Digital:::

Ricoh GR III (~899)

The Ricoh GR series (most recently the GR III and GR IIIx) are some of the coolest point and shoots available. They’re quirky, and imperfect, but the GR III is probably my favorite digital camera, and I take it with me everywhere. For a cost effective every day carry, this one is hard to beat. Standout features for me are the 28mm focal length, which is my personal favorite field of view. The lens is sharp wide open at 2.8, and with internal sensor stabilization, shooting in darker conditions is much easier. On a more subjective note, I feel that the digital noise produced by the Ricoh sensor is most similar to analog film grain out of all the digital cameras I use. I happily shoot this camera casually at 12,800 ISO. It’s noisy, but it doesn’t feel gross like other competitor cameras do, especially given the APS-C sized sensor. This camera doesn’t perform quite as quickly as other cameras on this list, but it’s incredibly compact size and the snap focus features make it a no-brainer for what I need. It’s been said that the best camera is the one you’ll bring with you, and this one is never out of reach.

Fujifilm X100V (~1399)

The Fuji X100 series of cameras have come a long way since I was introduced to them, several generations ago. My first “real” digital camera was an X100T, the third iteration of this near-perfect compact camera. I loved shooting with a complete setup out of the box, and fell in love with the semi-wide angle lens, a 35mm f2 equivalent. While I prefer the wider 28mm nowadays, it’s understandable that 35mm offers a sweet spot for most people between the flexibility of wider lenses, and the pleasing compression of longer lenses like a 50mm. I spent nearly a year with this as my only camera, and it was truly a joy and made learning the facets of photography something that felt tactile and real. Since then, Fujifilm has released two new versions, with the latest being the X100V. This newest version has the notable feature of a newly designed lens. Sharper in all ways, and weather resistant with a filter attachment. For those interested in a single camera that looks great does everything pretty well, this might be the best option on the market.

Leica Q2 (~5795)

Don’t buy this camera, it’s too expensive. But if you want to, definitely use my link. On paper, this is my dream camera. A full frame sensor with north of 47 megapixels attached to a 28mm 1.7 Summilux lens sounds like everything I’ve ever wanted. However, I’ve shot with this camera a handful of times and every single time, I felt disappointed by the experience. The focusing was a bit clunky, not as fast as the Nikons, Canons, or Sony’s I’ve used, and not as smooth as the manual focusing Leica’s I’m more used to. The files are immaculate, and the colors are beautiful. I think if you can acclimate to the user experience, this may be a perfect camera, however, the feel didn’t justify the heinous price. Like I said. Don’t buy this, but if you really want to, use my link. I’ll put the money towards replacing my Ricoh when it falls apart.

SONY A7iv

I recently switched from a full Nikon system (very good) to a full(ish) Sony system. I wasn’t a fan of the previous generation A7iii, but this camera seems to have fixed the majority of the problems I had with it. Better ergonomics, resolution, autofocus, and menu system than it’s predecessor. That being said, the Sony menu system is still one of the worst I’ve used and it has taken me a while to dial in exactly what I want.

The low-light performance is excellent, and it’s able to acquire accurate focus faster than any other camera I’ve used (besides higher-level Sonys like the A1 or A7Rv). The images are sharp as hell and usable up to about 12,800 without the noise becoming too intrusive. This is definitely one of the most well-rounded cameras and best bang for your buck on the market. It’s not sexy, but it just kind of works exactly as it should.