Really, really small back up for M8

[carcam]

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My take everywhere camera is the new Pany fx-37, the equivalent of the new generation clux2. Very small and goes to 25mm wide. Not M or dl4 quality but surprisingly good for web or 4x6 photos. I often forget it's in my pocket.

[wlaidlaw]

Here is a picture from the Minox Spy Cam. You can see that the WB is miles off with a strong blue tint. My chair is charcoal grey, and the iMac screen is a proper Monaco Optix Pro calibrated grey. The end of the HP paper box in the shelf is a soft sky blue. There is no WB adjustment or setting. The picture is very soft as well.

 

Wilson

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[wattsy]

It is a small bag that a man can carry - what on earth did you think it was?

 

I don't know. That's why I asked. Personally, I prefer to call a bag (of whatever size) a bag.

[wlaidlaw]

I don't know. That's why I asked. Personally, I prefer to call a bag (of whatever size) a bag.

 

Ian,

 

I was trying to emphasize it was a small bag on a wrist strap rather than a courier type bag, which would be easily big enough for my GX200 or M8 (but not with the SF 58 on it ;-}})

 

Wilson

[wattsy]

Yeah, but if it's a photograph of a lifetime, don't you want to take it with a decent camera? There's no substitute for the real thing. Carry the M.

 

Agreed. If I think it's worth taking a camera with me I'll take the M (I don't have a man's handbag so the size is less of an issue for me than it seems to be for others). If I don't think it's worth taking a camera with me then I don't bother. I don't wish to sound rude but this (usually amateur) idea that you simply must have a camera with you at all times strikes me as rather obsessive and, dare I say, a bit of an affectation.

[sean_reid]

Without the EVF you would be right but I really hate taking photos with LCD's and with the EVF the GX200 is a bit of a lump. The fact that the Minox had an optical finder was one of the major factors which attracted me. You can also mount the flash/LCD to take waist level photos. It is all very clever, it is just a pity it is so poor - maybe I have a duff one but I doubt it.

 

Wilson

 

I use it with various little optical finders and the step-zoom settings.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[earleygallery]

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Here is a picture from the Minox Spy Cam. Wilson

 

That IS bad! I'm sure my phone is better quality than that.

 

Man Bag - common term for a bag which a man carries, basically a mans handbag! I think its interesting how these things develop - as fashion changes and things develop with people having to carry mobile phones, chargers, ipods. Who can actually fit their 'pocket' sized devices in their pockets these days?! I have a few 'man bags' and prefer them to proper camera bags.

[wlaidlaw]

That IS bad! I'm sure my phone is better quality than that.

 

Man Bag - common term for a bag which a man carries, basically a mans handbag! I think its interesting how these things develop - as fashion changes and things develop with people having to carry mobile phones, chargers, ipods. Who can actually fit their 'pocket' sized devices in their pockets these days?! I have a few 'man bags' and prefer them to proper camera bags.

 

James,

 

As for 6 months of the year, I live in the South of France, if I packed all the rubbish I normally carry into the pockets of the shorts, which I wear most of the time, I would look like Eric Morecambe in his Boy Scout shorts sketch. As for wanting to carry a camera all the time. I have missed two great shots in the last six months because I did not have a camera with me.

 

Unfortunately as you say, even my iPhone takes better shots than this Minox, which as I carry the iPhone with me anyway, rather defeats the object of getting the Minox. I have had a response from Minox, who say they have referred the matter of the charging problem and poor image quality to their technicians and will get back to me next week.

 

Wilson

[dalippe]

It is a small bag that a man can carry - what on earth did you think it was?

 

Murphy's law dictates that the photograph of a lifetime (or this week anyway) will always appear when you don't have a camera.

 

Wilson

 

So your solution is to always carry a camera, guaranteeing that the photograph of a lifetime will never appear? Sorry, couldn't resist. I actually like the idea of always carrying a camera.

[earleygallery]

Wilson,

 

I like to carry a camera at all times - that's why I bought the Clux. I had previously used a 35mm Minox, but with manual scale focus its a little slow to use and the flash was as big as the camera so I rarely carried it, and of course 'that' photo would need it.

 

Sometimes I don't take it for whatever reason and I often regret it. A while ago - with a photo competition in mind - I spotted the perfect subject but of course I didn't have the camera. I did have my phone however and the resulting image was displayed in an exhibition of the 'best' entries!

[Jet]

D-Lux4 is great!

[4season]

To date, I've seen nothing significantly better than my Sony W300 at least not in such a compact package. Decent ISO 400 performance, and noise reduction isn't as heavy-handed as with other cameras. All of the W-series cameras look similar, but this is the only one with a 1/1.7 sensor.

[wlaidlaw]

D-Lux4 is great!

 

It may be a great camera but I think Panasonic/Leica made a huge error in not fitting a built in optical finder. For those people, who are happy to manage without, there is the C-Lux. The ability to put fixed optical finders on the shoe is not an answer, with a zoom lens in the camera. As I said above, I hate taking photos at arms length with an LCD, plus you just can't see them in sunlight. Other than the slightly slower lens, IMHO the Ricoh GX200 with the EVF is better mechanically and the controls are more logical, although I would admit its sensor is probably not quite as good as the D-Lux4. In the UK at least, the Ricoh is also quite a bit cheaper.

 

Wilson

[topoxforddoc]

Wilson,

 

If you don't mind carrying a film camera (you mentioned a Minox 8x11), then how about a Ricoh GR1 series or a Rollei 35s? Both are small and have excellent lenses. 35mm film is easy to come by and not too expensive to develop (if you don't do it yourself). You can pick either one up for £150-200. If you want modern automation and a slimmer camera, take the Ricoh. If you're happy with old fashioned scale focussing and match needle metering, then take the Rollei. I've got both and use these as my travel backups.

 

Charlie

[giordano]

The fact that the Minox had an optical finder was one of the major factors which attracted me. You can also mount the flash/LCD to take waist level photos. It is all very clever, it is just a pity it is so poor - maybe I have a duff one but I doubt it.

 

Even if you have a duff one a close look at the specs suggests that a "good" one wouldn't satisfy me, let alone you:). It is a shame, and I can't understand why they have never produced a digital equivalent of a classic 8x11 Minox, measuring chain and all.

[wlaidlaw]

Even if you have a duff one a close look at the specs suggests that a "good" one wouldn't satisfy me, let alone you:). It is a shame, and I can't understand why they have never produced a digital equivalent of a classic 8x11 Minox, measuring chain and all.

 

I was a bit surprised at first that the chain that comes with the DSC did not have the measuring "bumps" on it like my 'C' chains do. Then there was a DOH! moment as I remembered that the DSC is fixed focus ;-}}

 

Wilson

[sean_reid]

It may be a great camera but I think Panasonic/Leica made a huge error in not fitting a built in optical finder. For those people, who are happy to manage without, there is the C-Lux. The ability to put fixed optical finders on the shoe is not an answer, with a zoom lens in the camera. As I said above, I hate taking photos at arms length with an LCD, plus you just can't see them in sunlight. Other than the slightly slower lens, IMHO the Ricoh GX200 with the EVF is better mechanically and the controls are more logical, although I would admit its sensor is probably not quite as good as the D-Lux4. In the UK at least, the Ricoh is also quite a bit cheaper.

 

Wilson

 

Hi Wilson,

 

The step zoom (multiple primes paired with finder) is extremely valuable for this reason and I'm surprised that Panasonic/Leica didn't borrow the idea this time around. About the differences in file quality...we'll see. As you know, the built in optical finders (in those few cameras that still have them) are usually awful.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[offshore]

It may be a great camera but I think Panasonic/Leica made a huge error in not fitting a built in optical finder. For those people, who are happy to manage without, there is the C-Lux. The ability to put fixed optical finders on the shoe is not an answer, with a zoom lens in the camera. As I said above, I hate taking photos at arms length with an LCD, plus you just can't see them in sunlight. Other than the slightly slower lens, IMHO the Ricoh GX200 with the EVF is better mechanically and the controls are more logical, although I would admit its sensor is probably not quite as good as the D-Lux4. In the UK at least, the Ricoh is also quite a bit cheaper.

 

Wilson

 

I've been using my LX-3 for about four months in bright sun and overcast days and have had zero issues using the screen for composition. My complaint regarding no optical finder is not with the screen it's with the arms out way the camera has to be held to compose with an LCD. Most of the optical finders that are put on small cameras are a joke anyway as they are typically too small and don't frame properly for the focal lengths the camera has. I wouldn't weigh the lack of an optical finder on a small P&S as a major factor to purchase or not.

[exile]

I picked up a Fujifilm F31 on sale in 2007 when they were end of stock items. The sensor is very good, but the lens only goes as wide as 35mm. It really does not look as good as it actually is (generic silver brick) but I would certainly look at the F-series again if I wanted another compact. The more recent models now have 28mm lenses and I hope they have continued the excellent super CCD sensor technology. Check DPreview. The only frustration is the lack of manual controls and dependence on the LCD screen for framing. Even so, the F10 F20 and F31 have a serious cult following and rightly so.

Here is a down-sized example of a long exposure at ISO100:

http://www.pbase.com/stu_warner/image/100338169.jpg

 

By comparison, last time I looked the Panasonics have nice wide lenses, but the high ISO results I have seen just look as bad as all the other digicompacts. The Ricohs have decent lenses and ergonomics but the sensors aren't as good as the Fujis. At the other end of the compact scale, the Sigma DP1 has a good sensor but a slow prime lens. Your choice should be dictated by whether you mostly want this compact for landscapes, street shooting, or low light indoors.

 

The F31 travels with me every working day in my commuter bag.

The M8 goes with me for everything else.

[ccc yyy]

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Hallo,

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