System cameras

I use micro four thirds - the em5 has amazingly good stabilisation built in which is great for low light - and you can get good fast prime lenses. The new mark two is pricey - but the mark one has same sensor, most of the improvements in the mark two are to the layout and viewfinder and is in your price range.

It also looks good!

fuji X A1!!!!
it's the camera that ade me happy since I've bought
I love it in low light

I would endorse fuji x of course, but may be hard to keep to your budget. It is so difficult to advise when your list of wants is not clear - viewfinder, tilting screen, sensor size, overall size and the cost of lenses for you system all need to be considered. The micro 4/3 systems have a wider range of lens options than others so the body choice depends on how it feels and what it achieves for your money.

Ps to my previous post, the fuji x-a1 (and newer a2) tend to come with the 16-50 lens. If you can afford one, the 18-55 or newer 16-55 are much better quality. I started with the fuji x-m1 with 16-50 but returned it because the operation and lens quality were not quite up to the mark in my opinion. The electronic viewfinder of the higher end fuji models is superb.

I'm a micro four thirds convert and am coming up to owning the Olympus EM5 for two years.
Since then, a slightly lower spec model - the EM10 - has been released.
The EM5 has good low light performance and RAW shooting. The on-screen menu can be configured to bring up a "super control panel." If you search for "Olympus super control panel" it will explain it much better than I can.
There are other PEN models in the Olympus range but the EM5 and EM10 both have electronic viewfinders which the PEN models don't.

Due to the smaller sensor size, the depth of field usually won't be as pronounced as with a camera such as the Fuji XA1/2.

Without sounding like too much of an Olympus fanboy, I can't say anything about Fuji or Panasonic offerings but I'm sure they will be equally as good.

Ah. I see bensholto has weighed in to confirm that the higher end Olympuses are better in low light. My E-PM1 doesn't have a viewfinder but I bought a bolt-on one on eBay because I can't stand not having one. I don't really like electronic ones. I seem to remember a conversation with you in which you said you weren't bothered about having a viewfinder, so this may not be important.

Like ben I use the "super control panel" for easy access to all functions, but I find the tiny control wheel a bit fiddly compared to my Nikon. If I was going for another micro 4/3 I'd look for more comprehensive manual controls and a better viewfinder.

Many thanks for all the answers. Extremely helpful in shaping my thinking. I'll report back when I've decided.

I have been very happy with my Panasonic G3 system camera for which I have a kit zoom, a long lens and a pancake lens 1.7 ideal for low light and lightweight portability. The Panasonic range has moved on a little but I would always go for one with a swivel screen AND an electronic viewfinder.

I've used the Olympus EM-10 for about a year and now just upgraded to the EM-5 MkII. When you consider I also have the Nikon D810 and a full suite of top quality glass I have to say the Olympus just makes me smile with it's versatility and functions. If I'm grabbing a camera with no real intention as to what I'm shooting it is inevitably the Olympus over the Nikon.

If you want great low light capability you'll have to invest in good glass, but that is the same with anything. The in-camera stabilisation is awesome and noise is well controlled up to about iso 3200 and can be helped by post editing. More than anything it is so much lighter than dSLRs.

It's difficult to choose a bad camera these days and I have friends who swear by the Fuji (and Sony, Panasonic, etc). Micro 4/3rds have the widest range of lenses and some truly phenomenal ones at that. Independents are also making lenses and they go as bright as an f/0.95 (though it costs).

As someone else has said the sensor is similar in all of the OM-D range and if you don't need the dust, splash and freeze proof durability I would certainly recommend the EM-10 thought the EM-5 is being discounted at the moment so is good value and has slightly better (5 way rather than 3 way) image stabilisation.

Thank you all. Just before Graham posted his answer I bought the Olympus EM-5 MkII. Way out of my price range but almost whatever aspect I looked at, it came out top, then I got an extremely generous donation for my bithday. Off to learn it now.

Ooh! Exciting -- can't wait to hear what you think of it. And happy birthday :)

We can learn together. I always use a camera extensively when I first get it so I learn what it can do.

Belated birthday greetings.

Thanks Graham and Veronica. Actually it was a very advance birthday present. Still some time off but it IS this year!

@graham. I'm sure you're already way ahead of me and will stay there, but it will be good to compare notes. At the moment I'm quite slow changing settings but I know that just requires practice. I'm also finding the EVF a bit slow and wonder whether that's because I wear glasses. How do you find it?

@arachne. Rachel, still getting to grips with it myself. My image on Sunday was the first time it was used 'in anger'. I was frustrated by the EVF, but in my case it was due to using H burst and losing the image as it wrote to the card. Is this a similar issue to yours, I.e. You take a picture and then wait for the EVF to display the image taken and then refresh?

If this is the case go into the menu, set up, rec. view and switch off the option to review your image after shooting. You get an almost immediate return to the live view.

I had a slightly different problem using c-af, with and without tracking where the focus seemed to pulse while I was following the horses. I haven't solved that yet though I was quite pleased with my image in the journal.

Just a quick update that Gary Friedmann has just published an e-book for the Olympus E-M5Mkii. Demystifies and explains why you should use certain settings. I bought it and feel it is good value.

http://friedmanarchives.com/OlympusE-M5-2/index.htm