Is There Really Such a Thing as a Pocketable Camera?

[shawn]

This photo may show how small it is. Anyone who knows the Voigtlaender Super-Wide Heliar f4.5/15mm and the M-Rokkor f2/40mm will be able to judge.
That floor tile measures 30x30cm


for judging the size by andreas, on Flickr

Small? Small???

That thing is huge! 😉

In its hard protective case.

Same 1" sensor as the Sony and a effective FOV of 32mm f1.8. The lens is *sharp*. I haven't tried it back to back with the Sony but my impression is it is sharper.

Not quite as easy to frame with though.

Currently on closeout for $116 on Amazon. If you buy the original version they included licenses for DXO Filmpack 5 ($80ish) and DXO processing software which then upgraded itself to DXO PhotoLab II Elite for no charge. ($199) DXO Photolab II is *really* nice and the Prime NR is the best I have seen.

Or KEH has a couple of used ones for $80 with their current sale.

Shawn

 

[giganova]

At some point though the older truly pocketable film cams had some horrific iq i.e. Minox).

😕 Have you even tried a Minox with the 35/2.8 lens?

The lens is so outstanding that I bought two GT-E and two ML cameras. Last year I posted side-by-side picture taken with the Minox 35 and a Leica 35mm Summaron where you couldn't tell the difference.

The Olympus MJU II 35/2.8 also has outstanding image quality.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

As an added bonus if I carry two cameras in my inside chest pockets...

If only there were pockets on the upper arm...

Sorry, carrying any one of the cameras I mentioned will never make you that buff.

In fact at around 8 ounces each you'll barely know they're there...

Chris

 

[blumoon]

This Sony Cyber-Shot U weighs 4 ounces and measures 3 1/8" x 1/2" x 1".
Takes 2 NiMH AAA batteries.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2eSPKyd][img...flic.kr/p/2eSPKyd]DSC01309[/url] , on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2eSPL6A]DSC01311 , on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2eSPKNG]DSC01310 , on Flickr[/URL]

 

[olifaunt]

Small? Small???

That thing is huge! 😉

Ah, but you are cheating a little 😉 You are not including the rest of the camera, namely the necessary smartphone. (I don't carry a phone so it would be additional for me.)

EDIT: I see one can use it independently. Mmmmm.

 

[jsrockit]

This Sony Cyber-Shot U weighs 4 ounces and measures 3 1/8" x 1/2" x 1".
Takes 2 NiMH AAA batteries.

And makes 1-2mp photos... 🙄 Not exactly useful these days.

 

[jsrockit]

😕 Have you even tried a Minox with the 35/2.8 lens?

The lens is so outstanding that I bought two GT-E and two ML cameras. Last year I posted side-by-side picture taken with the Minox 35 and a Leica 35mm Summaron where you couldn't tell the difference.

The Olympus MJU II 35/2.8 also has outstanding image quality.

As I stated earlier... I was talking about the miniatures, not the 35mm variety,.

 

[FrozenInTime]

The inherent image quality of the 8x11 minox camera is suprpisingly good.
The problem was in order to achieve the best it, film choice and processing care then the enlarger system had to be far far better than hobby grade.
I’m sure many organizations made nice 8x10” prints of documents for the 50 years before digital became viable.

My favorite pocket compact was the Contax Tix APS-C , a remarkable solid as a brick titanium body with OVF, but they discontinued BW400CN and other nice films.

 

[David Hughes]

...My favorite pocket compact was the Contax Tix APS-C , a remarkable solid as a brick titanium body with OVF, but they discontinued BW400CN and other nice films.

The Contax Tix was a superb camera and the B&W Kodak APS film was OK but I always wished there was an Ilford FP4 + version (sigh). FWIW I've a Koday B&W film left still sealed in the box but I think it's best thought of as a display item. Luckily I've a few ordinary APS films left in the fridge and the Rollei Nano to use them in as the Contax failed a while ago, as they do...


Regards, David

 

[shawn]

Ah, but you are cheating a little 😉 You are not including the rest of the camera, namely the necessary smartphone. (I don't carry a phone so it would be additional for me.)

EDIT: I see one can use it independently. Mmmmm.

Yes, I shoot it in stand alone mode. A smartphone isn't required. Not cheating... it actually is that small.

Shawn

 

[jsrockit]

The Contax Tix was a superb camera and the B&W Kodak APS film was OK but I always wished there was an Ilford FP4 + version (sigh). FWIW I've a Koday B&W film left still sealed in the box but I think it's best thought of as a display item. Luckily I've a few ordinary APS films left in the fridge and the Rollei Nano to use them in as the Contax failed a while ago, as they do...


Regards, David

We need a like button on this forum for posts like this... 🙂

 

[bhop73]

I used to carry my Stylus Epic (mju ii) with me everywhere in my jeans pocket. Completely comfortable. I keep reading the words "why? when you can carry a big camera on a strap?" The reason is sometimes you don't want a camera hanging off you, but want it easily accessible. Maybe i'm at a company party that's going to have dancing or some other event? Maybe photography isn't my intended purpose at whatever i'm doing (shopping maybe) but I still want to have a film camera on me.. there are many reasons for wanting a "pocketable" camera.

 

[Archiver]

When I was interested in getting a Contax camera, some consideration was given to the Tix. A black one was available on eBay for a really good price. Thank GOODNESS I never bought it. Within a few years, aps film would become pretty much dead and I'd have been left with an expensive and unusable shelf queen. To this day, 13 years later, I'm still using the T3 and it's just as good as when I bought it.

 

[Tim Murphy]

These are my most pocketable cameras

These are my most pocketable cameras

Dear Board,

If you can't fit a Canon S-90 or S-100 in your pocket you have small pockets. They are thinner than an old flip phone, and only slightly longer and wider. They are much smaller than even a the smallest smart phone and I always manage to carry my Iphone 5S in one of the front pockets in my pants.

The Retina II is a good bit larger and quite a bit heavier, but it is still about the size of the trifold wallet I carry all the time.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA 🙂

P2030190 by Tim Murphy, on Flickr

 

[Solinar]

The Retina II is a good bit larger and quite a bit heavier, but it is still about the size of the trifold wallet I carry all the time.

I now have both the Retina II and IIa. They are pretty heavy. I may park one for a short period in my pants pocket, but I don't like going on long walks with it stowed there.

There is something to be said for the plastic fantastic builds of the 1990 Era. Those camera, of which I'm thinking of the Olympus Stylus, were much lighter.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Bang, bang, bang in the chest

Bang, bang, bang in the chest

My Petri Color 35 will fit in a large chest pocket, thanks to its semi-retractable lens.
However like the Rollei 35 it is just too heavy to live there comfortably.

Chris

 

[kuuan]

Fuji F series, the F30, F31fd, F50fd had been quite tiny, and in their time, for a small camera, had a leading Sensor for high ISO. No VF, only LCD though


Konica C35FD + Fujifilm F31fd by andreas, on Flickr

 

[JoeLopez]

Nikon Coolpix A. Wish they would come out with an updated version of it.

I had one, great little camera. I sold it to dive into the X100 series.

 

[jsrockit]

Dear Board,

If you can't fit a Canon S-90 or S-100 in your pocket you have small pockets. They are thinner than an old flip phone, and only slightly longer and wider. They are much smaller than even a the smallest smart phone and I always manage to carry my Iphone 5S in one of the front pockets in my pants.

The problem with those canons is that high end smart phones do better these days. If I’m going to go for a P&S these days, it needs to have a larger sensor. The flip phone was also a lot lighter... but weight seems to be something people forget about when it comes to the practicality of pocket-ability. 🙂

 

[michaelwj]

The problem with those canons is that high end smart phones do better these days. If I’m going to go for a P&S these days, it needs to have a larger sensor. The flip phone was also a lot lighter... but weight seems to be something people forget about when it comes to the practicality of pocket-ability. 🙂

They were good in their day, but agreed, not as good as a phone these days.

The flip phones were also smooth, the lens control ring always catches on the way in and out of a pocket, making the S series canons (and the IXUS before them) annoying in use.