Canon, Nikon Entry Level Micro Four Thirds

Panasonic G3, G5, G6. Used OMD EM5's are around $700-750 now and GH2's are around $550. These are the only DSLR type with viewfinders in your price range. The G6 is the latest model going for $600 but don't know about availability. I have a G5, which is great and can be had for as low $300 used and refurbished, $400 new w/kit if you wait for specials. The EM5 is awesome but coming from P and S, the panny's will be plenty. The rest of m4/3 bodies are w/o viewfinders. The GX1 panasonic is fantastic and the Oly EPL5 and EPM2 are the latest iterations of several.

 

The GX1 is a great option for P&S upgraders. $250 bucks for body only. Use the rest of the budget for a nice lens.

The G5 is a great fully featured camera for a great price right now. It's more mid-level than entry-level, but if they want the form factor it's a really good camera.

 

I'll second the vote for the G5. It's a great camera that I almost kept. My EM-5 (w/ 1st piece of HLD-6 permanently attached) ended up winning out, but that combo is about $1000 for used.

 

+1
You get an improved sensor over the 1st generation 12mp Micro Four Thirds sensors for an incredible price!

 

Costco has the G5 with kit and telephoto for 589 currently it's a great bang for the buck to jump right into Micro 4/3 world

 

I have a G5 and E-M5 and I love my G5. Mid level is okay for me, lol. I can make my art with it. The G5 has some kind of "X factor" for me that results in me picking it up more than the E-M5 -- though the E-M5 isn't going anywhere, lol.

 

I bought the DMC-G3 for $299 with kit lens. The G3 has the 16MP sensor, viewfinder, etc. The G3 is around the price of a high-end P&S (SX-260HX, LX7, etc.). For a few more bucks, the G5 is priced in with the low end DSLRs like the D3100, D3200, 3Ti, 4Ti, etc.

 

Sometimes you can get a G5 for G3 money. Right now this Groupon deal is still on for $330 for a G5 and the kit lens.

Panasonic DMC-G5KK 16MP Compact System Camera with 14–42 mm Zoom Lens Deal of the Day | Groupon

The G5 sensor is better than the G3 sensor (better dynamic range and noise). Worth a look.

 

Not to mention greatly improved ergonomics.

 

G3/GX1 sensor is better at high ISO, which is likely to be of more value to someone trying to take pictures of running kids indoors.

GH2/G5 sensor is better at low ISO for people taking landscapes, etc.

 

Where do you get the idea that it's better at high ISO? There is nothing that suggests that. DXO data show that both G3/G5 sensor pretty much converge at high ISO. You can say they're the same at high ISO, but certainly not that the G3 is better.

 

My girlfriend shoots G3, I have a G5. They are comparable throughout the ISO range. I have not done any extensive comparisons, but the G5 files look no worse and perhaps better at high ISO.

 

I'll go against the grain and say price to performance right now the Nikon D5100 is really hard to beat regardless of preferred format. I use my mu43 more than my slr but if I could only choose one or the other I would still choose the slr.

 

Why are they considering moving up from a compact camera and getting a DSLR? A camera is just a tool for solving a photographic problem. Without knowing what problem they are trying to solve, people are just going to suggest their personal solutions.

 

According to DxOMark, the GX1 has a 703 low light ISO score, compared to 618 for the G5. It's better, but barely. That's what, not even a 1/4 stop?

 

That the general mentality of the public. I know a lot of people who want to upgrade and got a DSLR, assuming that's the only way to get good pictures. The DSLRs often end up being too complicated and large for them, so they end up sitting at home unused.

 

Yeah - it really would help to know the usage that the camera may see. There are certainly cases where the reasonable suggestion would be to stick with the DSLR plan rather than go m4/3, and there are certainly cases where the opposite is true (or something completely different, like not upgrading at all).

I'm also curious about the motivations for trying to talk them out of a DSLR in the first place, especially with the sister-in-law as the user being cited as a primary reason? Women can't use DSLRs?

 

THIS is the question that needs to be answered.

In my experience in order to wring any real benefit out of a move from a decent P&S to an interchangeable lens camera (DSLR or mirrorless) the user really needs to take the time to learn at least the basics of photography. Unless your brother and his wife are willing to at least begin to treat "photography" as a "hobby" then I would say that they'll be better served by looking at a quality P&S camera.

Ask questions that help you understand what limitations they are experiencing with their current camera. If it's just that they are seeing images they like posted on Facebook that were taken with DSLRs and they assume they will magically get that level of quality with a new camera they will almost certainly be disappointed, no matter what camera they choose.

 

Not that she's a woman, but that she's a layman. Most people who want to 'upgrade' want good looking pictures like they see online, but most don't want to learn. They assume fancy camera equals instant good pictures. I have 3-4 friends like this. They are disappointed with the results but instead of taking the time to learn they just don't use the camera.