art from ordinary: A worthy companion

Ideal compact – When one has shot DSLR (and larger) cameras long enough, this term will start appearing in the back of your mind. Nope, I’ve not found THE ideal compact yet, but I’ve got something close enough =) [long post. Beware..]

Why a compact?

The first reaction from mom – How many cameras have you got already? Why yet another one? Don't waste money arh...
Reactions from some friends and colleagues – People who have compacts are selling them for DSLRs. Why do you want a compact when u already have a DSLR?
My reaction – Different tools for different situations. Why would want need so many different footwear? Why so many types of bags?

DSLRs may be very versatile, but they are also bulky and heavy. They’ll drown your photographic enthusiasm with their weight. You’ll be lazy to pull them out of your bag and deploy just to try out a composition you happen to see. You’ll think twice before bringing it out (and hate yourself when great scenes appear and it isn’t with you). You’ll spend time thinking of which lens combi to bring, only to regret not bringing that “most suitable” lens when inspiration strikes. Never had such problems? You’ve never played with a DSLR long enough!

What do I look for in a compact?

Lens – All compacts will be hindered by their tiny sensors. The laws of physics still applies. We’re not going to get beautiful bokeh and night vision capabilities here. So the lens is one very important factor in compensating for the sensor disadvantage.

It has to be fast. Real fast, so you can still use lower ISOs than a DSLR in similar situations. Ok, maybe not when compared to a prime, but faster than any SLR zoom available.
Wide. I don’t need long teles in a compact. Shooting tele with a compact is like cropping. You just don’t get the kick compared with an SLR coz of the deep DOF. However, you’ll find yourself shooting lots of group shots with a compact, and being wide helps alot.
OIS. Every compact should have this. Because of the way a compact is held, you’ll tend to shake alot more compared to shooting with SLRs.

Control – Once you’re used to a DSLR, you’re never going back to fiddly menus, or even worse, gimmicky “smart” modes. Important parameters like PASM should be there. Aperture, Shutter speed and ISOs must be visible and readily accessible. Ditto for exposure and flash compensation.
LCD – I don’t want a viewfinder in a compact. They’ll never be as good as an SLR’s, and take up alot of bulk. But the LCD must be readable outdoors at least. But for me, I’ll want my compact to have a swivel screen. I’ve proned, squatted, and twisted my neck many times while aiming through the viewfinder on my DSLR, and swore to myself that my compact mustn’t give me such problems again.
Image quality – I’m realistic enough not to expect amazing details from jpegs out of a compact. But it should at least be good enough. RAW should be there, for the times when i need the quality.
Hot shoe – Not a must, but good to have, so i can play with some flash photography.

SAMSUNG EX1 – The ideal compact?

The answer is NO. While it may not meet all requirements above, there are some features that are just plain fun to use~

Lens – 24-72mm, f1.8-2.4. Fast, wide and very sharp, with OIS. No complaints!
Control – Front and rear dials are there for aperture and shutter speed. Dedicated buttons for ISO, focus selection and flash, with dedicated dial for drive mode and bracketing. But it lacks customizable controls, and the ability to assign profiles, which is quite a waste. It also has weird combination limitations, and some features get blanked out without you knowing why. Nonetheless, control is much better than many compacts out there, once you learn your way around.
LCD – A swiveling AMOLED. Swiveling, and AMOLED. No problems in bright noon sunlight, and no problems to my neck. It urges me to try out weird compositions, and allows for very easy self portraits =)
Image quality – JPEG is ok.. nice colours but a little over-sharpened, with noise acceptable up to ISO 400. RAW is an entirely different story. RAW files are very detailed and usable up to ISO800, or higher if i’m doing black and white. Impressive stuff!
Hot shoe – Almost useless.. which is a letdown. It only triggers samsung flashes (so selfish!). I heard it triggers radio slaves, but for now, it’s as good as absent for me.

So, how does it feel in real life?

A fast wide lens, together with good noise control, gives me the freedom to shoot indoors, or night street shots without a tripod. It’s as good as an entry level DSLR with kit lens, and better than M4/3 cams without a prime. What more can you ask for?
It shoots IR. This is crazy. I can now compose with an IR filter over the lens, and shoot handheld. Sounds like the death knell for my D70.
Swivel AMOLED. I keep mentioning AMOLED coz it is simply beyond LCDs. Unique angles can be shot very easily~
Smart Range. It is something like an in camera HDR. Works only on JPEGs. The effect is subtle, but very useful in bright sunny Singapore
Smile shutter and face recognition. Always thought it’s a gimmick, but it can be useful too. No need for IR/radio triggers when taking group shots (it can be triggered by IR anyway). Just smile at the camera~. Together with a swivel AMOLED, I’m sure this cam will appeal in social situations, although i admit i don’t get into such situations often (and i hardly smile)
Price. It’s the most powerful compact, built like a brick, yet the 2nd cheapest camera in my house. Comes free with 2 class 4 SD cards and 2 batteries somemore. In terms of value for money, nothing comes close to this~