Sony Recommended camera RX1R, A7S or Fuji x100t or XT1

telferbrown

New Member
what would you guys recommend if you had the money for only one camera with the best image quality that will last a while. lens could be fixed or not. looking at RX1r, A7s or Fuji Xt1 or X100t?

My current camera is a nikon D40x with the basic kit lens and everything is on auto. I use Lightroom & PS, just want excellent image quality. I'd like to print out the images and hang them on the wall in our house with two kids.

Its very hard to try these out these cameras in store but from the images ive seen online the RX1r looks very slick and glass-like-polished images and the X100s 2nd place. is the A7s as good as the rx1r?


Thanks
 
I agree with John, while a new camera is nice you won't get the full value from it anyway unless you learn how to control your shooting and that requires moving away from auto and using PASM modes.
Your D40x is a great tool for learning, easily as good as the ones you mention.

Since you have the kit lens you can start looking at the pictures you take today and figure out which focal length you use most. If it's not 24mm (35mm equivalent) then buying a RX1r or X100t would be a big mistake.
Nikon makes some quite good prime lenses that can be used on your D40x, notably the 35mm f1.8 G, the 40mm f2.8 G micro and the 50mm f1.8G. All of them deliver much better image quality than your kit lens, and neither is expensive, so that could be a place to start.

Regarding your original question they're all very good cameras and ought to last anyone quite a while, but unless you find out what your needs really are you could end up wasting a lot of money on something that isn't right for you.
There's no perfect camera for all situations, they all have compromises, it's a matter of finding the one that gives you the fewest compromises in the budget range you have.
 
John and Chris are right. Each of the cameras listed has it’s own specific strengths. It's inadvisable to advise without an understanding of what you are trying to shoot.

And welcome!
 
You need to tell us what you shoot and hang to your wall as they said... How big do you print? Also what is your budget?

Short summary: RX1 might be to slow for kids (unless they pose for you) and only has fixed 35mm lens, but it has the best image quality (IQ) with its sensor+lens and 24MP sensor highest of all. It doesn't have image stabilization and you need to buy evf separately if you need it. A7s has 12MP, only can beat Rx1 IQ in low light/high ISO. However you can get zooms w/ it that can match to your D40x kit lens range if you want that and can add a few primes. Fuji xt1 can give you 16MP w/ better tracking af and range of lenses, but it can be tricky to process w/ lightroom/photoshop...X100t would be the smallest of all, same pp restriction as xt1 and a more glowing 35mm lens compared to RX1 assuming they use the same lens as prev x100's.
 
thanks for the responces

Truth be told, you're money is better spent taking some photography classes and buying some flashes and primes.

Buying a Ferarri, after all, doesn't make you a race car driver.


Thanks for all the reply's.
Yes I bought the D40x as a learning camera about 10 years ago and before that I had a pentax 35mm film camera so have had a lot of practice and have taken loads of great shots (but still learning). I had a 55-200 lens with the D40x too but am happy with more wider 18 - 55 DX size lens and even just one lens is fine.
So now im keen to up the quality (I want the ferarri even if i'm only in first gear) and wanted a smaller camera I can have in my bag and take it everywhere so those camera i mentioned all fit the bill. they are all about the same price in a way and I'll give the D40 to my wife ;)


Thanks
 
I wouldn't limit myself to either the RX1R or the X100T unless you're 100% certain you will only use that focal length. I've printed 8 x 10 inch from the Fuji XT1 with no problem and Fuji have some lovely lenses. The A7S would be great if you do a lot of low light shooting or need a silent shutter but the native prime lenses are limited at the moment. If you like manual focus then of course with the right adapter your options will expand :) I have the Sony A7R, Sony RX1, Fuji XE2 and a Leica M and all of them do a different job and provide a different experience. Hope this helps a little ;)
 
Thanks for all the reply's.
Yes I bought the D40x as a learning camera about 10 years ago and before that I had a pentax 35mm film camera so have had a lot of practice and have taken loads of great shots (but still learning). I had a 55-200 lens with the D40x too but am happy with more wider 18 - 55 DX size lens and even just one lens is fine.
So now im keen to up the quality (I want the ferarri even if i'm only in first gear) and wanted a smaller camera I can have in my bag and take it everywhere so those camera i mentioned all fit the bill. they are all about the same price in a way and I'll give the D40 to my wife ;)


Thanks

The D40x is quite small as DSLRs go. The Fuji XT1 with a similar lens will be a bit smaller but not by much. The Sony A7 body will be a bit shallower but after you add a similar lens the size will be close. The other two will be smaller and let you use a slightly smaller bag.

You might also look at the Ricoh GR and Nikon Coolpix A if you want a bigger reduction in size. They are AFAIK shirt pocket cameras with high quality sensors and lenses.

I've been in a similar place; upgraded from a 6 megapickle Nikon D70 to a five year newer 14 megapickle Pentax K20d with a nice lens. I went outside with both camera and took photos of our dogwood in bloom. I was disappointed that there was not a huge difference in the results. I now see why, I had upgraded the camera but not the photographer.

That said, the newer cameras will offer better image quality once you start shooting at ISO800 and higher so you'll get more keepers in marginal/low light.

Best of luck!
 
.... looking at RX1r, A7s or Fuji Xt1 or X100t? ...

I have the RX1, an A7 and before these two cameras the x100 and the X-Pro1. If I had to choose between the A7 and the RX1, I would keep my RX1. The A7 with my old Canon FD-lenses is great. The XT1 has a great viewfinder, both sony Cameras surpass in image quality the fuji cameras by far. If you want to keep it light and simple, get a RX1 from eBay, you will be very happy with this camera. The RX1 produces imho sharper pictures, maybe because zeiss 35mm-Lense is fantastic. The A7 I use with my old FD-Lenses, wich are of great quality. My workflow is much like in analog times, when i had an Canon A-1- und F-1-Body. You need a lot of precision using these analog Lenses especially when wide open but the focus-help the sonys offer (magnification and Fokus peaking) is quite good. I also used my Canon -Lenses on the Fuji X-Pro1-Body, wich was a disappointment.
 
The Rx1 or RX1r sounds closest to what im after, every time I see a image from these they look awesome. A7s would be second

I think im just waiting to see if the RX1R comes down in price at all leading up to christmas, otherwise I'll look second hand. Is there anything that goes wrong with the RX1R I should be aware of if buying second hand?


Thanks
Antony
 
Sometimes getting a new camera will jumpstart your creative process. From your list I would go with the Fuji X100T. I have the original X100 and it is still the camera I grab to go just about anywhere. Great fill flash for those family photos. Keep the Nikon for when you need to use a super wide to telephoto.
 
I would think the A7 makes a good option.
If you need AF, get the FE35/2.8 or the FE55/1.8.
If on a budget, even the aps-c lenses may see you thru for a while.


The other options would bring in redundancy while at least for an A7 you bring the lens over to the next body.
Frankly though, if not for LBA/CBA, the cameras nowadays are good enough for most folks w/o any need to upgrade.
 
the output from the Rx1r is superb, this tiny machine makes stunning images, and has ruined most other cameras for me...... It is a gem.

Arguably the craziest, least practical camera on the planet for $2800--but Lucille is right. Although I've never owned an A7 variant, I own an a6000, an XT-1 and X100T. All three make wonderful photographs, but the RX1 I sold is the ONE camera I miss most every day. Once you've drunk the RX1 tea, everything else tastes like hot water I'm afraid. So if IQ is *ALL* you're interested in- the answer is simple. But if flexibility, cost and future growth count for anything at all your question is much more complicated.
 
Arguably the craziest, least practical camera on the planet for $2800--but Lucille is right. Although I've never owned an A7 variant, I own an a6000, an XT-1 and X100T. All three make wonderful photographs, but the RX1 I sold is the ONE camera I miss most every day. Once you've drunk the RX1 tea, everything else tastes like hot water I'm afraid. So if IQ is *ALL* you're interested in- the answer is simple. But if flexibility, cost and future growth count for anything at all your question is much more complicated.

Another plus for the Sony RX1. If I could only have one camera and lens then this would be it. 24MP of image goodness thanks to the perfect combination of sensor and lens and all in a small body that is built to last with a quality way above most contemporary cameras. Get the removable EVF and some spare batteries and enjoy one of the best prime lenses available. Having owned the X100s and X Pro, I much prefer the user experience and the output of the RX1; the only thing I miss is the built in OVF/EVF.

Look in the classifieds here and elsewhere and you should be able to find a relatively cheap RX1.
 
....nah if you want to be seen driving a Ferrari then you need a Leica M240....

If you want to learn photography then you need to focus on the picture-maker not the picture-taker. Read, look, watch, learn, experiment with what you have. If you don't want lessons then buy something like Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" and Freeman Patterson's "Art of Seeing", and learn how to see and how to capture what you want to say.

...then you'll know why you need that M240.

Just remember mate, swinging the best hammer doesn't make you the great house.

P.S., another suggestion is grab that D40 and kit lens and join us for the Single in January challenge. This will get your eye warmed up for 2015....and if you look hard as we go deeper into the month you'll see that the camera is much less than half the story
 
Look in the classifieds here and elsewhere and you should be able to find a relatively cheap RX1.

It's funny. I've been recalling how much I enjoyed the RX1 for a while now and then I posted on this thread the other day and that turned the fire up a notch. So.... tonight I ordered a factory refurb RX1 for $1699 with warranty and a 30-day return privilege via Amazon. :2thumbs:

So.... unless there's something terribly wrong with this one... I plan to keep it for a good long while. It's the only camera I've ever owned that consistently made me say "ahhhhhh......" when I looked at the resulting images, and the only one I've ever sold and regretted selling.

So I'll keep the XT-1 and lenses, and the RX100 III and the a6000, but NOT so sure now about the X100T or the LX100. Hmmm....
 
I learned to shoot manual on a Nikon D40 and became much more confident by just shooting anything and everything . Once you get past this stage it'll be much easier to discern what kind of subjects appeal to you and you'll have a better understanding of cameras and their limitations in general. I love my RX1 and it remains in my stable even though 35mm is not really my ideal focal length.
 
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