DSLR users and compacts

[trebs]

I'm sure many DSLR users have faced this question..
After using a DSLR for so long, which compact would you choose as a handy pocket cam for those days when you don't want to carry 300kg of equipment...

I'm struggling with the problem, I hate using LCD, so ideally want a viewfinder. That's a problem as most new compacts are getting LCD screens that are huge, dropping viewfinders altogether.

manual controls of any kind.. Hard to give up but it looks like just about everything is auto-auto.
I just want a bit of creativity in a camera, something that lets me do a bit more than sliding the cover open, waving it about in the air like a tourist, pressing a little button and hearing some musical representation of a shutter.

Possible?

Image stabiliser? on a compact? forget that.

MP? 6 is more than enough.

Lens? 28mm ---> ...

the list goes on...

I don't like bridge cameras, I might as well use the DSLR then.
Anything between ultra compact and bridge seems too big for pocket use too.

So yeah, Canon Ixus range, Lumix, the new waterproof olympus?
Every time I think of getting a compact, there are new models released. More gadgets but less things I need.

Is it really that hopeless?
It used to be so simple..

Help.

Let the opinions roll.

[mm]

didn't my IXUS IIs impress you then?

i love the size, the design
but lack of full manual is an bit of a downer.
simple Av Tv P and M on this one and it would be IT!

mm

[Larah&Bo]

Bij mij begint dit gevoel toch ook stilletjes aan te kriebelen. Ik heb me nog helemaal niet verdiept in de compact-markt.
Maar ik heb wel al links en rechts gehoord over Panansonics (dacht ik toch???) met Leica-lens die wel beregoed zouden zijn.

[TedereTijger]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door trebs

I'm struggling with the problem, I hate using LCD, so ideally want a viewfinder. That's a problem as most new compacts are getting LCD screens that are huge, dropping viewfinders altogether.

manual controls of any kind.. Hard to give up but it looks like just about everything is auto-auto.

Image stabiliser? on a compact? forget that.

MP? 6 is more than enough.

Lens? 28mm ---> ...

You're _almost_ describing the Ricoh Caplio R4/R5/R6 range.
- no viewfinder but clear lcd
- _some_ manual controls
- a REAL image stabiliser, the ccd moves, yes, not just a sw trick
- 6 or 7 MPx, don't remember
- starting at 28mm, 7.1x zoom
I bought a R4 for my parents some time ago and they're very happy with it. Batterylife is also more than adequate and uses simple SD cards.
I think i payed about €280 for the R4.

ps: ja, ik weet dat trebs nederlands verstaat/kent/is, maar m'n euro viel pas bij deze laatste lijntjes

[mm]

wat jij bij de caplio opsomt is denk ik net wat'm NIET wil:

hij wil WEL viewfinder.
hij wil GEEN image stabilisatie
...

't staat trouwens bij chitchat hé, niet bij gezocht

mm

[trebs]

Ricoh..

I went looking. The Ricoh GR Digital maybe a bit old.. but seems to me a nice model

At 107 x 25 x 58 mm, no ultra-compact, yet still pretty slim.
External viewfinder option.. bit like a rangefinder adaptor.

For the rest, manual controls, hot shoe.. and even has RAW.

[scalll]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door trebs

Ricoh..

I went looking. The Ricoh GR Digital maybe a bit old.. but seems to me a nice model

At 107 x 25 x 58 mm, no ultra-compact, yet still pretty slim.
External viewfinder option.. bit like a rangefinder adaptor.

For the rest, manual controls, hot shoe.. and even has RAW.

No optical zoom & lots of noise above ISO200...

http://www.digicamreview.co.uk/ricoh...tal_review.htm

The Canon Powershot series offer alot value for money, but no 28mm I'm afraid, but they do have viewfinders...

[jwllms]

not exactly a compact and not really cheap either: the M8 (remember your avatar?)

no zooms either, definitely no IS, but a rangefinder, and much smaller than a D2x or S3

[yowan-kenobi]

Here's my Lumix Traveler Zoom 1, also known as TZ1
It goes boldly where my dslr can't, but it doesn't have a viewfinder at all, and
almost no manual controls.

Although I do can change:
- ISO
- White balance
- EV compensation (or auto bracketting)
- focus mode (1 point to 9 point AF, no focus point selection though)
- 5 mp in 4:3 , 4.5mp in 3:2 format.

It has a stabilizer with 2 modes, 1 constant, and 2: only when the shutter is pressed. Besides that, it has a 10x zoom (35-350 I think) good detail at 35mm, but quite soft at full tele.

With this one, I've made quite some satisfying concert shots, at iso 200-400 (which is acceptable for 10x15 prints or display on the web).

The LCD is quite big, sometimes too big (when I need to take sneak-concert-pics I would prefer a smaller, and less bright one)

Although quite pricy at the time I bought it, it has served me well. And, before I forget, the movie mode is excellent. I've already recorded some clips and put them on a dvd to watch on tv, and the results are excellent.

[trebs]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door jwllms

not exactly a compact and not really cheap either: the M8 (remember your avatar?)

no zooms either, definitely no IS, but a rangefinder, and much smaller than a D2x or S3

SHHHH.. I'm trying NOT to think of the M8 as an option

[trebs]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door scalll

No optical zoom & lots of noise above ISO200...

http://www.digicamreview.co.uk/ricoh...tal_review.htm

The Canon Powershot series offer alot value for money, but no 28mm I'm afraid, but they do have viewfinders...

manual zoom is good. Walk closer.. get into the crowd. Much more a street cam.

Noise? on a sensor that size noise is part of the game. BW converstion/add noise = the way to go

[mm]

let me quote yourself in THIS topic ...

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door trebs

*order placed*

what went wrong??

mm

[trebs]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door mm

let me quote yourself in THIS topic ...



what went wrong??

mm

The Veyron was what went wrong....

[jwllms]

What????
You didn't get your free M8 with it?

Jo.

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door trebs

The Veyron was what went wrong....

[scalll]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door trebs

Noise? on a sensor that size noise is part of the game. BW converstion/add noise = the way to go

True !
But in this case it' s probably blotchy crap-noise

About the zoom-part...
With a big 10x zoom for instance (see TZ1 Yowan) it's still possible to get a nice blurred-out background for portrets on the long end of the zoom ...

And that's where that IS will come in handy...

[ksaelen]

Ik had hetzelfde problem 3 jaar geleden. Uiteindelijk heb ik toen voor de Canon Powershot A95 gekozen om te gebruiken naast mijn EOS 10D en 5D.

Ik heb voor de A95 gekozen vanwege 5MP, gedeeltelijk alu behuizing, optische zoeker, CF kaartjes, Av/Tv/M stand, menu’s zijn vergelijkbaar met die van de 10D en 5D, beschikbaarheid van een onderwater behuizing aan redelijk prijs en een draaibaar LCD.

Ik hou er ook niet zo van om het LCD te gebruiken, maar de optische zoeker is toch ook niet alles. Ik gebruik nu toch meestal het LCD als zoeker; de resultaten zijn dan minder slecht dan wanneer ik de optische zoeker gebruik.

En ik vind het toch wel prettig dat de A95 een alu behuizing heeft. De camera is niet te groot en te zwaar, maar ik heb toch nog het idee dat ik een camera vast heb. Die kleine plastic dingetjes zijn niks voor mij…

[Grf]

I still have my original metal digital ixus as a P&S (2mp).
It still works after 8 years and still can produce a nice picture.

However when I buy a new compact it will be dust/water/dirt sealed, I love the idea of taking it to the beach, swimming pool, boottrip etc without having to worry about getting it wet or dirty.

G

[parakiet]

trebs verstaat toch een basis nederlands, dus bij deze:

ik zou voor een gewone compact gaan.

viewfinder is zo slr gericht!
vergeet de viewfinder en ga voor het lcdschermpje! vele compactjes hebben rangefinders of EVF's. van die laatste wordt ik dus misselijk.. of een lcd of een zoeker maar zon elektronische zoeker? bweurk!

of je neemt een (d)slr mee of een compactje.
je gaat je helemaal anders gedragen met een compactje. manuele instellingen zijn overbodig, correcties zijn handig.

draagbaarheid is hét criterium.

ik zou me primair bezighouden met de "draagbaarheid"

[ajuin]

Die goeie ouwe trouwe 4300 he kiet
Heb hem nog altijd...