Recommend a camera for informal portraits?

[Colman]

I'm afraid that I just can't make sense of the trade-offs involved here so I'm hoping to narrow down the options through recommendations - here are my constraints:

* I'm looking to replace my R3A and 75/2.5 with a digital camera. Obviously, I'd like an M9 (and while I'm dreaming, one of those nice Leica 75mm!) but I can't afford one. I need digital because I simply don't have time to do the development-scan cycle any more - second kid is on the way!

* I don't want to go SLR or big camera. I like working with smaller cameras and I don't want to carry the big stuff - I already have a D200 which gets used with big zooms for horse and animal stuff. I'm looking for something much smaller, but at about the 75mm effective focal length and preferably manual focus with aperture priority. I just like working that way.

* Hotshoe would be nice.

* I'm quite happy working with separate OVF and focusing mechanisms.

* I'd like to spend as little as practicable since I need to save for that M9!

I'd be grateful for Anything that simplifies my decision process here.

 

[rxmd]

75mm-equivalent seems like a bit of a tougher choice, no fixed-lens cameras in that range. Does it have to be an interchangeable lens camera? Otherwise a good digital compact would sound like an option. If you have Nikon flash equipment already, the P7000 seems like an obvious recommendation. It has an OVF, even though there is no external focusing mechanism.

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras (M43, NEX etc.) have few OVF choices, so you'd have to focus on an LCD. With a NEX you could use your existing 50mm lenses, with an M43 your existing 35mm lenses. A lot of people seem not to mind focusing on a zoomed LCD in live view, but I could never really get warm with it, in particular for "moving targets". There are electronic viewfinders for the Olympuses, and some Panasonics have them built in (in that group, the Lumix G2 would be a choice).

Any digital rangefinder solution seems out of the question if you want to take saving for that M9 seriously.

I would consider that SLR again. 50mm-effective focal length sound easy to do with an 1.5x crop camera, just strap a 50 in front of a small body. Seeing that you already have Nikon equipment, if you have a 50 already, a used D40/D40x or a D3100 might be an option; they're pretty small as SLRs go, not much larger than the Bessa.

 

[mfogiel]

I used to carry around a D40 with the 45P Nikkor - this gives close to 75mm FOV, and the combination was quite compact.

 

[rover]

I agree, entry level DSLR is what I would look for. Just a better all around choice. Not as small, but to me the mirrorless cameras are too large in that any size difference compared to a small DSLR is negligible.

 

[Frank Petronio]

It's a big gap in most manufacturer's line-ups. I suppose the challenge of auto-focusing a long, shallow depth-of-field lens on the cheap is hard to do.

A small APS-sensor body DSLR with a 50mm lens is probably the best solution for now.

The sleeper that I use is a Panasonic G1 with a LTM-adapter and inexpensive Russian 50/2 screw-mount lens. I see used G1s selling for only $200 nowadays, it was "Camera of the Year" two years ago... they have a great electronic viewfinder and are good to ISO 800. The Jupiter lens and adapter was only $40. It's as small as you can go in that form and manually focusing with a G2 isn't that hard.

(Panasonic makes a great 14 and 20mm prime for the G-series yet they have nothing in the fast portrait category -- stupidity on their part imho. Olympus and Sony haven't done any better. Nikon is rumored to be introducing a mirrorless system soon, perhaps they will do better? As it stands now I will probably just keep the G1 system around since it is so cheap!)

 

[kshapero]

I use a NEX 3 for these purposes with an old Jupiter 50/2 to get to 75mm. This is small, inexpensive and gives fine results. Working off the LCD is so so easy and effective,

 

[gekopaca]

M43 cameras is a good choice - with the G1 you will have a very cheap (≈250$ second hand on the bay) and compact camera with a great EVF and focusing help.
Then, Have you got a fast 35mm? on M43 it becomes a 75mm ;-)
I use a Voigtlander 35mm f1.4; if it's too expensive you could find a fast C-mount 50 mm on the bay - currently I use a 120$ SOM Berthiot 50mm f2 and a 80$ Concord Television f1.4.
Here's the two lenses on my GH1 + portrait samples :

Som Berthiot lens

SOM Berthiot sample

Concord Lens

Concord Lens

Luckily with M43 cameras you can use all the lens brands you want, and fortunately there's a lot of cheap and fast 35mm : Canon FD, Minolta…

Hope it will help…

 

[richardhkirkando]

My first thought would be a GF1/E-P2 with EVF and a CV 40/1.4. Then you can also use the lens on your R3A, if you choose to keep that. If you don't think you need the EVF, used E-P1 bodies are really cheap now.

 

[Ronny]

Panasonic GF1.

 

[Colman]

I have both a CV40/1.4 and a Hexanon 50/2, so I'm happy with either a 2x or 1.5x crop factor.

 

[splitimageview]

G1 viewfinder blows the GF1 viewfinder out of the water and is a lot cheaper; the separate viewfinder (used) is maybe 1/2 the cost of the entire G1 camera.

That said, the NEX even without a viewfinder is excellent for portraits even with the kit lens.

 

[uhoh7]

A nex and any 50-55 prime is good for portraits.

super sharp: nikon 55 AIS micro
not too big and lovely: pentax-m 50 f/1.4

both can be had under 80usd.

But really informal, nex + serenar 50mm f/1.8 in ltm mount.
saw a really sweet one go for 150 yesterday.

no OVF can match the nex LCD (912k) + 7x &14x focus assist for manual focus.

plus you have live view, so DOF is visable.

 

[twinkls]

I have both a CV40/1.4 and a Hexanon 50/2, so I'm happy with either a 2x or 1.5x crop factor.

Not sure why but I can't focus my hexanon 50/2 beyond a meter or so on m4/3 camera (ep2) 🙁. No problem with other M lenses (Leica ones).