Back in June I posted my roundup of cameras, other than SLRs, with viewfinders. Read this if you want the broader picture about why I think a viewfinder is essential, and what the main options are.
Of course the camera market is not static so, nearly six months on, I thought it would be worth updating the list of cameras. I'm pleased to say the list has grown from 31 to 38, suggesting that manufacturers are waking up to the fact that a lot of people still want a viewfinder – something that has been underlined by feedback to my earlier post as well as comments on Facebook. It's also worth mentioning that a lot of these cameras are now priced lower than they were in June, so bargains may be there for the taking.
A few of the new entries are really interesting – Olympus' Stylus 1 and Sony's RX10 are a shot in the arm for the never-quite-convincing (to me) 'bridge' category, and the Sony Alpha 7 and 7R bring full-frame sensors to the compact system sector. These are very new, but reports suggest image quality is right up there with the best SLRs. I don't think I'll be trading in my Nikons just yet, though, as other aspects of performance – such as AF speed – don't quite seem to compete. In many ways the Olympus OM-D E-M1 looks like the most convincing all-round compact system camera so far.
However, having said all that, I reckon the camera most likely to tempt me to splash the cash right now has to be the Fujifilm X-E2; APS-C sensor, stunning image quality, interchangeable lenses, sensible size.
But then again, by the time I've actually saved up for one, who knows what else might be out there? Both Canon and Nikon have cameras in this list, but I can't say any of them really tempt me. We already have a Nikon 1 V1, which is pretty impressive for a pocketable camera – its AF performance beats many SLRs I've tried and image quality is surprisingly good for a small sensor. I suspect – as do many people who are closer to the industry than I am – that both of the Big Two have something up their sleeves.
So watch this space, but here's the list, as current as I can make it right now (mid-November 2013):
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Viewfinder
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Sensor size
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Approx Price (with ‘standard’ lens if interchangeable)
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Bridge
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Viewfinder
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Sensor size
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Approx Price
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Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
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Electronic
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1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
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£349
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Fujifilm FinePix HS50 EXR
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Electronic
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1/2" (6.4 x 4.8 mm)
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£339
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Fujifilm FinePix SL1000
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Electronic
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1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
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£260
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Fujifilm FinePix S8200
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Electronic
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1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
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£175
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Fujifilm X-S1
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Electronic
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2/3" (8.8 x 6.6 mm)
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£409
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Leica V-Lux 4
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Electronic
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1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm)
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£690
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Nikon Coolpix P520
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Electronic
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1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
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£275
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Olympus Stylus 1
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Electronic
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1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm)
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£549
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Interesting new entry, with one of the larger sensors in this group
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72
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Electronic
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1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
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£329
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200
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Electronic
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1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
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£384
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Pentax X-5
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Electronic
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1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm)
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£155
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300
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Electronic
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1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
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£299
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC RX10
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Electronic
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1" (13.2 x 8.8mm)
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£1049
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Largest sensor in the group – and highest price
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Compact
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Viewfinder
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Sensor size
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Approx Price
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Canon PowerShot A1400
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Optical
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1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
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£69
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Canon PowerShot G1 X
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Optical
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1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm)
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£439
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Canon PowerShot G15
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Optical
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1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm)
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£314
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Canon PowerShot G16
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Optical
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1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm)
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£528
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Fujifilm X20
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Optical
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2/3" (8.8 x 6.6 mm)
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£419
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1
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Electronic
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1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm)
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£379
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Compact System
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Viewfinder
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Sensor size
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Approx Price
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Nikon 1 V1
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Electronic
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1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm)
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£299
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Limited availability, bargain price: have seen it even cheaper, though may be 'grey' imports
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Nikon 1 V2
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Electronic
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1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm)
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£659
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Olympus OM-D E-M5
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Electronic
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Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm)
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£949
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Olympus OM-D E-M1
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Electronic
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Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm)
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£1499
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5
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Electronic
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Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm)
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£359
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6
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Electronic
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Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm)
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£529
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
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Electronic
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Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm)
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£1199
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7
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Electronic
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Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm)
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£749
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Samsung NX20
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Electronic
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APS-C (23.6 x 15.6 mm)
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£499
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Samsung Galaxy NX
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Electronic
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APS-C (23.6 x 15.6 mm)
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£1299
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“Android powered”
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Sony Alpha NEX-6
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Electronic
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APS-C (23.6 x 15.6 mm)
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£589
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Sony Alpha NEX-7
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Electronic
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APS-C (23.6 x 15.6 mm)
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£819
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Sony Alpha 7
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Electronic
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Full frame (36 x 24 mm)
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£1549
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Pioneering full-frame compact system cameras, with truly SLR-like image quality
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Sony Alpha 7R
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Electronic
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Full frame (36 x 24 mm)
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£1949
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Pioneering full-frame compact system cameras, with truly SLR-like image quality
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Rangefinder style
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Viewfinder
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Sensor size
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Approx Price
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Fujifilm X-E2
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Electronic
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APS-C (23.6 x 15.6 mm)
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£1199
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Interchangeable lenses
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Fujifilm X-Pro1
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Hybrid
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APS-C (23.6 x 15.6 mm)
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£1300
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Interchangeable lenses
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Fujifilm X100S
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Hybrid
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APS-C (23.6 x 15.6 mm)
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£999
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Prime lens
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Leica M Typ 240
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Rangefinder
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Full frame (36 x 24 mm)
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£7000
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Interchangeable lenses
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Leica M-E Typ 220
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Rangefinder
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Full frame (36 x 24 mm)
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£6000
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Interchangeable lenses
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