Which small camera for street photography ?

Spy

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I am looking to get back to photography and interested in a small and compact camera I can carry around, as small as possible that I can whip out and take good photos, low light included.
I heard that the Leica Q cameras are good for that but too expensive for me.

I want something cheap, so used is the path I want to go down. I was thinking of the Rich GR cameras and the Fuji XQ2 as well as potentially the X-M1 but even they cost more than I want to spend.

Does anyone know of any cameras that fit the bill but are under the radar and therefore can be picked up for less than £200 ?
 
How small is small? Small bag, jacket pocket, trouser pocket?

Do you have a preferred focal length?

One option that occurs, I used to use a GF2 with the Olympus 17mm which is a very pocketable combo. One of the older GFs and then spend the rest on a Oly17 or Panasonic 20 1.7. E.g. GF3 are tiny. Getting on a bit now, but just makes them cheap, and they're still "proper" cameras.

Or lately I was using a A7 with the Samyang 35/2.8 which is "jacket pocket" for me (have since upgraded to the A7Cii which is the same size class, before going FF I had an X100).
 
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I have a Canon G5 X (Mk I)

24-100 mm, 1" sensor, 1.8-2.8 throughout the lens.

Would fit the bill.

There are lots in the Canon G series, but I don't know all the ins and out of specs.

Currently none on MPB, but I paid £325 for mine SH. The downside is that it's half your budget again...

I ummed and ahhed between that and any of the Sony RX100 models. For me, the sweet spot was the models III through V.

They have a 1.8-2.8, 24-70 equivalent range. The ones before that had greater range, but were much slower at the long end. The ones after went up to 200mm at the long end, but again, at the expense of speed.

They are noticeably smaller than the Canon though and by all accounts are excellent.
 
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I think that the best bang for your buck is either the Sony HX series or the Panasonic TZ series, both of which give you a lens equivalent to a 28-720mm range and will fit in a trouser or jacket pocket. I use both.

Cameras Sony HX90 and Panasonic TZ70 DSC01601.JPG

The HX has a tilting screen that allows it to be inconspicuous if required. The TZ is slightly better in the eyelevel finder department. I find that both suit my needs well. Other peoples' mileage will vary.

The HX works well in low light and is seldom if ever noticed...

Bearded young man with glasses pleased expression HX90 00194.JPG

The TZ is slightly faster in use and feels that little bit tougher...

Inghams rep at Innsbruck Airport TZ40 1010044.JPG
 
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thank you for all the suggestions, I will go away and read a bit more about them. A few questions/observations first though.

  • The RX100 Mk7 is way too expensive for what I am looking for.
  • Is the TZ better than the HX in low light ?
  • Is the HX better/worse than the RX ?
  • Although the G5 looks bulky compared to the others, is the G5 X better than than either the HX, RX or TZ due to bigger sensor ?
 
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I’ve not tried any of the others to compare.

But I think the Sony RX range are all also 1" sensors.

But here's a link to my G5 album on flickr so you can at least see what I've done with it. LINK

Part of my rationale for the G5 was that it came equipped with a viewfinder and hotshoe. But I will admit, it's definitely a jacket pocket camera rather than a trouser pocket camera.
 
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X100f for me. My favourite focal length, I love the OVF for non street photography, EVF/ mono/ zone and manual focus for street.

Ricoh GR is the only other that would interest me aside from the out of budget Leica range :)
 
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benc98 said:
If I was starting now.. I'd look no further than the Ricoh GR range
Click to expand...

LeeRatters said:
X100f for me. My favourite focal length, I love the OVF for non street photography, EVF/ mono/ zone and manual focus for street.
Click to expand...
If either of you could find those cameras for under £200 let me have the link too...
 
One camera I often recommend is the Panasonic GX80 which is a RF style evf in the corner MFT camera. Mine has a 14mm f2.5 on it giving a FF equivalent focal length of 28mm. Sadly though I doubt very much you'd get a GX80 and 14mm f2.5 for £200, more like £350-£450.

My starting point would be to decide if I wanted a VF or not and what focal length I wanted.
 
I have been looking a bit more today and realise it will be a struggle at this budget. What can I get up to £300 ?

The Nikon Coolpix A sounds like it could be good at that price range. Any experience with the Nikon as a street camera ?

Also, trawling through the classifieds here, I see that the LX100 is typically £300 used - is that small enough ? difficult to tell from the photos but the lens may make it less pocketable ?
 
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One camera I often recommend is the Panasonic GX80 which is a RF style evf in the corner MFT camera. Mine has a 14mm f2.5 on it giving a FF equivalent focal length of 28mm. Sadly though I doubt very much you'd get a GX80 and 14mm f2.5 for £200, more like £350-£450.
Click to expand...

You'd get that on a GF5 or 6 for 200 though I reckon.

GF6 £85: https://www.wexphotovideo.com/panasonic-lumix-dmc-gf6-digital-camera-silver-used-3194451/
14mm 2.5 £117 https://www.wexphotovideo.com/panasonic-14mm-f2-5-lumix-g-lens-micro-four-thirds-fit-used-3194962/

£2 over budget?

No viewfinder but even smaller than a GX...
 
I like the fact a GF6 is small but is the AF faster than the Nikon ?
Also, worried that a 14mm lens will overly compromise on portraits - any experience with that lens ?

Also, any opinions on the LX100 compared to some of the other cameras mentioned here such as the TZ100, XQ2 etc. In particular, anyone know how it compares to the Ricoh GR range ?
 
Also, worried that a 14mm lens will overly compromise on portraits - any experience with that lens ?
Click to expand...

What's your own preference, what focal lengths do you commonly shoot with?

E.g. if you have an iPhone, a 14mm on m4/3 is 28mm equivalent - that's like the main camera on an iPhone.
 
I'm not trying to sell you on the Canon, but when I wanted a compact, I made myself a list of the things that mattered to me. And it pointed to the Canon being better for me and what I wanted. I think there are probably better pure street cameras, but then mine wasn't meant to be only for street.

It was actually bought as an alternative to taking a full-on DSLR on nights out. But is also fairly discreet when walking around cities. But the principle is the same. This is a list of the things I thought about.

I prefer zooms to fixed focal lengths. If you want a zoom, what range are you looking at?
If you want a fixed focal length, what is best for street and what do you have experience with? 28mm and 35mm seem to be ones preferred by street togs. (so the 14mm lens above would work for you at 28mm FF equivalent).
Do you want or need a hot shoe?
Do you want or need a view finder? And then Optical or Digital?
Would you prefer a fully foldable screen?
Is the package size more or less important than overall quality?
Do you envisage night shoots? How fast does the lens need to be? Primes are often faster than zooms.
How comfortable are you with getting strangers in your shots? Do you want a little distance, or are you happy to be a little more in their faces. this would then impact your choice of focal length. I think the Ricoh GRs now come in two different flavours. The GR III has a 28mm full-frame equivalent field of view, while the GR IIIx has a 40mm equivalent field of view for example.

You could certainly rule out (or rule in) different cameras with a list like this.
 
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Spy said:
Also, any opinions on the LX100 compared to some of the other cameras mentioned here such as the TZ100, XQ2 etc. In particular, anyone know how it compares to the Ricoh GR range ?
Click to expand...

I bought an LX100 mark 1 recently from someone on the forum for a very good price. If you keep looking you might find one for around £300. I've also got the Sony RX100 mark 7 and that cost me around £800, though I've been using the LX100 a lot more.

LX100 Pros:
- It uses the same sensor and processor as the Leica D-Lux 7
- It has a Leica Summilux 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 zoom lens
- The micro 4/3 sensor is larger than the Sony's 1" sensor
- The controls are easy to use and understand
- Has a good viewfinder
- Has a good range of picture styles and an extensive set of filter effects
- Picture styles can have colour, light, sharpness, NR adjustments
- High-contrast Mono is excellent for street photos
- Very light in the hand compared to a mirrorless camera or DSLR

LX100 Cons:
- It uses Panasonic's colour science, not Leica's, though it's still excellent
- Much shorter zoom range than some, but probably the most useful range for street
- Doesn't fit in a trouser pocket unless you wear cargos, but does fit in a jacket pocket
- Fixed LCD screen

These days, if I'm going out to do street photography and don't want to take my Fuji X-T30ii and lenses, it's the LX100 I'll grab and go with.
 
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the_accidental said:
You'd get that on a GF5 or 6 for 200 though I reckon.

GF6 £85: https://www.wexphotovideo.com/panasonic-lumix-dmc-gf6-digital-camera-silver-used-3194451/
14mm 2.5 £117 https://www.wexphotovideo.com/panasonic-14mm-f2-5-lumix-g-lens-micro-four-thirds-fit-used-3194962/

£2 over budget?

No viewfinder but even smaller than a GX...
Click to expand...

I always liked the IQ I got from the GF1 and G1. I still do look at pictures taken with these cameras and think they have a nice look and quality. I swapped the GF1 for a G1 as I couldn't manage without a VF. These cameras a getting on now but a newer GX1 or G2/G3 in good condition and with plastic which hasn't gone sticky would be nice.
 
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Thanks for all the suggestions. I keep going off to look them up.

I know i am a bit all over the place but there seem to be a lot of options.
One I came across is the Panny LX15 - anyone with experience of this one who can comment on its performance ?
 
I always liked the IQ I got from the GF1 and G1. I still do look at pictures taken with these cameras and think they have a nice look and quality
Click to expand...

I know exactly what you mean about that, there's something about them (I have a G1, and had a GF2). Very true colours or something.

The colour off the Oly 17mm on it particularly.
 
There's always a very different alternative...

An FILM Compact...

Probably get something usable for about £30, which leaves lots of money for film and processing...

I have one of these Ricoh FF3 - AF cameras.

www.willwanderphotography.com

Gear Review 5: Ricoh FF-3 AF, 38 Years Later — Will Wander Photography

After buying many copies of crappy little point and shoots in pursuit of finding a lost gem, I have it. A largely forgotten camera, made by a company not quite famous yet, flying under the radar of its younger brothers.
www.willwanderphotography.com www.willwanderphotography.com

Just really beginning to use it after inheriting it from my in-laws. But great for street photography, paired with some B&W film. The colour shots in my link below were from CineStill 800T.

Here's some of my shot from it so far.
 
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Best one i have had was the little Ricoh GRIII.

Truly pocketable and takes some stunning images.
 
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