Can you recommend a p&S to complement my d90?

[ajwomic]

Hey! I have a d90 and like it, but I am a petite 5'0 female and it is a little much to take to some events like a school field trip when I may want to get a shot, but it is more about getting the memory and not stellar photography. Also in 3 weeks we are going to WDW. My husband will be in a conference for 2 days and I will be taking all 3 kids to the parks by myself. I cannot carry the camera bag, diperbag, stroller, and keep my sanity, so for those 2 days I want a camera I can stick in my pocket. I want decent image quality, smallish, but could care less about video. Since it is a second camera, I don't want a bridge camera or to spend more than $300. Tell me what you think!
Alicia

 

[Poohbear5]

I bought a Panasonic Lumix TZ5 for our WDW trip this May to back up my D60. I am very pleased with this little camera. About half the time, especially really hot days, we just ended up taking the Lumix out of laziness. It's a fun little camera and photos are nice and sharp.

My daughter had the TZ4 as her only camera on a cross country trip. That's what inpspired me to get the TZ5 for my back up. Her enlargements (8x10s) were every bit as sharp as from my DSLR.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Another recommendation for the Panasonic TZ series Lumix cameras. I have the TZ3 and I really was impressed with the photos I got out of that little thing. Of course low light shots will suffer, as it can't compare with the D90, but for what you're saying you need it for, it would work.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Another idea, and one which I would choose, would be to take the D90, get an OpTech strap and DSLR pouch and carry that and only that. You won't need the camera bag. Just put one lens on it. The OpTech strap is so comfortable that I carry my camera around all day and night and never take it off at the parks with no problem. The OpTech DSLR pouch weighs next to nothing and protects the camera from little bumps and dings. As long as you wear the camera you don't have to worry about dropping it, so you won't need an extra bag. Just a thought...

 

[kaffinito]

Another idea, and one which I would choose, would be to take the D90, get an OpTech strap and DSLR pouch and carry that and only that. You won't need the camera bag. Just put one lens on it. The OpTech strap is so comfortable that I carry my camera around all day and night and never take it off at the parks with no problem. The OpTech DSLR pouch weighs next to nothing and protects the camera from little bumps and dings. As long as you wear the camera you don't have to worry about dropping it, so you won't need an extra bag. Just a thought...

I did this last trip and it worked great! If I have to carry an extra lens I use a Vera Bradley hipster or a pocket in my cargo shorts (not the best method).

For a pns I use a Lumix Tz5. Great low light shots, not much shutter lag unless I use flash a lot and very portable. Gives great sharp pics too.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I did this last trip and it worked great! If I have to carry an extra lens I use a Vera Bradley hipster or a pocket in my cargo shorts (not the best method).

LOL, I kind of do the same, except I'll put the extra lens in my (gasp!) unfashionable fanny pack! It works! I put it in a ziplock bag first to prevent dust from getting on the lens. I know all the pros reading this are probably rolling their eyes and cringing!

 

[Amy]

Thanks for starting this thread! This is something I've been thinking about for a while. I don't have a dSLR - I have a Canon SX10 IS, which is kind of bulky itself (although nowhere near all the gear with a dSLR). I've been wanting to find a decent pocket camera for those time when I don't want to carry my SX10, but want to have a camera "just in case" - just like the OP.

When I checked on Amazon.com for the Panasonic Lumix TX5, it said that there's a newer version out: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. It got some great reviews on Amazon.com. Have any of you used it?

Also, I'm guessing that the Lumix's don't use AA batteries. What's the battery life like? I take a LOT of photos, so I need a camera battery that'll last through around 250 photos.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Thanks for starting this thread! This is something I've been thinking about for a while. I don't have a dSLR - I have a Canon SX10 IS, which is kind of bulky itself (although nowhere near all the gear with a dSLR). I've been wanting to find a decent pocket camera for those time when I don't want to carry my SX10, but want to have a camera "just in case" - just like the OP.

When I checked on Amazon.com for the Panasonic Lumix TX5, it said that there's a newer version out: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. It got some great reviews on Amazon.com. Have any of you used it?

Also, I'm guessing that the Lumix's don't use AA batteries. What's the battery life like? I take a LOT of photos, so I need a camera battery that'll last through around 250 photos.

I bought 1 backup battery and would usually go through about one and a half, and then I would recharge both overnight. I use the generic type which is a lot cheaper than Panasonic's and have had no problems.

 

[TIGGER1981]

I have the Panasonic DMC-ZS1. I LOVE it! the video it takes is remarkable! The pictures are great too...like the other cameras, low light photos suffer a little...

I bought a back up battery, just in case....they charge really fast...and the battery lasts a while.

 

[zackiedawg]

For a compact with decent low light capability (not DSLR level, but much better than typical compact P&Ss)...check out the Panasonic ZS3 (decent at low light), Fuji F70EXR (maybe just slightly better), Sony TX1 (even better) or WX1 (better still...best of the small sensors). If you're willing to spend a bit more, the Canon S90 or Panasonic LX3 are the best of the compacts in low light, but also are more expensive and not quite as 'ultra' small as the others.

The ZS3 struggles a bit more at low light than the others listed above...still better than many others, but is slightly better during daylight at delivering sharp detail. The Sony WX1 is the best of the ultra-compacts at low light, shooting pretty decent results even up to ISO3200, but it tends to be slightly softer and a little less saturated during daylight shots. The Sony TX1 seems to be a pretty decent compromise, with a slightly better and sharper daytime performance compared to the WX1, and almost as good in low light with usable prints at ISO3200. The two Sonys have a few nice tricks like HDR stacking with automatic alignment, high-ISO stacking for lower noise, and 10 frames-per-second burst shooting for fast action. The Fuji is an inexpensive option that performs decently well in day and not too bad in low light due to a special pixel-merging feature for light gathering.

LX3 and S90 both would be the best overall, but they also tend to price much higher, being larger sensor cameras in slightly larger compact bodies, and with some prosumer-style features like manual controls and RAW shooting capabilities.