The best camera is the one you have with you, but for me, if not my usual APC Nikon DSLR it becomes my (relatively-budget-level) cell phone. Although I have dreams of going Nikon Z, at the moment the budget does not allow this.
I am presently (in time for Black Friday) considering something small enough to fit easily in a coat pocket, and also a car glove compartment.
I have found a couple of possibilities that both come in the rugged/waterproof category.
The Kodak offers 16MP and according to Amazon claims to shoot raw, but I find no mention of it in rawspeed support, nor in spec sheets. I suspect I would find myself annoyed at its limitations.
The Olympus OM system is rawspeed supported but with caveats (no WB presets or noise profiles). Though it is only 12MP, it is much more capable and built-in GPS is also something I would value.
Any thoughts/comments/experience? I plan to go to my local bricks-and-mortar shop to try them both out, but would value any insights.
I have the Olympus TG6 and I put it in an underwater camera housing for diving. It is also good for wet muddy conditions but besides that I am reluctant to recommend. Its big advantage is RAW files.
I have a Canon G16 which is no longer available. Not weather resistant but I just love the camera for travelling as it is light, small but big on performance. Something similar is what I would go for. F1.8 lens, x 5 zoom and ISO 12800. Great for unobtrusive street photography while travelling. But if you really needed rugged maybe not. If living in a water resistant jacket pocket is enough, then maybe.
I would go for a smaller micro 4/3 body + pancake lens (eg the Olympus or the Panasonic 12-42 pancake power zoom). Depending on your budget, you can get a decent camera with a lens from $300 (eg a GX7 body), but spend more if you want extras or a stylish PEN. Micro 4/3 has a ton of great budget lenses if you want to expand later.
Note that the lens and the cheaper bodies are not weather sealed.
Mine is not rugged, but I donât need that: a Lumix LX7 with the electronic viewfinder DMW-LVF2. I bought both second-hand; the viewfinder was more expensive than the camera. Unfortunately, having it on the camera makes the device much less pocketable, but it can still fit in a coat pocket. 1/1.7" sensor, f/1.4-2.3 lens (eq. focal range 24-90), multi-aspect (so the different aspect ratios donât just crop the native sensor, 16:9 is actually wider than 3:2 or 4:3). Manual(-ish) control for aperture, focus mode and aspect ratio using sliding switches.
It is interesting than some of the new Panasonic 4/3rds cameras are hard to tell apart from their full frame cousins now. The 4/3rds system is great if it is kept small, please remember that Panasonic. I nearly replaced my Canon G16 with a Canon M50 but went for the R7 crop sensor instead because the Canon G16 wonât die. The G16 sensor would be smaller than 4/3rds but it has been an incredible small camera. The M50 would have a bigger sensor, but very small camera. Maybe the M50 could be another consideration for Martin?
I was underwhelmed by the TG-7 I had a few years ago. The image quality is worse than my phone, and itâs just as waterproof as the phone.
For a pocketable camera, I see essentially four choices: the Sony RX100 VII, RX100 VA, Ricoh GR III, or IIIx. (There are a few Panasonic and Canon alternatives to the Sonies). Anything bigger is no longer pocketable, and anything smaller looks worse than phones.
Agreed, and in my case I wanted a viewfinder, so it was just the Sonys. I have used an RX100m3 as my pocket camera for a few years and recently upgraded to the RX100m7. Iâm happy enough with my choice, though the UX remains pretty poor on the Sonys and they are not cheap.
Oh, and I forgot about the Canon G1X III: APS-C, 400 grams, weather-sealed. Expensive, even used (thatâs why I donât own one).
The Canon G1X Mark III is a unique camera, squeezing a large APSC sensor - the same found in the EOS 80D and EOS M5 models - into a relatively compact weatherproof body with a 3x optical zoom, built-in viewfinder, fully-articulated touchscreen, plenty of manual control and excellent wireless capabilities. The sensor also boasts Dual Pixel CMOS AF,
Donât underestimate the appeal of squeezing the photo and movie quality of the EOS 80D into a compact weatherproof body weighing less than 400g
This is what youâre paying for on the G1X Mark III: the photo and video quality of much larger models like the EOS 80D and EOS M5, packed into a body thatâs considerably more compact. Sure the G1X Mark III isnât going to fit into a trouser or shirt pocket, but it will easily slip into a coat or small bag.
In use the G1X Mark III can certainly capture very good quality photos, with great out-of-camera JPEG processing delivering plenty of sharp details and very satisfying tones and colour. The lens is roughly comparable to a DSLR or mirrorless kit zoom [âŚ] it performed well and I enjoyed the benefits of a closer focusing distance (at wide angle anyway) and the built-in neutral density filter. Electronic noise became visible as a faint sprinkling at 800 ISO and with careful processing the camera was usable up to 6400 ISO. For me though, dynamic range was the highlight with minimal issues over blown highlights or crushed shadows, especially compared to compacts with smaller sensors.
Just get a good smart/cameraphone. It will be better than any small-ish real camera. I think even a âmiddleclassâ Samsung smartphone will be good enough for a camera that you can always carry with you. Remember, you can shoot raw with Open Camera even with a Samsung A5x.
I use two Iâm pretty happy with: Ricoh GRIII - Pros: Most pocket-able camera youâll find. Slips right into your front pocket. Amazing lens give super sharp results - 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor - âRecipesâ can create different film/color/feel looks. Cons: Limited to 20mm(GRIII) or 40mm(GRIIIx), pricey. Canon G5x Mark II - Pros: Versatile 24-100 lens, 1.8 max aperture, fairly pocket-able. Cons: Results from 20mp 1" sensor not great for enlargements or cropping.
Unless thereâs been a firmware update, that Amazon listing is indeed wrong about raw support. The screen is also pretty terrible.
No particular recommendations myself, but this YouTube channel has a good number of reviews of older compact cameras: https://www.youtube.com/@TomCalton
Same here, itâs a magical little device that performs far better than its looks suggest. Now I also want a 40mm GR IIIx. And I eagerly await a successor model with faster autofocus, some day.
I destroyed my first TG4 when it was literally splashed with water. The charging port was open and water got in and destroyed the camera. Even a mobile phone can resist water entering the charging port. I then destroyed the TG 5 replacement when I went diving to 11.7 metres and it claimed it was good for 15metres, but kudos Olympus Australia who replaced it free of charge despite being out of warranty. I have now bought an underwater housing for the TG6 I now use for underwater.
I blew mine up, I think by plugging it into the fast charging port of a USB hub. ÂŁ400 to replace the boardâŚ
The Canon S100 is super small with big zoom range and was super cheap when I bought it used but not sure now with all this digicam hype. Auto bracketing helps compensate for tiny sensor.
Edit: Oh yeah. I bought for ÂŁ70, now theyâre around ÂŁ200
How about the new Fuji X-M5? It seems to be tiny. Film simulations, 4K video (or 1080 âLong Playâ), 26 megapixels, 355 grams including batteries, Fujifilm X mount lenses. Itâs a brand new model.
I have a TG-6 for work, and really love it. Itâs pretty tough, waterproof, and with the attached LED light it does great hand-held macro image stacks.
@plantarum you show the good side of the TG6 very well. It is a nice tough camera for bushwalkers wanting to brave the elements and do beautiful macros like you have here.
Thank you for the many opinions; though the Ricoh GR III line might be the best, the price rules that out for me; I didnât specify my budget, but I did give a hint that I wanted to be economical. I donât want to spend more than AUD $1000. The Kodak I first mentioned is obviously going to disappoint, and the Olympus TG-7, despite its strong features, is probably going to disappoint due to its small sensor size.
Second-hand I find pretty cutthroat for a bargain, or still fairly pricey for something that may have a battery that wonât hold (much of) a charge, or some other significant gotcha. I have bought second-hand lenses - a nifty 50 and a replacement for my kit tele zoom on which the AF motor failed - but in both instances from a bricks and mortar store.
So at present I am leaning towards the Canon Powershot G7X Mark II which comes in just under 1K AUD. I hope that it is actually still available new, and not the result of a website that has not been updated: local link
