From dslr to compact

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Discussion

sc0tt

Original Poster:

18,041 posts

201 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
I'm going on an adventure and frankly carrying round my 450d with the multitude of lenses and batteries doesn't thrill me.

So what could you recommend for say £300 (as I think I might make that back on my gear) that is rugged. Might take a bit of a battering and has good battery life.

Obviously image quality is main priority.

I haven't owned a compact in years.

Thanks chaps

dugsud

1,125 posts

263 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
I'd take a Fujifilm X20 at that budget.

http://slrhut.co.uk/product/ID1418C4/google?mkwid=...


sc0tt

Original Poster:

18,041 posts

201 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
dugsud said:
I'd take a Fujifilm X20 at that budget.

http://slrhut.co.uk/product/ID1418C4/google?mkwid=...

Looks like a nice bit of kit.

How would the canon Eos M compare?

dugsud

1,125 posts

263 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
The Eos M has interchangeable lenses but do you want to get into carting extra lenses around given your reasons for buying this? Also the Fuji has a viewfinder which as an SLR user you may prefer.....I do.

BaronVonVTEC

397 posts

184 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
It's a fair bit more expensive, but I've got a Fuji X-Pro 1 that I use for travel stuff. It's very discreet, tough and takes some great images. The 35mm F1.4 lens is brilliant too, so might be worth checking eBay for a second hand one.

Mr Will

13,719 posts

206 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
dugsud said:
The Eos M has interchangeable lenses but do you want to get into carting extra lenses around given your reasons for buying this? Also the Fuji has a viewfinder which as an SLR user you may prefer.....I do.
The EOS M also has an SLR-sized sensor inside which will blow the Fuji out of the water - even if you never change the lens.

Personally I think the Fuji is very hard to justify compared to the Sony RX100 for a similar price or the various compact systems. If it was a chunk cheaper then it would have it's niche but as it stands you have to really love the styling to not be better off with something else.

DavidY

4,459 posts

284 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
For £300 or therabouts, I'd buy the EOS-M (on the £200 deal) and a Fuji XF-1 (on the Curry's £129 deal). The reasoning behind this, is that the XF-1 is completely pocketable, and you will be able to take it anywhere (and it's a decent little camera), the EOS-M would be useful when going more specifically sightseeing.

I'm a Fuji Fanboy but wouldn't take the X20 as my only camera given the choice of the above.

sc0tt

Original Poster:

18,041 posts

201 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
DavidY said:
For £300 or therabouts, I'd buy the EOS-M (on the £200 deal) and a Fuji XF-1 (on the Curry's £129 deal). The reasoning behind this, is that the XF-1 is completely pocketable, and you will be able to take it anywhere (and it's a decent little camera), the EOS-M would be useful when going more specifically sightseeing.

I'm a Fuji Fanboy but wouldn't take the X20 as my only camera given the choice of the above.
What £200 deal?

mrdemon

21,146 posts

265 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
use the iphone 5S ?

I tend to either use my iphone or the SLR now, never use the compact the 5S has a great camera, if I need more I use my 70D

DavidY

4,459 posts

284 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
sc0tt said:
DavidY said:
For £300 or therabouts, I'd buy the EOS-M (on the £200 deal) and a Fuji XF-1 (on the Curry's £129 deal). The reasoning behind this, is that the XF-1 is completely pocketable, and you will be able to take it anywhere (and it's a decent little camera), the EOS-M would be useful when going more specifically sightseeing.

I'm a Fuji Fanboy but wouldn't take the X20 as my only camera given the choice of the above.
What £200 deal?
Argos..if you can still get one...

sc0tt

Original Poster:

18,041 posts

201 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
DavidY said:
Argos..if you can still get one...
Yup in store. So this will take my lenses?

DavidY

4,459 posts

284 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
Not without an M mount to EF converter, and you'd have to question buying an EOS-M if you want to lug all your lenses on
holiday, you'd be better taking your existing camera!!!

rich888

2,610 posts

199 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
sc0tt said:
I'm going on an adventure and frankly carrying round my 450d with the multitude of lenses and batteries doesn't thrill me.

So what could you recommend for say £300 (as I think I might make that back on my gear) that is rugged. Might take a bit of a battering and has good battery life.

Obviously image quality is main priority.

I haven't owned a compact in years.

Thanks chaps
I would recommend a Sony RX100 because it's rated as one of the best compact digital cameras around. Whether you select MK1, Mk2 or MK3 is down to you, but all of them produce excellent quality results in a class of their own. And I'm a Canon enthusiast for nearly 40 years having owned many Canon cameras including a 35mm AE1 and a top dog A1.

There are quite a few threads on Pistonheads discussing the RX100 but one of the more relevant ones may be: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Bearing in mind that my previous digital camera failed after just under two years due to a well know lens error fault and can't be fixed (which I can't say on here), I've been looking at a replacement compact camera that produces fantastic results, and it would seem that the Sony RX100 prevails above all. Just read the reviews on the Amazon site to appreciate just how good it is: http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B008CNMZDW...

John Lewis are selling the RX100 at £349 which is very good value because that is what I paid for my Canon S100 two years ago and the RX100 has a full size sensor and seems to be extremely well built.

Am off down to JL tomorrow to buy a RX100 MK1 and test it out... Will let you know the outcome...

mrdemon

21,146 posts

265 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
rich888 said:
and the RX100 has a full size sensor and seems to be extremely well built.

...
it has a bigger sensor than a normal compact but it's not even APS size let alone full frame.

the "Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 " has a big sensor but is over £2k :-)

Canon G1x has a bigger sensor again than the RX100 but is a bigger camera and the new G7X is Canons new RX100 head to head, small size but bigger sensor like the RX100.

can the G7x knock the Rx100 off it's leading sector with a longer lens and faster autofocus ? I think it has :-)




Edited by mrdemon on Wednesday 1st October 12:40

StuH

2,557 posts

273 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
mrdemon said:
can the G7x knock the Rx100 off it's leading sector with a longer lens and faster autofocus ? I think it has :-)]
Reading the reviews it looks like a wins with added reach (handy) and touchscreen (a real miss on the Rx100) but images are a little softer than RX100, and no EVF which is the deal breaker for me. What I REALLY want from Canon is a new EOS M (APS-C) with EVF in a G7X/RX100 sized body......



bradders

884 posts

271 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
StuH said:
Reading the reviews it looks like a wins with added reach (handy) and touchscreen (a real miss on the Rx100) but images are a little softer than RX100, and no EVF which is the deal breaker for me. What I REALLY want from Canon is a new EOS M (APS-C) with EVF in a G7X/RX100 sized body......
What about the new Fuji X100T? That's an APS-C camera with an EVF/OVF combo. Fixed 23mm lens (35mm equiv). A little larger on form factor mind you.

StuH

2,557 posts

273 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
bradders said:
What about the new Fuji X100T? That's an APS-C camera with an EVF/OVF combo. Fixed 23mm lens (35mm equiv). A little larger on form factor mind you.
Looks great - it's just not pocketable - which is the great thing with the RX100. I already have other cmaeras if I'm going to carry something larger.

rich888

2,610 posts

199 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
mrdemon said:
rich888 said:
and the RX100 has a full size sensor and seems to be extremely well built.

...
it has a bigger sensor than a normal compact but it's not even APS size let alone full frame.

the "Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 " has a big sensor but is over £2k :-)

Canon G1x has a bigger sensor again than the RX100 but is a bigger camera and the new G7X is Canons new RX100 head to head, small size but bigger sensor like the RX100.

can the G7x knock the Rx100 off it's leading sector with a longer lens and faster autofocus ? I think it has :-)




Edited by mrdemon on Wednesday 1st October 12:40
Fair comment mrdemon, I meant the size of sensor compared to the sensor size in the compact camera range which is where the RX100 is regarded as one of the best because it has a 1" sensor.

Unfortunately the price of the new Canon G7X rules it out because even on Amazon UK it costs a whopping £579 which is well over the £300 budget the OP quoted and over £230 more than the price I paid in John Lewis for a RX100.

And finally the Canon has a shockingly poor battery life compared to the Sony and I can confirm that when I owned my S100 it used to eat batteries. Whenever I went out for a classic car show I always had to travel with two batteries and sometimes that wasn't enough!

Yes there are larger cameras out there with bigger sensors, but I don't know of any that are as pocketable as the RX100. If size wasn't an issue then the OP would simply lug his 450D around with a bag full of lenses and batteries on his adventure, which is something he plainly pointed out in his original post that he doesn't want to do.

Must admit, the Panasonic LF1 does look extremely good in terms of camera size and quality of images, and seems comparable to the more expensive Canon S120 with al the fluffy settings, but it's still nowhere near as good as the well proven and reliable RX100, and at the end of the day he might only get one chance to take the pic, so best take it with a camera that he hasn't left in the hotel room, and with a camera that produces excellent image results, and whose battery isn't flat.

And as an update, I'm a little bit biased because I purchased a RX100 today from John Lewis for £349 and took the opportunity to purchase the 3 year warranty (including accidental damage) which cost an additional £30, so am well happy. It's very compact. solidly built, menu options are clear, and it's extremely fast compared to the Canon S100 that it replaced.

Tomorrow I will be out and about taking a few pics smile

RyanOPlastry

753 posts

208 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
I'm a little surprised these days that people are happy not to have an optical viewfinder. I find that regardless of the display type on the back of a camera it can never be seen properly in all lighting conditions. Also the camera can be held more steadily when close to the face. I almost never use the rear display, much preferring the OVF on my Fuji Compact.

creampuff

6,511 posts

143 months

Thursday 2nd October 2014
quotequote all
Panasonic Lumix LX7:

- it is f/1.4 (to f/2.3 at full zoom)
- it is small
- the lens has very little distortion
- it is cheap

You will get people whining that it is only a 1/1.7" sensor but which a f/1.4 lens, who cares?

I got one for £190 in Hong Kong. It may cost 50% more in UK but will still be within your budget.