If you had to choose..

[Catira]

I am currently looking for a new camera for our upcoming trip. I am looking at the Samsung TL220 or the Sony DSC-TX1. Need a camera that can take good pics with low light as well as during night shots. Any comments?

 

[ukcatfan]

Sorry, but no p&s camera is going to do very well at low light and night shots. The only exception is if the subject is not moving (i.e. landscapes) where you need a tripod. If low light is really that important to you, then you should consider a DSLR or lower your expectations. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. FWIW, you can get a new DSLR for less than $500.

 

[photo_chick]

I disagree that you have to have a DSLR for low light shots.. There are some point and shoots out there that can get the shots. DSLR's have their advantages, and there is no question that with the right lens they do perform better in low light, but there are some really capable point and shoots on the market right now.

If I were shopping I'd check out comparable Fujis and Canons as well. They tend to perform a little better than the brands you listed, IMO.

 

[ukcatfan]

I disagree that you have to have a DSLR for low light shots.. There are some point and shoots out there that can get the shots. DSLR's have their advantages, and there is no question that with the right lens they do perform better in low light, but there are some really capable point and shoots on the market right now.

There are some now that can "get" the shot, but the end result is simply not the quality you get with a larger sensor. Those p&s cameras apply very high amounts of noise reduction to make the high ISO noise look better, which destroys detail. So, sure you can get a shot with them, but not one I want. You also will not find an aperture larger than ~f/2.8, which is limiting for any low light work with a moving subject.

 

[zackiedawg]

Actually, movement is the key. The Sony TX1 is a trick little camera that has a very interesting capability for high ISO/low light performance...but with some limitations. It is by a fair long shot the best performing compact in low light/high ISO - along with the other Sony siblings that share the technology - TX5, TX7, HX1, and HX5. Using the 'Hand Held Twilight' mode, you can take handheld shots at ISOs from 400 to 3200 with shockingly little noise and good detail. The caveat is - you can't have too much movement in the scene. The mode will actually take 6 frames in under a second, align and merge them in camera, which eliminates random noise patterns and rebuilds detail lost in each frame due to noise. The single JPEG photo that results from the stack is quite clean and with good detail, even at silly ISO levels that a compact camera isn't supposed to be shooting at. Just for an idea of how good this mode can be, here are some high ISO shots from my TX1 -

ISO3200:

ISO1250:

ISO400:

There is also a mode called 'anti-motion blur' - this uses the same stacking technique as the twilight mode, but this time it will only stack areas of the shot not in motion. If something is moving, it will simply not stack the 6 frames for that area of the photo. This is the mode to use for moving subjects in low light - but the downside with this is that the moving subject will be a single high-ISO frame, which means noisy and with bad detail...while anything not moving in the frame will be nice and clean from the stacking. That said, the camera is 'slightly' better than some other compacts at high ISOs...though most any compact is downright awful when comparing to DSLR performance at high ISO. Here's an ISO3200 snap in the Rainforest fish tank, using the anti-motion blur mode. Notice how the detail is pretty good on the non-moving coral, while the fish (which was moving) is a less detailed from all the noise reduction in camera since it is only a single frame:

So, depending on what type of low light shots you're looking to take, the Sony could be a pretty good pick. It does have high ISO ability that no other compacts do, as long as you are using the trick stacking mode. If you want to shoot things moving in low light, then UKCatfan is correct in that no compact is really going to help you much there. I got the TX1 because I wanted a flexible compact that could slip into a pocket unnoticed and back up my DSLR when I didn't feel like carrying it around - the TX1 offered the best low light abilities of any compact camera...so though not perfect, it was the best compromise for me. Whether it will work out for you depends on how you intend to shoot with it!

 

[Catira]

Actually, movement is the key. The Sony TX1 is a trick little camera that has a very interesting capability for high ISO/low light performance...but with some limitations. It is by a fair long shot the best performing compact in low light/high ISO - along with the other Sony siblings that share the technology - TX5, TX7, HX1, and HX5. Using the 'Hand Held Twilight' mode, you can take handheld shots at ISOs from 400 to 3200 with shockingly little noise and good detail. The caveat is - you can't have too much movement in the scene. The mode will actually take 6 frames in under a second, align and merge them in camera, which eliminates random noise patterns and rebuilds detail lost in each frame due to noise. The single JPEG photo that results from the stack is quite clean and with good detail, even at silly ISO levels that a compact camera isn't supposed to be shooting at. Just for an idea of how good this mode can be, here are some high ISO shots from my TX1 -

ISO3200:

ISO1250:

ISO400:

There is also a mode called 'anti-motion blur' - this uses the same stacking technique as the twilight mode, but this time it will only stack areas of the shot not in motion. If something is moving, it will simply not stack the 6 frames for that area of the photo. This is the mode to use for moving subjects in low light - but the downside with this is that the moving subject will be a single high-ISO frame, which means noisy and with bad detail...while anything not moving in the frame will be nice and clean from the stacking. That said, the camera is 'slightly' better than some other compacts at high ISOs...though most any compact is downright awful when comparing to DSLR performance at high ISO. Here's an ISO3200 snap in the Rainforest fish tank, using the anti-motion blur mode. Notice how the detail is pretty good on the non-moving coral, while the fish (which was moving) is a less detailed from all the noise reduction in camera since it is only a single frame:

So, depending on what type of low light shots you're looking to take, the Sony could be a pretty good pick. It does have high ISO ability that no other compacts do, as long as you are using the trick stacking mode. If you want to shoot things moving in low light, then UKCatfan is correct in that no compact is really going to help you much there. I got the TX1 because I wanted a flexible compact that could slip into a pocket unnoticed and back up my DSLR when I didn't feel like carrying it around - the TX1 offered the best low light abilities of any compact camera...so though not perfect, it was the best compromise for me. Whether it will work out for you depends on how you intend to shoot with it!

After seeing your post and pics I believe I will give the Sony a try. Thank you