Please find me a friend...

I decided that I could not tolerate slow, and don't have the money for fast zooms. So, have went prime, limiting myself to a couple focal lengths. Also, durability with zooms (cheap) can be an issue. My daughter and I have had to trash 2 oly 14-42 lenses. The af began to lock up and camera gave an error message: lens not attached. We are both careful with our equipment, and don't use them heavy. The P20mm and OM50mm have been strong.
 
I agree about the P20mm (or any other fast prime) in addition to a slower zoom.
(This might of course defeat your purpose - but let's not make it too easy for you ;) )

Another thought I just had was about getting any of the older, viewfinder-less Olympus EP/EPM/EPL and add the external VF4 viewfinder to it. (it's excellent from what I gather - the same as in the EM1)
Probably not a solution for everyone - it can be fiddly and it adds quite a bit of bulk again. But it can be angled upwards - which some people appreciate a lot.
Just wanted to add this into the mix :)

(oh, and welcome back. I've been on and off a bit too. But I keep coming back, it's simply the nicest crowd here :) )
 
I'd probably not buy the LX100 again. When it works, it's nice enough. But mine just came back from the shop: it had some severe dust on the sensor. And I'm not alone there. Earlier it needed replacement of a broken lens motor, and it had faulty electronics causing battery drain. Somehow premium camera and fixed lens are spoiled for me...

That said, some of my nicest pictures are made with the LX100 since it is so versatile and still relatively small that I have it with me all the time. And its UI is so much fun. After the RX100, which I loathed to use, it restored my faith in smallish cameras.

My X100 is a Pen-F with 17 1.8. I just love that camera, and it's way cool that I can carry it (alone with 17 in a wrap, or with a nice set of primes (12/17/45/75) in a small Tenba BYOB 9) in almost any bag.

If you'd go for m43 (all I'm familiar with) I guess I'd go for the GX80 or the Pen, with that Panasonic pancake zoom and a nice fast lens (on my Pen, I much prefer the 17 1.8 over the 20). The Panasonic lens gets good results but the 17 just feels faster in every way and isn't too shabby.

When choosing between Pen-F and EM5 II the EM5 has a better EVF, but I find the Pen most fun to use. To my astonishment: the Pen made me a partial JPEG shooter. The dial up front lets me switch between B&W and Color with just a click and find the desired look in camera.

Have fun choosing something my friend!
 
Some nice examples right there Andrew. Thanks for sharing.

It's like you read my mind mate. I was looking at the GX85/GX80 (why must they make it confusing!) as suggested by @MoonMind and seems the most likely pairing to make the camera 'pocketable' is the 12-32mm. This combo beefs up the GX combo to proportions comparable to the LX100. The IQ doesn't seem too shabby, nor do the ergonomics. Admittedly the speed is an issue - having slowed down to f4.5 very fast, but you are spot-on - most landscape would be stopped down in order to get what you want in frame sharp. However, the lenses versatility starts to diminish somewhat when you need it for something other than landscapes on a fine day and the slow aperture starts restricting what you can do indoors. This really is testimony to the feat of engineering of compacts like the LX100. Granted we're not using the whole 4/3 sensor here but even taking equivalency into account the f1.8-2.8 across the 24-75 range for something of this size is astounding. The 12-32 comes close in size but in speed - oh my!

And whether we are talking Olympus or Panasonic, this is where the slope starts to become slippery. Body sizes seem very reasonable on spec, but then add the lens you desire - for me something like the 12 and 25 f1.8s - and all of a sudden things start to bloat. Not a complaint about their direction - these guys are coming closest to the vision of Oscar Barnack all those years ago - but more that you start looking for that compact camera, then you move to a compact camera and lens, then in minutes you arrive at a system.

BTW: I'm not much into video, so the differences of EM5 and PEN don't much come into play. The great decider if I went down the system route would be IQ, UI and that darn VF - with regards to the latter this I want the best I can.

You can always go primes, which the Oly ones are fast and small. The trouble comes in getting anything rectilinear wider than 12mm at a reasonable price(or there is the possibility of adapting and manual focusing a lens, which is a lot easier than it used to be with the focus peaking aids) in native m43 mount.

So, it sounds like to me you might be in for a kit something like

PEN-F
O12, O25 to start with. Gives you FOV of 24/50mm
Perhaps still get an O9-18/4-5.6 for those wider need times. I'd still consider the O40-150R as well.

Gives you both speed and versatility.
 
I decided that I could not tolerate slow, and don't have the money for fast zooms. So, have went prime, limiting myself to a couple focal lengths. Also, durability with zooms (cheap) can be an issue. My daughter and I have had to trash 2 oly 14-42 lenses. The af began to lock up and camera gave an error message: lens not attached. We are both careful with our equipment, and don't use them heavy. The P20mm and OM50mm have been strong.

yeah it's a list of trade-offs with a zoom lens. Speed being one. Funny how as I get older I am adding more weight to the convenience of a zoom though....though I'll not forget the frustrations of a zoom - both shooting and back home at the computer. Weird to think the old P20 is still getting so much love being that it is so old in camera tech terms.

I agree about the P20mm (or any other fast prime) in addition to a slower zoom.
(This might of course defeat your purpose - but let's not make it too easy for you ;) )

Another thought I just had was about getting any of the older, viewfinder-less Olympus EP/EPM/EPL and add the external VF4 viewfinder to it. (it's excellent from what I gather - the same as in the EM1)
Probably not a solution for everyone - it can be fiddly and it adds quite a bit of bulk again. But it can be angled upwards - which some people appreciate a lot.
Just wanted to add this into the mix :)

(oh, and welcome back. I've been on and off a bit too. But I keep coming back, it's simply the nicest crowd here :) )

Mate, thankfully, I've had the hoe-shoe finder in the past with my EP-5. Such a great idea, but then I found it so frustrating in use. It adds bulk and it's position bang in the middle of the camera can be somewhat of a pain and cramped up the back of the Oly while shooting. I do prefer the VF offset to the left so I can have my right hand unencumbered to make what changes I'd like on the fly.

I'd probably not buy the LX100 again. When it works, it's nice enough. But mine just came back from the shop: it had some severe dust on the sensor. And I'm not alone there. Earlier it needed replacement of a broken lens motor, and it had faulty electronics causing battery drain. Somehow premium camera and fixed lens are spoiled for me...

That said, some of my nicest pictures are made with the LX100 since it is so versatile and still relatively small that I have it with me all the time. And its UI is so much fun. After the RX100, which I loathed to use, it restored my faith in smallish cameras.

My X100 is a Pen-F with 17 1.8. I just love that camera, and it's way cool that I can carry it (alone with 17 in a wrap, or with a nice set of primes (12/17/45/75) in a small Tenba BYOB 9) in almost any bag.

If you'd go for m43 (all I'm familiar with) I guess I'd go for the GX80 or the Pen, with that Panasonic pancake zoom and a nice fast lens (on my Pen, I much prefer the 17 1.8 over the 20). The Panasonic lens gets good results but the 17 just feels faster in every way and isn't too shabby.

When choosing between Pen-F and EM5 II the EM5 has a better EVF, but I find the Pen most fun to use. To my astonishment: the Pen made me a partial JPEG shooter. The dial up front lets me switch between B&W and Color with just a click and find the desired look in camera.

Have fun choosing something my friend!

Marlof, my old friend. This is a face for very sorry eyes. I so hope you are very well.

Oddly I had almost resolved to buying the LX100 - just came back from messaging an eBay retailer to ensure he had local stocks. But I cannot disregard your opinion - as I have very much come to respect it over the years. So now off to the like of dpreview to compare the GX80 (GX85 here in Australia) to the PEN F.

I must admit, the aesthetics of the PEN F really, really resonate with me. However I do also admit I cocked my eyebrow at the front dial thinking that Olympus missed a trick here and that it would have been prime real estate for a more handy function. But if you make a very valid point. More so, as the X100T has really spoiled me for JPEGS - Classic Chrome really is so so so good. I just wonder whether Olympus are as good with their in-camera processing.

Again my friend, as always a pleasure.
 
PEN-F
O12, O25 to start with. Gives you FOV of 24/50mm

I tell you what. This would satisfy 90% of my shooting needs I'd reckon.

So out of interest, why the Olympus over the Panasonic 12mm?


Perhaps still get an O9-18/4-5.6 for those wider need times. I'd still consider the O40-150R as well.

Gives you both speed and versatility.
Hmmm...and a plan for the months following. Oh boy, I may just be doomed....(see this is why a fixed lens is so much less evil) ;)
 
I had the Sigma 30 at one time. It just did not ring my bell for outdoor. AF was prone to hunt in busy scenes, and was a little long on close focus, for my liking. Also seemed to be just a mite soft, which was great for people shots (wedding).
 
The Sigma 30MM is a wonderful lens. Might be a nice filler between the 20 and the 50. Very reasonable used.

I had the Sigma 30 at one time. It just did not ring my bell for outdoor. AF was prone to hunt in busy scenes, and was a little long on close focus, for my liking. Also seemed to be just a mite soft, which was great for people shots (wedding).

So Sigma continues to divide folk's opinion. I'm a little on the fence with the brand and wonder how much comes down to variation in individual copies....and so maybe lack lustre QC at the factory.
 
my experience is very good with the 19 & 30 mm lenses. A little slow at 2.8 but I found them on the camera more than my om45mm. copy variation is certainly something to look out for, with all manufactures these days.
 
I tell you what. This would satisfy 90% of my shooting needs I'd reckon.

So out of interest, why the Olympus over the Panasonic 12mm?



Hmmm...and a plan for the months following. Oh boy, I may just be doomed....(see this is why a fixed lens is so much less evil) ;)

Purely a size thing. The Oly12 is a bit smaller. That and the Oly lenses tend to work a bit better on Oly bodies /Panasonic lenses on Panny bodies.
 
You know, Mark, there's always the very tiny Panasonic GM5 which has a little EVF. I've often considered that one myself.
Wow Sue, that GM5 is well small.

QIpgghr.png


Even giving the RX100 a run for its money!
 
You know, Mark, there's always the very tiny Panasonic GM5 which has a little EVF. I've often considered that one myself.
A little more reading has me so very tempted
...less so by the GM5 - as I fear the viewfinder might be a little pokey
...but it's pointed me towards the PL15/1.7. :eek-54:
 
FWIW I'll put in a late recommendation for the LX100. I find it an extremely capable little camera. The slightly sluggish zoom is about the only thing I have against it, but I tend to shoot wide most of the time anyway so it's not such a big deal. And don't forget it's 22mm eq when you use 16:9 format. It produces great JPEGs and the RAW files have lots of latitude in them when you need it. Finally it's just the right size. You wouldn't go far wrong with one.
 
Nikon is supposed to come out with their DL compacts at some point, and they look mighty tempting (DL18-50 in particular)... if it weren't for the add-on viewfinder, I'd think it was your perfect camera.

Beyond that, I can't really think of important options that haven't been mentioned yet.

Good to see you again, by the way!
 
based on what I'm seeing in this thread, there is a gap in the market. So who here is going to manufacture a compact camera with an APS-C sensor (or m43) with a huge beautiful viewfinder and a zoom range from ultrawide to just past normal?
 
based on what I'm seeing in this thread, there is a gap in the market. So who here is going to manufacture a compact camera with an APS-C sensor (or m43) with a huge beautiful viewfinder and a zoom range from ultrawide to just past normal?

A few ILC options, although not quite perfect in terms of ultimate compactness.

For smallest size, two come to mind:

Pen-F on GX80/85 w/ the Oly 9-18mm
New Canon EOS M5 w/ 11-22mm

Both options offer a nice focal range, but with slower glass, as well as good EVFs.

If you are willing to carry more size, an X-T2 with the 10-24 would be a great choice.

These options don't quite have the range of the Nikon DL18-50 (if it ever appears), but offer much larger sensors.

Compact Camera Meter
 
Back
Top