Compact zoom with excellent low light performance ~8k - 10k

Status
Not open for further replies.
DarkAngel

DarkAngel

Herald
Requirements:
Zoom : Optical 10x (min)
Video: 1080p recording
Optical Image stabilization.

Usage:
Mostly indoors (casual shots at family functions and family pics). So need a camera with the best low light performance(incandescent light) in that range.

It needs to have fast auto focus, low shutter lag and less shot to shot time. Would like good burst mode.

If the photo looks sharp in say a FHD 42" TV then that's fine. If I print then its mostly going to be regular size.

But need optical zoom of 10x since I would be using the camera for 5-6 years. My current camera is a Sony Cybershot W55 which I have been using for 5 years. But feel its time for an upgrade mainly for improved low light images and more zoom(7.2MP, 3X optical zoom)

I have shortlisted 2 cameras.
Nikon Coolpix S6300 ~ 8.1k (after discounts in ebay)
Sony Cybershot WX150 ~ 10.6k (after discounts in ebay)

The above 2 seems to have similar specifications. Does the sony produce better low light IQ than the Nikon? Is it worth the ~30% premium? Is there any other good alternative in this budget? Nikon states it has vibration reduction image stabilization. Is it the same as OIS but a different marketing terminology?

Another camera I am considering is the Nikon L610 ~8.5k. Though its slightly bulkier it also has 14x zoom and a larger 3" screen (Better flash?)

I want pocket-able cameras so the bulky ones(20x+ zoom) are out of question. Please share your opinion on the same and user feedback is most welcome.
 
Since the usage is mainly indoors, bulk may not matter as much. You wont be lugging a heavy bag along.

Fuji is supposed be the king of low-light performance. They always focussed [pun intended] on this aspect in their product range. Check out a few models.

Nikon is desperate to make up the ground ceded to Sony in this space. Quality-wise should not be a 30% gap.

I also would not suggest a 20x. Under low light, performance falls dramatically at the longer end.
 
But is SLR like bridge cams suit my requirements?

I need fast shot to shot time and burst mode.(toddler photos) Are these possible with these fujicams?
 
SLR-like bridge cameras are not available in the mentioned budget. Sony NEX and other Panny series hover around the 20k mark. Mind you, the stock lens may not have the zoom you need. So the entire package would end up quite expensive.

Nowadays, most of the cameras @ ~10k have burst mode, so that won't be a issue, but the start time may be.....

One off-beat option would be a Nokia PureView 808 - offers a budget-SLR performance, beats the s**t out of the bridge cameras and is available for 15k (used) on this forum. You can always bargain and try your luck! I, myself, am sooooo tempted but, already am in the middle of large guilt pangs after some recent splurges, so can't buy it. Zoom would be limited to 3x. But probably the crops from photos of that would be way better than the normal 8-10k camera crops. Think about that.

Offtopic:
Regardless of the camera you choose I would strongly advice that you get an app like PS Elements/GIMP. They dramatically improve the photos without much hassle. PhotoShop Elements has a single-click smart-fix. Not a GIMP user, but it is equally good. If you have the time & patietce, there are are more editing options. Trust me, if you haven't done photo-editing before, you would really be stunned at the improvements. Even after using that stuff for so many years, I still get pleasantly shocked once in a while!
 
  • Like
Reactions: eternoMind and DarkAngel
Finally after a lot of reading ended up buying WX150 for ~ 11k from ebay since it had the best low light performance in that range and its super light too!
 
Got the camera today. Its super small and lite. The smile shutter is fun to play with. The pics look good.

Initial impression: Impressed :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom