Pocketable Camera for Vacation

Last ones (maybe)

An adapted 200mm is a *massive* telephoto on a Q. Shot this with it focused at infinity using a red dot sight.


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It also has some nice B*W modes. You can set the different color profiles to the dial on front to switch at will. Think the first was grainy monochrome, the second is a regular monochrome mode.

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Also forgot... one of the coolest features of the Q's is if you are shooting JPEG only you can hit a button and the camera will save the RAW file for the LAST shot you already took. I really need to take my Q out more often. ;)


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If we're talking about vintage semi pocketable cameras, another option is the short lived but much loved Ricoh GXR. As long as you're okay with laggy operation and slow image buffering, the GXR can take beautiful photos with the 12mp aps-c modules. The M module with the Zeiss Sonnar is a killer combination, creating portraits dripping with saturation and style. I liked it so much that I have a three bodies, one which went kaput, one that I use, and one in mothballs until such time that Voltron is needed once more (I was an 80s kid).

50mm module:
GXR28 - Borders By Night III by Archiver, on Flickr

M module with Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5 ZM:
GXR - Signing In by Archiver, on Flickr

28mm module:
GXR28 - Contemplating Extinction by Archiver, on Flickr

Now that this comes to mind, I might take this to a job tonight, just for fun. Not sure which module to bring, either the 28 or 50.
 
The issue is that if you want a new small digital camera, there’s just nothing on the market! Been trying for months to get a Ricoh GRIII or a Fuji X100VI, but no luck. Even used small digital cameras from previous models go for more than new ones (which you can’t get). Do none of the manufacturers study their markets and know the demands for their cameras?? So I placed orders for a D-Lux 8 through two different stores three weeks ago (B&H and Leica store), and they are telling me that I will get them next week. Fingers crossed, next week I might have two! ;-)
 
giganova said:
The issue is that if you want a new small digital camera, there’s just nothing on the market! Been trying for months to get a Ricoh GRIII or a Fuji X100VI, but no luck. Even used small digital cameras from previous models go for more than new ones (which you can’t get). Do none of the manufacturers study their markets and know the demands for their cameras?? So I placed orders for a D-Lux 8 through two different stores three weeks ago (B&H and Leica store), and they are telling me that I will get them next week. Fingers crossed, next week I might have two! ;-)
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I hope you get the D-LUX 8 and give us your evaluation of the camera. I find it really interesting, especially since they fixed the overabundance of small buttons that were Panasonic in design, and put nice Leica buttons on the back.
 
giganova said:
The issue is that if you want a new small digital camera, there’s just nothing on the market! Been trying for months to get a Ricoh GRIII or a Fuji X100VI, but no luck. Even used small digital cameras from previous models go for more than new ones (which you can’t get). Do none of the manufacturers study their markets and know the demands for their cameras?? So I placed orders for a D-Lux 8 through two different stores three weeks ago (B&H and Leica store), and they are telling me that I will get them next week. Fingers crossed, next week I might have two! ;-)
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Just saying, Canon still make and sell various G5X and G7X models. Good luck with your upcoming D-Lux 8(s)!
 
I don't know about the G5X models, but a friend asked me about the G7X models a couple of weeks ago and I searched the usual sellers (B&H, Adorama, Amazon, etc.). I could not find a G7X Mark II or Mark III anywhere.

I've been watching an Ebay listing for a minty GRDIV listed at $478 (Japanese seller). I really like that camera but I just can't make myself pay that much for a 10+ year old small sensor point and shoot.

Honestly at this point if I had $1,000 to $1,200 to spend on a new compact digital camera and couldn't find a place where I could order a GRIII or GRIIIx with reasonable certainty that it would arrive before my trip, I'd just buy an iPhone 15 Pro.
 
giganova said:
Even used small digital cameras from previous models go for more than new ones....
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I'm speechless. Sorta. I looked up various compacts on a couple of used sites. My X100S and GRII are selling for more now than I paid for them years ago. Ricoh and Fuji should pump up production since the demand is obviously there. It seems Leica is listening even though the new model is not much different than the previous one. But it is at least available (it seems).
 
shop.panasonic.com

Point & Shoot Cameras

Whether you’re traveling the world or enjoying a cookout, LUMIX point & shoot digital cameras are built for your every day to capture memories to last a lifetime.
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I love the Canon G series. I've owned a few of them and currently have a G16 that I got from KEH earlier this year for around $300. I've used a few of the earlier models as well. They are well-designed and beautifully made. The G16 is small but not too small - fits in the palm of my hand, but the controls are not too small or fiddly. It has front and rear control dials, an ISO button, exposure compensation dial, a quick menu button, custom settings - in other words, the important settings are easily accessible without diving deep into menus. (I set mine to step zoom, set it to the 35mm focal length (35mm equivalent), looked up the hyperfocal distance online - about 5 feet I think - and measured that off, manually focused at that distance, and saved those settings as a custom setting for street shooting.) The G16 has a fast 5x IS zoom lens, great raw files and the jpegs aren't bad either. I love the color rendition and the way it handles noise. It has fast auto focus, fast burst rate and a good buffer if for action shots, focus peaking, and wi-fi. Not bad for an eleven year old digital camera. Also, the built in lens cover means not having to worry about losing a lens cap, or forgetting to put it on before throwing it in a bag or pocket. It's a great little camera.

I also have a Panasonic LX7 and though it's a bit smaller and has a faster lens, I don't like it as much as the Canon G16, though that might be a bit unfair because the the LX7 was released a year before the G16 - but I liked the G15 better too, a contemporary of the LX7, which has the same lens as the G16. The Canons have a VF, the Panasonic does not. The Canons feel better in the hand, like a real camera, great ergonomics, and I like the images they make better. More film like to my eyes.

But having said that, the LX7 is a good camera too. I use mine mostly for work. I retired from GIS but still do some land surveying and a picture is worth several thousand words when doing ALTA and topographic surveys. I can use the iA mode with confidence and let the camera choose the settings, knowing I'll get well exposed detailed shots that I can magnify to look at details, and the colors are accurate. The LX-7 is also my go with camera when I don't really plan on shooting but want to have a camera with me just in case. It is just a bit smaller than the Canon and I use a wrist strap with it. For travelling, or when going out with the intention to do some digital photography for fun, I'll take the Canon.

BTW, I also really like the Fuji X20! I know that's not much help. It's a difficult decision. There are so many good choices. It depends on your needs, preferences, and what's available. Good luck.
 
So many good suggestions in this thread, wow! If I could afford it, being me I would probably buy one of everything. Even with the crazy secondhand camera prices in AUS. Think of the fun I could have...

So many here like the small Fujis. As an XE2 owner, I find the Fuji XTs as well as XEs are not especially to my liking for landscape or architectural work. I do far too many of the former and not enough of the latter as the publishing markets for architectural work especially in Asia are still fairly good, if one is disciplined and methodical and does proper research. None of this will likely hit home to the OP though as the goal there is for a portable vacation camera. Still, my XE2 at the vatical even with the fantastic Fujinon 14/2.8 would make me work for my photos, whereas my Nikon D800 with the legendary 20/2.8 D would do everything I want in a cinch. But gosh, the weight of that Nikon kit...

Anyway, lots to enjoy and think about in all these posts. Good advice abounds.
 
pggunn said:
I love the Canon G series. I've owned a few of them and currently have a G16 that I got from KEH earlier this year for around $300. I've used a few of the earlier models as well. They are well-designed and beautifully made. The G16 is small but not too small - fits in the palm of my hand, but the controls are not too small or fiddly. It has front and rear control dials, an ISO button, exposure compensation dial, a quick menu button, custom settings - in other words, the important settings are easily accessible without diving deep into menus. (I set mine to step zoom, set it to the 35mm focal length (35mm equivalent), looked up the hyperfocal distance online - about 5 feet I think - and measured that off, manually focused at that distance, and saved those settings as a custom setting for street shooting.)
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I've had many Canon compacts including the G7, G10 and S90, and I deeply enjoyed the versatility and convenience of their zoom ranges in a fairly compact camera. I shot a LOT of photos in China with the G7, and lots of a three month road trip with the G10. But they are over 15 years old, and tech has come quite a way. The current equivalents are the Canon G5X/G7X models, the Sony RX100 VI/VII cameras, and the Panasonic TZ200, all with one inch sensors. Looking back, I would have killed to have a camera like the Panasonic TZ200 or Sony RX100 VI back in 2007. The image quality and video improvements are huge. As it is, I have a Panasonic LX10 and Sony RX0, which meet my one inch sensor needs, haha.
pggunn said:
I also have a Panasonic LX7 and though it's a bit smaller and has a faster lens, I don't like it as much as the Canon G16, though that might be a bit unfair because the the LX7 was released a year before the G16 - but I liked the G15 better too, a contemporary of the LX7, which has the same lens as the G16. The Canons have a VF, the Panasonic does not. The Canons feel better in the hand, like a real camera, great ergonomics, and I like the images they make better. More film like to my eyes.
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The trick with the LX7 is to get the EVF - it is truly a wonder. It has a mechanical lock so that it stays in place, and it can be tilted, so you can get images from different angles. I'm not sure if the G16 shoots raw, but the LX7 does, and with some careful processing, has dynamic range similar to the Canon 30D that I also own. The LX7's grip is much improved with a half case from Gariz, although they probably don't make them these days.
 
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