Cheap Camera. Quality Photos.
One of my goals is to own a Leica camera 👍. I have no issue with affordability, but I just can’t fathom dropping a few thousand dollars on one. Enter one of my favorites, a $70 camera, the Panasonic/Lumix GX1.
After owning a dozen or so cameras (film, DSLR, mirrorless), I’ve realized that one reason why I’ve ditched them, or loved them, is how they feel in my hands. In some respects, it’s form over function. Yeah, I’ll always gravitate towards what “gets it done”, but I’m not about to spend $2k–$5k on a camera body, at least just yet.
So let me tell you a bit more about why I think this way. About a year ago, I was on a quest for the best street photography camera I could find. At the time, I had a small library of lenses for the M4/3 platform, so I went looking for a Panasonic camera to fit the bill. I did a ton of research, mostly on YouTube from other photographers, both novice and professional. It came down to the GX9. Boom! That was the rig for me! I liked everything about it. I remember going to Bic Camera in Shinjuku to purchase it, leaving the store with excitement, inserting the battery, slappin’ on a lens and taking shots right out of the box. Epic! That lasted about eight long months. The viewfinder tilted up (weird, right?) and eventually I taped it down with some gaffer’s tape. It became heavy because I opted to use a little hand grip with it. Then, in order to change the battery or memory card, I had to take that dang thing off. And really, it didn’t fit my hands so well. See where I’m going with this? I traded that thing in for a much larger camera and that was that.
So after many months of figuring out what my next street photography rig was going to be, I once again scoured YouTube for which camera that should be. I settled on a Leica M8 or M9. That was it. But after rationalizing more and more, the whole “form over function” thing kept crossing my mind. How would it fit in my hand? Would it feel like the last camera I sold? Would it be heavier than expected? I opted not to buy a Leica. My online research led me to a camera shop down the street, so I took a five-minute stroll and saw what inventory they had. I was looking for another Panasonic camera and there it was. Two things piqued my interest— the size and the price. I quickly tried rationalizing what this camera would do vs. the others that were on display with it. Then I did some quick website scans on DP Review, B&H, etc. Then it hit me, that eight-year-old camera behind the glass is going to do just fine. $70 later, I owned a Panasonic/Lumix GX1. Made in 2012. Used. Loud shutter. Scuffs. Street ready. Perfect.
I guess what it boils down to is, what do you want and what do you need? I needed a camera that could fit in my pocket and I wanted something that could take quality photos.
Please visit my website Shutter Advance to see my photography and maybe make a purchase 😁. And when in Tokyo, look me up. We’ll have a good time rationalizing about what cameras and lenses we’re using.
