anybody got a Panny TZ25 or Sony HX20V?

heidfirst

heidfirst

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Thinking of getting one of these (much though I would like an RX100 I don't think that I can justify it)?

Main use would be for taking photos of things like butterflies & damsel/dragonflies when I don't feel like lugging my full DSLR kit around with me.
 
when you were in the market did you look at the Pannies as well & if so why did you choose the Sony?
 
I have a tz20
 
Good camera, I bought it for my Daughter who is on a month long trip abroad, it has GPS. There's a good chance it'll get sold when she returns.
 
heidfirst said:
when you were in the market did you look at the Pannies as well & if so why did you choose the Sony?
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I don't get on very well with panasonics, they seem to always have something lacking in their cameras that I need.

I chose the Sony because of the zoom range which maintains it's quality, the 50fps full HD, the 10fps stills, ability to take a photo whilst in video mode and the shear quality of.the video.

By admission I bought it more for video than photos. it's ok for photos but it is a compact and does look noisy at every ISO zoomed in.

It's much better in 5mp and mode rather than 18mp.

If it was all about IQ for photos I'd get the x10.
 
Phil Young said:
I don't get on very well with panasonics, they seem to always have something lacking in their cameras that I need.

I chose the Sony because of the zoom range which maintains it's quality, the 50fps full HD, the 10fps stills, ability to take a photo whilst in video mode and the shear quality of.the video.

By admission I bought it more for video than photos. it's ok for photos but it is a compact and does look noisy at every ISO zoomed in.

It's much better in 5mp and mode rather than 18mp.

If it was all about IQ for photos I'd get the x10.
Click to expand...

How do you find the videos on the HX20, as good as a camcorder in terms of focus, panning and capturing moving objects ?
 
Just taken delivery of the HX20 for my wife yesterday after reading reviews until I was .................. Well I sure was!

There is no doubt it has a lot of features but my wife wants it for only taking snaps on fully auto settings. Close ups of flowers, landscapes & she is not sure what else for the moment.

Her initial reaction was she liked the feel of the camera in her hands, liked the grip which seems better than most compact grips and feels the shots are very good colourful and sharp. She now wants a case, spare battery, battery charger (in camera charging :thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:) But the fact she wants the bits you need is indication she wants to keep it.

My reaction is good grip for a small camera, but no VF and I couldn't see the screen yesterday as it was very sunny and I had reaction glasses which meant I couldn't see much to be fair as they are useless.

I have studied the manual and am not a big one for the gimmicks, toy camera, pinhole effect type of things so by passed them and chose to shoot my test shots in fully auto and the one below that. The flower shots seem quite good but I found it hard to get landscape shots without pixel peeing (and I don't think I am a pixel peeper :clap: ) Not sure if I would be better trying at 10 mp instead of the full 18 mp but couldn't help enlarging them to 100% and seeing the funny effect which some reviews have dubbed the 'watercolour' effect. However the same reviewers have said the camera is aimed at those who will only look at on PC screen and get small prints so shouldn't be a problem.

BUT is it is niggling me or is it not - oh b****r it is but I really am not sure what camera would have been better. I looked at the TZ30 and the reviews were so close to the HX20 that it became 'how did it feel in the hand and my wife preferred he HX20. I would of gone for the TZ30 purely because I had a TZ8 and felt that was a good camera for me at the time.

So I wish you well - have you chosen - is there any others that could be 'in the frame' and in my case keep it or send it back. Amazon will ban me as I have sent a few things back this year but only one other camera.
 
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Phil Young said:
Good that your wife liked it.

I wants it for the video quality and zoom. It's not the best compact I have for stills, that would be my 6year old olympus sp-350 :)

It is definitely better at 10mp.
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My wife thinks I like it and is telling our family the photos are good and sharp - but.... I have tried it on other settings and dropped the file size to 10mp but am still trying to love it and not getting there :nono:

She only wants it for stills and not video but what next if we send it back :thinking:
 
DayDreamer said:
My wife thinks I like it and is telling our family the photos are good and sharp - but.... I have tried it on other settings and dropped the file size to 10mp but am still trying to love it and not getting there :nono:

She only wants it for stills and not video but what next if we send it back :thinking:
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You have to near in mind the sensor size. Given that it's such a small sensor, the image quality is pretty good.

If I compare it to my D7000 I would be unimpressed but constantly have to remind myself of the fact that it is a small sensor :)
 
Well heidfirst are you going to put us out of our suspense and tell us your decision?
 
I'm sorry - I didn't realise that I had an audience waiting with bated breath ;)

Haven't made a decision yet due to other events with somewhat higher priorities. & I really need to get to a shop which not only has the 2 headlined in stock but also S95/S100 & RX100 & even in a city like Glasgow that isn't easy.
Mind you, if this "Summer" keeps on like this I won't need to make a decision until next Spring by when they should all be cheaper ...

Current thinking:
TZ25 - cheapest, supposedly better IQ than TZ30 but no GPS (which for my purposes would be useful)
HX20V - ticks most of the right boxes but IQ at higher ISO could be better & a bit dearer than ideally I would like
S95/S100/RX100 - all possibly a bit short on focal length?
 
I was hoping you would do all the leg work and so I could follow you :lol:

I am in South Devon and trying to find a shop with more than one with a battery is challenging.

Interesting you say TZ25 has better IQ than TZ30 - is this something you have read on a review and if so do you have a link?

HX20 second day with it and a few more test shots but have read too much about the mottle/ watercolour look effect unless only ever using on PC or small prints.

I did buy a S95 and am, as I type this, trying to recover the test shots taken with it, with recuva software, but that was many months ago and the memory card may have been over written. Yes poor zoom and S100 better but?

I have added a Nikon P7100 on the list as it has 7.1 zoom but chunkier.

But overall looking increasingly like the HX20 will go back.
 
Well the Sony HX20v was sent back yesterday.

So back to the drawing board :thinking:
 
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