What camera do I buy? / general gear talk

@Ludd Secondhand Olympus gear on e-group.uk.net is pretty cheap, I got my Em1 ii body for £550 as-new.

Is there a forum favourite memory card and supplier please? Or is it as simple as cheapest, largest and fastest?!

Anyone used a sigma fp? It's interesting.

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The limits of computational photography: https://yager.io/comp/comp.html

Fuji question please. I recently bought an X-T3 and then the 27mm 2.8 pancake lens as this was a setup I’d borrowed a while back from a friend and didn’t question alternatives. Anyway, I’ve just returned the lens because of an air bubble in the glass (!) and wondered if anyone recommends a similar option or if I should stick with the 27mm?

Nb. I will also be getting the 56mm prime when funds permit.

The 27mm is pretty good if that size/length is what you’re after - not quite as quick or silent to focus as the 23 or 35 f2 lenses but decent and considerably smaller. They’re both good as well, the 35 is better than the 23 fwiw.

Thank you for your thoughts, size is definitely a consideration. I might see if I can borrow a 35mm from a shop.

Is there such a thing as a good point'n'shoot digital camera around the £100 - £120 price point, or should I just use my phone? I would prefer a dedicated camera as my use case is to use it mountaineering, where I can keep it in a case on my rucksack shoulder strap and use it with gloves on instead of dicking about with a phone. Thanks!

Anyone got an Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS or the 2.8 one they want to sell me?

Used Olympus Tough?

A Sony RX100 MK1 would probably get you the best pictures for that price.

I used to use mine a lot and liked it.

thanks, will investigate

Tempted by the Ricoh GR iii as a carry everywhere camera. I know ed had the griii x (40mm equiv) but does anyone else here have one and could maybe give me and insight.

An alternative looks to be the Fuji xf10.

i have the griii x - what do you want to know?

The Ricohs are both very good as carry-everywhere cameras but they’re not weathersealed, which is about the only complaint I have with them. The autofocus isn’t very quick, so if you’re shooting street you’re better off zone focusing - fortunately they have implemented that very well with the ‘snap’ mode. You can have the best of both worlds with full press snap, which auto focuses if you half-depress the button but reverts to snap distance if you just mash it. But while zone focusing at 28mm eq. is a doddle, at 40mm eq. it’s quite hard unless it’s a very sunny day and you can stop right down.

Personally I really like the Ricoh colours - they’re second to Fuji in my book. But YMMV.

sorry to be that guy again, i have griiix and iphone is better, i have the 14 pro

I mean, the lens and IQ are better on the Ricoh and you get something you can handle much more intuitively than a phone.

Also: https://petapixel.com/2023/02/04/the-limits-of-computational-photography/

But let’s not derail the thread again with the same tedious argument.

Yeah I'm simply leaning towards the Fuji on price and their colours.

Despite the above I still can't shake the feeling I'd enjoy a GR iii.

Am I going to lose much but not having an in camera flash?

Also weather sealed/waterproof

I have very rarely used the in camera flash on any recent camera.
Typically non-flash ambient light and high ISO results in better photos for me.

I would really like to have a GRIIIX for a while, not sure it would be much better than the Panasonic GM1 with various pancake lenses though for what I'd use it for.

It'll just be a carry all the time in a coat pocket camera. For times I don't want to have a Fuji or the Leica around my neck.

It's an enjoyable camera. Pictures are great.
I don't really like 28, portraits are hard, so thinking about the IIIx.
Autofocus IS slow but the snap thing works for on the go.
I haven't used mine that much in the 8 years I have it (or was that the one before?) but it definitely was used in drizzle on bike trips, put away a bit wet and I at least once dropped it on rocks. Looks abused, but works.

Maybe I should stump for the Fuji (what with being half the price) and if it works out well I can probably sell it for a similar amount and try out a Ricoh.

A cheaper pocketable option is a Panasonic GM1 with the 14mm f2.5 (28mm equiv.) pancake lens.
Similar weight, less tall, less wide, slightly deeper. Also the 12-32mm pancake zoom is pretty good and stupid small.