Best pocketable point and shoot

[ajuk]

I like the Stylus Epic (MJUII) It would seem Olympus are the only company to make plastic bodied cameras aimed at the P&S crowed to have an enthusiast following.

I recently Bought an MJUII for £1 then sold it for £25, then my other one broke, so I only had one, I wasn't going to buy another one but I managed to get one in new condition for £36.

 

[GBR66]

For film Olympus XA...just found my wife's 20 year old (?) version in a cupboard with a film to be developed.....however I'd go digital everytime now for an everyday carry and I love my canon s95, it is tiny, fits in jeans or suit pocket, great IQ for what it is and is easy to use.

 

[yukio]

I tend to do more public/candid shooting so I judge best based on shortest shutter lag, operational time from start-up, and ease of pre-focusing. Of the point-and-shoots I've own/owned (Contax T3, Olympus XA, Contax T, Nikon 28Ti, Yashica T4), the Contax T is the best. The XA is a close second. It's easier to load and a better value than the T, but optics pushes the T to the top.

The closest thing I have to a digital p&s would be an iphone.

 

[lawnpotter]

http://www.hammacher.com/Product/81584 I dont have this but I think I want one.

 

[nightfly]

The film GR1 is just a touch slimmer than the digital version and fits in the pocket better. I have both the GR1 and the GRD 3 and prefer the GR1 both for image quality (just like film) and pocketability.

The XA is smaller but fatter but works well too. The lens tends to flare and it's not as nice overall as the GR1. Also having a rangefinder with a small dim viewfinder isn't really super great so you might as well buy an XA2 for less money.

The Contax T2 is pretty heavy and fat and I actually prefer the Tessar on the Yashica t4 to the Sonnar on the T2. The T2 has a lot more control but really for a point and shoot, I feel like they are overkill.

The Contax T1 and Minox are both tiny with nice lenses but I find the barn door lens annoying and fiddly for quick shooting.

The Rollei 35 is super fiddly and heavy. Didn't get on with it at all. People love em though.

Never tried the T3 cause they are way too expensive.

 

[Mr_Toad]

For a digital, I REALLY like the Canon Powershot G12.

Okay, so it's kind of a fatty when it comes to pocketing....but it has nifty manual dials on top, an active ZOOOOOOM Optical Viewfinder sync'ed with the 28-140mm (35mm equivalent) zoom lens (corresponding aperture of f/2.8-f/4.5), 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (whatever that means), the rear screen is articulated so can be closed to protect the screen (while jammed in the pocket), 10 Meg sensor, 780 video, has a long heritage of multiple prior "G" versions to work the bugs out, lots of fun imaging features in the menu, and is usually priced under $400.

Sadly, the zoom lens does not have a filter ring, but there are some great after market UV protection filters that can be applied with adhesive.

HOWEVER...you can get a larger sensor with a micro 4/3 these days...at similar prices.

I just like this G12 camera...I dunno why. (I think Canon has a smaller equivalent in the Canon S95 or something...but it doesn't have a viewfinder. I am IN to viewfinders.)

Robt.

 

[anerjee]

Is the Fuji X10 similar in dimensions to the XA or the GR1?

 

[Mr_Toad]

The Fuji X10 is sort of pocketable...except it's bigger than the XA, and the zoom lens kinda sticks out a bit.

 

[useless generation]

Another vote for the Olympus Mju-II

 

[ajuk]

For film Olympus XA...just found my wife's 20 year old (?) version in a cupboard with a film to be developed.....however I'd go digital everytime now for an everyday carry and I love my canon s95, it is tiny, fits in jeans or suit pocket, great IQ for what it is and is easy to use.

I don't know how people serious about photography can be satisfied by Digicams with such tiny sensors, for me they're good for pictures on the internet though.

 

[eurekaiv]

While a great camera, the XA isn't a point and shoot. Unless by point and shoot you mean you can point it at something, check the exposure, fiddle with the rangefinder focus and then take the shot. By that standard, any rangefinder is a point and shoot. Heck, any SLR is a point and shoot. Why not recommend a Pentax Auto 110—an actual SLR that can actually fit in a pocket. I bet I could even fit two in my pocket so long as I didn't mount the 50mm lens.

 

[umcelinho]

Superheads
Cheap, fast, 22mm lens!


2011-01-29-16 by Rogier Diver, on Flickr

i really love my vivitar ultrawide & slim, but as soon as the sun goes down or i get indoors it's not very useful :/

not very pocketable, but i had a lomo lca and it was quite a good camera, perfect exposure every time and scale focusing was really intuitive. but then again id love to try an oly xa, rollei 35 or mju ii sometime.

for digital, s100 or the next s series compact they release. its really impressive.

 

[semilog]

Olympus Stylus Epic.

Small, inexpensive, great IQ, tough as nails when in pocket, knapsack, or glove box due to its clamshell case. Doesn't hurt a bit that it's a Yoshihisa Maitani design. IMO there has never been a better (film) point-and-shoot than the mju/mjuII. There are more capable cameras, but there are none that offer a better combination of IQ, durability, and price (=replaceability).

I loved my Ricoh GR-1 but it fails as a "pocketable PS" due to its comparatively fragile design. I've also got two Yashica T5's (=T4 Super). They're nice, too, but bigger than I prefer for a PS. But if you find a T5 in a thrift store they are a superlative bargain.

I would personally discount ANY really expensive point and shoot for pocket carry.

Other great PS's: Konica Big Mini; Nikon 600/LiteTouch AF (28mm! Yay! A replacement for my dead GR-1!).

 

[heliographer]

In order of preference:
Film
Olympus XA
Stylus Epic (MJUII)
Nikon L35AF

Digital
Really liking the LX5

 

[1750Shooter]

I'm really happy with my Leica C1 Zoom. I know the lens is "only" an Elmarit, but it takes beautiful pictures & fits in my pocket.

 

[isoterica]

For a digital, I REALLY like the Canon Powershot G12.

Sadly, the zoom lens does not have a filter ring, but there are some great after market UV protection filters that can be applied with adhesive.

Robt.

There is a filter adapter for the G12, FA-DC58B you can see it here at B&H. I have one and using a polarizer on the G12 yields amazing results. You screw the ring circling the lens off, lock in the filter adapter and put on your chosen filter. The adapter extends as your lens does. You can even use a standard 58mm Canon lens cap to cover when you aren't using it.

 

[Corto]

Here's a pic showing the size comparisons between my favorite P&S's and My Blackberry phone:

 

[---f]

realistically, it's my iPhone 4.

BUT, if my pockets were deep enough, it would be an M9.

 

[tomalophicon]

Yep, XA is definitely not a point and shoot. Neither is an M9 (can you even fit that thing in your pocket?).

 

[Corto]

And a Un-edited pic from the Canon SD800IS, Camera in B&W mode and set at 80 ISO: