[JJ_SO]

My trusted Canon G11 lost a fight against a broken bottle it shared a space in my cycle bag with. I don't think it will come back to life, so I need a replacement.

 

Somehow the market doesn't offer these kind of cameras at the moment. What I'm looking for:

• Small sensor, OVF (okay, the one from the G11 was kind of rough impression what could be in the picture)
  
• sort of fast but not huge zoom lens, not necessarily interchangeable
  
• decent low light capabilities
  
• tilt and swivel display - this is essential for me, others with fixed display I have enough
  
• Good battery life (the Canon was very good in this aspect)
  
• RAW (no exotic format)
  
• compact form factor, not (much) smaller than the G11
  
• menu not worse than the mediocre Canon menu
  
• touchscreen would be welcome
  
• price between 500...800 $
  

Any ideas where I could look as well? Nikon doesn't make it's P7800 anymore, I sold mine 3 years ago (already... time flies)

 

Basically another G11, maybe with touchscreen, would be the one in my mind.

[toni-a]

If You don't mind use with Smartphone why not consider Sony QX series, very compact, good image quality, and fast lens

[JJ_SO]

First, I have no smartphone and see no reason to buy one. Second I don't want to put the camera together from single pieces and third, I was very serious with the tilt and swivel display.

[obican]

Tough question to answer.

 

Not the Sony QX, too fiddly.

Probably not the Sony RX, tilt only LCD and not so great battery life. Awesome camera though.

Panasonic had some quite good compacts a few years ago, no idea on their current situation though.

Not a single Fuji X series camera.

Nikon had the DL series but they killed them...

 

Nope, I got nothing. Quite interesting how everyone dropped that market.

[JJ_SO]

Was my observation, too. Either I go second hand path or need to take a closer look to Canon G5x - but that formfactor is cumbersome and ugly (in my eyes). Worse is the mediocre quality of the lens which even DPreview didn't like too much. The rest of it would be cool. Especially the tilt/swivel touchdisplay... I just don't see the advantages of a 20 MP sensor   The G11 had just the right combination.

[Rover]

Canon G5X was my first thought. G7X???

 

P. S. I'm still wondering... why were you carrying a broken bottle in the bag???

[JJ_SO]

Actually, the bottle broke in the bag because of an overdose "falling to hard ground". And since it's an Ortlieb - waterproof from out- and inside - the camera took a bath in cherry-liqueur.   I didn't intend this kind of exercise, but one never knows... sub-consciousness can do powerful things.

[Rover]

Bummer. Reminds me of an occasion when a (plastic) bottle of Finnish soda leaked in my backpack, drenching the papers AND the camera/lens (Canon 30D + 17-55/2.8). The papers took the brunt of the damage however so the camera did not come to any harm (at least didn't become worse than it already was ).

[JJ_SO]

I was busy with cleaning papers. railway tickets, iPad, money-purse plus plastic cards, headphones, tools for 3/4 of an hour  <_< putting the glass shards out of it and cleaning the bag. It could have been worse. At least, even if the camera is wrecked, it's a nicely smelling wreck.  ^_^

[wim]

My replacement for my G10 is an Olympus Pen F . Slightly bigger, with 14-42 EZ zoom, so less zoom, but IQ quite a bit better, and very small, quite good zoom - it is a pan cake type lens when not in use. For me it also doubles as second MFT body. However, it is well over a 1000 euros still.

 

You could also look at some of the smaller DSLR-like OM-D bodies, like the EM-10 Mk II which retails new for around 600 euros these days, or a used EM-5 Mk II, which happens to be weathersealed, anmd over here with lens goes for around 700 to 800 euros (with warranty and with very little use). Both are slightly smaller than the Pen F, althought slightly fatter.

 

Menu-wise they are maybe not as simple as teh G10 or G11, but the standard configuration is very good as it is, plus, it has as many controls, at least, as the G11.

 

Of course it does not have an OVF, EVF or tilt/swivel display only (and one of the best in the market). The Oly touch screen is the one that sets the standard for all others, BTW. Battery life is not as good, because of EVF and display, but just get another battery, and you should get far with it regardless.

 

Personally, I love the Pen F a lot, and it is more than a match for my old G10 - but then, that would be obvious .

 

Since you do have an investment in Fuji already, you could maybe consider one of the smaller Fuji ILC cameras with a compact standard zoom lens. Or even a used X100.

 

Good compacts, based on tests I read, could be teh Panasonic LX100 III, but then, I have no clue as to pricing, and it does not have an OVF.

 

There are 3rd party OVFs, BTW, which you could mount to a hot shoe, maybe that is a solution. Some even have aids for focusing, but those tend to be rather expensive (approx. $400 based on what I saw last).

 

HTH, kind regards, Wim