What's the most kick-ass digital point and shoot right now?

Hey all,

 

A few years ago, I was using the first version Ricoh GRD, and then a bit later, a Sigma DP-1.

The GRD was the quickest shooting, most ergonomically perfect camera I've ever used, but seemed lacking in

image quality. The DP-1 made very sharp, high quality photos, but was awkward to shoot with.

 

What's the state of the art these days? I never did shoot RAW with the Ricoh but I don't think

that would have made a significant difference in sharpness- which is most of what it lacked.

 

If there's a camera that combines the best of the GRD and DP-1 with possibly some added

high ISO capability and above average tonal range for black and white (and quality color), I'd be interested.

 

Thanks...

<p>Canon, Leica and Fuji all have models with pretty big sensors. The Fuji and Leica both have APS-C sensors wide angle prime lenses, the Canon has a zoom lens and a bit smaller sensor.</p>

<p>Check out maximum resolution samples from the GRD IV. The raw/DNG files at ISO 80-200 are very good to excellent for this class. The in-camera JPEGs are just a wee bit overprocessed - which mainly affects fine detail in grass and subtle textures in buildings - but no worse than any comparable tiny sensor 10mp digicam such as the Sony TX-10, Olympus and Canons in this sensor/mp class.</p>

<p>There are lots of max rez JPEGs on Flickr, but if you'd rather see the raw/DNG let me know and I'll provide a link to my mediafire account with full rez DNGs - they're around 15 MB. The GRD IV can resolve fine detail in distant utility towers and lines, building textures, etc., pretty well.</p>

<p>Dunno if the GRD IV is *best value* in class for 10mp tiny sensor cams - it's certainly pricey - but the small size, excellent ergonomics, nimble reflexes (especially the improved AF) and build quality make it the best I've handled.</p>

<p>Beyond that, I'm seriously considering the NEX 5N.</p>

<h1>kick-ass digital point and shoot right now?</h1>

<blockquote>

<p>Define kick-ass and P&S.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>kick-ass in straight up IQ, lens selection, AF speed/shutter lag, features or what? There are many selections and there's no current clear winner.</p>

<p>P&S...are we talking fixed lens, small sensor, large sensor (how large?), interchangeable lens, strictly small size? Again, there are many choices and it'd help if you define what's a P&S to you?</p>

<p> </p>

A GRD IV file would be great Lex. I'll try emailing you...

 

Leslie, I'm interested in something small in size like the GRD or DP-1.

Fixed medium wide lens or moderate wide zoom. Negligible or zero shutter lag. I don't

shoot with auto focus that much. But I'm open to options depending on what

other people's suggestions are.

<p>I don't care what anybody says about any other camera--my Canon S100 is pretty freakin' kick-ass! Sure, there are cameras with bigger sensors that perform better at high ISOs and shoot faster (although it does have a high-speed burst setting that allows 8 frames at full resolution at 9.6 frames per second), but it satisfies my needs all the way up to ISO1600. The amount of control on this camera is outstanding, the image quality is superb to my eyes, and the fact that it slips in my pocket and goes everywhere with me garners maximum kick-ass points. It has become the camera that I use the most.</p>

Andy, by quick shooting I don't really mean frames per second. More so nimbleness and speed with which one is able to get the camera in position and

ready to fire off a single

shot. The GRD in particular I found could be whipped around easily with one hand in the blink of an eye. Thanks for your suggestion on the S100..

<p>Right, the GRD is lightning quick for single shots. That's more important to me than high framerates, tho' I still use my Nikon D2H occasionally for 7-8 fps stuff, but it's not nearly as much an advantage as instantaneous shutter/AF response.</p>

<p>I always thought the Olympus E420 would make the perfect P/S. I believe it's the smallest DSLR on the market if it's not discontinued:<br>

<a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympuse420">http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympuse420</a></p>

<p>I was really tempted by that Olympus E420 a couple of years ago when they were being sold at blowout prices. At the time I was wanting to ditch my too-heavy/bulky Nikon D2H.</p>

<p>But some of the latest mirrorless system cameras like the Sony NEX 5N have surpassed those little Olympus dSLRs, although having an optical TTL finder would still be appealing in a small camera.</p>

<p>Also, any flopping reflex mirror noise would dissuade me from another dSLR, at least for my style of candid snaps.</p>

I'm surprised at the number of responses here. Surely the OP's simple question has an equally simple answer?

 

I don't follow the whole Pentax line, but I think a KA was announced back in January, for release this summer.

<p>From what I've seen here lately - the iPhone...</p>

<p><strong>Ray</strong>, I only added the fps stat as an interesting feature that impressed me, not as an indicator of how easy or fast it is to handle the camera. I find it easy to use and to handle, although it takes a minute to get used to the small size of the S100. Once you do though, it becomes easy to handle and operate the controls quickly. I find myself holding it in my hand ready to shoot most of the time I'm out walking around with it.</p>

<p><strong>Sanford</strong>--I've seen some great photos taken with the iPhone, which is why I was surprised at the findings/results of Imaging-Resource's test of the iPhone camera. They felt that overall it is a great phone camera and the best of the iPhone cameras but that it wasn't even on par with the entry-level digital compacts.</p>

<p>Nikon D800, you can point and shoot it, too....</p>

<p>I have been pretty happy with the Olympus XZ-1. I use it for underwater, but it has given me quite a few nice terrestrial pictures too. However it seems like you want something m 4/3 or APS-C size. I think the Oly OM-D E-M5 looks promising, with a pancake lens.....</p>

<p>Strongly suggest the Canon G1X</p>

<p>For a very small, interchanagable lens mirrorless camera, I've been enjoying my new Olympus E-PM1 (with a Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 lens). The combination is inexpensive, small, has very good IQ at ISO 1600 and below, is stablized, and has lots of UI customizability. However, one glaring flaw is that a long interval elapses between pressing the On/Off button and the camera responding to the shutter realease. The interval depends on what SD card is installed. Here are the times I measured by taking video and counting the elapsed time:</p>

 

<center>

<table>

<tbody>

<tr>

<td>No SD card:</td>

<td>2.4 seconds</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>Transcend (consumer) SD card:</td>

<td>2.8 seconds</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>Eye-Fi Pro X2 SD card:</td>

<td>5.3 seconds</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

</center>

<p>The Eye-Fi Pro X2 is a class 6 SDHC card, the older Transcend card is presumably putatively slower but perhaps something else special about the Eye-Fi card is responsible for the delay. (Note that this is after installing the latest firmware update for the E-PM1, which makes the camera usable with the Eye-Fi card). Perhaps a regular, fast SD card would be closer to the no-card time of 2.4 seconds. Still, this is really quite poor.</p>

<p>I find this delay frustrating in actual use --- if you really care about this, you will find it maddening.</p>

<p>I don't have a Nikon 1 J1 here to measure, but when I used one for several days, it appeared to be ready to shoot instantly. A nice feature about the Nikon 1 series is that unlocking the lens turns the camera on automatically, and so by the time the lens is mechanically extended the camera is ready to shoot. If you have the 10mm prime installed, the On/Off button turns the camera on as fast as can be, and the lens does not have to extend. AF on the Nikon J1 is extremely fast, but manual focus is very frustrating, as there is no ring of any kind on the lens. You can always mount a MF lens via an adapter, but the magnified focus assist view is not as good as on the Olympus M43 cameras, let alone the focus peaking of the Sony NEX cameras.</p>

<p>For fast-focus modes, the Ricoh cameras might be most appealing. Both the GXR (to which you can add a variety of APS-C or compact sensor and lens modules) and the GRD offer "snap focus" modes, where you can assign a direct full-press of the shutter release (without a pause at the half-press point) to focus at a predefined distance and take a photo immediately. This overrides the AF sensor system, but drives the lens "by wire" to a pre-determined focus distance.</p>

<p>Finally, I will agree that the Canon S100 is a terrific pocket-sized point & shoot. It is certainly the best one that I've ever tried, unless you need something even smaller like the Canon SD 940 IS. However, any modern digital camera with a larger sensor and larger lenses will outperform the Canon S100 in image quality every time. However, the Olympus E-PM1 will fit in my jacket pocket, but not in my pants.</p>

<p>@<a name="00aSY3"></a><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=776750">Marc Rochkind</a>—</p>

<p>I think the problem is definitional: a P & S can mean a lot of things. To me, it doesn't mean an ILC, but evidently a lot of people beg to differ. <br>

<br />To me, it also means small and (relatively) cheap / inexpensive. By those metrics, I'd have to choose the s100 as well. On the other hand, the m43 or G1x will kick the crap out of it by most metrics. On the third hand, those will usually be more expensive and/or larger. <br>

@Andy Collins—<br>

I've seen some great iPhone shots too. In excellent light, the iPhone makes a great walkaround camera. But I carry an s100 and have gotten a fair number of shots that would've been impossible or unlikely without it. <a href=" one</a> is probably my favorite. </p>

<p><strong>Tom</strong>, that's a great shot! I agree that cameras like the G1X or other larger sensor cameras would definitely have superior IQ, but like you I was also under the impression that the OP meant 'point & shoot' rather than ILC bodies/systems and was looking for something light and small, as that's a requirement for p&s cameras for me. As for the S100, it has become the first camera I pick up as of late. I previously owned the S90 and S95 and must not have kept them long enough to really bond with them as creative tools. For some reason the S100 is nearly perfect for me. While its high-ISO shots are not of the same quality as a dslr, they are significantly better than what could be done with compacts just a few short years ago, and actually look very good up to ISO800 definitely, and surprisingly good and usable at ISO1600. Shots at ISO80-125 are often hard to differentiate from pictures taken with a dslr unles you examine them very closely. It's just a wonderful general use camera and a very good low-light camera, and the perfect walk-around companion.</p>

I'd think more about the notion of seeking a "kick-ass" camera. I actually did, 8 months ago.<P>

 

Knowing Ray and his work, there's no doubt in my mind he can make awesome photos with any camera. For me the

question was not of "having the best," the holy grail so many seek here on photonet, but having a "good enough" camera with features that supports the way I like to shoot, and

what I do on the street.<P>

 

For me, and for some of my sp friends, it's an iPhone. Really nice giving up using my 5DII and 35/1.4

and getting back to the joy of photography. It has become my photographic Swiss Army knife

supporting so much more than just the capture aspect of photography. Here's what my friend Sion in NYC

<a href= "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sionfullana/">has been doing with his</a>.<P>

Brad, I'd consider that, but the cell phone I use is from the company I work for and I can use it as my

personal phone for a very reasonable monthly cost. Being the cheapskate that I am, I think I'll pass, at

least for now, on paying the monthly bill for an iphone. ;)

<p>Have to say the Fuji X100 I got as a refurb is great. Small, unobtrusive, quiet and great image quality. The focus is quick enough in af, but set on manual focus and using the back button to initially initiate af then simply shooting when ready and using hyperfocal goodness, makes it amazingly fast. Worth a look in my opinion.</p>

I think the camera in the iPod touch is the same as the iPhone. That has no monthly fee.

<p>I've had a GRD2 that I have been using since they came out. Sometimes I misplace it for a couple of months and then I find it. I still enjoy it, like the photos it takes and can't justify spending another 500-1000 looking for something that won't really be much better. In fact, it seems like it's taking sharper pics lately, go figure. Ray since you have some lovely lenses why don't you look at one of those new cameras that let you can adopt to use them. It will be all manual focus all right but you do love image quality and they are suppose to be good. In other cameras, our friend Milla likes her GF1, supposedly a better camera to use than the newer versions according to her. It does take nice photos and is about leica size but lighter. She uses the add-on electric viewfinder and it works well. Another friend uses that Fuji x100 and loves the pictures, but the AF is slow and you have to learn how to work with it. I think you'd be frustrated by that, but maybe not. There's also the new GRD4 and it will be better than your original GRD, but it is a fixed lens and small sensor.</p>

<p>I agree with John Tran - if you liked the Sigma DP1, the Canon G1x is a similar pain in the butt to operate but gives excellent images. I too owned a DP1, and absolutely loved the images that came out of it so I was willing to put up with its pain-in-the-buttness for a long time. But I sold it eventually, and started looking for another big sensor integrated lens compact immediately; the G1x reminds me of the Sigma every time I shoot with it. The high ISO stuff is great, and though it is a better camera than the DP1, it does have its own issues (mostly slow operation and lousy macro capabilities, not a very fast lens either). But for me the image is what's important, and the G1x delivers on that front.</p>

<p>For the record, I also owned one other big sensor integrated lens camera - a Sony R1. It wasn't so much of a pain as the other two, but it was not compact and several years old, technology wise. But it was also capable of great IQ.</p>

<p>I don't do movies but my EPM1 boots up near instantaneously when shooting stills. I keep a 17 2.8 on the front and the images look great. Build is very nice as well.</p>