2017 Roundup: Fixed Prime Lens Cameras

The best two cameras on this list?
1) X100F - the all around winner if you're okay with a bit of bulk. Fun to use and the most versatile.

2) Ricoh GR II - King of the street cameras. Nothing this small should be this good. The sensor is very good, but the lens is astonishing, sharp everywhere wide open. You can read tests against Leica where the GR is easily as good and so small.

Rob

GR 'image quality':
http://thephotofundamentalist.com/pentax-ricoh/ricoh-gr-vs-leica-monochrom/

My two cents worth, re the Quattro DP series. The Foveon sensor, despite its limitations on high ISO, seems brilliant. But what strikes me is the total lackluster marketing and technical support for the Quattro DP series. I can only surmise that Sigma does not want it to succeed - and probably views the project as little more than a tax write off. A great pity, because its sharpness would make a great studio camera as well as a perfect landscape shooting tool. It's Achilles heel is the supporting software which, fails to effectively translate the native format into a usable Raw version that could be handled by Photoshop or other editors.

Seems I hear more than the usual negative comments about confusing/complicated menus in several Sony cams. . . is this something that seems to be an issue across the Sony line of cameras. . . looking a RX10???

GRII has been on my shopping list for some time now, but nobody seems want to part with it at fire sale prices. Must be something special...

Like an idiot I left my GR on the roof of the car while on holiday over Easter and now it's lying on the verge somewhere blinking sadly up at the sky. I feel bad but I have to see this as an opportunity right? So what to replace it with?
I don't give a stuff about wifi so paying 550 quid for a GRII which will have all the same dust jamming issues the original has is out of the question. I spoke to cliftoncameras today and they confirm that the X70 is end of life but couldn't give me any info on a successor. The X100f is a bit chunky for me, so I am kind of stuck. I loved the immediacy of the GR and also the high contrast jpegs which make my photos all look intentional. What I didn't like was the noise at higher ISOs and the dust issues. So wait for a GRIII or X70II or something else? Suggestions welcome.

So, the only fixed prime lens camera that has decent AF is the Sony RX1RII which is crazy expensive. Are manufacturers just lazy or is there no demand for a reasonably priced, fast fixed lens camera? I've been waiting for one for years now but I guess since everyone keeps buying the yesteryears tech in a small package there's no need for the manufacturers to innovate.

X100F does everything well and is the all around winner for me. I can say for what you pay, nothing beats it in terms of handling and customization. Image quality is top notch as well and I love the Acros film simulation with grain. It's really that good! Go buy one now, and this coming from a Leica fanboy!

No sample pics from the Ricoh at all??

I had X70 half year ago. IQ - amazing, design - superb, but in low light it's totally useless and that's why i sold it. Lacking of OIS and slow, hunting auto-focus in low light was just unacceptable.

Now i have Sony RX100 IV and it's 10 times better all-round camera than Fuji X70.

Within a few more years this discussion is moot. With the exception of working pros and a declining number of enthusiasts - smartphone will reign supreme in image capture.

I thought that the optical lens quality and optical zoom would be the moat defending the SLR and MILC segments. Wrong.

Imagine an iPhone 9 or 10 with FIVE fixed focal length lenses of (equivalent)

24===35
50
70===105

Software will do the rest including (through image processing algorithms) effective infinite zoom within range as well as probably some interesting depth and re-focusing effects. Game over.

Software eats hardware.

The "real" camera market will decline. And the economies of scale in reverse will see a declining number of players and reduced revenues for innovation.

Roll on the iPhone 10.

I love my Ricoh GR II! Nothing else comes close for the amount of value you're getting. I compared some of the images from my Leica M9 and 240 with the same focal length and it's mighty comparable and sometimes I prefer the GR just because it's that good! It's hard to find a great partner to compliment the GR's IQ. It needs like a Nikon D810 or a Canon 5DSr with Zeiss Otus glass in able to dance together in unison.

So help me out here. What am I getting with one of these that I don't get with a Fuji rangefinder style camera and a 23mm f/2 lens?

Tedolph

$188.00 /oz or $3009.00 /lb ...........absurd.......buy a X100F and donate the remaining amount to those in need.

The problem with all of these cameras is one thing alone. They are fearfully over priced and don't represent good value for money. Why anyone would pay over $1000 for any of these, unless money is no object to then, is beyond me. each one represents a massive compromise in that they attempt to fit a really high technical spec into a smallish case and really represent poor value for money. The large apsc sensors are welcome but 2.8 equivallent is not impressive. They weigh in quite highly too meaning that even though some fit in your pocket you really wouldnt want to carry them that way, maybe the Ricoh being the exception there. Too much development is being wasted on gimmicks when faster lenses would be more useful. I read about micro 4/3rd standard being possibly dead. If people are wasting money on these overpriced point and shoot models, then that could be true, but really there is so much good gear out there already, all formats could become obsolete unless we all realise an expensive camera alone doesn't produce a good shot.

For me it would be helpful to know how robust and weather resistant the cameras are. It's a different category but I took an rx100 m4 up a mountain last year and it didn't survive, much to my disappointment. I like the idea of a pocketable camera that can endure, and have good iq. And have good focussing. And look good. And cost less than a thousand.

When shopping this category a few years ago, I liked both the X100S and RX1; to find my value point, I bought a used RX1 and have been thrilled with the results and portability - it's so easy to carry around. The RX1 is amazing, and I love 35mm.
Battery life: 1. You'll get more than 36 shots per charge ;) if you're the "spray and pray" type, this camera isn't for you anyway. 2. Carry a couple spares - they're tiny, and it only takes 10 seconds to change one.

Any of these cameras will make you suffer ....
either by the lack of
lens coverage
lens speed
AF speed
AF accuracy
focusing scale
infinity hard stop
close focus hard stop
EVF
touch screen

or simply the lack of sufficient funding

In tune with the "niche"ness of fixed prime compacts, why not the SeaLife DC2000 as the only tough cam with a fast prime and a decent 1 inch sensor?

That being said, I love my Nikon Coolpix A. It was ahead of its time. I'm never selling it. You can bury me with it, I don't mean to be rude, but the rest of you can do whatever you want. I don't care. Put on some smooth jazz. Light aromatic candles. Bathe in a bathtub full of cherry jello. My money says you're wrong. My mom says you're wrong. I'm not listening anymore!

People talk a lot about these cameras. They have fixed focal length lenses. Each one is made by a different manufacturer. They can be expensive. Which one would Lois Lane pick? Deepak Chopra? Johnny Unitas? Kanye West? How would they fare in destabilized regions? Would you think twice about placing yours on a table at a sidewalk cafe while you sip espresso and leaf distractedly through the morning paper?

Even if both the Sony RX1R II and the Fujifilm X100F have 35mm (35mm equivalent for the Fujifilm) lenses, it is difficult to compare an APSC sensor with a FF sensor... Obviously the RX1R II camera is much more expensive, but if you want to do very serious (or professional) phoography, this camera is the only option... The RX1R II has the best existing FF sensor... It also has a central shutter (no vibrations when taking your photo), and should be declared Winner.

I wish Fuji would make a sealed X100, I'd be all over that...

The DNG support for sigma is not that cracked up to be from my use of it. Had a issue when loading a file I shot in black and white but then wanted to edit in color, couldn't do it. Also there seems to be some quality issues as well so as noise even at base ISO. Using a noise program takes care of it to some extent but it seems its best to still shoot in their RAW format and let PP do the processing and turn it into a TFF and let what ever editor you use to do the finishing.

DPR say>>>>For those who want to zoom with their feet, here are the fixed-lens cameras we think are worth a look:<<<<
i cannot believe DPR say that ..it is impossible to zoom with your feet

It is so hard to compare the Ricoh GR to the other camera's. You can take this thing with you without noticing. This makes it a stealth camera. This is the reason i take pics everywhere were the other camera's are to visible, or to heavy to bring with you.

It may not be the best camera, but it is a great one!

Would love to see a Coolpix A 2 on this list. Rather that than those DL cameras. Good to see Ricoh GR (When will its next iteration arrive?) a underrated tool. You could probably still have the x100t up there despite the x100F. Its still a very usable camera and cheaper now considering.

Imagine the Nikon Coolpix A Mk2 with the features from the unborn DL18-55! It'd be at least as good as the Fuji X100T.
Nikon is not smart to ignore the premium compact market.

Sad to see that most of the cameras here is in need of an update. We still don't hear any announcement for the upgrade of the GR using a Nikon d7000 sensor. The Sigma DP requires going back to its roots as the camera is unwieldy which defeats the advantages of a fixed prime compact.

Where is Nikon ?

I LOVE ALL OF THEM
But could only manage to finance a fuji X100T and 2 used merrills.
However, each of the cameras is amazing, especially the RX1R and the DP0Q... The DP3Q too and the X100 for handling. And heck, the GRII is not to dismissed too.
HECK WHAT WILL I DO?

Marc petzold thanks for that chart, I wonder what Lens is sharper between the lens on the Sony RX1R ii and the Lens on the Leica Q.
also which is the best lens between these two fantastic German Lenses.

The article mentions the Quattro's Foveon imager and totally glosses over the HUGE difference this makes. Most Sigma owners bought these cameras after realizing that no other camera we have used produces images like this. Images that are tack sharp right down to the pixel level. That's detail that simply doesn't emerge from any Bayer type camera. Looking at a Quattro shot is like visiting the scene again. A family member once commented "How come the picture doesn't get blurry when I zoom in?" THAT's the Sigma difference that counts!

IMO, these are not general purpose cameras. They are utterly amazing when used within their limitations. Of course I have other general purpose cameras. My Sony a6000 is a much better camera for everyday use but it doesn't come close to the utterly stunning detail produced in Quattro shots.

THIS is why we Sigma owners accept the other limitations. It's worth the extra effort for results you can't get elsewhere.