Compact every day camera recommendations

[Ado Wolf]

Why the need to zoom with your feet? The RX100ver vii has a 200mm zoom length.

Sorry, I thought you were referring to the Fuji X100..

 

[abc123brian]

“Phones don’t come close?” Have you actually shot with a latest gen phone? Sensor size arguments fail to impress me after I actually used my wife’s phone. I don’t care what the sensor size is - all I care about is the quality of the photos. Incidentally, one of my more popular photos was taken many years ago with an iPhone 6 printed at 11x14.

I sort of prefer the non computational images from the older phones to the highly processed images on newer phones. They generally look fine on smaller screens but where they fake depth of field and other things sort of begin to look like poor photoshop work when viewed large. It‘s not that I’m against phone cameras but much prefer a dedicated camera.

 

[abc123brian]

I love my 45 megapixel full frame cameras, however I sometimes don’t want to drag these big and heavy cameras along. Even the Z 50 can sometimes be too big for certain days.

I had a Sony RX 100 iii back in the days, which I sold a few years ago due to bad skin tones. . So I wondered if anyone has good suggestions regarding a compact camera, that fits in the jeans pocket, that takes good photos. Video is of no interest to me, so the main focus is photography .

Thank you in advance for your recommendations and suggestions.

PS I prefer one with a zoom lens (so X100 and Ricoh fixed primes are of no interest to me).

I have two point and shoot cameras for this purpose. A lumix lx100 and lumix zs100. Both are decent cameras and would probably work well for your use. Honestly I never use them though. The main issue is that I often want better performance. The only small camera I’ve been completely satisfied with the IQ of was my X100T. It has other limitations but overall it was a solid performer. There just isn’t a perfect small camera out there. I’d personally just keep using the Z50 you have if it were me. They are all a little too big for Jean pockets imo.

 

[Ado Wolf]

I sort of prefer the non computational images from the older phones to the highly processed images on newer phones. They generally look fine on smaller screens but where they fake depth of field and other things sort of begin to look like poor photoshop work when viewed large. It‘s not that I’m against phone cameras but much prefer a dedicated camera.

I agree, I avoid using computational "Portrait" effects.. I don't like it, considering I know how it should look like, when I use my Nikon F1.8 glass.

 

[wotan1]

I think the Olympus TG-6 or whatever number they are up to may be an option.

These aretough cameras designed to withstand some submersion and also well protected from dust and dirt. I have one of those I use mainly when kayaking. Not the highest megapixel size but they work for point and shoot in a tough environment.

 

[Nimi]

I own a Sony ZV-1 and a Panasonic GF7 (w/12-32 & 20). Both are great options for a small camera. But for a true pocket camera, I think my Ricoh GR is probably the smallest, and with the largest sensor of the bunch. Yes, it is not everyone's cup of tea, and AF is not fully state of the art, but the lens/sensor combo is amazing, and the ergonomics are designed for fast and easy operation. Best of all, it will fit into most shirt pockets. I would give it consideration before making a final decision.

--Ken

I was very disappointed with the Ricoh, presumably the lens, not the sensor.

 

[Replytoken]

I think the Olympus TG-6 or whatever number they are up to may be an option.

These aretough cameras designed to withstand some submersion and also well protected from dust and dirt. I have one of those I use mainly when kayaking. Not the highest megapixel size but they work for point and shoot in a tough environment.

I had an older model and I appreciate that Oly/OM-System has kept the resolution down. As you stated, they are great in tough conditions, and they have great macro features. My only reservation is that the sensor size is now extremely similar to some current smartphones which have gained in size over the years.

--Ken

 

[Calson]

In terms of a camera that will fit in a pocket that means a compact camera with a built-in lens. The Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200D is a good choice with its 1" sensor. This camera provides Shutter Priority which I consider important to avoid subject motion blur in images. It also provides RAW file capture so the white balance and levels can be easily adjusted in post.

So this camera meets what are for me 3 critical criteria:

Shutter Priority
1 inch sensor
RAW file capture

I myself would be more inclined to buy the Panasonic Lumix GX85 camera with its MFT size sensor and it available MFT lenses. The camera with two lenses sells for $648 which to me is a great value. I would need a fanny pack to carry the camera and the two lenses but that is not a big deal and the total weight is 1.7 lbs.

 

[Replytoken]

I was very disappointed with the Ricoh, presumably the lens, not the sensor.

Sorry to hear, I have the first generation version (known as Ricoh GR), and found the lens/sensor combo to be quite good. What did you not like about your copy?

--Ken

 

[Nimi]

Sorry to hear, I have the first generation version (known as Ricoh GR), and found the lens/sensor combo to be quite good. What did you not like about your copy?

--Ken

I had the III. Three of them, so it's not a copy issue. Major aberration and distortion, lack of contrast, nothing in the shadows come to mind. Not as good as my Android phone in any circumstance. They sold for more than I paid for them because Tiktokers love them.

 

[Woody Meristem]

Panasonic GX80/85 with the 12-32mm lens. A rangefinder-style camera and a kit lens that punches far above it's weight. Although it's a bit snug I can get the camera with the lens mounted in my jeans pocket; it fits better in a vest or jacket pocket. The camera's color rendition is very nice to my eye but we all see colors differently. I don't like the rangefinder style and the camera's EVF isn't great but it takes nice photos.

 

[Replytoken]

I had the III. Three of them, so it's not a copy issue. Major aberration and distortion, lack of contrast, nothing in the shadows come to mind. Not as good as my Android phone in any circumstance. They sold for more than I paid for them because Tiktokers love them.

Ouch! Sounds like QC has changed since I bought mine in 2013. My understanding is that they did a small redesign of the lens, but I had not heard it was not as good as the earlier versions. I was considering the IIIX for the 40mm FOV, but I am saving up for some Nikon bodies and as I mentioned above, I have several compacts.

On a related note, I am considering the ZV-1 for an upcoming trip as a compact body to accompany my other gear. Have you printed any images from your copy? And what have you found acceptable for high ISO when shooting stills?

--Ken

 

[Nimi]

Ouch! Sounds like QC has changed since I bought mine in 2013. My understanding is that they did a small redesign of the lens, but I had not heard it was not as good as the earlier versions. I was considering the IIIX for the 40mm FOV, but I am saving up for some Nikon bodies and as I mentioned above, I have several compacts.

On a related note, I am considering the ZV-1 for an upcoming trip as a compact body to accompany my other gear. Have you printed any images from your copy? And what have you found acceptable for high ISO when shooting stills?

--Ken

Here is my experience with the ZV. It's great, but the difference between it and my phone aren't big enough to carry both, so it's barely used. I am not a street shooter, and I shoot very little for fun, and then I want the full-frame of medium format and proper lenses.

 

[Replytoken]

Here is my experience with the ZV. It's great, but the difference between it and my phone aren't big enough to carry both, so it's barely used. I am not a street shooter, and I shoot very little for fun, and then I want the full-frame of medium format and proper lenses.

Thanks. Reasonable assessment. I have never really been a cellphone photographer, but my Galaxy S23 is better than any prior model I owned, so I am willing to use it for casual shots that I could take or leave. I bought the ZV-1 when it was released as I had planned to try and learn video with it (and have a very compact camera as well), but I have not really tried to see what the limits are with respect to a 1" sensor, especially in low light. That was one thing that I liked about the GR, it had an APS-C sensor.

While I like my Nikon F-mount and Z-mount gear, I find my Nikon lenses larger than I want to carry when travelling (for pleasure and not for wildlife or BIF) without a car. And I find the Sony to be just a bit too small for what I like to shoot (often in low light), so I gravitate to m43/rd's as my Goldilocks solution when travelling. I wish Nikon had better compact lenses in the Z-mount. The 40mm is a mixed bag.

--Ken

 

[Nimi]

Thanks. Reasonable assessment. I have never really been a cellphone photographer, but my Galaxy S23 is better than any prior model I owned, so I am willing to use it for casual shots that I could take or leave. I bought the ZV-1 when it was released as I had planned to try and learn video with it (and have a very compact camera as well), but I have not really tried to see what the limits are with respect to a 1" sensor, especially in low light. That was one thing that I liked about the GR, it had an APS-C sensor.

While I like my Nikon F-mount and Z-mount gear, I find my Nikon lenses larger than I want to carry when travelling (for pleasure and not for wildlife or BIF) without a car. And I find the Sony to be just a bit too small for what I like to shoot (often in low light), so I gravitate to m43/rd's as my Goldilocks solution when travelling. I wish Nikon had better compact lenses in the Z-mount. The 40mm is a mixed bag.

--Ken

The ZV heats up quickly, and the video is not as good as the phone one. Not a fan of MFT, although Lumix has some outstanding video capabilities. OM has none. I am not familiar with the quality of their shorter lenses.

Consider the Zf or Zfc. My Zf produces images identical to my two Z9s, just lower resolution. Ditto video.

 

[Replytoken]

The ZV heats up quickly, and the video is not as good as the phone one. Not a fan of MFT, although Lumix has some outstanding video capabilities. OM has none. I am not familiar with the quality of their shorter lenses.

Consider the Zf or Zfc. My Zf produces images identical to my two Z9s, just lower resolution. Ditto video.

When I travel, I am almost exclusively shooting stills. While I still like FF when possible, if weight is a concern, then my Oly E-M1 Mk II is my preferred body. It handles quite well for me, and I can pack both a 2.8 zoom and some fast primes without too much weight. The body is about the same size as my Z6, but the lenses are a whole different story. I greatly appreciate the IQ that Nikon was able to extract from Z bodies with the wide lens mount, but the price to be paid is chunky lenses. And since the Z6 is a holdover body until the Mk III version is released, it serves me better when I am at home and working with macro lenses or MF glass.

--Ken

 

[Ado Wolf]

I have two point and shoot cameras for this purpose. A lumix lx100 and lumix zs100. Both are decent cameras and would probably work well for your use. Honestly I never use them though. The main issue is that I often want better performance. The only small camera I’ve been completely satisfied with the IQ of was my X100T. It has other limitations but overall it was a solid performer. There just isn’t a perfect small camera out there. I’d personally just keep using the Z50 you have if it were me. They are all a little too big for Jean pockets imo.

That's the dilemma I have now. I sold the RX100 iii for a reason (colors and IQ).. so buying a ZV1 won't fix that problem (more or less same sensor). I thought about the Fuji X100.. but they are hard to find and don't have zoom flexibility. Just like you said, no perfect compact for photographers that are used to higher IQ and want all that in a small package, not to mention the current availability of cameras → the choice is meager..

I will sleep on it and hope I will come up with a good compromise.

Update: I think I rather have a compact camera and not use it, than need one and not have it.

 

[Ado Wolf]

When I travel, I am almost exclusively shooting stills. While I still like FF when possible, if weight is a concern, then my Oly E-M1 Mk II is my preferred body. It handles quite well for me, and I can pack both a 2.8 zoom and some fast primes without too much weight. The body is about the same size as my Z6, but the lenses are a whole different story. I greatly appreciate the IQ that Nikon was able to extract from Z bodies with the wide lens mount, but the price to be paid is chunky lenses. And since the Z6 is a holdover body until the Mk III version is released, it serves me better when I am at home and working with macro lenses or MF glass.

--Ken

I actually like APSC sensors (with 20 MP) and I use my Z50 very frequently.. as much as my Z8/D850.. I never had a MFT sensor, so I cannot comment on that. I was also fine with 1 inch sensors when it came to kids photos, with the subject close to the lens. But for Landscapes, where one wishes to see a bit more details, the 1 inch sensor showed it's weakness. However, it is still far better than my iphone 11 (I cannot comment on newer models).

 

[Ado Wolf]

I tried to narrow down my "must have" and "nice to have" bullet points, to help me take a final decision. I do admit this reason and the decision making process is part of the fun as well

Must have:
- must be available as a new product
- must fit in a pocket (pants or jacket)
- must way about 300 g
- sensor must be 1 inch or bigger
- must have a zoom lens
- selfie screen (where flip up-down or to the side)

Nice to have:
- EVF (for bright sunny days)
- Burstmode 10 fps or more
- good AF (not a must have since I will be taking stills mostly)
- built in flash

I will make a pro and con for the available model on the market and will place an order on the weekend. If I don't find one, I will stick to my trusty Z50 and use my iPhone for videos (which I do almost every time / very satisfied with the quality from a photographer point of view).

 

[Ado Wolf]

The ZV heats up quickly, and the video is not as good as the phone one. Not a fan of MFT, although Lumix has some outstanding video capabilities. OM has none. I am not familiar with the quality of their shorter lenses.

Consider the Zf or Zfc. My Zf produces images identical to my two Z9s, just lower resolution. Ditto video.

The size and wait of the ZF defeats the purpose of me buying a new camera (despite being a desirable camera). Compact and light is a must.

As for the ZFc, it is practically a Z50 and offers no additional advantage for me.

 

[abc123brian]

I tried to narrow down my "must have" and "nice to have" bullet points, to help me take a final decision. I do admit this reason and the decision making process is part of the fun as well

Must have:
- must be available as a new product
- must fit in a pocket (pants or jacket)
- must way about 300 g
- sensor must be 1 inch or bigger
- must have a zoom lens
- selfie screen (where flip up-down or to the side)

Nice to have:
- EVF (for bright sunny days)
- Burstmode 10 fps or more
- good AF (not a must have since I will be taking stills mostly)
- built in flash

I will make a pro and con for the available model on the market and will place an order on the weekend. If I don't find one, I will stick to my trusty Z50 and use my iPhone for videos (which I do almost every time / very satisfied with the quality from a photographer point of view).

The only options I can find that fits your needs list are the two Sony options. Its unfortunate as I think there may be more of a market for this type of camera now than the past few years. Maybe still not enough of one to justify making them, but it does appear there is more interest in dedicated point and shoot cameras.

 

[RickW]

I tried to narrow down my "must have" and "nice to have" bullet points, to help me take a final decision. I do admit this reason and the decision making process is part of the fun as well

Must have:
- must be available as a new product
- must fit in a pocket (pants or jacket)
- must way about 300 g
- sensor must be 1 inch or bigger
- must have a zoom lens
- selfie screen (where flip up-down or to the side)

Nice to have:
- EVF (for bright sunny days)
- Burstmode 10 fps or more
- good AF (not a must have since I will be taking stills mostly)
- built in flash

I will make a pro and con for the available model on the market and will place an order on the weekend. If I don't find one, I will stick to my trusty Z50 and use my iPhone for videos (which I do almost every time / very satisfied with the quality from a photographer point of view).

You are way overthinking this. The Sony RX100 v7 ticks every one of your bullet points. What’s to decide?

 

[Replytoken]

I tried to narrow down my "must have" and "nice to have" bullet points, to help me take a final decision. I do admit this reason and the decision making process is part of the fun as well

Must have:
- must be available as a new product
- must fit in a pocket (pants or jacket)
- must way about 300 g
- sensor must be 1 inch or bigger
- must have a zoom lens
- selfie screen (where flip up-down or to the side)

Nice to have:
- EVF (for bright sunny days)
- Burstmode 10 fps or more
- good AF (not a must have since I will be taking stills mostly)
- built in flash

I will make a pro and con for the available model on the market and will place an order on the weekend. If I don't find one, I will stick to my trusty Z50 and use my iPhone for videos (which I do almost every time / very satisfied with the quality from a photographer point of view).

I had a chance to play with a Z30 in a store for a bit and was surprised at how compact it was with the 16-50. This is not a shirt or pants pocket camera, but it should easily fit into a jacket pocket. In exchange for the additional size, you get a good EVF rear screen, good AF, a large sensor, and lens/battery compatibility. I seriously considered it, but I also acknowledged that it was not as small as the ones mentioned above. Still, the trade-offs were worth consideration.

--Ken

 

[Chris K]

X100V or X100VI are the top picks for me. Since you said they are not the top picks for you, I'd look at:

Coolpix P1000 - ultra zoom
Sony RX10IV - less zoom, better fps, better for action

If you can fit a P1000 into your jeans pocket…..

Nevermind, I shouldn’t make the joke!

 

[abc123brian]

I had a chance to play with a Z30 in a store for a bit and was surprised at how compact it was with the 16-50. This is not a shirt or pants pocket camera, but it should easily fit into a jacket pocket. In exchange for the additional size, you get a good EVF, good AF, a large sensor, and lens/battery compatibility. I seriously considered it, but I also acknowledged that it was not as small as the ones mentioned above. Still, the trade-offs were worth consideration.

--Ken

The Z30 doesn’t have an EVF, just rear lcd.