new camera

sept09bride

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 16, 2009
Messages
56
Ok I need advice. I want a small hopefully thin camera for my Disney Honeymoon in September. I have a Nikon SLR so I want a point and shoot that I can depend on giving me good pictures.

Any ideas??

:confused3

:bride:
 
Like you, I own and love SLR and DSLR cameras but enjoy having a PnS for active trips. Less to carry and jostle around! The drawback to PnS is that I'm used to SLR-produced images and it's hard to go back to PnS without feeling like I'm losing something in quality.

That said, Panasonic makes some killer PnS and bridge cameras. All use SD cards. :thumbsup2

My top ("picky eyes") choices for small Panasonic cameras are:

PnS
DMC LX3 (limited zoom - only 2.5 optical but image quality is excellent for PnS) $430 from B&H. Weight is about 9.5 oz with battery.

Bridge
DMC FZ28 (27mm wide-angle LEICA lens with an 18x optical zoom. And, oh-so-surprisingly inexpensive!) $300 from B&H. Weight is about 15 oz with battery.

My money goes to the FZ28 for all-around quality and the zoom, but if I weren't so sticky on the zoom I would scoop up the LX3.

If you want something small AND with a hefty 10x optical zoom (but with some noise reduction issues) then go for the DMC-TZ5. Price is around $250 online and weight is about 7.5 ooz with battery. It's a recently discontinued line but still widely available. It's successor, the DMC-ZS line, isn't even available yet!
 
I would look at the Panasonic ZS3. Larger zoom than the LX3 ans still should have some low light capabilities.

Jack
 

Recommendations will depend somewhat on your definition of compact or thin. As you can see above, recommendations so far range from prosumer-style cameras which are like miniature DSLRs, and certainly won't fit in a pocket, to compact big zooms that would fit in, but bulge, a pocket, and small true compacts.

I'm going to guess that you are actually meaning that you want a real slim compact camera that could fit in a chest pocket of a shirt (even if you put it in a purse...I'm just referring to the size). That's personally what I like in a compact to go with my DSLR - I figure if I'm not wanting to carry the DSLR with me, I should have something that is the complete opposite - super-small and inconspicuous - but that can still give me a decent shot when I need one, can be printed up to 8x10 at reasonable quality, and have some nice features.

So I'd recommend taking a look at the Sony W-series or T-series, the Canon SD series, the Nikon S-class slimlines, the Fuji F200, or the Panasonic FX or FS series cameras. By no means is that list exclusive of other brands - but just some of the slim, compact cameras that are truly small and pocketable and can still give you some nice shots.

I bought a Sony T100 a few years ago which has been the perfect companion for my DSLR - it's a credit-card style slim camera with an internal zooming lens that does not extend outside the body, it has a sliding cover over the lens making it well protected, and has some decent features like a thirds grid, spot meter, image stabilization, 5x zoom, a big bright LCD, and a battery that lasts forever.

Brands don't really matter for much anymore - check out the cameras and see if they suit the size requirements you are looking for, then make sure you can find a comfortable way to hold and shoot with them. Then you can shop prices and features to decide on the camera for you.
 












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