looking for new camera.

[ozyclint]

gday guys, i'm in the market for a new camera. i had a canon EOS 450D with 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses but the lot got drowned on a recent tahr hunt in New Zealand.

now that i need a new camera i thought i might be able to upgrade on a few features. i'm not a professional photographer but i want more than a point and shoot camera.

here's what i want it to be able to do-
(i guess most DSLR's can these days.)
*full manual mode
*time exposures
*reasonably light and compact
*self timer modes
*want to have a couple of lenses similar to the Canon i had.
*durable
*audible alarm that wakes you up when your tent is flooding and the camera is about to go under water. (LOL, just kidding)

it would be awesome to save some weight and bulk if possible. also, the budget would be $1000 max

any suggestions?

 

[Shrek]

I don't know anything about cameras but my condolences for the loss of your camera equipment.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

The sony nex6 has treated me well. It should meet all of the needs you listed. It is not a full frame though.

 

[colonel00]

I love my Pentax K-30. I carry both an 18-135 and 55-300 lens that are both weather/water resistant along with the the body which is great for outdoor activities. Plus, you can get into Pentax gear a bit cheaper than Canon or Nikon. That is what has worked for me.

 

[ozyclint]

still looking guys.

any more info?

 

[colonel00]

Well, I guess the question is whether you want to commit to a full DSLR or perhaps a mirrorless camera. You could still get a P&S that fits most of your criteria but I don't think it will come close to what you had image-wise. I would still suggest looking at the Pentax line. It's not the most popular and the current lens offerings don't number those of Canon and Nikon but any camera these days can take some pretty fantastic pictures. The newer K-50 (one generation from my K-30) can be had for a steal. I think it was as low as $250 after a rebate before Christmas but it's still a great value.

As I mentioned, you can't find WR (weather resistance) in any camera line for as cheap as you can with Pentax. Just recently I was on two trips into the mountains here in the winter chasing bison. While hiking in a heavy snow, I had the camera clipped to my shoulder strap (check out the Peak Design Capture Camera Clip) fully exposed to the snow and cold without worry. I've also taken it on many trips to Alaska where it's usually quite wet. These things are beasts and I have abused it and it still performs.

Not the best picture but an example of the conditions I will take my DSLR into without hesitation.

Now, when you mention possibly reducing bulk, perhaps a mirrorless camera is what you might like? I guess the main question is if you want interchangeable lenses or just a camera to capture some photos now and again.

 

[RCA Dog]

How large a sensor you want is going to be the deciding factor here I think, as well as weather resistance. If you want full frame, I'm pretty sure Canon 1D series and the Nikon Dx series are the only game in town, and they are pretty big. For APS-C, you have some smaller, cheaper options, Canon 7d Mark 2 (or the original), I'm not sure if Nikon have an equivalent, maybe the brand new D500. I think if you go with micro 4\3 you start to have some more options, and the size and price go down, but I'm not very familiar with those systems.

Personally, I have been using a Canon SL-1, with a 55-250 STM, and a 40 STM. I don't bother with the 18-55, it's not a very good lens. I use my phone with the Triggertrap app and dongle for timelapse and other triggering options. It's not weather sealed at all, but it's been wet a few times with no ill effects. I sometimes use the Peak Designs clip, but mostly it's in the outer pocket of the pack, for sort of quick access. The whole setup is well within your budget as well.

That is my hunting\hiking setup. For photography only outings, I still bring it along, with a few more lenses, but only to have a quick option for a different focal length than my primary camera. My main photography gear is much heavier and way less fun to pack around.

 

[twall13]

For what you describe I'd second a mirrorless setup. I just switched over to a Sony A6000 and it's got everything I want/need in a camera in a much more compact package than my old DSLR. As a bonus it actually takes pretty good video as well. IMO the Sony's are tough to beat for the price/features. Good luck.

 

[ozyclint]

thanks for the info, you have raised some interesting points.

function equivalent to the canon 450D i had is priority. more compact and lighter would be considered a bonus and not a priority over function and ability to have a few different lenses.

the pentax K50 and K30 seems worthy of further investigation.

 

[colonel00]

If you find it suits your needs, these are hard deals to pass up on.

http://www.adorama.com/IPXK50B18135.html
http://www.adorama.com/PX55300WR.html

I would definitely skip over the standard kit lenses and get the 18-135 WR and 55-300 WR at a minimum. From the two links above, you are set for well under your $1000 budget (not sure on conversion and shipping to AUD though). Plus, for warranty purposes, you would probably want to look at sellers within your country/region.

A couple other things about Pentax I'll mention before I get off my soapbox. First, it has In Body stabilization which means the sensor actually moves to stabilize the image instead of the stabilization occurring in the lens. This tends to lead to lower costs as each lens doesn't have to have stabilization built into it. This also leads to some other cool things that may or may not interest you. You can get a GPS unit for the camera and once setup, it will allow the camera to use an Astrotracer function where the sensor will shift while you take photos of stars. It's a fringe thing but till kinda cool if you think you will use it.

One other little fun fact, the K-50 (and my K-30) have adapters to let you run them on 4 AA batteries. Definitely handy in the backcountry if you take lots of pics as I usually have spare AA batteries for headlamps or whatever else.

 

[Clinch]

I'll second colonel on the Pentax line. I have a K5ii and the 18-135. That Lens covers about 90% of my shooting. 55-300 is in the works. In the meantime you can get lenses off eBay cheap. That's the advantage to having the image stabilization in the body. Long way from a pro but here are some shots.