Cameras

[Fade to Black]

none of them have the retro styling on the fuji which i love..

yes, this is what draws me to it. there is something about the way the modern chunky DSLR looks that I absolutely despise; i dunno if it's due to some subconscious cultural connotating on my part.

[Acid, Bitter and Sad]

i really like this except for the fixed lens bit...

I actually like, and respect, that it's a fixed lens. Kudos to Fuji for this decision.

Fixed/prime lens usually are of better quality than zooms.

Also, i believe shooting with a prime will improve your photographic eye and compositional sense in the long run...forces one to be more creative within the constraints of the fixed focal length.
Zoom with your feet

[Seventh]

^ Agree that prime lenses are generally superior to zoom lenses. Also rangefinders can (theoretically) maximize the performance of lens over a SLR.

However that the x100 has a fixed lens seems a bit silly to me. The GXR makes more sense with its lens options, looks nicer (IMO - the old school style of the x100 seems forced...), and doesn't have a viewfinder that discriminates against left-eye dominant photographers (I hate bashing my face against the camera back) :-)

[endersgame]

i think the reason why fuji started with a fixed lens is because it's a feeler camera. it probably costs way too much to produce proprietary lenses on a system that is not guaranteed to fly off the shelf.

the ricoh is that kind of camera. really cutting edge lego-style modular lens system. but if you look at the selection of lenses, half the focal lengths can be found in a high-end point and shoot. i'm going to guess that people who buy this camera will pick the 24-77 kit. but since tech changes so much, they may not even keep the camera long enough to try the other ones..

i'm still unsure if building the sensor into the lens was the best thing to do. if they come out with new sensors, you'll have to buy new lenses?

[Seventh]

Totally agree, and it is nice to see Fuji back in the camera game. Just feel that this camera is bigger on style than substance.

I really like the concepts behind the Ricoh, but your points are valid, in trying to be modular, it is trying to have it both ways (appeal to the point and shoot customer and the second-camera-professional market). It might end up making neither happy. But it is nice to see a company rethink camera design.

In the end, we are talking about cameras with APS-C sensors... That for me is the biggest limitation when they are approaching DSLR prices.

[lowrey]

I don't see any major advantage in the G12, they both have the HS censor with similar specs, same resolution, same ISO cabability. the S95 has 720p video just like the G12. the S95 is also much more compact and has an even higher aperture (f/2 vs 2.8) so perhaps even slightly better performance in low light conditions. in my opinion the best pocketable camera there is

edit: I just noticed you mentioned the S90, not S95, but they are practically the same camera

[lowrey]

yea, a pretty moderate face lift. it has an upgraded sensor, apparently a slightly better stabilizer and better (HD) video quality.

[syed]

They are pretty much the same camera, it's down to the details as to which you prefer.

G12: good ergonomics, hot shoe, optical viewfinder, option for lens attachments and filters, articulated screen

S95: pocketability, lens ring control, pocketability!

Personally I went for the G11 because when I was playing around with the S90 it felt too small in my hands, and I had difficulty with it because of that. Plus I don't ever keep cameras in my pocket, I always carry a rucksack, or just sling it around my neck when I'm in tourist mode, so the size difference wasn't a major concern. I also like having the exposure compensation dial, but you could set that up on the lens ring control for the S90/95.

I guess it's down to which size you prefer.

[endersgame]

i went for a samsung TL500 instead of a S95.

willing to sacrifice pocketability for 1.8f, flip-out screen, and longer battery life. cheaper too..

[magic]

been so many years wanted to have a dslr and finally in comes true.. will start learning and try to contribute more here.

read from some source that dslr needs calibration, did anyone did this when changed a new lens?

[lowrey]

to my understanding calibration is mainly done if there is an issue with focusing with a particular body and lens combination, the focusing could be "off" to the front or back. otherwise its not necessary, I've never had the need with the 4-5 bodies and 8 or so lenses I've owned in the last 10 years.

some DSLR's actually have a function for this (I think Canon calls it micro adjustment), but many do not, at least Canon "entry" level dslr's don't. in order to calibrate these, you'd need to send them to manufacturer.

[magic]

i came across this video and not even aware of a camera that needs a calibration. also, that device seem to be able to DIM(do it myself) calibration. i couldnt understand what you mean by the ' off to the front and back'.. maybe you can share more about this?

[kuugaia]

Got the s90 recently as a gift and am pleasantly surprised at how durable it feels. Shall test it out for my next DIY shots.

[lowrey]

i couldnt understand what you mean by the ' off to the front and back'.. maybe you can share more about this?

for example, if you are taking a picture of a person standing in front of a wall, you focus on the persons face, but in the picture it appears out of focus while the wall is perfectly focused - this would be back focused.

this can usually tested with a ruler or some type of grid placed in an angle, here is an example of front focus. here, the camera focuses on the center (0 on the scale), but the focus in the image is too much in the front. this camera would need calibration. here is an example of very slight back focus. as you can see, the focus is a couple of mm's back from the center.

but its important to differentiate between this and just a poorly focused shot, which can be caused by either the target or camera moving or the camera focusing on the wrong area.

all in all, calibration is not something typically needed and should only be worried about if you actually notice the focus being continuously off in your images.

[Chinorlz]

So the Nex-5 series was just briefly mentioned in this thread... has anyone had experience with it? Like FtB, I really dislike carrying a chunk DSLR around and the compact nature of the Nex-5 really appeals to me and the price is quite fair. I'm certainly open to other options that allow for different lenses while remaining compact and not making one of the asian persuasion look like a perpetual tourist in their own city hahaha