Canon G15, Fuji X20, or another?

pete s

pete s

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Pete
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I’d like to buy a smaller replacement for my DSLR kit. I want manual controls. I want more range than just a fixed focal length lens offers (so no X100). Interchangeable lenses is fine, as is non-interchangeable zoom. I don't want anything too small, as I find the handling a bit tricky with fairly large hands.

So far I’ve been thinking about the Canon G15, maybe the Fuji X20, possibly even the X-E1 if I can stretch the budget. For now though let's assume my budget is up to £600. What would be your choice and which others should I add to my shortlist? :)
 
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Re-worded this one to prompt some thoughts/opinions. :)
 
Panasonic GX1 or an Olympus EPL5, small light, all the control you could want and some very good lenses available.
 
I want a 'do it all' camera. From portraits and family, to landscapes, holidays, etc. I'd be looking to sell on my DSLR and my pocket compact, the proceeds from which will buy the replacement.
 
In the same circumstances and for the same use, I went for the XP1 because I couldn't get on with the EVL in the X-E1 (nothing wrong with it, personal preference) plus I got the Fuji offer of a free 18mm lens into the bargain.

Obviously I'm biased but what swung it for me was the resolution and low-light capability of the sensor. It's so good that I'm seriously considering an X100s as a second body once the prices drop a bit.

I've posted these before but can't help posting them again. This was taken at 10 o'clock at night under street lights with a few display lights off in the distance (hence the blue cast) and is straight out of the camera. The smaller image is a 100% crop on the guy's collar.


Fuji X-Pro1 Test Shot by Strappster, on Flickr


Fuji X-Pro1 Test Shot 100% Crop by Strappster, on Flickr


As said, I'm biased but I'd go for the X-E1 if you can stretch to it or the X20 if you'd rather not. I wanted to be able to change lenses as I have a lot of older manual focus lenses for my film cameras and I can use them on the XP with a cheap adapter.


ETA: forgot the EXIF gets stripped - it's f/1.4 and 1/50s at ISO4000, camera was set to auto-ISO with a max. of 6400.
 
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Thanks for the info so far. The Fuji X's seem to be technologically ahead of the Canons and in the case of the X-E1 it would be good to have the larger sensor. Can I stetch budget to buy one of these? I don't know yet. I need to assess my priorities.

Of the cheaper camera - the G1X has a larger sensor, but I fear the poor macro performance and slow focus issues would bug me too much. The G15 (and soon G16) sound good, as does the X20, which may be the one for me if I cannot stretch to the X-E1.

So it seems that I'm talking myself into one or other of the Fujis - X20, smaller sensor, fixed lens, lower cost, or X-E1, larger sensor, interchangeable lenses, higher cost.
 
pete s said:
So it seems that I'm talking myself into one or other of the Fujis - X20, smaller sensor, fixed lens, lower cost, or X-E1, larger sensor, interchangeable lenses, higher cost.
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Hi, If you were to go for either the X20 or the X-E1 you would not be dissapointed with either of them.

I'm lucky enough to have both and as far as I'm concerned they are both superb bits of kit. The lens on the X20 is as good as anything I have seen in a comparable format, even wide open at F2 the images are very sharp, stop it down to F2.8 or F4 and it is pin sharp right across the frame. I have made prints from this camera at A3+ in size of very good quality. It is an excellent camera.

As for the X-E1 apart from the XP1 there is nothing similar on the market in that format that comes close. It is a very versatile camera and the lenses are optically every bit as good as anything I have used on my D800. And with the latest firmware update the slow focussing problems seem to be a thing of the past. If you can stretch financies then this is the one to go for without a doubt.

Hope this helps.
 
X20 would be my choice due to it feeling pretty sturdy the manual controls and the fuji colours. Also with a 2.0 aperture and the short end and 2.8 at the long end you still get some ok depth of field for a compact. Also the Macro is excellent.

Other option maybe a Panasonic GX1 with Panasonic 20 mm and Olympus 45 mm if looking at second hand should be able to pick this up for under your budget,

Andy
 
Fuji is still the front runner for me, on paper.

I've had Lumix G's before and although they are undoubtedly good cameras, I found in use that I was regularly diving into menus to adjust quite simple parameters. I guess I'm a bit old fashioned in that I like most of the creative and exposure control to be easily accessable from dials and button without the need to delve deep into menus. I don't like or want touch screens either. Give me something more tactile. I also want a camera to feel robust and well built, not like a toy.

I read someones comment on a thread on here recently saying that they felt a camera (don't remember which) felt like a lens attached to a computer. That to me sums up many of the more recent offerings. I personally do not like that and prefer something that handles a bit more traditionally, if if there's lots of trickery going on behind the scenes.

With the above comments in mind, how would you say the Fuji's would fare in my hands?
 
Without wanting to bang on about it, it sounds to me as though the Fuji is the camera for you. I'm still impressed by how solid the XP feels while being so light (comparatively speaking); everything's easy to find, I can access the important settings without taking the camera away from my eye (AF points, AE mode, focus peaking, etc.), there's an exposure compensation dial and AE lock right under my thumb and the quick menu gives access to pretty much everything I might want to change quickly ... erm ... quite quickly ... plus there's two user-customisable buttons so you don't have to keep dropping into menus.

Honestly, I don't receive any commission from Fuji. :geek:
 
Pete, not sure where in E Devon you are or how often you get to the big city (!) of Exeter but I have an X-20 and an XF-1 that you can have a play with if you can make it into Exeter during the week. I used to have an X-10 but sold it to a friend who loves it. I like the XF-1 for its pocketability but bought the X-10 (and consequently the X-20) for the OVF. I particularly wanted non interchangeable lenses - if I wanted to carry a system, I would carry a DSLR!
 
Nod said:
Pete, not sure where in E Devon you are or how often you get to the big city (!) of Exeter but I have an X-20 and an XF-1 that you can have a play with if you can make it into Exeter during the week. I used to have an X-10 but sold it to a friend who loves it. I like the XF-1 for its pocketability but bought the X-10 (and consequently the X-20) for the OVF. I particularly wanted non interchangeable lenses - if I wanted to carry a system, I would carry a DSLR!
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A kind offer, thanks Nod. I'm in Honiton and do get into Exeter occasionally, but work further away, so not during the week.

I need to decide between the X20 and X-E1, the latter being quite a lot more outlay. I'm trying to work out what my priorities are and whether fixed lens or interchangeable is the way to go. I understand your reasoning and to some extent I'm the same - wishing to downsize and carry less kit around.

A bit of a confession now! I'm a serial camera changer and I did own a Fuji X10 a while ago, but sold it to move back to a DSLR. I seem to flit from one to the other and back again. I didn't have the X10 for long, not because I didn't like it, but because I had some money available to upgrade to the DSLR. To be honest I cannot really remember how well I did get on with the it. I know it was a nice quality, well built camera, but it's the control and handling I can't recall, hence all the questions. Daft I know.

Having changed from DSLR to m4/3 to compact and back to DSLR in the past, I really don't want to do it again after this move, so it has to be right.
 
The X-10 (and X-20) both handle in a similar way to an old rangefinder (apart from the focussing!) and have a handy exposure compensation dial just above the control wheel. My X-20's still new enough for the EC dial to be reasonably stiff but I can see that with a lot of use (which mine sometimes gets since I can't resist sunsets/rises!) it could possibly loosen up enough to be nudged accidentally in normal use.

I assume you're already aware of the baby X thread and it's older cousins dedicated to the X-10 and X-20.
 
I lost my photo-mojo a few years ago but this year my wife decided that we would be going on a Caribbean cruise which immediately got me thinking that it's photo time! I didn't want to be carting DSLR stuff around so after reading lots of reviews of different camera's I decided on the X20. I'm amazed by it, the results belie it's size, the controls are intuitive and with the lens hood on I can play with filters.

I don't hesitate in recommending one as a cure to DSLR's!
 
I've just bought a Panasonic TZ35 , not as a replacement per se but for walking arround, it has 16.5mp , 20x optical zoom , and PASM control. - £159 from exeter pc world (i'm in branscombe btw)
 
I recently went through a similar dilemma. I wanted something portable for parties and family gatherings type shots and to carry around, but not to replace my DSLR.

I narrowed it down to the G15 and the Fuji X20. In the end I opted for the Canon, partly because I already have a Canon flash and software, but also I read that the X20 was heavy on batteries, the lens cap has a tendency to be lost, and that it wasn't great for videos. I also thought the G15 was a bit more compact - and a bit cheaper! I thought the Fuji was a better looking camera though and I did like the EVF :)

So far I have been really happy with the G15. I've been at a music festival today and was amazed at the video quality in a dark tent. It didn't cope with the very loud music- but I doubt anything would have to be honest. I'm enjoying using it on aperture priority mostly, but have done some auto pics too.

I think if I was to replace my DSLR I would probably look at the other, slightly larger Fujis but as a compact I'm really glad I got the G15.
 
Bebop is right about the X20 and batteries, it does have an appetite. I bought a spare so I always had one charged (I kept the spare in wifey's handbag!)

As for the lens cap .... I bought a brown leather case for it - if you're going to go retro then do it properly. The deciding factor for me was the aperture, the dedicated exposure compensation dial and the OVF.
 
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