Another neighbour wants my help with compact camera!!!

DayDreamer

DayDreamer

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So now I have a second neighbour wanting help and thought it better not to combine with my last post as two very different cameras wanted.

This neighbour owned a Panasonic TZ8 (coincidentally I used to have one) but he damaged it so was about to buy the newer version a TZ18 or TZ19 for £150 or £160 respectively. I said hold on as I said the daylight shots are good but lower light/higher ISO really are not.

He wants to take landscapes and the inside of old buildings including churches and I know from my experience, on the latter, the shots will be poor unless with a tripod and forcing a lower ISO. He does not want to use a tripod or to use anything other than auto.

So budget of £160 but can get him nearer £200 but what can you suggest? As I said in my last post I am aware of the review sites but would rather get the views of you guys on here.
 
You need to 'realign' his expectations. Low light interiors need a tripod, especially with a compact camera. I suggest giving him the option of a D4 or a tripod..
 
Rapscallion said:
You need to 'realign' his expectations. Low light interiors need a tripod, especially with a compact camera. I suggest giving him the option of a D4 or a tripod..
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Since I posted, and reading more reviews, I see the Panasonic TZ series have poor reputations in low light. It looks like better bets may include: Canon HS230, Sony HX9V, Nikon 9100 but the latter gets more mixed reviews so the first two may be better but the Sony is getting over budget.

I may add the D4 but he would have no money left for the tripod :lol:
 
I have an HX9V - mostly because 80% of the cost was covered by some saved loyalty points. It's getting pushed hard in the shops at the moment (so hard that I suspect Jessops may have over-stocked) but it may have a price drop due as the replacement models have been announced by Sony. It's a stunner for HD video. The built-in iAuto and iAuto+ modes will automatically take a multishot HDR when it detects a strongly backlit or other situation where it judges that to be required which would suit the church interior requirement.

Absolute image quality is a little over-sharpened for most tastes and this can't be reduced in a setting, jpg compression can also be aggressive at times. With the incamera HDR the end result can look soft (very painterly) with that mode enabled, not too obvious at usual viewing resolutions but extremely obvious if you pixel-peep. Personally I don't view this as a disadvantage as it's a predictable response, and I even find myself exagerating it in post sometimes.

There's also a slight tendency towards over-exposure, but you can map exposure compensation onto the custom button. Not everyone notices this, and most people would probably be happy to take the default exposure.

You should be able to get a used one in budget, but new the best I can find in the UK is £220.
 
Thank you so much Alastair for such 'in depth' thoughts.

I see on Camera Price Buster there is a 5% code for Jacobs and they have one for £219.95 so it nudges it towards the £200. My neighbour has been taking about blurring backgrounds to which I have said a bit of a tall order in this price range BUT: -

I see the HX9 has a 'background defocusing' option but I am struggling to find any pics where it shows this off. Is it something you have tried/used or is it a gimmick.

Also looking quickly I can't see aperture priority option but am I missing something??
 
It's something I haven't played with yet, I have been trying to get it to do something similar in video mode but without much luck at the moment, I'm trying to copy some of the results achieved here including the defocused background and the changing focus effect at about the 1min mark.

My own samples with the HX9V are here, but I'm still pushing what I can do with it and I do some heavy mullering in post from time to time (and more often with the HX9V for some reason). This video is pretty much as-shot except for the editting to put the sequence together.

I must admit that the HX9V wasn't even on my short-list (which went X10, G12/11, S100/95) but became available with points that were due to expire. I wouldn't swap it, but that is mostly due to the rather exceptional video capabilities.
 
Again Alastair thank you for your help :thumbs:

I am so grateful and need to check if video capabilties are of interest.
 
DayDreamer said:
So now I have a second neighbour wanting help ... was about to buy ... I said hold on ... what can you suggest?
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I suggest you let people buy crappy compacts without your help by claiming total ignorance on the subject and proposing £500+ cameras every time someone asks for a suggestion.

Works for me ;)
 
Canon S95 is you can find one. Recently on amazon for about £220

Nice quick F2.0 lens for the interiors and still quite usable at higher ISO

vaizki said:
I suggest you let people buy crappy compacts without your help by claiming total ignorance on the subject and proposing £500+ cameras every time someone asks for a suggestion.

Works for me ;)
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Except many £200 compacts are not crappy. But hey, nice to know you are happy to help your friends out...
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. It is so hard when you are advising someone else :eek:

I have spoken to him again and he has no interest in video and he wants more than the 4x that the top end compact cameras have. I really liked the S95 which I nearly bought some weeks ago but sent back too Amazon as I felt it was too titchy for me.

I could tell him prices have shot up and he needs to double his budget :D
 
Another vote for the HX9V here. I did weeks of research and decided on that one but sadly I made my decision while Sony was experiencing supply problems from the floods in Thailand and it took me weeks to track one down and I'm glad I waited. The Quality is excellent in all areas. Not only for photo, but once you see it's HD video at 1080p50, you'll never want to go back to any other compact camera. I can't recommend it enough.
 
If he won't use a tripod and will only use auto he has a problem in dark buildings as won't the camera use a pretty slow shutter speed when in auto (even with high ISO).

If someone asks for my advice I give it to them. If they don't like it then maybe they shouldn't have asked. Goes without saying I don't have many friends :-)
 
Well went through with him earlier and left him with the Sony HX9v as the one I would get. He said he wishes he could get the same again (TZ8) and I felt obliged to tell him he could. He felt happy with it - so it wouldn't surprise me if he did that :bonk:

I think I will keep myself to myself more in future then no one will ask as ernesto said.
 
shufflemoomin said:
Another vote for the HX9V here. I did weeks of research and decided on that one but sadly I made my decision while Sony was experiencing supply problems from the floods in Thailand and it took me weeks to track one down and I'm glad I waited. The Quality is excellent in all areas. Not only for photo, but once you see it's HD video at 1080p50, you'll never want to go back to any other compact camera. I can't recommend it enough.
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Have you tried the background defocusing option?
 
fidsey79 said:
My nikon p300 works very well in low light. I love using it, the camera and settings make sense. It has a lovely 1.8 lens. Brill
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I remember in an earlier post where you had tried the S95 but eventually settled on the Nikon. Does the Nikon give any background defocusing with the f1.8 lens.
 
The P300 is still a tiny lens and tiny sensor so shallow DoF is out even with 1.8. The advantage of having a 1.8 on a compact is for low light ability rather than DoF options isnt it?
 
ernesto said:
The P300 is still a tiny lens and tiny sensor so shallow DoF is out even with 1.8. The advantage of having a 1.8 on a compact is for low light ability rather than DoF options isnt it?
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Yes I agree ---- as I have just been reading this point on dpreview :D

I am still intrigued as to the HX9v background defocus option. A gimmick or a useful additional feature - I wonder?
 
Thanks Sarah will take a look at P300 gallery :thumbs:

Thanks shufflemoomin for taking the picture :thumbs:

The guys off tomorrow to PCWorld/Currys and Comet - NOT with me. :clap: He may even go to Jessops but Gawd knows what he will get but I think he wants a good zoom and he says he likes the look of the HX9 but.................... he may come back with a DSLR :D
 
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