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Worth upgrading to Canon EOS Rebel T5i?

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Tricia

Tricia

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What mirrorless cameras can we recommend here for a compact all-rounder here. They would want to capture some video ( maybe some mic action) of static people stuff, maybe some simple skiing shots with some all purpose still shots mixed in?
I'm listening.
 

JeffB

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As mentioned I use the OM-D EM-10. Specs readily available via Google. Can now be had with the lens for under 500. There is a new Mark 2 model out since I bought mine with better image stabilization and that bumps pricing to mid 600s with lens.

What you wouldn't get from many spec reviews - control layout was most similar to Canon, so learning curve/frustration due to the switch was minimal. Also, I liked the feel of the fit in my hand better than comparable offerings from Fuji and Sony. It's not going to feel like a contoured SLR given the size, but I felt like many of the mirrorless felt like frozen blocks of cheese in the hand. No ergonomics at all. The Olympus felt like the most ergonomic of the mirrorless options to me.
 

Kyle

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I have owned Canons for years but recently replaced went with a Sony a6000. The even more capable a6300 was recently announced and or released. I did not compare it to the Olympus OM-D series but they also have very good reviews.

I started looking at cameras and was most interested in the Canon 6s or 70d. It actually came down to the a6000 versus the 70d. I used my friends 70d and really liked the camera but the a6000 was every bit as capable and had a much smaller and lighter footprint. I think the sensor is better in the a6000 (and is and aps-c so it is the same size) and it clearly has more dynamic range (ability to capture a broader range of light in the same exposure) which was the final tipping point.
 

quant

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What mirrorless cameras can we recommend here for a compact all-rounder here. They would want to capture some video ( maybe some mic action) of static people stuff, maybe some simple skiing shots with some all purpose still shots mixed in?

Mirrorless can be terrible in full sun...or it may not bother you. So why not take some out on a test drive? That is how you buy skis, right?

I've used BorrowLenses three times before trying out (among other things) one the FUJI mirrorless. I stayed with a DSLR to more easily shoot soccer and baseball. You may find mirrorless does the job for you, though. Below is a link to the BorrowLenses mirrorless. There are other places to rent, but I've only used this firm in the past. https://www.borrowlenses.com/products/Cameras+Type/Mirrorless/Store/Photo?sortBy=numOrders

FWIW, the FUJI X-Pro that I demoed (now replaced by the X-Pro 1) is one of several cameras that would likely meet your needs, and then some.
 
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carvemeister

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What mirrorless cameras can we recommend here for a compact all-rounder here. They would want to capture some video ( maybe some mic action) of static people stuff, maybe some simple skiing shots with some all purpose still shots mixed in?

I love the Olympus E-M1. You have a viewfinder and it's very weatherproof. Dynamic range is good and when set up properly for action, it's very capable with very little lag in the viewfinder. I have little trouble panning with a fast moving skier. It's not DSLR fast, but more than good enough for most critical amateur types. I also have the very inexpensive Oly E-PM2 with the tiny Panasonic 14mm lens (28mm equiv.) which easily fits in my jacket chest pocket for when I want to travel light. No viewfinder, but it still works great and I use it a lot. I have a ton of samples here if you want. Camera & Lens info avail. in the exif. info there as well: https://www.flickr.com/photos/57438627@N00/albums/72157650795302598/with/16548179530/

And some here from my just finished trip to Colo. featuring PugSki's very own @Ron from Steamboat where we had a very DAMN GOOD TIME! https://www.flickr.com/photos/57438627@N00/albums/72157662739003814

BTW - E-M10 is very good as well, and for cheap, with a viewfinder you can pick up a used E-M5 which also worked pretty well for me before the E-M1.
 

Living Proof

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I love the Olympus E-M1. You have a viewfinder and it's very weatherproof. Dynamic range is good and when set up properly for action, it's very capable with very little lag in the viewfinder. I have little trouble panning with a fast moving skier. It's not DSLR fast, but more than good enough for most critical amateur types. I also have the very inexpensive Oly E-PM2 with the tiny Panasonic 14mm lens (28mm equiv.) which easily fits in my jacket chest pocket for when I want to travel light. No viewfinder, but it still works great and I use it a lot. I have a ton of samples here if you want. Camera & Lens info avail. in the exif. info there as well: https://www.flickr.com/photos/57438627@N00/albums/72157650795302598/with/16548179530/

And some here from my just finished trip to Colo. featuring PugSki's very own @Ron from Steamboat where we had a very DAMN GOOD TIME! https://www.flickr.com/photos/57438627@N00/albums/72157662739003814

BTW - E-M10 is very good as well, and for cheap, with a viewfinder you can pick up a used E-M5 which also worked pretty well for me before the E-M1.

Carvemeister,
There is some very nice work in your flicker album. I was really impressed with the color of ski jackets, the sharpness, and the correct exposures. Curious, do you shoot raw and correct or are they jpeg's? It is obvious that you take photography a lot more seriously than most who own DSLR's shooting on a casual bases, and, mostly on A for automatic (like me). Do you shoot Manual? If there is a weakness in on-mountain shots (to me) it is that I want to get close-ups the skier. And, therein, lies the problem of mountain photography, who wants to bring a big telephoto.

I did some research on you E-M1 and the zoom lens. That is one nice kit, probably beyond the price range of what P&T are considering. I did look at the Pen EM6, there were deals for $300 and that seems like a nice buy in a smaller camera.

Thanks for posting.
 

carvemeister

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Carvemeister,
There is some very nice work in your flicker album. I was really impressed with the color of ski jackets, the sharpness, and the correct exposures. Curious, do you shoot raw and correct or are they jpeg's? It is obvious that you take photography a lot more seriously than most who own DSLR's shooting on a casual bases, and, mostly on A for automatic (like me). Do you shoot Manual? If there is a weakness in on-mountain shots (to me) it is that I want to get close-ups the skier. And, therein, lies the problem of mountain photography, who wants to bring a big telephoto.

I did some research on you E-M1 and the zoom lens. That is one nice kit, probably beyond the price range of what P&T are considering. I did look at the Pen EM6, there were deals for $300 and that seems like a nice buy in a smaller camera.

Thanks for posting.

Thanks! Yes, I always shot RAW. I never shoot jpgs anymore. It's actually just too easy for me (since I've been doing it for a while) to import everything into Lightroom, make a few adjustments and just export/upload as jpgs right to Flickr or Facebook, etc. It's pretty painless when you get the hang of it. I probably tend to overdo things at times because I don't have much self-control when tweaking the "Vibrance" slider! The auto White Balance on the OLY cameras is pretty good, so I don't usually have to color correct much at all and the Exposure is usually easy to correct if needed in Lightroom. The best thing about the latest version of Lightroom is the "Detail" slider which I found usually works great to bring out some detail in the snow which can otherwise look really washed out.

Usually I shoot at ISO 200 in Aperture Mode, add a little exposure compensation (while watching my histogram) and let the shutter speed take care of itself. I never use Auto. That's the easy part really. I've toted around a bigger tele lens at times, but found it's just not worth the effort for me. I'd love to get some close face shots of a skier in deep powder, but those days are too rare for me. Without deep powder to make a close tele shot worthy, I usually find the wider shots a bit better so you at least get an interesting background. Maybe if I was with some real super rad skiers a close up would look a lot better, but for most of my usual group, you don't want to see them too close!
 

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