Best TINY cameras for any budget ("with viewfinder" edition!)

Summary of reviewed product(s): “Best tiny cameras with viewfinder” (all-budgets list)

This video isn’t a review of one single product; it’s a curated ranking of small, photocentric cameras with EVFs/viewfinders, aimed at street photography / documenting daily life. Sponsorship: MPB (buy/sell/trade platform).

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Key requirements / selection criteria mentioned

• Must be photocentric
• Must have a viewfinder
• Fits street photography / day-to-day documenting
• Coverage spans under £150 to very expensive “silly money” tiers

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Cameras and unique points mentioned (pros/cons & notable comparisons)

Cheapest / under ~£150-ish tier

1) Canon (actually: Camp) Snap Pro (~£80) - Pros: - Very entry-level and fun - Built-in JPEG filters - Feels “filmic” because there’s no screen to review images - Cons: - “Plastic fantastic” - Not serious—no image review screen - Limited depth for serious photography

2) Pentax Optio S - Pros: - World’s tiniest viewfinder, extremely compact - Can be cheap on the used market - Cons: - Dated design/tech - More suited to collectors/novelty than serious use

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“Actually usable bargains” tier (approx. hundreds, strong value)

3) Panasonic/Lumix + Leica collaboration (rebadged Leica) - Mentioned specs/notes: - 28–200mm (pocketable range) - Built-in flash - Small sensor - Leica-branded lens - Pros: - Interesting/underdog pick - Strong bargain because it’s a one-off collaboration - Leica-rebadged versions can be 2–3x more expensive - Cons: - Small sensor (implied limitation)

4) Olympus OM System / EM5 (EVF, ~£200 used) - Pros: - “Best bang for buck” in this small EVF category - Rugged: older magnesium alloy - “Timeless” design - Small size - Notable feature: - First Micro Four Thirds camera with in-body stabilization (IBIS) (2012) - Cons: - Later versions use more plastic, so older units may feel better/material-wise

5) Lumix GX7 - Pros: - Earlier competitor in style - Articulating EVF - Overall good option (implied) - Cons: - Tradeoffs vs newer GX85/G100-era models (as implied by the comparison framing)

6) Lumix GX85 (~£350) — “best two in this category” - Pros: - IBIS - 4K video - Articulating screen - EVF present - “Ticks a lot of boxes” - Strong long-term value - Cons: - None explicitly stated

7) Lumix G100 — “plastic fantastic” - Pros: - 20MP sensor vs GX85’s 16MP - Includes mic input - Cons: - Loses IBIS - Narrator prefers GX85 over it

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Middle tier (specialized “beautiful / premium compact” picks)

8) Panasonic Lumix LX100 (original) - Pros: - Tactile, small, beautiful - High-quality lens - Better pick for bargain hunters - Cons: - LX100 II/“MK2” costs more - MK2 adds mainly more megapixels and a touchscreen—so the original offers better value

9) Panasonic Lumix GX8 / GX9 - GX8 - Pros: - More video-focused - Weather sealed - GX9 - Pros: - Similar specs - Not weather sealed, but cheaper - Special feature: - First Micro Four Thirds camera with organic grain - Can shoot ~10 shots with a grain pattern that changes as you shoot - Comparison takeaway: - If you want a more “PF-like” film/photo feel without the price shock, GX9 is the option.

10) Olympus PEN/F (PF) - Pros: - Expensive but “one of a kind” - Described as one of the most sexy Micro Four Thirds cameras - Rangefinder-style EVF - Customizable JPEGs - Cons: - Very expensive - Narrator wishes for a Mark 2

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“One more” tiny EVF niche & collector pricing tier

11) Lumix GM5 - Core pros: - World’s smallest interchangeable-lens camera with EVF - Magnesium alloy - Premium feel - Great for collectors - Cons (major): - Used prices are “utterly unhinged” - Narrator originally paid <£400 for two; now “maybe twice” - Not recommended unless you have plenty of money - Recommendation nuance: - Bargain only if you find a rare low price; otherwise value is poor

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“Canons/Sony premium compacts” tier (1000+)

12) Canon G5X Mark II - Pros: - “Last of its kind” Canon EVF premium compact - “Stacked sensor” class (like Sony RX100) - 30fps shooting - Good autofocus - Great value only relative to its category - Premium compact feel - Cons: - Few explicit downsides; framed more as the genre being “last-of-kind” and largely dying out

13) Sony RX100 V (RX1005 mentioned) - Pros: - “Sweet spot” - “Stacked sensor” - Tiny body + pop-up EVF - Phase detect AF and tracking - Decent 4K - Cons: - None stated directly; overall point is that modern makers charge high prices for feature density at this size

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“$1,000+” tier (higher-end Micro Four Thirds everyday carry/hybrid)

14) OM System OM5 Mark II - Pros: - Phase detect AF - Fully weather sealed - Cons: - “Not much of an upgrade” - Disappointment due to missing features: - No subject detection (as mentioned) - Missing more advanced video features (narrator wanted 10-bit video) - Value verdict: - Expensive for a photocentric camera without the hybrid features the narrator wanted

15) OM System OM3 - Pros: - Narrator’s favorite everyday-carry - “Chunky tank build” - 10-bit video - Stacked sensor - Subject detection - Cons: - Larger / “biggest camera on the list” - Price “came out a bit hot” but later “calmed down” - Recommendation: - “Genuine contender” - Possibly second sexiest Micro Four Thirds after the PEN/F

16) Fujifilm X1006 - Pros: - Best viewfinder the narrator has used - Switchable guided optical + EVF-style guided display - Tactile experience - Excellent Fujifilm recipes/JPEG customization - Cropping is workable despite the fixed lens due to sensor size - Cons: - Price hasn’t budged (scarce; near-new or more than new—called “cheeky”) - Other: - Fixed 35mm lens, but “punch in” offers versatility

17) Lumix L10 - Pros: - Fixed lens with 24–75mm equivalent zoom (versatile) - Realtime L for photography - Gorgeous OLED EVF - Stylish - Good for people who don’t want editing—photos look “ready” - Cons: - “A bit pricey”

18) “Pixie” camera (very expensive/niche) - Pros: - Has viewfinder - No screen - Exciting future direction for the line - Cons: - Very expensive - Possibly “not quite ready yet”

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“Insane / ultra-expensive” tier (very high-end)

19) Sony RX1R3 (~£3,799) - Pros: - Only full-frame camera on the list - Stunning 61MP Sony sensor - Premium feel - Special engineering feat - Cons (big compromises due to size): - No optical stabilization - No IBIS - Video functions “non-existent” - “Criminally bad” battery life - EVF exists, but overall value questioned - Lens is only f/2 and described as “10+ year old lens,” with bokeh benefits largely negated - Overall: - “Cool” and impressive, but not worth it to the narrator - Explicitly tagged as bad value

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Overall pros/cons themes across the list

Pros commonly praised

• Real EVF/viewfinder experience in very small bodies
• IBIS / 4K / subject detection (depending on model tier)
• Small “everyday carry” sizes + premium handling (magnesium alloy models)
• JPEG customization and tactile shooting experiences (especially Fuji/PEN/F)

Cons commonly criticized

• Missing hybrid features (10-bit video, subject detection)
• Value problems on scarce/collector models (GM5, PEN/F, X1006, RX1R3)
• Tiny-form-factor compromises (battery life, stabilization, weak video on super-premium models)

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Main comparisons made (explicitly/implicitly)

• GX85 vs G100:
  • GX85 preferred due to IBIS, despite G100’s higher 20MP
• GX8 vs GX9:
  • GX8 is more video and weather sealing
  • GX9 is cheaper and offers the fun grain feature
• OM5 Mark II vs OM3:
  • OM3 fixes OM5 M2’s missing hybrid features (10-bit + subject detection)
• Canon G5X II vs Sony RX100 (V series):
  • Both have “stacked sensor” and premium compact feature density
  • Both described as “last-of-kind” EVF premium compacts
• Leica rebadged collaboration price inflation:
  • Leica branding leads to 2–3x higher prices for essentially the same platform

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Verdict-by-style summary (as presented in the video)

Best value picks (strong bang-for-buck)

• Olympus EM5 (~£200 used)
• Panasonic Lumix GX85 (~£350)

Best premium hybrid/photo everyday carry

• OM System OM3 (after disappointment with OM5 Mark II)
• Fujifilm X1006 (best viewfinder, but scarce/pricey)

Collectors / only if you find a deal

• Pentax Optio S
• Lumix GM5
  • Explicit note: avoid unless you find a bargain at the right price

Bad value / niche engineering compromise

• Sony RX1R3 (explicitly called “bad value”)

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Concise verdict

For the best overall “tiny camera with viewfinder” value, the video most strongly steers toward Olympus EM5 and Panasonic Lumix GX85. As prices rise, OM3 and Fujifilm X1006 stand out, but several models (notably Lumix GM5 and Sony RX1R3) are recommended only if you catch them at the right price or are collecting rather than optimizing value.

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Speakers / perspectives

• Subtitles suggest one main speaker (“camera nerd lane” style).
• A brief interruption/overlap appears once (about weather sealing), but no alternate person gives substantive separate reviews beyond that.