Ok, I've shortlisted 2 compacts. Lumix FX700 and Lumix TZ20. I can get them for a very similar price. Pros and cons please. I visit a lot of National Trust properties, I like to take pictures in doors and often the flash isn't allowed, but I also like to take pictures around the grounds, some have very old farm equipment which can give good b/w photos. Any ideas which is the better of the two as an all rounder? I also need to be able to slip it into the front pocket of my jeans. Cheers Phil
You do get more focal length with TZ20. So it is there if you ever need it. Of cause it does come with a penalty as in the widest f stop is f3.3 which might force you to up the ISO doing interiors. But there other brand which my offer you more low-light performance because of their larger sensors. The LX5 looks like a nice compact and a few on here I believe rate it. But it might be a bulky for you. Also of cause it is more expensive. But your are paying for the 10MP 1/1.63 sensor. It also does raw which can help when processing images with abit of noise etc.
Thanks for that, the LX5 does look sweet but I like the touch and focus function on the others, also the detachable lens cap I don't like. . I have had SLR's (35mm) in the past but I kinda went off the bulk and never got to grips with f stops and all that really. The LX 5 seems to require more knowledge of pure photography. Now I'm not into it so much I just like to take pics for memories. I do compose some "arty" shots and they come out fine for my needs. I don't think I could be doing with the bulk of an SLR and the lens changing. I even looked and some micro four thirds but they didn't float my boat. Maybe the Canon S95?? I need to order one this weekend as my other camera has mysteriously vanished. I went to Shelsley Walsh last Sunday, got some brilliant pics, even walking back to the car I was using it. I haven't seen it since, nor the bag Cheers. Phil
I was think of that model. Alot of members on here like that compact. http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/equipment/review/Canon_PowerShot_S95_12152.php http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/canon_powershot_s95_review/ If you read the article in AP this week on sensor size. You would have read that anything above 8MP is enough for 8x10 prints and at correct viewing distance with borders even A3. Especially on a larger sensor.
I suspect alot. The IXUS 800 is 5 year old technology. The sensor is very small at 1/2.5" Alot of the newer compact don't use sensor that small most use a 1/2.33" Also with the S95 you get 28mm wide against the 35mm of the IXUS 800. I am not Canon user myself I have used Panasonic in the past which was a FZ50. Great camera but the thing that annoyed me alot was it only went 35mm wide. So getting for me 28mm wide was a must. Then of cause you have the 10MP against the 6MP. 66% more pixels off set against the larger sensor and over 4 years of technology improvements. Also the 10MP does give you some cropping room unlike the 6MP. My current camera is 10MP and I find it is enough pixels for most of my photography. I found 5MP was too low because I do crop sometimes. One reason it is highly rated I believe is tests by DxOMark http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Ca...nd)/Canon/(brand2)/Panasonic/(brand3)/Olympus Hope this helps.
What about the Ixus 310 hs? Sory to be a pain but I need to decide this weekend and don't have time to go and try. Phil
Not a problem. It does not score as high as the S95 (understandable sensor is 1/2.3") http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/canon_ixus_310_hs_review/ It does have some interesting movie functions. What do you do with the photographs you take? Do ever print them larger than 8x10? One plus it does have is going to 24mm so abit wider. But you should look at it's rivals as well. Bottom line your old IXUS 800 was just that old. Compacts have improved alot. So anything released in the high end compact market will give you more features most if not all now should do HD movies as a bonus. The reason is mobile phones are now killing the bottom end market of compacts.
http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/canon_ixus_310_hs_review/ It does not score as high as the Canon S95 because of it's smaller sensor at 1/2.3" I think any high end recent release compact will probably beat your old IXUS 800 to be honest. Most if not all now have HD movies as a bonus feature. The reason is mobile phones seem to be killing the bottom end compact market. As the article in AP suggested 12MP is probably enough for most uses especially 8x10 printing.
Problem is that it only goes to 31mm instead of 24mm for the other model. That is possibly 10+ degrees of loss of viewing angle. You might notice that when shooting interiors. That is nearly as much as going from 28mm to 35mm. These are all 35mm film equiv focal length by the way. The 14MP does not help with noise, look at the sample image at 400ISO http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/samsung_st5500_review/ http://www.howardedin.com/articles/fov.html
I know that really I need a DSLR with a few lenses but I really can't be doing with the bulk. I have shortlisted the ones below. The Lumix ones seem very similar to each other. I guess I'm wanting too much from something so small. My problem is I don't really understand the numbers, I used to use a lot of the functions on my Ixus, like +/_ on exposure, pin point focus etc, I knoew what happenned when I used them but I don't understand the technical jargon, if you know what I mean. With all of the things in menus on these new cameras, the touch screen does seem handy rather than scrolling with a wheel but it isn't vital and I guess the money on that could go elsewhere in a camera without. The lowdown. Good low light capabilities. Good for landscapes Good for foliage Fast focus Good image quality Built in but not pop-up flash 200+ images on one charge battery The list. Lumix FX700 Lumix FX77 Lumix TZ20 Sony DSC-WX10 (This has 24mm wide angle, 7x zoom) I think it will be one of the Lumix cameras but which one, and more to the point, WHY???? and WHY NOT??? for the one to avoid Cheers Phil
The FX700 got the lowest score out of the list for value for money. Your OP was between that and the TZ20 so logical you are down to the TZ20. The only feature that the Sony seems to offer over the TZ20 is the fact it can do 2minute exposures.
The only thing that puts me off the TZ20 is the f3.3. The FX700 has f2.2. Do youthink this is a major issue? I don't have experience of the different f stops. Phil
Yes, but the FX700 only scores 3.5 for image quality and if you look at the actually images you can see why. They raise this in their conclusions. http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/panasonic_lumix_dmc_fx700_review/conclusion/
Thanks Mr? Stoddart, This is the sort of help I need. I try to read the reviews but the jargon goes over my head and I get confused. I know that a large aperture is required for low light so I was looking for the largest I could find. So is it true to say that some cameras with a smaller aperture will give a better picture than some with a larger one? Phil
I tried to add this into my last post but the 15 minute time was up. Another point, I rarely print my pictures, I view them mostly on my computer monitor for memories of holidays and days out etc. I am building a collection of pictures in black and white which I am going to get printed to frame and hang on approximately A4 size.
Well for a start screens are in general much lower resolution than any print. 8x10 is 7.2MP at 300ppi. A4 is 9MP at 300ppi. HD TV screen around 2MP. Computer monitor at 1024x768 is only 786KP (not even 1MP) You only see the issues when you zoom in a photo package. This is why any compact at least 10MP is fine. It would give a good trade off between print size and noise performance. One option that can help with noise issues is to do some post image work by running any image shot at higher ISO through noise reduction software. Like the free one from noiseware. You be surprise how much it can improve a 400ISO shot. So it IMHO comes down to the FX77 at 12MP or the TZ20 at 14MP. The FX77 uses a CCD sensor which the past can give slightly better noise at higher setting. The lower pixel might be helping as well. Again look at the image tests: http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/panasonic_lumix_dmc_fx77_review/image_quality/ Then look at the sample image on inside at 320ISO 12MP http://img.photographyblog.com/revi...sample_images/panasonic_lumix_dmc_fx77_01.jpg http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_...Result.html?p=DMC-FX700&p=DMC-TZ20&p=DMC-FX77
Thank you so much for your help. I really don't want to get it wrong and can't test the cameras.I am torn between the FX700 and the TZ20 (extra zoom). thanks again. Phil
Well yes, if you feel that the extra zoom is a factor. Then it has to be the TZ20. By that way I was showing you the FX77 not the FX700. The quality of the TZ20 seems good to me. http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/panasonic_lumix_dmc_tz20_review/image_quality/ This shot is at f3.3 1/50 and 400ISO http://img.photographyblog.com/revi...sample_images/panasonic_lumix_dmc_tz20_07.jpg
