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Elite Member
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Utah
Posts: 5,017
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Elite Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Utah
Posts: 5,017
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My .02 - I'm not a huge gopro fan. I have an older model. Haven't used it in quite a while. The video simply isn't as good as a typical cell phone. I have half a dozen old cell phones that all take better video/pics. I'd just use one of them. And you have a billion apps for any sort of photography or video you want to do. Most of them are waterproof too.
For bright daylight and wide angle - modern cell phone cameras are very good. They're nearly on par with most DSLR or mirrorless cameras.
I use a Canon mirrorless for most everything else. The one advantage of Canon is the wide selection of other lenses. The native format is pretty limited though. I had a Panasonic m4/3 before and it was also pretty good. IMO the canon produces better images across the board. But it's kinda behind the times for video. I'd guess Sony makes the best mirrorless right now. The great option for the Canon is that I can use things like a 50mm portrait lens I already have. My 10-18mm wide angle is WAY cheaper than a comparable lens for the Sony. Just a few examples. And for future travel to somewhere like Africa - it's usually cheaper to rent the big telephotos for Canon than any other platform. It's not better. Just cheaper.
And, just to throw another wrench in the decision, some mid level point and shoot cameras do a fantastic job of all around photography that is a step up from a cell phone. And a good bit cheaper than buying a mirrorless camera and lenses. Plus a lot smaller to travel with. That's the killer of any interchangeable lens camera system. The bodies are smaller and so are the native lenses. But they're still really bulky compared to a point and shoot camera or a cell phone.
So... I guess my suggestion is to first ask yourself whether you need something a cell phone can't do. If it's just something you don't want to do with your current phone - I think you could buy a Samsung S7 or S8 for around $100. And they should take better video than a Gopro in my experience. Just get the mounting you want to use them for what you want to do. If you need more zoom - I'd consider whether you'll really want to invest in telephoto lenses and how much they cost for the camera system you're interested in. Or whether a point and shoot camera with a decent telephoto would be better for size and weight. In the end - make sure you get something you'll actually use. Lots of $$ cameras sit on shelves because they're not convenient to take or use.
Canon M100 with the kit lens for $350ish is pretty hard to beat for all around photos. If you want to expand later, the 22mm prime lens and the 200mm tele it covers everything my cell phone doesn't. And that set fits in a small travel bag. That's my person go-to for 90%. The other camera I use regularly is a Canon S100 with a dive housing for water sports trip. It takes fantastic images and video. And I'd bet you could find a used one for around $100 or less on Ebay.
good luck.
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