Compact choice, how hard is this?

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Mr Mike

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Mike
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Hello all,

Im looking for a pocket sized compact camera for travel and day to day in pocket, i visited Malta last year with lowest crime rates in the world and happily walked about with D7100, with 17-50 and a gorillapod hanging round my neck but feel i would NOT be happy doing this in other places for fear of mugging or worse. Also carrying even a small bag with non gripped body and one lens is not the best way to enjoy your holiday especially at night.

So the mission is to find something that fits in my pocket, can shoot RAW, has 24mm at wide end, 60 seconds or bulb (i like night shots) exposure and of course produces Quality images!

Keen to stay with Nikon so looking at the P340, does anyone on here own one that can give their opinion?

The world raves about the Sony RX100 or its newer mk2 or mk3 but its not perfect either due to 28mm wide end or much higher costs for mk3.

My old Fuji F810 shoots raw but a slide of the shadows in LR leaves gaps in image as no resolution or detail in there so don't want that kind of issues.

Any advice here would be appreciated

Mike
 
Panasonic LX whatever, my LX5 can do all the above but they have improved again since that was released.
 
I'm looking for the same thing and made the mistake of going into Jessops with credit card at the ready. I looked at the whole lot and came out even more indecisive than when I went in. They all have advantages and drawbacks.

I liked really the Sony RX100 Mk3, various Fujis etc. I also liked the Nikon 1 AW £750 with 2 lenses but it's not a compact but being waterproof is tempting. If you're planning using it for video, well that's another can of worms. If you'd like a viewfinder that narrows down the field but getting a decent wide angle makes me think maybe a mirrorless will be the best option.

In fact I liked almost all of them and would have been pleased with most of them. But could I choose? Nope, choosing is really hard. Just go for a Panasonic TZ60 or TZ70. http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/ro...onic-lumix-tz70-vs-panasonic-lumix-tz60-61203
 
Fortunately, the RX100 is 24mm, not 28mm, at the wide end so should be back on your list.
Panasonic LX7 may be worth a look too, as suggested.
 
The sony rx100's are great (I'm selling one in the classifieds)

I was attracted to the pocket ability/RAW/image quality. I ended up buying an adaptor so you could add a cpl and filter holder.

Was really impressed with the image quality.
 
Hi Mike have you looked at the Sigma DP merrills , I know you wanted 60 seconds or bulb mode but most night shots I take are around 5-10 seconds and the image quality is jaw dropping good.......Oh and it fits in your pocket.
 
Just checked and in fact my LX5 is better than any SLR/DSLR/Mirrorless I have owned in the respect that I can set it in 1/3 ev increments all the way down to 250 seconds!
 
I'm using the RX100 MK3 and it's superb.. Bought it used on here and the image quality is exceptional. Might be expensive, but if IQ and pocket ability is most important to you, this is the one.
 
Thanks for all the replies here, lots more reading to do but heading towards the TZ60 or TZ70, of course trying to compare them to the LX7.

Regarding the Sony RX100, the original is not wide enough for me and the mk3 is the price of my old D90 body, way too much for a pocket sized camera, if the MK1 was wider i would be keen to purchase Sir SR's travel package.

I really don't want to get this wrong and regret my purchase, will keep you posted when and if i ever decide
 
Just looked through lots of shots from the TZ60 and LX7 on Flickr and 500px and they look rather impressive to be honest, not sure reading the reviews is the best plan here as they always say this ones is better than that at doing this etc. What they don't show is the end results which is what matters so it looks like its going to be TZ60 or TZ70, more searching and browsing shots from both then off to the shop for a feel / play.
 
I was going to say Canon S200 as it's a cheap throw in the back pocket camera. I was tempted the other day while I was in John Lewis, as it's on offer £149. What put me off was it does not do Full HD Video, a function I tend to use a lot. No raw either.
 
You could always look at the Sony a6000 with the pancake 16-50mm lens?
 
Consider typing the camera name plus FLickr into google and you might get a group dedicated to that particular camera. I am going to do that as I am considering replacing a G1X which repeatedly misses out because of my Fuji X20. I want something with a viewfinder tho having recently struggled with an M plus adapter and not able to see anything. Not in a hurry mind…
 
Thanks all for your input on this, im actually starting to crack up i think lol I can not find one with everything i want that does not cost the price of a DSLR body.

Ive looked in detail at everything you have all suggested to me and now even more confused than before, i know i posted probably TZ60/TZ70 but the image quality just doesnt cut it after all, keep thinking ah this is the one then something lets it down too

I will continue on my mission, can see the d7100 and body guards lol
 
Hi Mike go with whatever feels good to you and what suits your needs.
 
You can search for the features you're after here. I put in some features that you have mentioned, but you can search again with the exact features you want which may either give you more options, or narrow down your choices.

I bought a Canon S95 a few years ago because I wanted a compact camera with RAW, and it was the size that I wanted. It needed to fit in my pocket. It was in addition to my DSLR rather than a replacement. I've taken pics at night with the S95 and my Nikon D300S next to each other, and the Canon just doesn't get close imho. They are both 12mp, but the quality isn't there. And the D300S is quite an old camera, even in comparison to the S95.

If I were to get something similar now I would get the Sony RX100, (hopefully the Mark III ;)) because it is so similar in design, concept and size as the S95, but better in every way. :LOL: Maybe the RX100 which is newer tech, and higher resolution could be a match, but I think anything with a much smaller sensor than a APS-C/DX sensor will not have the quality. As long as you know that going in, that's OK.

Not sure which war torn area of the World that you are planning on going to though that you are afraid to carry your DSLR. :thinking: I've never had any problems in foreign cities, and I go out at night alone taking pics. And sometimes I even get up early to take pics. ;) :LOL:
 
right for anyone interested to know what i decided my decision is to go for the RX100 mk3, i know its alot of money but it ticks every box and most importantly the IQ is outstanding, i would be well p**sed if I bought something else then came home complaining its not that much better than my phone or old Fuji F810.

Thanks again for all the input on this, at the end of the day you get what you pay for!

Cheers
Mike
 
A good tip is to look at the sensor size. Nothing with a 1/2.3" sensor will produce image quality comparable to APS-C at a similar pixel count.
 
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