Jump to content

Looking for a smallish Camera.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 Share
Go to solution Solved by ALwin,

Yeah there is just a whole lot to consider. Seems like there is a lot of I guess bs in the marketing, and I've just been comparing back and forth. Pentax QS1 seems like a better value. A chat would be great.

 

Ok regarding camera sensors, two things you need to understand.  Generally the rule is "larger sensors have better image quality".

This is your stated requirement: "I just want something that is solid, lasts a long time, and takes great photos. I'll be mostly using it for vacations; saving memories and such. See a lizard on the ground? Snap!"

 

​While I just said that larger sensors tend to be better, there are slight drawbacks that may not be suitable for your requirements.  In digital photography the full frame 35mm sensor has become the industry standard to measure all other sensors against, at least for anything smaller.  I won't get into medium format and large format sensors here.

 

So for you buying a camera like the A5000 or any other camera with a sensor larger than, for example the Canon S120 or G16 I mentioned, while you will certainly get better image quality you will be sacrificing convenience.  Because of the crop factor and narrower field of view of smaller sensors, when using a lens of the same focal length as larger sensor cameras, there is a perception that you are able to zoom in (reach) to a further distance.  Hence with a camera like the Canon G16 the built in lens gives you capability to zoom more than with the basic kit lens of most mirrorless and DSLR cameras (i.e. 18-55mm).

 

In an earlier post I linked you to a list of compact cameras within your budget, in another post I linked you to a list of mirrorless (larger sensor) cameras within your budget.  Personally it doesn't matter to me what camera you buy, however I want you to be aware of what you will be investing in.

 

A camera like the A5000

  • ​better image quality
  • will require different lenses for different focal length zoom and reach

A camera like the Canon S120 or G16

  • built in lenses, due to the crop factor, give you a longer zoom and reach
  • but image quality may not be as good

There are many more things you can learn about photography, such as Depth of Field which is also partly determined by sensor size.

 

Try to ignore the megapixel count of cameras.  For your needs, 12MP is basically enough.  You can go higher if you want, but that will require larger memory cards and more storage space on your computer.

 

Finally, go visit a camera store.  Look at the different models they carry, ask the clerks to show you the display models.  Hold them in your hands, consider if you want to carry the weight and size.  Your requirements in a camera are very basic, you are not going to shoot professional looking photos, you are not printing photos for clients, you are not doing a photography website.

Posted

Hi. I'm looking for a slim pocket-like compact camera. Nothing huge. My budget is under $500.

 

Generally what would I be looking for when looking for Cameras? Sony DSC-RX100 looks good.

Mosty using it for vacation photos.

blackshades on

 

 

Link to comment
https://linustechtips.com/topic/450779-looking-for-a-smallish-camera/
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

I have a powershot s120 for point and shoot stuff. been very reliable and takes great pics when I need a quick shot. I dont use it much but on those times I want to mess around with the more advanced features it offers enough to keep you interested. It fits in my pocket but I tend to use a small case becuase I am paranoid about messing it up. 

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

Hi. I'm looking for a slim pocket-like compact camera. Nothing huge. My budget is under $500.

 

Generally what would I be looking for when looking for Cameras? Sony DSC-RX100 looks good.

I have a Sony DSC-RX100 Mark 1, and I can recommend it. Pocket friendly and offers great performance for it's size.

 

Might not be good in low-light, but it's a pocket camera after all... Even that 1" sensor won't compare as well to larger sensor sizes like Micro Four-Thirds and APS-C, but it is better at it than most compact cameras.

Never trust my advice. Only take any and all advice from me with a grain of salt. Just a heads up.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

better yet get the lg g4 it has a 27 megapixel camera and the phone itself is very slim

Phone cameras are not quite as good as dedicated cameras. Sure, phone cameras today are quite good... in good lighting (bright sunlight). In low-light (indoors, night time etc.) they start to get bad. The sensor size in phone cameras is tiny, and won't be able to collect enough light.

 

Also resolution is not everything there is to a camera. You have to account a lot more than just the sensor resolution. Optics play a large role, and phone cameras don't have good lenses due to their small size and low-cost camera modules that are used. This results in quality that can't fully take advantage of say for example that 27 MP resolution, and in practice it's closer to 8 MP, but just has a larger file size as the result of the 27 MP resolution, rendering the extra resolution mostly useless.

 

Some of the things I just said might be wrong, but for photography dedicated cameras > phone cameras. It's like arguing gaming performance of a laptop to a desktop PC.

Never trust my advice. Only take any and all advice from me with a grain of salt. Just a heads up.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

it has infrared camera stabilazation

and i know he said he didnt want anything huge

phone cameras are small and lightweight

but pretty good

so please read his quesiton before you reply to me 

OFF TOPIC: I suggest every poll from now on to have "**CK EA" option instead of "Other"

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

Phone cameras are not quite as good as dedicated cameras. Sure, phone cameras today are quite good... in good lighting (bright sunlight). In low-light (indoors, night time etc.) they start to get bad. The sensor size in phone cameras is tiny, and won't be able to collect enough light.

 

Also resolution is not everything there is to a camera. You have to account a lot more than just the sensor resolution. Optics play a large role, and phone cameras don't have good lenses due to their small size and low-cost camera modules that are used. This results in quality that can't fully take advantage of say for example that 27 MP resolution, and in practice it's closer to 8 MP, but just has a larger file size as the result of the 27 MP resolution, rendering the extra resolution mostly useless.

 

Some of the things I just said might be wrong, but for photography dedicated cameras > phone cameras. It's like arguing gaming performance of a laptop to a desktop PC.

OFF TOPIC: I suggest every poll from now on to have "**CK EA" option instead of "Other"

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

it has infrared camera stabilazation

and i know he said he didnt want anything huge

phone cameras are small and lightweight

but pretty good

so please read his quesiton before you reply to me 

I know OP is looking for a small camera, that's why I did recommend the Sony DSC-RX100 OP was looking at. Not all good cameras are bulky, but a lot of them are not exactly pocket-friendly, I can give it that.

 

And of course, phones have the added benefit of being... phones. It's a thing most people (if not all) are carrying with them at all times. While for example the RX100 OP was thinking about does fit in a pocket well, they might not want to carry yet-another-thing in their pocket all the time, speaking from experience.

 

 

By they way... OP has not narrowed down where and/or how is he planning to use a camera. It's good to know that beforehand, so that better advice could be given. @Reece Leu

Never trust my advice. Only take any and all advice from me with a grain of salt. Just a heads up.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

Hi. I'm looking for a slim pocket-like compact camera. Nothing huge. My budget is under $500.

 

Generally what would I be looking for when looking for Cameras? Sony DSC-RX100 looks good.

 

Read the reviews and pick one you like, though for compact cameras I tend to favor Canon over Nikon any day.  Fuji and Sony has stepped up their game a bit.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=8612&N=4288586279&mnp=300&mxp=500

Guide: DSLR or Video camera?, Guide: Film/Photo makers' useful resources, Guide: Lenses, a quick primer

Nikon D4, Nikon D800E, Fuji X-E2, Canon G16, Gopro Hero 3+, iPhone 5s. Hasselblad 500C/M, Sony PXW-FS7

ICT Consultant, Photographer, Video producer, Scuba diver and underwater explorer, Nature & humanitarian documentary producer

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

I know OP is looking for a small camera, that's why I did recommend the Sony DSC-RX100 OP was looking at. Not all good cameras are bulky, but a lot of them are not exactly pocket-friendly, I can give it that.

 

And of course, phones have the added benefit of being... phones. It's a thing most people (if not all) are carrying with them at all times. While for example the RX100 OP was thinking about does fit in a pocket well, they might not want to carry yet-another-thing in their pocket all the time, speaking from experience.

 

 

By they way... OP has not narrowed down where and/or how is he planning to use a camera. It's good to know that beforehand, so that better advice could be given. @Reece Leu

OK. It seems as if you did read the question. Sorry for insulting you about this matter. I just thought he might like something pocket friendly

but apperentally not

its okay though

OFF TOPIC: I suggest every poll from now on to have "**CK EA" option instead of "Other"

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

Sorta surprised no one has recommended it yet, but how bout the Canon SL1? If youre looking for DSLR that is.

 

slide_a_photo.png

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

Do you normally have to adjust everything with dslrs, or can I just point/shoot?

Its not as hard as you think, auto focus is snappy enough with the 18-55 lens you can get it bundled with (you could even get a pancake lens if you want a really really small camera). There are other things you can adjust like ISO and aperture and white balance but for the most part you can just take it out and quickly auto focus to something and snap a pic :)

 

Edit: There are also a lot of "auto" options, like ISO and white balance and other stuff. So essentially you can let the camera do most of the work and basically point n shoot ;)

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
 

Do you normally have to adjust everything with dslrs, or can I just point/shoot?

Modern DSLRs are mostly used like point-and-shoots. They are that easy to use. It's kinda shame that most owners don't even try out any manual settings nowadays...

 

Its not as hard as you think, auto focus is snappy enough with the 18-55 lens you can get it bundled with (you could even get a pancake lens if you want a really really small camera). There are other things you can adjust like ISO and aperture and white balance but for the most part you can just take it out and quickly auto focus to something and snap a pic :)

Even with a pancake lens, there's only so much that can be taken out of a DSLR; 100D might be small for a DSLR, but just try and pocket that thing... There's a reason mirrorless cameras have gained popularity from casual shooters to dedicated hobbyists to enthusiasts, even some professionals have ditched DSLRs, but most still keep using them.

 

We still don't know how small camera OP is looking for, though. How small does it need to be, in what situations and in what environment will the camera be used... All those questions are still unanswered.

Never trust my advice. Only take any and all advice from me with a grain of salt. Just a heads up.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

 

 
 

Modern DSLRs are mostly used like point-and-shoots. They are that easy to use. It's kinda shame that most owners don't even try out any manual settings nowadays...

 

Even with a pancake lens, there's only so much that can be taken out of a DSLR; 100D might be small for a DSLR, but just try and pocket that thing... There's a reason mirrorless cameras have gained popularity from casual shooters to dedicated hobbyists to enthusiasts, even some professionals have ditched DSLRs, but most still keep using them.

 

We still don't know how small camera OP is looking for, though. How small does it need to be, in what situations and in what environment will the camera be used... All those questions are still unanswered.

 

True :P

When any DSLR user hears "small", SL1 is usually the first thing to come to mind.

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author

True :P

When any DSLR user hears "small", SL1 is usually the first thing to come to mind.

 

 

 
 

Modern DSLRs are mostly used like point-and-shoots. They are that easy to use. It's kinda shame that most owners don't even try out any manual settings nowadays...

 

Even with a pancake lens, there's only so much that can be taken out of a DSLR; 100D might be small for a DSLR, but just try and pocket that thing... There's a reason mirrorless cameras have gained popularity from casual shooters to dedicated hobbyists to enthusiasts, even some professionals have ditched DSLRs, but most still keep using them.

 

We still don't know how small camera OP is looking for, though. How small does it need to be, in what situations and in what environment will the camera be used... All those questions are still unanswered.

 

 

Something that isn't huge. I'd consider the Nikon D3300 to be a little too big. RX100 is the size that I prefer. I will be using the camera for vacation photos such as mexico. Something I can easily carry around, slip into a purse ect ect. I wanna know if there is something better than the RX100 in the same price-range. Cannon S120 looks good, but seems to have poor image quality compared to the rx100.

 

I'm not looking to be a professional sit there and adjust my camera type of person. I wanna whip it out and save a memory.

blackshades on

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

Something that isn't huge. I'd consider the Nikon D3300 to be a little too big. RX100 is the size that I prefer. I will be using the camera for vacation photos such as mexico. Something I can easily carry around, slip into a purse ect ect. I wanna know if there is something better than the RX100 in the same price-range. Cannon S120 looks good, but seems to have poor image quality compared to the rx100.

 

I'm not looking to be a professional sit there and adjust my camera type of person. I wanna whip it out and save a memory.

Id just get the RX100 IV, its getting great reviews all around so far :D

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

It's $1000 :( The original is around my price point

If your budget is $500 then Im gonna hardily stick to my SL1 recommendation.

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

Id just get the RX100 IV, its getting great reviews all around so far :D

Eeh... Mark 4 version might just be out of the 500$ price range. In-fact even mark 3 might be over-budget.

 

How about Sony a6000 or a5000? Those are also quite good, though the former could be over-budget.

Never trust my advice. Only take any and all advice from me with a grain of salt. Just a heads up.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

Eeh... Mark 4 version might just be out of the 500$ price range. In-fact even mark 3 might be over-budget.

Yeh, look above :P Completely forgot for a second that price was an object, stupid me I guess :P

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing Photography and Videography

×