Pocket zen camera?

bartjeej

bartjeej

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I'm trying to think if there is such a thing as a truly pocketable camera that is quick enough to document the things I encounter while living daily life / hiking, yet also engaging enough to encourage me to slow down and "converse" with the scene and really take my time to consider the image I'm trying to compose.

I notice a clear benefit that my Fuji XF10 (basically Fuji's budget answer to the Ricoh GR) has over my X100, is its small size; I can (and often do) bring it everywhere, which I just didn't do with the X100. I now take more photos, which obviously helps practice my craft more, and I get much higher quality photos of the things I encounter while doing other things I enjoy (daily life, hiking) than I would with my phone (also I hate the shooting experience of a phone).

However, I also enjoyed the methodical approach that the X100 encouraged, and I noticed that using one of my dad's old manual focus primes involved me even more in the scene.

I don't think a viewfinder is crucial to me; I never used the one on my X100 all that much. I found that turning off all the on-screen information unless I either change settings (when they are displayed for a second or so) or half-press the shutter, turns the rear LCD into an uncluttered, undistracting view of what the final image would look like, which helps in feeling more connected to the scene and less like a computer operator. Perhaps an EVF without settings info might do the same to me, but right now I think a tilting screen would be more valuable to me than a viewfinder.

So the question is, is there a camera out there that marries a user interface that invites a deliberate way of shooting and connecting with the scene, with pocketable size and image quality that's at least as good as the best modern phones, preferably better, and also quick to use? I'm probably asking for an impossible duality. Best I can think of right now is Fuji's X70, but perhaps I'm missing cameras? I'm not opposed to ILC's provided the combination is small enough and the user interface is "zen" enough.
 
No tilty screen but the Ricoh GR III or IIIx might what you are looking for.

I loved the GRII I had but I’m the opposite of you. I could do without a rear lcd and need a viewfinder. So eventually let it go. Settled in on the Fuji XPRO 2 with the Fuji 27mm f/2.8 as the little camera I can bring with me for discreet, coat pocketable shooting.
 
Thanks for your thoughts!

The GR was mentioned several times, and while it is compact, quick and high quality, I never really thought of it as a "zen" or contemplative camera, more of a "whip it out and catch the moment" camera. But then I never held one in my hands let alone used it. Which aspect of the camera makes it zen in your experience?

Nikon A: similar in concept to the GR and the XF10, I suppose. Although it was marketed with that sexy OVF, which I probably wouldn't use but do like the look of. I think it'd perform similarly to my XF10, which is to say, I'm not sure it'd encourage slowing down as much as I'd like it to (yes, I'm kinda asking for the impossible here; a "whip it out and achieve instant zen" camera).

Panasonic GM series: it'd need a tiny lens like the 14mm or 20mm to remain truly pocketable, but the 20mm in particular has a stellar reputation. Without knowing it too well, its manual controls seem to be marginal on the GM1 and slightly better on the GM5, with the control dial and evf coming at the expense of screen size.
 
The camera is but a thing; the Zen is in your heart. 🤣 Seriously, the GR has the essential controls put into a workable form and it fits in a pocket, even a pants pocket. (Unless of course, you wear skinny jeans which is a scary thought for most of us old guys.) The Zen of the GR is the lens and sensor. You can, of course, snap away. If your take the time, however, the camera will reward you with a truly fine image. For me, the extra bit is the macro mode. It's amazing how many butterfly pictures I took this summer with the GRiiix. The camera has become a tool I have learned to use, and it is almost always with me.
 
bartjeej said:
The GR was mentioned several times, and while it is compact, quick and high quality, I never really thought of it as a "zen" or contemplative camera, more of a "whip it out and catch the moment" camera. But then I never held one in my hands let alone used it. Which aspect of the camera makes it zen in your experience?
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You are right that the GR can be, and is, a fast camera for snapping fleeting images. It can be operated one-handed exceedingly well. But I think one meaning of "zen" in a camera is having harmonious controls which you never have to fight, and the GR has enough customization and has controls which fall into just the right place, so once you set it up to your liking it becomes a smooth and pleasant shooting experience. But if we mean "zen" as slowing down and shooting contemplatively, it's still a good camera for that. I think part of what makes it such is the excellent image quality: it really rewards taking your time. I recommend going through the articles on the GR Blog and seeing whether the images being produced there meet your idea of what you'd like to produce with it.

Of course, if by "zen" you mean something which operates slowly and methodically, it's hard to beat an actual analogue, manual focus camera. With a couple of nice manual primes.
 
gryphon1911 said:
Another option.

If you don’t need good C-AF.

Olympus OMD EM5 Mark II with the P20mm f/1.7 or P12-32/3.5-5.6 OIS lens. Very capable, good IQ, and low cost now on the used market. If you don’t need weather sealing, replace the EM5 Mark II with an EM10Mark II for even more savings.
Click to expand...
I can actually agree with this, as my EM5II is set up to be very zen, kept in M mode with the dials set to move aperture and SS by one stop instead of the default 1/3 stop, which means less spinning dials and more controlled clicking dials up or down, like a camera with old-fashioned analogue controls. I keep my LCD closed and just use the evf, and expose for when the colors look the richest, which means nothing is overexposed, shadows in full daylight will be very deep, but I actually quite like the results.

I'd suggest the 25mm f1.8 as a perfect fit for that body, with really good colors and smooth rendering.
 
gryphon1911 said:
I do miss that X10 sometimes. My first Fuji camera. 28-110field of view is such a versatile range. Loved the power being on the lens. Twist and go!!
Click to expand...
My first Fuji as well. The camera was so nice to use and the images had a dramatic, as opposed to clinical, look to them. It was perfect as a walk around camera and it produced many treasured shots. It is such a great example of a well-made lower-end camera that sucks you into a brand.
 
gryphon1911 said:
Another option.

If you don’t need good C-AF.

Olympus OMD EM5 Mark II with the P20mm f/1.7 or P12-32/3.5-5.6 OIS lens. Very capable, good IQ, and low cost now on the used market. If you don’t need weather sealing, replace the EM5 Mark II with an EM10Mark II for even more savings.
Click to expand...
The E-M10ii and Lumix 20mm f/1.7 is what I use as my "pocket" walk-about camera... but it needs to be a jacket pocket (or small bum-bag), it won't fit in your jeans or cargo pants pocket.

Put an Oly 14-150mm on it and it's a really versatile little camera kit... but not pocketable. Unless you have a very big pocket.
 
Herbert Hound said:
The E-M10ii and Lumix 20mm f/1.7 is what I use as my "pocket" walk-about camera... but it needs to be a jacket pocket (or small bum-bag), it won't fit in your jeans or cargo pants pocket.

Put an Oly 14-150mm on it and it's a really versatile little camera kit... but not pocketable. Unless you have a very big pocket.
Click to expand...
In my world , there is diminishing returns on the size of a camera once it hits pant pocket size. Too small, too cramped of controls.

I thought that I might be able to live with the Pentax Q and it’s small size. A lot to love about that camera, but it’s size was its detriment.

Pocket for me has a limit of jacket pocket. I should have been more clear on that.
 
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The LX100II was really a nice little camera, but I found it to not be immune from the issue some have reported where photos at longer distances seem a bit unsharp, like the focus accuracy isn't perfect, or something inside the lens isn't aligned quite right.
 
If your Zen is manual controls and the size of the XF10 then yes you are looking for the X70. It is a little bigger than the XF10 and if (as I do) you add a hood then it's about the same size as the Pan LX100II. But the LX100 has a power zoom, I'm not personally a fan of power zooms.

There are well-implemented dual dial / PASM setups. But that doesn't sound like what you are looking for.
 

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