Consider the three cameras that can rightly claim cult status right now. Fujifilm’s X100VI, the Leica Q3 models and Ricoh’s GRIII in its many guises. What do they have in common? Yep, fixed lenses. And, what’s more, all three hit the mark with buyers from the very moment they were released – the original X100 in 2010, the Leica Q in 2015 and the first GR in 2013, but the GR Digital series dates back to 2005 and, the 35mm film model line back to the GR1 from 1996.
Of course, when the GR1 was launched fixed-lens compacts were everywhere, but the higher-end Ricoh combined pocket-sized dimensions with big camera performance and it’s been a recipe for success ever since. You’d hardly call the Leica Q cameras compact, but they’re still pretty portable and, perhaps more notably, a more affordable option to a digital M body fitted with a similar lens along with the contemporary conveniences of an EVF and autofocusing. Ironically, it’s retro styling that’s helped make the X100 series such a hit, and they’re certainly a lot smaller and lighter than the Leica Qs (obviously the sensor size helps here), but still pack plenty of performance, especially since the fourth-generation ‘F’ model.
Regardless of their design differences, the fixed lens is one of the major attractions of these cameras… and perhaps more so now than ever before. There are a few other fixed-lens options around – mostly either rugged or superzoom models – but if you want ILC-level features and functionality, the choice is now really limited to these three model lines… and the ongoing backorder situation suggests there’s more demand than supply. You’d have to think that Sony was bit premature in axing the RX1 line, especially as the last-
of-the-line RX1R II would now be right in the mix with the Q3 models and the X100VI. And, incidentally, as with both the Leica and Fujifilm series, the second-hand prices are also holding up very strongly across all generational iterations.
So what’s the big attraction of a fixed lens? Well, for starters, it’s fixed isn’t it? Which means that the sensor is never going to be exposed to dust or moisture as it’s safely tucked away in the heart of the camera. But I think there’s more to it than this. For me, at least, it’s that a big decision – namely, what lens will I use? – is taken out of your hands, so you work with what you’ve got and that’s actually quite refreshing. It also means that you don’t have to carry any additional lenses… you know, just in case.
With the higher res sensors on the Q2, Q3 and the X100VI, there’s a bit of a let-off in that you can crop to fudge a longer focal length without giving away too much in terms of image quality, but there’s a very engaging challenge in just making the most of a prime lens. You get a whole lot more inventive and creative, working the angles and making much more use of your built-in “two-legged zoom”. After all, this is what a great many photographers did when shooting outdoors before more portable cameras with lens interchangeability became available, and then the variable focal length lens.
I think, you also learn to accept that, in a given situation, you can’t always “shoot all the lights out” of it. Yep, you can see that there’d be more to exploit if you had a bag of lenses with you, but you haven’t so you relax and go with the flow. Consequently, you’re more receptive to how things might unfold rather than always working to preconceived ideas or expectations. I’ve also found that you then become more involved with whatever is going on rather than merely being an observer, and it also helps here that the camera is usually less intrusive… both for you and for your subjects.
So, far from being restrictive – which is often the assumption about a fixed-lens camera – there’s actually a greater freedom and, subsequently, a whole lot of enjoyment.
