Best dSLR replacement for when you need it?

Moos3h

Moos3h

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James
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Hi all,

I have, for a while, been after a 'replacement' for my dSLR for when I'm out and about.

The most important things? Good handling and superb image quality.

The contenders?

Fuji F50fd - Great camera, but little in the way of control
Ricoh GR D - A loyal fanbase, but stuck with just 24mm
Canon G9 - Looks great, but is it up to it?

Anything else I should check out?

I want to be able to take this camera places that the dSLR cannot go, have a go a street photography, mess about and generally get the shots that I would have missed with the big gear sat at home on the kitchen table!

Look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Cheers,
James
 
You haven't said what you currently use (and the kit bag in your profile is empty ;) ), but I have been toying with the same idea.

For me, as a Canon user I think I would go for a G8 or G9. One simple reason is that my current 430EX flash can be used..and that would mean a lot to me.
 
I'm a Canon user at the moment (20D + selection of lenses) but I wouldn't be fussed about using the EX flash with it, sort of defeats the purpose for me.

I want a 'pocketable' yet powerful camera that gives me some element of control, but most of all gives me the confidence to shoot and know I'll get good results...compacts never really give me that confidence as they do too much that 'gets in the way'.

Cheers!
James
 
How about a s/h Canon G6, big saving on a G9 and still a good spec camera.
 
Moos3h said:
Ricoh GR D - A loyal fanbase, but stuck with just 24mm
Click to expand...
The GR-D was fixed at 28mm wasn't it? Are you not familiar with the GX-100? This is 24-70mm (35mm equiv.) and similar in appearance to the GR-D. There's an optional viewfinder that can be attached, it has a flash hotshoe and also a Ricoh produced wide-angle adapter, which takes the focal range to 19-50something. Because the adapter isn't some cheap nasty eBay thing, pictures are still sharp and with minimal distortion.

I was torn between the G7/9 and the Ricoh. I bought the Ricoh in the end for two main reasons. Firstly I wanted wider angle capability, and secondly I wanted to be able to take shots with a 3:2, rather than 4:3 aspect ratio.

The colours and high-ISO performance of the Canon are no doubt better, but as an SLR user I'm used to shooting RAW and then tweaking photos afterwards.
 
I've just (2 weeks ago) gone through this whole nightmare myself - I was after something I could keep in my pocket all the time yet retained some form of control (i.e. had aperture / shutter priority).

There are 2 others (not already on your list) worth looking at

The Nikon P5000 (8 or 10 MP I can't rememeber) or the newer P5100 (12MP)
The Panasonic Lumix LX2 (with a 16x9 CCD!).

I narrowed it down to 2 models myself purely on the sizes of camera I was after (to fit comfortably in a shirt pocket) the Fuji F50fd and the Nikon P5100 unfortunately both have a 12MP sensor (larger on the Fuji) , lens stabilisation correction (better on the Nikon) and my required Aperture / Shutter Priority. Neither can shoor RAW unfortunately.

I ended up choosing the Fuji F50fd as it has a fractionally larger sensor (so I figured less noise), the Nikon had poor reviews on shutter lag and was slightly bigger (only just due to a "grip") than the Fuji which is perfectly shirt pocket sized. I paid £144 from Dixons Tax free but Amazon comes in about the same (actually beats it by a few pennies).

The handling is OK, but can be a bit fiddly to set up and use (I prefered the handling of the Nikon in jessops - closer to DSLR handling). The photos are good but no way near DSLR class, even at 200 ISO they have noise issues (not suprising given it's a 12MP on a finger nail sized sensor) and the lens has some chromatic aberation issues (but show me a compact that hasn't).
 
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