Is there such a thing as a good P&S compact camera?

[Gazza_UK]

Me again...... :D

Over the years I have had more cameras then I care to remember and never seem to be satisfied.

But after wasting many £'s it would seem a chunky camera is defo not for me. So really looking for a decent compact camera which ticks most of the list below.

Excellent image quality out of the camera

Good macro capability

At least 5x zoom

Some form of latest intelligent feature for ISO, scene etc.

The Fuji F70EXR soon to be replaced by F80RXR seems to get good magazine and user reviews.

Then there is the F200EXR which is now only £149 at Amazon and has received no end of awards.

Recently released is the Panasonic ZX3 which has mixed reviews. But I have had several Panasonic cameras and quite like them.

I think the Panasonic is 3cm Macro and Fuji is 5cm.

Most of my pics are of the kids out and about and scenery, animals etc, along with the items I stick on eBay.

I had the TZ7 but sold it in the end as it was just too chunky, even though it produced some fantastic out of camera shots. Just trying to sell a FZ38 as its just too big for me, but has a great 1cm macro on it.

Is there anything good from Canon, as they normally do excellent out of camera IQ. I know there is the S90, but its got basic zoom... however IQ is supposed to be right up there.

Any pointers/suggestions would be very much appreciated.

[Trig's]

My other half has the Canon IXUS 95 IS (althou its in pink) cracking little P&S - Near on thought of selling my gear & getting one - :nono: not in pink though :lol:

If she can handle it then I'd imagine anyone can.... Just my 2p opinions worth... Oppps sorry - its a only a 3x zoom...

[trencheel303]

A TZ7 is too chunky? :cuckoo:

I think maybe you're after a GF1 or similar - it's at least a compromise in both quality and size.

You aren't going to get SLR quality in something the size of an IXUS, though - it's just a fact of life, something you're going to have to deal with I'm afraid! You either want a piece of kit which delivers proper good images, or a piece of kit which is tiny, or compromise.

[Gazza_UK]

A TZ7 is too chunky? :cuckoo:

I think maybe you're after a GF1 or similar - it's at least a compromise in both quality and size.

You aren't going to get SLR quality in something the size of an IXUS, though - it's just a fact of life, something you're going to have to deal with I'm afraid! You either want a piece of kit which delivers proper good images, or a piece of kit which is tiny, or compromise.
Trust me I'm not a cuckoo (yet) on the TZ7, just my personal opinion :D

Not bothered about SLR IQ, as that's a route I will never venture down. Just something that will produce the best picture possible out of the camera :thumbs:

Just had a look at the GF1 and that's way too expensive... but thanks for pointing it out.

[Gazza_UK]

My other half has the Canon IXUS 95 IS (althou its in pink) cracking little P&S - Near on thought of selling my gear & getting one - :nono: not in pink though :lol:

If she can handle it then I'd imagine anyone can.... Just my 2p opinions worth... Oppps sorry - its a only a 3x zoom...
Thanks for the input, will have a look into that one too.

EDIT: Hmmm over a year since release but gets some cracking reviews.... that's put a spanner in the works now.

[simonkit]

The Canon Ixus range are definitely worth a look..always get good user feedback & do very well in the "official" review too. The wife has the Ixus 80 & it's excellent

Simon

[Gazza_UK]

My god how stupid am I... I've had a Canon Ixus 950 IS before and took some cracking spider shots in my back garden with it.

No idea why I got rid of it :cuckoo: see I'm defo cuckoo now :lol:

Is there a more up-to-date Ixus now with the new bells and whistles?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/moviesuk/IMG_0455.jpg

[trencheel303]

^That is very nice...

[Gazza_UK]

Hmmm the Ricoh CX3 is now looking a firm favourite at the moment.

1cm macro, excellent IQ and 10x zoom :thumbs:

[trencheel303]

Beware of large zooms, it will detriment image quality somewhat.

[cowasaki]

I had a Canon IXUS 500 which was brilliant until it died. It was tiny but used the same memory cards, had a lithium ion battery and produced decent images. If I was to buy another p&s I would certainly look at another one.

[AndyWest]

I have just bought a canon s90 which I'm very pleased with. I would also recommend the Lumix LX3. The s90 has the same innards as the G11 but at a much smaller compact size. It also does RAW which the TZ7 does not.

I'm taking the s90 on me hols tomorrow to see what it can really do! Check out this s90 - Lumix LX3 comparrison vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWVLG7AC91Y

Few image examples from my s90:

Church:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4437900391_54ebaf38d8_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywest1/4437900391/)

B&W:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4438677640_497c383c29_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywest1/4438677640/)

Macro:
http://locostbuilders.co.uk/upload/s90_Macro_800pix.jpg

[postcardcv]

I've read a lot of good things about the Fuji's too, I'm hoping to get an F70 in the next week or so (been offered a secondhand one at a good price). Once I've got my hands on it I'll post some feedback and samples, unless you've already bought a camera by then!

[Gazza_UK]

Very nice pics there from the S90, thanks for sharing them. Were they out of camera or have you PP after?

Appreciate comments on large zoom and makes me think I should just go for pure image quality. But pics from the F70EXR/F200EXR and Ricoh CX3 over on Trusted Reviews look very good indeed.... and the S90 is just another league it would seem.

[Gazza_UK]

I've read a lot of good things about the Fuji's too, I'm hoping to get an F70 in the next week or so (been offered a secondhand one at a good price). Once I've got my hands on it I'll post some feedback and samples, unless you've already bought a camera by then!
Much appreciated.

[Gadget-Guy]

Another vote for the Canon Ixus range,have had the 400 Ixus and then the last one which i still use is the 900ti but there is a newer model the Ixus 990 IS (http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/Digital_Camera/IXUS/Digital_IXUS_990_IS/index.asp)

[AndyWest]

Very nice pics there from the S90, thanks for sharing them. Were they out of camera or have you PP after?

Appreciate comments on large zoom and makes me think I should just go for pure image quality. But pics from the F70EXR/F200EXR and Ricoh CX3 over on Trusted Reviews look very good indeed.... and the S90 is just another league it would seem.

The colour image of the church had a little pp but not much at all. The B&W was through Silver efex pro and the pencil again was just a little pp. I bought mine for £288 free delivery new from a company on ebay. So far i am really chuffed with it. It has a great feature of a control ring around the lens which can be programmed to change aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure, white balance and manual focus. The lens is f2.0 - f4.9 so pretty fast! There are plenty of really good movies on youtube so check them out. Also it feels small and great in the hand. A joy to use!

Another macro but this was straight out the camera with no pp:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4444640631_0ed520e8bc_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywest1/4444640631/)

[POAH]

fuji EXR 80

[cambsno]

The lens is f2.0 - f4.9 so pretty fast!

Going a little off topic (as I am thinking of getting a decent compact for when I dont want to lug around the D300), I thought I read somewhere that these f numbers are not the same as on DSLRs - i.e. looking back through some old pics of mine taken on a compact, some are f2.8 and they look nothing like a pic on the d300 at f2.8 - make sense?

Ken Rockwell (who sometimes talks sense, and often rubbish) really rates the S90 and I hear the G11 is good as well.

[justinitus]

Very nice pics there from the S90, thanks for sharing them. Were they out of camera or have you PP after?

Appreciate comments on large zoom and makes me think I should just go for pure image quality. But pics from the F70EXR/F200EXR and Ricoh CX3 over on Trusted Reviews look very good indeed.... and the S90 is just another league it would seem.

Was playing with a CX3 myself and it doesn't have any manual control, unlike the S90 / LX3.

[Gazza_UK]

Thanks for all the feedback so far, very much appreciated.

The S90 really does produce excellent pictures... the downside is basic 3x zoom. It states its only 5cm macro, but those pics from Andy are very impressive.

Its a quandry now that's for certain :thinking:

Canon S90
Ricoh CX3
Fuji F80EXR
Fuji F200EXR
Panasonic ZX3

[Gazza_UK]

Was playing with a CX3 myself and it doesn't have any manual control, unlike the S90 / LX3.
I understand some of the terminology but not much, so manual control is not that much of a priority/concern for me. Whatever camera I go with will be in auto most of the time.

[justinitus]

I understand some of the terminology but not much, so manual control is not that much of a priority/concern for me. Whatever camera I go with will be in auto most of the time.

Well, in that case the CX3 might fit the bill, it's pretty darn nice :love:

[daugirdas]

My god how stupid am I... I've had a Canon Ixus 950 IS before and took some cracking spider shots in my back garden with it.

No idea why I got rid of it :cuckoo: see I'm defo cuckoo now :lol:

Is there a more up-to-date Ixus now with the new bells and whistles?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/moviesuk/IMG_0455.jpg

That is very nice macro. Did you crop this and did you use any accessories? I didn't think compact could simply get that.

[BKphotography]

IMO... no.

[trencheel303]

I thought I read somewhere that these f numbers are not the same as on DSLRs - i.e. looking back through some old pics of mine taken on a compact, some are f2.8 and they look nothing like a pic on the d300 at f2.8 - make sense?

That's only because the DOF on compacts is so much larger than even APS-C DSLRs because of the tiny sensor and hence also tiny focal lengths.

On a compact pretty much everything from 1 metre in front of you and beyond is at infinity focus. On a DSLR obviously it is much finer than that, with long lenses you can be looking easily at 50 feet or more until your focus becomes infinity.

[canonbabie]

My god how stupid am I... I've had a Canon Ixus 950 IS before and took some cracking spider shots in my back garden with it.

No idea why I got rid of it :cuckoo: see I'm defo cuckoo now :lol:

Is there a more up-to-date Ixus now with the new bells and whistles?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/moviesuk/IMG_0455.jpg

Hi

have just bought a Canon 980is only messed around with it,hope I get as good a shot as yours when I use it properly.

Regards:).

[Gazza_UK]

That is very nice macro. Did you crop this and did you use any accessories? I didn't think compact could simply get that.
It was taken quite a while ago. I have quite few pics of the spider taken with the 950IS. I remember pointing the camera as close as possible to the spider. So the picture might be slightly cropped, but not by much.

[Gazza_UK]

I have spent the last 90 minutes or so reading up on the S90 (neglected girlfriend not happy mind you).

One thing that crops up all the time is the barrel distortion and that it needs correcting after in Canon software.

[grum]

I think this is what you're after ;)

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/lk/f/s/467f38c84062dc26992acb9c04746da2/227987.jpg

[ChrisJ_SLH]

Another :plusone: for the S90, I picked one up of Kerso recently as it does one thing really well that my 5D2 can't, namely fits in my pocket.

Image quality for its size is surprisingly good and the manual control modes are a real bonus.

[Gazza_UK]

Another :plusone: for the S90, I picked one up of Kerso recently as it does one thing really well that my 5D2 can't, namely fits in my pocket.

Image quality for its size is surprisingly good and the manual control modes are a real bonus.
Would it be overkill for a point and shoot stuck in auto mode all the time?

Also what is the issue with barrel distortion many users and reviews talk about?

[ChrisJ_SLH]

I haven't noticed anything excessive for its nature on mine but a quick google would suggest that some aren't happy with the barrel distortion results at the wide end when shooting raw.

It would appear that the camera corrects the jpg automatically, so you wouldn't have the issue in auto mode.

There's a good explanation of what is going on here (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/s90.shtml)

[bartoszwozniak]

Weird thing - Nobody's noticed the Canon G10 or G11. Depending on your budget, I would go for a new or secondhand one of them. Fantastic Image Quality, great IQ and almost DSLR like handling. I love it to bits! I don't own one, but one of my friend's does. They are very happy with it, and when I used it for a while, I really liked it too.

Great camera!

[Gazza_UK]

Weird thing - Nobody's noticed the Canon G10 or G11. Depending on your budget, I would go for a new or secondhand one of them. Fantastic Image Quality, great IQ and almost DSLR like handling. I love it to bits! I don't own one, but one of my friend's does. They are very happy with it, and when I used it for a while, I really liked it too.

Great camera!
That takes me back to a chunky camera though, which is what I'm trying to avoid. But both do get fantastic reviews.

Looking for some something very compact and easy to fit in my pocket.

Although the TZ7 was reasonable... but when in its case it was a nightmare. I know I'm a fussy so and so :D

[Gazza_UK]

I haven't noticed anything excessive for its nature on mine but a quick google would suggest that some aren't happy with the barrel distortion results at the wide end when shooting raw.

It would appear that the camera corrects the jpg automatically, so you wouldn't have the issue in auto mode.

There's a good explanation of what is going on here (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/s90.shtml)
Thanks for that :thumbs:

[Chaz Photos]

I got a G10 has a lot of the settings a dSLR has and 14.7meg pix

[ChrisJ_SLH]

That takes me back to a chunky camera though, which is what I'm trying to avoid. But both do get fantastic reviews.

Looking for some something very compact and easy to fit in my pocket.

Although the TZ7 was reasonable... but when in its case it was a nightmare. I know I'm a fussy so and so :D

That was the reason I went for the S90, it is so damn small while still giving you the option of P, Av, Tv and M and RAW shooting if you want and good IQ for the size of the lens.

We've also got a Ixus 950IS but the shutter lag drives me insane. The handling and controls are so much nicer on the S90 and the Digic IV processor makes the menus and such fly along. (Still makes me chuckle to think that it has the same Digic as my 5D2!).

The only criticism I have of the S90 so far is the pop-up flash which pops-up where my left fore-finger naturally falls when holding it. I'm getting used to it now but it was irritating at first.

[Digikat]

I have a Sony W90 which has worked well for me for about three years, I only got my D SLR fairly recently because I wanted a bit more than the P & S can give.

[Ross2]

vote for canon ixus range. i have a 80IS very good. Sister has 85IS very impressed with it.

[woof woof]

Really?

I have the 82IS (Might be a Jessops only special in a very nice blue) and I think it's deffo a pocket snapshot camera and nothing more. The picture quality can't hold up to my LX2 let alone GF1. Plus there's no RAW and precious little control.

[DOTTYROSS]

I have a Canon IXUS 990 IS, 12.1 megapixel, 5 x optical zoom, digic 4 processor. Great images out of camera, macro, small and fits nicely in the pocket or wifes handbag.. Take it when going away on holiday, saves lugging camera gear around and certainly less obvious. Was recommended to me and I have not been disapointed.

[Gazza_UK]

Got quite a few to think about now :thumbs:

Think I will tale my SD card out with me to some local camera shops and take some pics and see what's what.

Certainly fancying the S90 at the moment.

Never purchased a camera from eBay before, but this guy seems okay and selling some expensive kit.

He has the S90 for £278 delivered.

eBay - Canon Powershot S90 Digital Camera (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-CANON-POWERSHOT-S90-IS-DIGITAL-CAMERA-S-90-In-Uk_W0QQitemZ110515155479QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Came rasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN?hash=ite m19bb377217#ht_5150wt_1165)

[ChrisJ_SLH]

Got quite a few to think about now :thumbs:

Think I will tale my SD card out with me to some local camera shops and take some pics and see what's what.

Certainly fancying the S90 at the moment.

Never purchased a camera from eBay before, but this guy seems okay and selling some expensive kit.

He has the S90 for £278 delivered.

eBay - Canon Powershot S90 Digital Camera (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-CANON-POWERSHOT-S90-IS-DIGITAL-CAMERA-S-90-In-Uk_W0QQitemZ110515155479QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Came rasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN?hash=ite m19bb377217#ht_5150wt_1165)

Be aware that the warranty on that item is supplied by the seller (photodirect), not by Canon, "All of our products come with a minimum 12 months seller repair warranty covering parts and labour. ". In other words it is a grey import with a 3rd part warranty.

PM Kerso for a price, also imports (US) but you get a UK invoice which Canon will honour for a proper UK warranty. (I got mine from him). Possibly a few quid more but for peace of mind worth every penny. You'll find his reputation as a seller on this forum beyond reproach.

[Chaz Photos]

. In other words it is a grey import with a 3rd part warranty..

ALL warranty are with the seller as that is who you buy it from so your contract is ONLY with the seller and no one else....

[Gazza_UK]

Could I ask a big favour please from the Canon S90 owners. The weather is supposed to be very good over the next few days. Would it be possible to post me some out of camera jpegs in auto please?

Also a few indoor shots if possible.

This would be really helpful.

Thanks,

Gary.

[cmonkey]

Could I ask a big favour please from the Canon S90 owners. The weather is supposed to be very good over the next few days. Would it be possible to post me some out of camera jpegs in auto please?

Also a few indoor shots if possible.

This would be really helpful.

Thanks,

Gary.

Plenty of thoughts and sample images in this review posted today:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons90/

[Gazza_UK]

Plenty of thoughts and sample images in this review posted today:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons90/
I think I'm virtually sold on this camera.... and just sold my FZ38 this afternoon :)

Now only if Canon would release another cashback offer :)

[Gazza_UK]

I've held off buying the S90 as I think its more for those who like to adjust settings, whereas I'm defo a point and shoot full auto type of guy :D

Since posting I have been reading many expert and user reviews on various cameras and boy is it causing some headaches. To such an extent I'm regretting ever selling my TZ7 :cuckoo:

The Canon Ixus range seem to fair very well in most reviews. The 95/105/120/210 IS all get glowing reports from most people.

The Fuji F70EXR gets some cracking reviews. But the main concern I have is many say you need to manual adjust some settings to get the best, as auto tends too set to high ISO. Also its purple fringing is very bad.... so both of those issues put me off it.

I have had many Panasonic cameras and to be fair they have mostly been very good. The TZ7/FX60/ZX3 are more than favourible... despite me saying the TZ7 was chunky :lol:

Finally one that just keeps coming back is the Ricoh CX3 which gets very good reviews and has outstanding macro capabilities. But you are talking neck end of £300 for this camera.

Currently without a camera and some cracking weather coming up at the weekend. What a nightmare :shake:

[pete.rush]

What about the sony HX5V, minimum focal distance 5cm, 25-250mm zoom, has some manual capability, full HD video and what I really like is the panoramic facility, although roughly same size as the Fuji or Panasonic which you said was chunky hmmm ...... The fuji F80 EXR is probably very impressive, especially in low light situations, was very impressed with F70 version, but decided on the sony and reasonable pleased with it, test will be 2 weeks in the lake district up against an SLR

[trencheel303]

I've held off buying the S90 as I think its more for those who like to adjust settings, whereas I'm defo a point and shoot full auto type of guy :D

Since posting I have been reading many expert and user reviews on various cameras and boy is it causing some headaches. To such an extent I'm regretting ever selling my TZ7 :cuckoo:

The Canon Ixus range seem to fair very well in most reviews. The 95/105/120/210 IS all get glowing reports from most people.

The Fuji F70EXR gets some cracking reviews. But the main concern I have is many say you need to manual adjust some settings to get the best, as auto tends too set to high ISO. Also its purple fringing is very bad.... so both of those issues put me off it.

I have had many Panasonic cameras and to be fair they have mostly been very good. The TZ7/FX60/ZX3 are more than favourible... despite me saying the TZ7 was chunky :lol:

Finally one that just keeps coming back is the Ricoh CX3 which gets very good reviews and has outstanding macro capabilities. But you are talking neck end of £300 for this camera.

Currently without a camera and some cracking weather coming up at the weekend. What a nightmare :shake:

You might think I am a **** for saying this, but I might as well anyway. You seem to know a fair bit about the basics of cameras and how they work etc (judging by your use of the word ISO, for starters), so why are you so dead set on getting something that will do all the work for you? Are you too afraid to experiment or what? You're clearly into getting a decent photograph to some degree, so why not go a bit further and actually get a compact that can have some degree of manual control. You will feel satisfied when you get a good shot and it wasn't entirely the camera's work. It would be a shame to see potential (which you clearly have) go to waste by never straying away from your comfort zone of fully automatic cameras.

[Gazza_UK]

You might think I am a **** for saying this, but I might as well anyway. You seem to know a fair bit about the basics of cameras and how they work etc (judging by your use of the word ISO, for starters), so why are you so dead set on getting something that will do all the work for you? Are you too afraid to experiment or what? You're clearly into getting a decent photograph to some degree, so why not go a bit further and actually get a compact that can have some degree of manual control. You will feel satisfied when you get a good shot and it wasn't entirely the camera's work. It would be a shame to see potential (which you clearly have) go to waste by never straying away from your comfort zone of fully automatic cameras.
I really want to take decent pictures where possible, but I'm not into it to such a degree where I'm wishing to learn all the manual settings. So it really is full auto for me I'm afraid.

I appreciate where you are coming from but its just not an area I see myself getting into. I will spend hours fine tuning my home cinema, but with cameras its a decent picture with auto everything really.

Hopefully I will settle for something soon.

[AndyWest]

Have you looked at the Panasonic TZ8 and TZ10?

Here's another from my WONDERFUL s90, check out the great detail....

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4541366856_afbe2134f8_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywest1/4541366856/)

[Gazza_UK]

Very nice picture indeed :thumbs:

I'm not really needing the fancy GPS stuff that the TZ10 brings and it seems to get less favourable reviews than the TZ7.

For the difference in quality (if any) then at under £200 the TZ7 is quite an attractive proposition.

I've been ill since Sunday so not had chance to go to the local camera shops. But hopefully, I might get a a chance on Saturday afternoon.

The more I think about it, I think at least 5x zoom is minimum requirement for me here.

These were out of camera on iA with the TZ7 at Chester Zoo last August. Many of the pictures I took that day would not have been possible without the zoom I had at hand.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2530/3792509865_4f23ebf510.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3600/3792468427_7593a656d0.jpg

[AndyWest]

I had untill very recently a TZ6. I bought it rather than the TZ7 as the only difference was that the TZ7 has HD video (something i don't care much about) and face recognition or something similar. The differences were very little so i saved a few quid and went for the TZ6 and it was a great camera and exceptional in good light. Still not as good as the s90 though.

[Gazza_UK]

I had untill very recently a TZ6. I bought it rather than the TZ7 as the only difference was that the TZ7 has HD video (something i don't care much about) and face recognition or something similar. The differences were very little so i saved a few quid and went for the TZ6 and it was a great camera and exceptional in good light. Still not as good as the s90 though.
Do you not miss the extra zoom though? I still think the S90 is more suited for someone with photo skills who like manual settings rather than in auto all the time.

[AndyWest]

Do you not miss the extra zoom though?

Erm, no. I just accept what i have and use my legs as necessary. I need the excercise!!!! :D

[Gazza_UK]

And now lots of new cashbacks from Canon to throw into the mix :D

[AndyWest]

So what are you waiting for? :D :D :D

Seriously if you really want the zoom then get a different camera. I don't know what the zoom is like on the Lumix LX3?

[Gazza_UK]

LX3 has poor zoom and not for me. ZX3 is nice and small with 8X zoom.

Ahhh so many cameras and so much choice :D

[Gaz81]

My compact of choice is the Sigma DP1... It's slow, only a fixed 28mm f4 lens but it has a great big sensor :-)

I think nikon are due to release a G11 style camera soon?

[Gazza_UK]

What about the sony HX5V, minimum focal distance 5cm, 25-250mm zoom, has some manual capability, full HD video and what I really like is the panoramic facility, although roughly same size as the Fuji or Panasonic which you said was chunky hmmm ...... The fuji F80 EXR is probably very impressive, especially in low light situations, was very impressed with F70 version, but decided on the sony and reasonable pleased with it, test will be 2 weeks in the lake district up against an SLR
Just been reading a couple of expert reviews on this and many user reviews on amazon.com and its defo on the short list now.

At the moment after lots of reading today I'm down to 2 cameras.

Ricoh CX3 and Sony HX5

[Mr_Sukebe]

I went to have a look at an S90 in Currys yesterday. Have to say that it really is lovely and small to hold. The menus seemed fairly sensible, and the control ring around the lens is very intuitive.
Whilst there, I'd taken along an SD card to to shoot a few example shots and look at them at home. Can't say I was impressed, though I did wonder if I'd been selecting the right modes for the shots. I think I'll go back for another play this weekend.
I see that the sample shots on the DP review are also a bit mixed. Some look pretty good (e.g. the nature shot on the tree by the wooden building), whilst the shots of the chef and the bike look pretty naff to me.

[Gazza_UK]

After spending many more hours looking at expert and user reviews along with many photos, I have gone and re-purchased a Panasonic TZ7 :lol: £209 delivered from Amazon tomorrow :)

Why I got rid of this camera in the first place is a mystery I will never resolve :cuckoo:

The Sony HX5 was looking a good bet but sold out in many places and a good £300 price tag.

The Ricoh CX3 I really liked but again a £300 price tag and hardly any places sell it.

So it was a no brainer.... excellent pictures, with long zoom and nearly £100 cheaper than the other 2.

Thanks to all the input in this thread. I have learnt myself a valid lesson here...which is stop swapping stuff about and make do with what I've got (I might have bit more money if I do) :D

[Dinsdale]

Sorry to dig in here... I've got a Panasonic DMC-FX100 P&S brought for £200 odd pounds through work. I use it for construction site visits mainly but the photographs are excellent, it's small and fits comfortably in your trouser pocket and feels really solid. Now for the techy bit... better still here's a review. I took a shot of a cheetah at the WHF site in Kent from about 30' away. Full zoom right in on it's head and hand-held, you can see every hair on it's head. If I ever work out how to insert a picture in here I'll hapily post it up.

http://www.cameras.co.uk/reviews/panasonic-dmc-fx100.cfm

Hahh! learnet how to do it now... here's that picture. There was no PP at all it's just how it came out of the camera.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/Cheetah_1.JPG (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=84889)

[pete.rush]

You can't go wrong with the panasonic TZ7, a great P&S camera...

For some reason panasonic has lost the mojo with the TZ10, image quality is hit and miss unless you do alot of adjustment...

A friends just bought the sony, but it doesn't seem there's not alot of stock in the country for the black version, so he pluck for the silver one....

[AndyWest]

Well good for you. TZ7 is a really good camera and the good thing is you know how to get round the menu system quickly and easily. It will be like catching up with an old friend.

Have fun and post some pics!

[Mr_Sukebe]

Quick update from my 2nd play with a Canon S90.
Again, I'll say that I'm very impressed with the functionality, though I did get the impression that it wouldn't be easy to use an external flash (unlike the G11), that seemed a little limiting.

My key interest was just how the image quality would compare to a decent DSLR. Don't get me wrong, I know that there is a massive price difference, but there's been so many positive things said about some of the better compacts, that I did wonder whether something like an S90 shooting in RAW and at low ISOs might get close.
Easy answer, not really. Even if you exclude the not too clever metering, the level of detail was simply not in the same league.

So, this generation of compacts is not going to woo me into downgrading.