Most ideal street/travel/everyday camera

antc

antc

antc

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Hi All,

Thought it would be a cool idea to start a thread about this as there was a bit of discussion the new gear thread. Would be cool to get a discussion going and peoples experiences of various cameras etc.

I have been looking for something for a little while now and I would really like to hear your opinions and thoughts.

The camera so far I have been looking at are -

1. Fuji X100s/t - Nice and small, good quality images, good lens, covers a lot of bases. No folding screen which I find useful sometimes.

2. Sony Rx1R 2 - This looks like a stunner, full frame, 35mm f2, good image quality, massive price though (subjective I guess as to if you think its expensive)

3. Sony Rx1R - Can be had for around £1200-1400 second hand, still quite expensive, good image quality, same great lens as the new one I believe.

4. Sony RX100 1,2,3,4 - Looked at these today in a local camera shop, seem nice and well built, folding screen, mk3 and 4 have a viewfinder which I think is something you can't do without, mk1 and 2 don't have one, can add as option but is expensive.

5. OMD EM-5 + 17mm F1.8 - I used to own this combination some while back before selling it and moving back to full frame dslr. It was pretty good, has the 5 axis image stabiliser, folding screen, good image quality, good lens. Not sure if the newer versions of the camera, em5 mk2, or even em10 or em10 mk2 have any better features than the original em5. Aditional benefit of this combination is you could, if you wished be able to swap lenses etc......

6. Use my dslr (5dmk3) and just buy a 35mm lens for it, Canon 35f2IS, Sigma 35 Art or Canon 35mm L

7. Fuji X30 - Tillable screen, qood IQ, has zoom, wifi, small.

8. Panasonic GX7 - Tiltable EVF, tillable screen, similar in features to other m4/3 cameras above.

Things I was particularly looking for that I would find useful myself are -

1. Tilt able screen, if it rotates then cool but ideally at least tiltable
2. Smaller, easier to carry, more covert, weighs less, maybe pocketable
3. IS - Image stabiliser would be excellent, the 5 axis that I have experienced before was rather good.
4. Undecided on fixed lens or zoom, I do quite like the 35mm focal length, so if it was a fixed length lens this is perhaps what I would look for.
5. Wifi - Ideal for getting images onto mobile devices or printers.


So what do you guys and girls all think, what do you/are you looking for in a smaller camera perhaps for the above type of uses or even others.
 
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Out of the list I would pick the X100T due to its small size, good image quality/lens, WiFi and the ability to print directly to an Instax SP1.

Personally, my favourite travel camera would be my Rolleiflex 2.8F as it's quite light, discreet, and most importantly for me, medium format. I usually bring along my Ricoh GR as a quick snapshot camera as it hardly takes up any room and the image quality is amazing. 28mm and 50mm equiv. between the GR and Rollei covers 90% of the stuff I shoot and takes up less space and weighs less than my D800E + 35/1.4.
 
As GTRacer says, the Ricoh GR is a superb street photography camera. Small. tough, lightweight with an APS-c sensor and a really impressive 28mm lens. The camera isn't much bigger than a packet of cigarettes.

It has just been updated to the Mark II, which I believe has wifi capabilities, however the mark II is considerable more expensive than the Mark I.

Prices of the Mark I are around £390, whilst the Mark II are around £599! I suspect that the price of the Mark II may fall quite dramatically once the stocks of the Mark I have dried up.

One of the interesting features of the Ricoh GR is that it has snap focusing. You can set the camera to 'snap' to a focus range, say 6 feet to infinity and when you take a shot it will snap to that range instantly and take a photo.

How about the Leica X1 or X2? Leica X1 are 12 megapixel cameras, it is now discontinued but you can pick them up for around £450 second hand. Again this is an APS-C sensor, has a reputation for slow focusing, but its a nice bit of kit.

The X2 is still on sale around £1200 and has a 16 megapixel sensor.

Both of the above are again fairly small unobtrusive camera.

I'll throw another one in for you the Sony A6000. 24 megapixel. Interchangable lenses, electronic evf, 11fps shooting, NFC and Wifi, APS-c sensor, 179 focus points, tiltable rear lcd screen. At the moment Amazon has it for sale for £494 with a 16-50mm kit lens and its also subject to £50 cashback from Sony! This camera has the Sony E mount - which is the same as the A7, A7s, A7II, A7R and the top of the range A7RII.
 
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I really don't know much about the other cameras, but if you are looking for a small one to supplement your other kit, I'm really liking the RX100 3. Viewfinder is pretty good and the wifi features although basic are useful. Being able to use my phone to preview the shot and release the shutter is something I look forward to using. Also having the odd shot transferred via WiFi for the odd quick upload to FB will come in handy.

Just watch out as I just got burned on the £50 cashback, it's participating retailers only. I got mine from Amazon but it was via a reseller that was not supported... didn't really notice that bit... And funny enough, if you buy it directly from Amazon's stores - heyho! it's £50 dearer!
 
If you are considering the RX1Rii then might as well throw the Leica Q in the mix as well :)

From your list of priorities I would go with either an RX100 or a small Micro Four Thirds camera with a pancake lens (17mm would give you 34mm equivalent).

I've had the following:

RX100 mk1/mk3 - Great images in a compact size, I found it a bit fiddly to use at times but they punch well above their weight. I would save my cash and get the mk1 unless you really want the EVF.

X100/S - Lovely to use but operation is slow at times and they are a bit quirky, the T speeds things up quite a bit but the images lose a bit of the charm of the original. They are not compact cameras so bear that in mind but if you like the rangefinder look/feel then you might fall in love with them.

Ricoh GR - For me, the perfect true pocket camera, the whole camera feels designed for photographers, especially street work. I wouldn't have it as my only camera due to the lack of EVF and average AF but it can go anywhere and will rarely let you down.

Panasonic GM1 - tiny MFT, pop a pancake lens and it is smaller than most "compacts" and gives you flexibility to swap lenses and grow into a larger system.

Olympus E-M1 - love this camera but it isn't that small. If you can get past the size then it offers a huge amount and is the camera I use the most and each time it puts a smile on my face.

Sony RX1 - incredible image quality and pretty small despite the fast lens. AF is a weakness but if you can live with that then this is a camera you ought to own for at least a while. The mark ii adds some nice extras but you pay quite a lot for them unless you really need the extra MP.

Leica Q - mine arrives this week, I'll report back then.
 
If you are going to include the Olympus E-M1 you may as well throw in the E-M5 II as its much smaller and compact than the E-M1 and can do 99% of what the E-M1 does. It really is only missing phase detection autofocus.
 
In a similar position here. Just back from a hike in Donegal at the weekend and as much as I love my 5d3 there were times it was just too much and I ended up using my phone more. Few of the others I was with said the exact same about their dslrs when we got back.
Really love the pocket size of the Sony rx100x series and had a look at them today when I was in town, could be very tempted but still doing my homework. Threw the 5d3 with a 50 f1.4 into a backpack when we were at the pub on the night before and got some shots but it would be nice to have something pocket sized. Guy in the shop also showed me the Panasonic LX-100 which he recommended but it's just a step up in size from the Sony.
 
Heh, I hiked around glacier National Park with a D800 and 300mm f/4.0 + 24-70mm, along with a 25lb baby in a 15lb backpack plus some clothing, water and a diaper bag for 15 mile 4000ft hikes. Sure it gets tiring and you don't move fast.

When i do want to go rally light and I have cut down all my other gear to the extent I have cut unwanted straps off my backpack etc. then I loo at the other extrmee and get my Olympus EPM-2 and kit lens with me. Fts in a pcoket, weighs 270g and produced DSLR quality images.
 
D.P. said:
Heh, I hiked around glacier National Park with a D800 and 300mm f/4.0 + 24-70mm, along with a 25lb baby in a 15lb backpack plus some clothing, water and a diaper bag for 15 mile 4000ft hikes. Sure it gets tiring and you don't move fast.

When i do want to go rally light and I have cut down all my other gear to the extent I have cut unwanted straps off my backpack etc. then I loo at the other extrmee and get my Olympus EPM-2 and kit lens with me. Fts in a pcoket, weighs 270g and produced DSLR quality images.
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It wasn't even so much the weight that was the bother, more the size. When just walking it was fine, I just had the 5d3 over my shoulder but it became a real chore on some tricky descents/ascents were ropes were being used etc.. and it ended up in my camera bag for the best part. It's something fairly pocketable I'm after as I was able to grab my phone when required and stuff it into my pocket with ease. More for a scenario as you suggested for when travelling really light, something that's accessible etc..
 
Some super interesting thoughts and suggestions so far, exactly what I was hoping this thread would turn into.

My list was by no means a definitive list, it would be fairly long I guess if it was. To clarify when I said smaller I just meant smaller than my 5D3. Something more convenient to take out, on trips, holidays etc when I don't want to take the 5d. But whilst also making sure its capable of shooting high quality images.

There is certainly a distinct lack of full frame options, not saying I need full frame, but its interesting to note. Not sure how many APS-C there are either, few I think. Always had a liking for the Fuji cameras, but never managed to convince myself the X100 series was the way to go, although I have previously listed over that camera LOL!

But ultimately, I have looked at many, and never come to a conclusion. Had a good look at the RX100 series last weekend while in a local store, couldn't believe how small they were, for me it would need to be a mk3 or 4 for the EVF if I was to go with one, but what about the 1 inch sensor? Any good? Better or worse than M4/3 or APS-C?

I think this market in particular is a tough one to make a choice from, especially when some or may be all of us are looking at this as a second camera, already owning other cameras that are pretty awesome......
 
Tachyon said:
It wasn't even so much the weight that was the bother, more the size. When just walking it was fine, I just had the 5d3 over my shoulder but it became a real chore on some tricky descents/ascents were ropes were being used etc.. and it ended up in my camera bag for the best part. It's something fairly pocketable I'm after as I was able to grab my phone when required and stuff it into my pocket with ease. More for a scenario as you suggested for when travelling really light, something that's accessible etc..
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A good shoulder or hip strap helps a lot for basic scrambling but sure if you a doing anything technical it needs to be out away.



I love my EPM-2 for fast and or serious mountain trips or more casual photography. Here are some recent shots from Montana
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The images are hard to discern from the D800 counterparts, except for the aspect ratio which has pros and cons. The DR is very good for the sensor size, similar to a 5DMK3 but is still a few stops short of the D800 so there is less latitude to play with. Noise itself is fine but the RAWs are processed to remove some noise so it is not a fair comparison.

What also works well is the wifi transfer with the compatible SD cards for travel - you can quickly get some jpegs on an ipad to post up on Facebook etc.

The lens selection is close to nikon and Canon for most uses and although there are missing lenses they also have way more pancake primes and tiny collapsing zoom lenses that help it keep pocket sized.
 
Raymond Lin said:
May be I've drunk the cool aid but personally I "need" a FF sensor so it's Sony R1XRii for me.
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I've probably had the same drink although I have opted for the Leica Q instead based on handling and preference for 28mm length although the power/size ratio of the Sony is truly impressive.

I loved my RX1 so definitely interested to see some proper reviews on the RX1Rii and see if it noticeably improves the AF which was the only real weak point for me, I didn't mind the lack of EVF but adding one is certainly not going to hurt.

I think skipping IBIS might have been a mistake with that high of a resolution but time will tell and the new sensor will give quite a bit of scope for pushing the ISO to allow faster shutter speeds.
 
antc said:
Some super interesting thoughts and suggestions so far, exactly what I was hoping this thread would turn into.

My list was by no means a definitive list, it would be fairly long I guess if it was. To clarify when I said smaller I just meant smaller than my 5D3. Something more convenient to take out, on trips, holidays etc when I don't want to take the 5d. But whilst also making sure its capable of shooting high quality images.

There is certainly a distinct lack of full frame options, not saying I need full frame, but its interesting to note. Not sure how many APS-C there are either, few I think. Always had a liking for the Fuji cameras, but never managed to convince myself the X100 series was the way to go, although I have previously listed over that camera LOL!

But ultimately, I have looked at many, and never come to a conclusion. Had a good look at the RX100 series last weekend while in a local store, couldn't believe how small they were, for me it would need to be a mk3 or 4 for the EVF if I was to go with one, but what about the 1 inch sensor? Any good? Better or worse than M4/3 or APS-C?

I think this market in particular is a tough one to make a choice from, especially when some or may be all of us are looking at this as a second camera, already owning other cameras that are pretty awesome......
Click to expand...

The Coolpix A uses a similar 16MP APS-C sensor to the one in the D7000 with a fixed 28MM lens.
 
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The Coolpix A is hard to beat at the price since it was heavily discounted not long after release. I think the Ricoh GR is a better camera for street photography and/or more serious photographers as it offers a heap of control but the GR has a bit of a cult following so tends to sell for more then the Coolpix.

There are heap of good options but if you decide on a few things then the list gets pretty short, I'd narrow down my choice based on:

- Happy to shoot a single focal length?
- If yes to above then what is your preferred focal length?
- EVF/OVF and/or tiltable screen
- Size/shape preference
- Budget

If you get those nailed down then you should only be picking from 2-3 cameras which makes the choice a little easier :)

The good news is that it's pretty hard to buy a bad camera these days unless you are on a real budget or buy something weird like the Sigma Merrill/Quattro (I have a DP2M and love it but it is not a camera for everyone).
 
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