Apparently compact cameras are enjoying a revival, to the extent that stocks are depleted to zero, manufacturers cannot keep up, and compacts trade at a significant markup.
So I am proposing a fun game: assemble a fun EDC camera from used parts.
below 400 (or at most 500) EUR/USD (lens included),
camera body ideally not larger than 120mm x 70mm (4.7in x 2.8in),
prime lens in the 24–50mm equivalent range, or a zoom that covers at least 28–70mm,
lens + body combo below 500g (17.5oz).
No, this will not be the camera you shoot birds or sport or weddings with. It is a compact replacement for every day carry.
These are not hard and fast rules, the smaller the better, going bit above is acceptable. The idea is to explore how much you can get from even a 10 year old camera for much less money than you would shell out for a compact.
You can look up prices at MPB, or use a reasonable used price you have seen (no need to link).
EDIT Clarification: what I am interested in is examples of assembling something that is functionally equivalent to a compact camera from a MILC body + lens, for a fraction of the cost.
To get the ball rolling, I will be going outside my micro 4/3 comfort zone.
Sony NEX-6: 120x67mm, 345g, a but on the hefty side but holding up well, OLED viewfinder, hybrid AF (but do not expect the AF tracking performance from recent Sony MILCs), can get it around €240 in good condition,
A total of €330 (+ a bit or shipping, if you are not buying locally) gets you a great camera, around 460g. Heavy-ish, but not excessively large, and the lens does not protrude much.
I’m going to have a look a bit later, as this seems like a bit of a fun game…but I’m going to instantly throw the Canon Powershot S5 IS in to the mix. Definitely not pocketable, but I’ve got one of these and find it fairly capable until you start really using the zoom.
All the Sold listings on ebay currently show it being sold for less than $100.
I’m known to carry my Ricoh GR III everywhere. If I only had €500, though… Probably a GR I. Or perhaps a Fuji X-E2/18f2 if I can find a good deal. That 28mm perspective is the ideal focal length for an EDC if you ask me.
A Nikon 1 ≥J3 or ≥V2 and 10-100 would be a fun budget alternative, especially in combination with a phone to cover the wide angle. I sometimes carry a J3/35-100 when I go running, and it works well for that purpose.
I’ve had a spell where I tried all the compact cameras over a period of a few years. But ultimately, all those slow, whirring zoom lenses, the fiddly ergonomics and the flimsy builds just didn’t work out for me. What stood out was the GR and the Sony RX1. I’d still love to grab an RX1R2 some day.
I never had a Nikon 1, but from the specs it looks like a nice camera for that era. It is a shame that it was discontinued, leaving micro 4/3 to be the smallest viable MILC form factor. But apparently the market still appreciates the quality, because used Nikon 1 bodies and lenses trade at high values, the combo you mentioned being under $450, but barely.
Same here. The idea of this topic is replacing a compact camera with a “compact” MILC and lens combo. Sorry if this was not clear, I added a note.
For a non-MILC, real compact I’d like to check out the Canon G1 X Mark III at some point. 400 g with batteries, a working viewfinder (that often goes missing on more compact cameras, and which I find essential to have), a usable, albeit not too fast lens (like most kit lenses, to be honest). And it’s weather-sealed (the fear of dust has kept me from ever buying a Lumx LX-100).
At least a J3 with the normal kit zooms (10-30 & 30-100) can regularly be found for around €120 in Germany. My local camera store currently even has a used 10-100 in stock for €180, and I’m tempted.
I could similarly recommend a Pentax Q7 with the normal and tele zoom, or the Panasonic GM1 with the 12-32 and 35-100, but in the last few years, they have become collectors’ items, and are no longer cheap. I have tried all of these kits…
Thinking more about this, I would actually recommend the Samsung NX APS-C line of cameras and lenses currently. They are still abundant on the market, and ridiculously cheap for how good they are.
I don’t know much about cameras yet, but I was just looking for compact cameras from 2018 as I figured any 24 mp camera from around that time would be adequate for taking photos. I narrowed it down to two of the Lumix lineup (The GX9 and the LX100).
But then I headed to ebay to check the prices of Sold items to get a ballpark cost of the cameras to see if it would fit in this little game.
The good news is that the fixed lens LX100 comes in at under $400, but the GX is still fetching a hefty price for a used camera ($700-$1000, currently).
You can find quite a few complaints about the LX100 getting dust inside the camera, which is then impossible to remove at home.
Of course, this could be biased, as the owners who don’t have dust don’t complain. But still, it seems you don’t read so many complaints from owners of other cameras.
Our TZ100 (ZS100) has dust inside the lens, which adds ugly spots when light hits the lens directly.
I have the GX9 and find it great. But if you are on a budget, you can find older Lumix cameras much cheaper, especially if you are OK with not having IBIS. Also look at older Olympus cameras, they are great.
FWIW, I think that older 16 MP are entirely adequate too for enthusiasts. Very few applications need a higher resolution, and for those I would pick full frame or medium format anyway.
This insane… I remember watching a GX9 video before I bought my first camera(X-T3 around 3 or 4 years ago?), and new it was 1100€ or so… Barely came down in price.
It does look like a very attractive camera still and ticks a lot of boxes
I love my GX9 but when I was buying it I expected too much of a difference compared to other bodies because of various advertised features (this was my first MILC camera — I gave up on DSLRs about a decade ago because of the bulk, but found compacts lacking).
Now I think that I would have been equally happy with one of the older 16 MP Panasonic cameras, or an older Olympus body with weather sealing. I consider lens choices much more important.
Buying cameras is difficult because there are so many models and all manufacturers want you to believe that you cannot live without the latest feature. Beginners focus too much on camera bodies instead of lenses, because information about the latter is overwhelming.
I had an LX100, too. And mine had a spec of dust on the sensor. I got rid of it by holding a vacuum to the lens and extended/retracted the lens a few times.
Obviously, do this at your own risk. All I can say is that it worked for me.
I thought the slow-moving zoom kind of broke the camera for me. Had it zoomed faster, I would have enjoyed it much more. The second version of the camera nominally looks much better (20 MP instead of 12, USB charging, touch screen), but none of those made much difference in my usage. Also, the M43 sensor is regrettably cropped so much that it’s really more of an 1" type camera in practice.
Isn’t sensor dust also a risk with the GR III? How has it been working for you?
When I was shopping between it and the x100v, it was one of the things that turned me into the X100v (even if I needed a filter for that effect). Unfortunate because now I realize the smaller GR III makes a lot more sense for the situations when I want to take the X100v…
Oh well, at least tik tokers and influencers have propped up its value so much I can probably sell it without losing much money in the next few years if I want to…
