any compact camera good enough for stock

[oxman]

I explored the point and shoot idea as well. Just not worth it. If yer gonna shoot for money, bring the big boys.

[EmberMike]

I've been eyeing up the G15, not really for shooting stock photos, more for reference images for illustrations, but I like the fact that it's compact and it could still shoot a stock-worthy image if needed.

[Uncle Pete]

G-12 is plenty good for Micro and not expensive, $350 used.

I just picked up an EOS-M / 22mm for $299 and the G-15 is what? $449? Which one would you buy?

Better yet, now on places like B&H = EOS-M Mirrorless Digital Camera with EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens $346! Same price on Amazon. Which is $100 less than a G-15 APS-C sensor. So far what I missed was the remote plug, no built in flash. What I like is full time auto-focus in video mode, nice compact camera, great colors! 22mm is a bit wide for my use, but the sale on the package with the 18-55 started a week after I bought mine.

Question is how compact and how much does someone want to spend? G series has good quality and control. EOS-M is better. S_100 or S-110 under $300 but still for $346 the EOS-M kit is a hands down winner.

I've been eyeing up the G15, not really for shooting stock photos, more for reference images for illustrations, but I like the fact that it's compact and it could still shoot a stock-worthy image if needed.

[Xanox]

EOS-M looks good, i'll soon try it out in my local camera store, however i've still the feeling all these pocket cameras are expensive toys and that it will take another 2-3 yrs before they reach maturity, what i've seen so far is quite disappointing compared to the experience you get even with the cheapest entry level DSLR.

my biggest issue is the grip : these cameras are just too small, they've zero grip in my hand, the Sony NEX especially, beautiful but what the he-ll ... too delicate and too pricey anyway.

and of course the battery life is short as the batteries are as abig as the ones used in cell phones but the LCD screen must be always on as there's no viewfinder.

besides, these cameras were meant to be a solution for the need of something pocket-sized providing simil-DLSR quality but while they're certainly small enough they're far from being "pocket" !

so, too many compromises for my tastes, i'll wait some time and maybe take the next generation of Sony NEX or Nikon 1/J1 series.

however, i've not been impressed by the nikons and they've also lamenting poor sales, rightly so in my opinion, the samples images i've seen are nothing special and the camera feels cheap and plastic.

i've already had a Coolpix break down and i finally thrown it away last year, out of warranty, well .. F nikon .. i'm not gonna waste more money on P&S anytime soon, i've a sh-it Fuji now worth 80$ go figure ... great to make snapshots around and the zoom broke down as well recently .. now is it me having bad karma or these modern P&S are designed to last no more than 6 months ? my nikon Speedlight got water inside and broke down as well, repaired for 50$, what the F !

[LesPalenik]

Foveon-based, big-pocket Sigma DP2M (or DP3M). Best IQ after D800.

i've read several reviews about that camera and there are many drawbacks :

- slow software
- slow writing RAW files
- battery lasting just 100 or 200 photos ?
- slow autofocus
- noisy above ISO 400
- need tripod even in good conditions ??
- no cable release !
- max shutter = 30 seconds, no bulb mode


i mean for 1000$ it doesnt look like a bargain ... the Sony RX100 is just 650$ and comes with a zoom (24-100mm equivalent)

i've seen a few samples images, they all look good but if they've all been shot on a tripod well i'm not that impressed, even an old D40 would do it and probably better when paired with a 100$ prime or with the 18-55 kit lens.

then again they all rave about great colors and sharpness, what the he-ll ... you can get even better colors using PS or LR properly, as for sharpness well they're using a good prime lens, i would be surprised if it wasn't sharp.

by the way, it's sharp but not tack-sharp as a 2000$ lens.

so what's the point of this camera, i don't know.

i'm excited to see many companies pushing this market niche but so far i see too many drawbacks, maybe in a few years it will become mainstream, we'll see.

Compared to other cameras, DPxM series are not the best when it comes to handling, battery life, and even postprocessing,  but the IQ is incredible.
I wouldn't buy it as my main camera, rather as a specialized tool. No problems with handheld shooting, I never used it on a tripod, usually shooting outside at ISO200 at high enough shutter speed, the 30mm lens (on DP2M) is very sharp - not only in the center, but from edge to edge.
D40 was a good camera 10 years ago, in many ways better than DP2m, but not when it comes to IQ. The fixed lens has its advantages - there are quite a few shooters, owing all 3 Merill models. So they must like them.
On Lula and dpreview forums, they have several multi-page threads showing hi-res images from all 3 Sigma Merill cameras, look at them.
   

[Xanox]

i see what i mean and i'm sure there are many fans out there but it's just not for me, too many limitations, i mean it's not even a real pocket camera if you consider you can drain the battery shooting just 100 photos.

as for quality : to me it looks the Foveon manages to use a bigger gamut than the other sensors, that's why the images look better with better shadows and highlight and contrast and all, but it's just about colors ... how will they ever push the sensor further we don't know .. to me it looks like this has been pushed even too far and that would explain why the camera is so slow due to pre-processing and post-processing of such an amount of raw data.

[LesPalenik]

That sensor has to handle three sets of 15MP data, that's lot of data to be moved. In practical terms, the camera would exhibit about 28MP quality - somewhere between D600 and D800.

The reason for the amazing IQ of the DP2M (30mm) and DP3M (50mm) is the combination of the Foveon sensor with an outstanding lens.
Apparently, the 18mm lens on DP1M is not as good. So it's not only sensor, but also the optics.
 
Battery problem is annoying, but not insurmountable. The batteries are very small - not much bigger than CF cards (that's the main problem for quick discharge) and inexpensive (when bought from a third part supplier), so one can carry easily 4-6 batteries. Also, if you don't use it as the main camera, you don't shoot with it hundreds of shots from the same scene, so in practical terms, I find, 2 batteries will usually carry me through the day.

If their next model eliminates some of the known problems and retains or improves the image quality, it should be an exceptional camera.

[Megastock]

Have a view of this field review of the Sigma Merrills.  Top marks for IQ   I love Nick's 'understanding' of how to use this camera, and Chris' constant counterpoint...

https://www.thecamerastore.com/blog/2012/12/22/sigma-dp-1-2-merrill-field-test-nick-devlin

Complete with downloadable zip comparison with the D800.

[luissantos84]

Have a view of this field review of the Sigma Merrills.  Top marks for IQ   I love Nick's 'understanding' of how to use this camera, and Chris' constant counterpoint...

https://www.thecamerastore.com/blog/2012/12/22/sigma-dp-1-2-merrill-field-test-nick-devlin

Complete with downloadable zip comparison with the D800.

D800's picture ain't even sharp

[tab62]

the would take the D800e...

[Uncle Pete]

Here's the original question: 

I wonder anyone using a compact camera which quality is good enough to submit for stock agencies?

Not batteries, DSLR size / quality or P&S woes.

Quality good enough for Micro? I'll be editing and sending some in.

Just wore my EOS-M all day at a craft fair and historic site. Excellent in low light (so far) never used the flash. APS-C. I wish I had a wrist strap, but actually around my neck, it was hardly there. Also fit into my vest pocket, which I wasn't sure was a reality. Spare battery, card and the little flash, hardly anything extra. I always carry a battery and card, no matter what I'm shooting with, so that little flash was all that's new.

Unedited, "P" only adjustment was re-sizing. Indoors, no flash, museum, low light, hand held 1/30th. I'm happy. I think the f/2  x 22mm lens is just great.



No one said anything about the camera, not lugging around something large and heavy, even the T2i with a small 28-135 is pretty big. Unobtrusive.

[Xanox]

to me the EOS-M looks like a much better deal that the Sigma.

i will give Sigma another chance with their next-gen camera eventually.

as for the Foveon : i'm telling the same things since a long time, great IQ and great sharpness is only achievable with a big sensor outputting a resized image ... Sigma gives a you great 16MP but it needs to mess with a 46MP raw input to achieve that.

you could do the same with a D800E and resize to 12MP .. try it !

[LesPalenik]

to me the EOS-M looks like a much better deal that the Sigma.

i will give Sigma another chance with their next-gen camera eventually.

as for the Foveon : i'm telling the same things since a long time, great IQ and great sharpness is only achievable with a big sensor outputting a resized image ... Sigma gives a you great 16MP but it needs to mess with a 46MP raw input to achieve that.

you could do the same with a D800E and resize to 12MP .. try it !

It's a good analogy, however, D800 catches all light with the same type of pixels, whereas Foveon sensors use three layers of pixels, each reacting to different color.  The bottom layer records red, the middle layer records green, and the top layer records blue.
To confuse it even further, in practical terms, the 46MP raw image translates into a very sharp 15MP JPG or TIF image which would be equivalent to about 28MP taken with a conventional CMOS sensor.

I agree with you that today there are plenty of new APS-sized pocket cameras that will produce pretty good image quality without the quirks of Sigma. After all, DP2M Model is now almost two years old.
 

[Red Dove]

Having used compact film cameras including the Yashica T5D and a Ricoh GR1V for editorial and street work I quite like the look of the new Ricoh GR. But it doesn't have a viewfinder and I've tried and failed to get along without one. I know they have optional things that look like a jeweller's loupe and sit on top but they look stupid.

For a viewfinder with 100% view and full exposure info in the Ricoh, I would happily sacrifice video and live view which I hardly use. In street/editorial work you either got the shot or you missed it. I tend to work in AP most of the time but will even swith to P mode if things are happening fast and I also like the sound of the "snap focus" mode on the Ricoh.

So give me that and I'll use it for fast, unobtrusive street/editorial work, maybe even corporate or private event work - but I can't see myself ever using a compact in the studio or for static stock work - buy a Canon 1100d if you want quality in a small(ish) package.

[Xanox]

It's a good analogy, however, D800 catches all light with the same type of pixels, whereas Foveon sensors use three layers of pixels, each reacting to different color.  The bottom layer records red, the middle layer records green, and the top layer records blue.
To confuse it even further, in practical terms, the 46MP raw image translates into a very sharp 15MP JPG or TIF image which would be equivalent to about 28MP taken with a conventional CMOS sensor.

I agree with you that today there are plenty of new APS-sized pocket cameras that will produce pretty good image quality without the quirks of Sigma. After all, DP2M Model is now almost two years old.

RGB .. means nothing .. these CCDs record a precise range of light emissions, you could make CCDs using 7-8 different light ranges instead of RGB and then make a conversion via software to sRGB, same same ..

what makes the difference here is probably Foveon producing a better gamut with single RGB layers than any other sensor, i don't say the difference is big, maybe 10-20% but it's noticeable especially in some samples i've seen.

it's not so revolutionary actually, even Sony sold "3 CCD" camcorders ages ago, the concept was different but the idea not so much ..

the big limit of these sensors is always the operating space, canon and nikon should seriously think about 72mm or even 144mm sensors as 35mm is already pushed to the limit.

[wordplanet]

I've uploaded a lot of photos taken with my Nikon Coolpiix P7000 to Alamy (in my news/reportage account, it's not on their list of acceptable cameras for my main account there - the news accounts gives you more leeway on quality). I also have several on SS, DT, iS, and Fotolia that I've shot with it. It's a great carry-around camera in the day with good light, shoots RAW, 10.2 MP, weight 1 LB.

I like that it goes from superwide (4.5mm) to telephoto. I used it last year while I was shooting OpSail 2012 on board a ship during the tall ships parade of sail along with my D5100 with the 70-300mm VR lens (left my D700 and my more expensive lenses on dry ground) and it gave me a lot of options. To compare, here's one on Fine Art America that I shot with it - in good light the quality is excellent: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/aboard-the-tyrone-opsail-2012-marianne-campolongo.html The others in my "OpSail 2012 Tall Ships" gallery were shot with the D5100 or the D700 (it was a 4-day event on land and sea so lots of variety) but you can see the P7000 compares favorably if you check out the rest of the photos in that gallery. http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/marianne-campolongo.html?tab=artworkgalleries&artworkgalleryid=189746

It also has built-in VR and two macro settings (one in scene mode and one where you can shoot RAW and focus super-close). You can also focus manually if you want.

IMHO it's not great above 100 ISO but okay up to 400 with enough light - some reviews say it's good at much higher ISOs but I don't care for the quality. You can use it with a variety of Nikon flashes - I used it to shoot PR photos of a concert indoors for a client on a tripod at ISO 400 that were used by several newspapers including the New York Daily News. I've also taken some great shots at ISO 400 using my Nikon SB-600 flash (that flash unit is the same size as the camera itself but it balanced nicely). I believe it works well with the smaller SB-40 flash unit too.

I think the new version is the P7100. It was around $479-499 when I bought it a few years ago. Not a cheap compact but useful. I find if I haven't thrown it into my bag there's often a situation where I wish I had. I love my iPhone for a quick shot when I don't want to lug a DSLR, but the quality of the P7000 is much better. It uses the same battery as my D5100.

[mtkang]

so what you mentioned is ricoh GRIV?

but of course for some studio work, if it needs a DSLR then a lot of choice. But i guess the truth is a lot of people using DSLR for something that is good enough, including me. So i guess a snapshot on street I will need a compact.

Having used compact film cameras including the Yashica T5D and a Ricoh GR1V for editorial and street work I quite like the look of the new Ricoh GR. But it doesn't have a viewfinder and I've tried and failed to get along without one. I know they have optional things that look like a jeweller's loupe and sit on top but they look stupid.

For a viewfinder with 100% view and full exposure info in the Ricoh, I would happily sacrifice video and live view which I hardly use. In street/editorial work you either got the shot or you missed it. I tend to work in AP most of the time but will even swith to P mode if things are happening fast and I also like the sound of the "snap focus" mode on the Ricoh.

So give me that and I'll use it for fast, unobtrusive street/editorial work, maybe even corporate or private event work - but I can't see myself ever using a compact in the studio or for static stock work - buy a Canon 1100d if you want quality in a small(ish) package.

[Red Dove]

^^^I'd be very tempted to get the Ricoh GR for street/editorial work and on paper the results would be more than sufficient for microstock editorial - but as I said, I personally find it difficult to compose and shoot using an LCD screen.

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2013/06/07/the-ricoh-gr-camera-review-the-new-large-sensor-gr-arrives/

But unless someone is kind enough to buy the Ricoh for me as a christmas present I can't have it since my next purchase will be a DSLR - the versatility outweighs all other issues for me personally.