Need a compact - low light and bokeh

Ono

I am looking for a compact camera with really good bokeh and low light perfomance. Mainly for food and cocktail photography. The occasional portraiture.

At the moment I have a Canon 7D with a 50mm but it really is too big to carry into restaurants and bars so more often than not I have been reverting to my Samsung S8  phone - which is OK but certainly no match for the more professional pics from the Canon.

Any recommendations? If it has a swappable lens that is OK too.

icemanonline

Panasonic gx80 with Olympus 45mm f1.8..... Second hand.  Panasonic has 5axis ibis and the Oll lens is a beauty.

IMO

Ice

snerkler

What's your budget? When you say compact, how small are we talking? If you want low light performance and good bokeh you really need to be looking at one of the larger sensor compacts.

shotokan101

....some examples would help the OP......

snerkler

Weeeelll I thought about that, but if they only have a budget of £150 then all the examples I would post would be a waste of time

shotokan101

...even second hand?

snerkler

Depends what a Sony RX100 sells for 2nd hand these days, although I wouldn't call that a "bokeh machine"

Ugg10

If they are used to the Canon then one of the M series (APS sensor very similar to the 7D) with the 22mm f2 pancake prime lens may do the job or slightly more bulky the ef adapter and the 40mm f2.8 unless you can afford/justify the 32mm f1.4 efm lens. .

icemanonline

Wex have a Panasonic gx80 body at £248
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX80 Digital Camera Body | Wex Photo Video

and a Olympus 45mm f1.8 at £158  
Olympus 45mm f1.8 M.ZUIKO Digital Micro Four Thirds Lens - Black | Wex Photo Video

That is cheap and you get 12 months warranty.

The Panasonic has 5-axis Dual I.S. and 4K.  The Olympus lens is super sharp if a little odd in shape.

Just over £400 for the two..... Total no brainer.

Ice

Johnmcl7

As much as I like the little RX100 series I agree about the lack of shallow depth of field, I've seen reviews where they've tried to force it but you can't just choose to have it like you can on a larger sensor.

The micro 4/3 Panasonic/Olympus setup is a good suggestion, my thought again depending on budget would be something like a Sony A6000 with the 50mm F1.8 lens.  That gives exactly the same depth of field and field of view as on the Canon, they can be had reasonably cheap and although the A6000 isn't stabilised, the 50mm lens is.

John