@Burk I think standalone cameras are still valuable if you really care about your images. One thing I have noticed lately is that iPhone photos, especially those from my wife's iPhone XS, look fantastic at 1X on the iPhone, but look really fake when you zoom in on them (say, to crop them). I can see the color correction and auto-sharpening in ways that I can't on the images from my "real" micro 4/3 camera.
@mjdescy This has been driving me nuts for ages. I've honestly questioned whether there's something broken in my iPhone's camera.
@Burk I went down this road recently, ended up going with the Sony A7r III as it had the faster FPS, which is useful for the sports I've been shooting lately. That said, I was really torn between buying it versus buying a Fuji X-Pro 2, or the Leica Q.
@matpacker How have things been with the Sony? I had the original A7 when it came out years back. Anything bugging you about it so far?
@Burk I really liked the way you went about this, in terms of the reasoning why you’d want/use a “real” camera.
@Burk it's probably the best digital camera I've ever owned, and I used to shoot with a Canon 5D, and a Canon 1Ds mkII. The AF tracking is really fast with the 70-200mm f/4, it's super sharp, and the dynamic range is fantastic. Oh, and they fixed the battery issue that plagued the early A7's, unfortunately, it takes a different battery to the A7 though...so that kind of blows.
@Burk I’d love to get a Leica Q2, and as you know the Fuji cams are great, but my vote would be (and was) the Sony. Great image quality, relatively small body, and good lens selection. What drew me to it in particular are the good selection of manual focus lenses from Zeiss and Voigtlander. I have the A7rII. If you want autofocus, the III line has upgraded eye focus, which is nothing short of amazing. Background: I shot with Leica film cameras for a long time.
I’d also look at the Ricoh GR III. I have the GR and haven’t quite upgraded yet but it has been a worthwhile companion over the years.
@Burk I own an X-T3 and the original Leica Q. The Fuji is all-around awesome and the most flexible, logical choice for me. It works how I feel a camera should work (e.g. real controls and an aperture ring, etc) but I've fallen hard for the simplicity of the Q so the X-T3 may end up being sold. I tried a friend's Sony and, while it ticks all of the technical boxes, it felt like I was using a computer, where the Leica and Fuji feel like using a camera. If I wanted to use a computer to make photos I'd use my phone :).
@jack The Sony/computer take is one I’ve heard a lot, it’s just not one that represents how I feel. I started off on Canon digital/film, then moved to Leica film in the mid 2000’s. About a year and a half ago, I got a Sony A7rII, my first ‘real’ digital camera in over a decade. I get the computer comments a bit. Then, about 6 months ago, I got a Nikon DSLR at work. I no longer agree with the computer comments. What a nightmare of an interface (for me). The Sony, while computer like to some, seems to share a interface heritage with most digital point and shoots, and actually is relatively intuitive to me (even coming from a film M). My Ricoh GR is more intuitive to use than the Sony, but not by a lot, and they share a lot in terms of interface in my opinion. The Nikon is just a mess of an interface. Maybe it’s not like using a computer, but yuck.
I guess I don’t look for much in camera interface. Actual dial for exposure compensation, direct controls for aperture, and the ability to put auto focus on a button under my thumb and I’m good. I mostly shoot manual focus on it anyway, so all I really need is the exposure comp dial and a shutter button; focus and aperture are on the lens.
@tgray It's interesting how certain cameras click (ha!) with some but not others. I didn't use the Sony long enough to get comfortable, so it was foreign to me. I hear you about the Nikons. A co-worker just got a new Z6 and it's just not for me either.
On the other hand, I owned the original Ricoh GR-Digital and really liked it. Could have been because I'd used a film GR1 for years. Loved "snap" mode. I have been considering the GR III. Your GR photos make a good case for it!
@jack @tgray @matpacker Thank you guys for the great feedback! Always nice to get real world experience perspectives. It sounds like no major red flags at this point. (side note: it’s so refreshing to throw something like that into the world and get positive feedback, rather than what tends to happen on twitter/FB. Thanks @manton and @macgenie)