NickTrop
Veteran
Yes! The Olympus XA line! Maybe a couple digitals. But guess what? That's about it. (Yes -- I'm sure there were others maybe -- some Rollei or Minox that I'm sure RFF members will "testily" point out...) For the sake of argument I will thus proclaim, "There are virtually NO truly pocketable cameras -- other than your cell phone..."
Now others will say, the (insert brand, insert camera) is pocketable! Why I carry one in my giant pocketed cargo pants that's weged in there with a shoe horn and requires a pair of long nose pliers to extract.
But who really needs pocketable? It's silly. The solution is simple and thus... Forget you own giant heavy zooms. Getchyer big honkin' DSLR or ever so slighty less honkin' mirrorless, or film rangefinder attach a small, light prime lens. Not one of those new five pounder monstrosities (lookin' at you Sigma Art),
THEN, invest in something called "a camera strap". You might see actors playing photographers using these in old movies from the 60's. The camera hangs over your chest. Be careful. Don't buy a "wrist strap". They are annoying as you'll soon grow tired of having a camera dangling from your wrist all day. You will want to have coffee, enjoy a delicious sandwich, or use a rest room and that can makes things cumbersome. You don't want one of those ridiculous and expensive "sling" things. Please. They're absurd.
Nope. Just a regular camera strap. Leave with a small light prime lens (which means you'll likely have to buy an old one). Forget those small what I call "1/2 cameras" like the Ricoh GR and assorted Fuji whatevers that lop off 1/2 the features (so you can then buy the other 1/2 of your camera as aftermarket accessories at crazy inflated prices.)
The GRs and Fujis are too small! That's right. They're too small for a camera strap, which means you'll be holding them in your hand, have them dangling annoyingly from a wrist strap, or ask your wife or luva to put it in their purse. In fact, you might ask them if they're bringing their larger purse for you to use as a camera bag later in the day.
So to recap. There really aren't any pockatable cameras. 1/2-camera options like the Ricoh GRs and Fuji X-whateveres have horrible ergos because they are too small and light for a camera strap, but too large for your pocket so you have to carry them like a baby all day. Invest in a camera strap, leave the bag at home, carry one small light prime lens of a focal length of your choosing on a full(not half)camera, preferably a full frame DSLR.
Tips
If you're worried you might look geeky with a normal camera strap. I borrowed my "coo' look'" from Jimmy Page, who made his guitar teachers cringe by playing his guitar at knee-level instead of the center of his chest. For some reason this looks coo' but the center of the chest looks silly. I use an extra long strap and sling the camera around my back. Make sure it's leather.
I think the "regular old cameras strap" fell out of favor because of that whole "foreign tourist" thing and you think you'll not look coo'. You're shooting with a film rangefinder from 1966, fer C sakes in a sea of cell phone shooters. You already look ridiculous. Might as wll go with it.
Carry a plastic grocery bag in your back pocket in case it rains.
Here's a good one. Canpis. Leather. $20-ish bucks.
Now others will say, the (insert brand, insert camera) is pocketable! Why I carry one in my giant pocketed cargo pants that's weged in there with a shoe horn and requires a pair of long nose pliers to extract.
But who really needs pocketable? It's silly. The solution is simple and thus... Forget you own giant heavy zooms. Getchyer big honkin' DSLR or ever so slighty less honkin' mirrorless, or film rangefinder attach a small, light prime lens. Not one of those new five pounder monstrosities (lookin' at you Sigma Art),
THEN, invest in something called "a camera strap". You might see actors playing photographers using these in old movies from the 60's. The camera hangs over your chest. Be careful. Don't buy a "wrist strap". They are annoying as you'll soon grow tired of having a camera dangling from your wrist all day. You will want to have coffee, enjoy a delicious sandwich, or use a rest room and that can makes things cumbersome. You don't want one of those ridiculous and expensive "sling" things. Please. They're absurd.
Nope. Just a regular camera strap. Leave with a small light prime lens (which means you'll likely have to buy an old one). Forget those small what I call "1/2 cameras" like the Ricoh GR and assorted Fuji whatevers that lop off 1/2 the features (so you can then buy the other 1/2 of your camera as aftermarket accessories at crazy inflated prices.)
The GRs and Fujis are too small! That's right. They're too small for a camera strap, which means you'll be holding them in your hand, have them dangling annoyingly from a wrist strap, or ask your wife or luva to put it in their purse. In fact, you might ask them if they're bringing their larger purse for you to use as a camera bag later in the day.
So to recap. There really aren't any pockatable cameras. 1/2-camera options like the Ricoh GRs and Fuji X-whateveres have horrible ergos because they are too small and light for a camera strap, but too large for your pocket so you have to carry them like a baby all day. Invest in a camera strap, leave the bag at home, carry one small light prime lens of a focal length of your choosing on a full(not half)camera, preferably a full frame DSLR.
Tips
If you're worried you might look geeky with a normal camera strap. I borrowed my "coo' look'" from Jimmy Page, who made his guitar teachers cringe by playing his guitar at knee-level instead of the center of his chest. For some reason this looks coo' but the center of the chest looks silly. I use an extra long strap and sling the camera around my back. Make sure it's leather.
I think the "regular old cameras strap" fell out of favor because of that whole "foreign tourist" thing and you think you'll not look coo'. You're shooting with a film rangefinder from 1966, fer C sakes in a sea of cell phone shooters. You already look ridiculous. Might as wll go with it.
Carry a plastic grocery bag in your back pocket in case it rains.
Here's a good one. Canpis. Leather. $20-ish bucks.
