Boris77

Canon G1X, with viewfinder. Good stills - I do not shoot movies. Viewfinder for quick shots or when you can not see the back screen.
It will fit in my pants or coat pocket.
Obvious disadvantages: Heavy and cornered shape does not go smoothly into a pocket, and lens cap assured to pop off.
Olympus Stylus clamshell worked out the design over 50 years ago, but I guess that there is no money in a real pocket camera today when most people carry a cell phone.
Boris

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Their are many choices out their that will fill your needs. It all becomes a personal choice.
One of my personal favorites is the Sony HX90V, the reason is the pop up viewfinder which is great for quick shots and everything else, and as you look through it you can zoom at the same time. And is a great benefit for outside shooting.
I also like the wide range of the 24-720 mm Zeiss lens. YES, that is a ZEISS lens, same manufacture of the lenses I once had on my Hasselblad. Sharp, sharp, sharp, did I mention that this lens was sharp. The pop up flash is great for fill flash outside and is automatic on the HX90V.

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

A little large for some pockets, but I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS60. Lots of range and what is uncommon for some pocket cameras, a viewfinder.

fishone0 Loc: Kingman AZ

I have the SX730--neat camera --very rarely use my phone --only time I use my phone is to take a quick shot of something and text it. Such as what is on sale at the store --so I say go for it you will like it

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I'll forego geeky advice, and my own fave
is impossible to buy anymore, so no going
there. But I can recommend that you avoid
those multi-blade self-covering lenses, any
sliding covers, electrically driven collapsible
lenses, and other fallible nonsense if you're
looking for a "devil may care" companion !

That advice should knock out roughly half
the candidates so you have fewer searches
to run on google. And it most likely knocks
out many user-recommended cameras, so
again thaz less comparisons to bother with.

Your welcome :-)


Here FWIW is my unobtainable little Lumix
GM5 m43, stacked bottom-to-bottom on a
Sony a6000 to show their relative sizes:

zug55 Loc: Naivasha, Kenya, and Austin, Texas

And what is the logic of that? Or do smart phones now have amazing viewfinders?

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Do phones HAVE amazing viewfinders ?
Skah Roo Dat. Phones ARE amazing AS
viewfinders, and as remotes. It's almost
enuf to make me get a new phone :-)

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Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

I have an iPhone 8 Plus and use the camera a lot. Often I use it for reference purposes, or take a picture of something and text it to my wife to see what she thinks about it. But I also use it for scenic landscapes and close up flower pics. I do realize it's limitations, but for casual photography, I think it does a pretty good job. On the other hand, a smart phone camera can't replace a real camera, even a "pocket" camera. I really like having a camera that I can manipulate the controls and have at least some degree of control over a scene. I like being able to zoom out, even one that's not long, and retaining the quality of the image. Zooming with a cell phone camera results in serious loss of image quality.

wrobart

I'm old, an amateur, and a bit cheap. I'm done carrying around an SLR and a bag of lenses as it's just too much effort. I've also had a series of small cameras both film and digital. I also always have my iPhone in my pocket. My current camera is a Canon G12 which fills most of my needs quite well and if it isn't in my hip pocket I make do with the iPhone. I'm also hesitant to say that I use the iPhone camera for more than copying my shopping list. I do not consider the phone to be a worthy substitute for a real camera but someday they will get there. The iPhone 8 takes very nice pictures without the temptation to take too long getting the camera ready to take a picture. When I go out to take pics I do not even consider using the phone and my guess is than anyone here is also not going to use the phone.


Like many of us I also peruse the ads for new cameras. I glance at the SLR ads but take careful note of the compact cameras leaning heavily towards the pocketable models. I like having a viewfinder whether it be an optical or electronic one. The perfect camera for me would have a zoom range from 24 to 200-300mm, a 1.8 constant F stop, shutter speed from B to 1000 with a frame rate of 5-6/sec., fully articulated LCD screen, a hot shoe, pop up flash, full frame sensor(I can dream), integral automatic lens "cap", JPEG and Raw, wireless downloading, battery life of 300+ shots, a replaceable and rechargeable battery, be water/dust resistant, take good video, fit in my shirt pocket, and have all of the other things my G12 has. The Sony 100 series looks like it may get there in a few years but is not there yet. Their latest with the longer lens is a step forward. I'd be willing to spend around $1200 or so but it has to be near perfect as it would be my only camera. Given the small market for such a camera I fully expect that when My G12 gives up the ghost I'll have to buy another compromise camera.

zug55 Loc: Naivasha, Kenya, and Austin, Texas

Wisely spoken. It is all about compromise, and compromise comes with having to make choices. Different circumstances, different choices. Enjoy the camera you have in your pocket.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Kinda how I feel, but better stated than I did above. I'm willing to forego the full frame sensor, but an APS-C sensor would be fine, although I suspect that even a crop sensor in a small camera would render it much larger than a pocket size camera, so unless the technology evolves a lot, I'm afraid the best we could currently do with the above specifications is a 1" type sensor. And that's fine with me, as I am also strictly an amateur. I think if they could make the lens a constant f/1/8 or even f/2, the Sony RX100VI would be the one closest to the perfect camera.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

She found her cell phone more usefull than a mega-zoom with no viewfinder.

tropics68 Loc: Georgia

Like an old friend of mine once said, "you can usually get anything you want, all it takes is the money to pay for it."

Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal

I picked up a Nikon Coolpix A900.
It fits my pockets and my needs.

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`

If you see me with a very compact camera,
not so rare for me, it's just due to laziness,
not due to "ever-readiness".

IOW, I don't need my camera to be always
with me to keep me always ready for that
unexpected opportunity.

I can be seen ... tho likely I'll go unseen ...
studying a possible shot or scene. There's
no camera in my hand, nor in my pocket,
nor built into my phone. It's just a habit
of mine to work with photo opportunities
that pop up in everyday existence ... and
let most of them go unrecorded.

The few times I do bring a camera along
for no specific/anticipated reason, I very
well may do that same considering of the
scene, and not bother to get the camera
out and use it. I "exercise my option" on
verrrry few apparent opportunities.

When I do gather some images, I work
on them carefully. Gradually over time I
wind up with what I want. That is why it
doesn't bother me to skip waaaay more
perfectly good opportunities than I ever
actually record and work on. I frame up
the op. Move around. Consider all that I
might do with the image ... all without a
camera. Finally, what I see-in-mind must
be worth spending some time with in PP.
Reeeeally worth it. "Worth it" is nothing
to do with "will it pop eyeballs" or "will it
prove my talent". "Worth it" is all about
"will I find the PP work satisfying, will I
enjoy working it out to where I want it".

I can "pop eyeballs" or "prove my talent"
pretty much "at will", so that would too
little reason, too boring, to bring home
an image to work on. The possibilities of
the image hafta inspire me, and I'm lazy,
so that's high bar, too high for 95% of all
opportunities that occur. The reason for
my "studying" so verrrry many possible
opportunities is that I'm looking for that
elusive other 5% that I suspect I'll enjoy
working on :-)

Obviously NOT a professional work flow.
If I'm working for someone, I'll produce
whatever they want, efficiently, ready to
use sooc ... even if it bores me silly :-(
Acoarst assigned work means a camera
larger than pocket size, and no laziness.


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