Best point and shoot camera


sabina

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Feb 24, 2012
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Hi, everyone I hope all is well, I just want to hear your advise as I am planning to change my camera 600D canon into point and shoot camera.

can you tell me what is the best point and shoot camera? "something" like leica interms of output but "not" leica as I cant afford it hehehe.

by the way my reason to selling my current cam is i found it heavy as we have 3 children and its bit tiring to have this in my case.

thanks
 

Hi, everyone I hope all is well, I just want to hear your advise as I am planning to change my camera 600D canon into point and shoot camera.

can you tell me what is the best point and shoot camera? "something" like leica interms of output but "not" leica as I cant afford it hehehe.

by the way my reason to selling my current cam is i found it heavy as we have 3 children and its bit tiring to have this in my case.

thanks

You will not get the same quality as a DSLR if you are using a point and shoot as most point and shoot camera's sensor are smaller. A few alternative that you could look to is,

1) M4/3 mirrrorless interchangeable lens system like Panasonic and Olympus offering.
2) Fujifilm X100 (a small camera with a big APS-C sensor but focus is abit slow and it only offer a single focal length lens)
3) Mirrorless interchangeable lens system offering from Sony, Pentax, Nikon, Fujifilm and Samsung. Sony, Fujifilm, Pentax and Samsung all feature big sensor (APS-C size) and should be able to get great dynamic range and picture that rival your 600D, as for Nikon's offering, it had smaller sensor but is very very compact and light.
4) Canon's G1X (this had bigger sensor than traditional PnS camera, currently offering the best image quality in the PnS department - a worthy note: the G1X feature a sensor that is bigger than the m4/3 sensor but smaller than the APS-C sensor in your 600D)
5) All other prosumer PnS camera such as the Canon S100 and G12, Olympus XZ-1, Panasonic LX-5, etc etc.

Oh... the above listed are cameras that had image quality that came close or rival your 600D. However you do have to spec your budget first... and what you intend to shoot. I would easily recommend the mirrorless interchangeable lens system from Olympus/ Panasonic, Sony, Pentax, Fujifilm and Samsung, because they are more versatile and you are not stuck with the lens that are fixed permanently on your camera.
 

Hi, everyone I hope all is well, I just want to hear your advise as I am planning to change my camera 600D canon into point and shoot camera.

can you tell me what is the best point and shoot camera? "something" like leica interms of output but "not" leica as I cant afford it hehehe.

by the way my reason to selling my current cam is i found it heavy as we have 3 children and its bit tiring to have this in my case.

thanks


get the panasonic LX5.

it uses a Leica lens
 

Sigma DP2 or a Ricoh GRDIV
 

Just a couple of points to raise about your requirements:

- if you use your camera to shoot your kids (I guess you would!) you might find the autofocus on compacts and many mirrorless camera (m4/3, NEX etc) much slower in comparison to your current DSLR. Okay for posed / stationary shots, dreadful for shots of them at play. I know mirrorless compacts focus a lot faster now, but the reports of their CONTINUOUS focusing ability are still not glowing.

- just how much image quality do you really need? If you print up to 8R size, any modern compact (or even an recent 6-8 MP compact) would be enough (unless you're into low-light photography, where bigger sensors mean less noise).
 

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Olympus XZ-1 is a good choice.. nice colours. Love it so much..
 

Just a couple of points to raise about your requirements:

- if you use your camera to shoot your kids (I guess you would!) you might find the autofocus on compacts and many mirrorless camera (m4/3, NEX etc) much slower in comparison to your current DSLR. Okay for posed / stationary shots, dreadful for shots of them at play. I know mirrorless compacts focus a lot faster now, but the reports of their CONTINUOUS focusing ability are still not glowing.

Not true. I have use the OM-D to shoot a number of moving subjects, they are pretty alright, no where near dreadful for shots of children at play ;)
 

Haha, looks like technology has passed me by again :)
But of course the OM-D is probably the apex of the mirrorless breed in this regard. TS, whichever camera model you go for, make sure that it can meet your shooting needs, whatever they are (you haven't stated yet)

Not true. I have use the OM-D to shoot a number of moving subjects, they are pretty alright, no where near dreadful for shots of children at play ;)
 

Just a couple of points to raise about your requirements:

- if you use your camera to shoot your kids (I guess you would!) you might find the autofocus on compacts and many mirrorless camera (m4/3, NEX etc) much slower in comparison to your current DSLR. Okay for posed / stationary shots, dreadful for shots of them at play. I know mirrorless compacts focus a lot faster now, but the reports of their CONTINUOUS focusing ability are still not glowing.

Actually Olympus m4/3 cameras since EP3 all have very fast AF comparable to many DSLRs for AF-S.
All Panasonic m4/3 have had good AF speeds for quite a while already (much before Oly).

Some of the new compacts like the Sony RX100 have very fast AF as well.
 

Just a couple of points to raise about your requirements:

- if you use your camera to shoot your kids (I guess you would!) you might find the autofocus on compacts and many mirrorless camera (m4/3, NEX etc) much slower in comparison to your current DSLR. Okay for posed / stationary shots, dreadful for shots of them at play. I know mirrorless compacts focus a lot faster now, but the reports of their CONTINUOUS focusing ability are still not glowing.

Actually Olympus m4/3 cameras since EP3 all have very fast AF comparable to many DSLRs for AF-S.
All Panasonic m4/3 have had good AF speeds for quite a while already (much before Oly).

Some of the new compacts like the Sony RX100 have very fast AF as well.
 

No argument from me -- I have been impressed with the CD AF performance of Panasonics (even their early m4/3 bodies) in particular. I was referring to Continuous AF, where they have lagged behind. At least until the current models.

Oh, there's also the Nikon J1/V1 -- really fast AF, very small and compact, and surprisingly good image quality given the small sensors.

Actually Olympus m4/3 cameras since EP3 all have very fast AF comparable to many DSLRs for AF-S.
All Panasonic m4/3 have had good AF speeds for quite a while already (much before Oly).

Some of the new compacts like the Sony RX100 have very fast AF as well.
 

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Sony DSC RX100 Hands-on Preview: Digital Photography Review
intro2-001.jpg
 

Guys/gals i really appreciate your invaluable suggestion super ur the best!, what i am thinking is something like pns for all purpose for me as a father to my children photography like while they are in action playing outdoor/indoor, nightmode, portrait and ofcourse the superb sharpness these are the primary reason im looking for, as i look on leica price was really high huhuhu i can have it only im my dreams, hoping for ur best suggestion i believed in u all! Thanks and more power. Btw, is boke possible in pns camera?
 

I have the Sigma DP2x, Fuji X100, Leica X2, Ricoh GXR, have used Canon G1X, m43 and DSLRs. The camera to get is the Fuji X100, period. An alternative would be a Panasonic body and a 20/1.8, focuses faster than any PnS but dynamic range isn't good.
 

Guys/gals i really appreciate your invaluable suggestion super ur the best!, what i am thinking is something like pns for all purpose for me as a father to my children photography like while they are in action playing outdoor/indoor, nightmode, portrait and ofcourse the superb sharpness these are the primary reason im looking for, as i look on leica price was really high huhuhu i can have it only im my dreams, hoping for ur best suggestion i believed in u all! Thanks and more power. Btw, is boke possible in pns camera?

Getting a child in action and hving great high ISO control... I don't think most of the PnS can do it too well, unless you know the technique (such as predicting when and where your kid will land and pre-focus first, etc etc). You might need interchangeable lens system like DSLR, mirrorless interchangeable lens system and some of the very high end prosumer cameras. Sure Fujifilm X100 is a great camera with incredible picture quality, but the downside is... it had only a single focal length lens and AF is kind of slow and (should I say, sluggish).

G1X would give you great image even in dark environment, but its AF is also not that rosy... and was pretty slow. You might want to look at Nikon V1/J1 interchangeable lens camera (they are one of the smallest in the market right now, although the sensor is pretty small, but they seemed to have great high ISO noise control, very good and fast AF system and produce excellent image quality). Other than the Nikon, you can also look to

1) Sony - NEX system, which is small (in size), quite well establish (good enough number of native lens collection and with an adapter it could also fit on those juicy A-mount lenses - but with this combination, the camera will no longer be small), fast burst rate, good AF system, big sensor (APS-C size) and great high ISO performance, dynamic range and stuff like that.
2) Sony - SLT system, the most DSLR like system around, very very fast (even the lowest end A37 can shoot at 7fps), good AF system, big sensor with great high ISO performance, dynamic range and stuff like that. These cameras are not exactly small (except perhaps the A37) and you get some light lost due to technical restriction of the SLT technology...
3) Panasonic/ Olympus m43 camera - the most recent ones boasted to have the fastest AF system in the world, I owned the EPL1 and OM-D and both function very well... with the OM-D's AF system very very accurate and fast. They might still lag behind in terms of dynamic range and they have deeper DOF. The OM-D's high ISO performance is however astonishing... and I believe latest Panasonic offering (GX1 and G3- soon G5) should have the same or almost the same high ISO performance.
4) Samsung NX series of interchangeable lens system - I didn't have any experience with this camera, but reviews are very positive... worthy to take a look at... and the price is affordable too.
5) Entry level DSLR - Nikon D3200, Canon 650D, 1100D, Pentax k30, etc etc. (all of then pretty small... but not exactly pocketable unless you have great big cargo pants like pocket and all these camera had pancake lens attached.
6) Pentax interchangeable lens mirrorless system such as the Pentax Q (the smallest in market, but not too many native lenses available... with an adapter though, can fit on all the Pentax lenses - but it will not be small anymore), it also had the smallest sensor around, so I would imagine the IQ to be the same as normal PnS camera (could be wrong though). The Pentax also had a K-01 mirrorless interchangeable lens system, which had a sensor that is the same or similar to their famed K5, very good IQ, great high ISO performance, great dynamic range... but in my opinion... it look pretty ugly (that is my opinion... don't flame me for that).

As for other cameras you can look at,

a) Fujifilm X-Pro1... APS-C size sensor, small body and very good lenses (but not too many to choose from), pretty expensive too. in my opinion, it had one of the best IQ, dynamic range and high ISO performance, it also looked the best (in my opinion). But AF is a hit or miss...
b) Fujifilm X100 - good camera, great IQ, great dynamic range, great high ISO performance, look very very good. AF sucks (slow and sluggish).
c) Fujifilm X10 - good camera,great IQ, great dynamic range, great high ISO performance, look very very good. AF should be better than the X100 (not sure), not sure if the white orb issues had been solved. Smaller sensor than the APS-C sensor (would believe them to have inferior dynamic range and ISO performance when compared to APS-C sized sensor cameras though).
d) Canon G1X - one of the best PnS camera out there, bigger sensor than m43 cameras, smaller sensor size compared to APS-C camera. great IQ, great dynamic range, great high ISO performance... but no macro capability unless you add on a Raynox attachment, slow AF, slow continuous shots capability (2fps).

The rest of the cameras are those usual one - Canon S100, G12, Panasonic LX5 (soon to announce LX7), Olympus XZ-1, Sony RX100 and HV-something and I just cannot remember what is Nikon's prosumer camera range. However... except for the Sony RX100, I would believe that all the smaller sensored prosumer PnS camera would be far off when compared to big sensor interchangeable lens system.

I think the above should give you something to think about and research for the time being.
 

I will recommend Olympus OM-D, Panasonic GX1 or Fujifilm x-pro1. Wont go wrong with any of these cameras.