Let me get my hands on a hands-on compact

The Olympus XZ-2, with its clicking command dial and touchscreen control panel offered a good level of control in a small body. Sadly, despite the fast lens, its small sensor struggled as the light levels fell.

I’m going to do something I would usually refrain from doing: I’m going to propose a camera I think manufacturers should make. This is probably a fool’s errand: even I you sidestep the pitfall of asking for the impossible – a 24-120mm F2 zoom the same size, weight and price of a kit zoom, or ‘this camera but without video, for less money‘ – I still risk the solipsism trap of assuming the thing that I desire is something other people want, too.

But despite the many ways in which this is probably just wishful thinking, I still really wish someone would make an affordable enthusiast compact. A camera that’s engaging to shoot with and that takes pretty good photos but that doesn’t aim to be an exclusive, premium model.

Is there a market?

There are three main things that make be believe there might be a market for such a camera. The most obvious is the success of the Fujifilm X100 VI and Leica D-Lux8, both of which remain difficult to obtain because demand has outstripped their respective makers’ expectations. It’s worth noting these are exactly the sorts of premium products that I’m trying to avoid, and that we don’t know how ambitious those sales expectations were.

Although I was never convinced that their image quality benefit over a regular compact was proportionate to their extra size and cost, Canon’s G-series was for many photographers the travel camera of choice. I’d love something a little smaller but with similar levels of direct control.

The second piece of supporting evidence is the popularity of older compacts with a younger audience. Just as film cameras have experienced a revival among younger users buying second-hand equipment, there appears to be a surge of interest in older compacts from a generation of users who want a device more engaging than their smartphones. And if Ricoh believes it’s worth developing the Pentax 17 to address these film users, why not an engaging compact for people who want something dependable that isn’t dependant on decade-old batteries?

Xiaomi’s Photography Kit is an add-on grip and battery that connects to its 14 Ultra smartphone, adding a command dial and photographic controls. It makes a surprising difference to the experience of shooting with a phone.

Finally, it’s worth experiencing something like the Xiaomi Photography Kit, an add-on grip with shutter button, zoom rocker and command dial that attaches to a Xiaomi smartphone (not available in North America, sadly). Using this for even a few moments really drives home the idea that direct control points can make you feel more engaged and involved with the photographic process.

What should the camera be?

For me, the most important factors should be an engaging shooting experience and decent image quality. That needn’t mean X100-style dedicated control dials, but should have a tactile and responsive means of setting expsoure: not like the vague, free-turning ring around the lens of an RX100.

And while I think think image quality is important, I think it’s worth being willing to make some compromises: there’s no point trying to squeeze an APS-C-or-larger sensor in there if it makes the camera too big, the price too high or the lens range too limited. A Type 1 sensor delivers smartphone-like image quality without the need for complex multi-shot composite imagery and also allows the camera to stay sensibly small.

Beyond that, it’s a question of balancing price and utility. If there are savings to be had by using an older sensor, that’s fine: I don’t need Stacked CMOS speed or cutting-edge video. Likewise if there’s an existing lens that can be re-used to keep development costs down, then I’m all for it. Canon, Sony and Panasonic all have short, bright standard zooms for Type-1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) sensors in their back catalogue, and presumably Nikon still has its patents for what would have been the DL.

Ideally the camera would have a viewfinder, and I could live with a 2.69M dot panel if that helped save any costs. But if the parts budget means having to choose between a viewfinder and a two-way tilting rear LCD, I could probably live with either.

How low can you go?

Ultimately, even in the realms of wish-fulfillment, it’s difficult to identify major cost-cutting opportunities without starting to seriously limit the camera’s appeal. Just cutting out video risk alienating a cohort of would-be buyers that would help fund its development, so every other cut corner such as omitting Wi-Fi or opting for less extensive dust and moisture resistance risks narrowing the target market too far.

But I still think there’s a gap between smartphones and fully-fledged mirrorless cameras. Something pocketable and fun, rather than something trying to be cutting-edge. If it’s possible, I’d love a photo-focused compact with hands-on controls priced, ideally with the latest processor at its heart, with a list price under $750 and that ends up selling for a bit less than that. Who’s with me?