Buying the Best DSLR or Mirrorless 2014 / 2015 – Some Great Resources
DP Review
The most complete reviews I’ve found so far.
Round Up of Full Frame Cameras
Mirrorless Cameras for Enthusiasts
Cameratico.com
Meet Cameratico, a humanized camera recommendation engine. Cameratico translates real world experience into accurate and personalized camera recommendations (and compares prices, too!).
PC Magazine
The Best DSLR Cameras
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404170,00.asp
CNET
The Best Mid-Range DSLR Cameras
https://www.cnet.com/topics/cameras/best-digital-cameras/midrange-dslr/
Tom’s Guide
Best DSLRs
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-dslrs,review-2218.html
Best Mirrorless
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-mirrorless-cameras,review-2221.html
Nikon
All DSLR Cameras
https://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/dslr-cameras/index.page
Canon
All DSLR Cameras
https://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras
Sony
Mirrorless Cameras – Alpha NEX
https://store.sony.com/all-alpha-nex/cat-27-catid-All-Alpha-NEX-Cameras
Comparison Table
| Name | ISO (auto) | ISO (manual) | Continuous AF in Video | Sensor Size | Mega- pixels | Price (Jan 2015) w/ lens | FPS | Points of AF | Image Processor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikon D750 | 12,800 | 51,200 | yes | Full Frame - 35.9 mm x 24 mm | 24.3 | $2,300 | 6.5 | 51 | EXPEED 4 |
| Canon 7D Mark II | 16,000 | 51,200 (expanded) | yes | APS-C | 20.2 | $2,200 | 10 | 65 | Digic 6 |
| Canon 70D | 12,800 | 25,600 (equivalent) | Yes | APS-C | 20.2 | $1,300 | 7 | 19 | Digic 5+ |
| Sony Alpha NEX-7 (mirrorless) | 16,000 | Yes (per CNET review) | APS-C | 24.3 | $1,135 | 10 | 25 | ||
| Sony Alpha NEX-6 | Yes (per CNET review) | APS-C | $900 | 99 | |||||
| Nikon 7100 | 6,400 | 25,600 | 23.5 mm x 15.6 mm | 24.1 | $920 | 6 | |||
| Nikon 610 | 6,400 | 25,600 | Full Frame - 35.9 mm x 24.0 mm | 24.3 | $1,900 | 6 | |||
| Sony Alpha 6000 | 25,600 | Yes with 179 point AF system | APS-C | 24 | $700 | 11 | 179 points of phase detection with 25 points of contrast detection | Bionz X | |
| Sony a7 II (ILCE-7M2) (mirrorless) | 25,600 | yes | Full frame | 24 | $1,700 | 17 phase-detection points and 25 contrast-detection points (30% faster than a7) | |||
| Sony a7S (mirrorless) | 409,600 (yes, really) | yes | Full frame | 12.2 | $3,000 | 5 | |||
| Sony a7 (Alpha ILCE-7) (mirrorless) | 25,600 | yes | Full frame | 24.3 | $1,600 | 5 | |||
| Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 (SLR-like (bridge) ) | 12,800 | 12,800 | 13.2 x 8.8 mm (1 inch type) - smaller than APS-C | 20 | $1,000 | 10 | 25 | Bionz X | |
| Olympus E-M1 | 25,600 | 25,600 | Touch screen for focus racking! | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) | 16 | $1,300 (no lens) | 10 | ||
| Panasonic GH4 | 25,600 | 25,600 | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) | 16 | $1,700 (no lens) |
Compare Sensor Sizes
From Wikipedia
Note from Wikipedia: All APS-C variants are considerably smaller than 35 mm standard film which measures 36×24 mm. APS-C sensor sizes range from 20.7×13.8 mm to 28.7×19.1 mm.
Looking to balance the trade-offs between easy of travel, great video, great for low-light and price. For travel – a mirrorless camera seems to be the way to go. And in the mirrorless category, Sony seems to be dominating. The Sony a6000 is universally reviewed as an amazing value for it’s $700-$900 sticker price. It also comes with an on-board flash which some of the full-frame mirrorless do not. With an extra battery or two for around $25, and a f1.8 lens 35mm lens for about $450 – you’re still not spending that much. Or if you skip the kit lenses – the camera is only $550 (but it doesn’t seem worth it because the kit lens is a great value in the pacakage). So $1,150 to get the low light performance.
In terms of video – one defining issue is sound. With the a6000 you need to get a hot shoe adapter.
The tempting upgrades: The Sony a7. If you’re thinking of spending $1200 on the a6000, why not go to $1600 and get the a7? The pros: full-frame with better audio input and a higher resolution view finder. The cons: The a7 is slightly larger, has only half the fps – 5 versus 11 with the a6000, and no built-in flash. The a7 will undoubtedly take better low light photos (even with the kit lens), but better enough?
Or perhaps one of the other new alpha series: It’s hard to get a feel for all of Sony’s newest additions to its Alpha series by looking at their website. The easiest method may be to check out the side-by-side comparison on DPReview . They all seem to have XLR audio support via microphone jack adapters. And they are all full-frame mirrorless cameras. They are all slightly larger than the a6000.
The Sony a7S – $3k (with lens) can almost see in the dark with an ISO at over 400k.
The Sony a7R – $2k (no lens) is amazing for very high resolution photos.
The Sony a7 – $1,600 (with lens) has better autofocus than the 7R or 7S.
The Sony a7 II – $2k (with lens) it’s the upgrade to the a7.
Sony Lenses for the a6000
SEL35F18 – f1.8 35mm
$450 at Amazon