Going back to a compact digital camera

[Dos_Box]

I do quite a lot of nature walks, and one thing that has been annoying me for some time now is trying to use a phone camera to snap those often fleeting moments where you see something for only a few seconds. Whether it's a weird insect, or a bird (phones are definately not good for that!) or scurrying thing.

The time it takes to unlock your phone, start up the camera, try and focus or zoom, the opportunity is missed. I do have a digital SLR, but only take this to places where I know I will be almost guaranteed top see things worth taking pictures of, and walking miles with it slung around your neck with a heavy lens can get very tiring (and annoying).

I also have a Canon G10 bridge camera, but this is heavy, bulky and has a rubbish zoom. It can also be a pain to set up a shot depending on conditions. So I went off looking for something I could easily slip into a pocket, was affordable and had a good lens.

A couple of days watching eBay and reading reviews had me picking up a Lumix DMC-TZ20 in excellent condition. It has a Leica lens, 16x zoom (if I'm going somewhere where I think I'll need more than that I'll take the DSLR), GPS and didn't cost the Earth. I'm quite looking forwards to taking this out with me in the near future.

Admittedly, phone cameras can be very good for landscape shots, but for what I need, fall well short.

It does seem at the moment that there are a lot of compact cameras going for quite reasonable sums on eBy et al. Looks like there are a lot of people digging these out of drawers where they have sat for years (many listed as not working when they just have dead batteries) and getting rid of them, so if you are in the market for a new camera, I would really suggest having a look on the auction sites and FB Marketplace.

Anyone else going back to using a dedicated camera?

[mavhc]

EVIL cameras seem to have the best compromise between size and quality, just pick the lens you want to take with you to further reduce weight.

 

Actual compact cameras can be really slow. Superzoom cameras are ok in daylight, but very slow at night.

 

I can get from lock screen to having taken a phone on my pixel4a in 1.2 seconds.

[sted]

not really my phone is good enough and if i need anything better i always have my canon 70d (currently doing duty as a webcam as a psu was cheaper than a crummy webcam lol)

[localzuk]

The time it takes to unlock your phone, start up the camera, try and focus or zoom, the opportunity is missed. I do have a digital SLR, but only take this to places where I know I will be almost guaranteed top see things worth taking pictures of, and walking miles with it slung around your neck with a heavy lens can get very tiring (and annoying).

My last few Android phones have had a camera icon on the lockscreen itself. So, I don't need to unlock or open the app. I just swipe that icon up and the camera is ready to go. So, I've never felt the need to go back to a compact. I've got my Canon 6D if I want anything fancier too.

[FN-GM]

My last few Android phones have had a camera icon on the lockscreen itself. So, I don't need to unlock or open the app. I just swipe that icon up and the camera is ready to go.

 

My old Android did the same. As does my current iPhone. You can also use the volume buttons to take the picture - easier than looking for the button in screen.

[MatthewL]

I have a SLR not that it gets much use these days but if I was to buy a compact it would be a Panasonic, was only looking at them in the camera shop yesterday when I went out.

[Duranis]

I have an SLR that I haven't used in years. On my phone I just double tap the power button and camera is ready to go so doesn't seem worth carrying another device around. However pretty much the only thing I take photos of is my family so don't need anything special to do that most of the time.

[HTCPCP]

I used to have a lumix until it came up against gravity... Was a reasonable camera, but was never really one I used a lot apart from where I didn't want to take my SLR.

 

In lockdown 1 I picked up a used Sony Alpha A6000 and a couple of lenses on the cheap (ish), and its basically killed off use of my SLR for most things. The 18-55mm OSS lens outperforms my Nikon lenses in the same range under normal lighting, and its so much more responsive too.

[stevejp]

I have a SLR not that it gets much use these days but if I was to buy a compact it would be a Panasonic, was only looking at them in the camera shop yesterday when I went out.

 

Still got my OM10 sitting in a cupboard somewhere - hasn’t been used for probably 30 years!

[MatthewL]

If I was out as much as I used to be I would purchase a Panasonic or even a similar Sony to what I had, alot of it is what you get used to, best to go down the local camera shop try them out and find what is best for what you want.

[Andrew_C]

When I found that my TZ had a large gob of dust on the sensor, I bought an SLR. Not using it as much as I thought I would, due to all the fiddle of changing settings. I preferred the way film SLRs work.

 

However, once bought, with little to loose, I took the Panasonic apart, cleaned it, reassembled (with no screws left over) and it works fine.

 

I now use both. TZ for dropping in my pocket if out for a local walk, SLR if I want to try to be creative.

[stevejp]

However, once bought, with little to loose, I took the Panasonic apart, cleaned it, reassembled (with no screws left over) and it works fine.

 

Call yourself a techie? You’re supposed to have screws left over! But (and this is the important bit) it just still works...

[mavhc]

I leave my DSLR on auto 95% of the time, and then when that fails, or want a different effect, easy to switch to another mode.

 

Sensor technology is improving so rapidly though, even this was 5 years ago https://petapixel.com/2015/01/13/nighttime-photos-nyc-captured-open-door-helicopter/