Smallest/lightest setup with fast 50mm (equiv)?

[analogpics]

Hey friends, i've been taking long walks daily for the past few weeks and always come across some very stylish people in my neighborhood. I don't want to become the sartorialist or anything, but wanted something light and small enough that i could carry it everyday for quick street portraits. Still something that will give shallow DOF. Right now i have the fuji xe3 with the 35 1.4 lens, but just wanted to throw it out there to see if theres something even smaller/lighter...almost like my folding kodak retina iiic with the 50mm f2, except autofocus and digital lol. Thank you!

 

[aizan]

Congratulations, the answer is "no"!

You've got the best outfit already. Maybe get the 33mm f/1.0 once it comes out?

 

[splitimageview]

I agree it’s hard to beat the X-E3...

 

[gavinlg]

M9 with a 50mm Sonnar c f1.5 zeiss. That would be probably the only setup that would be marginally smaller. Would be heavier though. And manual focus.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

M9 is both wider and taller.

If you want something smaller with a beautiful lens, the X100F with the 23mm f2 takes some beating. Having a fixed lens 23mm f2 makes it ultra compact. The 35mm f1.4 is a lot bigger even on the X-E3. You lose lens interchangeability, but it doesn't sound like that's your thing. I have the 27mm pancake f2.8 and that is tiny - I think it gives a shallow enough depth of field, but your mileage may vary.

 

[kshapero]

I've tried all of the above. Maybe a bit larger but the Leica M 262 with the above mentioned Zeiss C Sonnar 50/1.5 takes the cake for me.

 

[Solinar]

jJust wanted to throw it out there to see if theres something even smaller/lighter...almost like my folding kodak retina iiic with the 50mm f2, except autofocus and digital lol. Thank you!

I can't help you very much weight wise - but the earlier Kodak Retina II and the wonderful IIa are definitely less bulky than Retina IIIc. My older than dirt Leica II mated to a collapsible Summicron is also more svelte than any of the Retina III series.

 

[kuuan]

I am a fan of the, by now old, Sony NEX5 line ( those which take the optional EVF, the 5N/5R/5T ) and a main reason is it's compactness.
However I don't know which fast 35mm AF lens would be small, most made by Sony are relatively bulky.
If it was a manual lens, my NEX5N with a Canon LTM f1.8/35mm or f2/35mm is very small


Canon LTM f1.8/35mm on Sony NEX5n by andreas, on Flickr

 

[jsrockit]

M9 with a 50mm Sonnar c f1.5 zeiss. That would be probably the only setup that would be marginally smaller. Would be heavier though. And manual focus.

Can`t see how that is smaller...and then that horrible focus shift of the Sonnar? OP, stick with what you have. It really is the best option. I use the 35mm F2 for even more compactness.

 

[KismetSky]

Panasonic GM1 with 20mm 1.7 or 25mm 1.4 is pretty small. Your current kit is better for IQ and shallow DOF though.

The absolute smallest aps-c that's completely unusable? Sony's QX1

 

[Rob-F]

Actually, the smallest and lightest digital with a fast 50mm equivalent, that I know of, is my Leica/Panasonic D-Lux 6. it is a zoom with f/1.4.

 

[shawn]

Pentax Q with the 01 Prime lens is a 47mm equivalent. The lens if f1.9.

Attached is a Q-S1 (bigger sensor) along with the 01 prime, the 23-70 equivalent zoom and the 70-209mm equivalent f2.8 zoom along with a M240 for comparison.

Be sure to check out the flickr group before dismissing it....

https://www.flickr.com/groups/pentax-q/pool/

Shawn

 

[Steve M.]

Continuing with the Retina theme, the Ia is the smallest and lightest "real" 35mm camera you can find, and even the bottom end 50 3.5 Xenar blows away most anything made today w/ it's excellent image quality. I know, I bought one after researching these things until my eyeballs nearly fell out. My !a is the perfect camera to carry around because it's so small and light. Zone focus, but that's quicker than a RF patch once you get good at it.

Retina Ia w/ 50 Ektar lens

Your phone is also a possibility. Mine loves contrasty light

A Konica C 35 gives you nearly everything you want including AE w/ AE lock, but they don't hold up long due to cheap construction. Excellent lenses.

 

[Godfrey]

My choice would be my Leica CL + Summilux 35mm f/1.4 (v2 circa 1972): Not only small and light, but some of the most beautiful rendering qualities ever.

Or, switch the lens to my Pentax-L 43mm f/1.9 Special on the same camera ... Another stunning performer with a little more reach, and a more modern rendering style.

Leica CL + Pentax-L 43mm f/1.9 Limited
ISO 1000 @ f/2.8 @ 1/60​

G

 

[analogpics]

Wow thanks for all the great suggestions guys! So just a bit more background, i have been toting my tiny ricoh gr ii basically everyday for the past several weeks...but to be honest i'm not much of a 28mm guy...my sweet spot is 35-50 and for portraits 50 is my go to. I did previously own an older x100 series camera which was amazing (still considering an x100f despite already having an xe3), though i won't necessarily get the shallow DOF i'm looking for.
I currently do have a leica m9 with the collapsible 50mm summicron which is what i was contemplating toting instead....though it is a bit on the heavier side. I previously also had a sony a6000 with the 35mm lens but for whatever reason, i can't get the "look" i want from sony sensors no matter how much i tweak them (have the a7riii currently).
Also considered a canon m50 with the 32mm 1.4...i actually have better luck with canon raw files over fuji, though i do prefer fuji for bw.
Forgot to add, i have contemplated the leica CL! I always love the files i get from my m9 and testing out the m10.
I have also looked at the adorable pentax Q for its diminutive size though because of the smaller sensor, don't know if i'd be able to get very shallow DOF...but if i find one cheap enough, i may still snag it just for fun 😉
Panasonic GM1 was another one i looked into, i haven't tried any m43 bodies yet, but i know they do make some really super fast lenses for them so it's another option...

 

[jbielikowski]

7artisans 35/1.2 is a wonderful, cheap and small lens, I've used it on X-T1 as my only lens, sold the kit some time ago but I still have the NDx8 filter for it.

 

[analogpics]

7artisans 35/1.2 is a wonderful, cheap and small lens, I've used it on X-T1 as my only lens, sold the kit some time ago but I still have the NDx8 filter for it.

Wow, i totally forgot about this lens 🙂 May be a good idea to look into it, and its for both fuji and canon so...win either way 🙂 thanks!

 

[shawn]

I have also looked at the adorable pentax Q for its diminutive size though because of the smaller sensor, don't know if i'd be able to get very shallow DOF...but if i find one cheap enough, i may still snag it just for fun 😉

The Q is crazy fun. The dial on the front can be set for a bunch of different looks to quickly swap between them. And if you play to its strength it is quite capable. Awesome for telephoto or macro. You won't get very limited DOF with the 01 prime (unless you are close up) but if you can retrain your brain for telephoto is is easy to limit DOF. C mount lenses work well on it, are tiny, have IBIS, and there are many fast ones available for little money. I think this is with a C mount 50mm lens.

Shawn

 

[Godfrey]

Wow thanks for all the great suggestions guys! So just a bit more background, i have been toting my tiny ricoh gr ii basically everyday for the past several weeks...but to be honest i'm not much of a 28mm guy...my sweet spot is 35-50 and for portraits 50 is my go to. I did previously own an older x100 series camera which was amazing (still considering an x100f despite already having an xe3), though i won't necessarily get the shallow DOF i'm looking for.
I currently do have a leica m9 with the collapsible 50mm summicron which is what i was contemplating toting instead....though it is a bit on the heavier side. I previously also had a sony a6000 with the 35mm lens but for whatever reason, i can't get the "look" i want from sony sensors no matter how much i tweak them (have the a7riii currently).
Also considered a canon m50 with the 32mm 1.4...i actually have better luck with canon raw files over fuji, though i do prefer fuji for bw.
Forgot to add, i have contemplated the leica CL! I always love the files i get from my m9 and testing out the m10.
I have also looked at the adorable pentax Q for its diminutive size though because of the smaller sensor, don't know if i'd be able to get very shallow DOF...but if i find one cheap enough, i may still snag it just for fun 😉
Panasonic GM1 was another one i looked into, i haven't tried any m43 bodies yet, but i know they do make some really super fast lenses for them so it's another option...

For best control of depth of field on FourThirds format, you need the very fast lenses. The Voigtländer f/0.95 series is great for this, but they are all manual focus, if that matters to you, and are somewhat bulky. I shot with FourThirds (first the SLRs, then the micro EVF cameras) for years and got many many excellent photographs with them. Still have a couple of bodies and lenses... 🙂

However, I've come to really like APS-C and FF formats more ... more DoF control with slower lenses. The Leica CL sensor is outstanding: only about 1 stop shy of the FF Leica SL/M10 sensors in terms of noise, very malleable and easy to process raw files, etc, and with APS-C you can get good focus zone control even with a small/light 28mm f/2.8 lens. The Leitz Summicron-C 40mm f/2 from the original film Leica CL camera would be another outstanding choice on this camera for your stated interests, and it's a teensy little lens (also fairly inexpensive).

G

 

[Archlich]

I've got a friend who uses the Nikon 1 J5 and 18.5/1.8 (50mm equivalent) to great results. Small and very responsive.