Premium Compact

[Jethro Sang]

Does anyone have premium compact, i.e. those fixed lens, like Coolpix A, GR or even the Sigma's DP? Does it complement your DSLR? Or perhaps it would act as "family-camera", or even as the main camera?

Bottom line is, how would you use such type of camera? How does it fit into your shooting routine, so to speak?

[tommiejeep]

Hello again Jetty  , I've been looking at a small camera.  The question has been asked on many DSLR forums.   I have sort of narrowed it down to the Sony RX100 (II or III), Pany LX100, Fuji X20/X30.  Neither Panasonic or Fuji are well supported in India.   I was surprised at how many use a Smartphone as their 'small' camera.    Quite a few on Nikon Forums use the Nikon 1 cameras and my wife really wants the AW 1 (but she is a diver and currently has the AW120) .

 I really would like to try a Fuji X100T but when I take the grip off the EM1 and mount the 17 1.8, I already have a similar package.   Neither are really pocket cameras.  Let us see what others are using and recommend
ps most of the high end small cameras are not cheap .  The X100T would cost me the same as my D750 !
Edit: I am sort of hampered by my wife's need of connectivity.  She is doing very well in her fledgling photo business using her EM1 and Samsung Note Edge on the various social media sites (for clients) .  The little AW120 works but not as seamlessly as the Olympus implementation. She has made enough to buy a new Epson L1800(ink tank) printer so A3 is the largest she will print and Oly 60 2.8 Macro for product photography.
Cheers,
Tom

[Frank Fremerey]

Very interesting question. My X100T fulfils  two wishes. The first was to serve as a silent camera. The second was to serve as a small camera with a much better performance than my Galaxy Note 2.

As I do not zoom I was searching for a fixed focal length setup. Plus I wanted a usable Optical View Finder solution. Current Electronic View Finders do make me feel detached from the scene.

So I first bought the 1.4/23 plus the Xpro1. But this lens obstructs the view finder so much that it renders it unusable for my taste. I sent it back.

Then I went into a shop and tried the X100T. I felt I could not live without it anymore. I bought it a short while after.

Another Pro for this cam is that it is not a system cam, so the deceptive power of gear acquisition syndrom cannot hook.

I use the cam alongside my D3 and D600. In good light the performance is about the same as the D3. In bad light the D600 is much superior. PJ work in bright to medium light is very easily done with the X100T.

I am still in a learning phase with processing and settings. The Sensor is not bayer and the files behave very differently from Bayer Pattern Cameras.

[Frank Fremerey]

The X100T was 1200 in January. Plus some extras like protective filter and hood and fast SD card and some spare batteries the bill was 1400. All at a local physical dealer.

At the time the cheapest Ebay offer on the D750 was roughly 2000 Euros without any extra.

[tommiejeep]

Hi Frank, yup, I exaggerated but I paid just under $2000 for the D750 from Nikon India with 2 yr warranty  .  The X100T is not yet available here but the 100S is going for $1150 (best deal) .  I am very tempted to get an X20 just for the sensor and the hybrid VF, X30 is not available here yet.  I have a good friend , who goes through cameras at a fast pace, so he may sell me his X100T at a very good price.  He had another friend pick it up in the US.  He is a D800E and D4 shooter and is having headaches with the PP of the Fuji.
Cheers
Tom

[Jethro Sang]

Hmm, D750 is less than 2000usd in my country, but then our economy is still too weak (we earn 3 times less than US), so photography is not an affordable hobby here. So premium compact actually complement the shooting routine, instead of being standalone?

[Frank Fremerey]

@Jetty: When I was on a very tight budget I always bought used professional equipment from overseas, starting in the low Hundreds, working upwards till I could afford better equipment.

If you can live without a Viewfinder -- Display only that is -- and you are on a very tight budget -- and you want to get a maximum of performance for your money -- I can recommend one camera a friend of mine used to win several photographic competitions. A wonderful piece of hardware with superb Image Quality not only for the very low price:

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Camera-3-Inch/dp/B009B0MYSQ

[Frank Fremerey]

@Tom: I am having headaches with the PostProduction of the X100T files. But: I did some great jobs with the camera. As long as light levels are not too low I get results that would sometimes be difficult to achieve with any Nikon, especially when it comes to HDR out of cam. A church ceiling with a fine mural and direct sunlight through tainted glass windows in the same frame. Nearly now blow-outs in the JPEG and fully recoverable from the RAW. With any Nikon one would need: tripod, bracketing and HDR-RAW-Processing.

So the trouble is situational. A group shot in low light @ISO3200 and above? Better done with a D600.

[tommiejeep]

Jetty, earlier in your intro you mentioned that you were going to need a camera for a project.  What is the project? What type of images are you interested in taking and what are you going to do with them?    It might help to know.  If you really want a camera to explore photography you do not need the latest , greatest for that.  Here in India you can easily find 3 year old (and older) models, but new, at reasonable prices.  In many cases a three year old camera was cutting edge 3 years ago  .  I'm still shooting a D200, D300 and D300s.  We still have a D40x and D5100 that work great.  My son used his D5100 w/16-85vr for his last photography workshop.

Many on Gear Forums only talk about the new gear but since this is a Photography Forum (and there is mucho old gear discussed) so you are in the right place.  What kind of budget are you looking at ?  Photography has to be enjoyable so sticking within your budget helps.  Good used gear can really save some cash.  As an aside, gear used to be much cheaper where you are than in India and I used to look at Clubsnap for the best deals.  Now the Duty has dropped and I buy in India with the warranties.  Heck, I used to buy all of my gear from London, Ex-Vat 
Cheers,
Tom
Edit: sorry, really did not answer the second part of your Q.  I have not owned a point and shoot since film but my wife always carries the AW 120 along with her EM1 and when she heads for the Dive Boat or the Beach it is her only camera.  She has put a ton of images up on the Social media photo sharing sites but so far has only been printing with her little Epson 4 x 6 with battery pack.  Not many controls with the AW120  .  My son will use his GoPro Hero and the AW 120 in the same situations.  For me a small camera would be a constant companion and relegate the Df to most of the time companion 
 

[Sash]

Does anyone have premium compact, i.e. those fixed lens, like Coolpix A, GR or even the Sigma's DP? Does it complement your DSLR? Or perhaps it would act as "family-camera", or even as the main camera?

Bottom line is, how would you use such type of camera? How does it fit into your shooting routine, so to speak?

I have GR and depending on what you shoot and how you shoot it can be a backup or your main camera. I mostly shoot street, so it is one of my main cameras.
I would not put it into an amateur/beginner category. I would say it is a specialist camera. Its 18 mm lense is excellent, but not easy to shoot with. But if it suits your photography, and if you are shooting from a close distance, you will find it incredibly liberating, especially if you are used to bulky DSLRs.  It allows you to be more mobile, faster, be less threatening if you shoot strangers, let say, from a meter or so, and use more angles, low positions etc.  It is a completely different shooting technique compared to a DSLR.
And if you are carrying a handbag to your office, you can throw the camera in, and you will not notice if it is there or not. I often have to check if I have the camera with me. That is not quite possible with a DSLR isn't it? And the image quality is similar.

[Jethro Sang]

Tom, thanks for the reply. Well, my project is about flow visualisation, something like PIV, used with laser. However, I was trying to explore alternative if UV or even IR will work for the project. As for the premium compact, it is for my travelling, I reckon, going to backpack to South-east Asia, wouldn't want something to break my back. Currently, I can get hold of a Coolpix A at about 500 usd, so was wondering if it would be worth the money.
For the project, I really have no slightest idea on the wavelength that will be used in the experiment, but able to capture video is a must (no Df... makes me sad).

[Frank Fremerey]

Why does the Company or University you do the project for not provide you with the necessary means? If you are in laser technology it is sometimes possible to visualize the beams with smoke or fluorescent smoke if you are out of the visible range.

[Jethro Sang]

Well, even if it is a public university, I am still in a developing country, with questionable politics. So, leaving that aside, all of the laboratory equipments are never in good maintenance, even if we could afford to get 'em. So, my project is kinda trying to bring it to a more affordable scale.

[Gary]

I use a Fuji X100S (predecessor to the X100T that Frank uses.) If I am shooting a scheduled photo opp/assignment I take my interchangeable lens cameras (Fuji XT1 or XP1). Otherwise, for daily activities, I grab the X100S on my way out the door. I use Aperture and I don't have a problem with processing RAW files. But I am not as discriminating as Frank. I find the fixed lens of the X100 series to be quite liberating and elevating my imagination. I've used the camera for travel, but usually my travel has a photographic element for which I prefer the flexibility of multiple lenses.

Plus ... the X100 series is an exceptionally good looking camera. (Yes, I am that shallow that I would have purchased the camera based on looks alone. Fortunately, it takes a hell of a good picture)   

[Jakov Minić]

Hi Jetty,

I don't have a compact camera, or a single lens camera, but I do have a Nikon AW1 that serves me as a compact single lens camera
It is my main family camera for when I am with my kids on the beach or at a playground or anywhere where it can end up in dirt. It's robust, waterproof, takes videos, and I have yet to find a flaw with the image quality.
For what it brings me I find it a very cheap option for loads of fun.

Hope it helps,
Jakov