What is the best, sharpest fixed-focus, non-zoom compact camera ever? An odd question, but an area I find interesting. Regardless of resolution, what is the best compact camera with a...

radiojohn

An odd question, but an area I find interesting. Regardless of resolution, what is the best compact camera with a non-AF, non-Zoom lens you have seen?

I have had luck with an early 5 MP Kodak (made by Chinon) and a "PaperShoot" with a Largan lens.

Zone focus or fixed focus included.

Thanks!

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radiojohn wrote:

An odd question, but an area I find interesting. Regardless of resolution, what is the best compact camera with a non-AF, non-Zoom lens you have seen?

I have had luck with an early 5 MP Kodak (made by Chinon) and a "PaperShoot" with a Largan lens.

Zone focus or fixed focus included.

Thanks!

.
Shown with pancake zoom, but sharp primes abound. Cannot escape AF but choose a Zuiko with “MF Clutch” for true vintage manual mechanical helical focus complete with distance and DoF scale.

This is the GM5 with EVF plus the full feature set for its day, IOW it’s a really real camera.

Drawbacks:
Crowded controls. No IBIS. Very small EVF. Hard to find.

FWIW, a GX7 is barely larger, just enuf to contain IBIS, plus a better EVF. Best of all, it’s very much easier to find one. Second best of all, it costs less cuz it’s not so scarce.
.

(Download)

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

radiojohn wrote:

An odd question, but an area I find interesting. Regardless of resolution, what is the best compact camera with a non-AF, non-Zoom lens you have seen?

I have had luck with an early 5 MP Kodak (made by Chinon) and a "PaperShoot" with a Largan lens.

Zone focus or fixed focus included.

Thanks!

I think Leica may makes one (it will be expensive). All the others will not be as good and more or less "toy" cameras. Some will have reasonable quality, but most will not have a lot of quality. Do an internet search along with searches at Adorama, B&H Photo, and the likes of Image Resource and others. The internet should give you what is available and the others will help you sort through them.

radiojohn

Most will be "odd ducks" made years ago. SoundVision made a few for Concord Camera with some early CMOS post-processing done on the PC!

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

I had a Ricoh Auto 35, scale focus, fixed lens, spring motor drive, manual exposure, great camera IMHO

User ID

wdross wrote:

I think Leica may makes one (it will be expensive). All the others will not be as good and more or less "toy" cameras. Some will have reasonable quality, but most will not have a lot of quality. Do an internet search along with searches at Adorama, B&H Photo, and the likes of Image Resource and others. The internet should give you what is available and the others will help you sort through them.

A Leica is Lumix, even at $3000. Lumix has great compacts and sharp Leica lenses. Older models tend to be smaller.
Plenty of primes, but eliminating AF is probably not on this planet unless you adapt some old Pen-F film lenses, which can reduce sharpness compared to real m4/3 lenses.

Quixdraw Loc: x

The best I have used and own is the Ricoh GXR with A 12 Leica Module, plus a Nikon Adapter and use almost any manual focus Leica or Nikon lens you prefer.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

There is no such “best” animal.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

jaymatt wrote:

There is no such “best” animal.

Advertisers are allowed to use the word "best," but they have to be very careful about using "better."

Nosaj Loc: Sarasota, Florida

Best? A meaningless designation. But a very good fixed focus camera is the Ricoh GR-3.

Abo

If you mean a compact camera with a fixed lens, I'm running the Fujifilm X100 series up the flagpole...

if you mean a compact camera with any (changeable) prime,
I'm sticking with Fujifilm X-Trans cameras with an XF 35mm

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

radiojohn wrote:

An odd question, but an area I find interesting. Regardless of resolution, what is the best compact camera with a non-AF, non-Zoom lens you have seen?

I have had luck with an early 5 MP Kodak (made by Chinon) and a "PaperShoot" with a Largan lens.

Zone focus or fixed focus included.

Thanks!

The Leica Q and Leica Q2 could fit what you are looking for. Though it may have auto-focus.

I just looked it up, the Q2 has auto focus. The lens is a Summilux 28mm f/1,7 ASPH. The sensor is full frame with 47.3 MP. The cost is about $5500.

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

radiojohn wrote:

An odd question, but an area I find interesting. Regardless of resolution, what is the best compact camera with a non-AF, non-Zoom lens you have seen?

I have had luck with an early 5 MP Kodak (made by Chinon) and a "PaperShoot" with a Largan lens.

Zone focus or fixed focus included.

Thanks!

Nikon 1969 F body with a 35mm 2.8 Non AI manual focus lens.

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

You're defining a modern cellphone...............fixed focus and very good captures.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

CPR wrote:

You're defining a modern cellphone...............fixed focus and very good captures.

I hate to say it, but for the parameters given, you are probably right. The smartphones have become that market except for a very few like Leica.