Stuck again... upgrading the pocket camera...

JohnN

JohnN

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Hi,

I've been thinking about getting an upgrade for the IXUS 115HS and have considered a few things, GF3, NEX5 etc but I'm not 100% sure I want to invest in another lens based system (although if someone wants to swap my phototriggers I would probably go for it!!)

Now I've been reading comments here and on the web and there is such a bewildering array of choices!

Some seem to suggest the Canon S100, others the Sony DSC-HX20V others still the Lumix DMC-TZ30, now as its a little pocket toy I want all the best well toys :) You know pano mode, face recognition, anything new and shiny.

I want decent IQ - I know its nowhere near the 5D3, but I want quick and fun not a bag full of kit and always the wrong lens :)

The main use will be family snaps, I have two kids one 2, the other 5 - both fast as hell and one always off on her bike or scooter so quick good continuous AF is a must as is good video.

Please guys what would you suggest and fell free to offer up other suggestions too.

Thanks.
 
I did, that's where I got those models from, however I didn't want to hijack anyone else's thread with my specific requirements. I hope you understand.
 
if your budget stretches to ~£400, small size is important & you don't need a massive zoom range then the Sony RX100 is probably head of the pack atm.
 
Rx100 is nice but IMO the lx7 handling is much better, more manual control, less menu fiddling. Both have their strengths.
 
Thanks guys, the rx100 seems to be getting some praise although the price is a little steep, I'll have to dig up a review of the lx 7.

Looks like the s 100 is out, I read its af is slow, so no use for kids.
 
I tried a Canon S95 for a week and it was fun but it always felt much too small for my hands. And my hands are quite small for a bloke.

I bought my wife a Sony HX20 from Amazon but that was sent back as the type of shots she was taking showed a notable mottling effect when blown (Google for more info) up and I am not a pixel peer I promise you :nono:

The camera, we eventually bought for my wife, was a Panasonic TZ30 which is alright'ish. OK in good light but pretty dire in low light. But shes happy as she can go to the Zoo and zoom in on the monkeys playing :lol:

I sold my Fuji X10 some weeks ago on here as it didn't suit my use and I have the Panasonic LX7 in my sights but I tend to be a big ditherer. Read all the reviews and more :nuts:

Good luck :thumbs:
 
lol, and I though SLRs were a hard market to pin down, it seems these are even worse!

I found this review of the Sony Cyber-shot HX20V and the responsiveness seems very good, which is a big thing for me as my kids will be the main focus on days out.
 
JohnN said:
Thanks guys, the rx100 seems to be getting some praise although the price is a little steep, I'll have to dig up a review of the lx 7.

Looks like the s 100 is out, I read its af is slow, so no use for kids.
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AF on the s100 has been fine for me and unless your surname is bolt it will certainly be fast enough for your kids!

You mentioned 'pocket size' which really only leaves you the Sony rx100 or the canon s100 as none of the other highend compacts fit this description. Deciding bettween the 2 is easy it boils down to price!
 
Mr Bolt at least has the good grace to go in a straight line, kids almost seem to go as fast but they also dart left and right and if that were not enough they suddenly duck :D

I'll see if I can dig up the thread where someone said the S100 wasn't fast enough...

Size wise the HX20V is similar in size (63 x 107 x 36 mm - the S100 being 62 x 100 x 27 mm and the RX100 comes in at 59 x 103 x 37 mm)

Edit - found it here..

fatmarley said:
Mine should arrive any day. I ordered it from Panamoz and paid £420 with postage. The biggest thing that attracted me was the fast AF (I have a fast moving 4 year old). I had a Canon s100 (Just sold it on ebay) and it was great but the slow AF and crap battery weren't.
No other cameras interest me because it has to fit in my trouser pocket.
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JohnN said:
Mr Bolt at least has the good grace to go in a straight line, kids almost seem to go as fast but they also dart left and right and if that were not enough they suddenly duck :D

I'll see if I can dig up the thread where someone said the S100 wasn't fast enough...

Size wise the HX20V is similar in size (63 x 107 x 36 mm - the S100 being 62 x 100 x 27 mm and the RX100 comes in at 59 x 103 x 37 mm)

Edit - found it here..
Click to expand...

Well you could pick the sony up on tp, I've noticed that for all the hype there's been a quite a few people selling very soon after purchasing, makes me wonder why.
 
JohnN said:
I'll see if I can dig up the thread where someone said the S100 wasn't fast enough...[/URL]..
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Hi John,

The AF of the S100 is fine in good light, but like all cameras, it slows down in low light and it seems to take forever when you use the flash.
The Sony RX100 is much faster in good or bad light, but the metering and AF accuracy was much worse than the S100. I'm wondering if I had a bad copy but the guy who bought it off me thinks it's great, so who knows?

The AF speed on the Panasonic TZ25 if very fast in good light but like all cameras, slows down in bad light. Image quality is supposed to be better than the TZ30 according to all the reviews i've read but not quite as good as the Canon
 
Fingers crossed the triggers will go later, so I'm upping my hunt - I've seen the Lumix LX7 mentioned a few times - anything bad to say about it as it looks like it might live up to the possessiveness, also being 1.4 - 2.3 wide open seems pretty good.
 
The sensor in the lx7 (1/1.7 inch) is smaller than that in the rx100. It's a shame Panasonic haven't put a larger sensor in the lx7 and coupled it with that fast lens.
 
Agreed, but is there a perfect camera? Sadly I've resigned myself to not being able to afford the RX100 so I'll have to rule that out :(
 
stu.artd said:
The sensor in the lx7 (1/1.7 inch) is smaller than that in the rx100. It's a shame Panasonic haven't put a larger sensor in the lx7 and coupled it with that fast lens.
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It is a shame as it handles so much nicer than the rx100, but it has the advantage of lower iso due to aperture.
 
Well had I was all set to buy the lx7 yesterday when I noticed my wifes present went out early, no worries I get paid in a couple of weeks
 
Well, all done - the LX7 is ordered, I'll let you know how it works out.

It took a full week of reading and deliberating to finally choose, but from what I've read while the rx100 has superior image quality the LX7 is supposed to be fun to use and with my SLR I have all the quality I need, now its time for fun :D
 
Damn! Just seen this thread and I think I'm too late!

I've been after a pocket camera to do "proper" photography rather than just happy snapping and thought I had the answer in either a Fuji X10 or a Nikon 1V1. Neither is truly pocketable though, so I asked the advice of the sales advisors in my local dealer. They both came up with the Fuji XF1. Truly pocketable - it fits in the top pocket of a shirt, even in the leather case (optional extra but IMO worth having) and it turns out great photographs too! usual PASM modes, can shoot in raw, internal editting, pretty much everything you could want! Not a huge zoom range (35mm eq 25-100) but very useable despite that. Images are very useable up to at least ISO 800 and probably beyond (not done any A4 or larger prints yet but zooming right in shows acceptable noise levels in shadow areas). Not cheap but IMO well worth it.
 
No worries, I'm on the tablet just now so cannot quickly check, but I'm sure I looked at that one and something wasn't right for me, but too late anyway its all paid for now, thanks all the same
 
Nod said:
Damn! Just seen this thread and I think I'm too late!

I've been after a pocket camera to do "proper" photography rather than just happy snapping and thought I had the answer in either a Fuji X10 or a Nikon 1V1. Neither is truly pocketable though, so I asked the advice of the sales advisors in my local dealer. They both came up with the Fuji XF1. Truly pocketable - it fits in the top pocket of a shirt, even in the leather case (optional extra but IMO worth having) and it turns out great photographs too! usual PASM modes, can shoot in raw, internal editting, pretty much everything you could want! Not a huge zoom range (35mm eq 25-100) but very useable despite that. Images are very useable up to at least ISO 800 and probably beyond (not done any A4 or larger prints yet but zooming right in shows acceptable noise levels in shadow areas). Not cheap but IMO well worth it.
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:wave: Hello Nod have you posted any pics from your new camera yet?

JohnN said:
No worries, I'm on the tablet just now so cannot quickly check, but I'm sure I looked at that one and something wasn't right for me, but too late anyway its all paid for now, thanks all the same
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:wave: John looking forward to seeing shots posted on your new LX7. Was waiting for some from Phil Young but none yet unless I've missed them?
 
Not yet, John - might do a bit of resizing later and stick a couple up.

Just had a very swift play with it one handed - once set up, it's light enough to use with one hand and the thumb wheel(s) can both be twiddled without the thing needing to be held with both. Zooming is a little awkward single handed but not impossible and the ring will probably get easier in time. (A further quick play saw me develop a better technique for single handed zooming - slower but easier!) Even de and recasing it is relatively easy. Next time we're down your way, I'll see if you're around and drop in so you can have a play (or, of course, you may be up this way on a good day, if so, let me know and I'll either have you up here for a coffee (Tassimo with Costa capsules!) or meet you in town.
 
Nod said:
Not yet, John - might do a bit of resizing later and stick a couple up.

Just had a very swift play with it one handed - once set up, it's light enough to use with one hand and the thumb wheel(s) can both be twiddled without the thing needing to be held with both. Zooming is a little awkward single handed but not impossible and the ring will probably get easier in time. (A further quick play saw me develop a better technique for single handed zooming - slower but easier!) Even de and recasing it is relatively easy. Next time we're down your way, I'll see if you're around and drop in so you can have a play (or, of course, you may be up this way on a good day, if so, let me know and I'll either have you up here for a coffee (Tassimo with Costa capsules!) or meet you in town.
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Thanks Nod but how soon before you get bored and start looking for the next camera :nono:
 
Well......

I've actually managed to talk myself out of a D600 - the D700 does all I want/need and much more, so I'll stick with that until such time as GAS strikes again.

Pretty sure I have all the required bases covered - Film bodies, DSLRs, zooms from 12-300, fisheye, fastish 50mm and macro primes, waterproof digital compact, non W/P compact, non W/P film compact (+ W/P and non W/P APS compacts), superzoom bridge, pocketable camera. Even got a couple of Russian rangefinders and no aspirations to be a Leica owner, however good the engineering, or to get into MF or plates (yet!). Oh, mustn't forget the Minox mini M3 super compact!

Just about to start an XF thread and post up a few shots.
 
I know what you mean, I've suffered pretty badly from GAS too, a very expensive affliction!

Fingers crossed it appeased for a bit, but its an insidious thing and will no doubt be back, sadly my gas is often paired with a lack of commitment :(
 
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