Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:09 am
I currently have an elderly Canon DSLR which has served me well, but is time to be replaced. I have three lenses 18-55, 18-250 & 50-500.
I am on my 2nd Sigma 50-500 and both have failed in the same way, the mount gets loose to the point it is impossible to tighten it and the repeated so doing damages the AF. I can get by with my 18-250 for 80% of what I need, but the 50-500 quality is so superior and I really miss that focal length and versatility. It is big and heavy, quite mechanical in its function and I conclude not intended to be used as an every day lens as I do.
I really want to get into video this year and have seen some excellent results with the Sony RX10, specifically the Mk 4. It seems to be acclaimed as the best all in one package camera, so I could kill two birds with one stone in getting this not only for video, but also replacing my DSLR and the troublesome 50-500 altogether. The Zeiss 24-600 lens seems to be pretty decent quality, and while not small, it is about the same size as the Canon with 18-250 and certainly not a bazooka like weapon like the Bigma. But I can't get past that it is an all in one which tend to be jack of all trades, master of none and aimed at high end budget holiday makers rather than aviation photographers, though it does seem popular with birders.
I want to do more vlog style stuff as well as traditional aviation videos, plus maybe podcasts etc too, but also want to take my usual photos. I have already ruled out a GoPro as too restrictive for anything other than travel vlogging and using the video on a DSLR as I run into the same issues with the lenses. The alternate is a camcorder, the Panasonic HC-VX1 seems a decent bet and I am almost sold on this, but I still would need to get a DSLR replacement, which I can do cheaply second hand, but the limit of the 18-250 remains which as I say I can live with, but really want more. However, I don't want to be buying a camcorder, DSLR body plus a lens like a 100-400 L series.
If I am honest, I do not really use my DSLR properly anyway (as in I rarely shoot totally manually apart from at night) and increasingly I find I have barely time to do much than point and shoot semi auto anyway. I have no intention of taking money making photos, or even a.net quality photos, for me, while I like my photos to be decent, photography is more of a hard copy of the siting rather than a hobby or the objective itself. What I am getting to is, this being the case, it seems more than likely the RX10 photos will be of perfectly good quality for what I need - essentially to go on Flickr, web blogs & Facebook groups and for stills inserted in YouTube videos.
Does anyone have any experience with this camera and would it be a significant downgrade on a DSLR bearing in mind my needs?