What Our Readers Bought: You Folks Love APS-C and M4/3s Cameras

Last Updated on 03/01/2020 by Mark Beckenbach

You’ve all got great taste, and we’re sure the photography gear you’ve added to your collection will be loved.

Can you believe February is over already? How times flies! You, our readers, didn’t waste any time when it comes to adding new photography gear to your collections. For all who think only Full-Frame cameras are popular, or that Micro Four Thirds is dead, we must say you’re mistaken. Both APS-C and M4/3s cameras are being snapped up by more photographers than ever right now and for good reasons. Cameras in these segments are more capable than ever and represent incredible value for the money. In this popular photography gear roundup, we share the ten most popular pieces of photography gear (cameras and lenses) our readers have been snapping during February, 2020.

As we all know, numbers do not lie. When it comes to photography gear, the stories the numbers are telling us from February are that Olympus, Sony, and Fujifilm have been knocking it out of the park with the number of photographers purchasing new cameras. The Sony a6600, the Olympus E-M5 III, and the E-M1 III have found new homes with many. When it comes to lenses, Sony users have been busy adding top-quality glass to their collections too. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and take a look at the ten most popular pieces of photography gear for February, 2020.

Olympus OMD EM1 III

The new Olympus camera has found its way into the home of a few photographers this month. It’s a fantastic camera with some features other manufacturers can’t touch! We enjoyed using it and gave it a great review. Here are the pros and cons from that review:

Pros

• Feels nice when shooting for a long time
• We like the shutter sound
• Good continuous autofocus which does tracking
• The processor is fantastic
• The art filters continue to make Olympus unique amongst other camera brands
• Live composite is so incredibly pleasant, along with Starry AF
• It survived sand and saltwater
• Continuous AF+Tracking works well with wide angles
• The custom shooting mode switch on the back is something every adventure brand should have
• This is the foundation for an Olympus camera we’d want to take everywhere
• Handheld High res shot continues to be one of the best things ever

Cons

• Battery life in the heat and the cold
• Still no rating system in the playback menu. Why?
• C-AF + Tracking is useless with telephoto lenses
• Why no touchscreen menus?
• Olympus’s menu system continues to give headaches
• Some of the parts seem very dated at this point. Like the EVF, the sensor, and some of the dials
• A top screen LCD could have made shooting easier
• We’re not sure why it couldn’t have Dual UHS-II Card slots
• Above ISO 1600, you really need the art filters to take the most advantage
• Could really use no blackout in the EVF
• Animal Tracking in autofocus is needed
• We couldn’t find spot metering AF linked to the face (or at least it didn’t work for us)

Buy now: $1,799

Fujifilm X-T3

Fujifilm’s marvelous APS-C camera that could is still finding its way into the hearts of many, and it should. This camera is a powerhouse that can be had for a bargain price right now. The sensor is fantastic, and those film sims are just magical! Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Brand new 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 Sensor
• Brand new X-Processor 4 Image Processor
• Excellent weather sealing
• Very solid build quality
• Excellent image quality
• In body RAW processing with built-in film simulation profiles
• Versatile RAW files
• Amazing video capabilities
• Dual SD card slots (if your workflow requires it)

Cons

• Battery life can use some improvement
• Lacks in-body image stabilization
• Low light performance is improved over the previous generation X-T2, but hit rates during high-speed low light situations still leave much to be desired

Buy now: $1,199

Sony a6600

Sony’s flagship APS-C camera has been selling like hotcakes during February too. This 24 Megapixel camera, which features IBIS, an incredible autofocus system, and a ton of other features is a steal! It’s perfect for photographers and videographers alike! Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Feels better than all other APS-C Sony cameras
• It’s a mini a9
• The bigger battery is a very welcome addition
• Weather sealing is nice
• Image stabilization
• The combined weather sealing and bigger battery mean you can go all day on a single charge
• Lightweight and small-sized camera
• The quiet shutter in addition to the silent option
• A lot of buttons that help you get around some of the issues
• Fast-focusing even on the streets with continually changing light
• There is almost no reason to take it off of wide tracking and continuous autofocus
• Face detection for animals is very fun
• Low ISO detail retention in highlights and shadows is pretty good

Cons

• No lock on the mode dial
• Sony refuses to give us three direct control dials. Why?
• Sony refuses to put a joystick on the back
• No Dual Card Slots
• Face detection doesn’t seem as advanced as the a7 and a9 series
• Sony still limits a photographer from having full use of the touchscreen in a way similar to Canon and Panasonic
• The screen is sort of low resolution compared to the full-frame cameras
• It needs a viewfinder that flips up
• Focus peaking on the APS C bodies used to be amazing, and now, not so much
• Detail loss above ISO 3200
• Why no USB C charging or port? Only Mini?

Buy now: $1,198

Olympus OMD EM5 Mark III

Who said Micro Four Thirds was dead? Another Olympus camera makes our list this month: the E-M5 III is a fantastic camera with class-leading IBIS, tons of weather sealing, it can pump out gorgeous images, and those looks! It’s a stunning camera, and at $999 there’s no wonder so many of our readers have added one to their collection. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Beautiful retro styling
• Excellent image quality
• Robust weather sealing
• Reliable image stabilization
• Accurate autofocus
• Compact form factor
• Built-in Live Composite and 50 MP High Resolution shooting modes are highly effective

Cons

• Form factor can be too compact for some, particularly for photographers with larger hands or when mated with larger lenses
• Plasticky build quality
• Single UHS-II SD Card slot
• Lacks dedicated joystick
• Poor battery life
• Convoluted menu systems
• No major innovations after over four years

Buy now: $999

Fujifilm X-T30

The Fujifilm X-T30 is another hot camera during February. The little brother to the X-T3 packs most of what the X-T3 has to offer in an even smaller, lighter body. You get the same excellent X-Trans sensor, those gorgeous film simulations, beautiful retro looks, and so much more. It’s a steal at $799! If you want a very capable camera for your travels that you can pair up with some gorgeous Fujifilm glass, check out the X-T30. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Solid construction that we’ve come to expect and love about Fujifilm cameras
• Compact
• Lightweight
• Almost everything that made the X-T3 such a hit

Cons

• Lacks in-body image stabilization and weather sealing
• Rear touchscreen-only tilts up and down, unlike the X-T3 which also tilts to the right as well
• Perhaps a tad too compact, particularly for photographers with larger hands
• The new joystick is awkwardly placed on the rear of the camera body
• Unremarkable battery life

Buy now: $799

Fujifilm 23mm F1.4

The Fujifilm XF 23mm f1.4 is one of our favorite lenses on the Fujifilm platform. The 35mm equivalent will help you produce some truly breathtaking images. The lens is well built, it’s razor-sharp optics will delight, and it can create dreamy bokeh. It should be considered a must-have for all Fujifilm shooters. It’s no surprise that so many of you added it to your lens library. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Superb image quality
• Beautiful bokeh
• Lots of great sharpness with even a bit of what seems like micro-contrast
• Well built
• Snapback focusing ring

Cons

• Expensive

Buy now: $899

Zeiss 85mm F1.8 Batis

The Zeiss 85mm f1.8 Batis is a portrait photographer’s dream lens. If you want sharp images with bokeh that will make your clients fall head over heels in love with the images you create, then this is the lens for you. We were impressed with the lens when we reviewed it, and again, we’re not surprised that it is still a top seller. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Compact size for a lens like this
• Weather resistance
• Extremely fast and accurate focusing
• Very sharp

Cons

• Only f1.8
• Skin tones rendered blue for us and needed to be warmed up
• The top LCD display is pretty useless on a focal length like this

Buy now: $1,079

Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM

Canon RF lenses are hands down some of the best on the market today, and the RF 24-70mm f2.8 L IS USM is no exception. This professional’s workhorse lens is tack sharp, renders stunning colors, well built, and has IS. Attach this to the EOS R, RP, or the RA, and you will have a massive smile on your face when you see the results from this lens. It doesn’t surprise us that this lens made the list of popular photography gear. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Fast-focusing abilities
• Sharp image quality
• Very lightweight
• Built incredibly well
• Well balanced and smaller than the Sony G Master
• Image stabilization
• Fairly priced

Cons

• We couldn’t find any

Buy now: $2,299

Sony Zeiss 16-35mm F4 OSS

Constant aperture zooms are loved by many, and the Sony Zeiss 16-35mm f4 is a great one! It’s sharp and the lens features image stabilization. It’s built solidly and is actually quite compact. It’s perfect for landscape photographers, environmental portrait photographers, documentarians, and many more. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Super sharp from edge to edge
• Excellent color rendition
• Overall distortion is kept down as well as possible, but at times was noticeable
• Fairly compact body
• Solid build quality
• Image stabilization will prevent even the most jittery coffee fiend from getting a blurry shot

Cons

• Only f4

Buy now: $1,248

Sony 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS

The Sony 90mm f2.8 Macro G OSS is not only one of the sharpest lenses on the Sony platform, but it is also one of the sharpest lenses around, period! Five years after the lenses initial release, this lens is still one of the sharpest DXOMark and we have tested. Not only is it a great Macro lens, but it also doubles as a serious portrait lens. You guys have great taste when it comes to photography gear! Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Great image quality in most situations
• Sharp performance, again in most situations
• Optical stabilization
• Fast-focusing performance
• Very silent stabilization
• Internal focusing design, and one that is pretty small for what it is
• Push/pull focusing ring
• Lightweight
• At last, a focusing scale that actually works!

Cons

• The colors just aren’t there compared to many of Sony’s other lenses. Perhaps this was done specifically for portraits, but you’re mostly going to rely on the capabilities of the Sony sensors which are very good

Buy now: $998