first camera , help!

Lightning12

TPF Noob!
Joined
Mar 11, 2015
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
Hi everyone ,
I have never had a camera before ( only smartphones ) and now I'm going to make the "jump" .
I've chosen a compact over a DSRL for the weight and because I don't want to buy other stuff in the future.
Honestly I don't know nothing about photography but I really want to learn , I think a compact will be a good start.
I need a camera that is fairly good at everything ( from travels to portraits ) and I need AWESOME IQ because I want this camera to last 5 years at least.
Choices are:

Ricoh GR : price , the possibility to take "Daido Moriyama style" photos , size etc

Panasonic LX100 : overall it seems like a good camera but does it takes better photos than the GR?? I'm fascinated by the Leica lens and the Zoom

Fuji X100S : it's the most expensive between the three but it seems the most "solid" .. Like ..I don't know how to explain .. The most "serious camera" and most versatile .

What is the best camera for my needs and to learn the basics of photography ?

Help me to choose because I feel a little lost

Sorry for my English, I'm from Italy.
 
Your English is o.k.
 
Out of that list I'd pick the panasonic. The other two you have listed both haved a fixed focal length which you may find restrictive.
 
Have you considered a mirrorless system? You get the nice compact size, but the invaluable option for interchangeable lens's as you learn! It is absolutely an opition you should consider if you haven't already.
 
I'd go with the Fuji X100T or the LX100. I tried the Ricoh out and liked it, but I thought the operation was a little clunky and it was a bit wider than I wanted on a day to day basis. The X100T blew me away.

The LX100 is a great little camera, but the Ricoh and Fuji are much better image quality wise. They just have bigger sensors and at the end of the day there is only so much you can do with a small sensor like on the LX100. The LX100 has a zoom though, so if that's important to you, that could make the choice by itself.

My rankings would be:

Image quality:

X100T
big gap
Ricoh
big gap
LX100

Ease of use:
X100T
LX100
Ricoh

durability:
X100T
LX100
Ricoh

versatility lens wise:
LX100
Fuji X100T
Ricoh

Fun factor:
Fuji X100T
LX100
Ricoh

Features:
Fuji X100T
LX100
Ricoh
 
I know Thom Hogan carries the Panasonic LX 100 as his "everywhere camera" of choice...he has a great site devoted to mirrorless cameras, and has tested many of them...for him the LX 100 is the best carrying-everywhere type camera because of how easy he finds it to make the settings changes that he wants to make.DMC-LX100 Compact Cameras - Panasonic UK Ireland

The Fuji X100T is a sweet machine though...and looks sexier than almost any mirrorless, and has more pizzazz than almost any other fixed lens camera made in the last decade!!! FUJIFILM X100T Fujifilm Global

What "we" think is not as important as what you think; you need to satisfy your needs and wants and desires. Do you want a smaller, more carryable camera, like the LX100? Or do you want something else, something different?
 
I know Thom Hogan carries the Panasonic LX 100 as his "everywhere camera" of choice...he has a great site devoted to mirrorless cameras, and has tested many of them...for him the LX 100 is the best carrying-everywhere type camera because of how easy he finds it to make the settings changes that he wants to make.DMC-LX100 Compact Cameras - Panasonic UK Ireland

The Fuji X100T is a sweet machine though...and looks sexier than almost any mirrorless, and has more pizzazz than almost any other fixed lens camera made in the last decade!!! FUJIFILM X100T Fujifilm Global

What "we" think is not as important as what you think; you need to satisfy your needs and wants and desires. Do you want a smaller, more carryable camera, like the LX100? Or do you want something else, something different?
The LX100 is a great camera. I had and loved its predecessor, the LX7, and the LX100 is leaps and bounds better. TO me the X100T and the LX100 are the two choices. Do you want to go all in on image quality or do you want a zoom? Basically what it comes down to for me.

The final selling point for me was that because of the X100T's resolution, I could ultimately crop my way into zoom in post if I needed. And I sorta like being forced into the action with a medium/wide angle 35mm FF equivalent.
 
Thanks everyone

Have you considered a mirrorless system? You get the nice compact size, but the invaluable option for interchangeable lens's as you learn! It is absolutely an opition you should consider if you haven't already.
Yeah I've considered a Sony a6000 but I know that the 18-50 kit lenses are really cheap and as I said in the first post, I don't want to spend money on lenses.i mean.. I like to have the option to change lens sometime in the future , but I dont wanna be forced to do it because the kit lenses are cheap.
I've seen the Fujifilm XE1 too ( I'm strangely attracted by fujis ) but how is the kit lens ?

About the Fuji X100.. I'm talking about the older model (x100) .. T model is out of budget
 
Last edited:
While Ricoh GR is an excellent camera, it is not what you need. It has a fixed 18 mm lense that is quite widE and not easy to shoot with. This is not a beginner camera. Even though I would put it above Fuji 100s in some respects. Brilliant little camera, but rsther specialised.
I would second Sony a6000
 
Seriously I can't pick the camera for you. For me I think I go with the Panasonic rather than the Fuji but both are close. The Ricoh is simply too ugly to consider.
 
Seriously I can't pick the camera for you. For me I think I go with the Panasonic rather than the Fuji but both are close. The Ricoh is simply too ugly to consider.

:allteeth: Have you actually tried GR or seen it in flesh? :allteeth:
 
Thanks everyone

Have you considered a mirrorless system? You get the nice compact size, but the invaluable option for interchangeable lens's as you learn! It is absolutely an opition you should consider if you haven't already.
Yeah I've considered a Sony a6000 but I know that the 18-50 kit lenses are really cheap and as I said in the first post, I don't want to spend money on lenses.i mean.. I like to have the option to change lens sometime in the future , but I dont wanna be forced to do it because the kit lenses are cheap.
I've seen the Fujifilm XE1 too ( I'm strangely attracted by fujis ) but how is the kit lens ?

About the Fuji X100.. I'm talking about the older model (x100) .. T model is out of budget
The 100S is still pretty solid. Hopefully Fuji comes out with a firmware update for it so that it gets some of the x100t's goodies.

I would nix the Ricoh. Great camera just too specialized. Only you can answer the x100s v lx100 question. Based on things you've said Id Go lx100
 
Seriously I can't pick the camera for you. For me I think I go with the Panasonic rather than the Fuji but both are close. The Ricoh is simply too ugly to consider.

:allteeth: Have you actually tried GR or seen it in flesh? :allteeth:
I have seen it and handle it in the store. Don't like the way it looks so I don't investigate further about its function.
 
i like the versatility in the LX100 .. i'm just worried about the IQ . For now, being a beginner, i probably won't notice the gap between the LX100 and the Fuji.. but in the future? As i said, i want this camera to last some time and i want it to satisfy me also when i will make the transition from newbie to amateur, when i will learn post-processing and so on..
 
I'd go with the Fuji X100T or the LX100. I tried the Ricoh out and liked it, but I thought the operation was a little clunky and it was a bit wider than I wanted on a day to day basis. The X100T blew me away.

The LX100 is a great little camera, but the Ricoh and Fuji are much better image quality wise. They just have bigger sensors and at the end of the day there is only so much you can do with a small sensor like on the LX100. The LX100 has a zoom though, so if that's important to you, that could make the choice by itself.

My rankings would be:

Image quality:

X100T
big gap
Ricoh
big gap
LX100

Ease of use:
X100T
LX100
Ricoh

durability:
X100T
LX100
Ricoh

versatility lens wise:
LX100
Fuji X100T
Ricoh

Fun factor:
Fuji X100T
LX100
Ricoh

Features:
Fuji X100T
LX100
Ricoh

Probably a bit of an off-topic, but as a regular user of both Ricoh and FUJI I think Ricoh GR is underestimated here. I can not comment on LX100.

1/ There is no big gap between Ricoh GR and FUJI image quality. FUJI engine works slightly better at high ISO, but otherwice I do not see any big gap. Ricoh lense is first class and crazy sharp, color rendition differs and is a matter of taste. Same 16 Mp, same sensor size, same no low pass filter, both are excellent, Bayer against X-Trans.. matter of taste. I love X-Trans, but sometimes little Ricoh beats it.
2/ Ease of use - as a street shooter I find Ricoh incredibly convenient and easy to shoot, its layout and all customiseable buttons are very well thought and designed by real shooters, it is a 10+ years evolution of similar Ricoh cameras. Snap focus is an amazing function sadly lacking on most cameras, FUJI included.
3/Durability - retracted lense of Ricoh has its advantages and disadvantages. You do not need a lense cap, but it may suck some dust. I would rather have it FUJI way. On the other hand, Ricoh body is all professional quality magnesium alloy, it is very durable and strong. I have dropped my Ricoh on the pavement twice, it did not even blink.
4/Lens versatility - well, both FUJI and Ricoh are fixed lenses. Ricoh is wider, so you have to learn to be closer. In that respect FUJI is easier to shoot with. But you can use a wide converter with Ricoh for an equiv. 35 mm. Never tried it though.
5/Fun factor - this is personal, but to shoot street with Ricoh is great fun, it is the best street shooter camera out there if you want to be close and personal. Big, big fun factor. FUJI is a hip camera and wants to be visible, which is fun. Ricoh is complete opposite, it is made to be invisible, and that is another kind of fun.
6/Features - I put Ricoh above FUJI for some kinds of street shooting just because of its Snap Focus feature, which is indispensable to me. On top of that Ricoh has all the functions of a typical DSLR, apart from a viewfinder and exchangeable lenses obviously. FUJI has an excellent viewfinder, and that is a big advantage. You can add an external viewfinder to Ricoh, but that would defeat the whole concept of this camera in my view.
 
Last edited:

Most reactions

Back
Top