Compact or CSC ? (G15?)

mipevo6

mipevo6

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All,

I normally use a 5DMkIII and a 7D so covered on the "big" camera front...

Thinking about trying something smaller for street with an occasional gig thrown in as well...

Just read the DP review of the G15 which sounds pretty decent...

Just wondering if the output will be acceptable or should I look at a CSC ?

There are so many decent compacts out there now as well as CSC its hard to know where to start.

Thoughts?
 
I would always go compact if your keeping your dSLR as the last thing you want (unless your loaded) is anoth expensive round of buying the best lenses.
 
a1ex2001 said:
I would always go compact if your keeping your dSLR as the last thing you want (unless your loaded) is anoth expensive round of buying the best lenses.
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Fair comment...

which one though, none of them is perfect....

a Sony sensor with the Canon lens would be good :)
 
Isn't the G15 one with a tiny sensor?

If so I doubt it'll give the image quality of a CSC, and I wonder how good the VF is?

I (mostly) like MFT and if you can limit yourself to one or two lenses or even some cheap legacy lens(es) you needn't end up with an expensive multi lens system.

If you get a MFT or Nex body you could partner it with a OM or Rokkor 28mm f2.8 and an adapter and/or a 20mm f1.7(MFT) or 35mm f1.8(Nex) and/or a compact standard zoom. Who could want more? :D
 
woof woof said:
Isn't the G15 one with a tiny sensor?

If so I doubt it'll give the image quality of a CSC, and I wonder how good the VF is?

I (mostly) like MFT and if you can limit yourself to one or two lenses or even some cheap legacy lens(es) you needn't end up with an expensive multi lens system.

If you get a MFT or Nex body you could partner it with a OM or Rokkor 28mm f2.8 and an adapter and/or a 20mm f1.7(MFT) or 35mm f1.8(Nex) and/or a compact standard zoom. Who could want more? :D
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I know what you mean...

Not looking to replace my standard camera as I love FF... Looking for a carry everywhere so maybe a mft and 2 primes maybe.... might be a decent compromise for street...

Something like a 17 and a 40-45 ish maybe.... ?

but what body and what lenses.. or would the rx100 be good enough?
 
I suppose a lot could depend on what you mean by a carry anywhere camera and how you want to carry it.

When I bought a GF1+20mm f1.7 I thought I was in heaven. It's small enough to fit in a winter jacket pocket and in summer it'll fit in a small case. However, I decided I couldn't live without a built in VF so ditched the GF1 for a G1 and it's just a tad bigger due to the grip and EVF and really doesn't fit the winter jacket pocket or small case as easily.

A couple of family members have Nex 5's and although they're not for me as there's no built in VF they are small and produce very good output, much better than my G1 at mid to higher ISO's. Nex 6 might be worth a look.
 
Sony RX100, best compact by a country mile. I've had an X100, E-P1, and G1, and the RX beats the lot of them hands down. High ISO performance is in a different league to first-gen m4/3s like the G1 and E-P1, and comparable to current models like the OM-D, in a body that will actually fit in a jeans pocket (and I wear skinny jeans!). We'll ignore the X100 as it won't focus at all in poor light.

If you want something genuinely pocketable that will perform in low-light, it can't be beat imo.
 
+1 for the m43 body and a couple of primes - the GX1 is a strong performer and paired with the 14mm 2.5 and 20mm 1.7 primes it is a decent small kit - jacket pocketable rather than skinny jeans (whatever they are !!) though.
 
A slight exaggeration perhaps, but the X100's AF and even MF controls cannot be considered 'good' by any stretch of the imagination.

In practical terms the RX100 is the better low-light camera. The RX gets shots that the X100 wouldn't.
 
Irrelevant to me as I use a viewfinder for 99% of the time. And won't get a much better viewfinder than the X100. Oh, and the IQ is not exactly bad either...
 
I looked at the Sony and yes I love that large sensor.....

There are a couple of things that concern me with the Rx100

  1. The f4.9 maximum at 100mm... That is pretty slow and will negate the extra stops of low light performance compared to the G15 which is F2,8 at 140mm which is a huge difference
  2. The lack of ability to change the control dial on the back to exposure comp or similar
  3. The click less front control ring
  4. The lovely fast f1.8 being restricted by the max shutter of 1/2000

Any thoughts or comments from a Sony owner on these points?

Thanks in advance
 
mipevo6 said:
I looked at the Sony and yes I love that large sensor.....

There are a couple of things that concern me with the Rx100

  1. The f4.9 maximum at 100mm... That is pretty slow and will negate the extra stops of low light performance compared to the G15 which is F2,8 at 140mm which is a huge difference
    yes it would be nice to have 2.8 at the long end, but i havent found it holding me back
  2. The lack of ability to change the control dial on the back to exposure comp or similar
    Its deafult is exposure comp think you press the left side down.
  3. The click less front control ring
    Done on purpose so you cant hear the clicks on video
  4. The lovely fast f1.8 being restricted by the max shutter of 1/2000
    Not found it an issue even in bright light, iso 80 seems to sort it out.

Any thoughts or comments from a Sony owner on these points?

Thanks in advance
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Check out the Rx100 thread plenty of info in there, i honestly find it a superb camera to go with my slr, pointless having something that isnt fully compact. I actually find myself using my rx100 where i would have normally used my 40d, it just doesnt stop me taking great pictures.
 
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1) I just don't tend to use anything but the wide end. You've got 20MP of crop to play with remember.
2) The ability to customise the Fn. button options/order makes it pretty painless to switch settings once you get used to it.
3) Valid point, most operations are stepped and it's a bit annoying, but what about using it for focus? You'd need to be able to switch it between stepped and non-stepped.
4) Not found it to be much of an issue....although a built-in ND like the X100 would have been nice.

I never really got on with viewfinder-less cameras, the E-P1 drove me mad, hence the G1 and X100, but the RX100 feels right and handles well, it just seems to work...for me at least. YMMV.
 
robj20 said:
The lovely fast f1.8 being restricted by the max shutter of 1/2000
Not found it an issue even in bright light, iso 80 seems to sort it out.
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I suppose it depends what aperture you use.

With MFT I'm restricted to 1/4000 sec and in good light with wide aperture lenses I'm often restricted to f2.8 @ISO100 unless I use ND's. With a max speed of 1/2000 the sums are easy enough to do and show that it'll restrict wide aperture shooting in good light.
 
The thing about the g series canons is there not very compact and will not slip in your pocket like a rx100. The viewfinder is also a waste of space.
 
Where does is say in the OPs question about it having to slip into your pocket?
 
No where but if you already have a DSLR why get another camera which requires a bag to be carried, a proper compact is a great addition, it also means you will take it out more with you. I take my RX100 all sorts of places i wouldnt take anything which requires a bag.
CSC are more for people, that dont want a dslr but want something bigger than a compact.
IMO
 
robj20 said:
No where but if you already have a DSLR why get another camera which requires a bag to be carried, a proper compact is a great addition, it also means you will take it out more with you. I take my RX100 all sorts of places i wouldnt take anything which requires a bag.
CSC are more for people, that dont want a dslr but want something bigger than a compact.
IMO
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I recently went for a trip to Sheffield for the weekend.

My E-PL3 with Pany20mm on it was in one coat pocket, and my Oly45mm in the other pocket. Although one day, I just picked up the camera, and forgot to take the 45mm :gag: , but got some fantastic shots with this jacket-pocketable CSC - no bag.
 
Had a look at the g15 and the Rx100 in town today.

The rx100 is definitely pocket friendly.....

Focussing was pretty quick as well....

Tempted with the £50 cash back and 449 price on amazon......
 
Dpreview just posted a what zoom compact do they recommend

Sorry no idea how to link in the iPad app

G15 and Rx100 both get a mention....

Hmmm decisions....

G15
Bigger
Smaller sensor
Longer zoom
Brighter lens
Canon

Rx 100
Bigger sensor
Pocketable
USB charging only


Anybody got a G15 yet ?

Any real world samples ?
 
I'm surprised that the X10 hasn't been mentioned yet. Brilliant bit of kit.
 
mipevo6 said:
Anybody got a G15 yet ?

Any real world samples ?
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Yep i've got one and i've also had an RX100.

To be honest, I wish i'd given the Sony more of a chance before I sold it. The thing that annoyed me was getting loads of OOF shots, when trying to take portrait photos of my son (shutter speed was fine). But I also had the same problem with the G15 until I put it on centre focus point, rather than face tracking or whatever it's called (I didn't try messing with the focus settings on the Sony but wish I had now). The other problem I had with the Sony was the metering. In lowish light I got quite a few underexposed photos. The Canon just seems more consistent to me.

The thing is, I had a Canon S100 before the Sony and with the Canon you could bang it into auto mode and the large majority of the time it took a good photo. Either I had a bad copy of the Sony or I needed to put a bit more effort in.

Poor battery life and slow AF were the things that annoyed me with the S100. The G15 is much better than the S100 in that regard.
 
So do you prefer the g15 or the Rx 100?
 
Btw, this week's AP has a review of seven top end compacts, inc the RX100 & G15 but not the X10 ( although it does include the rather pretty GF1).
 
mipevo6 said:
So do you prefer the g15 or the Rx 100?
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I prefer the G15, but the point I was trying to make is that if i'd given the Sony a bit more of a chance and played with the settings more, perhaps I wouldn't have had focusing or metering problems (or found a workaround). I was used to a camera (Canon S100) that you could stick in auto and take great photos nearly every time.
 
fatmarley said:
I prefer the G15, but the point I was trying to make is that if i'd given the Sony a bit more of a chance and played with the settings more, perhaps I wouldn't have had focusing or metering problems (or found a workaround). I was used to a camera (Canon S100) that you could stick in auto and take great photos nearly every time.
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The form factor of the of the Rx 100 is pulling me in its direction.... It is so small for what it delivers it would probably get used more.....

The g15 lens really is a cracker though...

Think I need more of a play.....

Oh and will go look at AP as well.... Thanks for the pointer Demilion.....
 
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Just remember that the new edition comes out on Tuesday, so you have 2 days to get one!
 
Ok having read AP, looked at way too many forums, sample shots, vids on youtube etc..

and crucially having a play on Sat with the Rx100 in the Sony shop I went ahead and ordered one from Amazon and will claim the £50 cashback they have running at the moment.

Thanks for the input folks.
 
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I've got a G12 which goes with me everywhere, nearly, and now accounts for 95% + of my photography with the DSLR + another cheap compact for the rest. I must admit to being tempted by an XP1 and the RX100 due to their sensor size's as I do tend to crop my photos as many are 'snap shots' taken without the time to correctly compose. I'm often tempted by CSC's as I like the look and flexibility BUT, I know I would never carry any extra lenses or viewfinders (a must for me) and so an all in one compact it is as I know it'll always be there 100% in the backpack or (just) in my pocket.
 
:plusone: for the RX100 it has all the features of my D700 in a pocketable format
Dave
 
velocette said:
I've got a G12 which goes with me everywhere, nearly, and now accounts for 95% + of my photography with the DSLR + another cheap compact for the rest. I must admit to being tempted by an XP1 and the RX100 due to their sensor size's as I do tend to crop my photos as many are 'snap shots' taken without the time to correctly compose. I'm often tempted by CSC's as I like the look and flexibility BUT, I know I would never carry any extra lenses or viewfinders (a must for me) and so an all in one compact it is as I know it'll always be there 100% in the backpack or (just) in my pocket.
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Peter I have read more than once that the VF on the Canon G12 is not worth having. Is it that bad as I am thinking of the G15 - well on my shortlist :clap:
 
The Nikon P7700 looks a good altyernative to the G12 and no viewfinder.

Al
 
Al1944 said:
The Nikon P7700 looks a good altyernative to the G12 and no viewfinder.

Al
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Yes a bit more zoom and fully articulating screen so it's also on my shortlist. I can't afford the RX100 :nono:
 
LX7 ? X10 ?

These both look decent....
 
I've sold my G series as I find the quality is not on par with the DSLR also the longer shutter lag. I then went on micro 4/3rds. But the RX100 does look like a very good compromise. I may reconsider high end compact if it gets any better!

btw, enjoy!
 
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