). Micro Four Thirds has a few sub-$400 models especially older ones, so if $400 is a hard limit you may want to go there.
 
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CuriousMike said:
Remember that the Nikon 1's have a 2.7 focal multiplier, so 30 * 2.7 = 81mm.
Sony and Nikon APS-C have a 1.5 multiplier, so 50mm * 1.5 = 75mm.

So, in this case, the Nikon 1 has "more reach."
Click to expand...

That's interesting - because we sampled a Sony 50mm zoom lens in the store to figure that the Nikon 30mm wasn't enough. We'll have to consider all other responses too - thx.
 
You might want to ask yourself how much of the bulk of your SLR is stopping you from bringing it out. To me, if it doesn't fit in your pocket, it needs a bag, and if it needs a bag, how much does an inch here or there really make a difference inside the bag? I'd say check out the RX100.
 
It's more for my wife who wants to take shots of the kids on weekends so we want it to just fit in a cloth bag in her purse.

I showed her the XSi with the 50mm fixed lens and while it takes a lot of the bulk out, it's still heavy and won't fit in anything but its own case.

Another question - is there shutter lag on these with no viewfinder? That's one of the nice things about the DSLR compared to compacts - very little lag.

RX100 does look to be a lot better (and even more compact) than the J3 but $100 more even with discount.
 
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In that price range, you're probably looking at first gen RX100 as one of the best options. It's really hard to beat. You might be able to get a good deal on a refurb DSLR but if you're headed away from bulk, I'd probably advise to just forego system cameras altogether.

I saw a reasonable deal on a third gen RX100 bundle on amazon, but significantly beyond the price point you stated.
 
Looks like my aunt gets a 25% employee discount so $376 shipped. Score. Thanks for the advice.
 
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