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[richardirv]

I'm off to Turkey at the end of may so new camera time. I have had a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W80 for a number of years now and its been a great little camera, but I feel like I would like something new and with a better zoom as the W80 only has x3 optical zoom I think.

I'm no pro photographer but do enjoy taking pics and enjoy experimenting with settings so I feel I need something decent but without going into DSLR territory. It has to be compact as its main purpose is point and shoot and pocket sized but need zoom and pro features, & would like it to Zoom in video... Some dont!

Been looking over a few days and narrowed it down to a few contenders;


Pannasonic Lumix TZ10

Samsung WB650

Sony HX5V (No Apature or Shutter Priority Modes) 


None of these are perfect and have there own little issues but to be expected in this price range!


Really like the look of the Sony H55 & HX7V - But HX7V is lookin a little to expensive and neither are out till march so no reviews.

Help! 

[aaronjb]

I have the TZ10 - it's a really nice camera, takes very good pictures in all but 'low light' conditions with the sky behind your subject where it struggles a little to meter light as there's no (that I could find) spot metering options.

[richardirv]

I have the TZ10 - it's a really nice camera, takes very good pictures in all but 'low light' conditions with the sky behind your subject where it struggles a little to meter light as there's no (that I could find) spot metering options.

Yeah I read its not great in low light, the sony's on the other hand are, but not sure if the lack or Apature & Shutter priority would bug me!  :-/

[Kevin Wood]

I have the TZ10 - it's a really nice camera, takes very good pictures in all but 'low light' conditions with the sky behind your subject where it struggles a little to meter light as there's no (that I could find) spot metering options.

Yeah I read its not great in low light, the sony's on the other hand are, but not sure if the lack or Apature & Shutter priority would bug me!  :-/

If you are conversant enough with photography to pick up that they are missing it probably would, IMHO.

Then again, is it a camera for holiday snaps or art.. or a bit of both?

At this sort of price you might find an SLR that does the job.. maybe 2nd hand and certainly bulkier but "upgradeitis" is feeding the 2nd hand market strongly at the moment and any DSLR will give you more control and better image quality.

Kevin

[richardirv]

I know what you mean, but I really need to keep the size down, I hate carrying things around on holiday etc. hence not really looking at any DSLR's.

I'm on the sony web site now and the more I look at the HX7V the more I want it, even though it might be missing some A & S settings on the plus side it has a CMOS sensor which is DSLR territory. All the others just have CCD sensors.

Downside is £350, hhhhmmmm it is my 30th this year. I'm thinking early birthday present 

[aaronjb]

The lack of spot metering really showed up here - being able to take a good shot of the foreground (yes I know, the background is completely blown-out ) was basically down to random chance..

This one worked: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs130.ash2/39840_452205591203_672941203_6122889_7675726_n.jpg

This one did not: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs177.snc4/38213_452205606203_672941203_6122890_4008676_n.jpg

On the other hand, sometimes it works really nicely: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs180.snc4/38327_452206341203_672941203_6122946_1802004_n.jpg

With a steady hand it works well at night, though: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs483.ash1/26452_366540421203_672941203_4789730_5139963_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs235.snc3/22234_313447306203_672941203_4574742_2761858_n.jpg

And day: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs295.ash1/22234_313444826203_672941203_4574725_7326600_n.jpg

It took some really nice shots in London too, but I don't seem to have those (they went with the ex who took them!)


Oh - after playing with this and the Ricoh GR-D that I had before it, I ended up going out and getting a Canon EOS 5D MkII .... which I've hardly used purely because it's so damned big (especially with the 24-105mm lens)

[richardirv]

The lack of spot metering really showed up here - being able to take a good shot of the foreground (yes I know, the background is completely blown-out ) was basically down to random chance..

This one worked: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs130.ash2/39840_452205591203_672941203_6122889_7675726_n.jpg

This one did not: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs177.snc4/38213_452205606203_672941203_6122890_4008676_n.jpg

On the other hand, sometimes it works really nicely: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs180.snc4/38327_452206341203_672941203_6122946_1802004_n.jpg

With a steady hand it works well at night, though: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs483.ash1/26452_366540421203_672941203_4789730_5139963_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs235.snc3/22234_313447306203_672941203_4574742_2761858_n.jpg

And day: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs295.ash1/22234_313444826203_672941203_4574725_7326600_n.jpg

It took some really nice shots in London too, but I don't seem to have those (they went with the ex who took them!)


Oh - after playing with this and the Ricoh GR-D that I had before it, I ended up going out and getting a Canon EOS 5D MkII .... which I've hardly used purely because it's so damned big (especially with the 24-105mm lens)

Some nice shots there, it does look like a mixed bag though depending on light conditions. Shame

[Kevin Wood]

Some nice shots there, it does look like a mixed bag though depending on light conditions. Shame

Any camera will only make a best guess as to what parts of a composition absolutely need spot-on exposure, though. The beauty of digital photography is that you can pop the image up on the display and check if it's made a Horlicks of it. As long as you have basic exposure compensation so you can turn it up or down a stop or two and try again you can get good results.

I often find this more valuable than umpteen metering modes, in some respects, because you can end up leaving it on the wrong mode, buried in a menu somewhere and trash a load of photos... Of course, you can leave the exposure compensation set to some silly value as well, though...

Kevin

[aaronjb]

I love the auto-bracketing feature on the 5D for that - automatically take three shots at -xEV, 0EV, +xEV (where x can be set) .. very handy when you're a bit hamfisted like me

Spot metering would have saved the statue shots though (the background would have been blown out, of course, not a lot you can do about that other than HDR or compose the shot better and use a filter - but I was standing on a bridge in Prague at the time in a crowd of people  )


And to Richard:
I have better examples somewhere - honestly the TZ10 is a really nice camera, though it can't fix my lack of eye for composition 

I presume you've checked out http://dpreview.com for reviews of the three you're considering?

[richardirv]

I love the auto-bracketing feature on the 5D for that - automatically take three shots at -xEV, 0EV, +xEV (where x can be set) .. very handy when you're a bit hamfisted like me

Spot metering would have saved the statue shots though (the background would have been blown out, of course, not a lot you can do about that other than HDR or compose the shot better and use a filter - but I was standing on a bridge in Prague at the time in a crowd of people  )


And to Richard:
I have better examples somewhere - honestly the TZ10 is a really nice camera, though it can't fix my lack of eye for composition 

I presume you've checked out http://dpreview.com for reviews of the three you're considering?

I don't deny the TZ10 is a good camera, I'm sure it is. Yes I have checked out many review sites over the last few days but they all seem to have different views about each camera, none say they are rubbish but no matter where I look I find a comment that puts me off both the TZ10 & the WB650. Mainly image quality issues.

[Kevin Wood]

I love the auto-bracketing feature on the 5D for that - automatically take three shots at -xEV, 0EV, +xEV (where x can be set) .. very handy when you're a bit hamfisted like me

Agreed. I find it hard to remember that you've got to hold it still for a little longer though.

honestly the TZ10 is a really nice camera, though it can't fix my lack of eye for composition 

Yeah, that's my problem. I can engineer a fantastic photo.

Kevin

[aaronjb]

Ditto, Kevin - to both points! 

I don't deny the TZ10 is a good camera, I'm sure it is. Yes I have checked out many review sites over the last few days but they all seem to have different views about each camera, none say they are rubbish but no matter where I look I find a comment that puts me off both the TZ10 & the WB650. Mainly image quality issues.

Yeah - that's the problem with online reviews.. I've found the same thing when looking at reviews for TVs and soforth, if you read them all, you end up buying nothing..

Personally I trust dpreview.com over the others so I tend to only read that one and save myself the confusion 

[richardirv]

Yeah its a mine field, think i'm gonna have to wait till march and see what the reviews of the HX7V are like and hope I can afford one if its good! 

[aaronjb]

If you were closer I'd say you could come and play with mine.


Er.. the camera! 

[richardirv]

If you were closer I'd say you could come and play with mine.


Er.. the camera! 

LOL!