So, here’s the question. Is the smaller size of the rangefinder with wide-angle lenses a significant advantage to you? For those who think a smaller camera attracts less attention shooting in public areas - It’s your behavior, mannerisms and shooting technique much more than camera size that attracts or doesn’t attract attention - at least that’s my opinion. But always having a camera with you. It’s wonderful to have a camera you can wear under a jacket or carry in large pocket or a tiny belt pouch. The full frame mirrorless combinations like the one we are discussing are too big for that. I carry mine in a little bag along with the wallet, cell phone, face masks e.t.c.. But I also notice that when I’m out with friends, I’m the only person with the impediment of a “man purse.” Your thoughts,,, And perhaps any solutions to the problem of the little bit bigger cameras and man purses.
Short answer: embrace the bag and stop caring about how it appears to others.
Long answer:
I don't know about where you live, but in Melbourne, many men carry bags. It's just the way it goes. Everyone from the scrawny hipster with a leather satchel, to the Lebanese bodybuilder in a Versace tracksuit and Gucci bum bag, everyone has one, and no one bats an eyelid. I know some guys who have a small backpack that goes everywhere with them, which carries their iPad, extra jacket, umbrella or whatever.
As someone who prefers smaller cameras for everyday carry, I go out with a few. The Sony RX0 is the size of a DSLR battery and is always in my pocket, replacing the Ricoh GR cameras I had used for years before. The secondary camera is often my Panasonic LX10, which has the advantages of f1.4 at the wide end and up to a 72mm equivalent zoom. Depending on what I'm wearing and how I feel, the LX10 goes in my shoulder bag or a belt pouch.
And finally, the main photo camera for walking around is either my M9, Panasonic S5 with a smallish lens, or Panasonic GX85, which is a rangefinder style m43 camera. Sometimes I take out my Panasonic G9, but with the Olympus 12mm f2, a very small wide angle lens.
Around 2004, I bought a small shoulder bag and never looked back. I don't know how I did without one, even if I was wearing a jacket with a lot of pockets. The sheer convenience of a shoulder bag cannot be underestimated. That purchase lead to a fairly comprehensive bag collection which included some mistakes, like a beautiful leather satchel I never use as it is too heavy, a Billingham Hadley Pro I hardly use because flap-bags annoy me no end, and a sling bag / bum bag which is too soft to comfortably hold anything as chunky as a pocket camera.
I prefer bags with a bit of structure so they hold a camera, but not so rigid that they stick out from me. Currently, my favourite bags are:
- bellroy sling - it's very flat and compact, but can expand to accommodate a small drink bottle if necessary
- Crumpler Dry Red boarding bag - this has sadly been discontinued, and I should have bought another before it disappeared. It's big enough to hold a M9 with Distagon 35, a couple more lenses, and a second body like the GX85. The bottom isn't padded, so I've used a strip of Billingham foam to make an inside base.
- Alpaka Bravo X Sling - the shape makes it fit to the body, and easily holds a M body with flat lens like the Elmarit 28 or Color Skopar 21, 25 or 35 along with all the bits and pieces like cellphone, wallet, keys, masks, sanitizer
- Crumpler LLA Waist Bag - although the material is very soft, it's lightly padded, and works well for smaller cameras like the Panasonic GX85, or M9 with a small lens in a pinch. Being very light, it acts like a giant pocket that can hold whatever you don't want in your hand.
