compact camera with a viewfinder

Ricoh make nice compacts and you can generally pick up an external viewfinder as part of a kit.

The D-Lux 4 has an external VF but only for 24 / 35 mm - but you can guess as it only goes to 60 mm in total. I am guessing that the Panasonic equivalent has an external VF as well.

quote:

The D-Lux 4 has an external VF

£600 for the camera and another £200 for the viewfinder..............

Cheers

Don

I have the superb Ricoh GR1s which takes film. It has a fixed 28mm lens and produces fantastic results on cycle tours (or anywhere else for that matter).

There is a digital version called, I think, the GR Digital II. As far as I know it has a viewfinder.

Cheers, Chris

Edited - Sorry just Googled this, the optical viewfinder is extra, and fits on the hot shoe, Leica style. Could be a bit of a pain in the ar*e on a bike.

quote:

Originally posted by Don Atkinson:

quote:

The D-Lux 4 has an external VF

£600 for the camera and another £200 for the viewfinder..............

Cheers

Don

So, suggest an alternative ...

quote:

Originally posted by Christopher_M:

There is a digital version called, I think, the GR Digital II. As far as I know it has a viewfinder.

Cheers, Chris

Yes, GRD II - I have the compact VF, it's very nice but some may find the fixed 28mm focal length a bit limiting, but if 'doc is used to a single prime on his M8 then who knows?

Also has a nice macro function.

Hello 'doc

I'd go for this one every time.



I have the '2 and really rate it. I know of two people with the '3 and they rate it too. Both brilliant cameras.

Julian

I don’t think buying an expensive camera is a good idea.

Taking photos while riding a bike is pretty dangerous, the odds on you falling off and damaging the camera is very high.

Try one of these

Fuji F601

Solidly built, probably survive a prang, under £30 on ebay, and takes exceptional photos

quote:

So, suggest an alternative ...

Why?

Cheers

Don

Julian

That hotshoe mounted viewfinder looks like a great job - does it automatically or can you manually adjust to suit the particular focal length chosen?

I'm not so sure how practical it would be when touring on bike - I would be concerned about damaging the hotshoe by having it permanently in place - wouldn't mounting the viewfinder every time you want to take a picture be a pain?

I have the D-Lux 3 which I think would make a fantastic touring camera - the leather case is small but provides great protection. The downside is that you must use the lcd panel for composition - there is no viewfinder. Having had one of the earlier Canon Powershots, the viewfinder on that was terrible - you never quite new what was in or outside your intended frame hence I was quite okay with the D-Lux approach.

I'm sure the Lumix LX3 would be just as good.

Peter

Doc

Might be worth looking for something second hand if the Leica D-Lux 4 is off the menu.

But if the Panasonic LX3 is the same as the Lieca, ie has an add-on view-finder(I think it has), then the overall cost would be more like £500 and the pics almost as good, according to three Leica Dealers I visited a few days ago in London.

Cheers

Don

PS - I also have a GR1 which for me was just far too restrictive with a fixed 28mm lens. The Contax T3 with 35mm fixed focal length would have suited me much better.

If you don't mind film, there is a Contax TVS III currently for sale on fleabay for just under £300 - this provides a high quality compact camera with viewfinder and a limited range (but very high quality) zoom lens. I suspect though that you are specifically after a digi compact....

Peter

quote:

Originally posted by Julian H:
. I know of two people with the '3 and they rate it too.
Julian

I have the Lumix LX3. Super little camera and highly recommended. Stefan - sjust has one as well and he loves his. It just takes great photos and the camera gives you all the manual controls of an SLR.

Oddball new option:

http://www.vivitar.com/products.php?cat=1&subcat=24&prod=16

Doc,

dpreviewdotcom put the LX3 ahead of its rivals, so if the additional viewfinder is available at a sensible price, that would be a possible way forward.

I spoke to a few Leica dealers a week or so ago. They all claimed the D-Lux 4 was better than the LX3, but couldn't justify the price differential viz £400 > £600. They all suggested that with Photoshop (elements?) you could adjust the colour settings to get the same end product regardless of which camera (LX3 or D-Lux 4)captured the image.

dpreview also put the Canon G10 up there with the LX3 for image quality - and the G10 does have a built-in viewfinder. Might be worth a look? Price looks similar to LX3.

Nikon's P6000 also has a viewfinder but didn't feature too well against the LX3 or G10

Cheers

Don

quote:

the G10 does have a built-in viewfinder. Might be worth a look?

Ok, I read your first post again.........forget what I suggested.....

Probably best to stick withe the Leica/Panasonic range and get the best deal on D-Lux 4/LX3 c/w viewfinder with D2 traded-in?

Cheers

Don

Doc
A totally left-field thought. An Olympus SLR (E 420, 520 or the new 620) with a 25mm "pancake" lens ( equivalent to a 50 in 35mm terms), will give you a much better picture than a compact and weighs little more, but does have a real -if small- optical viewfinder. Certainly lighter than your M8.

On the subject of left field (and Panasonic), this one seems to have lots of potential provided you aren't wanting to use the viewfinder in very poor light. I reckon you'd probably want something more portable but if not, the image quality from this and the Olympus models would be better

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicdmcg1/page33.asp

Peter

Doc, I spent some time recently with exactly your brief, looking for a digital equivalent of my Contax T3. I failed to find it.

I played with the G10 (too big for my purposes), the Ricoh GX200 (the electronic viewfinder gave me a headache), the NIkon somethingorother (didn't like the handling) before settling on the Panny LX3.

I like the f2 24mm (equivalent) lens, RAW output, and the quality of images produced. It's a neat size, similar to the T3 and smaller than the Canon. It's highly adjustable: fully manual, shutter or aperture priority automatic, or an unimaginable number of programme settings. Some of the controls are pretty tiny and sometimes awkward to get at with the leather case on. It handles reasonably but feels like a two handed device, a mini-SLR, which can be a bit awkward when rock-climbing.

The LCD screen is very good of it's type but I still miss an optical viewfinder in bright sunlight. I read Voightlander viewfinders work well for somewhat less than the Panasonic equivalent, but I've not tried one yet.

I paid just over £300 via John Lewis' price match.

duncan

I had a Ricoh GR1 for 8 years which I loved - didn't mind the 28mm only at all - until it froze to death on a ski slope at -18deg C. Ricoh couldn't fix it!

Now using a Canon S70 which also does 28mm and is built like a tank - good for all outdoor activities I would imagine.

Duncan,

Love the look of the LX3 in the leather case. Very retro, and even more so if it was in brown leather!

Reckon I might look for one when I replace my GR1s.

Cheers, Chris

Very helpful ideas, and what I think I'll do is glue a flash bracket on the top of my D-Lux2 and use the 15mm or 12 mm Voigtlander view-finders from my M8.

p.s. Flattered by your assumptions of my cycling ability but I usually stop before I take the pictures. I find it handy to have the camera case on one of the front straps of my Camelback.

I too have a Contax T3 film camera, which is what I really want but in digital format. I can't believe there isn't now a market for such a lovely camera.

This may be the wrong place to ask, but I am thinking of stepping up my interest in photography and was thinking about buying a Nikon D80 Digital SLR Camera (18-135mm Lens Kit) .

Anybody out there who know a lot more about this than me have an opinion on my camera choice?

Doc,
As you know i have the panny TZ3 and am very happy with it although it does not have a viewfinder... i have not had a problem with the LCD even in sunlight. but the reason for my post is that i also use a compact sony cybershot for work as it has a viewfinder and it takes normal aa batteries so i dont have to worry about charging some.
Its not a world beater....BUT..it is compact has a viewfinder is always ready to shoot as long as you have batteries in your pocket and the results are quite good for what it is.
I think i paid around £75 on fleabay so really it is ideal for climbing up on roof areas as i do and taking quick and easy shots.
should suit you on your bike mate...hope thats helpful. regards, Dave

p.s.
Am giving my beloved TZ3 to my daughter who is really getting into photography and buying the latest panny compact the TZ6.
What do you think ? have you tried it yet ?
Julien whats your view.
Dave

quote:

latest panny compact the TZ6

Dunno mate, did not even know there was one. It is likely to be evolution rather than revolution though.

Go for the LX3, you wont regret it!

J