Digital camera buying question - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Radio Monk33 · 12-30-2009, 09:17 PM

Hey folks,

I'm not that well-versed in this realm..thought I'd pick your collective brains.

I'm looking for a digital camera (non-DSLR) that can take decent shots. It'd just be for very amateur usage, maybe some vacation shots.

There's a couple that have caught my eye:

Panasonic Lumix
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 Review | PhotographyBLOG

Samsung WB550 12.2mp
http://www2.visions.ca/catalogue/cat...productId=4176

(My Mom has a similar Lumix model...very impressive "little" camera. Not that easily pocketable, but certainly still in the big compact range)

And another, not so comparable camera:

NCIX.com - Buy Samsung ES55 Digital Camera Black 10.2MP 3X Optical Zoom DIS Face Recognition 2.5IN LCD SD/SDHC/MMC+ - EC-ES55ZBBP/CA In Canada.

Very small...very cheap..

Anyone have any recommendations?

Craven Morehead · 12-30-2009, 09:31 PM

try this
Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ

ASU2003 · 12-30-2009, 09:54 PM

I had the TZ5 and the only thing I had a problem with was that pictures were a little blurry. Thy crammed too many megapixels onto a small sensor. Now, it wasn't that they couldn't be sharpened in post-processing, but it was work. It also was a little slow at taking multiple shots, and night time/low light & quick shutter speeds were an issue, but that will be true for any camera you are looking for.

It was very versatile, and performed well on my trips and vacations. I went to Europe for two weeks and took 3000 pictures with it, and hardly missed any shots.

The only competitor is the Canon G9/G10/G11. In the end, the zoom won out for me, but I think the normal picture quality might be better with the Canon. But if I was taking pictures from far away, I wanted to put as many megapixels on the subject as possible.

I do wish I had known a few more photography tips when I had that camera (I have a DSLR now). Like use 3x for taking pictures of people, you may need to stand back some ways. And I think I could of done better with the burst mode.

I'm not sure about the cost, but look into the micro four-thirds cameras like the Lumix GF1 or the EP-1/EP-2. They are getting into the non-pocket size if you want a zoom on it however.

Dragonlich · 12-31-2009, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craven Morehead

try this
Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ

I prefer this: Digital Cameras, Digital Camera Reviews - The Imaging Resource!

I have an "older" Canon Powershot A620, which takes excellent pictures. If I were to buy a newer one, I'd get one with image Stabilization. It'd help when shooting in low-light conditions.

ASU2003 · 12-31-2009, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragonlich

It'd help when shooting in low-light conditions.

It helps with shooting slow moving or stationary subjects in low light if you are holding your camera.

powerclown · 01-01-2010, 02:18 AM

The Panasonic Lumix models have a reputation for being solid cameras with great optics capable of taking great pictures...one of the features that differentiates the Lumix models is the availability of recording video in hd format. If you don't need to record video in hd, I believe there are Lumix models otherwise very similar (identical) that record video in standard, non-hd therefore costing less.

Radio Monk33 · 01-01-2010, 11:57 PM

Yeah I should get something with good image stabilization..I'm notorious for my blurry shots.

Hmmm HD video isn't a huge factor for me, so maybe I can move to something lower on the Lumix price scale.

Thanks for the thoughts guys..

12-30-2009, 09:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
Radio Monk33 Psycho	Digital camera buying question Hey folks, I'm not that well-versed in this realm..thought I'd pick your collective brains. I'm looking for a digital camera (non-DSLR) that can take decent shots. It'd just be for very amateur usage, maybe some vacation shots. There's a couple that have caught my eye: Panasonic Lumix Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 Review \| PhotographyBLOG Samsung WB550 12.2mp http://www2.visions.ca/catalogue/cat...productId=4176 (My Mom has a similar Lumix model...very impressive "little" camera. Not that easily pocketable, but certainly still in the big compact range) And another, not so comparable camera: NCIX.com - Buy Samsung ES55 Digital Camera Black 10.2MP 3X Optical Zoom DIS Face Recognition 2.5IN LCD SD/SDHC/MMC+ - EC-ES55ZBBP/CA In Canada. Very small...very cheap.. Anyone have any recommendations? __________________ "Punk rock had this cool, political personal message. It was a bit more cerebral than just stupid cock rock, you know" -Kurt Cobain

12-30-2009, 09:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
ASU2003 immoral minority Location: Back in Ohio	I had the TZ5 and the only thing I had a problem with was that pictures were a little blurry. Thy crammed too many megapixels onto a small sensor. Now, it wasn't that they couldn't be sharpened in post-processing, but it was work. It also was a little slow at taking multiple shots, and night time/low light & quick shutter speeds were an issue, but that will be true for any camera you are looking for. It was very versatile, and performed well on my trips and vacations. I went to Europe for two weeks and took 3000 pictures with it, and hardly missed any shots. The only competitor is the Canon G9/G10/G11. In the end, the zoom won out for me, but I think the normal picture quality might be better with the Canon. But if I was taking pictures from far away, I wanted to put as many megapixels on the subject as possible. I do wish I had known a few more photography tips when I had that camera (I have a DSLR now). Like use 3x for taking pictures of people, you may need to stand back some ways. And I think I could of done better with the burst mode. I'm not sure about the cost, but look into the micro four-thirds cameras like the Lumix GF1 or the EP-1/EP-2. They are getting into the non-pocket size if you want a zoom on it however. Last edited by ASU2003; 12-30-2009 at 10:01 PM..

01-01-2010, 11:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
Radio Monk33 Psycho	Yeah I should get something with good image stabilization..I'm notorious for my blurry shots. Hmmm HD video isn't a huge factor for me, so maybe I can move to something lower on the Lumix price scale. Thanks for the thoughts guys.. __________________ "Punk rock had this cool, political personal message. It was a bit more cerebral than just stupid cock rock, you know" -Kurt Cobain

12-30-2009, 09:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
Craven Morehead Custom User Title	try this Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ

01-01-2010, 02:18 AM	#6 (permalink)
powerclown Junkie Location: Detroit, MI	The Panasonic Lumix models have a reputation for being solid cameras with great optics capable of taking great pictures...one of the features that differentiates the Lumix models is the availability of recording video in hd format. If you don't need to record video in hd, I believe there are Lumix models otherwise very similar (identical) that record video in standard, non-hd therefore costing less.