• Please use real names.

    Greetings to all who have registered to OPF and those guests taking a look around. Please use real names. Registrations with fictitious names will not be processed. REAL NAMES ONLY will be processed

    Firstname Lastname

    Register

    We are a courteous and supportive community. No need to hide behind an alia. If you have a genuine need for privacy/secrecy then let me know!
  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Pocket Cameras

Sean Reid

Moderator
I was very intrigued, of course, by the DP1. But I've read quite a few reviews now and the general consensus is that its shortcomings don't quite yet make up for it's fantastic sensor and lens. This is the personal conclusion of the reviewers, of course - your mileage may vary.

That certainly wasn't my conclusion.

Cheers,

Sean
 

Chris Kresser

New member
That certainly wasn't my conclusion.

Cheers,

Sean

Sorry, Sean - didn't mean to put words in your mouth! I should have said that was the conclusion of MOST of the reviews I've read.

In any event, the DP1 really isn't in the running for me right now because of cost. I can get a new GX100 or GRD1 for about $400, which is exactly half the cost of the DP1. I've seen used GRD2s for about $550 or $600. Since I will likely be buying at least one $150-$200 OVF, this gets expensive fast.

Unfortunately I don't currently have a lens with a 28mm focal length. However, I did at one time have the Tamron 28-75 on my 5D, and when I used to shoot with a 20D I had a Sigma 17-70 which of course is 28mm EFL. I seem to recall in both cases that I often wanted to go wider for certain shots, but that 28 was too wide for others.

Anyhow, I think that if I got a GRD2 I'd probably come to appreciate the 28mm FOV. And if not, I can always sell it and get a GX100.

Question: does anyone know what the max aperture of the GX100 is at 35mm?
 

Ted Johnson

New member
I use a GX100 as my pocket camera, and have it wherever I go. Unlike Sean i use the EVF, not because it's ideal, but I'm never stuck fumbling for a VF of the correct focal length when I want to take a photo (and I fumble with about everything anyway). The image quality varies from outstanding to mediocre, depending on ISO used, lighting conditions, etc. I use snap autofocus most of the time, and it seems to work reasonably quickly and consistently. The colors tend to be oversaturated, but since I mostly shoot raw it is not a critical shortcoming.

I have a number of photos here taken with the GX100: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tedmna/sets/72157604324865508/detail/
Not a definitive sample, just a representative one.
 

Chris Kresser

New member
Thanks Ted and everyone else. I've decided to go with the GX100 and a Voigtlander 35mm OVF. I've decided to limit myself to the 35mm FL for a month as an experiment. I can use the GX100 at that FL with the viewfinder, and I also have a Canon 5D with a 35/2 I can use as well for more demanding work.

At some point, when the experiment is over, it will be nice to have other focal lengths to choose from on the GX100. But I like the idea of popping an OVF of a particular focal length on the GX100 and using it as a fixed lens camera for a period of time. Sean mentioned in his review that he uses it like this, and that makes a lot of sense to me.
 

Sean Reid

Moderator
Thanks Ted and everyone else. I've decided to go with the GX100 and a Voigtlander 35mm OVF.

I think that's a great idea and a great combination. To me, changing external finders is certainly no more difficult than changing prime lenses on my RF cameras. In fact, the former is faster and easier than the latter. Later on, you may also add a 50 finder - or not.

Cheers,

Sean
 

Chris Kresser

New member
Sean, at some point I hope to acquire a 25, 50 & possibly 75 OVF along with the 35 as you suggested in your review of the GX100. For now, I'm going to stick with the 35 for a while and see what that's like.
 

John Squillace

New member
I did something very similar with the Canon G3 I owned at one time - I kept the lens at the shortest zoom setting (roughly a 35mm FOV equivalent), used the Voigtlander 35mm finder, and shot only in monochrome. It turned out to be an excellent photographic discipline, and I took some great pix that way. Good luck with your own adventure in minimalism!
 

Chris Kresser

New member
I did something very similar with the Canon G3 I owned at one time - I kept the lens at the shortest zoom setting (roughly a 35mm FOV equivalent), used the Voigtlander 35mm finder, and shot only in monochrome. It turned out to be an excellent photographic discipline, and I took some great pix that way. Good luck with your own adventure in minimalism!

Sounds like a worthy experiment. I'm thinking of trying something similar.
 

Ben Rubinstein

pro member
Is there such a thing as a pocket camera (35mm) with a 50mm lens? Something truly shirt pocketable? I had long ago left the film world but I'm going to buy a Nikon ED 9000 to scan the 6X12 negs I'm shooting now on a LF camera so I might as well shoot some film for pocket camera as well, it isn't that expensive if you process and scan yourself and there truly isn't a digi camera that provides 35mm film quality in that size camera.
 

Wouter Brandsma

New member
Is there such a thing as a pocket camera (35mm) with a 50mm lens? Something truly shirt pocketable? I had long ago left the film world but I'm going to buy a Nikon ED 9000 to scan the 6X12 negs I'm shooting now on a LF camera so I might as well shoot some film for pocket camera as well, it isn't that expensive if you process and scan yourself and there truly isn't a digi camera that provides 35mm film quality in that size camera.

I think the most recent camera that came close to you description was the Leica Minilux with a 40mm lens and the Leica Minilux Zoom with a 35-70mm lens.
 

Sean Reid

Moderator
Is there such a thing as a pocket camera (35mm) with a 50mm lens? Something truly shirt pocketable? I had long ago left the film world but I'm going to buy a Nikon ED 9000 to scan the 6X12 negs I'm shooting now on a LF camera so I might as well shoot some film for pocket camera as well, it isn't that expensive if you process and scan yourself and there truly isn't a digi camera that provides 35mm film quality in that size camera.

I think the Rollei 35 uses a 40 mm lens but I'd have to check.

"35 mm Film Quality:"is a nebulous term but the camera that might match that standard (depending on how one defines it) is the Sigma DP1.

Cheers,
 
Yes, the Rollei 35 uses a 40mm lens.

If you're willing to go slightly wide, there's also the great Yashica T4s (T5 in Europe, I think) with the Zeiss T* 35mm Tessar and built in angle finder. I got one for my wife just before they went out of production. You can still find them on the used market.
 
Top