Is There Really Such a Thing as a Pocketable Camera?

jsrockit said:
So ... basically it comes down to if we are talking about tight jeans vs. baggy cargo pants or pants vs. jacket pockets? Weight doesn`t seem to bother some, and it bother others. I could never put a Leica LTM camera in my pocket and feel good... way too heavy and would just swing in my pocket all day. However... a disclaimer. I don`t wear jewelry, I don`t wear hip packs, I don`t wear anything extra. I see guys walk around with like 5 devices clipped to their belt i.e. cell phone, keys, little hip pack, etc. It is just not for me. I would imagine a guy that does that would have no problem putting a bunch of crap in his pockets including a heavy camera.
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I’m with you. I don’t like to carry stuff. I don’t even carry a wallet, just a loose card and some cash. I could never put a camera in my pocket, any pocket. Too heavy.
Also, I don’t see how any film camera could be pants pocketable. A film canister is already too thick and uncomfortable for a pant pocket, and a film camera has to be at least that thick.
 
When youvare in a country where the weather means you you most likely wear a coat, you have bigger pockets to hand. Minolta TC-1, Contax T and minix Gt35. Rollei 35S is really the limit weight wise IMHO. MINOX and TC-1 OK for decent shirt pockets
 
I carry my GRII in my pocket. I have a strap on my X100S.

If you can't carry your GRII in your pocket, your pants are probably too tight.

Blanket statement that there is no pocketable camera is hyperbole. And kinda silly.

Everyone doesn't have the same body type or wear the same fit in their clothes.
 
Solinar said:
I 100% agree. - Wear a pair of pants with decent sized pockets.
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I wear regular straight leg jeans (not slim or super tight) and sure, the GR can fit... but it doesn`t feel good when I sit. It really comes down to what you are comfortable with.
 
Just because it can, doesn’t mean it should, or that it’ll be comfortable.

I live in Brisbane. I wear a jacket on average never. I have pockets in my (non cargo) shorts and pockets in my jeans. No other clothing I wear has pockets.

I have one truly pocketable camera. It’s my phone.
 
Dogman said:
Blanket statement that there is no pocketable camera is hyperbole. And kinda silly.
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It's just the tiresome formulaic way some communicate these days when they can't communicate their ideas without putting people down.

A) Your approach sucks.
B) That camera you love isn't even a real camera. It's a half camera.
C) If you happen to be using the right camera that I would approve of you're probably using the wrong lens. And your strap sucks. And you're holding it wrong. You look bad.
D) Pro tip! - Change your approach and equipment to match mine, the only right way.

Repeat for any photographic subject.
 
jsrockit said:
I wear regular straight leg jeans (not slim or super tight) and sure, the GR can fit... but it doesn`t feel good when I sit. It really comes down to what you are comfortable with.
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Sure, I've found a solution for this though: take it out of the pocket when sitting down for longer. I do the same with my wallet and phone.:D
 
How are you liking that RX0?

I recently saw something about them and am very curious.

How is it to use in practice and do you have any images to share or link to?

Archiver said:
My current pocket camera is the Sony RX0, a totall unergonomic block of aluminium alloy intended for use as a production and crash video camera. But it spits out fantastic 1 inch sensor 24mm equivalent raw files, and I use it all the time, just about every day. I always wear a jacket regardless of the weather, so I never have trouble putting a compact camera in a pocket..
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giganova said:
Olympus MJU and Minox 35 are truly pocketable.
I have a bunch of them.
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I have Olympus mju 1 and Minox 35ML models, along with Chinon Bellami, Olympus XA2 and XA3,
Ricoh FF-1s, Voigtlander Vito C models, plus some others I'm forgetting.

All are truly pocketable - and lightweight - 35mm full-frame film cameras.

Chris
 
emraphoto said:
what's a 1/2 camera Nick?
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A 1/2 camera is something like the GR.

No VF (though you can purchase one for $250, about 1/2 the cost of the camera)

"Mirrorless" (i.e. no mirror, thus a lack of a feature positioned as "a feature")

No built-in flash

Does it have a real shutter? I'm gonna say "no". If I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll be corrected.

Cropped sensor --- so 1/2 a sensor

=

(One example of a...) 1/2 Camera.
 
The Minox 35GT ( with 35mm fixed lens ) that I had years ago, definitely fit into my jeans pocket. I take it that Rollei 35 should, Olympus XA possibly could.
A digital Sony RX100 ( mine is the RX100iii with 24-70mm equiv.lens ) fits into my pocket too.
 
What's that old adage? How do you upset people online? Express an opinion and wait.

So. Here's my opinion expressed less - I dunno, comically? Sarcastically? There really are very few truly pocketable cameras in my opinion other than cell phones. Some I've read on this thread of people claiming to put a particular camera in their jeans pocket? Not sure what jeans you're wearing, and maybe you can? In fact, I've tried this and have found this annoying and uncomfortable. To each his own.

But, I continued, why is this even important? Why is size such a big deal? Why not pick up a full featured -- and I know they're on their way out (IMO thanks to marketeering...), DSLR that -- has a proper viewfinder (not an accessory that costs 1/2 the price of a camera LIKE the Ricoh GR does...) and (shriek) a mirror, and (shriek) a convenient built-in flash (that, yes, comes in handy...) and (shriek) an actual proper mechanical shutter... ???

So I don't care for such cameras as the Ricoh GRs given their costand I wouldn't own one at either a new or used prices. You are welcome to love them! Be my guest. I call such cameras "1/2 - cameras". 50% of a camera -- 100% of the cost. And yes, that's a snark. And "no" I don't care for such cameras.

That's my opinion of these cameras. No like-y. You, on the other hand, are welcome to love them! Get objectophilia, walk the aisle, and marry the danged thing. Be my guest. It's not a value judgement on my part. Buy/use whatever the h**l camera you want -- don't worry about what "I" think of it.

So, the question I pose is thus. Why is "pocketability" a big deal? Why are cameras getting smaller at the cost of standard features (but charging the same price if not more)? And "in the old days" people carried full-sized and full featured cameras that were not so concerned about size so much, but just used a normal camera strap, and didn't seem to mind?

Also -- some smaller sized cameras (again) in my opinion actually have bad ergos in this regard. They're too small for a strap, but they're too large to comforatably be "pocketable". In addition to this, they also have more fiddly buttons, do not accomodate larger fingers too well... The ergos actually diminish! Worse ergos than larger cameras -- but not quite accomplishing their goal of pocketability. Perhaps this is why the Leicas, Nikons, and Canons weren't so obsessed with size over the years?

And I'll give you an example. Love this camera -- one of my all time faves. Pentax PC35AF. Would you put a camera strap on it? No, that would be silly. Is it small enough to fit in your pocket? No. (Although a few people around here might try it). So, you wind up having the thing dangle from your wrist on a wrist strap, or you hold it, or you set it down somewhere and worry you'll forget it or knock it to the floor...

And many cameras today fall into this "tween" size range. In my opinion just get a regular sized camera that doesn't lop off features for the sake of size, put "a" standard prime lens on it, and use an old-school cameras strap. And another thing -- a lot of these smaller "pocketable" cameras (not to bash it) like the GR (again) are fixed lens cameras. The lens might be terrific -- but you're stuck with it. With an interchangable lens camera I can put whatever focal length on it. Huge advantage. Use that pocket for another lens. To me (again me) I'll take a "lowly" Nikon D5300 entry-level DSLR that has (a flash, a viewfinder, a proper shutter) for a few hundred bucks that I can attach any number of prime lenses to over the Ricoh. But that's just me.

Is this opinion something to get wound up about?

Chill!

And here's another 1/2 camera I would never own. Those Sony RX abominations. The online photo "press" bounces off the walls like the Cocoa Puffs bird over these things as soon as they came out. No viewfinder, a "terrific" 1" sensor (rolls eyes). How much do you want for that thing? A hahahaha! Oh -- it's "pocketable" you say? Hence the cost? No thanks. It's not as pocketable as my cell that I can take pics with, talk, text, listen to music, and play a game of chess and blackjack on.
 
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