Asking for help with camera choice

[Hy Tran]

DSLR's: Can change lenses, can get f/2 lenses (large aperture), allowing for composition with shallow depth-of-field

• Full size, such as Nikon D7200 or Canon 80D
  • Pros: Outstanding low light performance.
    
  • Cons: $$$$, size, weight, $$$ of accessories
• APS-C, such as Canon T6 bundle ($750 at Costco, $600 after rebate, before tax, comes with 2 lenses etc.) If I were in the market for a DSLR, that's probably what I would buy today.
  
  • Pros: Good low light performance, but not as good as the full size sensor
  • Cons: Still somewhat $, size & weight still big

Micro 4/3: Can change lenses, can obtain f/2 lenses, full manual control, just like DSLR's, but smaller & lighter

• Slightly less expensive than APS-C, but not significantly less expensive
• Theoretically, any Micro 4/3 lens from any manufacturer should fit another manufacturer's micro 4/3 body

Point-and-shoots:

• Few of them have manual control or ability to shoot RAW format. Low light performance, extended dynamic range (HDR) modes are typically not as good as Micro 4/3 or DSLR's.
  
• A lot fewer $.
• Lower weight, greater portability, etc. May need a better lighting setup for studio photograph of wood items.

I personally own:

• 6 or 7 year old Panasonic Lumix ZS-3 point-and-shoot. Lovely zoom range, great portable travel camera. I'll probably give to one of my children.
  
• Bought-used Canon T3 DSLR (APS-C). Primarily for another hobby. I'll pick up a telephoto for that camera. I'm primarily interested in low-light performance, the T3 is only 12MP, but that's good because each pixel is larger, and can collect more light.
• Just bought Olympus Stylus Tough TG-4 point-and-shoot. Has HDR, a macro mode that's really amazing, and shoots RAW. Waterproof to 50 ft, freeze proof, presumably drop-on-the-floor-from-less-than-7ft proof (don't intend to test that!!!). Vacation camera; might use as wood shop studio camera.

Why shoot RAW? If you want to color correct, RAW is easier to color balance than JPEGS.

Why HDR? Studio shots span a large variation in brightnesses. HDR retains contrast from dark to bright, especially if shot with a tripod. Details in shadows are preserved without blowing out lighter-colored elements in the photo.

Hope that helps!

 

[Owen Lowe]

DSLR's: Can change lenses, can get f/2 lenses (large aperture), allowing for composition with shallow depth-of-field

• Full size, such as Nikon D7200 or Canon 80D
• APS-C, such as Canon T6 bundle

Hy,
The D7200 is a crop-sensor camera (excellent by the way - as a D7100 user); the full-frame Nikons are the D500 - D810 range + the D3, 4, and $6000 D5.