Canon confession and other compact thoughts

I got the brief from my better half to find a compact camera which would work reasonably well for natural light (generally wider shots) and have a moderate zoom function for travel etc.

Also on the wish list were a touch of retro design and a fixed rear screen, as well as Wi-Fi and touch screen, ideally in a very compact package. EVF isn’t important to her. She’s not likely to print anything bigger than about A4 in a photo book, mainly it is for online.

I would have loved to buy a Ricoh/Pentax but in the end it came down to the 1” sensor models from Canon and Sony. We went with a Canon G9x Mk2 and I have to confess that having played with it a fair bit, it’s actually a decent little piece of kit. It’s pretty intuitive, my favourite feature is the the ‘zoom ring’ which has no direct physical effect on the lens but does change the zoom in the same way as using the little lever in auto and depending on mode, offers quick access to the relevant controls.

My criteria would have been slightly different, I might have gone for one of the Sony RX100 instead. We looked at the Panasonic LX100 as well but was just a bit too big.

It’s not going to replace my Pentax DSLRs any time soon but I wouldn’t hesitate to stick it in my coat pocket when I head into town.

Which compacts do the community use, aside from the GRiii?

Sue and I have a Pentax MX-1 each, hers is silver, mine is black. For sheer versatility and quality it is very hard to beat, despite having "only" 12MP. It is a shame that Pentax never followed the model up. It is till in demand and good used samples can be quite expensive as a result.

Apart from anything else, the operation and menus are pure Pentax, so using the MX-1 alongside Pentax DSLRs is a seamless experience.

Buy yourself a used Panasonic Lumix lx7, on the side
Smaller sensor but very capable with its Leica 1.4 lens and shoots raw and its a much slimmer profile than the lx100 which just about makes it comfortably pocketable, i have one from new.
No electronic viewfinder as standard but one is available DMW LVF2 designed for it and a couple of the other series of mirrorless Lumix cameras which is miles ahead of anything older.
It performs fantastically from close range to medium with that Leica lens and night time performance is great as is the video, not that video bothers me much.

I have a Sony RX100 Mk1 which I have had for around 10 years and is always in the car. It is solidly built with a metal body and so small I can slip it into my pocket when out and about. My only criticism is the difficulty of seeing the rear screen in bright sunlight.

I have a Ricoh GRII that I use quite a lot. Wonderful camera with a superb lens and sensor.

Me too, and agree with your comment about it's quality. It's also really easy to carry around.

Q, Q-S1 and a few lenses. Small, light weight, pocketable. And it feels like a Pentax.

Steve

Canon M5 and a few lenses.

If I want it pocketable then I stick the 22mm f2 on and away I go.

Sony RX100 mk5. For me it has to have a viewfinder. I tried the Pentax MX-1 but could not see the screen in bright light

I have both the Gr3 and the MX1.
The GR3 is a great camera and lens with the added bonus that the menu is very similar to the new K3 3.
The MX1 is also a fine camera and I agree with John that it was a great shame Pentax did not follow the line.

Oldhat

Some of my favourite images have come from my Ricoh GR's (II then III) - it doesn't have the flexibility in terms of lenses (the Wide adaptors are very good but very clunky) but the quality of image and sensor size move it up in my rankings above the MX-1 and Q series although all have their strong points.

Me too.

Thanks for the replies, it‘s interesting to see the range of compact cameras people use.

I wasn’t previously aware of the MX-1 and it didn‘t show up at all whilst researching for a compact. I might keep an eye out for one since my wife is enthusiastically using the Canon compact and I don‘t get much of a look in with it.

It probably didn't show up because it is not a current model (depending on the exact terms of your search). I think it was only produced for a couple of years after its introduction.

I did a review of the MX-1 and in particular its very fine lens here: https://www.pentaxuser.com/review/smc-pentax-mx-1-6-24mm-f-1-8-2-5-vintage-lens-...