The search for the best compact camera continues...

[The Sly Fox]

Been reading lots of reviews of the new Fujifilm x100f. Many are claiming it's the ultimate compact camera for street/travel. It certainly has impressive specs and is a well thought out upgrade from the x100t.

 

Another to recently catch my attention is the Fujifilm x70. Again very impressive specs and has some pluses over the x100 series inasmuch as it has an articulating screen, and is smaller & lighter - the sort of camera you can wear all day/every day. 

 

The only other camera on my short list is the Leica X2. For various reasons I've eliminated Sony, Ricoh & Lumix. So it's a down to Fujifilm Vs Leica.

[6853395]

Cannon PowerShot

 

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/powershot-digital-elph-cameras?cm_mmc=GA-_-CameraGroup-_-141002Brand%20Paid%20Search-_-canon%20powershot&Ap=PowerShot%20Cameras&gclid=CNqHvNOnwNICFUWVfgodK7kJTg

 

Many options.

[The Sly Fox]

Looks like my search draws to an end. I've found a Leica X-E (same as Leica X2) reduced to half price in an Aussie camera store's discontinued stock sale. I'm in the process of buying it now.

[flamesfan7]

Previously I had a Canon 60D with a couple extra lenses. Wonderful camera and I took tons of great photos with it. Traveling in Thailand over the years I became tired of carrying this cumbersome camera outfit. With the camera body and lenses and other gear, the outfit weighed about 10 pounds and carrying the camera bag in the Thailand heat became a pain in the ass.

     I have since shopped around for a smaller camera and decided upon the Sony a6000. I sold my Canon outfit and bought the Sony camera and 2 lenses. The a6000 has all the bells and whistles the Canon had and is smaller and lightweight. I'm impressed with the quality of the shots I get and it's so much easier to carry around. The autofocus is faster than fuck, has a huge sensor, takes full HD videos, takes 24mp shots, has tons of interchangeable lenses and can shoot 11 frames per second. I'm also impressed with the Sony software it comes with. When I go out at night I carry just the camera and a small 16-50mm lens. It's great for low light/night shots and the video capabilities are great. Perfect for carrying around Pattaya and getting some good shots of the girls and revelry.

     Looking to upgrade to the a6300 which is basically the a6000 but with 4K video capabilities and some other upgrades. I'm sold on the Sony.

[Piece Corp]

I had a Canon Powershot, paid 14000 baht, and the image sensor died after 500 shots.  Wouldn't buy Canon again.

[Jack Frost]

Sony RX 100 Mark 5.

Point & shoot & just about everything but no great zoom.

 

Amazing camera & here in UK about £800 approx.

[Woofiee]

On 2017-5-3 at 2:03 PM, Piece Corp said:

I had a Canon Powershot, paid 14000 baht, and the image sensor died after 500 shots.  Wouldn't buy Canon again.

 I've got a Canon S90 with tens of thousands of shots on it - sounds like you just had a bad experience, but the advice isn't warranted. (was the camera?)

[Piece Corp]

No, this was my last shot with it.  It convinced me to upgrade.  Now I only use big Nikons.

[Piece Corp]

Here's another.  Not all the images were ruined, just the good ones.

[Cph]

I have a Sony a7 and a zeiss 55mm f1.8 I think this, with a flash, is the best FL for taking pics of girls in hotels rooms. 

Maybe not super compact but smaller then most dslr set ups. 

[The Sly Fox]

On 5/16/2017 at 0:07 PM, Piece Corp said:

No, this was my last shot with it.  It convinced me to upgrade.  Now I only use big Nikons.

Terrible color cast.

 

[The Sly Fox]

On 5/16/2017 at 0:18 PM, Piece Corp said:

Here's another.  Not all the images were ruined, just the good ones.

You certainly had a crappy camera there. I'm not keen on Canon. I think Fujifilm, Sony, Pana are making the best compacts these days.

 

[The Sly Fox]

The Leica deal fell through. I was buying mail order from Australia and the bitch I was dealing with suddenly pissed off on leave for a couple weeks and when she returned all the Leica X-E stock was gone. That was Ted's Cameras....terrible service.

So my search for the ultimate pocket camera continues. I'm waiting for the upgrade of Fujifilm X70...probably to be called the X80 to be released soon, and that may well be the camera I go for. The Pana LX 10 is on the cards as well. As are the Leica X2 and X-E. But I think the Fujifilm & Pana are better value buys.

[Petesie]

I'll be on the lookout as I'm passing through Dubai Duty Notfree for the Fuji X100F, if unsuccessful I'll just pick it up from Sonya at Big Camera in Central. 

[The Sly Fox]

Well my search for the best compact camera is finally over. I just got a new camera - Sony RX100M3. I spent a long time researching cameras and narrowing down the huge range of models available. But in the end the Sony RX 100M3 was the only camera that ticked all the boxes for me.

1) Small enough to carry with me at all times, either in a pocket or in a small bag on a belt.

2) Excellent IQ, so a fairly large sensor and quality optics.

3) Some zoom range, and a fast aperture.

4) EVF so don't have to keep on putting on reading glasses and squinting at the screen in bright daylight.

5. Flip up screen, so can take selfies of myself and with GF.

I nearly got the Fujifilm X70 but no zoom, stuck with 18.5mm f2.8 lens, and no EVF. As I said the Sony RX100 M3 was the only camera that ticked all the boxes.

[js89]

10 hours ago, The Sly Fox said:

Well my search for the best compact camera is finally over. I just got a new camera - Sony RX100M3. I spent a long time researching cameras and narrowing down the huge range of models available. But in the end the Sony RX 100M3 was the only camera that ticked all the boxes for me.

1) Small enough to carry with me at all times, either in a pocket or in a small bag on a belt.

2) Excellent IQ, so a fairly large sensor and quality optics.

3) Some zoom range, and a fast aperture.

4) EVF so don't have to keep on putting on reading glasses and squinting at the screen in bright daylight.

5. Flip up screen, so can take selfies of myself and with GF.

I nearly got the Fujifilm X70 but no zoom, stuck with 18.5mm f2.8 lens, and no EVF. As I said the Sony RX100 M3 was the only camera that ticked all the boxes.

Undoubtedly. I have owned the RX100M1 and RX100MK2. The other cameras mentioned here don't really fit the compact definition.

In daylight, the RX100 takes photos that are almost as good as my Canon 5DMKIII. There is no other pocketable camera on the market that will give the same features and picture quality as this camera in a form factor the size of a cigarette packet.

[js89]

27 minutes ago, js89 said:

Undoubtedly. I have owned the RX100M1 and RX100MK2. The other cameras mentioned here don't really fit the compact definition.

In daylight, the RX100 takes photos that are almost as good as my Canon 5DMKIII. There is no other pocketable camera on the market that will give the same features and picture quality as this camera in a form factor the size of a cigarette packet.

And incidentally, I figure I take this camera with me way more often than my DSLR, since the DSLR is a heavy fucker that requires a backpack, whereas this guy just slips into my pocket unobtrusively.

[The Sly Fox]

26 minutes ago, js89 said:

Undoubtedly. I have owned the RX100M1 and RX100MK2. The other cameras mentioned here don't really fit the compact definition.

In daylight, the RX100 takes photos that are almost as good as my Canon 5DMKIII. There is no other pocketable camera on the market that will give the same features and picture quality as this camera in a form factor the size of a cigarette packet.

I read camera reviews all the time and it seems that the Sony RX100 range, M1 through to M5, is the yardstick by which all other compacts are compared.

[js89]

Just now, The Sly Fox said:

I read camera reviews all the time and it seems that the Sony RX100 range, M1 through to M5, is the yardstick by which all other compacts are compared.

For good reason. Large sensor for the form factor. superlative optics and really good firmware that corrects the barrel distortion and many other things

[The Sly Fox]

1 minute ago, js89 said:

And incidentally, I figure I take this camera with me way more often than my DSLR, since the DSLR is a heavy fucker that requires a backpack, whereas this guy just slips into my pocket unobtrusively.

That's why small enough to carry at all times was #1 on my list of requirements. I've also had SLRs with interchangeable lenses and bridge cameras, and most of the time those cameras just sit in the wardrobe. To get superb IQ from a camera that slips into a jacket pocket is the way to go IMO.

[js89]

5 minutes ago, The Sly Fox said:

I read camera reviews all the time and it seems that the Sony RX100 range, M1 through to M5, is the yardstick by which all other compacts are compared.

You do pay for that yardstick privilege, however. It's hardly cheap. You can get a consumer grade DSLR for cheaper

[The Sly Fox]

3 minutes ago, js89 said:

For good reason. Large sensor for the form factor. superlative optics and really good firmware that corrects the barrel distortion and many other things

I was tempted by the Fuji X70 primarily because of the APS-C sensor, but I've read that with the soon-to-be-released update of the X70, Fuji are dropping the APS-C and going back to 1" sensor. 

[The Sly Fox]

4 minutes ago, js89 said:

You do pay for that yardstick privilege, however. It's hardly cheap. You can get a consumer grade DSLR for cheaper

I got my RX100M3 on sale from a store in Perth, in THB the price was 18,800. Which is pretty damn good and cheaper than Power Buy or Lazada. I did lots of price checking beforehand.

[Micky2]

Whatever is "the best" a at a particular point in time is going to be bettered, probably sooner than later, thus any search for "the best" will carry on ad infinitum. 

Better to work out what you want to do with a camera, and choose the one that best fits your needs and budget. 

Everyone has different wants, desires and budgets. 

For me, my first digital camera was a drop and water resistant model that I picked up for 3,500 baht as an end of line special; about a 50% reduction for the last one in stock. I learned to use it, within it's limitations, and got some great shots, from under water to landscapes, and portraits to action.  It is rugged, so I still chuck it in my bag sometimes to take the odd snap when out and about.

I wanted to take more action shots of sport and musicians. The main limitations of my first camera, from my point of view, were lack of an optical viewfinder and shutter lag. Also a better lens and bigger sensor would improve image quality. I started to look at DSLRs, but they were too big and beyond my budget...... then the Fujifilm X10 arrived on the scene @ about 1800 baht. It seemed a fit, so I got one and was well pleased with it but soon there was a problem with the linkage between the optical viewfinder and the lens. I had that repaired under warranty. It worked fine for a couple of years then the problem recurred. The camera still worked fine using the screen on the back, but it was not good for my purposes. I gave it to a friend, who is still using it.

I replaced it with the X20, which incorporated some significant improvements, and it remains a good fit for my needs. The X-Pro 2 is still fairly compact, but also has the advantage of being able to use different lenses...... but the body alone is nearly 60,000 baht. Add a lens or two and you can double that. Beyond my budget, and needs.

But it is not just about the camera. It is also about how you use the camera, within its limitations, and then what you do with the photos once you download them on to a computer. There are various photo storing and processing options available, but the basic iPhoto, that came with iLife on every Mac was fine for me....... and I have had quite a few photos published.

Then I upgraded the operating system to OS X 10.11, El Capitan (my old mac is not supported by anything more recent). With that came the first version of Photos, which is a disaster; I can't do much with it. The most recent MacOS 10.13, High Sierra, comes with Photos 3.0, which has restored functionality improved on the range of editing tools. I now need a new computer to do much with a photo, no matter how "good" the camera is.

[The Sly Fox]

21 hours ago, Micky2 said:

Whatever is "the best" a at a particular point in time is going to be bettered, probably sooner than later, thus any search for "the best" will carry on ad infinitum. 

Better to work out what you want to do with a camera, and choose the one that best fits your needs and budget. 

Everyone has different wants, desires and budgets. 

For me, my first digital camera was a drop and water resistant model that I picked up for 3,500 baht as an end of line special; about a 50% reduction for the last one in stock. I learned to use it, within it's limitations, and got some great shots, from under water to landscapes, and portraits to action.  It is rugged, so I still chuck it in my bag sometimes to take the odd snap when out and about.

I wanted to take more action shots of sport and musicians. The main limitations of my first camera, from my point of view, were lack of an optical viewfinder and shutter lag. Also a better lens and bigger sensor would improve image quality. I started to look at DSLRs, but they were too big and beyond my budget...... then the Fujifilm X10 arrived on the scene @ about 1800 baht. It seemed a fit, so I got one and was well pleased with it but soon there was a problem with the linkage between the optical viewfinder and the lens. I had that repaired under warranty. It worked fine for a couple of years then the problem recurred. The camera still worked fine using the screen on the back, but it was not good for my purposes. I gave it to a friend, who is still using it.

I replaced it with the X20, which incorporated some significant improvements, and it remains a good fit for my needs. The X-Pro 2 is still fairly compact, but also has the advantage of being able to use different lenses...... but the body alone is nearly 60,000 baht. Add a lens or two and you can double that. Beyond my budget, and needs.

But it is not just about the camera. It is also about how you use the camera, within its limitations, and then what you do with the photos once you download them on to a computer. There are various photo storing and processing options available, but the basic iPhoto, that came with iLife on every Mac was fine for me....... and I have had quite a few photos published.

Then I upgraded the operating system to OS X 10.11, El Capitan (my old mac is not supported by anything more recent). With that came the first version of Photos, which is a disaster; I can't do much with it. The most recent MacOS 10.13, High Sierra, comes with Photos 3.0, which has restored functionality improved on the range of editing tools. I now need a new computer to do much with a photo, no matter how "good" the camera is.

Interesting read Micky2. A couple years ago I has a Fujifilm XF1 compact. Took great photos but had to be repaired under warranty half a dozen times. I guess I was unlucky and got a "lemon" but it made me wary of Fujifilm cameras.

Before buying my Sony RX100m3 I made a list up of all the top model compacts and a list of all the features/specs I required. And as I said the Sony RX100 was the only one that ticked all boxes. It's an astonishing little camera and I'm enjoying discovering all the things it's capable of. The only minus point I can think of is I doubt if it's robust and I'd be hesitant to use it in real rough conditions, but I just do street and general tourist pics so for that it's fine.