I will be honest. I have become fond of fixed-lens cameras in the past few years. What are fixed-lens cameras? They are sometimes called point-and-shoots. But to be frank, they are so much more. Technically, they are cameras with lenses that are not interchangeable and are at a fixed focal length (no zooms).

I currently have three: the coveted (and hard-to-get) Fuji X100V, the Leica Q2 Monochrom, and the Ricoh GR IIIx. Here are their basic specs…

Fuji X100V

26.1 Megapixel APS-C Sensor
Lens focal length 23mm (35mm equivalent) / 8 elements in 6 groups (includes 2 aspherical elements)
Max Aperture: F2.0
Focus Range: 3.9in (10 cm) to infinity
Cool Factors: Great looking camera. Cool film simulations. Hands-on operation rather than menu diving.

Leica Q2 Monochom

50.4 Megapixel Full Frame (35mm) Sensor
Lens focal length 28 mm / 11 elements in 9 groups, 3 aspherical elements
Max Aperture: F1.7 Focus Range: 6.7in (17 cm) to infinity
Cool Factors: It’s a Leica. It shoots only shoots black and white. It’s images are ridiculously sharp and pretty.

Ricoh GR IIIx

24.24 Megapixel APS-C Sensor
Lens focal length 26.1mm (40mm equivalent) / 7 elements in 5 groups (2 aspherical lens elements)
Max Aperture: F2.8
Focus Range: 4.7in (12 cm) to infinity
Cool Factors: It looks like point-and-shoot from the 90s (no one suspects anything). Crazy sharp and colorful pictures.

So why have I been chiefly shooting on these guys and not my Sony A7r? These cameras are fun and easy and make me want to take photos. If I go for a walk, I grab one of these and shoot, shoot, shoot. To describe best why I enjoy them, let me answer a few questions…

Why do you have three fixed-lens cameras?

Each one has its unique characteristics and personality. The GR IIIx fits in my pocket, and when I shoot with it, it will not scare people like a Sony A7r body and big white 70-200mm with a hood on it. They think, “oh, he’s snapping a photo. How quaint.”

The Leica Q2 Monochrom is heavy, built like a tank, and makes me feel like a fancy photographer. It only shoots in black and white, and I see it in the viewfinder when shooting, forcing me to think differently about what I am shooting. It’s more about light, contrast, and values.

The X100V, let’s face it. It’s the hotness. Cool and hip. It feels like a manual camera. The jpegs straight out of the camera with the film simulation speak directly to the Instagram generation. It’s also a conversation piece when walking around with. More people have commented on it than the Leica when out in public.

Why not shoot with a phone or use your “real” camera?

These cameras sit perfectly between shooting with a phone or my “real” camera. They are much more convenient than dragging a body and a few lenses out and about. And as good as phone cameras are getting, these take better pictures. No black box AI and algorithm optimizes the photo like in the camera, so it appears to keep up with larger sensors (I will write a post on this later).

The phone camera is the new point-and-shoot. It’s like the Instamatic or Disc camera of the 70s and 80s. They make perfectly good photos, don’t enlarge them too much, or you’ll start to see their weaknesses.

Does the fixed-length lens limit you?

…but like, you can’t zoom! Heh, but you can move. All zoom lenses and interchangeable lenses allow for is to enable you to capture more or get closer without moving where you are standing. Yes, there are optical differences with different focal lengths, but the 28mm-40mm lengths these cameras have are pretty close to how we see with our eyeballs.

Plus, I like a fixed lens. There is less worry about dust getting on the sensor. It forces me to move to get a shot, changing how I approach subjects and choose what to shoot.

Which of the three is the best?

I couldn’t pick just one. I am glad I have all three. I often travel with the Q2 Monochrom and the GR IIIx. But if I can’t bring two, the X100V can split the difference.

These cameras will not replace my Sony A7r and the obnoxious number of lenses I have. But they do inspire me to shoot more, and they capture great images.

Fixed-Lens Point and Shoot Cameras? Really?!?