Travel compact for a Pentax user

<p>I'm thinking about getting a "travel compact". I'm in no way committed to Pentax for this as the whole idea is something relatively inexpensive to carry around when the K20D is too big and heavy and the IQ of the cheap and dirty Sony which I won in a competition isn't going to cut it. I've also come to quite like the whole feel and experience of using a compact, with all its limitations - no viewfinder, not a lot of manual controls and so on. I'd like to hear what cameras people admit to using when their SLR is at home and what they like about them. Something which could yield the occasional A2 print would also be nice.</p>

 

<p>While nearly a year old, this might be a good place to start:<br>

<a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q311TravelZoomGroupTest/">http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q311TravelZoomGroupTest/</a></p>

<p> </p>

<p>Henk - not sure if it fits your definition of a compact, but I use the Panasonic LX-5 for exactly this purpose. It seems nearly perfect for it and the image quality is impressive. It's got an optional electronic viewfinder that attaches to the hot shoe, and I prefer using that - it tilts for 90 degree viewing, saves battery life to not have the LCD screen on all the time, etc. The camera and viewfinder will fit easily in a small case or in a generously-sized jacket pocket.</p>

<p>On a trip earlier this year (where photography was not the top priority) I took my old DS with one lens, an FA 35mm; I didn't want to lug my K10D and several lenses around and didn't have anything more compact that could yield decent prints. I knew from experience that a well exposed picture from the DS will print up to 10 X 15 (no cropping) and the lens was fast enough (f2) to deal with most situations. While not exactly a pocket camera, it was compact enough to palm or fit in a larger jacket pocket. I wasn't going to buy another camera for the trip and this combination worked out pretty well; much better than the P&S cameras that were at my disposal would have. I actually considered taking a UC-1 film P&S because it has a viewfinder and produces excellent pictures when used carefully.<br>

Knowing my penchant towards "acquisition disorder", I really don't want to get another system, which is where a high end compact with interchangeable lenses would probably.</p>

<p>I'm certainly not looking at another system. One is enough for me. The more I think about it, the more I think that a "travel zoom" will solve my problem. Now it just remains to choose which one will suit me best.</p>

<p>Half the time I think about image quality. The other half I try to convince myself that this is not really a camera. More a gadget that takes pictures and clever gimmicks like sweep panoramas might clinch the deal.</p>

<p>I could not resist getting a white "Stormtrooper" K-m for that purpose used in very good condition , very light and small compared to my usual outdoor 1 lens camera set, the K20D & FA 50mm macro.</p>

<p>Henk,<br>

I assume you do not have an iPhone or other smartphone? If you do, use it. For snapshooting when bopping around my iphone 4 is quite acceptable. My wife's 4S is far better. With a camera app like Camera+ or Smugmug's Camera Awesome, the controls are very useful and simple. An intuitive processing app like Snapseed makes good quality instant fixes in under a minute.<br>

For a P&S I enjoy using a friend's LX5.</p>

<p>ME</p>

Michael,

That's one of the recurring ideas of

mine. My HTC Desire produces

remarkable pictures, considering it's a

phone, not a camera :-). It's due for an

upgrade soon, so it remains a possible

candidate.

<p>I bought Panasonic two times (TZ3 and 7, which were all good) up to last year's botched TZ20. Looks like the recent TZ25 and 30 are quite good, they learned the lesson. And have manual exposure control.<br>

The Canon SX260 looks good too, but I do not like color rendition and slight softness according to some reviews. Fuji 750 looks also quite good. All in all I might stick to Panasonic for my next travel zoom, that for me duplicates as an underwater camera (the cheap dedicated enclosure is a plus for several travel zooms)<br>

I tested a Canon G12 and it is definitely better than travel zooms in terms of image quality due to the larger sensor but the size defeats the purpose i guess, as well as the smaller zoom range. </p>

<p>an A2 print out of a phone camera?</p>

<p>Markus,<br>

Iphone 4s is 8MP, 3264x2448; at 150ppi one can come pretty close to A2 with good post processing skills. Henk's A2 requirement was literally a "nice to have" rather than a must have.<br>

<br>

ME</p>

<p>Henk, I have the same need for lighter weight travel gear. I do have an iPhone 4s and it can take good photos. But I wouldn't want to rely on it to get that one opportunity only shot. I'm selling off some under-used Pentax gear, keeping my DA Limiteds (except for the 40mm) and will use the proceeds to buy a K-01. A yellow one. </p>

<p>Oh, and I'm also selling the Canon S90 which I had bought to meet my need for a light, good quality, raw file producing, travel camera - but it's image quality, especially in low light conditions, is just not good enough. </p>

<p>The K-01 is a mirrorless camera that takes all Pentax K type lenses without any lens adapter needed. However, users pay for this great feature, by having lens mount that takes as much space as the mirror box would. Therefore the K-01 is much thicker than other mirrorless cameras, but is lighter and smaller than regular SLR or DSLR cameras.<br>

Since I have pile of Pentax K lenses, I am considering the K-01. </p>

 

<p>Markus,<br>

At 5MP, my phone should be capable of producing an A2 print, considering the positive responses I have got to a recent A2 print of an old file from my K100D. This is assuming that it checks all the sharpness, noise, exposure boxes. This will actually be an interesting test. Rather than waste the money on a large print, I should pick out a technically good phone photo and actually see what happens when printing a quarter of it on an A4 page. I suspect I may be surprised.<br>

Unfortunately, the phone has no optical zoom and the lens is even more constrained by space than it is on compacts. The thinking about a small camera also got me thinking about superzooms as my longest functional lens (I have a Tamron 70-300 which I suspect is a mediocre copy of a mediocre lens) is a 100mm. Adding something with a very narrow FOV to my camera bag would be nice for the days that I want to photograph elephants at a distance.<br>

The point made about the K01's thickness is very valid. If I need to travel light, the FA35 f2 on my K20D body is actually a very good option. Looking at the mirrorless options, the K01 is thick, but all the others are pretty big the moment you put anything but a pancake lens onto them. The cost also adds up the moment you start to get into another system. What I'm looking for is a compact which doesn't have a system attached.<br>

My next step in this process will be to borrow a Sony HX9V and see what it's like. If it produces decent images it may well point me in the right direction.</p>

<p>I have struggled with this as my K10 + 18-250 is a bit bulky. Looked at the superzoom (how much zoom does one need?) offerings of Fuji, Canon, Olympus and others. I want a viewfinder and some of the electronic ones are too coarse. A good one is still moderately expensive and too large for a pocket.<br>

I decided to not get anything new for our imminent trip to Switzerland. Rather than spend $300-400+ for a superzoom, that money can be applied to a K5 (prices just went down, sometimes it pays to put things off). <br>

I also am taking a W90. It is rugged and compact, but the picture quality is variable and it lacks the controls I am used to having. </p>

<p>I just use my phone if I don;t want to carry my K-5 or K-x. The K-x is nice with something small like the da40, but still a lot bigger than most compacts.<br>

With my phone (Moto Razr Maxx) I just use it like a camera with a wide angle prime and figure I can "crop-zoom" later if I want with 10 MP. I took this shot with it on a bike ride on Friday and I thought the DR was pretty good considering this is a phone. This is un-edited too.<br>

<img src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/551653_3746268187785_1608702479_2801135_2030365342_n.jpg" alt="" width="541" height="960" /></p>

Very impressive rendering Matt.

 

ME

<p>Matt, your image is pretty nice, considering. I'm glad my iPhone 4 has a reasonably competent camera on board but I derive little pleasure from shooting with it. I usually want the capability of composing with narrower field of view and don't enjoy phone control or ergonomics. It sometimes gets used because it's always on me, or for the convenience of immediate sharing but I can't see considering it a "travel compact" for me.</p>

<p>Henk, in addition to questions like 'viewfinder?' I'd also add 'raw support?' to the list of questions. I admit to LX-5, and more recently, Q. While competent, I don't *love* LX-5 so have also been playing with Pentax Q recently since price came a bit more down to earth. Q is still a bit lacking as a 'system' though and I don't think you actually wanted a 'system' for this purpose. Q has convinced me that the latest BSI 1/2.33 sensors are pretty competitive with 1/1.8, you need to go bigger like Nikon 1 or m4/3 to see a signficant difference. LX-5 is pretty good if 90mm equiv. is long enough. I am a bit disappointed with its EVF because it's resolution is poor to the point that it's not useful at all for focusing. I wish Pentax offered some real competitors in these categories but my experience with LX-5 and G3 (wife's camera) is positive enough that if I wanted longer reach I'd probably give Lumix FZ-150 a good look.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Has anybody used the new ruggedized Option WG-2? I was going to pick up a GoPro, but the Pentax ought to take much better stills, not to mention without the fisheye effect. The Pentax does video too, making it an almost-GoPro if the marketing hype is to be believed. </p>

<p>Sorry, meant Optio above.</p>

<p>I bought Panasonic two times (TZ3 and 7, which were all good) up to last year's botched TZ20. Looks like the recent TZ25 and 30 are quite good, they learned the lesson. And have manual exposure control.<br>

The Canon SX260 looks good too, but I do not like color rendition and slight softness according to some reviews. Fuji 750 looks also quite good. All in all I might stick to Panasonic for my next travel zoom, that for me duplicates as an underwater camera (the cheap dedicated enclosure is a plus for several travel zooms)<br>

I tested a Canon G12 and it is definitely better than travel zooms in terms of image quality due to the larger sensor but the size defeats the purpose i guess, as well as the smaller zoom range. </p>

<p>Sorry, problem with Back button...</p>

<p>John, I haven't tried that Optio but I like the looks of it too. POV videos are a bit overdone these days so I don't feel like I would need a dedicated POV cam, but it would be cool for certain ski or bike descents and as a general waterproof/rugged camera other times.</p>

<p>Matt, my feelings exactly. Like you, I don't plan to sit around watching POV videos all the time either. No desire to upload to YouTube. But I need a camera to take on the boat, and having the ability to do video would be great. Being able to fall in the water without ruining the camera: priceless. Doing some POV would be cool, though, like watching the kids learn to sail. But a GoPro isn't a good enough still camera for me to get one.</p>

<p>I *had* the Samsung EX1, which is a fantastic camera. I took it on a float trip and had it in a dry bag. The dry bag wasn't as dry as the manufacturer claimed. Having a brand new camera drown really bites. </p>