panasonic convert needs help

[daphz]

hi
I'm considering changing my canon camera and buy a panasonic one instead. My canon camera keeps showing white spots when I take pictures in the dark with flash. While I have researched on the reason for this, I'm not going to risk buying another Canon camera.

Does panasonic have a problem like this?

And while I'm on the topic of panasonic cameras (ultra-compact range), what is the self-timer like? Preset or customizable?

thank you for any help

[airconvent]

generally canon products should be ok...if you have this problem, likely you have dust on the ccd. tried to bring it back to canon for repair.
the panasonic is not well known for noise performance in the dark although the venus II engine does a pretty decent job of keeping it from being an irritant.
they are also value for money...depends on what you want from your camera....

[leave]

Originally Posted by daphz hi And while I'm on the topic of panasonic cameras (ultra-compact range), what is the self-timer like? Preset or customizable? thank you for any help

FZ-5 has two preset : 2 sec or 10 sec.

[unseen]

Originally Posted by airconvent generally canon products should be ok...if you have this problem, likely you have dust on the ccd. tried to bring it back to canon for repair. the panasonic is not well known for noise performance in the dark although the venus II engine does a pretty decent job of keeping it from being an irritant. they are also value for money...depends on what you want from your camera....

LOL dude, you are so so wrong.
1) Canon products these adays seem to fail just about immediately after warranty status. From Ixus to Powershot.
2) Heard of the A70 problem?
3) You mean canon PnS is known for it's lowlight noise performance? All compact cameras perform about the same in lowlight give take a lil, other than Fuji of course. However once again, like I pointed out earlier, IMHO Fuji cameras has a defect: using xD cards. for the same capacity, 3X the cost, 0.5X the speed.

Daph => As long as you enjoy looking at 100% of the photos rather than 5% of a photo at a time, the noise level is fine.
I've not used any older than 1 year panasonic cameras yet, but so far of all that I've used, I've not encountered any such problems.
FX9/8/7 (the ultra compact cam) has all got 2 preset timers values - 2 or 10 seconds

[sORe-EyEz]

Originally Posted by daphz hi I'm considering changing my canon camera and buy a panasonic one instead. My canon camera keeps showing white spots when I take pictures in the dark with flash. While I have researched on the reason for this, I'm not going to risk buying another Canon camera. Does panasonic have a problem like this? And while I'm on the topic of panasonic cameras (ultra-compact range), what is the self-timer like? Preset or customizable? thank you for any help

hmm, mayb can state ur budget & several other specs on ur wish list?

[daphz]

hi, thanx for all your replies. This is what bothers me about my current canon camera, which I hope not to encounter in my next camera:

1. white spots when I take flash shots in the dark. Usually if there are people in the shot, the white spots are less likely to appear, but if I take a scene of the HDB block outside my house, SURE got white spot. Damn big too!

2. purple-fringing. I find this more prominent in my ixus 40 than my previous ixus 330.

3. vignetting in images, especially indoor shots

Apart from these down points, I really like Canon's user interface (on LCD), lightweightedness, and customizable self-timer.

And I like Panasonic's anti-shake technology which Canon doesn't have. BTW, does this anti-shake feature really help?

My budget is about $600, max $700.

[roadrunner_552]

my previous ixus V3 also fail me justtt when the warranty is over. The lcd just black out on its own. lol.

[unseen]

Originally Posted by daphz 1. white spots when I take flash shots in the dark. Usually if there are people in the shot, the white spots are less likely to appear, but if I take a scene of the HDB block outside my house, SURE got white spot. Damn big too!

Hmmmm I dunno, never encounter unless it's dust on the lens. think it's a prob with your cam

Originally Posted by daphz 2. purple-fringing. I find this more prominent in my ixus 40 than my previous ixus 330.

I don't rem any in the few hundred shots I have. However, I suppose you have to be prepared for some anyway coz of the size of the camera/lens. It's a give take situation. smaller size, crappier images. Else they'll make dSLRs the size of ixus already.

Originally Posted by daphz 3.vignetting in images, especially indoor shots

Hmmm from using FX7/8, i dun rem seeing any vignetting.

Apart from these down points, I really like Canon's user interface (on LCD), lightweightedness, and customizable self-timer.

Originally Posted by daphz And I like Panasonic's anti-shake technology which Canon doesn't have. BTW, does this anti-shake feature really help?

Hmmm it depends on individuals.
If you have a nerve disorder and your hand shakes very violently, it might not be that much of a help.
On FX8 I can get sharp images at 1/6s handheld more than 50% of the time.
On FZ5 i could handheld 1/20s @ 436mm w/ 50% of the shots turning out ok, though raising it to 1/60 gives almost 100% sharp photos.

Originally Posted by daphz My budget is about $600, max $700.

Enough for an FX9.

[unseen]

Originally Posted by roadrunner_552 my previous ixus V3 also fail me justtt when the warranty is over. The lcd just black out on its own. lol.

LOL think you can get it fixed for about $150 to $250.
Canon insists on changing the whole load of circuitry inside the camera, so it's gonna cost.
haha anyway your V3 still around? maybe I off load it frm u (read:cheap)?

[daphz]

unseen: thanx alot, I think I'm sold on the FX9!

any problems/major disadvantages of the FX9 before I head out to buy?

[roadrunner_552]

Originally Posted by unseen LOL think you can get it fixed for about $150 to $250. Canon insists on changing the whole load of circuitry inside the camera, so it's gonna cost. haha anyway your V3 still around? maybe I off load it frm u (read:cheap)?

don have ler, lol i give my young sis to play wf it, as it still workable. sometime the lens go blank n recover on its own lol

[unseen]

Originally Posted by daphz unseen: thanx alot, I think I'm sold on the FX9! any problems/major disadvantages of the FX9 before I head out to buy?

LOL well.. ermz..
FX9 got shorter battery life than the FX8.
FX9 includes really weird scene modes like food mode and baby mode.
FX9 is thicker than some of the casio Exslim models. (the camera models, not the cute busty ones)

I've not used the FX9, so I can't really comment.. Betta ask the other bros around here.
I must say though I've got a very positive experience with the FX7/8. I doubt FX9 is any less pleasant.

Images will be different though, because:
FX7 uses a more advanced image processor (Venus II), which drains its batteries like there's no tomorrow. Venus II, more advanced, is meant for cameras with bigger and betta batteries (remove more of purple fringing, vignetting, etc).
FX8/9 uses Venus Plus, which is less power intensive, but processes the images less.
The sensors are more packed as you move from FX7 -> FX9, thus noise level is sure to go up by a bit.

Anyway for more comprehensive review look at
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/pa...ew/index.shtml

cheers

[unseen]

Originally Posted by roadrunner_552 don have ler, lol i give my young sis to play wf it, as it still workable. sometime the lens go blank n recover on its own lol

LOL I see ... NVM... I'm still pondering how i can find a small ultra compact (cheap) to go wif my big n heavy cam..

[sORe-EyEz]

wads d hurry?

u may 1 2 consider
. LX1, 4X zoom range at 28-112mm (gd 4 scenery)
. LZ2, 6X zoom range at 37-222mm (gd telezoom in compact body)

[daphz]

Originally Posted by sORe-EyEz wads d hurry? u may 1 2 consider . LX1, 4X zoom range at 28-112mm (gd 4 scenery) . LZ2, 6X zoom range at 37-222mm (gd telezoom in compact body)

LX1 and LZ2 are not in Singapore yet? Any idea when?

[sORe-EyEz]

Originally Posted by daphz LX1 and LZ2 are not in Singapore yet? Any idea when?

i dunno wen LX1 will b in stores, but LZ2 already sold locally 4 some time. it mayb that sometimes certain stores dun display them? CP (cathay photo) at Peninsula Plaza should hav it.

[daphz]

Just compared the 3 cameras side-by-side. I don't want LZ-2, since the LCD screen is 2".

I'm quite attracted to the LX-1 though. But apart from being higher in megapixel and the manual focus feature, I don't see that it's much different from the FX-9. Both LX-1 and FX-9 have 16:9 ratio. And LX-1 has a pop-up flash (quite ugly, but is it better?)

[BenToon]

From my limited understanding of LX1, its selling point is the 16:9 full 8MP. Although it has been brought up that "anyone" can crop a picture to 16:9 from a 3:2/4:3 8MP pic, but you are getting less that 8MP as opposed to LX1's after the crop. Besides, for me its difficult to get a nice crop of 16:9 at my current skill with Photoshop .

About Food and Baby mode, guess we have to understand that women are becoming the "darlings" of the consumer world. How many girls have we seen that takes picture of birthday cakes and other foods, or mothers buying cameras just to take baby photos? Maybe when us guys start becoming power spenders too, then the camera makers might come out with a Car mode or even a Chio bu/Glamour mode (tongue in cheek , no offence to the lady ClubSNAPers)...

[unseen]

i want a babe mode on my camera.

daphz => if you're a power user, go for LX1. Heard of manual control? that's what separates it frm FX9 if i'm not wrong.

[daphz]

I'm not a power user; always been using canon ixus series. Am considering to fork out extra $ and get theLX1 because of the manual controls, but hmmm, not sure if I will have opportunity to utilize it.

I had a friend who commented that his camera has so many modes in automatic that he doesn't use the manual feature very much.

The pop-up flash on LX1: why didn't panasonic build it in, and look like the FX9? Pop-up so ugly