High quality compact - Preferably not exceeding £300

George7

George7

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My Sony W80 I bought 5 years ago is getting a bit long in the tooth, and I'm finding that more and more often I'd like a decent camera on my person, but don't want to lug my SLR everywhere. Therefore, I've decided to get a decent compact camera. I first considered a 'tough' camera; one that can take being dropped, being used underwater etc, but found they didn't offer great IQ and were also very expensive, and seeing that I'm not really an extreme sports kinda person and am also very careful with my gear, there's not a lot of point. Therefore I switched to the idea of a very high quality compact with lots of manual adjustments and excellent IQ (à la S100, G12 etc) but I don't want to spend too much. Around £200 is preferable, but don't mind spending up to £300. The main requirements are that it's small enough to be easily pocketable (the smaller the better) and have a solid construction.

So far I've looked at the Nikon P310 (looks ok, but many reviews don't seem to be particularly favourable), the Canon S95 (the S100 is a little bit toppy for me, at £375), the Canon G11 (again, newer G12 is a bit dear) and the Fuji X10 (expensive, at £350 cheapest new, but reading the X10 thread has made me want one, although I'm concerned it would be a bit too chunky to be truly pocketable). If anyone could offer up any help/guidance or any extra suggestions, I'd be very appreciative as I personally know very little about this particular subject. :thumbs:

Thanks
 
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Easily pocketable would rule out the X10 and the G11/12. I had an X10 and travel very light so ended up only taking it out when specifically going to take photos so in the end sold it and went back to a DSLR.
Whereas something like an S95 really does fit in the pocket so would have been with me much more of the time.
 
Thanks, the travelling light aspect is quite important to me, and I don't think I realise how chunky the X10 and G11 really are having never handled either. With great pain, I think I'm going to have to rule those 2 out. The S95 is now officially the front runner! Are there any other cameras in the same vein as the S95 which anyone would recommend, under the £300 mark (and about the same size too)?
 
What about Panasonic GF1? Superb camera and can be bought 2nd hand for around the £100 mark with interchangeable lenses.

Other end of the scale I just bought a Nikon J1 with 10-30mm lens. 2nd hand from Mbp photographic for £300. Superb camera too. They had 2 when I bought mine.

Clarke
 
If you want a pocketable compact that concentrates on image quality rather than 20x zooming etc. have a look at the Samsung EX1 or Olympus XZ-1. Both similar specs although the Olympus is probably better in terms of image quality the Samsung has better features. Both have good f/1.8 to f/2.4 lenses. prices are between £250-275.
 
As Just mentioned Olympus XZ-1 great IQ for a compact and very good macro mode on it too if that interests you, i use the macro mode more than my 100mm macro lens on my DSLR
 
Clarke, thanks, but the problem with the compact system cameras is they'll be a little big for my intended use, and as I have a decent SLR already, I'd like to stick to buying lenses for just 1 system :)

ah & sjh, both of those look great. The Samsung seems to be a fair bit cheaper, but older & and doesn't do HD video (not an essential, but nice to have) and the Olympus, whilst more expensive, seems to be a bit more recent. Both seem a fair bit chunkier than the S95 though (they look to be somewhere between the S95 and the G11/X10), which is in the same price range as both. Is there anything major these would offer over the S95? The main things I've noticed from looking at specifications is that the S95 has a less wide, but slightly longer lens, and the apeture is F2.0 at its brightest rather than F1.8. I've also noticed that no other 'pro compacts' seem to be as small as the S95/S100, or so it seems. The macro thing on the ZX-1 sounds very interesting though. Do you have any sample images?

A place called 'bignorman' is selling the S100 for £265 at the moment. This seems too good to be true. Anyone know if this place is all good with UK stock, or is it a grey importer?
 
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Its worth noting that while the S100 lens starts at f/2 it quickly ramps up to a fairly useless f/5.9 lens where as the Olympus and Samsung are f/1.8- f/2.5.
 
I can only add one little point for you to watch out with is I have the Fuji X10 and can get fed up taking the lens cap off & putting it on. So this is where the Canon S95/100 scores - no cap. I bought an 'auto lens cap cover' but don't like it at all.

Good luck with your search and if you are like me you can read every review and end up far more confused than when you first started :clap:
 
Ive had the s95 for about a year now and use it all the time.
Fits easily into the pocket and weighs next to nothing. Battery lasts forever on it and sd cards are cheap as chips.
I was unsure whether to get it or not at around £300 but im glad i did.
Fantastic little camera and full of features including image modes like macro, minature, portrait and full manual mode control.
 
I have used Nikon almost exclusively for 40 years. With a lot of reluctance I bought the Canon S95 some months ago as I just do not rate Nikon compacts and I wanted something smaller than my LX3

Well,,,, I cannot recommend the S95 highly enough! Good build, good pics and a true 'shirt pocket' camera :thumbs:
 
We have an S95 as well and it is a lovely little camera. Canon fan anyway but wanted something truly pocket size and this fits the bill perfectly. There were too many occasions when we were saying " if only we had the camera" but not now!
 
Thanks for the help & sample images everyone. So far, I've discounted the X10, G11 (& G12) and any CSC cameras based on size & the Samsung on the fact it only does VGA video and is getting on for being 3 years old; my current considerations currently are:

Olympus ZX-1 (looks a little larger than a few of the others, but has the advantage of an excellent lens - IQ and macro mode look good but lacks 1080p video)

Nikon P300 (looks like a nice camera, I like the fact it has a decent macro mode, decent specifications, but doesn't seem to be as higihly praised as the S95/S100)

Canon S95 (unanimously highly recommended, very small size)

Canon S100 (looks similar to above, but with some extra features)

Am I right in thinking that the S100 is just the newer, better version of the S95? Is there anything the S95 has which the S100 doesn't? The reason I ask is, they seem to both still be sold, and generally at quite similar prices.

Also, this seems a very good deal. I assume it's a grey import for that price. I did a bit of reading on the internet about this site, and most people do say they are grey imports, but also that they honour the warranty. So I'm not really sure.

http://www.bignorman.com/product.asp?ProductID=20311
 
Not much difference between S95 and S90 as far as image quality, handling and features are concerned. I think the improved video is the main benefit. If that doesn't interest you too much, an S90 will save you money and it's a cracking camera.
 
DigitalRev are grey imports from Hong Kong aren't they? I'm tempted to give them a go as the saving is over £100 compared with Amazon!

That Samsung looks pretty special; F1.4 in a compact! I reckon that'll be easily be <500 though.

A decent video mode isn't a complete essential for me, but nice to have and wouldn't mind paying a little extra for 1080p over 720p or VGA.

The P300 looks nice, but at the moment I'm having trouble finding one from a reputable place at a decent price.
 
Amateur Photographer suggest the price EX2F will be £430 not sure if that is the recommend or actual price though.
 
Second hand G11, I know the chelmsford branch of camera world still has my old one with a 6 month warranty well within your price range, it was well looked after and like new when I traded it in.
 
George7 said:
Clarke, thanks, but the problem with the compact system cameras is they'll be a little big for my intended use, and as I have a decent SLR already, I'd like to stick to buying lenses for just 1 system :)


A place called 'bignorman' is selling the S100 for £265 at the moment. This seems too good to be true. Anyone know if this place is all good with UK stock, or is it a grey importer?
Click to expand...

Big Norman is based in Gibraltar.

Another vote for the S95 - a great little camera and used more than all my others put together because it is always with me.
 
Spotted a Nikon P300 in LCE in Colchester for £199.99 (new). I'm tempted to go for this, as it's a good price and not a grey import. I unfortunately didn't have a lot of time, so didn't get a chance to check it out, but will do that next week (most likely). As far as I can see, it's not a big compromise over the S100. I'd be losing out on GPS, a couple of megapixels, and a few other minor bits, and at 200 quid, I think I can probably look past those things.
 
Oh dear, had pretty much decided on the P300 from LCE, but now this deal has come along!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00400OK52/ref=nosim/?tag=hotukdeals-21

Considering they're both the same price, I'm wondering which is better. The Nikon seems to have a faster lens and 1080p video.

According to this though, the Nikon should be a no brainer... The main thing that stands out for me onthat comparison though, is the sensor size? Why is the S95's sensor twice the size, and does this make a considerable difference?

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon_PowerShot_S95-vs-Nikon-P300
 
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George7 said:
Considering they're both the same price, I'm wondering which is better. The Nikon seems to have a faster lens and 1080p video.
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If the 1080p video is important, then the S95 is not the one. Maybe the Nikon or a S100 is if you can get one within your budget.

George7 said:
According to this though, the Nikon should be a no brainer... The main thing that stands out for me on that comparison though, is the sensor size? Why is the S95's sensor twice the size, and does this make a considerable difference?

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon_PowerShot_S95-vs-Nikon-P300
Click to expand...

From the snapshot link,
"At 100%, even low ISO images look 'crunchy' due to noise reduction and sharpening"
Click to expand...
Image quality should be the key thing shouldn't it? :shrug:

The S95 sensor is not twice the size of the Nikon. It is larger, but not by much. In theory, the reason it is larger is to have more space for larger photosites to enable better low light performance.

The Nikon has a lot features over the Canon, and is cheaper, but whether they outweigh possible inferior image quality is something only the OP can decide.


I have a S95 and have been very happy with it. :D I bought it for the size and RAW option, the reviews said that the image quality was very good, presumably the larger sensor had something to do with it. :shrug:

The video was not that important, and the few times I've used it, 720p was fine enough for me. :shrug:
 
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Phall82 said:
Beware of import duty with this type of supplier. Sometimes you'll get stung sometimes you won't.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that Digitalrev have the import duty thing covered.

I pondered over a P300/S95 and eventually went for the P300, but in hindsight I wish I'd gone for the S95. The images from the P300 just don't do it for me.

Cheers
Aled
 
Aledafis said:
My understanding is that Digitalrev have the import duty thing covered.

I pondered over a P300/S95 and eventually went for the P300, but in hindsight I wish I'd gone for the S95. The images from the P300 just don't do it for me.

Cheers
Aled
Click to expand...

There are two options on their eBay seller page. One is import paid by them, well actually you have to pay it an claim it back. The other is the cheap option where you may have to pay it all. At the price you mentioned, that is the lower end.
 
I've just put the S100 into my basket just to see (please don't think I'm picking fault, I'm genuinely interested as I've been eyeing up an X100) and it states

"No Import Tax/Duty to Pay:
Any import tax/duty charged will
be billed directly us."

Cheers
Aled
 
Aledafis said:
I've just put the S100 into my basket just to see (please don't think I'm picking fault, I'm genuinely interested as I've been eyeing up an X100) and it states

"No Import Tax/Duty to Pay:
Any import tax/duty charged will
be billed directly us."

Cheers
Aled
Click to expand...

If that's what they say then fair enough. I was looking at one for my dad recently and their general site didn't say anything obvious/clear but their eBay page clearly stated two options. One where the import tax is guaranteed paid by them (by way of refund) and one where you take your chances.
 
I bought a Nikon D200 from DigitalRev via eBay a number of years ago, and the advert said they would pay any import tax, and sure enough they did. :)

I thought I hadn't been charged any import tax, :) but I received a letter from them a few days after the camera arrived. :( :lol:
 
Bought an exdisplay P300 for £170 today from my local camera shop. I was hoping to get a brand new one but not a big deal, didn't really have a lot of choice as I needed one before the weekend, and it's always nice to support local business. It seems pretty nice so far to be honest; the 120fps is fun, I like the shape, the build quality is good and much of it is made of metal, and it seems to be quite responsive. I figure if I dislike it, I can always sell it on and get an S100 at a later date. I shouldn't lose too much on it, but yeah, first impressions are quite good. I like the fact it has a pretty wide lens and F1.8 (although as others have said, only at the wide end, so not much good for bokeh, more for low light). I was wary of getting an S100 from DigitalRev due to the fact it's a grey import, but I left it too late to get one in time anyway.

Thanks again for all the help. I really appreciate it. Will post impressions on the P300 when I get back from Amsterdam/Berlin.
 
Glad you updated us all - enjoy your new camera and you may put some shots on this thread :thumbs:
 
Hope you like the Nikon, and don't feel the need to change. Looks like a really good price, and way under your budget. :thumbs:


However, if you do want to buy a S100, then you could try buying from a chap on here called Kerso. He is able to import Canon gear a lot cheaper, and is apparently seen as UK stock, should anything go wrong. As quoted from his site, '1 year Canon USA warranty valid in all of Europe with UK invoice provided'.

He's currently doing the S100 for £285, which is £44 cheaper than Camerapricebuster says it is anywhere, though I'm not sure how he charges for postage. Not as cheap as DigitalRev, but many here have bought from Kerso, myself included, and I haven't heard of any problems.

And I have bought from DigitalRev, and they did refund the Import Tax, but I made sure that was part of the deal they were offering on eBay.


Hopefully the Nikon is the perfect camera for you. :)
 
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