query on older small portable digital camera

bobthomas said:

Hi all. I'm looking for advice on an older small digital camera that takes decent pictures. I'm not looking for awesome photographcs, just something that is very pocketable and can do a good enough job for 1080p. I like to walk a lot but I don't want to drag my mobile phone around so I'm looking for a fun point and click.

Any ideas of what might be a good option?

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Standby for 1001 different ideas..

I myself would go for the Leica D-Lux7. As you get into photography it will be able to wet your appetite for glorious colors, various modes and a Red Dot to boot…

Have a look at the Panasonic Lumix GX 80 or 85 depending on where you live. I bought one for my wife at a great price and with a small zoom, it is a cracking package.

I think a 'tough' camera would suit you well.

The best known of these, and geneerally considered most capable, is the Olympus TG series. I admit to being biased; I have one.

It is compact and portable. It has excellent image quality. You can find numerous examples of what these cameras can produce by checking several of the fora here on DPR.

My only photographic product is the print I make. My printer goes to 13X19", but I usually hold to 11X14" due to wll space limitations. I have printed one TG print to 13X19" though because of its poster quality. I am amazed at the quality. Family and friends are equally impressed; they have those posters on their walls.

Besides image quality, these have the usual benefits of 'tough' cameras; waterproof, shock/drop resistant, weight/crush resistant.etc. That means they will stand up to rough handling and hostile environments that would be dangerous to conventional cameras. I live in a rugged mountain environment. I need a camera that will stand up to any environment that I can. I have gotten photographs from 'tough' cameras I would not otherwise have gotten because I would not have risked a conventional camera.

All this in a package about the size of a deck of cards.

LeicaEye said:

bobthomas said:

Hi all. I'm looking for advice on an older small digital camera that takes decent pictures. I'm not looking for awesome photographcs, just something that is very pocketable and can do a good enough job for 1080p. I like to walk a lot but I don't want to drag my mobile phone around so I'm looking for a fun point and click.

Any ideas of what might be a good option?

Click to expand...

Standby for 1001 different ideas..

I myself would go for the Leica D-Lux7. As you get into photography it will be able to wet your appetite for glorious colors, various modes and a Red Dot to boot…

Click to expand...

The LX cameras are very chunky, not "small" at all, unless the guideline for size is a pro body DSLR.

Sure, an LX7 fits inside a pants pocket, but it's not comfortable to walk around like that, especially since OP didn't ask for top quality.

Another problem is that an LX7 costs today as much as a RX100, which is smaller and provides better image quality. When i bought my last LX5 i paid $30 for it, that's a fair price for those cameras. An LX7 isn't worth more than $100, good luck getting one at that price today.

It makes more sense getting an Olympus Stylus 1, which has the same overall size but is a much better camera no matter how you look at it.

They're all very small, very easy to use and as as bonus, great design. Mechanically durable.

I would eliminate the TX10.

I have one, as one of the EDC tool in my everyday bag, stored inside a semi-hard case for further protection on top of it is a tough camera (waterproof, low temperature proof and shock proof).

Unluckily before the end of its 12 months warranty period the case developed a hair thin crack line without dropping or bumping into any thing. Service centre replaced the case for free. 2 months later a crack line was developed again without reason. After a tough war the case was replaced again for free but service centre claimed the waterproof ability should be intact despite of a cracked case. Few months later, a cracke line was found again! I gave up on it.

alcelc said:

I would eliminate the TX10.

I have one, as one of the EDC tool in my everyday bag, stored inside a semi-hard case for further protection on top of it is a tough camera (waterproof, low temperature proof and shock proof).

Unluckily before the end of its 12 months warranty period the case developed a hair thin crack line without dropping or bumping into any thing. Service centre replaced the case for free. 2 months later a crack line was developed again without reason. After a tough war the case was replaced again for free but service centre claimed the waterproof ability should be intact despite of a cracked case. Few months later, a cracke line was found again! I gave up on it.

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When i bought my used TX10 it had a image stabilization error, but it was a well used camera and for $20 i couldn't complain, the camera still worked fine.

My favorite model is the TX5, it's slightly thicker but the images come out looking slightly better for some reason, also less slippery and more affordable to get today. They have one issue, the sliding panel on the front of the camera is polished and painted over, which means the paint tends to flake away with use, but some undamaged TX5s still exist

Regardless of the model, a brand new replacement battery will be needed.

Also worth adding is that the older T series cameras are OK too, but i wouldn't spend any significant amount of money on them.

I'il also take the opportunity to mention that if i compare the images i get with my Experia 1/5 series phone with a T/TX series camera, the phone comes out as the winner, and the phones themselves are almost as tiny as the cameras.

So, from a practical perspective and also money-wise, today it makes more sense to order a refurbished 2019 Experia 1 from Aliexpress and use it strictly as a camera(they're also waterproof and have better screens) than it is to spend the same amount of money on an older T/TX series camera, which were never designed for good IQ to begin with, they were Sony's fashion series cameras.

I only mention this because i recently bought an Experia 1 J9110 for very little money, while cybershot prices have exploded for some models, all of a sudden they are cult cameras or something. The image quality of these 1/5 Series Experia phones took me by surprise, they look just like what your average pocket camera would produce and i'm very picky about my pocket cameras. The phones also have a dedicated shutter button and things like color spectrum sensor(better AWB) and they work very well overall.

We live in interesting times and as a person who enjoyes testing out affordable older cameras, i can only recommend products that make sense to me. When i used to buy used cybershot cameras, i'd only spend a few bucks on most of them, now the same cameras sell for $150-$200 on ebay and i find that insulting to my intelligence, so i'm looking for alternatives.


Many cybershot cameras would struggle with this image

bobthomas said:

Hi all. I'm looking for advice on an older small digital camera that takes decent pictures. I'm not looking for awesome photographcs, just something that is very pocketable and can do a good enough job for 1080p. I like to walk a lot but I don't want to drag my mobile phone around so I'm looking for a fun point and click.

Any ideas of what might be a good option?

Click to expand...

Depends on budget and what you want to photograph. The RX100V (faster lens) and RX100VI (longer lens) have been out for a long time and decent prices are available, especially used.

I suspect simpler and cheaper might be the main target. However if video is what you want consider a GoPro like the Hero 9 Black, which is old enough to be cheap used, small if chunky and the stabilisation of the video will on another planet to anything people might suggest. You are stuck with a wide-angle lens, but if you choose the Linear-Levelling mode the distortion gets nuked, Sample (sorry, not 1080p):
I wouldn't go earlier than the 9, later ones are fine too...

Since you have expanded the discussion to include cases, with which I agree, I will add to that.

In my previous post I had advocated for a 'tough' camera. I have nothing to add to that advocacy.

Besides posts on this thread, I have read of other instances of brand-specific hard cases sustaining damage. It brings into question the structural integrity of such cases.

I carry each of my 'tough' cameras in an appropriately sized Pelican Micro case. With a 'tough' camera it may be redundant, but I prefer the additional peace of mind. I have been using Pelican Micro cases for years. They are tough and durable. I have never experienced a failure or a crack. My first one is still in use. The closure is completely secure, but very quick in and out. These cases have endured water immersions (brief, because my being in the water was unintentional) and countless blows against inanimate objects, such as rocks, trees, structures, etc. Never a failure.

Besides those attributes, the prices are extremely reasonable.

Over the years I have been given several non-tough high end (according to period DPR rests) what DPR has termed 'travel-compact' cameras. They were passed on to me by friends who wanted to update to the latest/greatest (usually meaning konger tele reach). They have come to me in perfect condition because their owners wanted to protect their investments.

I frequently carry one of hese when I want something small, portable, capable of outstanding results but don't need 'tough' features (especially relating to water). I carry each of hese in its own dedicated Pelican Micro case. The case, with its rubber interior, protects the camera against the same adverse impacts I describe above. This extends the usability and versatility of the camera.

For the OP, besides the search for what will be the ideal camera, I would suggest also searching for suitable carriage, with the priority beaing camera protecation, so that the camera-case becomes a kit to be carried and used in that manner.

I'm a big fan of the Panasonic "ZS..." series cameras. This series is called "TZ..." outside the United States. I have the ZS80, which unfortunately, was discontinued last year. Panasonic has started making the ZS99, which has similar specifications, but is missing the ZS80s EVF.

These cameras are small enough to carry in a pocket, but I prefer to use a small pouch attached to my belt. It's small and convenient enough that I carry it when walking my dog. The long zoom range (equivalent to 24-720mm) is useful if I happen to see birds in flight.

Due to their tiny 1/2.3 sensors, these types of cameras are best used outdoors in bright sunlight. Check out the Panasonic Compact Camera subforum on this site for more information.

**** Dastardly said:

When i bought my used TX10 it had a image stabilization error, but it was a well used camera and for $20 i couldn't complain, the camera still worked fine.

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I paid >US$500 (10 years ago?) for the TX10!

It's self damaged case (would it be qualified as a rough camera anymore?) 3 times within a period of 16 months (might be worse if I kept on insisting service centre to replace the case) is a failure product to me.

Back in the old days, Panasonic used to make a lot of these FS and FX cameras. Not sure what distinguishes one series from another, but these were well made compact cameras. The older models were produced in Japan, battery cells made in Japan, they all had tough metal bodies and took decent images. I was mostly impressed with the design and construction.

In 2025, some of these will have issues with the lens assembly opening up, since they're so old, they will also need new batteries. On the plus side, they can be found for reasonable money, nobody ever made a tik tok video showing a Lumix camera.

These SZ series cameras are interesting because they are small and light(not ultra compact but thin and light nonetheless) and they pack a good quality large zoom lens. Pretty snappy operation as well. In good light, you can get good images with one of these, they're also pretty fashionable, i enjoy touching the curved metal front panel.

Operation is very simple, so is the menu. Interesting tele macro option and good colours.

They can be found for reasonable amounts of money and they're not too old, most people who bought these didn't even use them, so they're a good budget option today.

Not to be confused with the VR models, which are entry level and sluggish in operation, although i guess for the right price they work too? Not for me, though.

The Fuji Z series were the company's response to Sony T/TX series of lifestyle and tough cameras.

The first thing you do when getting one of these is to buy a new battery as well, also make sure to have a compatible memory card, although most will also accept SDHC.

Taking the Z100fd, you get a well made metal body camera with a stylish door lens with a Z that lights up during operation.

This camera renders colour in a interesting, fujiesque fashion, otherwise not remarcable in any particular way. They're interesting from a design perspective and the fact that most tik-tokers never even heard about them.

You'd think retro-hipsters know their vintage digital cameras better, but nope. Prices will vary, since Fuji didn't sell that many of these and for a while, the fd series especially had a cult following, presumably because of their lower noise levels.

Small, simple and using 2 regular AA batteries, did Nikon create the perfect pocket camera when they designed their lowest priced series of digital cameras? Well i don't know, but as long as the lens pops-up they're good to take pictures, because AA batteries are everywhere and so are SD cards. No, they're not compatible with modern 256 gb cards, buy old SDHC versions!

Attention! TikTok alert. Somehow, tik-tokers caught wind of the meager L series cameras, probably because they made them in red and lila too(oh, so shiny) and now some of these cameras can be purchased nowadays for the generous sum of only $240(if it's the cherry red ones, totally worth it).

Despite getting the TikTok seal of approval, make no mistake, these are $10 cameras no matter what model or color version is being discussed. Even better, look inside the bag where you keep all your old audio-video cables and camera chargers, chances are you'il find one of these cameras right there. Nikon wasn stingy with the production numbers on these models...not even the white ones.

bobthomas said:

Hi all. I'm looking for advice on an older small digital camera that takes decent pictures. I'm not looking for awesome photographcs, just something that is very pocketable and can do a good enough job for 1080p. I like to walk a lot but I don't want to drag my mobile phone around so I'm looking for a fun point and click.

Any ideas of what might be a good option?

Click to expand...

Budget and style of photography would be helpful details.

Two weeks since the original post, and nothing from OP. No questions, no feedback, no further questions, nothing.

It begs the question of why we should post, trying to be helpful, when we get nothing bqck.

No further interest?

RetCapt said:

Two weeks since the original post, and nothing from OP. No questions, no feedback, no further questions, nothing.

It begs the question of why we should post, trying to be helpful, when we get nothing bqck.

No further interest?

Click to expand...

The vast majority of people(including myself) post here because they are bored. Some ask questions because they are bored and others reply because of it.

There are far better ways of learning about cameras, i used to spend tens of hours on flickr downloading full size samples, reading reviews on the Photography Blog and other resources.

Anybody who has a serious intent of learning about cameras in general wouldn't come on DPR for it. Even reading random user manuals on the internet can be more use useful.

So nobody here owns anything to anyone.

RetCapt said:

Two weeks since the original post, and nothing from OP. No questions, no feedback, no further questions, nothing.

It begs the question of why we should post, trying to be helpful, when we get nothing bqck.

No further interest?

Click to expand...

I feel bad for those of you that answer newbie posts with long, well thought out answers and we never hear from the newbie again.

Marie