Travel camera advice... please!
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- BuddhaHat
In light of the potato photos my HTC m8 takes, and the phone's subsequent pissweak battery life, I'm considering dropping some dinero on a new travel camera. By travel camera, I don't mean something with giant lenses that can't be crammed in a winter jacket pocket. USD budget around $300-500ish. I ain't no pro, so I'm not going to spend like I am one :) It would be nice to have f-stop below 2.0 if at all possible. Mega-zoom is not hugely important to me.
Models I have briefly looked at include
Panasonic DMX-LX100EGK
Sony DSC-HX60
Sony DSCRX100Some of you peeps have more camera knowledge crammed in your pinky finger than your average electronics dept, so any of your knowledge is appreciated.
I'm more than happy to receive links to reviews or buying guides that you guys trust, if you don't have the time for details. ¡Gracias!
- robotron3k-5
For your budget, I would totally recommend the Sony RX100 III
- fits in pocket!!
- not weather proof but weather resistant
- fast lens, great battery
- 4k, slow mo
- wifi trigger (i believe)
- electronic viewfinderRemember even when you buy the camera, you'll always need a bit extra $$$ for a case, any coverings, extra battery, strap, SD card, warranty, it always cost a bit more than you think when you buy new... hope that helps.
- Good advice thanks robo, and an amazing looking camera. Perhaps worth jumping up a price range for what you get. Cheers.BuddhaHat
- haha love the downvotes! Adorama has a good price on the III around $550robotron3k
- $748 on adorama as of this moment for the M3BuddhaHat
- mandomafioso0
I got a Fuji X100S a couple years ago for travel. I absolutely love it. Sometimes miss a zoom but the photos are brilliant.
- i think very good for street photography and cool retro look, like an old Leicarobotron3k
- Beautiful camera, the shots it takes look great. Price is double the listed budget before even buying extras =\BuddhaHat
- The Fuji X series with a pancake prime lens would be pretty tiny. I've got the xe2s and it could fit into a jacket pocket.dorkKn1ght
- johndiggity1
Try the Sony mirrorless (A5000 or A6000 series). Can swap lenses if you want to expand capabilities in the future. Might be able to find some deals on older modelsl. Good camera to learn on if you want to get more into photography as well.
- Thanks johnd, I'll check it out and see what I think. It's in the price range, which is a good start!BuddhaHat
- Dont you have to buy apps from the "store" to add functionality? Otherwise, they're a great choice imodorkKn1ght
- I have not purchased any apps for these. The alpha line is basically a step below DSLR. I think Sony has the best mirrorless.johndiggity
- ok_not_ok1
- A definite contender, and within the price range I mentioned. Thanks!!BuddhaHat
- Retro styling.monospaced
- face_melter-1
A second-hand Panasonic GF1 - don't be put off by the secondhand bit, they are fantastic cameras and normally well-looked after. If you're lucky you should be able to find one with extra glass other than the fairly average kit lens.
- Don't bother with the GF2 or 3, Panasonic shot their bolt with the 1 and each subsequent version was progressively worse.face_melter
- fruitsalad0
Olympus PEN E-PL7 (body) + M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm F1.8
If you google around you can get them for just near $500
Pro: It's not about the camera, it's all about the lens. Fast, works well in low light, smooth bokeh, beautiful portraits and crisp landscapes.
Con: Its a prime lens, so no zoom. It's not wide angle, so it forces you to take a lot of steps back from your subjects. So pick up a cheap used 14-42 kit lens.
Get a stylish leather should strap for it and wear it like a hipster fashion icon. never mind the camera in pocket nonsense, you just dust up the lens with pocket lint.
2nd choice Fujifilm x70 or the fujifilm x20 was pretty decent.
- Thank you! My brother-in-law has a PL7, dunno what lens, but it does shoot great pics. Sadly, I wasn't able to turn up the parts you listed for that price =\BuddhaHat
- Seems price has gone up, I think I bought when there was stock still left and shops wanted to shift it.fruitsalad
- sofakingback4
Fujifilm X70. End Thread. Period.
lol
No seriously, its nice.
- I'll second this. It's my daily camera, takes amazing photos, and won me over with Fuji.mg33
- formed2
Sony RX100 (get a used one or older model if you can't afford the latest, they are all pretty stellar and so tiny):
http://pisces.bbystatic.com/imag…(v III is $650 I think)
- inteliboy2
^^
This. Go a Fuji X on whatever your max budget is. They shoot like film cameras - far more fun. Fuji make A+ glass as well.
- Fuji lens are good. It's all about the lens, don't get distracted by fancy features.fruitsalad
- pango3
Fuji x30.
- The X10/20/30 series have been my favourite pocket cameras for a while now. The X30 has a digi viewfinder which makes a huge difference over the one in the X20.face_melter
- Weird can't find that series on b&h anymorepango
- Yeah, I looked on my usual stores here and it's totally gone - I was actually in the mood to buy one to replace my X20 : /face_melter
- Oh, after looking a bit more, it has been discontinued by Fuji with no plans for an X40. Fuck's sake.face_melter
- how long did it take you to get used to the Fuji viewfinder compared to a DSLR? I tried a fuji x100s at a music festival . couldn't get used to the viewfindervaxorcist
- The X20 Vf is pish - just a hole through the body, the X30 has a proper digital one but I use an X-T1 for everything now.face_melter
- id go for a xt1 if he doesn't have a budget cap.pango
- formed2
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/p…
I'd get the latest one you can afford. Go for a Fuji or Olympus if you want retro style. You really can't go wrong with any of them.
- Seriously great fucken camera. And I'm current smashing my head around searching my luggage for itfuturefood
- The RX100, whichever model I can afford, is looking like a top contender right now. Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it.BuddhaHat
- Bennn0
Check this out :
- mekk0
- he said 300-500 ish. no big lens.pango
- wait... ya i guess pancake len will do. shit... used are around 200-300. O_O did not know they are that cheap.pango
- yupmekk
- I bought this camera years ago. I loved it. I think the slow autofocus and lack of viewfinder make it hard to recommend now that there are better cameras outerr
- I think if you want to go the older camera route you should get the Sony a6000err
- I've got an a6000. Great camera, but not as small as the other. Could go to the a5000 or a5300.johndiggity
- mg332
Gonna sound like a fanboy, but I couldn't conceive of getting anything other than a Fuji X Series camera - any of them. I use an X70 for my daily camera, and I've fallen in love with shooting jpgs using their film simulations - something, to my knowledge, that you are not going to find in any other camera maker at this time. Sure, there are other makers with nice in-camera processing, but IMO they don't come close to Fuji in their excellent recreations of their own film. They're a thing of beauty.
I'm actually selling my Nikon D610 and lenses to get a Fuji XT2 to make that my primary bigger camera.
Also, highly suggest reading stuff on www.fujilove.com. Full of inspiration, gear reviews, etc.
- thanks mg33, I'll have a read, that sounds interesting and some fuji simulation pics I've looked at in Google Images look fucking beautiful.BuddhaHat
- Fascinatingmonospaced
- check out the XT20, its the XT2 but smaller, lighter version.Bennn
- XT20 looks beautiful, but more than double budget =\BuddhaHat
- Also, the X70 has the same processor as the XT1. so its a killer camera in a small size. not to mention the awesome tilt screen that flips for selfie mode! ;)sofakingback
- ^ Yep. And that's what ultimately made me want an XT2 :)mg33
- BuddhaHat1
Thanks to everyone for their input on my questions, I really appreciate you sharing your experience with the different models that were either within my budget, or heinously more expensive :)
A person can only read so many reviews and look at so many sample pics before the eyes begin to water, and the mind begins to wander (to the Politics thread), so I finally got it boiled down to the Sony RX100 Mark iii, the Canon G7X Mark ii, and the FujiFilm X70.
https://www.dpreview.com/product…
Stacking up the stats next to each other, the Fuji doesn't seem to pack quite as much a punch as the Canon, or particularly the Sony, but in the sample images dept the X70 won out for my eyes every time (thanks mg33!). So, I think I'll be joining the FujiFilm Fanclub very shortly :)Before I drop the cash with the cheapest Spanish seller I could find (by quite a bit, 560EUR - 140EUR cheaper than Amazon), does anybody have any horror stories about shopping with eglobalcentral.com.es?
https://www.eglobalcentral.com.e…Also, question for the other X70 owners... what accessories do you recommend, or you think are must-haves?
- Nice going! I only have a wrist strap for it, and keep the shorter lens hood on at all times. Get yourself one of these: http://www.gordyscam…mg33
- Also, get a few more batteries and a stand-alone charger. Keep batteries charged at all times. It eats batteries but that's the nature of a non-viewfinde cam.mg33
- bring this with you everywhere
http://i.imgur.com/L…pango - personally, I would never buy a cam w/o some viewfinder (I have a Canon M). Did you look at the Fuji X100S? https://www.adorama.…formed
- LOL pango!!BuddhaHat
- The X100s looks like a great option too, @formed, trying to find one this side of the Atlantic is proving difficult though =\BuddhaHat
- Ahh, I now see you've posted a used condition unit, that explains the unbelievable price... hmm.....BuddhaHat
- Oh, didn't realize it was used. I know it's older, but the X100 is superb. I don't use my Canon because of no viewfinder.formed
- Batteries die in minutes and it's useless in the sun.formed
- i have problem holding tiny camera to my face... it just feels weird... Use LED screen instead. and histogram for if you can't see your screen.pango
- maybe that's too much...
suck it up! buy a dslr instead! lolpango - Pango lolfuturefood