Pocketable compact as 2nd camera?

Llamaman

Llamaman

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Hi all

Short form of my query - what would be a good pocketable (trouser, not coat) largish-sensor compact to use for an indoor, night-time wedding (as a guest, I hasten to add!)? It will be my secondary camera (to a MFT system), replacing a Lumiz TZ7.

The long form (providing background and detail...)

If off to a wedding in Turkey this weekend, and will be travelling light (handluggage only), plus I don't want to carry the "bulk" on my OM-D (yes, I know it's not big by DSLR standards, but it isn't pocketable either).
I currently have a Lumix TZ7 which has served me well enough over the years but it isn't great at higher ISOs and since the event will be indoors and evening, I won't have much light to play with. I'm assuming compact sensor tech has moved on a bit since 2009 when the TZ7 came out?
Plus, the TZ7 has no manual control (which didn't bother me when I bought it as it was before I got into photography as a hobby). So, thinking about a somewhat rushed new purchase, using the wedding as an excuse... ;)

As it won't be my main camera (I'm keeping the OM-D and primes for photos of my kids), I'm looking for something pocketable for when the OM-D is inconvenient. I'd prefer to go for a larger sensor over a longer zoom range, since it's more likely to be used for low-light portraits and street photography than wildlife etc. (Besides, I can always keep the TZ7 for zoom range in decent light.)

The following all look great, but I'm not convinced they're pocketable (dimensions seem similar to the TZ7 which will fit in loose trousers with a suspicious bulge, but won't go in jeans);
Sony RX100 / RX100M2
Fuji XF1
Fuji XQ1
Olympus XZ10
Panasonic LX7

which I think only really leaves me
Canon S110 / S120

Does anyone have any real-life experience of the above cameras? Am I being overly concerned about the size of the non-Canons? The two front-runners in my mind are the RX100 (mk1, not mk2) and the s120, which are about the same price (~ £350). Is the RX100 really that much better than the competition (as the reviews seem to claim)?
Unfortunately, the electronic shops nearest me don't seem to stock the high-end compacts so it's hard to get a "feel" for them.
 
You really have set a challenge but i have used three of the cameras you list - the LX7, Olympus XZ10 and the Sony RX100 plus I have owned the Canon S100 (which is similar to the S110).

The LX7 and Olympus are good cameras but i found them too big to fit in trouser pockets and wore them in a pouch on a belt. The Sony RX100 is in my view a class above the others with its much larger sensor and is very good in low light. It is though still quite large and again this fits in a pouch on my belt.

If the spec for the S110 shows it as the same size as the S100 it is the smallest of all those you list. My S100 gave good results and also shot in Raw which allowed for recovery of shadowy areas when processed in Photoshop. I would imagine the S110/s120 would show improvements on the S100.

For quality of image then there really is only one choice imho and that is the Sony. It really is that good. This is the one I have kept and have sold all the others. If it must fit in a trouser pocket then i guess you are down to the S110/S120.
 
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:plusone: for the XF-1. Slips into a shirt pocket and turns out files that print well up to A3 (JPEGs). Full PASM range of automation (or not!), f/1.8 at the short end (25mm in 35mm EFL).
 
For a "large" sensor pocketable camera i'd definetely go with a ricoh gr. It's a 1.5x crop sensor so quite a good size sensor compared with other similarly sized cameras. The only downside is no optical viewfinder, just LCD, but it really will fit in jeans pocket easily. Also fixed focal length (28mm equivalent) but I actually prefer a prime lens to a zoom so no bother for me, but this might not be right for some people who prefer a zoom.
 
ive heard good things about the gr on getdpi, and those guys are using sigma dp's...
 
Thanks for all the messages. I appreciate you all taking the time to post to help me out (I don't think this gets said enough on forums).

I did a bit of research about the sizes of the cameras - thought I'd share it with you all to save you repeating the exercise! I've also given a price - this is the best price I found for a Fulfilled by Amazon order from Amazon. No particular reason for chooisng Amazon - they just happen to have all the models. Other suppliers exist... ;)

TZ7 - 103.0 x 60.0 x 33.0 mm 229g
RX100 - 101.6 x 58.1 x 35.9 mm 240g £360
XF1 - 107.9 x 61.5 x 33.0 mm 225g £185
XQ1 - 100.0 x 58.5 x 33.3 mm 206g £289
XZ-10 - 102.4 x 61.1 x 34.3 mm 221g £150
S110 - 98.8 x 59.0 x 26.9 mm 198g £230
S120 - 99.8 x 59.0 x 29.0 mm 217g £349
LX7 - 110.5 x 67.1 x 45.6 mm 298g £289
GR - 117.0 x 61.0 x 34.7 mm 245g £529
LF1 - 102.5 x 62.1 x 27.9 mm 381g £279 <--- added as edit after comments below

(sizes and weights are per http://camerasize.com/ )

They all seem very similar in size apart from the Canons which are noticeably thinner (and the LX7 which is fat). Out of the others, the XF1 appears to be the bargain - half the price of a RX100 and almost 1/3 the price of a RX100M2. The GR looks like a lovely camera (and not one I'd heard of before), but the price is just too rich for me for a 2nd camera. (The GRD IV is more my price range, but is a much smaller sensor).

I may have to ditch my idea of a pocket camera and instead go for a small belt pouch. Which then opens up further possibilities - I've seen a 2nd hand GX1 for £129, which I could pair with my 20/1.7 and keep as a 2nd body... AAARGH!!! WHY IS THIS SO HARD?!!

In reality, I think my natural indecision (!) and lack of time will mean I don't end up getting anything! :)

Edit: now added the LF1, which I saw someone had suggested but somehow read it as another suggestion for XF1. The LF1 looks interesting - very slim and a good price.
 
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I have a Canon S110 and am very fond of it and it's definitely pocketable. It copes okay with low light as long as you keep to the wide end of the zoom but I wouldn't say it was at it's best in that environment, especially with moving subjects. Where it truly shines is in decent light (or on a mini tripod) where you can keep the ISO low and take advantage of the huge dynamic range. If your main use is going to be low light then I'd say the RX100 is worth the extra.

As a left-field choice, would there be any mileage in an E-PM2? Curry's had them on sale last week for ~£250 and it would be compatible with all your existing lenses. (not pocketable though)
 
I did consider a smaller MFT body - a GF5, GX1 or E-PM2, but I thought as these were outside the realm of pocketability, I might as well take my OM-D and 20/1.7. Once you've gone down the manbag route, the difference between the body sizes isn't that great.

Holy bargain! Curry's have XF1 for £130. Madness. If I get anything it'll be one of those.
 
Andy, I have 2 XFs and paid the original price for the first (and it was worth it IMO). I only bought the second because it was so cheap at Curry's PCWorld. The 2nd one lives in the car for when (not if!) I manage to forget to grab a camera.
 
Aaargh! So I went to pull the trigger on a XF1 and guess what - I left it too late for next day collection. Serves me right for pontificating.

Will have to check out Dixons at Heathrow and see if they have any in stock at a similar price.
 
Where are you, Andy? If anywhere near Exeter I can loan you an XF-1 for your holiday.
 
I've got an XQ-1 and its brilliant, newer sensor and AF than the XF-1 but only a little bigger. Had an xf-1 for a while and can say that the XQ is better, but obviously a little pricier
 
Nod said:
Where are you, Andy? If anywhere near Exeter I can loan you an XF-1 for your holiday.
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Haha, no. I live and work in London. Thankyou for the amazing offer though.

If I were religious I'd believe it was God telling me not to spend more money on camera gear. As I'm an atheist I believe its me being a bumbling cretin.
 
Is there a Currys/PCWorld on your way to Heathrow that you could do a "reserve & collect in an hour" and pick up en route?

In my experience the airport stores tend not to have the bargains you can get elsewhere (except for World of Whiskies, of course, which have some outstanding deals (if that's your thing) :)
 
I'll be getting a taxi rather than driving (it's a 6am flight and I'm not a morning person) so that won't work. It was mostly an impulse thing anyway. Must...stop...buying...stuff...
 
Llamaman said:
Haha, no. I live and work in London. Thankyou for the amazing offer though.

If I were religious I'd believe it was God telling me not to spend more money on camera gear. As I'm an atheist I believe its me being a bumbling cretin.
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It's only 3 1/2 hours or so each way - you'll be back in time for the taxi to pick you up!

Have a great holiday (and maybe pick up a cheap compact at the airport?)
 
Nod with all your cameras have you thought about running a camera hire business :p
 
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