Gear Patrol

Smartphones have made typical point-and-shoots about as useful as Ryan Lochte in a public speaking class. But until our favorite thigh weights gain a thicker skin, there will always be space for tougher rigs designed to take a licking and keep on clicking. Toss one of these rugged cameras into your bag before your next big adventure, and maybe you’ll finally capture some evidence to go along with that hell of a yarn.

The point-and-shoot market may have hit a smartphone camera iceberg, but the ship hasn’t sunk yet. In fact, bitter competition has sped up the photography arms race, producing a wide field of top-tier compact cameras with big sensors — at a better price. Boasting image quality more than good enough to be deemed professional, these cameras can be a useful tool for the prosumer and feverish enthusiast alike, providing an infinitely more portable, all-in-one option rather than bulky DSLRs while sharing many of the same features and image quality.

That said, it’s up to you sharpen the focus on what you really need. We don’t mind walking a few steps to get the right shot — so our choices hone in on the best compact cameras that sport big sensors, fixed lenses and fast focusing. There’s a big field of small shooters; we’re here to slim it all down to the cream of the crop.

It’s easy to think that a bag full of lenses is a good thing — hell, there’s one for nearly every possible use. But what exactly is the perfect lens? In our book, it’s the tried and true 35mm. A perfect medium between wide and normal perspectives, the 35mm lens stands as an indispensable gem for pro shooters and hobbyists alike. As the staple of prime lenses (fixed focus), there’s no shortage of lofty offerings, but owning a Canon or Nikon camera doesn’t mean that brand has a stranglehold on the lenses you can shoot with. In fact, recent offerings have proven that the third party lens is a force to be reckoned with (case in point: the Sigma above). Here, we present five of the best 35mm lens offerings available today that aren’t Canon, Nikon or Sony. Consider it a fresh look on an old-school perspective.

Fujifilm continues to stand out as a small player making gargantuan strides (look no further than the massive improvements to the beloved X100). Their new flagship FinePix HS50EXR superzoom point and shoot is a useful, affordable tool for the mid-range photog. Even though the HS50EXR has a DSLR-style exterior, make no mistake: it isn’t one….

Tacking an “S” to the end of a product implies an incremental update in the minds of the Apple-obsessed, but Fujifilm’s successor to the X100 deserves more credit than that. The X100s ($1,300)‘s new autofocus system, augmented with phase detection, is touted as the worlds’ fastest at 0.08 seconds (we’re guessing that’s compared to other…

Fujifilm is currently the biggest champion of retro design in the camera space, and the newly announced Fujifilm X-E1 indicates there’s no end in sight. In many ways, this new edition is just a smaller version of the so-called poor man’s Leica, a.k.a X Pro-1. Many of its features are the same: a 16.3 MP…

Looking at old Polaroids evokes a certain feeling. Childhood galavanting and family road trips come to mind. In the modern era of megapixels and digital cameras though, Polaroids still take awe-inspiring photos (look what’s inspired Instagram filters). Browse through Craigslist, eBay, your local thrift shop, or KEH.com and you’ll find lots of older Polaroid Land…

Nothing quite says “You’ve made it” like buying ~$9,000 worth of cutting edge camera equipment, encapsulated in the finest luggage around. Fujifilm’s new partnership with opulent British luggage maker Globe-Trotter has yielded a handmade case assembled on period Victorian machinery, constructed from their famous Fibreboard, which is actually formed from a dozen layers of bonded…

Fujifilm’s X-Pro 1 may be the worst kept secret we’ve ever come across in the photography world — with a veritable Wikileaks worth of details flooding the web long before today’s official announcement. We’re still pleased as punch, however, to finally shell out the official details surrounding the magnesium-alloy wrapped retro beauty. In many ways,…

After the stealing the hearts of photography world with the launch of the X100, FujiFlim is hoping lightening strikes twice with the official announcement of the X10. Designed with the same retrotastic aesthetic as its bigger brother, the X10 features a black magnesium alloy housing and knurled aluminum controls, for a weighty, rich feel in…

With built-in Augmented Reality and GPS capabilities, the Fuji FinePix F600 EXR makes travel-shooting a cinch. Using the built-in GPS the F600 notifies users when they’re close to a landmark, then tags location coordinates to each photo. You can even point the camera down to pull up a ~1 mile radar to identify over 1…

When murmurs started to circulate that Fuji was set to receive some of the biggest swells the island had seen in 20 years, Billabong organized a crew of top surfers including Dean Bowen, Scardy, Nick Vasicek, and Mikey Brennan to capitalize on the rare opportunity. The entire trip was captured in this short film. Filled…

For the past two weeks, we’ve had the opportunity to go hands on with a unique piece of gear that’s found itself firmly planted at the epicenter of the hype-machine, the Fuji FinePix X100. And like a lot of hyped products (Apple comes to mind), the X100 has amassed legions of fans who love its…

Welcome to another Breakdown. Let’s be honest, when was the last time you seriously considered buying a Fuji point & shoot? If you’re an avid GP reader then we’re willing to bet a roll of Kodachrome Velvia it’s probably not the first compact to cross your mind. Nevertheless, this month Fuji will completely change your…

If you were to option out a point and shoot camera with the “premium package,” what would you choose? MP3 player? Not so much. Diamond encrusted case? What, am I, Elizabeth Taylor? How about shock, freeze, water and dust proofing and built-in GPS? Didn’t think of that combo, didja? Well, Fujifilm has done it with…

The Impossible Project has beautifully reinvented once-defunct Polaroid film. But if you’d prefer an instant camera experience that is more reckless fun and less artistic investment, grab a Fujifilm Instax Mini ($66). Instax pics are credit card-sized as opposed to Polaroid’s traditional 3.5” x 4.25” and consequently aren’t as much fun to shake, but at…

A camera straight out of left field (of dreams), the FujiFilm FinePix X100 is not just a retro looker. This is a pro shooters compact, designed with a 12 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, ISO 100 – 6400 (expandable to 12800), Fuji EXR processor, 2.8″ LCD display, hot shoe, magnesium alloy & leather casing, and the…