Judging by the photography gear our readers purchased in May, APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras continue to do well, and lots of Tamron lenses found new homes too.
There’s nothing like buying new photography gear, and many of you have given new homes to plenty of equipment during May. Lenses were the big sellers this month, with primes being the flavor of the month. When it comes to cameras, we saw a few Full-Frame cameras get new owners, but APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras are continuing their upward trend in popularity. Join us after the break to see what photography gear your fellow readers purchased during May, 2020.
You, our loyal readers, have been adding quite a bit of photography gear to your camera bags over the past month. Many of you took advantage of the excellent sales on Tamron lenses, and on cameras from Sony, Fujifilm, and Olympus.
It’s interesting to see that APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras are still trending positively. So much emphasis is put on Full-Frame cameras from many sources, including other photography blogs, YouTubers, and even manufacturers themselves. We say ‘get what works for you and be happy.’ Have a look at the list of photography gear that found new homes in May. Who knows, you may decide to join the others that took advantage of the great deals.
Table of Contents
Sony A6600
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
- A 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, and it really shows its age. It’s not 2012 anymore.
- It needs a viewfinder that flips up
- Focus peaking on the APS C bodies used to be amazing, and now it’s crap. We used 7Artisan lenses for M mount on this camera, and it wasn’t getting anything sharply in focus despite the focus peaking saying so.
- Detail loss above ISO 3200. In fact, ISO 3200 and above is just not clean.
- Why no USB C charging or port? Only Mini?
Buy now: $1,398
Try before you buy: Lensrentals
Fujifilm X-T3
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
Try before you buy: Lensrentals
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III
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
Try before you buy: Lensrentals
Sony A7R IV
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Improved ergonomics
- Blazing fast autofocus
- Excellent weather sealing
- Anti-flicker shooting
- Dual UHS-II SD card slots
- More resolution than most photographers will need
Cons
- Limited touchscreen functionality: you still can’t navigate the menus or interact with the display
- Large file sizes (to be expected)
Buy now: $3,498
Try before you buy: Lensrentals
Tamron 20mm F2.8 Di III OSD
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Well built
- Affordable
- Nice colors
- Tamron is embracing Mirrorless with a small and lightweight offering.
- Weather sealed very well; it survived a few hours in the rain.
- Autofocuses quickly
- Priced at only $349
Cons
- This is one of the most heavily distorted lenses we’ve tested in a while. You can use that to your advantage, or you can correct it in post.
Buy now: $299
Try before you buy: Lensrentals
Tamron 35mm F2.8 Di III OSD
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Compact (although the Sony 35mm f2.8 Zeiss is still smaller)
- Lightweight
- Class-leading weather sealing
- Excellent image quality overall
- Very affordable (only $349)
Cons
- Plasticky build quality
- Low light autofocus can be a tad slow
Buy now: $299
Try before you buy: Lensrentals
Rokinon 8mm F2.8 Fisheye
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Lightweight and well balanced
- The aperture ring is a delight to use
- Sharpness (when stopped down a little) and color rendering are both excellent
Cons
- Bulbous front element means you cannot use filters
- No depth of field preview scale
- A little bit soft wide open
Buy now Canon M: $274.95
Buy now Fujifilm X: $299
Buy now Sony E Mount: $249
Try before you buy: Lensrentals
Sony 85mm F1.8 FE
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Great image quality
- Fast-focusing with the Sony a7r II and in good lighting, it will focus quickly with the Sony a7
- Nice feel, though not as great as the G Master 85mm f1.4 lens
- Weather resistance built-in
- Compact size
Cons
- Honestly, not a darn thing
Buy now: $598
Try before you buy: Lensrentals
Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Fast aperture
- Weather sealing to a point
- Fast autofocus performance for the most part
- Nice bokeh
- Sharp, surprisingly sharp
Cons
- To be honest, nothing
Buy now Canon M: $399
Buy now M4/3: $399
Buy now Sony E: $387.46
Try before you buy: Lensrentals
BAGSMART Camera Backpack
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- You can pack a whole lot of gear
- Leather and canvas
- Two locking systems on either the side pocket or the front zippered pocket
- It can hold a tripod and a thermos with no issues
- Very comfortable
- Incredibly well weather sealed
- Pretty stylish
Cons
- The drawstring top isn’t as great as a roll-top
- We wish it had a waist strap system
Buy now: $62.99