Carry-around Compact

So ideally we would always use our Nikon SLRs, whether film or (increasingly) digital. But

sometimes we just can't carry all the SLR kit, or it's not an appropriate occasion or whatever.

And to cover those occasions when we can't bring the F5 or the D2x - or even the D70 -

maybe we have a little compact, digital or film.

 

What compact do you all have?

 

I don't have one at the moment, but I'm thinking about it and I'd welcome learning what other

Nikon users have.

Digital: Canon S60 (I know it's made by The Dark Side, but it has full manual controls, can make RAW files, uses the same CF cards I use in my Nikon DSLRs and produces good images.)

 

Film: Olympus Stylus Epic (pocketable, great lens, cheap.)

the Nikon Coolpix 8700 is almost enough for me to carry it on important trips. I hate the electronic viewer, but for landscapes it is ok. Terrible for sports or fast moving. Great pictures, 8mp. Not quite wide enough. I got the wide adapter; what a brick of glass, but not as bad as a 35 mm kit. so 28-270 range in 35mm terms. All in all, pretty good.

I did have a Canon Ixus 500 but the compact disc door catch broke after very little use. So now I have a Leica D-LUX 2 which has good screen , lots of control with manual, RAW and a decent lens.It does use a different storage card to my D200 but I have a JOBO Giga One - which is storage for any type of card etc.Takes up to 40GB of files.

Canon GIII QL17. Fantastic little camera.

I'll second both the Olympus Stylus and Canon GIII QL17. My third favorite because it is just a bit bigger and heavier is a Zorki 3M - but I also have to carry a meter so it's a bit more serious.

I just bought an Olympus Stylus Epic (I've wanted one for awhile and got lucky on an eBay auction - bought a refurbished camera directly from Olympus America), and sometimes I carry a Fed 2b with a collapsible Industar-22 55/3.5. The Fed isn't exactly lightweight but it is pretty small and it is pocketable in a jacket.

I have the Stylus Epic loaded with Delta 100 or HP5+.

 

I don't have a compact digital camera, although if I ever do get one, it'll be one that takes CF cards.

 

KL

Kodak V550 on my belt or inside my everyday-carry bag with the D70.

Olympus C-5050 in my briefcase or jacket pocket or backpack when I'm out in the trails riding my bicycle or when fishing and hunting.

and the Stylus Epic for film. This wonder gets into my F2AS bag on my film trip.

Bessa L and 15mm (CV lens) plus a Minox GL (35mm f/2.8 lens).

Digital? Fuji F10 or F11, by FAR.

 

All the other P&S are crappy at high ISOs, which is what snapshooting is all about. The F10 is great even at ISO 800.

This may not quite be what you're after; I like my Yashica Electro 35 GSN rangefinder. It

requires a fairly good-sized pocket, but it features a great 45mm f/1.7 lens, shutter

speeds to 30 sec. so it's a real camera. It (and many other rangefinders from the 70s) are

practically free now, so it's pretty painless to aquire one, and they're so quiet as to be

stealthy, compared to SLRs.

Canon SD20. Horrible noise at 400 but I kinda like it.

Rollei 35/Stylus Epic/Retina IIA are my recommendations.

 

Otherwise a Nikon FE with the 45 pancake lens + it's a backup to your other equipment.

Olympus Stylus Epic with the fixed lens just can't be beat for the price and optical quality. I've had several, some lost in situations where I wouldn't take an expensive camera, and brought back great images. You can shoot this one handed, like when riding on a bicycle ride. Everyone should own one of these. I recently attended a workshop taught by Bob Lerner, very noted Look magazine photographer. He was now shooting with a Stylus Epic.

 

I also have a Canon GIII QL17. Great camera, great lens as well. It's the untimate low light compact camera.

Pentax UC-1. The only problem is they haven't been made for several years and don't show up used all that often. If I had to replace it I would probably get a Stylus Epic.

When the price drops for the Canon Powershot SD450 5MP Digital Elph, I plan to pick one up. I bought my son one of these last Christmas, and it takes beautiful 5MP pictures, has a huge 2.5" LCD (almost as big as the camera itself), and is very compact. The only downside is that is does not take AA batteries.

I use my Nikon Coolpix 5400 on the days when I do not carry my D70. Excellent lens and a camera that has many of the DSLR features. At 5.1 mp the print details are excellent. A real plus is that it uses CF cards. I really enjoy the B&W mode that even the D70 does not have. Also has a real viewfinder and the shutter is super-quiet. Much like the older mechanical rangefinders.<div></div>

Film: Contax T3 (fantastic lens)

 

Digital: Konica KD-500Z

my reply is exactly the same as Joe Raymonds; a Nikon Coolpix 5400 as a backup to my D-70. I just returned from Tokyo and used the 5400 on a day when I wasn't feeling all that great and just did not have the energy to carry the D-70 around. cb