Small sensor challenge

tonyturley

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Location
Scott Depot, WV, USA
Name
Tony
My thoughts on photography and gear have been kind of in a flux lately. Not long ago, I bought a near mint X-T1 + XF 18-55. While the combo is capable of excellent images if I do my part, I have been finding the gear vaguely unsatisfying, to the point that I have considered just selling them. Thinking that perhaps this will pass, I'm just going to stick them in a camera bag in the corner for a while.

In the meantime, I have decided to take upon myself a challenge to use only my small sensor cameras. I've had an original Pentax Q for several years, and it has been used many times to take photos from a model airplane, using the intervalometer. I've also tinkered around with adapted lenses, as well as the 06 zoom. The first photo below is from the 06.

I also have the Fuji X30, which is capable of some nice imagery itself. The second photo below is from the X30.

The purpose of this personal challenge is not to compare the cameras against each other, or against the X-T1. My goal is to challenge myself to get the most from the equipment that I can, stressing good composition and interesting subject matter, and discovering just what I can do within the limitations of these cameras. I have no timeline in mind . . . we'll just see how it goes. Stay tuned.

Spirit.jpg

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Time to step off the merry-go-round - a sound decision rather than selling up in haste. It's just over a year since I added to my gear and I'm learning to manage the odd GAS attack. (To be honest I'm watching a Fuji X-E2 converted for IR on ebay :daz:).
 
Pleasing results from both cameras. It does make one stop and wonder whether the larger/more expensive cameras are really necessary, when compact cameras these days are so capable...:rolleyes:

I prefer compact cameras, so I bought a Leica Q, and my first impression was the images were almost breathtaking. But really, that's my eyes seeing the difference from what I've been seeing every day for a long time, and what I was extremely familiar with. When I went back to an APS-C camera, it was just as satisfying. I think if you're in a direct competition for print quality, or you're measuring absolute detail for some reason, you'd probably already know what you need in a sensor and lenses. Otherwise, many small cameras today can give you 90 percent of the quality of most DSLRs at 10 percent the size. That said, when someone produces a medium format sensor in a camera the size of a Fuji X100T, with a 35 mm equivalent lens, I'm on it yesterday.
 
Agreed - if/when that is released, I reckon G.A.S. will be banished (for while, anyway;)).
G.A.S. banished? LOL! For me, the one drawback to participating in photo forums is the constant exposure to gear talk . . . it's unavoidable. Like Dale, I prefer smaller cameras, and I've bought and sold a lot of cameras trying to find the perfect fit. The X30 checks a lot of boxes, although it is certainly trumped by the X-T1 in low light performance.

Physics mandates that my holy grail camera can never exist: a pocketable, alloy frame, weather sealed APS-C camera with a fixed, fast zoom lens reaching about 150mm. ND filter would be nice. EVF required, and I want a tilting screen, as well. One can dream, eh?
 
:whistle: all these pics made me look back in astonishment.
For comparison I post three photos taken with my late photographic notebook a Panasonic LS 75.
There is quite some noise which never bothered me, having a history with grainy film.
When this really compact camera petered out I was forced to upgrade and went for a Pentax Q7.
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Edinburgh, Scotland - rainy day and early morning
 
17.5", Jock. It is the perfect size for me. I'm 6'1".

TT

PS: I'm renting an LX100 for a 6 day period starting Wednesday. I'm not planning to buy one, but I've found the LX series intriguing to watch from afar. I like my X30 a lot, and I have contemplated getting out of ILC cameras completely. Just not sure I'm ready to make that jump.
 
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As Jock said, the new bike is a real trail crawler. I did a little over 10 miles on it this morning in a nearby state forest recreation area. Counting rest stops and stops for photos, I figure I averaged a little over 4mph. I rarely took it out of the lowest gear. I did get off and push the bike a few times as I was navigating narrow, winding stretches along the creek that had sharp drops of 5-6 feet or more. I didn't want to end up as a headline in tomorrow's paper: "Body of West Virginia man found face down in shallow creek. A bicycle with unusually large tires was laying beside of him." LOL . . . here are a couple of pics taken with the LX100.

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