Ultimate Expedition Compact Camera Discussion

[ywen]

On my recent road trip to Moab I took:

5D2 + lenses
GF1 + 20mm
Smart Phone w/ decent camera

For any trips where photography is not the primary goal, I've found the need for something that fit into the pocket to be very important, especially if you're anticipating any sort of hiking.

On my trip it was snowing in Arches Natl Park so it was very useful to be able to put the smart phone into my pocket and out of the elements. If I had more balls, I would have carried the GF1 or 5D2 around my neck and subjected it to the snow, but I lack balls... Below pic from the smart phone. Image quality was "OK" but a true P&S in my pocket would definitely have been better.

I definitely think the GF1 would have been much more useful if I had a zoom lens like the 14-45mm. It definitely could replace a DSLR for using during day hikes. For night time photography, there still no alternative to a large sensor DSLR, which is why I brought along the 5D2. Below shows GF1 long exposure vs 5D2 long exposure. You can figure out which is which.

 

[Honu]

1D series or 5 D series for my living with L glass have thought about switching to Nikon ? used to use N90s and 800 in film days and Nikonos most my life so going back to nikon ? before that in the 80s canon F1 electronic great old camera but the new nikon has some nice glass offerings and I am shooting less these days and just want a refresh I bought the 1D when it first came out ? 2001 or so ? forgot now so also just looking for a change after ten years of Canon might even do both ?


for my daily grab I got a Pen E-PL1 comparing the other M4/3 I think Olympus has the lead in quality out of camera
I shoot raw/jpg by the way so I can have both in case I get a shot I like I can use the raw
panasonic and olympus in raw are the same really but the out of camera JPGS in Olympus are nicer

my wants for a carry camera was built in flash and small enough to go in my cargo pockets and cheap enough to not worry about it
while the G12 and such is just a nice P&S camera the M 4/3 is a step above a very large step and competes with the APS-C stuff in quality so thats why I skipped the fixed lens P&S setups

I hate carrying around a full frame pro setup and L glass to large and heavy and when going out for the day I worry about leaving it in the rig if I run into a store or something going to the park etc..
if I want great shots that day I take my pro gear and make a day of it ! but otherwise I wanted a super small quality setup and M4/3 fit what I wanted

I know for me the focus sadly being contrast is the one thing that bugs me and wish it was better ? but its a trade off for size and quality

if the wife did not have a P&S (canon SD4000) I would also have a S95 but since the wife is with us %95 of the time we go out we are covered

going to get the Panasonic pancake very soon for my pen and keep it on for even smaller profile so I have it on my a bit more than the standard lens it came with

the thing I love about M 4/3 it really fills the gap between pro gear and P&S nicely

 

[Lost Canadian]

The NEX-5 looks somewhat abnormal because the lens is bigger than the camera...this is a good thing!

I would disagree with the lenses being large as being a good thing. The strength of the EVIL/Mirrorless platforms is their size and compact nature. While the NEX cameras look appealing with their larger APS-C sensor, Sony, IMO, totally dropped the ball by making the lenses for NEX system very large. It defeats the purpose. Do they need to be that large? Of course not, without a mirror and being able to mount the lens so close to the image plane, the lenses could be half their current size. For instance, Leica rangefinder lenses are very small and they cover 35mm full-frame. Panasonic and Olympus get it, and their m4/3 lenses are quite small when compared to traditional DSLR lenses. They also balance a lot better then a front heavy NEX. For those reasons alone, if a small compact interchangeable lens system is a priority, I would personally scratch the NEX camera's from the list.

Seriously, how user friendly is this?

 

[BillTex]

I would disagree with the lenses being large as being a good thing. The strength of the EVIL/Mirrorless platforms is their size and compact nature. While the NEX cameras look appealing with their larger APS-C sensor, Sony, IMO, totally dropped the ball by making the lenses for NEX system very large. It defeats the purpose. Do they need to be that large? Of course not, without a mirror and being able to mount the lens so close to the image plane, the lenses could be half their current size. For instance, Leica rangefinder lenses are very small and they cover 35mm full-frame. Panasonic and Olympus get it, and their m4/3 lenses are quite small when compared to traditional DSLR lenses. They also balance a lot better then a front heavy NEX. For those reasons alone, if a small compact interchangeable lens system is a priority, I would personally scratch the NEX camera's from the list.

Which 4/3 camera (s) would be on the top of your list?
I am shopping for a 4/3...

Tx, Bill

 

[Lost Canadian]

I mentioned the Samsung EX1 earlier and here is why. 1) The Samsung sports a very wide Schneider 24-74mm equivalent lens. 2) Has a largish 1/1.7” 10 MP sensor. 3) The lens has a fast aperture of f1.8. 4) Great macro setting with close focus down to 5cm. 5) RAW capture and a lot more.

Another camera worth looking at is the Sigma DP1x. APS-C sized sensor in a compact camera body. It sports a very nice, 28mm equiv. fixed focal f4 lens, 14MP FOVEON sensor with RAW capture, and full manual control.

 

[Scott Brady]

That puts things in perspective. . .

 

[MatthewThompson]

Still waiting for the right deal on either of these. Leica CM and Nikon 28Ti

 

[Overdrive]

That puts things in perspective. . .

Well, to put it in a proper perspective...

From the dpreview.com site:

"The thing that's immediately apparent about both NEX cameras is how small they are. Despite having sensors 50% larger than the Micro Four Thirds format, the cameras are smaller and thinner than either the Panasonic GF1 or Olympus E-PL1 compared here."

I mentioned the Samsung EX1 earlier and here is why. 1) The Samsung sports a very wide Schneider 24-74mm equivalent lens. 2) Has a largish 1/1.7” 10 MP sensor.

I'd call a 1/1.7" sensor anything but "largish".

 

[ywen]

Well, to put it in a proper perspective...

Mis-leading.. That picture probably shows Sony's 16mm prime lens. Fine for snap shots but as a primary camera for use on a road trip, you'd want the full range of wide -> medium zoom (and perhaps telephoto). In which case, the lens starts to get much larger than the body.

The scales depicted in that picture is appropriate for a small sensor P&S with a healthy zoom lens.

You can not escape the law of physics... larger sensor requires more glass

 

[Lost Canadian]

I'd call a 1/1.7" sensor anything but "largish".

Comparatively speaking. The Canon G series, and the newer Canon S90/95 have been boons because their sensors are larger than most compact cameras. A 1/1.7" sensor in a compact camera is still considered relatively large.

As for the NEX, the debate is with the lenses, not the size of the bodies. Aside from the 16mm pancake you displayed above the rest of the lineup is very large, and their newer upcoming lenses for the system don't look to be much smaller.

Again, consider what Leica does with a much larger full frame format and I think it becomes clear Sony is missing the boat.

 

[photoman]

Comparatively speaking. The Canon G series, and the newer Canon S90/95 have been boons because their sensors are larger than most compact cameras. A 1/1.7" sensor in a compact camera is still considered relatively large.

As for the NEX lenses. Aside from the 16mm pancake you displayed above the rest of the lineup is very large, and their newer upcoming lenses for the system don't look to be much smaller.


Again, consider what Leica does with a much larger full frame format and I think it becomes clear Sony is missing the boat.

[/IMG]

Except for the fact that Sony will sell 100 times more cameras and lenses then Leica.

Sony is not trying to compete against Leica or even Canon and Nikon DSLR's. They tried with the Alpha series and realized that is not their target market.

Sony Nex-5 'Pocket Professional' = $699.00

Leica M9= $6995.00

 

[Lost Canadian]

Except for the fact that Sony will sell 100 times more cameras and lenses then Leica.

Sony is not trying to compete against Leica or even Canon and Nikon DSLR's. They tried with the Alpha series and realized that is not their target market.

Sony Nex-5 'Pocket Professional' = $699.00

Leica M9= $6995.00

The point is small lenses can be done with a system like this but Sony is not doing it.

 

[Lost Canadian]

Here's a humorous, but serious look at the NEX-5.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBox_wfAM08"]YouTube - Sony NEX-5 First Impressions (feat. Panasonic GF1)[/ame]

and follow up

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhiHqF02tBQ"]YouTube - Sony NEX-5 w/ 18-55mm lens Field Test Hands-on[/ame]

 

[Scott Brady]

Except for the fact that Sony will sell 10,000 times more cameras and lenses then Leica.

Sony is not trying to compete against Leica or even Canon and Nikon DSLR's. They tried with the Alpha series and realized that is not their target market.

Sony Nex-5 'Pocket Professional' = $699.00

Leica M9= $6995.00

Fixed it for you.


I love the Leica, and for all of the wrong reasons. I guess that is why I drive a Land Rover.

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

I've gone through many of the Canon P&S cameras and have found that in anything other than good lighting, they result in a grainy image. They also arent that travel friendly as all 3 I owned ended up breaking or needing repair from Canon

I have got some good shots with these cameras, but like I said, you have to be under the right conditions.

This was shot with the Canon A80 in one of Canon's underwater housings

I then moved to the Olympus Tough Series because they claimed to be waterproof to 10', freezeproof and crushproof.

I hate this camera, but much of what I hate about it they fixed in the next model that followed it. On my version, the front glass is protected by a slide that opens on the front of the camera body.

This slide also turns the camera on if slid open. It was designed to be able to be used with gloved hands. Problem is, if carried in a pocket, it slides open and I usually end up with a dead battery and 300 photos of the inside of my pocket. This has resulted in me to stop going commando while wearing mesh-lined pants pockets:elkgrin:

This camera also sucks at anything other than outdoors, bright sunlight type shots. Anything remotely dark and it's so grainy the images are unusable.

I do like it's Macro Capabilities and it's really the only reason I ever kept the camera.

I say each year that I'm going to get the latest version of the G-series of Canon cameras to use as a carry around camera, but each time I've saved up to buy it, they release a press release that talks about their newer model that is going to come out.

I wait a month for the newest model and something comes up that I spend the money on....vicoious cycle...LOL

Since I like to shoot documentary/paparazzi style and have the camera ready at any second, I've always hated the lag time between the shutter and the actual taking of the photo with the smaller cameras

Does anyone know if any of these newer cameras have solved that issue?