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Just How Good Are Modern Compacts?

Mike,

I don’t know much about the Sony other than it’s a front runner for a high-quality compact. I lean toward the Panasonic because it has a large sensor for a compact camera and I like directly controllable dials but if those aren’t crucially important to you maybe the Sony is the better choice. The Sony really is a wee thing. And a wee thing might be the more often carried thing.

I almost bought the Panasonic but decided not to because I need another camera like I need another hole in my head. But I was tempted — by the camera, not the superfluous hole.

Joe
 
Another plug for the LX-100. Great all-round performer but you'll need to carry a spare battery or two for anything heavy duty. Here's a shot from mine on a recent trip to Canada - fully auto, as despite the appearance it was bitterly cold (-20c) and I was able to operate the shutter with thick gloves on. Worth sharing that at that temperature my iPhone7 gave up very early into the walk, despite being buried in several layers of clothing!

_1040600 by Peter Keen, on Flickr
 
I got the Sony RX100 IV for my daughter, and it is an amazing camera for sure. In good conditions and, of course, within its lens range, I'd put it up against my Canon 5D Mk IV. Downside against the Panasonic LX100 (other than price) is it's tiny in my large hands. Ergonomics can seem largely irrelevant when playing in showrooms but become everything in real-world tricky conditions, especially if you need or want to go manual or take some control. The Sony will do all of that but not easily - it really is a point and shoot but astonishingly got at it.
 
I got the Sony RX100 IV for my daughter, and it is an amazing camera for sure. In good conditions and, of course, within its lens range, I'd put it up against my Canon 5D Mk IV. Downside against the Panasonic LX100 (other than price) is it's tiny in my large hands. Ergonomics can seem largely irrelevant when playing in showrooms but become everything in real-world tricky conditions, especially if you need or want to go manual or take some control. The Sony will do all of that but not easily - it really is a point and shoot but astonishingly got at it.

indeed - as I usually advise, and for the OP whatever recommendation you read here and elsewhere, and whatever bargain you are presented with, please please, go and try what you intend to buy first. As far as I am concerned ergonomics are hugely important. The very best and most fantastic camera that doesn't meet your ergonomic needs (handsize, left/right handed, finger reach, arm/shoulder strength, and how you use a viewfinder etc etc) is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. I'd rather buy a lesser speced camera that fitted my hands, than a highest spec one that didn't fit my hands.
 
I agree 104.57% with gintonic's advice. Narrow down the list to a few contenders but go to a proper store to see if the camera works for you.

Joe
 
There's another piece on pocketable cameras on the DP Review site, and the Sony is a clear winner. https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/buying-guide-best-pocketable-enthusiast-cameras

Or is it? Amateur Photographer says it's (arguably) this

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/reviews/compacts/canon-powershot-g1-x-mark-iii-review

"Until now, Sony’s RX100 series has led the field for small, high-performance cameras. However, Canon has hit a home run with the G1X Mark III, and I’d recommend it to most enthusiast photographers over the RX100 V – at least if money is no object. It’s nicer to use and gives better results.


But it’s also well worth looking at the Panasonic Lumix LX100, which is just as engaging to use as the G1 X III but costs under £500, if you can live with its 12.8-megapixel resolution.

Verdict
Want a small camera with a short zoom lens, electronic viewfinder and the highest possible image quality? Then the G1X Mark III is without doubt one of the very best on the market right now. "

As gintonic and Joe say, try them all out at a real shop. There are no bad choices here.
I thought either the new A7II or A9 could be ideal for what I usually shoot but handling with long lenses and quirky menus killed off any chance of a sale.

The LX100 is a bargain if it suits you.
 
You've got me thinking now - A birthday coming up, and been thinking for a while about a more portable camera than my D600 for everyday use.
All the reviews of the SONY seem very positive, though I'd ideally want it with the optional EVF which makes the package rather expensive.

I've never been a fan of Canon (since the one I bought years ago was prone to focussing problems) so I'm not sure I'd go down that route.
 
I am not sure why you would compare the Canon G1X ii and RX100 variants. Was is pocketable and will appeal to a certain buyer - the Sony would seem to easily beat all other compacts with a similar size albeit for a premium price.

The G1X would, I suspect, attract buyers that would want a high quality small camera without investing into a system.

I am not sure why you would pick the G1X over an Olympus EM10 Mk3 for example based on the size:

Olympus: W:121.5 mm H:83.6 mm D:49.5 mm Weight: 410g
Canon: W:116.3 x H:74.0 x D:66.2mm Weight: 553g

Admittedly the pancake lens would add a little bulk but the difference isn't huge with the Olympus being cheaper and arguably better spec'd.

I don't own the Olympus - just an example......
 
Mike,

I'd go with the LX-100. I'm a sucker for real controls and the camera is small and of high quality, and the lens is fast and covers a very respectable range.

I don't know if the Leica version of the LX-100 is the same, but it is definitely more expensive.

Joe
It is mostly the same. Lens is for sure.
 
You've got me thinking now - A birthday coming up, and been thinking for a while about a more portable camera than my D600 for everyday use.
All the reviews of the SONY seem very positive, though I'd ideally want it with the optional EVF which makes the package rather expensive.

I've never been a fan of Canon (since the one I bought years ago was prone to focussing problems) so I'm not sure I'd go down that route.

After reading all the reviews, and trying any number of cameras I bought a Lumix TZ200.
I'm kind of wishing I hadn't - maybe I didn't do my homework thoroughly because it emerges that the raw file form for the Lumix (RW2) is not at all well supported.
Even Windows 10 does not have a codec for RW2
The only answer I've found so far is to convert the files to DNG which Win10 does support, but there's not many photo editors that support that either (except Adobe of course, which I hate !).

Any suggestions ??

Everything else about the camera is fine, and to be fair, most of the time I'll only ever look at the jpeg, using the RAW file if I want to do some editing.
 
Having had my much loved LX3 nicked I went through the same process 2 months ago and settled for a RX100iii. Main use is rockclimbing and mountaineering so a 24mm (equivalent) wide angle capability and viewfinder were high priority and weigh/size more important than manual controls. LX100 was in the mix. The nearest equivalent Canon seemed the G9X (but 28mm widest angle). Canon G1X may be better but it's bigger and twice the price.

Very happy with my choice so far but it is a compromise wrt handling. Two questions for other RX100 users:
Presuming you avoid Sony's appalling Play Memories picture management softwear (or is it just me?). How do you get the images from camera to PC? Back-up is flickr and an external hard drive if that's relevant.
Any suggestions for a compact, robust case (see use)?
 
...
... How do you get the images from camera to PC? Back-up is flickr and an external hard drive if that's relevant.

Yes that's another thing I suppose - at the moment I'm just copy-and-pasting them, but the camera won 't allow me to cut-and-paste, so after each copy I have to reformat the SD ! I'm sure there's an answer to that.
 
Yes that's another thing I suppose - at the moment I'm just copy-and-pasting them, but the camera won 't allow me to cut-and-paste, so after each copy I have to reformat the SD ! I'm sure there's an answer to that.

I've always formatted the card with whatever digital camera I've used - it isn't really a format, just a file deletion.

Also I've always used a card reader, I've never connected the camera to a computer.
 
I'd go with anything having a Summicron lens hanging off the front. I have the Leica C, and that lens is about the sharpest and best balanced I've used. If you don't mind spending the money, the Leica version of the Panasonic may be the better bet. I dropped mine several times on roads, concrete and tile floors, sent it in to Leica to have repaired expecting a hefty bill, but they did the work for free, and that included a new casing to replace the mildly dented previous one.
 
Presuming you avoid Sony's appalling Play Memories picture management softwear (or is it just me?). How do you get the images from camera to PC? Back-up is flickr and an external hard drive if that's relevant.
My PC has an SD card reader built in so just copy and paste. Alternatively you can get a USB SD card reader for peanuts.
 


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