Panasonic or Canon

L

Lizzie

Messages
4
Edit My Images
Yes
As a newbie I should be very grateful for some camera-buying advice.

Looking for a compact digital camera up to about £120 and, as most people, looking to get as much for my money as possible.

I was just about to order the Panasonic Lumix F11 but then found a comment about the lack of a viewfinder on most compact cameras. Everything else about the camera really does tick all the boxes - just this one feature is missing, and I think I'll have problems seeing the screen in bright sunshine, also a viewfinder might also help in keeping the camera steady.

Looking for an alternative comparable I have found the following Canons - A1100IS; IXUS 95IS and IXUS 100IS - all with a viewfinder.

Can anybody advise me which of the Canons is closest to the Panasonic in terms of features, ease of use, quality of photos. I am not a photographer - my photography is limited to family, pets, scenic shots on holiday etc. I just want as good results as possible, so any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Tyank you
 
Have you actually tried a compact with a viewfinder? They are utterly rubbish and next to useless (the viewfinders that is) so don't worry about that and buy the Panny if that's what you fancy.

For me though, out of your options I'd go for the Ixus 100IS :)
 
The viewfinder is overrated for most folks and usually pretty useless on most compacts. I've been an SLR shooter since the days of the Minolta 101 (have a Canon 7D now!) but I hardly ever use the viewfinder on my Canon G11, and have never missed one on my iPhone. Go into a reputable shop where you can fiddle the ones you're thinking of and make your choice based on that...
 
Thanks for your suggestions/advice.

After spending virtually all day yesterday toing and froing between my chosen alternatives I had 99% decided on the 100IS - due in large part to reading answers to virtually identical questions on photography forums - the addition of a viewfinder is very much a 'wanted'.

However, I then read that Canon do not supply a proper manual, only a PDF version. If this is so, then this really is that final 1% that makes the difference. I have been trying this morning to download the PDF - I can't get it to download. I think it's the manufacturer's responsibility to enable its customers to make full use of and enjoy the product they have paid a lot of money (to me anyway) for. In the quantities required, the manual would cost pennies to produce - instead manufacturers expect their customers to go to the expense of printing out their own manual. No way - one customer less for Canon, and only an expensive non-geographic number to ring and check.

If anybody knows differently then I'll retract the above and place my order for the IXUS 100IS, otherwise the search continues, as it appears that Panasonic don't provide proper manuals any more either.

Looks as though I might be sticking with my old Nikon which came with a pocket sized manual which has been invaluable.

I'm sorry if you think I'm being silly, but I'm old - I can't learn the contents of a manual by heart, and carrying a huge wadge of paper around with me is not on.:shake:
 
He didn't want to take his 400D so I bought my son a Canon A1100IS to take with him on a 5 month vacation through Dubai, India, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Chose it because it had a viewfinder and takes AA batteries (didn't want him to miss out because the batteries weren't charged) as well as Canons own. It came with a guide book for basic functions which was all he needed. Results were excellent and he is using it as much as his DSLR now.
 
Lizzie said:
Thanks for your suggestions/advice.

After spending virtually all day yesterday toing and froing between my chosen alternatives I had 99% decided on the 100IS - due in large part to reading answers to virtually identical questions on photography forums - the addition of a viewfinder is very much a 'wanted'.

However, I then read that Canon do not supply a proper manual, only a PDF version. If this is so, then this really is that final 1% that makes the difference. I have been trying this morning to download the PDF - I can't get it to download. I think it's the manufacturer's responsibility to enable its customers to make full use of and enjoy the product they have paid a lot of money (to me anyway) for. In the quantities required, the manual would cost pennies to produce - instead manufacturers expect their customers to go to the expense of printing out their own manual. No way - one customer less for Canon, and only an expensive non-geographic number to ring and check.

If anybody knows differently then I'll retract the above and place my order for the IXUS 100IS, otherwise the search continues, as it appears that Panasonic don't provide proper manuals any more either.

Looks as though I might be sticking with my old Nikon which came with a pocket sized manual which has been invaluable.

I'm sorry if you think I'm being silly, but I'm old - I can't learn the contents of a manual by heart, and carrying a huge wadge of paper around with me is not on.:shake:
Click to expand...

Canon do supply a printed manual in 4 languages in addition to the manuals supplied on a CD

A little word of caution about the Canon Ixus 100 IS. This partiular model has a very common lens fault. For a bit more I'd recommend 120 IS for even 130 IS. Both superior build quality and also have a bigger LCD
 
good_fella7777 said:
Canon do supply a printed manual in 4 languages in addition to the manuals supplied on a CD

A little word of caution about the Canon Ixus 100 IS. This partiular model has a very common lens fault. For a bit more I'd recommend 120 IS for even 130 IS. Both superior build quality and also have a bigger LCD
Click to expand...

Thanks for the warning (and the info on the manual), but the 120/130 don't have a viewfinder. The problem of the LCD in bright sunlight is a real problem for me - I have to find a doorway to huddle in to use my 'phone on a bright day!

I still have to make a final decision amongst the 3 Canon models - it'll come down to price now I think, although 'pink' is calling me so it could well be the A1100 - there again the blue 100IS does look nice ...........:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top