Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: OmegaAnglesey on 20 August 2012, 14:51:47
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Hi all, I'm looking to but a camare was going to buy this one in the link but thought i'd seek some advice first im looking to buy one for no more than £230 similar type as in link or anything better than my current iPhone 4s camera :)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005K6WTSU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE
Thanks in advance...
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I like the Lumix series a lot - I have a DMC-TZ10 that still takes excellent photos a few years on..
The first question would be;
Do you want a 'pocket' sized P&S, a slightly larger compact or a 'crossover' camera like the one you linked to?
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I like the Lumix series a lot - I have a DMC-TZ10 that still takes excellent photos a few years on..
The first question would be;
Do you want a 'pocket' sized P&S, a slightly larger compact or a 'crossover' camera like the one you linked to?
Pocket size would be more handy but if the quality is better with the bigger type as in the link i dont mind, Did have a pocket size sony camera a bout 6 years ago and it used AA batteries and would only take about 6-10 pictures with x2 top brand batteries :-\
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I should have added i know as much about cameras as how to land on the moon ;D :-X
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I like the Lumix series a lot - I have a DMC-TZ10 that still takes excellent photos a few years on..
The first question would be;
Do you want a 'pocket' sized P&S, a slightly larger compact or a 'crossover' camera like the one you linked to?
Second vote for that here, fantastic little camera.
Video is in HD, GPS for photo tagging, pictures come out very well. Useful manual controls for aperture and shutter controls.
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If I were you, I'd go to http://www.dpreview.com/ and check out a few cameras - the DMC-TZ30 looks like a good bet for a compact camera, though if it's like my TZ10 it does suffer a little at night through lack of manual exposure/aperture control (unlike my Ricoh GR-D)..
The intermediate camera might well have a faster (and bigger) lens though, but honestly.. unless you're a semi pro, you can probably take just as good photos with the compact - it's mostly about composition, after all.
Another nice thing to do is head to flickr and check out photos taken with your intended camera, see how they all look, especially if dpreview doesn't have full reviews.
Oh - the battery on my TZ10 isn't 'great', it wouldn't last for a full day of shooting with the flash on but in daylight photography I probably went a couple of days before needing to swap out to another cell.
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If I were you, I'd go to http://www.dpreview.com/ (http://www.dpreview.com/) and check out a few cameras - the DMC-TZ30 looks like a good bet for a compact camera, though if it's like my TZ10 it does suffer a little at night through lack of manual exposure/aperture control (unlike my Ricoh GR-D)..
The intermediate camera might well have a faster (and bigger) lens though, but honestly.. unless you're a semi pro, you can probably take just as good photos with the compact - it's mostly about composition, after all.
Another nice thing to do is head to flickr and check out photos taken with your intended camera, see how they all look, especially if dpreview doesn't have full reviews.
Oh - the battery on my TZ10 isn't 'great', it wouldn't last for a full day of shooting with the flash on but in daylight photography I probably went a couple of days before needing to swap out to another cell.
Sure does, Slightly over budget but definitely worth considering cheapest on Amazon £258
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DMC-TZ30EB-K-Compact-Camera-Optical/dp/B0073CD6AE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DMC-TZ30EB-K-Compact-Camera-Optical/dp/B0073CD6AE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)
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Lumix TZ10 for me also - good photos -
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As all above, Panasonic Lumix range, cant fault them, brilliant cameras, had a TZ6 now defunct, just bought a TZ20, excellent, the zoom range coupled with the worlds renouned Leica lens, really cant fault it, if you want to push the boat out just a little, then go for the new TZ30, im pretty sure this model has 20x OPTICAL zoom, full 1080p HD video recording, GPS (geotagging), touch screen, the list goes on, and as for the zoom, its a lot cheaper than buying a DSLR or compact system camera and buying an EXTRA telephoto lens just to get the zoom. Bargain for the features if you ask me :y
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Size no option which has the better spec im more interested in the cheaper one but i have no idea so will let you guys decide :)
This one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005K6WTSU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005K6WTSU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE)
or this one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DMC-TZ30EB-K-Compact-Camera-Optical/dp/B0073CD6AE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DMC-TZ30EB-K-Compact-Camera-Optical/dp/B0073CD6AE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)
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personally, i would go for the TZ30, well worth the money for the features, plus, you may not know when you need a small ish camera for various activities, as apposed to having the FZ48 wrapped around your neck all day. :y
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I brought swmbo the tz30, it is a cracking camera so many features. only brought it cause she was fed up with the zoom on her old one. it has got 40x zoom on it and does take a lovely picture and a great hd video, also can take 3d pictures but not sure how to do that properly. the only set back with the tz30 is the battery dosn't seam to last that long I don't know if it's just her battery or if they are all like it. best thing to do is goto comet and have a play(ooh er!) that's what she did. hope this helps :)
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How about this one ? http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004I1KOM6?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links
Its more within budget and seems to have very similar spec to the tz30 unless I'm missing something ??? Either way £100 cheaper looks good.. advice welcome :)
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A solid model but it is now 18 months old - since then you have TZ19 TZ20 and others up to TZ30. TZ30 is obviously full price and even with on line discount will be around £240.
You can get the TZ18 for £125/130 and so compromise on your part balancing common sense with features and older model will get you a good camera at a reasonable price. As said by someone else - the battery life is no more than ok (on my TZ10) so do not leave it for a couple of weeks and pick it up again expecting it to last you all day. Keep it charged.
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Ive got one of these, had it for a couple of years. Very pleased with it :y
http://www.digitalrev.com/product/kodak-easyshare-z981-digital-camera/MTAyNjE_A?googlebase=1&country=GB
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I've always believed in buying a digital camera from a company with a background in cameras. OK, granted, a lot of the Kodak ones are poor.
Hence, I tend to look at the Canon/Fuji/Olympus etc first.
Need to replace my old Canon Ixus soon - its getting on a bit (8yrs) - though still does what it claims to, though low light shots show its age. So watching with interest (although I only want compact point and shoot)
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I've always believed in buying a digital camera from a company with a background in cameras. OK, granted, a lot of the Kodak ones are poor.
The Panasonic's are basically Leica...
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If this is a genuine TZ30 its pretty cheap.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Panasonic-LUMIX-DMC-ZS20-TZ30-14-1-Megapixel-Digital-Camera-Black-/150863887540?_trksid=p4340.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D555001%26algo%3DPW.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D29%26meid%3D1485259658234164906%26pid%3D100009%26prg%3D1013%26rk%3D1%26
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I've always believed in buying a digital camera from a company with a background in cameras. OK, granted, a lot of the Kodak ones are poor.
Hence, I tend to look at the Canon/Fuji/Olympus etc first.
Need to replace my old Canon Ixus soon - its getting on a bit (8yrs) - though still does what it claims to, though low light shots show its age. So watching with interest (although I only want compact point and shoot)
Agree with that lot :y
Imho, if you want quality you need to look at the optics ;)
Is a DSLR (cannon, nikon or olympus) out of the question or does it have to fit in a pocket ?
I've had a Kyocera digi compact for about 10 years and its still going strong and takes very good pickys in all light levels.
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We after doing some research ive narrowed it down to either one of these cameras..
Really Like the spec to price ratio on this one, and still a reasonable size... This is on the top of my like list so far :y
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00763EUWI/ref=asc_df_B00763EUWI9314253?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=reevoocom-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B00763EUWI (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00763EUWI/ref=asc_df_B00763EUWI9314253?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=reevoocom-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B00763EUWI)
This would be my 2nd choice, Small and well equipped...
[size=78%]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DMC-TZ30EB-K-Compact-Camera-Optical/dp/B0073CD6AE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345664468&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DMC-TZ30EB-K-Compact-Camera-Optical/dp/B0073CD6AE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345664468&sr=8-1)[/size]
Okay this is big but good spec again and under budget...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005K6WTSU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005K6WTSU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE)
And the wiled card.. Cheapish and good spec ...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-COOLPIX-S9300-Compact-Digital/dp/B0071L3SKK/ref=sr_1_1?m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1345663195&sr=1-1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-COOLPIX-S9300-Compact-Digital/dp/B0071L3SKK/ref=sr_1_1?m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1345663195&sr=1-1)
That's about it :-\ ;D :y
Advice always welcome :)
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For what it's worth Computer Shopper/Expert Reviews rates the Lumix thus:
" The FZ48 is the best ultra-zoom camera currently available. " :y :y
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/digital-cameras/1286695/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz48/2 (http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/digital-cameras/1286695/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz48/2)
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For what it's worth Computer Shopper/Expert Reviews rates the Lumix thus:
" The FZ48 is the best ultra-zoom camera currently available. " :y :y
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/digital-cameras/1286695/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz48/2 (http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/digital-cameras/1286695/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz48/2)
Similar spec to this one but this being more compact would be better possibly :-\
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00763EUWI/ref=asc_df_B00763EUWI9314253?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=reevoocom-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B00763EUWI
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Still no closer on deciding :-\ ... I now dont mind what size the camera is as long as its good and under £250 :'(
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Still no closer on deciding :-\ ... I now dont mind what size the camera is as long as its good and under £250 :'(
as per TB i have a cannon ixus (which is getting on as well) and tbh picture quality is good and it does have a fair few functions on it or it can be used to point and shoot...your best bet is get yourself off to a jessops or the like and have a look at whats on the market...they will let you try as well...if they think they are getting a sale....i would'nt buy from them as they are expensive...even when we used to get discount from them :y
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I bought camera's over the last few years and was on the market to buy a new one recently,i like you trawled the net and reviews sites and couldnt decide...
My advice to you is save up some more cash and buy yourself a DSLR,i got a Nikon D3100 for just under £400 but my god it is so worth it
It is night and day compared to a standard digital camera,well worth the extra expense,some of the pictures i can take with mine actually look like a profesional photographer has taken them and believe me i aint!!
Bit more expensive but well worth the money :y
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I bought camera's over the last few years and was on the market to buy a new one recently,i like you trawled the net and reviews sites and couldnt decide...
My advice to you is save up some more cash and buy yourself a DSLR,i got a Nikon D3100 for just under £400 but my god it is so worth it
It is night and day compared to a standard digital camera,well worth the extra expense,some of the pictures i can take with mine actually look like a profesional photographer has taken them and believe me i aint!!
Bit more expensive but well worth the money :y
Agree with that mate :y
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must admit been looking ar that ine myself.... :y
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After comparing reviews with most cameras on the market (which there are tooooo many :o) one came on top most times more than others ive decided to go with the Panasonic Lumix TZ30 on Amazon in black :y
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Hang on a second why is this TZ30 almost £100 cheaper new but its from hong Kong ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Panasonic-LUMIX-DMC-ZS20-14-1-MP-Digital-Camera-Black-/170885500644?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item27c991cee4
??? ??? :-\
Haven't bought it from Amazon just yet encase im paying too much ?
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I bought camera's over the last few years and was on the market to buy a new one recently,i like you trawled the net and reviews sites and couldnt decide...
My advice to you is save up some more cash and buy yourself a DSLR,i got a Nikon D3100 for just under £400 but my god it is so worth it
It is night and day compared to a standard digital camera,well worth the extra expense,some of the pictures i can take with mine actually look like a profesional photographer has taken them and believe me i aint!!
Bit more expensive but well worth the money :y
Size is a problem for me. Else I'd have a Canon EOS. But you have to make an effort to cart it around everywhere, not have the convenience of a (very) compact point and shoot that can be in the missus' handbag all the time.
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I know what you mean TB but i use my SLR for specific things and have an iphone 4s which has a perfectly good camera for those 'quick,take a picture' moments when your out and about
I got a backpack style camera bag and have to say its not too much hassle to carry about
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Received the TZ30 and have to say im deeply disappointed in it ... Its no better than my iPhone 4S Camera especially at close up Pictures... >:(
Luckily Amazon will take it back for a refund... Just a waste of time oh well looks like i'll be keeping my iPhone 4S as my camera as im not paying 400-600 for a high end camera when the phone is just as good imo..
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Its not bad at all... What do you guys think of the quality of these pictures :-\
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/139225ba.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/193fcae3.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/40820522.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/fd00fba7.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/84c72e50.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/83a633f2.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/866cba59.jpg)
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A solid model but it is now 18 months old - since then you have TZ19 TZ20 and others up to TZ30. TZ30 is obviously full price and even with on line discount will be around £240.
You can get the TZ18 for £125/130 and so compromise on your part balancing common sense with features and older model will get you a good camera at a reasonable price. As said by someone else - the battery life is no more than ok (on my TZ10) so do not leave it for a couple of weeks and pick it up again expecting it to last you all day. Keep it charged.
A second battery is a must (but surprisingly expensive @ £30ish :()
The built in GPS (in the TZ10) will run the battery down trying to get a fix if you forget to disable it when there is no view of the sky. I never remember to disable mine hence the second battery.................
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Its not bad at all... What do you guys think of the quality of these pictures :-\
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/139225ba.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/193fcae3.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/40820522.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/fd00fba7.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/84c72e50.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/83a633f2.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/866cba59.jpg)
Which camera are these taken with?
Try printing them A4 or A3, then you'll discover why you need at least a 14MP camera ;)
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Its not bad at all... What do you guys think of the quality of these pictures :-\
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/139225ba.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/193fcae3.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/40820522.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/fd00fba7.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/84c72e50.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/83a633f2.jpg)
(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/866cba59.jpg)
Which camera are these taken with?
Try printing them A4 or A3, then you'll discover why you need at least a 14MP camera ;)
These where taken with the Panasonic Lumix TZ30
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TBH some of them looked blurred to me......so i assume you took them with the camera set to auto??
I dont have the same camera, but i rarely leave the camera in auto mode....with mine in semi auto mode it takes a higher resolution picture.....then i can let the camera do its 'makeover' to the image...then i can choose between the two images, which i prefer :)
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TBH some of them looked blurred to me......so i assume you took them with the camera set to auto??
I dont have the same camera, but i rarely leave the camera in auto mode....with mine in semi auto mode it takes a higher resolution picture.....then i can let the camera do its 'makeover' to the image...then i can choose between the two images, which i prefer :)
in P mode takes 3 pictures at the same time normal, darker, lighter etc.
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Sending the Lumix TZ30 back to amazon... Its okay but not good for what i need a simple good quality close up picture camera max £250ish.. Suggestions welcome as usual and thanks in advance :)
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Just uploading some pics for a family member, exif says its a Panasonic DMC-ZX3, and its utter shite. No idea how old it is, but that alone would put me off buying any Panasonic camera again...
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Just uploading some pics for a family member, exif says its a Panasonic DMC-ZX3, and its utter shite. No idea how old it is, but that alone would put me off buying any Panasonic camera again...
Found this on Which.co.uk
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZX3 digital cameraThe 14.1Mp ZX3 has an 8x optical zoom and can record HD video. Panasonic says that the ZX3 is a 'super compact and versatile' camera. It comes with 28 scene modes to adjust for different picture settings, and comes with basic HD video-editing software.
The Panasonic digital cameras work with Windows 7. The cameras use SD cards for storage, and the soon-to-be-available SDXC memory cards that can store 2TB (2 terabytes) of data.
The four new Panasonic cameras are due to be launched in May 2010. :y
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Just uploading some pics for a family member, exif says its a Panasonic DMC-ZX3, and its utter shite. No idea how old it is, but that alone would put me off buying any Panasonic camera again...
Found this on Which.co.uk
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZX3 digital cameraThe 14.1Mp ZX3 has an 8x optical zoom and can record HD video. Panasonic says that the ZX3 is a 'super compact and versatile' camera. It comes with 28 scene modes to adjust for different picture settings, and comes with basic HD video-editing software.
The Panasonic digital cameras work with Windows 7. The cameras use SD cards for storage, and the soon-to-be-available SDXC memory cards that can store 2TB (2 terabytes) of data.
The four new Panasonic cameras are due to be launched in May 2010. :y
So its around 2yrs old :o
That makes it even shittier, modern cameras should be far better than this :o
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(http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p620/Agemo_Legend/41b06665.jpg)
Lovely colours. 8)
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OK, my bro's camera suffers a depth of field issue, and the CCD is clearly substandard (worth noting that 'camera' camera manufacturers are reducing megapixels on top end compacts to reduce noise).
This camera alone would be enough for me not to buy Panasonic, and seeing the ones posted above, confirms that. My 8yr old Canon outperforms it on all counts, except zooming.
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OK, my bro's camera suffers a depth of field issue, and the CCD is clearly substandard (worth noting that 'camera' camera manufacturers are reducing megapixels on top end compacts to reduce noise).
This camera alone would be enough for me not to buy Panasonic, and seeing the ones posted above, confirms that. My 8yr old Canon outperforms it on all counts, except zooming.
Its getting collected tomorrow for refund this was just a last pic :y
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OK, my bro's camera suffers a depth of field issue, and the CCD is clearly substandard (worth noting that 'camera' camera manufacturers are reducing megapixels on top end compacts to reduce noise).
This camera alone would be enough for me not to buy Panasonic, and seeing the ones posted above, confirms that. My 8yr old Canon outperforms it on all counts, except zooming.
Its getting collected tomorrow for refund this was just a last pic :y
Last actually didn't look that bad. Don't know what the original full size one was like zoomed up?
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Although looking at embedded data, exposure time is very long, and film speed is fast, so I guess zoomed in, it will be blury.
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Although looking at embedded data, exposure time is very long, and film speed is fast, so I guess zoomed in, it will be blury.
To be honest the TZ30 is just OK for the price. I find that my iPhone 4S takes almost just as good pictures... But with the iPhone being more of a useful multi-tool id say its not worth keeping this camera when the iPhone 4S is more a less just as good... Fair enough the 4S doesn't zoom, But still not worth the price of that TZ30 imo after a week of playing with it... There are better cameras out there and probably even cheaper too..
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For what it's worth, I was watching one of those shopping channels the other night and they were claiming exclusive pre-release stock of the Pentax X5. Must say, I was impressed. They were offering it at £199, but that's not much different to the prices of the likes of Jessops which are taking orders for it.
It's apparently a "bridge" camera, between compact and DSLR.
Here's the link:
http://www.pentax.co.uk/en/digital-bridgecameras/X5.html (http://www.pentax.co.uk/en/digital-bridgecameras/X5.html)
If I had the spare cash, I'd be sorely tempted. :y
Update: £199.99 from Amazon, due 17th September.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pentax-X5-Bridge-Camera-Optical/dp/B00911YEC4 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pentax-X5-Bridge-Camera-Optical/dp/B00911YEC4)
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Although looking at embedded data, exposure time is very long, and film speed is fast, so I guess zoomed in, it will be blury.
To be honest the TZ30 is just OK for the price. I find that my iPhone 4S takes almost just as good pictures... But with the iPhone being more of a useful multi-tool id say its not worth keeping this camera when the iPhone 4S is more a less just as good... Fair enough the 4S doesn't zoom, But still not worth the price of that TZ30 imo after a week of playing with it... There are better cameras out there and probably even cheaper too..
Thats what I mean. Lets face it, the gayPhone has a very poor camera. No better and no worse than any of the premium smartphones, they are all poor.
The fact that you phone (ignoring zoom) is nearly as good as your Panasonic (which seems to be similar in picture quality as my bro's 14Mp Panasonic) shows how woefully bad the Panasonic compacts are.
My 8 year old 7Mp compact Canon IXUS 700 is strides ahead of both yours and my brother's, based on the pics posted here, and the photos taken of my bro doing his run. And, to me, that doesn't sound right. Technology is supposed to have moved on.
I suspect, in order to satisfy bragging rights, rather than capability (ie, increase Mp count, nothing else matters), current consumers are ending up with, ultimately, junk.
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makes me smile that most people think more mega pixels equals better image quality & that is not the case. I have 5 meg images printed A3 size dotted around the house & they are fantastic, lens quality is what counts, after all thats the bit the image has to pass through to reach the chip :y
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makes me smile that most people think more mega pixels equals better image quality & that is not the case. I have 5 meg images printed A3 size dotted around the house & they are fantastic, lens quality is what counts, after all thats the bit the image has to pass through to reach the chip :y
As you know, even the best lens is only part of the story. It seems most/all consumer 14Mp CCDs are noisy as hell...
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makes me smile that most people think more mega pixels equals better image quality & that is not the case. I have 5 meg images printed A3 size dotted around the house & they are fantastic, lens quality is what counts, after all thats the bit the image has to pass through to reach the chip :y
I agree with that.
I've a 16 year old geek who thinks his nokia is better then my DSLR because its got more mega pixels ::)
I've been using a Cannon eos 300d for years.
Paid about 300 quid for it and another 300 for a 28 - 135 is lens for it :y
It only has 6.3 mega pixels but the extra weight of the alloy body and the decient lens more then make up for the lack of pixels.
Anyway, I'm old school when it comes to photography.
I learn't on a 2nd hand Olympus Om2 which still comes out to play now and again :)
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I was an early adopter of digital photograph in 2000 when the Olympus 3030 came out. At this time, this was as state of the art as it got. My current compact camera is an 5.1mp Olympus 5060 which is showing its age, but was the last of the line as DSLR cameras were making an impact at this time, and the market split into two camps.
As compact as possible digital cameras, with small sensors as the lens and cameras are far smaller and lighter for a bigger zoom range. But small high pixel sensors suffer from very high noise, the zoom optics suffer from barrel distortion and fringing. The easiest way to mask these is for the camera image processing to soften the image. Compact camera sales are falling fast, which is not surprising as IMHO they have little to offer image quality wise these days over poor phone cameras, apart from their zoom ranges.
DSLR camera are massively better, so if you want quality, this is now the only sensible route. The FX sensors used in most professional and some prosumer are the best, but the lenses are the biggest and heaviest for any zoom range. The DX consumer are not quite as good, especially on noise, but a perfectly good compromise for most people. This is what I recommend for anybody where photography is a hobby.
There are only two top makes of DSLR and these are Cannon and Nikon, with Sony being a honourable third. Top end Cannon and Nikon lenses are much of a muchness, but Nikon budget zoom lenses are generally better optically than Cannon. Cannon consumer DSLR cameras are normally better value for money than Nikon. Personally, I have gone the Nikon route as I prefer the slightly bigger size, ergonomics and slightly better build quality of Nikon cameras, but you do pay a higher price.
Cannon or Nikon? Go to a camera shop and try them out to see which you prefer as this is a personal thing on which you get on with best.
Zoom lenses are always a compromise with generally the bigger the zoom range the bigger the compromises in terms of lens resolution, distortion (normally most noticeable at both ends of the zoom range). Fixed lenses generally offer much better optical quality as there are fewer compromises and can be relatively inexpensive.
My DSLR cameras are both Nikon D80s one with 18-135 zoom lens and the other with 18-105, which was the last generation of Nikon cameras to use NMOS sensors. They are much noisier than the later generation CMOS sensors, many of which are manufactured by Sony. Where I used to do a lot of low light photography, this was a challenge. I bought the second camera second hand with the 18-105 lens which SWMBO now uses, so I had a backup when I did a friend's wedding photography.
Although the D80 it is only 10.1mp, one job I did was some portrait photography, where they were printed at almost full size for use as promotional figurines. I was worried about the quality and pixel resolution at this size and was surprised on how good the results were.
If you want to quickly test the image quality of a camera then I find a good test is an A4 sheet of text. This will show how soft the image is, by how clear the writing is and also any optical distortion.
Now if we wanted to post up the quality of different cameras on here my suggestion would be to print out a Windows printer test page, photograph it so it just fits an image, cut out a 640 x 480 section and post it here so we have some direct image comparisons. If there is interest in this, then I will post some pictures here for the for my Nikon and Olympus cameras.
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This looks a good one..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-SZ-31MR-Digital-Compact-Camera/dp/B00763EUWI/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2XBFBX9H8V7IT&coliid=I27RRS1AL67P9W
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You can see from the information in the link below that a 1/2.3 sensor used in the Olympus SZ-31MR and the Panasonic Z230 is 8.80 x 6.60mm which gives an area of 58.08mm where as the sensor used by Nikon in DX DSLR cameras are 23.7 x 15.7mm giving an area of 372.09mm so the DX sensor has 6.41 the area, so for the same sensor resolution the Nikon will receive 6.41 times the light.
This along with the closer proximity of each pixel will mean more noise and this is a real Achilles heal of compact cameras. The lens size, quality and zoom range will mean greater compromises on image quality.
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/key=sensor%20sizes (http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/key=sensor%20sizes)
Will the Olympus be better than the Panasonic TZ30, it will partly depend upon lens quality, but the Olympus has a higher pixel resolution so from this point view it will be worse, but it uses a CMOS sensor rather than the Panasonic's MOS sensor. CMOS sensors generally have lower noise levels.
The reviews I have seen rate the Olympus highly, just bare in mind that you will not get DSLR quality.
http://www.digitalversus.com/digital-camera/face-off/12685-12781-versus-table.html (http://www.digitalversus.com/digital-camera/face-off/12685-12781-versus-table.html)
http://www.digitalversus.com/digital-camera/olympus-sz-31-mr-p12781/olympus-sz-31-mr-test-shots-face-off-n24805.html (http://www.digitalversus.com/digital-camera/olympus-sz-31-mr-p12781/olympus-sz-31-mr-test-shots-face-off-n24805.html)
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A good comparison of compact digital cameras.
http://www.digitalversus.com/digital-camera/digital-camera-reviews-choose-best-compact-camera-a322.html (http://www.digitalversus.com/digital-camera/digital-camera-reviews-choose-best-compact-camera-a322.html)