Need info on how to choose a P&S camera (details inside)

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^^I have been using my Panasonic LZ5 (or whatever) for last 2-3 years and have never ever chosen any manual settings, always intelligent auto, i dont understand the manual stuff much so dont care.

I also am liking the good reviews what HX9V is getting. Bridge cameras may look good in appearance but are big for sure.

Do let me know how is the HX100V when you get it. Also can you give me the ebay link and how much did it cost ?
 
raksrules said:
^^I have been using my Panasonic LZ5 (or whatever) for last 2-3 years and have never ever chosen any manual settings, always intelligent auto, i dont understand the manual stuff much so dont care.

I also am liking the good reviews what HX9V is getting. Bridge cameras may look good in appearance but are big for sure.

Do let me know how is the HX100V when you get it. Also can you give me the ebay link and how much did it cost ?
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I ordered this for 18.8k ~$375

Check this page for HX100V sample photos - HX100 - walking through my garden - Steve's Digicams Forums Really mind blowing pics!

HX9V is very good camera in it's price range and I think its a good option for you since you are okay with auto mode and it takes very good pics in auto mode. Check flickr and dpreview/steve's digicam etc for samples

And it also records very good videos! Full HD 60/50 fps (depending on region - NTSC/PAL) progressive :O Check these youtube vids



I wanted something which had good set of manual options within 20k. That's why I went for HX100V. Otherwise even I would have gone for HX9V
 
I think i have decided on the sony HX9V since it is compact and has good image quality (not expecting SLR at all). Also if anyone here has used personally, how is the low light, night and illuminated area / buildings performance ??
 
i guess you wanted a compact P&S camera from the beginning and not a bridge (ultra zoom ) camera . i have similar requirement and read reviews on Pana TZ20 ,Nikon S9100,Sony HX9V , none of them have impressive reviews when compared to Pana TZ10 . The photo quality of latest 2011 compact P&S is not very impressive . Some forum post even suggests that the HD quality of TZ10 is better than FullHD of some higher end models . Other features like touch screen,3D ,etc is crap and most of the time you wont be using that. The only problem is that TZ10 is disc. and it retails for ~$400 on amazon,Rs14.5K in UK and 12k in india
 
Yes i know i won't be using features like 3D photo and GPS etc and touchscreen is not really preferred if given an option.

Btw i also read some reviews of the sony HX9V and most say it is an excellent P&S camera in small size. Btw i am not really going after HD too as videos i may not take much.
 
Can anyone tell me anything about the Nikon P500 ??

It is bridge camera with 36x zoom.

Not sure why, but i am bit confused as to why no one mentions Nikon cameras :S

Also how is the canon SX40 ??
 
raksrules said:
Can anyone tell me anything about the Nikon P500 ??
It is bridge camera with 36x zoom.
Not sure why, but i am bit confused as to why no one mentions Nikon cameras :S

Also how is the canon SX40 ??
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Nikon is a good in DSLR ,but with a P&S camera the len(oem),sensor(sony) are all from OEM so they are like any other camera.

No idea about the SX40 since its relatively new.
 
I have a query. Check the below pic i took at night from my apartment's balcony. It was taken in default auto mode (IIRC).

Is the spreading of light for all those bulbs going to happen even if i buy cameras like sony HX9V / Canon 230IS / Panasonic FZ bridge ones ??

 
Bumping my own thread.

Now i am prepared to buy a point and shoot camera. I do not need a bridge or DSLR but point and shoot but a good one. I do not wish to carry a separate bag or something for a camera. Something which is pocketable in cargo shorts etc.

I don't really have a budget but do not want to spend obscene amount on a P&S camera. Something that performs decent and is all rounder and takes good pics even at night. Something with lots of features is also not required since i basically use the camera in Auto mode most of the time.

Any suggestions ?

Will be buying from amazon.com only, nowhere else. Have Amazon credit to spend on that.
 
#[member='raksrules'] Low light and point & shoot are usually mutually exclusive terms.
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However, there are a few which do perform considerably better even in low lights. Check out one of the following:

Canon S95 / S100

Canon G12

Olympus XZ-1
 
logistopath said:
#[member='raksrules'] Low light and point & shoot are usually mutually exclusive terms.
tongu23e.gif
However, there are a few which do perform considerably better even in low lights. Check out one of the following:

Canon S95 / S100

Canon G12

Olympus XZ-1
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I am not hoping for DSLR quality in low light but at least decent. And yes some good zoom will be always better.

How are the canon SX230HS or the Sony HX9V ?
 
Both the options that you have mentioned are decent in performance. Between the two, I'd prefer the HX9V first mainly coz of more zoom, and the lens being comparatively wide angle. That said, the low light performance of both are nothing extraordinary.

Is an increased zoom that critical? I have a Panasonic ZS7 too, and I find that I rarely use full zoom. Mostly, at full zoom, image stabilization plays a very important role, and unless I take pics in broad daylight, most images turn blurry at the telephoto end. If you are going to use the cam for indoor pics and do not want to experiment too much, opt for the S95 or S100. If you are willing to experiment with stuff like external flash, opt for the G12 ( it has articulated screen and a hotshoe for flash). If decent zoom is definitely a must, choose the HX9V.
 
I have been reading too much i guess and most of the places have the SX230HS pitched against the HX9V. That is the reason i have drilled down to these two options. I might also consider the Canon SX260HS which is updated version with 20x zoomover 230HS but i am sure i dont really need 20X zoom. Current camera has only 5X zoom and i rarely go till 5X so now i have decided that zoom is not really a big criteria.

Just that i use auto mode only and have no knowledge whatsoever about photography.

So suggest accordingly.

Some reviews mentioned that HX9V has grainer images. But if that does not matter for viewing pics on 15" laptop and sometimes on the 46" TV screen then i am ok with it.

Btw #logistopath the two cameras you suggested are out of my budget. I am looking for something max 300$.

The camera user i am, paying high price for a P&S does not really justify so wanting something within my budget.
 
Have a look at the Sony NEX-3 if you don't want to compromise on IQ and low light performance.
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Might be overshooting your budget though.
 
@raksrules

Based on your requirements I would suggest to go for 10-15x zoom camera. cameras having zoom beyond this range are generally bulky. you cannot carry them in pocket. Sony's H series has compact cameras with upto 20x zoom. But you mentioned you don't need that much zoom. Remember one thing that good low light image quality largely depends on image sensor size. Which is tiny in most p&s compared to dslr. only high end p&s (like canon s95 or G series) use larger image sensor but they are priced higher. I would suggest to compare following models. sony H90, canon ixus 1100HS, nikon coolpix s6200/6300. They are within your budget and have considerable zoom. If you want sweep panorama feature, only sony and fujifilm has it. canon 1100hs has touchscreen interface which is slow sometimes. Decide as per your requirements.
 
I am not really keen on touchscreen interface. I like the button one.

And yes zoom at 20X might not be required but yes above 5X would be good as current camera has 5X.

The models i am considering currently are Canon SX230 HS / Canon SX260 HS and the Sony HX9V. I am confused between these two.

I am not sure if i need sweep panorama and all those features.

Primary requirement is basic holiday photography and not great but decent night time performance. I know i should not expect DSLR level night performance but at least something decent is ok.
 
^^^The models you are considering (except 230hs) have features like 3D image,full hd movie, gps & zoom upto 20x. That is why they are priced higher but I don't see any reason that their pq will be superior than models priced a little lower. so if you don't need these features why spend more?
 
#[member='raksrules']: Not much to separate HX9V and SX230HS. The latter is supposedly better if you take videos more often. The former however seems to have better battery life. Low light performances of both are almost similar. Choose the better deal of the two, or one which looks more attractive, 'coz image quality and features wise, they are on par with each other.

NO idea about the SX260HS.
 
logistopath said:
#[member='raksrules']: Not much to separate HX9V and SX230HS. The latter is supposedly better if you take videos more often. The former however seems to have better battery life. Low light performances of both are almost similar. Choose the better deal of the two, or one which looks more attractive, 'coz image quality and features wise, they are on par with each other.

NO idea about the SX260HS.
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260HS is an updated version of 230HS and has more zoom (dont really need).

SX230HS -> 269$ minimum

HX9V -> 328$

May be i will keep a tab of the prices and set a page change trigger or something to notify when price is changed.

Btw i missed a deal on HX9V for 230 $ few days back. Did not get the deal trigger on SD.
 
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