Panasonic LUMIX G97 Mirrorless Camera with 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens and Basic Bundle
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- Panasonic LUMIX G97 Mirrorless Camera with 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens
- Panasonic LUMIX G Vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. Lens
- Panasonic DMW-BLC12 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (7.2V, 1200mAh)
- Shoulder Strap
- Body Cap
- Hot Shoe Cover
- Cover for Battery Grip Connector
- Front Lens Cap
- Rear Lens Cap
- Limited 1-Year Manufacturer Warranty
- Registration Extension: 2-Year
- Ruggard Hunter Pro 65 DSLR Holster Bag
- Shoulder Strap
- Limited 5-Year Manufacturer Warranty
- SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO UHS-I SDXC Memory Card
- Limited 2-Year RescuePRO Deluxe Data Recovery
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
- Limited 30-Year Manufacturer Warranty (Germany, Canada, and Regions Not Recognizing the Lifetime Warranty)
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I'd skip on this one, mainly because it doesn't have PDAF focusing like the newer m43 cameras. In other words, this still uses the CDAF focusing that does the focus hunting. CDAF is fine for shooting single shot photos in 1999, but sucks for video and for focus tracking (moving subject).
This camera is at a good price though, and is a fine camera. If you don't need PDAF focusing or the other high-end features you'd find on a Panasonic G9ii or GH7, or on an Olympus EM-1, then this would be a fine camera.
The R50 is an ok starter camera. It does have PDAF (aka Canon's "second-generation Dual Pixel AF"), but as an APS-C camera, it's the ugly-redheaded-stepchild of the Canon family, and gets the bottom of the line electronics and junk lens options.
If you want APS-C, look at Fuji instead. Fuji actually loves their APS-C bodies, and treats them with the respect that a body deserves.
If you want m43, look at the Olympus OM5 for a compact body with reasonable pricing ($850 on sale at Amazon a couple weeks ago). Great body.
If you want a 35mm sensor (what people who don't know photography mistakenly call "full frame"), any of the options are good: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic (particularly for video), Sigma, Leica, ...
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Completely different cameras, in every possible way.
I'd skip on this one, mainly because it doesn't have PDAF focusing like the newer m43 cameras. In other words, this still uses the CDAF focusing that does the focus hunting. CDAF is fine for shooting single shot photos in 1999, but sucks for video and for focus tracking (moving subject).
This camera is at a good price though, and is a fine camera. If you don't need PDAF focusing or the other high-end features you'd find on a Panasonic G9ii or GH7, or on an Olympus EM-1, then this would be a fine camera.
The R50 is an ok starter camera. It does have PDAF (aka Canon's "second-generation Dual Pixel AF"), but as an APS-C camera, it's the ugly-redheaded-stepchild of the Canon family, and gets the bottom of the line electronics and junk lens options.
If you want APS-C, look at Fuji instead. Fuji actually loves their APS-C bodies, and treats them with the respect that a body deserves.
If you want m43, look at the Olympus OM5 for a compact body with reasonable pricing ($850 on sale at Amazon a couple weeks ago). Great body.
If you want a 35mm sensor (what people who don't know photography mistakenly call "full frame"), any of the options are good: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic (particularly for video), Sigma, Leica, ...
Picked up an Olympus OM-D E-M1 II along with the OM 300 F4 Pro last year very cheaply at the local pawn shop.
At the same crop on my Z7II with a Z 100-400, both equal to 600mm in Full Frame, the Olympus was sharper.
Don't sell M4/3 short for most uses.
I love the sharpness of the R50 and the low-light capabilities are good enough for simple astrophotography. Because it uses Canon RF mount lenses, the lenses are much more costly, but for my "hobbyist" needs, I finally got down to just 2 lenses - a $700 Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Contemporary Lens for nearly all shooting and a TTArtisan 35mm F1.4 APS-C Manual Focus. The included kit lens Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 is fine if you don't have anything else. I also got the Canon RF-S 55-210mm f/5-7.1 is STM, but since getting the Sigma lense, I have no use at all for the Canon lenses and need to sell them on the used market to recoup some cash. Having a 300mm lens 1.6 crop factor is like having a 480mm full-frame lens. A professional photographer might not consider the "Contemporary Lens" good enough for their needs. I've been very happy. Of course, at high telephoto levels, a stable platform is required. The f/3.5 at the shorter distances is nice. It isn't an f/2.8 or f/2 lens. The 35mm f/1.4 lens is cheap and amazing for the price, $80. Because it is manual focus, it is up to you to nail the focus on the subject you want. The 35mm focal length is 56mm full-frame equiv, so you have a great, fast, 50mm lens that so many people want. I know I do.
FWIW, I paid under $500 for the R50 + kit lens directly from Canon's refurbished website. It was a "slickdeal" last your just before the "R50 V" was released. Without a lens, the R50 can fit into a pocket. It really isn't much larger than my pocket-sized Canon SX700 travel zoom camera, but the image sharpness for the R50 is so much better, I'm still amazed at the difference. I have thousands of SX700 photos from once-in-a-lifetime trips to remote places. So many of those are just a little fuzzy. Beautiful composition. Great lighting. And still just a little fuzzy.
The R50 includes a built-in flash, which a professional would likely see as a waste. I like it and it was something I sought, because a good-enough flash is all I'll want. I have no plans for professional lighting.
The R50 doesn't have any in-body IS. That can be a deal breaker for some people. It does have electronic IS and many lenses have IS which helps. To be $500 less than other Canon cameras, something had to be left off. Also, the body isn't weatherproof, so don't take the R50 to Niagara Falls on the Boat ride.
I'm here looking for a M43 because the lenses are much more competitive and traveling with even two RF Canon lenses is a hassle. M43 lenses are smaller. The M43 lenses don't force you to only use Panasonic or OM, though the M43 mount standard is shared by both AND third parties have been allowed to sell lenses too. Lens competition is good.
I think the M43 sensors and modern cameras (any since around 2018) are great for all sorts of photography. Most have IS and many are weather sealed like the G97. The G97 is heavier and lacks the multiple autofocus modes that the R50 has (vehicle, object, and eye tracking). The R50 has faster continuous shooting and 10x fewer focus points, as well. There's definitely some trade-offs. The crop factor on all M43 cameras is 2x, so the 12-60mm lens is like a full-frame lens of 24-120mm. Not quite enough reach for my travel-zoom needs. Just looked and found 10 impressive telephoto lenses for this M43 like the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-200mm F3.5-6.3. There's are Tamron and Sigma along with Panasonic in that mix, including some f/2.8 fast telephoto lenses, for the shorter focal lengths commonly used for street photography. Some of those lenses cost 3x what the camera body costs. There are some really small, flat, 3x zoom lenses for M43 that make it much more stealth for street photography too. Big lenses do attract attention that might not be wanted.
$150 for the Panasonic LUMIX G Vario 45-150mm F4.0-5.6 ASPH seems like a bargain if you want a cheap, useful, lens.
The size comparison between the R50 and G97 isn't huge, but the G97 body is noticeably larger in all dimensions. Width, height, and depth.
The camera body is important, but it is the lenses you have that make the image. When choosing a camera, I'd strongly recommend also pricing the lenses you'll want. I don't want to carry too many lenses, A small prime is easy to have for specific needs, but a good short-long reach telephoto is a great daytime lens so you are ready for anything that you come across.
The R50 has a bad rep that I think isn't deserved. Because the RF lens mount is used, that forces comparisons with professional level camera bodies that cost 8x more. Compared to those cameras and the features they have isn't really fair.
SONY is currently the camera "darling". They are able to charge a huge premium for their stuff. There's a reason for that, but that fact also makes finding any deal on SONY cameras nearly impossible.
If you've never worked with a camera that uses raw images and has interchangeable lenses, perhaps starting with a used camera like the Olympus E-PL line, often available used for less than $250.
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