p.1 #1 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
My oldest daughter is turning 21 and wants to travel a bit in another year and wants a small camera that will fit in her purse. I’m trying to get up to speed with four thirds and APS-c. That said, it seems to me that many camera companies have been selling cameras with year to year cosmetic differences and little technical improvements. I came upon the LUMIX S9, but she wants a viewfinder. The Leica Dlux 8 and all 17 MPix of resolution, seems a bit underwhelming. Then I pre-ordered the Fuji X-E5/23mm f/2.8 pancake lens, which is small and has much the same form factor as my A7CR. Likely unavailable till September and Fuji seems to be a poor company to hook up with (and I’ve owned three versions of the X100). They can’t even get their cameras to market in sufficient quantities. The X-E5 is only slightly smaller than the X-T50, which seems to be as capable at a lower price point. Then I pulled out my ten year old Sony A7Rii. EVF, LED and resolution is pretty much identical to the X-E5. Size wise, it is just a tiny bit larger than the X-E5. I put an unused Samsung 35mm f/2.8 on the camera and she thought that the lens was too large..it’s not.. I’m not really excited about most of what I have looked at. The Ricoh GRs are about to get an upgrade and can be used with an optical viewfinder…as can the S9. The Fuji certainly has JPEG features that the Sony doesn’t but on paper, it doesn’t really look to be an improvement over the ten year old Sony. So, for now I’ve ordered the Victrox and will send her off for a bit of real world use. I think this should a least direct us to which cameras to look at.
So, will see if she even uses the A7Rii/Viltrox.
Curious if others have found a good pocket solution.
p.1 #2 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
I have been looking for something like that for quite a while, and have not found an obvious answer. A Sony A7cii with the 35mm 2.8 is the closest I have come across for full frame, but I agree that the 35mm 2.8 is not really pocketable. I currently use a X-S20 as a walk-around camera, but there are times when it feels to large.
The closest I have found is the X-E5 (or an older X-E4), or one of the more recent Panasonic GX models.
Maybe someone can recommend something better.
p.1 #4 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
The GRIII range produces great files, but if she really needs a viewfinder, they don’t offer it. It’s the only really pocketable camera I can think of though, unless one has really large pockets.
The D-Lux 8 is a pleasure to use and produces great files as well. I think it punches above its MFT-sensor weight, but it ain’t cheap nowadays.
p.1 #6 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
bwcolor wrote:
My oldest daughter is turning 21 and wants to travel a bit in another year and wants a small camera that will fit in her purse. I’m trying to get up to speed with four thirds and APS-c. That said, it seems to me that many camera companies have been selling cameras with year to year cosmetic differences and little technical improvements. I came upon the LUMIX S9, but she wants a viewfinder. The Leica Dlux 8 and all 17 MPix of resolution, seems a bit underwhelming. Then I pre-ordered the Fuji X-E5/23mm f/2.8 pancake lens, which is small and has much the same form factor as my A7CR. Likely unavailable till September and Fuji seems to be a poor company to hook up with (and I’ve owned three versions of the X100). They can’t even get their cameras to market in sufficient quantities. The X-E5 is only slightly smaller than the X-T50, which seems to be as capable at a lower price point. Then I pulled out my ten year old Sony A7Rii. EVF, LED and resolution is pretty much identical to the X-E5. Size wise, it is just a tiny bit larger than the X-E5. I put an unused Samsung 35mm f/2.8 on the camera and she thought that the lens was too large..it’s not.. I’m not really excited about most of what I have looked at. The Ricoh GRs are about to get an upgrade and can be used with an optical viewfinder…as can the S9. The Fuji certainly has JPEG features that the Sony doesn’t but on paper, it doesn’t really look to be an improvement over the ten year old Sony. So, for now I’ve ordered the Victrox and will send her off for a bit of real world use. I think this should a least direct us to which cameras to look at.
So, will see if she even uses the A7Rii/Viltrox.
Curious if others have found a good pocket solution.
I wonder if you have had a conversation with her about what she might or might not want?
The XE5 with the 23mm f/2.8 kit lens should be a great combination in all functional ways. However, as you have probably noted, the pricing is surprisingly high. The previous XE4 model was $85 and the new XE5 is twice that at $1700. The lens adds another $200 if you get it bundled.
Your point about the less expensive XT50 is also well worth considering. Depending on her interests, there's a much less expensive XM5, but it has a few downsides, too.
If she is happy with a fixed, non-interchangeable lens, the X100vi is very popular and very small.
None of these are truly "pocketable," unless you have really, really big pockets. They will fit in a small shoulder bag or similar. The Ricoh cameras come closer to being truly pocketable.
The old Sony could work for her...
... but this is why I think it is worth brining her into the decision.
p.1 #7 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
gdanmitchell wrote:
I wonder if you have had a conversation with her about what she might or might not want?
The XE5 with the 23mm f/2.8 kit lens should be a great combination in all functional ways. However, as you have probably noted, the pricing is surprisingly high. The previous XE4 model was $85 and the new XE5 is twice that at $1700. The lens adds another $200 if you get it bundled.
Your point about the less expensive XT50 is also well worth considering. Depending on her interests, there's a much less expensive XM5, but it has a few downsides, too.
If she is happy with a fixed, non-interchangeable lens, the X100vi is very popular and very small.
None of these are truly "pocketable," unless you have really, really big pockets. They will fit in a small shoulder bag or similar. The Ricoh cameras come closer to being truly pocketable.
The old Sony could work for her...
... but this is why I think it is worth brining her into the decision.
Good luck....Show more →
Yes, the whole point of giving her the Sony and small lens is an attempt at having her form a somewhat informed opinion. The pre-order is just a placeholder for now. By the time that we get to mid August, I’m hoping that she has an opinion, or at least has formulated some questions.
p.1 #8 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
johnvanr wrote:
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The GRIII range produces great files, but if she really needs a viewfinder, they don’t offer it. It’s the only really pocketable camera I can think of though, unless one has really large pockets..
The GR III cameras definitely check the boxes for high quality and portability. An appropriate $20 external viewfinder can go a long way towards mitigating the viewfinder issue--and Ricoh makes nicer and much more expensive external viewfinders, too. (I enjoy the GR IIIx when I want to emphasize portability, and I'm now comfortable using just the screen, even in bright light.)
Edited to add a viewfinder option:
Smallrig is now producing what seems likely to be a quality external viewfinder. This might be an attractive option to nest between the plasticky *bay options and the ca. $250 Ricoh versions.
p.1 #9 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
I have a thing for small light cameras of late.
The upcoming Fujifilm X-E5 and 23mm (Why does it take Fujifilm so long to get their s#%t together?)
The Fujifilm X-T50 with the 27mm, or 18mm (and the 23 when available individually later this year)
The full frame Sony A7CII with 40mm 2.5, 35mm 2.8, 24mm 2.8 or 28-60 zoom.
I have a small camera case I used to keep my Leica M with attached 35 summicron in (before I realized Leica Ms weren't my thing) that the above camera lens combos fit in perfectly.
p.1 #10 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
treacle wrote:
I have a thing for small light cameras of late.
The upcoming Fujifilm X-E5 and 23mm (Why does it take Fujifilm so long to get their s#%t together?)
The Fujifilm X-T50 with the 27mm, or 18mm (and the 23 when available individually later this year)
The full frame Sony A7CII with 40mm 2.5, 35mm 2.8, 24mm 2.8 or 28-60 zoom.
I have a small camera case I used to keep my Leica M with attached 35 summicron in (before I realized Leica Ms weren't my thing) that the above camera lens combos fit in perfectly.
I think this goes back to what Dan was suggesting. Many of us are so deep in years of shooting various cameras that we might be poor judges of what someone new might want, or need. Many of the characteristics of a camera such as MPix, sensor size and so on are not part of my daughter’s thoughts. She wants a camera of a given size and that is about it. Using the camera for the first time on ‘P’ mode garnered her first question… “How do I get the camera to focus where I want it to focus?” That’s a start….
p.1 #11 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
Does she even want/need an EVF?
Pocketable means different things to different people. In warm climates, it normally means much smaller cameras, since we aren't wearing jackets. If it has to go in a purse/bag, it's not pocketable. The closes thing to pocketable in a Fuji X body is the XM5. She might love it.
Ricoh GRs are great, I have two of the first gen (2013?) and they produce fantastic photos.
A smaller camera that is easy to carry and fun to use will be more likely to actually get used.
p.1 #12 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
Does she have a good recent smartphone? The latest generation of iPhone Pros and certainly some high end android phones have great cameras with multiple lenses.
p.1 #13 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
ISO1600 wrote:
Does she even want/need an EVF?
Pocketable means different things to different people. In warm climates, it normally means much smaller cameras, since we aren't wearing jackets. If it has to go in a purse/bag, it's not pocketable. The closes thing to pocketable in a Fuji X body is the XM5. She might love it.
Ricoh GRs are great, I have two of the first gen (2013?) and they produce fantastic photos.
A smaller camera that is easy to carry and fun to use will be more likely to actually get used.
She wants an EVF, but I showed her my 21mm external viewfinder for my ‘M’ cameras and she thought that would work just fine. I think that at this point she isn’t sure what she means by small.
I’ve been busy pulling film cameras out of the safe to use, or sell. I’ve been out of the camera buying mode for only one year and wow, things have gotten much more expensive, especially the DLux 8. Prices outstripped the 10% tariff. What was the previous tariff..2%? Also, the offerings seem so stale. Sensor technology really hasn’t progressed much past the A7Riv, A9ii and for Fuji.. there only innovation seems to be a beautiful, small medium format camera where they pulled off a marketing coup.. left out IBIS and created a whole group of Fuji photographers that will put the GFX100RF ii on immediate backorder. Their marketing model of keeping things backordered is particularly unattractive to me.
It was suggested that she consider a modern smart phone. Just back from vacationing in Japan and clearly, even the Japanese mainly use their phones. Cameras are now a niche product and this likely explains why the offerings are stale and camera companies have increased the price of cameras faster than either inflation, or tariffs. The price of film demonstrates an even greater inflation due to being an even smaller niche product.
p.1 #14 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
I bought my daughter the Panasonic Lumix G100D with the 12-32mm kit lens (it has a view finder). It's been a really good first camera and whenever she talks about getting something better, I just say 'when you can use it in manual mode' we can talk about it (she's still in iA!)
p.1 #17 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
Canon V1 looks interesting with 18-50 equivalent lens on a roughly m4/3 sensor
RX100 V is very small and has the EVF. Don’t underestimate 1-inch sensor, quite usable
p.1 #18 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
grahamgibson wrote:
Canon V1 looks interesting with 18-50 equivalent lens on a roughly m4/3 sensor
RX100 V is very small and has the EVF. Don’t underestimate 1-inch sensor, quite usable
I have a RX100VA for travel snaps and work BTS. I like the V's faster lens and 3X zoom, but I think the VII is better for casual shooting since it has a longer zoom range, a touchscreen, and Sony's new style AF tracking.
My friend borrowed my RX100VA for her vacation a while ago and it was the only camera she took with her. Light and small enough to carry around the neck.
p.1 #19 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
I went down this road too.
I had a Sony A7C, Panasonic LX100 II, Sony RX100 V and Canon GX 7 all at different times.
I sold them all, and now I use an IPhone when I want to carry something pocketable. The phone is shockingly good. You can shoot RAW, and edit in LR, like you would with a “real”camera.
For anything more serious, I had my Sony A1 (now sold) and current A1II and lenses.
It bothered me to have a 6500.00 camera, and use something less good. For that kind of money, it should be used as much humanly possible .
p.1 #20 · Finding a Pocketable Camera & Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
She has an iPhone 14 Pro.
Just found an old Canon G7 (10Mpix) and LUMIX LX7 (10Mpix).. Evidently, my daughter took the LX7 to Korea last year, but I never saw her use it, but sure enough there were pictures on the SD card. Good .. now has various form factors to try. My favorite compact is a Contax T2, but she won’t bite.
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