camera recomendation

[shoota]

Hey guys the wife and i are going to New Zealand in a couple months and she wants a better camera. Now we're not talking dslr here but something that take s good pics, has good zoom, and takes pictures in low light well. I don't anything about cameras so if someone could point out a couple models to look at I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

[[XC] leviathan18]

sony nex line up ticks all those check marks the only thing we should know is budget

[BeepBeep2]

Well, he said "not a DSLR", which you could essentially call the NEX5N + kit lens (what I would recommend) but the zoom is not much and it doesn't fit in a pocket or anything.

I'd go with the Canon Powershot S100: http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/ca...eview?page=0,2
5x zoom is reasonable. It's not great but better than most compact 3x. Image quality is superb for the sensor size IMO. ISO is locked at 80 when you use long exposure time (>1s) but you'd have to be using a tripod and trying to take a landscape at night for that.

[Darakian]

Look at the micro four thirds lines, sony NEX series, and the samsung NX series. Try to avoid point and shoots if you want anything comparing to dslr quality.

[nex_73]

I checked out the TIPA awards from 2011 and this is the list:
Best Superzoom Camera: Canon PowerShot SX230 HS
Best General Compact Camera: Nikon COOLPIX P300
Best Expert Compact Camera: Olympus XZ-1

[BeepBeep2]

I checked out the TIPA awards from 2011 and this is the list:
Best Superzoom Camera: Canon PowerShot SX230 HS
Best General Compact Camera: Nikon COOLPIX P300
Best Expert Compact Camera: Olympus XZ-1

I'd take the PowerShot S100 over the XZ-1 any day. (They are competing cameras...)

XZ-1 @ ISO 1600 (dcresource.com)


@ ISO 3200 RAW


S100 @ 1600 ISO (dcresource.com)


@ ISO 3200 RAW

[pcunite]

Hmmm, I'd say something like the Fuji x100 ... I'd want quality ....

[Vinas]

My backup to my DSLR is a Powershot SX40HS. It is a top of the line point and shoot, with a 35x optical zoom which equates out to about 840mm zoom. To put that in perspective, one of my lenses costs $2,000 and is a 400mm zoom. So, even thought that's not an apples to apples comparison, the SX40HS is a very high quality point and shoot. If you do go with that camera, you won't be disappointed!

[shoota]

I'm liking the Nikon P300. She just told me that it has to be compact so that rules out the SX40HS. And I think I would like to keep it under $300. Is the Nikon my best bet then?

[Darakian]

http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-E-PL1-...1798350&sr=8-1

Bigger sensor, interchangeable lenses, and in your budget (if just by a hair).

[BeepBeep2]

I'm liking the Nikon P300. She just told me that it has to be compact so that rules out the SX40HS. And I think I would like to keep it under $300. Is the Nikon my best bet then?

Well, the $160 Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS can match the P300 in image quality. As far as special or manual features, I haven't read up on them.

Darakian is right about the E-PL1. The Samsung NX100 would be good too, but is around $350.

(Taken from dpreview.com)

[[XC] leviathan18]

I can't pass the Olympus name... PENE... bad choice of letters

[shoota]

The olympus puts out some good quality shots there but how apples to apples is that comparison? She wont be messing with lenses (or even settings for that matter). So all-around quality, especially in lower light, that's compact and under $300 or so. Whatcha got?

[BeepBeep2]

The olympus puts out some good quality shots there but how apples to apples is that comparison? She wont be messing with lenses (or even settings for that matter). So all-around quality, especially in lower light, that's compact and under $300 or so. Whatcha got?

That is as apples to apples as it gets. All the cameras in the above pictures are at the same settings.

The stock lens that comes with the ELP1 does take up some space and the camera isn't as compact as the S100 and P300. However the lens is detachable. All you guys need is a small bag, to be honest. The price is 20% more, but the image quality is more like 200% better, and it is totally worth the price even if she will shoot on all auto settings for the whole time you guys own it. That 200% grows to about 300% when you get to low light, too.

[nex_73]

If we take the S100 and P300 as a starting point (bench) and check what has been released so far this year in the price range, we get:
Nikon coolpix P310
Canon powershot SX260HX
Fujifilm finepix F770EXR
Panasonic lumix DMC-TZ30
Sony cybershot DSC-HX20V

[bot@xs]

i would also say the s100, i would actually rather go with older s95.
i bought the xz-1 and it's a decent camera, better then the samsung nv11 i had before.
i really needed a camera with remote shutter and the xz-1 has a rf remote available while the canon's have non. so that was all the deal breaker for me
there are also fairly cheap and decent lens attachments for it with macro and telephoto lens

[shoota]

The XZ-1 is a little too high for me. I'm really liking the E-PL1 though. Price is about right, pics are great. Does the stock lens do well at all around shooting? I'm really not familiar with lenses at all so if you guys could link some lenses that fit this body and describe what situation they're used best for I would love that!

[Mescalamba]

Yes kit lens are decent enough. Not bright or super-fast, still workable. Much better than nex 14-42mm from Panasonic (pure crap lens). Tho try to get Panny 20mm f1.7 if you can (later, some day). E-PL1 with its kit lens is good choice, much better than any compact. Tho remember that its not low-light camera.

[shoota]

Yeah I actually just read that in a review and that is a big problem. One of her wishes is that the camera be good in low light situations so that's a deal breaker.
Let's review: $300ish, good in low-light, decent shot-to-shot speed.
Samsung NX100? Powershot S100?

[BeepBeep2]

Yes kit lens are decent enough. Not bright or super-fast, still workable. Much better than nex 14-42mm from Panasonic (pure crap lens). Tho try to get Panny 20mm f1.7 if you can (later, some day). E-PL1 with its kit lens is good choice, much better than any compact. Tho remember that its not low-light camera.

Sure it is.

Yeah I actually just read that in a review and that is a big problem. One of her wishes is that the camera be good in low light situations so that's a deal breaker.
Let's review: $300ish, good in low-light, decent shot-to-shot speed.
Samsung NX100? Powershot S100?

E-PL1 and stock lens. Get a cheap bag too, and hopefully she won't complain about the size of the lens.

The comparison shots I posted above directly correlate to night performance. You will still be able to get good/useable shots at night with the E-PL1 at 1600-3200 ISO, (you could photograph fast-moving objects even) while the compacts like the S100 will be useless. The NX100 is a competitor to the E-PL1 and performs a little worse.

[shoota]

Ok now I'm confused. Wasn't Mescalamba saying the E-PL1 wasn't good in low light situations? I read a review that said it was bad too.

[BeepBeep2]

Ok now I'm confused. Wasn't Mescalamba saying the E-PL1 wasn't good in low light situations? I read a review that said it was bad too.

It depends whether you are comparing it to the latest DSLR and respective sensors or a compact/point and shoot camera.

E-PL1 is up there with Nex 5N/D7000 in ISO (light sensitivity vs image noise) performance, betters the Nikon D90, and shares its sensor with the Olympus E-620 DSLR.

[nex_73]

If you look at DxOMark the Samsung NX100 beats the Olympus PEN EPL1
DxOMark comparison

[BeepBeep2]

If you look at DxOMark the Samsung NX100 beats the Olympus PEN EPL1
DxOMark comparison

The EP2 beats EPL1 in DxOMarks too, but looks worse to the eye.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusepl1/14

[shoota]

Alright so maybe someone was comparing the E-PL1 to a dslr.
I'm really liking the image quality of that camera.