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Is there a small (fit in my pocket) sharp single lens M43 camera?
- Thread starter Roger Bloemers
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TheClueless
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The 850 was bought as a lens park, and I decided that for how I used it, an older body wasn't a problem as there's a definite size benefit - but the GM1 with the Panasonic 20mm 1.7 would be the best compromise of image quality and size in MFT.
The 20mm will be the most potentially painfully slow to focus, but on other platforms we have reviewers giving significant emphasis to the "significant improved" focus speed of the Fuji X100F as a major plus, and the Panasonic isn't any worse in almost any situation.
If your needs aren't complex and you don't mind the exceptionally poor handling (in MFT circles) of the GM range, then the 1 or 5 might be your best choice if you can find one used. 5's seem to be very rare here but 1's are plentiful, so that was my choice.
The 20mm will be the most potentially painfully slow to focus, but on other platforms we have reviewers giving significant emphasis to the "significant improved" focus speed of the Fuji X100F as a major plus, and the Panasonic isn't any worse in almost any situation.
If your needs aren't complex and you don't mind the exceptionally poor handling (in MFT circles) of the GM range, then the 1 or 5 might be your best choice if you can find one used. 5's seem to be very rare here but 1's are plentiful, so that was my choice.
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Nikonparrothead
Veteran Member
The Nikon Coolpix A is easily pocket sized (without a lens hood) and had a DX chip.
The aforementioned Rollie and Minox only has scale focus but I remember the original XA had a rangefinder.
The aforementioned Rollie and Minox only has scale focus but I remember the original XA had a rangefinder.
Another vote for a new Olympus XA. Dust is an issue with the GR so the clamshell design would be a good selling point. M43 sensor, 17.5mm lens and a small aperture would be fine. Wasn't the XA f3.5 or something? F2.8 would be good enough and would probably beat the bigger sensor GR for noise with the latest technology.
larsbc
Forum Pro
Gary Martin
Veteran Member
When I'm in "tourist mode," I carry a Ricoh GRII in my pants pocket and an EM10II with a 25/1.8 on a shoulder strap. It gives me a versatile, high-performance setup that's very easy to carry.
Roger Bloemers
Leading Member
Thank you to all of you for your interest and great ideas. I really appreciate your help.
Chris Noble
Veteran Member
Roger: I agree on the GM5. The 12-32 lens is good and very compact. You're looking for a fixed lens -- just make believe the 12-32 can't be removed. ;-)In practice, I can take my GM5 out, power it up, adjust focus point position, take a shot, power it down and put it back in the pocket all in about the same time as it would take to dig out my iPhone and launch the camera app
Astro: Try pointing the camera at your focus target, locking focus, then composing and shooting. Much faster.
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Astrotripper
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I was doing that (and still sometimes do) on Olympus and other cameras. But after using GM5 for a some time, focus and recompose is the thing of a past for me. It's actually not faster for me when using GM5. Changing focus point position on Panasonic cameras is so convenient and easy that I genuinely find it easier than recomposing. The tiny size of the GM5 actually helps as it is easier to manipulate the touchscreen with just a thumb.
Gerry Siegel
Veteran Member
You may decide to compromise as I did. I am getting good results from a Lumix ZS 100 point and shoot with a fixed zoom lens. it beats a phone camera in functionality and is very small. The 1" sensor does a fine job. Makes a good supplement to your EM-1. A thought.
cprevost
Senior Member
Gm5 if you are willing to go a tiny bit bigger but gain a viewfinder. If you want small then the GM1 is great. You won't believe how small it is. It's also well built and a pleasure to use. With the tiny panny 14mm on it you will find it amazingly compact. I have an old Russian Jupiter 8 lens that I stick on it sometimes for fun and it really delivers cool portrait shots.
Best tiny cam image quality has to be the Sony RX1. Crazy small full frame camera with one of the best lenses ever made. Can be had used for about 1000 which is what you should pay for the lens on it alone.
Best tiny cam image quality has to be the Sony RX1. Crazy small full frame camera with one of the best lenses ever made. Can be had used for about 1000 which is what you should pay for the lens on it alone.
kli
Veteran Member
Everyone forgets the Fuji X70.
Also APS-C, also 28/2.8 equiv. lens. And has a digital crop/zoom feature to fake 35e and 50e.
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zuikowesty
Veteran Member
I might use this method more often if I could spend some time with the settings on my E-PM2 (and maybe E-M5s as well) to find out if I can quickly switch to a backbutton focus mode (to uncouple AF from the shutter), and then use the touchscreen to place focus point and perform the AF in one touch, followed by the shutter activation. However, I often just use the MF ring on my 12-40 or 7-14 after holding the shutter halfway, just to tweak focus, and confirm the DOF area with peaking.
I do sometimes enable the touch shutter, which works very well to place focus point, perform focus, then take the shot, and it can be enabled with two quick taps on the touchscreen. This is the mode I have shown my wife to use when shooting with the 12-32, which is notorious for missing focus.
zuikowesty
Veteran Member
Thanks, added to my watch list...Everyone forgets the Fuji X70.
Probably due to the sensor stack and the need for a telecentric design. The best comparison is with a GR1V and a GR digital; the latter is thicker by ~10mm and the lens is quite a bit bigger and protrudes out even more, despite it using a smaller imaging area. Sony's RX1 is probably the smallest quality 35mm sized sensor camera you're going to get until we get some new design in both optics and sensor.
Yannis1976
Veteran Member
I have been looking for such a solution for the last 3 years and am still looking since all current solutions are compromises in the end. The best IQ in the tiniest body with good ergonomics (!!!)
If you insist on m43 then the GM1 is the absolute smallest m43 camera and the tiny Panasonic pancakes plus the Olympus bodycaps are a perfect match for it. However have in mind that 1" sensor camera from Panasonic/Canon/Sony can do most of the tasks. Just for fun I took some pictures for you:
This shot and the next one were taken with the G7X mk2. You can get good low light performance and subject separation despite the smaller sensor and thanks to fast lens
The smallest m43 body with the Oly 15mm attached and the 3 Panasonic tiny lenses (14mm, 12-32, 20mm)
The Canon G7X is just a bit bigger than the GM1 but is much better ergonomically wise mainly due to the tilt screen. An of course as soon as you attach even a pancake lens the GM1 becomes bigger...
[ATTACH alt="The GM1 needs at least these 3 lenses to cover the FL of the Canon G7X (and any other 1" sensor camera) and only when combined with the 20mm/1.7 is it able to collect more light..."]1842377[/ATTACH]
The GM1 needs at least these 3 lenses to cover the FL of the Canon G7X (and any other 1" sensor camera) and only when combined with the 20mm/1.7 is it able to collect more light...
Now there are also some other options such as the Ricoh GR and Fuji X70 which are about the same size and come with an APSC sensor. I was especially thinking of the X70. but on the other hand it has a fixed FL and the lens is slower than the 20mm/1.7 or the one in the Canon. So if low light/interior is one of your purposes, I am not sure they are a better match. In theory they still collect less light than both the GM1+20mm/1.7 and the Canon G7X (or Panasonic/Sony).
--
Yannis
If you insist on m43 then the GM1 is the absolute smallest m43 camera and the tiny Panasonic pancakes plus the Olympus bodycaps are a perfect match for it. However have in mind that 1" sensor camera from Panasonic/Canon/Sony can do most of the tasks. Just for fun I took some pictures for you:
This shot and the next one were taken with the G7X mk2. You can get good low light performance and subject separation despite the smaller sensor and thanks to fast lens
The smallest m43 body with the Oly 15mm attached and the 3 Panasonic tiny lenses (14mm, 12-32, 20mm)
The Canon G7X is just a bit bigger than the GM1 but is much better ergonomically wise mainly due to the tilt screen. An of course as soon as you attach even a pancake lens the GM1 becomes bigger...
[ATTACH alt="The GM1 needs at least these 3 lenses to cover the FL of the Canon G7X (and any other 1" sensor camera) and only when combined with the 20mm/1.7 is it able to collect more light..."]1842377[/ATTACH]
The GM1 needs at least these 3 lenses to cover the FL of the Canon G7X (and any other 1" sensor camera) and only when combined with the 20mm/1.7 is it able to collect more light...
Now there are also some other options such as the Ricoh GR and Fuji X70 which are about the same size and come with an APSC sensor. I was especially thinking of the X70. but on the other hand it has a fixed FL and the lens is slower than the 20mm/1.7 or the one in the Canon. So if low light/interior is one of your purposes, I am not sure they are a better match. In theory they still collect less light than both the GM1+20mm/1.7 and the Canon G7X (or Panasonic/Sony).
--
Yannis
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Yannis1976
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Yannis1976
Veteran Member
I did the same when I found a used GM1 for 150€!! However ergonomics are not that good. What I miss more is a tilt screen for waist shooting, difficult angles or even selfies with my friends/wife. On the hand almost all 1" current models do offer better ergonomics...
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