UKC

Looking to spend £200 - £250. Will mainly be used for photographing children, I'm finding my 'enthusiast' compact increasingly can't really handle indoor photography without the flash as they speed up and I'm missing or ditching loads of shots.

So requirements; good poor light performance at fast shutter speeds (c, 1/100th), good metering and fast autofocus. Would still like something smaller and compact.

Will my needs be served by something like a Sony NEX 5 or would I be better going proper DSLR, and any commonly available model recommendations please?

Thanks

In reply to Max factor:
You can pick up a Fuji XE-1 very cheaply now, even new. Mine is brilliant indoors without flash.

My Sony RX100 Mk 1 compact is also good indoors, and the Mk 1 is quite cheap now.

In reply to Max factor:

I can recommend sony nex 6 - great high iso (poor light) performance. It is not tiny, but huge improvement over any standard DSLR if you couple it with 16-50 compact lens, or tack sharp sigma 30mm.
Performance wise this is essentially a DSLR (same sensor size) but without the mirror hence smaller size.

In reply to Robert Durran & Pietrach:

Thanks for both the recommendations, both look good options though look like £300+ (or even £400 for Sony + recommended lens). Might have to reappraise the budget a bit.

Thoughts over these versus a sub £300 canon EOS 600D or 650D? Seems like the main thing i'd be giving away is size

In reply to Max factor:
Second hand NEX6 with 16-50 lens goes for £200. If purchased from reputable source then it is a great deal. RX100 is also a great bet, but the sensor is smaller (may struggle to get shallow depth of field) and lens is fixed (both pros and cons associated with this).
NEX 5 is also a nice camera but not sure how it handles high iso.

In reply to Pietrach:

Def more like £275 -£325, unless you are talking body only.

I do like the camera, and have a compact power zoom lens ticks the size boxes so maybe just a case of waiting.

In reply to Max factor:

Checked ebay for sold auctions and around 50% of them are around £200 mark with lens. I know this is not a reputable source, but this goes in line with prices on photography forums which are much more safe. Check Talkphotography forum. People who sell there usually know each other and are there for years, hence a greater chance of not being scammed.

In reply to Max factor:

Double your budget and get a Fuji X-T10 with kit lens. Job done.

In reply to ChrisJD:


As an aside, is the XT-10, in your opinion, worth the expense as an upgrade from an XE-1 for a punter like me - it sounds like the autofocus in poor light and for catching wildlife is much improved?

In reply to Robert Durran:

Well you are no longer a punter me thinks.

I used to have an XE-1, and I also tried a second hand X-1-Pro just before the X-T10 (which I use with a 18-135mm, slow min aperture, but big focal range, fairly compact & great IQ, so a bit of a compromise).

The X-T10 is just an all round winner. Everything is much improved compared with the XE-1 & X-Pro1. The viewfinder EVF is just great, no lag. Auto focus and High ISO are pretty impressive.

And the camera is a real pleasure to use. The Canon 70D is getting very little use (like none).

And I've also got a X100T, and that's getting little use now as well. Loved the X100T, but really missed the longer reach, hence the 18-135mm.

Note - shooting RAW on the X-T10 and in manual mode most of the time.

Some examples shots here:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskuV4tBT

In reply to ChrisJD:



Thanks. Sounds like I need to start saving up.



Love the squashed animal!

In reply to Robert Durran:


I got a good-as-new 2nd hand body for £310 inc P&P

In reply to ChrisJD:


Have emailed you.

In reply to ChrisJD:


Apologies for my poor wording.

What I meant was: I picked up a a good-as-new 2nd hand body for £310 inc P&P on Ebay.

In reply to ChrisJD:

that would be tempting if you couldn't get an a6000 body for the same price..

In reply to malk:

Some nice cameras suggested but a lot seem to be coming in over budget. If you are mostly indoors then it seems to me that good low light performance trumps small size which points towards a DSLR. DSLRs are generally cheaper than mirrorless anyway for comparable image quality.

You could pick up a Nikon D3200 from ebay or other used outlet for your budget, probably with a bit to spare. It has a large, modern sensor which gives very good low light performance for not much cash. It's also upgradeable - you could change the lens and add a flashgun (it has a built-in flash but if you want professional looking indoor images you really need a flash gun or a good enough sensor to go without).

In reply to malk:

In my hunt for a Canon DSLR killer, I had a 2nd hand A6000 for a while. Couldn't get on with it or the Sony RAW files - just couldn't make them sing in the same way I can with Fuji and Canon RAW files. Didn't like the EVF viewfinder much either.

The X-T10 is the first mirrorless camera I've had (its my eighth!) that I think beats my Canon 70D as a go to all round general photographic tool. Buying 2nd hand is a great way to try cameras out and selling on (in the short term) you rarely lose much money (if any, if you get a bargain in the first place).

But bang for buck, Oujmik is right that a 2nd hand DSLR £250-£300 would probably deliver more than mirrorless for same budget, but in a bigger body (though the OP was after small & compact).