Smallest Pocket Nikon SLR with Lens?

dave lackey

dave lackey

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Yesterday, at the local camera shop, I was playing around with the OM10 bodies in the cabinet. Quite small!

Then, it occurred to me that there must be a perfectly good small Nikon SLR with a pancake lens or something that would slip in and out of one's pocket. Would it be the FM/FE/FE2/EM/FG? What lens?:)
 
I am not a Nikon user myself, but I reckon the E series 50/1.8 might be one of the smaller (rather: shortest) Nikon lenses there is, measuring only 33mm.
Of the camera bodies you mentioned the EM is the smallest.

About the same size as an OM-1/2 with a 50/1.8. But then again there is the even smaller OM 40/2.0 pancake though. ;)
 
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I have a couple of Pentax MX. I don't have the 40mm Pentax lens but I do have the Voigtlander Series II 40mm - recently discontinued in Pentax K mount. I've never pocketed the MX but the combo of MX and one of the thinner lenses is quite convenient to carry!
 
FG is the same size as the FG20 but it has the indispensable otf flash exposure control. My FG works better with flash than any other Nikon I have ever used, including the F5, D2x and N80, all of which are superb. The FG also has P mode, which a lot of people sneer at, but I secretly keep mine on P. It's barely bigger than my OM1n, in fact, I use the lower part of an OM never-ready as a half case for my FG because otherwise, it's too small to hold right with my ham-sized hands.

Here is a picture of an FG and OM1 side by side.
 
If it matters, all EMs are black, almost all FG-20s are chrome and FGs come both ways.

The EM will always beep at you to warn of low shutter speeds. The FG and FG-20 let you turn off the beep, but not the EM.

All accept AI/AIS lenses only, which I think rules out the classic 45GN Nikkor pancake unless you find an AI'd one. That lens also focuses backward from all other Nikkors (due to the aperture coupling), which can throw you off in fast shooting situations, e.g. street photography, unless you prefocus.

The 35/2.5 Series E is quite small. Had one for years and thought it was swell.
 
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I just found a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 Series E lens at a thrift store and it is tiny.. can't imagine a smaller lens.
 
I think the EM wins with the FG series a close second.

Lens-wise I think the 45 GN takes it but it's millimeters different from the Series E 50 (there's a sight out there that lists all the specs).

Interesting question. I never realised how small the EM was or perhaps how big the OM series was.

B2
 
BillBingham2 said:
I think the EM wins with the FG series a close second.

Lens-wise I think the 45 GN takes it but it's millimeters different from the Series E 50 (there's a sight out there that lists all the specs).
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The D3100 is a bit higher, but narrower. The body looks fatter because of the grip, but with a lens the overall package is about the same depth. For the lens I'd suggest CV (SLII) lenses, an Ultron 40/f2 or a Skopar 20/f3.5 depending on your focal length preference.
 
The Nikon E 50mm 1.8 lens is very small, almost a pancake lens and its a pretty good lens too. Together with the EM its a joy to use and handle, and simple in operation. I still don't think its particularly pocketable (big pockets?). The EM body looks small but is not smaller than many other cameras such as Olympus OM-10, OM-2n, Pentax ME, MX. Below is a comparison with the OM-2n. Bear in mind the OM is fitted with the 50mm f1.4 which is a little larger than the f1.8. The OM-2n is heavier which probably says something about its construction compared with EM. I would like to get the Zuiko 40mm f2 pancake, its a beauty of a lens and would make for a really compact combination but the price it goes for frightens me.

I use the OM more than the EM because the Zuiko glass is a class act.


nik_oly.jpg
 
ChrisPlatt said:
There is none, unless you wear "cargo pants".

Chris
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That was my thought too as I have never had a camera that could slip into my pants pocket and be carried comfortably, the exception being my cell phone.

Bob
 
Nikon Bob said:
That was my thought too as I have never had a camera that could slip into my pants pocket and be carried comfortably, the exception being my cell phone.

Bob
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I used to be able to fit an M3 with 50mm Elmar comfortably into my back pocket with the lens collapsed; that was, of course, before my arse got quite so fat.
 
Nikon Bob said:
That was my thought too as I have never had a camera that could slip into my pants pocket and be carried comfortably, the exception being my cell phone.

Bob
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Well, my reference to pocket was not jeans or dress pants. Cargo pants are great when working on location. So are baggy shorts in our tropical weather here. Actually, if a small Nikon w/ lens will fit in my cargo pants, they could also fit:

1. Jacket/coat pocket
2. Blazer pocket
3. Detachable belt pocket/fanny pack
4. Small pocket within a shoulder bag

So, what I am thinking about is the smallest FILM Nikon SLR (not pos, not digital), that would fit in the smallest space.:D

Sounds like the EM/FM/FG with 1.8 E lens or pancake?
 
I agree with Chris -- SLRs aren't pocketable with two exceptions: the Minolta 110 SLR, series II and the Pentax 110 SLR.

For jacket pockets, the MX and ME with the 40mm pancake qualify.
 
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Fg-20

Fg-20

I used to wonder why the EM comes up so often (and favorably), and not the FG-20. I think the main reason is that the FG-20 was only produced for one year, and not as widely known. If you compare the specs, it becomes obvious pretty soon that especially in today's market it does not make an awful lot of sense for someone somewhat knowledgeable about photography to choose an EM over an FG-20 (let alone FG): the EM has no shutter speed dial, and the beep at speeds below 1/30th cannot be turned off! If you want to exercise finer control about the exposure, you need to fiddle with the ISO-Setting.

The FG-20 (and with even better specs the FG) is in effect (spec-wise) a more lightly built Nikon FE (without stop-down lever), and quite capable.
 
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