Any suggestions for a new compact camera?

idk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
1,836
Location
SW Germany
Car(s)
Hyundai i30N Performance
Hi,

I'm going to buy a new compact camera soon. I'm wondering if anybody here is a bit up to date about what products there are available. New models come out so fast, I've lost touch and I'm having a bit of a hard time to compare everything to each other.

Maybe one of you can help me without having a big effort and having to browse around all day.

I'm aware that for good photo quality a compact cam isn't a good choice, but I want it to be my every day cam... that i can just put in my pocket and take with me all the time. And that I can gain entry at specific events without an accreditation.

Here are some points that are important for me:

  • as good as possible in low light conditions (because I take a lot of pictures at events or in clubs like that: klick)
  • anti shake stabilization
  • shutter/aperture time can be set manually (my fathers Pentax Optio E75 can do that and it helps a lot)
  • record videos in 720p
  • Microphone should be able to deal with very high volumes. (just for comparison, thats how it sounds with my cam ->klick<- and like this with my dad's ->klick<- which still isn't good quality but at least it's 'acceptable/bearable'
  • as wide angle able as possible

What is not important for me is the resolution. Don't care if it has 5MP, or 15MP.

Price should be between 200-~250?.

Any suggestions that meet these points as good as possible? :p

Thx in advance.
 
Last edited:
Search on dpreview with some of your criteria include (for pocketable sized cameras)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580
Leica D-LUX 4
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
 
  • Like
Reactions: idk
Nice site you mentioned (dpreview). Didn't know/find it. I'll have a look! Thx a lot!
 
I spent hours comparing... reading. I think i get a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7.

Looks like the best compromise.
 
A good choice. I almost bought it or one of its predecessors myself, but I didn't because it's too small for my hands. Apart from that, I was very convinced.
 
Bahh.. why can't I built myself a camera like a computer from scratch :p

Casio EX-H10
  • + price
  • +++very long battery capacity
  • -- no zooming during video, kinda stupid with a "superzoom" camera
  • ---- video is 3mb/second

Samsung WB550
  • +price
  • +rather good picture in the same ISO than other cams in question
  • ++++h264 videos in a mpeg container
  • + manual settings possible
  • --colours seem 'overprocessed'
  • - don't find anything how it deals with concert volume

Panasonic DMC-TZ7EG-R
  • +++really long range zoom 25-300mm
  • ++++found many sample videos also from concert, looks as good as it can get from my expectations
  • +++/- h264 video as avchd (codec is great, but avchd is not good to handle... I'd prefer mpeg)
  • +has by far the best resputation from what I could find
  • -looks rather noisy in 100% crops
  • -price compared to others
  • -no real manual settings, but it's supposed to be 'good' in the automatic settings
  • -Battery is said to be not so... motivated during work :p

The Panasonic seems to be the best deal after all. It's out of my original price range, but I've had my last cam for 5 years and I hope this one will last at least that long. I'm going to get a proper DSLR in the next ~2 years so maybe it will even last longer because the only real problem with my current one is that the buttons don't work properly anymore and a DSLR sister might spare the TZ7 some abuse :p
 
Last edited:
Well I got it. I didn't really have the opportunity to experiment a bit.

But I can sum up a few things:

The pictures are considerably better than with my old camera. Especially the video option is awesome.
I'm not so happy because many pictures in daylight look over exposed if I don't set the EV somehow minus.

Noise could also be better... but it's still far better than my old camera and I have to realize that this is a compact camera nevertheless and I'm a bit... spoiled because I almost only looked at DLSR pics for a few months now (not my camera though).

Anyway, for the first time in many weeks I had a completely free day and decided to went on a ride to a hill in my area where you have a great view over the valley.

When I got out of the house a air rescue helicopter landed a couple of hundred meters away, so I first took that opportunity to capture some pics

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000437.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000435.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000436.JPG

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000438.JPG

Video (HD 720p)

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fDR76zDEHk[/YOUTUBE]

Well I went on to the hill

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000446_r.jpg

But light conditions were very bad... it was very very very bright in the sunlight. I almost couldn't see anything with my bare eyes... but I managed to get some not so bad pictures nevertheless

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000521.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000549_000.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000560.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000499_b_000.jpg

The 300mm zoom really isn't bad for a camera that you can put in your pocket :)

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000508.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000509.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000510.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000539.jpg

photographed directly against the sun... damn... :cry:

https://pic.armedcats.net/i/i-/i-d-k/2010/03/07/P1000532b.jpg

full panorama:

 
A very nice camera it is. I own a TZ7 too as my small camera to my D50 DSLR. Extremely glad I bought it, even if I haven't had the most opportunity to use it as yet. That should hopefully change.

No, its not a DSLR, so noise-dealings will be less refined, and picture quality won't be perfect, but for ?250 (what I paid for it), you can't go wrong with the quality you do get. And those videos are exceptional for such a small thing.
 
When i first looked at this picture i thought you were riding on a tank.

Yah of course :lol: But not far from there there are some bunker remains of the Westwall. But no tanks... :rolleyes: :p
 
Last edited:
So finally I got the opportunity to test the video/sound quality in the conditions it is meant for (at least in my personal criteria)

I handles really really well :shock:

No mention worthy noise in the picture quality, sound also comparably good. Of course I can do nothing against to dark conditions and artificial fog with about.. 1 meter sight

not soooo loud:
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HooD2RpxngI[/YOUTUBE]

very loud (uncomfortable without ear plugs!!!)

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU-QIR5wkME[/YOUTUBE]

Still a little bit oversteering

but

just compare it to my old camera..

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_U2djLnE58[/YOUTUBE]

I'm happy for now. In 3 weeks there is this years edition of the big 30k people party in the last video (with my old camera) and I'm really looking forward to the impressions i can catch on SD disc there :p It will be better light and less fog there so it should get good.
 
Last edited:
Top