Will we ever see luxury digital compacts?

Perhaps to collectors. I'm not seeing a lack of luxury cameras, just luxury camera manufacturers. Sorry, but Fuji, Nikon, and Sony just don't count in the luxury market no matter how they skin them. Leica probably is selling a good many of its fixed lens cameras to well-heeled snapshooters.
 
As much as cameras like the RX100, Ricoh GR, Fuji X100 et al can be considered today's versions of the luxury compacts of yesterday, I don't believe them to be in the same ballpark of build quality as cameras like the T3, TC-1, or 35Ti.

Titanium isn't necessarily the defining factor of quality, but unless there's a compact version of the Leica T with its carved aluminium unibody, there aren't many other ways to build a camera that has a balance of 'luxe', tightness and robustness.

Owning many cameras of the premium compact variety has shown me the downsides of various design issues. Retracting lenses lead to dust ingress, and are subject to mechanical failure. Rubber grips peel, LCD's scratch, buttons of otherwise nice looking cameras can feel cheap and plasticky.

@Larry Cloetta read my intentions well. It's not just about a camera being small and having excellent image quality and features, it's whether the camera has been finely engineered and excellently made. Technology being what it is, I could shoot with a camera of Sony RX1 quality for years and years, but would it physically withstand that time? Is it also a thing of well crafted beauty that I can fondle between shots, haha.

The Leica T with a single lens comes close. The Leica Q also comes close but is not pocketable. Having used a Sony RX100 for a bit, I can't say that I feel it is in the same class of build.
 
Archiver said:
As much as cameras like the RX100, Ricoh GR, Fuji X100 et al can be considered today's versions of the luxury compacts of yesterday, I don't believe them to be in the same ballpark of build quality as cameras like the T3, TC-1, or 35Ti.
Click to expand...

Can't speak to those film cameras but I do have the Contax T as well as the Coolpix A, x100T and RX100 III. I'd say the x100t and Coolpix A feel better built than the Contax, RX100 doesn't have the same feel to it.

Shawn
 
I would like a phone in my camera. Or I will use my NEW flip phone. A smart phone is not a proper camera no matter what. Neither is one of these zombie cameras.
 
I don't know if this counts as a "luxury" digital compact but a friend bought an Olympus Tough TG-4 which has a lot of features, including wifi for a smartphone app, GPS, rugged build, and other features. $380 with optional lenses and underwater housing available.
 
Hasselblad gave it a try with their rebranded sony's. I have a Stellar that I bought at very reduced prices. It is a very well built camera and Hasselblad engineers did some tweaking. It's four versions behind and there will not be another. Furthermore, after a lot of callng Hasselblad, I found that that Hassy engineers altered the firmware such that it cannot be upgraded through Sony. In essence it is not a Sony. the term rebranding was a misnomer.
 
hap said:
Hasselblad gave it a try with their rebranded sony's. I have a Stellar that I bought at very reduced prices. It is a very well built camera and Hasselblad engineers did some tweaking. It's four versions behind and there will not be another. Furthermore, after a lot of callng Hasselblad, I found that that Hassy engineers altered the firmware such that it cannot be upgraded through Sony. In essence it is not a Sony. the term rebranding was a misnomer.
Click to expand...

That's very interesting, I didn't know about the firmware and other tweaks.

If Leica revamped their X2 with better quality dials and buttons, maybe redesigned it with a carved unibody, that could be cool. It would cost a lot more, but would still be cool. The problem is that it would still be about two or three years behind everyone else in tech, haha.
 
There's only one real one:
472343.jpg


😉

I don't think the Fujis are "luxury", though well done. The Q is the size the M should be.

RX1 has numerous issues, and is not so nice to hold, but nothing compares for size and power. 🙂

And since few of us can afford it, at 3900USD, I'd say this is a luxury item LOL.

I'm learning one now so I can help it's owner...

DSC00017 by unoh7, on Flickr

A simple M body variant with EVF, but small as possible, would fit the bill nicely and be quite useful.

This sort of thing:

DSC00817 by unoh7, on Flickr
 
Rx1R2 at F/8


DSC00306 by unoh7, on Flickr

at f/4:

DSC00121 by unoh7, on Flickr

at f2:

DSC00311 by unoh7, on Flickr

The fulls for these are on flickr.

If the camera could be zone focused and the lens had a focus tab and nice throw...well it would be really something. But it resets focus each time you shut down. AF is maybe OK if you really learn it and switch the modes around all the time to get good hits.

Image quality is....well if you get the shot right I have never seen anything sharper at the 35mm FL. Uncompressed RAWs are far ahead of any Sony file I have seen to date.

Maybe the competition will take heed of the thing, because with some simple design improvements, this would be in many more bags.
 
Does the Leica T or TL qualify as luxury digital compact? metal body, small (if used with the native 23F2) and high quality photos (I assume, I haven't one) ?
robert
PS: opps, I was forgetting: luxury price!
 
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