What options are there for a camera that's smaller than a full DSLR, but not a point-and-shoot?

Question

I've been wanting to start taking photos for a while so I am looking to get a camera. I don't want to get any kind of Point-And-Shoot. I was awaiting the coming of the Fuji X100 as I travel very very light and don't really want a full on DSLR.

The reviews seem mixed on it. Lot of good points lot of bad points.

Is there anything else like it anyone would suggest? Smaller than a full DSLR but still a more advanced camera than a run-of-the-mill point-and-shoot?

Answer 1

The three general classed of camera that fit your needs are "Bridge" cameras (basically overlapping "superzoom" cameras), enthusiast compacts, and compact interchangeable lens cameras.

Examples of bridge cameras would be:

• Panasonic FZ35
• Nikon Coolpix P100
• Canon SX20 IS

Examples of enthusiast compacts would be:

• Canon S95
• Canon G12
• Nikon P7000
• Fuji X100

Examples of compact interchangeable lens cameras would be:

• Panasonic GF1
• Olympus E-P1

At this point, your question is a little general, so I'll go ahead and generalize in my answer by pointing out that the superzoom cameras are usually favored when you're willing to give up a little bit of image quality in order to gain the great optical reach that these cameras typically offer.

The last two categories offer image quality approaching a DSLR in a smaller size that's well-suited for travel. You might be able to slot yourself into one of these categories based on how you weigh image quality vs. optical reach, and of course, the option to use interchangeable lenses.

Answer 2

The Sigma DP-1 and DP-2 cameras have APS-C sized image sensors (1.7x crop), that are the same as the Sigma SD-15 DLSR image sensor. They are pretty much the most compact large sensor compacts you can buy; I can fit one in my jeans pocket (thought it's a very tight fit).

Both cameras are primes only - no zoom. Both are heavily into simple control systems without a lot of bells and whistles, and both have extremely sharp lenses.

The DP-1 offers a wide 16mm FOV (28 mm equiv), the DP-2 is a 28mm FOV (48mm equiv).

You can see a lot of full size images from each camera in these two galleries:

http://www.pbase.com/sigmadslr/users_dp1

http://www.pbase.com/sigmadslr/users_dp2

One light setup I have used in the past is to have one of each of these cameras, and a DSLR with a single long lens on it. That gives great coverage, the same effect as multiple bodies and if at times I don't want to lug around a whole DSLR it's easy to just carry the small cameras.

Answer 3

I wouldn't say that the reviews have that many bad points. dpreview gave this camera a silver award. It certainly has better reviews then many of its competitors. Seems that most "bad" points are related to the firmware & operational oddities. When it comes to image quality and detail, the camera scores very high.

Because you did not mention the type of photography you will be shooting we can assume that you are looking for something comparable to the FinePix X100? Retro looks of the Leica M9 likes, "classic" 35mm (no zoom) equivalent, relatively fast f2 aperture? How about:

Leica X1 35mm equiv,F2.8

Panasonic DMC-GF1 40mm equiv,F1.7 (interchangeable lenses)

Sony NEX-5 24mm equiv,F2.8 (interchangeable lenses)

(personally, in this category, I would rather get the FinePix over any of the above.)

You could also look at something like:

Olympus XZ-1 28-112mm equiv, F1.8-2.5

and of course you cannot go wrong with the Canon G12

but add a 100g in weight on top of the G12 and you can have yourself a "DSLR hybrid" in the Sony SLT Alpha A55

Answer 4

I'll just add to D. Lambert's great answer that I have myself a Lumix G2, and with its 14-42 lens it's my favorite camera at the moment; small but not too small, powerful but not over-the-top, and you can take pictures that are stunning without knowing the state of the universe and what aperture setting that requires, it's also very affordable for what you get, including HD video.

One of the big advantages of the four-thirds line of cameras is that you can skimp on size without sacrificing quality, and I'd look for these for sure (with lots of great lenses around, too), Panasonic, Samsung, Olympus, Leica and many more offer four-thirds, and it's - in my opinion - the absolute best place to start an amateur adventure before going DSLR and lenses the size of your arm.

Answer 5

No accepted answer yet and you've modified it slight, so I'll take a stab at it, in case you were looking from more concrete advice.

Also, let me point out that you said more advanced but nothing about image quality. The good news is that there are a good number of models like that around.

The first thing you are looking for then is probably full manual controls. Those cameras are good enough to learn basic photography, be creative and perform well in good light. The also start quite cheap, under $200 for the Canon Powershot SX130 IS which also has a 12X stabilized wide-angle optical zoom.

The next step is something with manual controls but also direct controls including dual control-dials. This lets you control the camera more efficiently. As a bonus, most of these cameras have better image quality and several use bright lenses which let you shoot with less light and have more control over depth-of-field. Those cost $400-500 USD would be Canon Powershot S95, Canon Powershot S90 (same as S95 but cheaper since it does not do HD video) or Olympus XZ-1.

Higher up than that is an SLD which is a medium-sized camera with interchangeable lenses and larger (close or equal to a DSLR). You can save a lot in terms of size while getting similar image quality. You will generally lose autofocus speed except for the Sony Alpha SLT-A55 and its siblings. Like all interchangeable lens cameras, you need to invest in good lenses to get the most out of it but those perform better in low-light than the compact ones previously mentioned.

Answer 6

you can think about those:

1) small DSLRs - the mirrorless ones like Sony NEX or Samsung NX series which have big CMOS chip, interchangeable lenses but are relatively smaller, quicker and do not have the strong DSLR sound while taking photos.

2) as already mentioned, there are some more advanced compact cameras like Olympus XZ-1, or Canon Powershot S95 or the Panasonic Lumix LX series. I am for example looking on the new Nikon Coolpix P300 which is small (pocket sized) but has advanced functions like the priority programs, also has BSI CMOS chip and very good bright and wide lens.

Answer 7

The Canon G10, G11 and G12 all have many of the same features and controls that a DSLR would have, but they're still just large point and shoots. The S95 uses pretty much the same engine, but in a smaller, more "point and shooty" format.