Getting Started with CSC: 6 Mirrorless Cameras Under $600

  Once upon a time you didn't give mirrorless cameras a second glance as a possible compact solution for your professional photography and video needs. But then you saw some amazing work only to find out it was done on one of those very cameras you've been browsing straight past.

Mirrorless cameras are also known as a Compact Camera System (CSC) and a MILC (Mirrorless Interchangeable-lens Camera. They are not for everyone but it is absolutely worth your consideration. They are compact, light, high quality cameras that offer many of the same features as your 5D MKll.

If you're looking to get into the mirrorless game, a cheap CSC is a great place to start. It will give you an opportunity to understand what MILCs can provide. See first hand their advantages and limitations, all at a relatively low risk cost. If you find the mirrorless niche is right for you, there's plenty of room to grow, with some of the highest rated cameras on the market today being mirrorless.

Here's 6 mirrorless cameras under $600 to get you started

Nikon 1 J4 | $599.95

Getting Started with CSC: 6 Mirrorless Cameras Under $600 Nikon j4 1 Cameraplex

 

  • 18.4MP CX-Format CMOS Sensor
  • EXPEED 4A Image Processor
  • No Optical Low-Pass Filter
  • 3.0" 1,037k-Dot Touchscreen LCD Monitor
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
  • Built-in Wi-Fi Connectivity
  • Hybrid AF System
  • 20 fps Shooting with Full-Time AF
  • NIKKOR VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 PD-ZOOM Lens

Fujifilm X-M1 | $599.95

Getting Started with CSC: 6 Mirrorless Cameras Under $600, Fujifilm XM1 Cameraplex

 

  • 16.3 MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor
  • ISO 200-6400 (expandable to to 12800 and 24600)
  • 1080/30fps HD video (.MOV/H.264)
  • 49-point AF
  • Up to 5.6 FPS continuous shooting
  • 3 inch tiltable LCD with 920,000 dots
  • Built-in flash with hot shoe
  • Built-in WiFi connectivity
  • Fujifilm X-Mount compatible
  • Raw, JPEG, and Raw+JPEG SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory

Olmpus E-PL7 | $599.00

Getting Started with CSC: 6 Mirrorless Cameras Under $600, Olympus P EL7 Cameraplex

 

  • 16MP Live MOS Sensor
  • TruePic VII Image Processor
  • 3-Axis In-Body VCM Image Stabilization
  • 3" 1.04M-dot 180° Flip Touchscreen
  • 81-Point FAST AF with Small Target AF
  • Full HD Video Recording at 30 fps
  • Continuous Shooting at 8 fps
  • Built-In Wi-Fi Connectivity
  • M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

Samsung NX300 | $569.95

Getting Started with CSC: 6 Mirrorless Cameras Under $600, nx300 Cameraplex

  • 20.3MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DRIMe IV Image Processor
  • 3.31" AMOLED Tilt Touch Screen Display
  • Full HD 1080p 60 fps Video Capture
  • Dual Channel Wi-Fi via SMART CAMERA App
  • Hybrid Auto Focus System
  • 3D Still & Video Capture Capability
  • Stylish Retro Design
  • Includes 18-55mm Lens

 

Panasonic GF6 | $329.00

Getting Started with CSC: 6 Mirrorless Cameras Under $600, Panasonic GF 6 Cameraplex

 

  • 16MP Live MOS Sensor
  • Venus Engine Image Processor
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3.0" 1040K-dot Touch Screen Tilt LCD
  • Built-in Wi-Fi with NFC Technology
  • Full HD 1080 Video Capture
  • 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II ASPH./MEGA OIS Lens
  • Contrast AF and Light Speed AF System
  • Extended ISO Up to 25600
  • Intelligent Auto+ Mode and Scene Guide

Canon EOS M | $310.00

Getting Started with CSC: 6 Mirrorless Cameras Under $600, Canon EOS M CSC Cameraplex

  • New EF-M lens mount (optimized for APS-C sensor size)
  • 18MP APS-C 'Hybrid CMOS' sensor
  • Continuous autofocus in movie mode with subject tracking
  • 14-bit DIGIC5 processor
  • ISO 100-12800 standard, 25600 expanded
  • 4.3 fps continuous shooting, 3 fps with autofocus tracking
  • 1080p30 video recording, stereo sound (with 25p or 24p options)
  • External microphone socket and adjustable sound recording level
  • 1040k dot 3:2 touch-sensitive ClearView II LCD (capacitative type, multi-touch support)
  • Standard EOS hot-shoe for external flash (no built-in flash)

 

Happy Birthday: Adobe Photoshop Turns 25

February 19th, 1990

Created in 1988 by Thomas and John Knoll, Photoshop Version 1.0 released February 19th, 1990. It quickly became the industry standard in raster graphics editing, allowing users to create and edit images interactively on a computer. At the time, digital photo retouching was not available to the average person. The going rate to hire those with high end systems for retouching was $250 - $300 per hour. Photoshop changed all that and not in a "they're taking our jobs" kind of way. It became the new medium for the art of photo manipulation. It's toolset allows alterations at the most basic level, with the ability to create incredible works of art that only can come from years of experience. It remains to this day the leader of the still image editing.

[embed]http://youtu.be/d8XXCudKdeU[/embed]

 

25 Years of Photoshop Industry Milestones

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 1980's

1987

Thomas Knoll develops computer code to display grayscale images on monitors only able to display black and white

1988

John and Thomas Knoll pitch Adobe using “Jennifer in Paradise” image Adobe acquires initial rights to Photoshop

1989

August

The Abyss is released in theaters; first motion picture to use Photoshop.

 

[tabby title="The 90's"]

 1990's

February

Adobe Photoshop 1.0 released

British painter David Hockney attends Photoshop Invitational and now uses Photoshop to compose paintings

1991

May

Kodak launches first DSLR camera, the DCS 100

1992

November

Photoshop 2.5 released; adds Windows version

1994

February

New York Newsday cover features manipulated photo of Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding ice skating together

1994

June

TIME Magazine prints darkened O.J. Simpson mug shot on cover

September

Photoshop 3.0 released; adds layers and features to help customers in medicine and science

 

[tabby title="The 2000's"]

2000's

September

Photoshop 6.0 released; introduces support for vector shapes

November

Camera phone introduced by Sharp/J-Phone

December

World’s first working human organ is 3D printed

2001

September

“Helicopter Shark” (image of a great white shark leaping out of the water attacking military personnel on ladder attached to a helicopter) circulates the Internet

2002

March

Photoshop 7.0 released; includes Adobe Camera Raw

2003

October

Adobe Creative Suite released; features Shadows and Highlights as well as Lens Blur support

2004

March

Doctored image of John Kerry and Jane Fonda at a 1971 anti-war rally appears

2005

March

Altered image of slimmed-down Martha Stewart appears on cover of Newsweek upon her release from federal prison, creating the impression Stewart lost weight while serving sentence

April

Creative Suite 2 released; features Spot Healing Brush and Smart Objects

2007

February

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1 launched

April

Creative Suite 3 released with an updated UI

2008

July

The Daily Show runs “Photoshop of Horrors” segment

October

Creative Suite 4 released; introduces Adjustment panel

2009

March

Apple dubs the term “iPhoneography”

2010

April

Creative Suite 5 released; adds Content Aware Fill tool

December

Instagram launched

2012

January

Kodak files for bankruptcy

May

reative Suite 6 released; introduces Blur Gallery

2013

February

Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop comes to Metropolitan Museum of Art

May

Adobe launches Creative Cloud

December

South Park’s “That's Lisa Berger?!” airs

[tabby title="2014"]

[tabby title="2014"]

 

 2014

January 

Photoshop CC adds 3D printing support

February

Surgeons implant 3D printed pelvis

April

Representative Lois Capps introduces bill in Congress that would prompt the FTC to investigate impact of digitally retouched images on society

May

Selfie” added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary

September

Francis Bitonti 3D prints shoes designed with Photoshop

Roger Federer asks fans to use Photoshop to show him where to visit in India

 

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What Does ISO Mean? And Other Photographic Abbreviations

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Below you will find the answer to "What does ISO mean?" and other photographic abbreviations. They're not need-to-know but good-to-know!

ISO

ISO stands for International Organization of Standardization. In photography it refers to a unit (number) which quantifies the sensitivity of photographic film or an image capturing system. Higher ISO numbers mean a higher sensitivity to light.

Example Usage: "Set the camera to 100 ISO."

JPEG

JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Expert Group, and is a file format most commonly used for digital images. JPEG is a compression type that allows the stored amount of detail to vary resulting in smaller or larger files sizes.

Example Usage: "Send me some JPEGs of the show."

EVIL

what does iso mean?

Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens. A type of hybrid camera with the small body and style of a compact camera but with professional features of an interchangeable lens system and an electronic viewfinder (mirrorless).

Example Usage: "I must have the EVIL Sony RX100III now."

MP

Megapixel (you knew that!). A measurement of the resolution of a digital camera or image equal to one million pixels.

Example Usage: "The new Canon 5Ds has a 50MP sensor"

LCD

Liquid Crystal Display. A common type of screen used on cameras to display images and information relative to interaction with the camera.

Example Usage: "Careful not to scratch the LCD screen please."

LED

Light Emitting Diode. Often used on the rear of cameras as activity indicator lamps, such as an indication the camera is busy writing images to the card. They can also be used as a continuous video light, arranged in an array of 1 to 126 or more LEDs typically with an adjustable brightness wheel. LEDs have low power consumption and emit almost no heat.

Example Usage: "Why is my LED still blinking?"

NFC

what does iso mean

Near Field Communication. A short range wireless connectivity technology becoming an increasingly popular feature in newer cameras. NFC enables wireless transfer of images from your camera to a phone or tablet without the use of wires or a desktop/laptop computer.

Example Usage: "Does that camera have NFC?"

SD

Secure Digital. A small removable memory card used in many cameras. Most computers have a slot for SD connectivity.

Example Usage: "Oh no, I forgot my SD card..."

SDHC

Sony 64GB SDHC | $27.99

Secure Digital High Capacity. An SD card with a capacity higher than 32GB (that's Gigabytes!).

Example Usage: "You'll want the best SDHC for a Panasonic GH4"