Looking for a compact

Aedus

Aedus

Aedus

Soldato
Joined
16 Aug 2009
Posts
8,577
Location
Luton, England
Hi all,

I made a thread recently about getting my gf a DSLR which she really liked, and now i'm looking for something for myself now which I can use on a daily basis just out and about.

I decided a DSLR is a bit too bulky for me, so i'd be more inclined to get a more compact camera, and since you guys gave me such great suggestions I'd like to see the recommendations for a decent compact. I'd still like it to have a nice selection of features and good quality images, I obviously don't expect it to be up to par with a DSLR, but it would be nice to get something decent.

Say budget of £500, spending less if possible, but will go to £500 if a particular camera is worth it.

Thanks in advanced. :)
 
Sony RX100 if you want something without the interchangable lenses etc

Just done the same and downsized from D90 and various lens etc. Bloody brilliant camera - quality images - great at very high ISO (2500/3200 etc)

Delighted with mine so far.
 
The MicroFourThirds (Olympus + panasonic) and Nikon 1 mirrorless systems have close to DSLR quality & performance in a very small package. Jacket pocket sized anyway.

Otherwise the Panasonic LX7 gets my vote. Many people will probably say SOny RX100 but it is really over rated and over priced, a nice larger sensor but poor and slow lens leads to underwhelming performance. LX7's faster lens makes up the difference in sensor size. Whats more the lX7 has a nice wider foal length.
 
The Sony RX100 is highly rated as an all in one compact ie built in zoom lens.

If you want a half way house between a DSLR and a Compact then you should look at Compact System Cameras like the micro four thirds versions produced by Panasonic and Olympus. Their lenses are interchangeable between the manufacturers. You can also get adapters to fit legacy lenses like Canon FD.

These cameras are produced in a variety of sizes but if you want a smaller, more compact version then look at the Panasonic GX1 or GF3/GF5 or Olympus PEN range. The E-PM are the smallest and go up from there.
 
D.P. said:
Many people will probably say SOny RX100 but it is really over rated and over priced, a nice larger sensor but poor and slow lens leads to underwhelming performance..
Click to expand...

Could I ask how you came to that conclusion? Is that personal use of the RX100?
 
No Fozzy. It wouldn't be. The RX100 is a perfectly good compact but it is undeniably expensive and it puts itself up against the X20, X100 and other premium compacts which means it needs to perform in a league that it doesn't quite match up to. (It outperforms the X10 and X20, yes, but then it is just a high performance compact when the X series are a fair bit more than that)

"Oh god people are just biased against Sony" isn't a valid argument any more, in the compacts arena least of all.
 
Last edited:
Ksanti said:
"Oh god people are just biased against Sony" isn't a valid argument any more, in the compacts arena least of all.
Click to expand...

No, a valid argument is one that should come from users and owners of the said camera. Anything else is just hearsay.

Yes, the RX100 does have limitations. Show me a compact that doesn't. Price and usability are the main two negatives. Image quality is NOT one of them.

I won't say it's better than others because I simply haven't used the others to compare it to. What I do know is that it doesn't offer "underwhelming performance."
 
Owners I'd say are among the least reliable sources because particularly on the internet, everybody is determined that they absolutely have to convince everyone that their purchase was the smartest decision anyone has ever seen in the history of ever.

I've used the X100 and X10, and I can see from the form factor of the RX100 that it is of course just a compact with a big sensor basically. The images are good from it but they're not better than the X100 which is in the same price ballpack nowadays (if much bigger)
 
Ksanti said:
Owners I'd say are among the least reliable sources because particularly on the internet, everybody is determined that they absolutely have to convince everyone that their purchase was the smartest decision anyone has ever seen in the history of ever.

I've used the X100 and X10, and I can see from the form factor of the RX100 that it is of course just a compact with a big sensor basically. The images are good from it but they're not better than the X100 which is in the same price ballpack nowadays (if much bigger)
Click to expand...

surely by the same definition, people who have NOT used the product are also unreliable sources??
 
No I'm not saying all owners are massively biased and unreliable, but on the internet "I own it" is nowhere near enough to say that you know what you're talking about. Just look at DP's praising Nikon in every thread from about two months ago, or An Exception and the RX100 in every single compacts thread even if they're looking at spending about £150. The only people I genuinely trust are reviewers who I know are reliable, and myself.
 
I recently bought a compact cam that I could use more often over the bulky dslr. Went for the Pana LX7 in the end over the likes of RX100, X10, XZ2 etc. The Pana only cost me £253, and it is great well featured little cam, the Leica lens on it is fantastic, wide, fast and aperture starts from 1.4. would highly recommend it!
 
booyaka said:
Could I ask how you came to that conclusion? Is that personal use of the RX100?
Click to expand...

Multiple trusted online reviews, playing around with it in shops, looking at images online (it is clear the lens cannot keep up with the sensor), plus the undeniable facts based on the lens specifications compared with other cameras with much faster glass (other compact camera with smaller sensors have much faster apertures negating most of the e advantage the rx100 has). Oh yeah, the price tag as well.

Fr that money you could buy a very nice CSC that has much more versatility in barely any more size and weight, or just buy cheaper and smaller compacts with similar performance.

PS: I would never trust anyone's personal reviews of a product.
 
fozzybear said:
I'm guessing his opinion would be different if it was called a Nikon RX100 rather than a Sony RX100. ;)
Click to expand...

No it wouldn't. Did you see me recommend a Nikon fixed lens compact?

I never even said the Rx100 was bad, simply "over rated and over priced".
It costs 500 quid, for 400 you can get the Olympus e-pm2 with kit lens that has far higher IQ and performance in body barely any bigger or heavier (well same kind of jack sized camera that wont fit in a shirt pocket).
Otherwise for 280 you can get similarly performance Panasonic LX7, Olympus XZ-2, etc.
 
I prefer the ones like the RX100, Panasonic LX7 & Olympus XZ-2 where I wouldn't need to interchange the lens.

Is there a short list of the best of the bunch from these? I do really like the look of the RX100, but understand the price for it's performance may not match what else is available.

From the posts i can see:

LX7
RX100
X10
XZ2
X20
X100
g15

Edit: Just wanted to note, an important aspect of the camera is that it's easily able to fit in a jacket pocket, something that can be carried around easily as I only ever take my phone, wallet and keys with me.
 
Last edited:
I'd personally say X100 as it's the closest to giving you DSLR quality (pretty damn fantastic quality at that) as well as being the nicest to use imho. The smaller compacts like the Sony and Panny are admittedly smaller but the X100 is a camera I'd happily keep and use for the better part of a decade whereas I feel like while the current performance compacts do well for their role, they will also be made obsolete very quickly and so their performance will no longer be that much of an advantage, just becoming another compact. The X100 matches all of their quality easily in terms of sensor, with more detailed images and imo a nicer shooting experience. It's just not /that/ much smaller than a DSLR (though the little 23mm f/2 lens is a little wonder of design if you ask me)
 
The x100 is really nice but it's a fixed lens at 35mm equivalent (which is an ace length imo). If this is your only camera then you'll need to be comfortable with this as it limits it's use. If it's a 2nd camera then yeah it'd be very nice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom