Is mirrorless between a compact and DSLR?

[warren_1979]

Hi.

I currently have a Canon S95 compact camera. I've been getting more interested in amateur photography recently and I have been looking around for something a little better than the S95. I almost bought a 2nd hand D50 off the MM market recently but decided against it.

So anyway I went away for a holiday recently and a friend of mine bought his super duper DSLR. After watching him lug it around for 10 days I decided that I definitely do not want a big DSLR.

So that got me looking around for a camera that is between a compact and a DSLR and I found that a mirrorless camera could be the answer. So now I am looking for a 2nd hand mirrorless from around 2015 that is within my budget.

Any suggestions.

P.S. I love the retro look.

 

[david25]

If you want something small, see how much Panasonic GM1 or GM5's cost on ebay.

The GM1 without lens weighs about 240g.

Or consider large sensor compacts with fixed lenses from Fuji, Canon or Panasonic.

 

[Energize]

The lenses for mirrorless and DSLR are the same size, so there might not be much of a difference in terms of bulk depending on what you want to shoot.

The mirrorless bodies from so long ago did not tend to have the best autofocus systems either.

 

[Razor-BladE]

I love the retro look as well, and personally opted for the Fujifilm X100T. It's for a relatively niche market though as I appreciate most people don't want a fixed lens camera.
You could look at the Fujifilm X-T1, or if you want something slightly smaller, the Fujifilm X-T10/T20, or if you want something smaller still then the M4/3 camera Olympus OM-D E-M10 could be a good shout.

 

[Phate]

The lenses for mirrorless and DSLR are the same size, so there might not be much of a difference in terms of bulk depending on what you want to shoot.

*ehem*

Lenses for full frame mirorrless bodies are the same size.

M43 is overall, much smaller. Both in bodies and lenses.

@warren_1979 - if you're looking for something better than a point and shoot but don't want the heft of a DSLR then you not only want a mirorrless (as those bodies are smaller regardless of the sensor size) but also a micro four-thirds camera (m43)

If you like the retro look, check out the Olympus Pen-F

It's a cracking camera. Extremely capable, and in a great looking retro range finder style body.

Also, both Olympus and Panasonic use the same lens mount, so their lenses are swappable, giving you a lot of options

Hope that helps.