Serious compact with an ultra wide-angle lens option?

cthart

Rookie
Location
Frösön, Sweden
Name
Colin 't Hart
Hi,

I'm still looking to eventually replace my Nikon D5000 with something smaller & lighter.

One thing that would seal the deal for me is an ultra wide-angle lens, either built-in (unlikely) or as part of an ILC system.

What are my options?

I had a play with a Sony NEX7 with a to-me-unknown lens combination: a small lens (not quite pancake) and a wide-angle adaptor; I believe both were made by Sony. However I'm not sure if the combination would even be in the UWA category.

The only other option I'm currently aware of are the m43 lenses by Panasonic and Olympus.

In addition, I would really like a viewfinder -- something the NEX7 had, but I believe the NEX7 is no longer being made?

My budget doesn't extend to an Olympus OM-D E-M1 -- nor would I want something that "large".

What should I be looking at and trying? Or should I keep my camera -- which I'm very happy with -- and buy a nice Nikon DX 10-24 lens?
 
Sony have a 16mm pancake lens with a 0.75x conversion lens available, bringing the equivalent focal length to 18mm. The nex7 is still being sold, although I don't think any new ones are stilk being produced; I would guess a replacement is de sometime this year (or perhaps the a6000 is that replacement).

Most ILC systems have an superwide zoom (wider than 24mm equivalent), but I think Sony (when using the converter) and Fuji with its 14mm (21mm equivalent) are the only systems with a rectilinear super wide prime lens.

Another option could be a Ricoh GR with the gw3 wide angle converter. The base camera has a fixed lens at 28mm equiv, but with the converter that becomes 21mm equiv. The base camera is almost pants pocketable, while the package with conversion lens is easily jacket pocketable.
 
Take a look at the Panasonic GX7.

I like the idea of a m43, but to me images from Panasonic cameras look green. Is it possible to adjust this colour balance for in-camera produced JPEGs? I've experimented with shooting RAW in the past but I want images that I can use directly from the camera... sorry if that's anathema!
 
I like the idea of a m43, but to me images from Panasonic cameras look green. Is it possible to adjust this colour balance for in-camera produced JPEGs? I've experimented with shooting RAW in the past but I want images that I can use directly from the camera... sorry if that's anathema!

I use the olympus EP5 so i can't speak from experience with the GX7. However, the GX7 has settings in the camera to adjust for color balance when shooting jpegs. Most of the reviews say the color balance is spot on so i can't say much on your green tint experience. The GX7 was on my list but i chose the EP5 and opted for the VF4 viewfinder. The 5 axis ibis was a big selling point for me and i like how the EP5 renders colors.
 
I like the idea of a m43, but to me images from Panasonic cameras look green. Is it possible to adjust this colour balance for in-camera produced JPEGs? I've experimented with shooting RAW in the past but I want images that I can use directly from the camera... sorry if that's anathema!

I think it's possible.
 
I like the idea of a m43, but to me images from Panasonic cameras look green. Is it possible to adjust this colour balance for in-camera produced JPEGs? I've experimented with shooting RAW in the past but I want images that I can use directly from the camera... sorry if that's anathema!

I keep an 18% grey card (the size of a credit card) in my wallet so that I can custom white balance at a moment's notice. Works great.

And look for a Panasonic LX7. [Spinal Tap voice] It goes to 24 [/Spinal Tap voice]
 
The LX7 does go wide and if you use the 16:9 crop mode, it goes even wider. Lens is verry sharp as well, just wish the sensor was better.
 
How compact is compact, and how wide is wide? Do you need rectilinear lenses or can you deal with fisheye?

Panasonic LX7 - 24mm wide angle that becomes more like 21.5mm in 16:9 aspect ratio. My favourite way to shoot these days. It's the widest you'll find in a compact camera at the moment.

Small m43 camera like Pana GF3, Oly E-PL5 + Oly 9-18mm which is like 18-36mm. If you can handle the extra size and considerable expense, the Panasonic 7-14mm is truly excellent, becoming like 14-28mm.

Ricoh GR + 21mm adapter lens, which I find it even wider than a 21mm lens on a full frame camera, more like 20mm. The image quality is wonderful, coming reasonably close to the Leica M9 and Zeiss 21mm f2.8 lens. I should know, because I own both cameras.

Ricoh GXR M-module + Voigtlander 12mm f5.6 rangefinder lens. Becomes 18mm in full frame equivalent. 18mm is very wide and can be very useful. I like using 18mm equivalent for house and hotel interiors.

Sony NEX camera + Zeiss Touit 12mm = 18mm equivalent. The fast autofocus and good aps-c sensor would make this pretty worthwhile, I think.
 
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