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Canon and Panasonic: updated models



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 26th 10, 11:19 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.photo.digital.point+shoot
F
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Default Canon and Panasonic: updated models

I'm looking to replace my ageing Panasonic FZ30 and am considering the
Canon SX1 IS and the Panasonic FZ38. Does anyone know whether or not
either of these is likely to be replaced in the next couple of months?

TIA

--
F

  #2  
Old May 27th 10, 12:30 AM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.photo.digital.point+shoot
F
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Default Canon and Panasonic: updated models

On 26/05/2010 23:58 John Navas wrote:

On Wed, 26 May 2010 23:19:01 +0100, Fnews@nowhere wrote in
:

I'm looking to replace my ageing Panasonic FZ30 and am considering the
Canon SX1 IS and the Panasonic FZ38. Does anyone know whether or not
either of these is likely to be replaced in the next couple of months?


I think it unlikely for the Panasonic to be replaced anytime soon.


Thanks. I wasn't sure whether or not Panasonic released updated/new
models every 12 months.

--
F


  #3  
Old May 27th 10, 01:24 AM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.photo.digital.point+shoot
Better Info[_6_]
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Default Canon and Panasonic: updated models

On Wed, 26 May 2010 23:19:01 +0100, F news@nowhere wrote:

I'm looking to replace my ageing Panasonic FZ30 and am considering the
Canon SX1 IS and the Panasonic FZ38. Does anyone know whether or not
either of these is likely to be replaced in the next couple of months?

TIA


Both are excellent cameras. Depending on your level of photography skills
and level of creativity, you might want to consider too that the SX1 has
had CHDK ported to it (nearing the end of its beta phase at the moment,
just a few CHDK features are not enabled yet). See links below. Keep in
mind though that most of the features of CHDK are for *very* advanced
photographers (browse the online user's manual). It may be something that
would be of no use to you. In that case the FZ38 would be just as good.

Don't bother waiting on replacements, that's a fool's game. Unless you know
for certain something is being released in a set amount of time with a
feature that you've been waiting for your whole life. Even then, newer is
not always better. I have found it is often better to buy the tried, true,
and tested camera of this or last year at a lower price than the next model
that has had features crippled or the manufacturer cut quality to cut
costs. I still have one camera made in 2003 with an image quality that
still can't be beat by today's models.

Another point in the SX1's favor is that I found it is best to switch
manufacturers every other camera. Features from one camera company will
often compliment features on another manufacturer's cameras. For example, I
bought a Sony for its infrared-capabilities, an excellent camera, but it
lacked things like stereo video recording, almost essential to the nature
documentary photographer. So my next camera included a CD quality stereo
feature, but that had to be obtained from a different maker. I now have
both capabilities at my disposal. Since you already have the FZ30, the SX1
might give you some features that are lacking in the Panasonic line. Then
you'll have a choice of whichever features you need between the two. I
found too that by becoming comfortable with any camera from any maker that
I am then more spontaneous and creative in using any of them. The camera no
longer becomes such an important part of the photography process. It
becomes just something that exists between you and the photograph that you
want to create. I also don't become stuck in a photographic rut by taking
all my images the same way, constrained by that one maker's features or
limitations.


http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK_User_Manual

  #4  
Old May 27th 10, 04:48 AM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.photo.digital.point+shoot
SMS
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Default Canon and Panasonic: updated models

On 26/05/10 3:19 PM, F wrote:
I'm looking to replace my ageing Panasonic FZ30 and am considering the
Canon SX1 IS and the Panasonic FZ38. Does anyone know whether or not
either of these is likely to be replaced in the next couple of months?


The SX2 IS is overdue but it won't necessarily be any better and could
be worse. Not every new model is better than the previous model,
especially on P&S cameras where the manufacturers get into megapixel
wars and end up with ridiculously tiny pixels and high noise. Canon
actually went backward from the G10 to the G11 in terms of pixels, which
was move forward in terms of quality.

The FZ38 is noisier than the SX1 IS, not surprising given Panasonic's
long history of noise boxes. Don't get the FZ38 if you plan on doing
anything in low light/higher than 100 ISO. Some reviews complain about
noise even at 80 ISO!

One advantage of most Canon P&S models is the availability of the free
CHDK software which adds some extra capabilities that more sophisticated
photographers may find useful. See "http://mighty-hoernsche.de/".
There's a beta version available for the SX1 IS. I helped write some of
the CHDK documentation and I'm a big fan (and user) of it.

One advantage of the Panasonic is that it uses a Li-Ion battery, while
Canon cut costs by using AA batteries.

Bottom line, the FZ38 while it has impressive specs on paper,
disappoints in actual use.
  #5  
Old May 27th 10, 05:40 AM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.photo.digital.point+shoot
LOL!
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Default Canon and Panasonic: updated models

On Wed, 26 May 2010 20:48:48 -0700, SMS wrote:


One advantage of most Canon P&S models is the availability of the free
CHDK software which adds some extra capabilities that more sophisticated
photographers may find useful. See "http://mighty-hoernsche.de/".
There's a beta version available for the SX1 IS. I helped write some of
the CHDK documentation and I'm a big fan (and user) of it.



You don't have it on any camera. You can't even tell someone how it works.
We've already tested and proved that about you. And the WIKI history PROVES
that you've NEVER contributed even ONE WORD to the documentation, you
useless psychotic troll.

LOL!
  #6  
Old May 27th 10, 04:07 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.photo.digital.point+shoot
Dave Cohen
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Default Canon and Panasonic: updated models

On 5/26/2010 6:19 PM, F wrote:
I'm looking to replace my ageing Panasonic FZ30 and am considering the
Canon SX1 IS and the Panasonic FZ38. Does anyone know whether or not
either of these is likely to be replaced in the next couple of months?

TIA

According to the Canon site, the SX1 IS is replaced by SX20 IS. This
seems to be essentially the same except for HD video and more pixels
which it didn't need anyway. There may also be an update to the
processor. Although Canon dosen't list the SX1 IS, reviews state it's
still available. My A95 went kaput and I'm back to using the old A40, a
2mp camera that takes excellent shots withing it's limitations. It's
that 2mp that convinces me that ever more pixels are just a marketing
gimmick plus the reinforcement of comments in this group from people who
are more dedicated photographers than myself.
If I do upgrade again, I would get the SX20 unless the SX1 IS were
available at worthwhile cost saving. I don't find the AA batteries to be
a disadvantage except for a little more size and weight and I insist on
having some form of viewfinder, something that seems to be omitted from
more and more p&s's.
  #7  
Old May 27th 10, 05:47 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.photo.digital.point+shoot
SMS
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Default Canon and Panasonic: updated models

On 27/05/10 8:07 AM, Dave Cohen wrote:
On 5/26/2010 6:19 PM, F wrote:
I'm looking to replace my ageing Panasonic FZ30 and am considering the
Canon SX1 IS and the Panasonic FZ38. Does anyone know whether or not
either of these is likely to be replaced in the next couple of months?

TIA

According to the Canon site, the SX1 IS is replaced by SX20 IS. This
seems to be essentially the same except for HD video and more pixels
which it didn't need anyway.


The SX1 IS does higher resolution HD video than the SX20 IS.

There may also be an update to the
processor. Although Canon dosen't list the SX1 IS, reviews state it's
still available. My A95 went kaput and I'm back to using the old A40, a
2mp camera that takes excellent shots withing it's limitations.


Yeah, I have an old A60 that I got my son many years ago. Great camera,
but I upgraded the kids to two of the A570 IS because of the IS and the
video capability. There's also no CHDK available for the A60, and since
I helped write the documentation for CHDK I wanted cameras that it
supported.

It's
that 2mp that convinces me that ever more pixels are just a marketing
gimmick plus the reinforcement of comments in this group from people who
are more dedicated photographers than myself.


There's definitely some negatives as the pixel count goes up and the
pixel size goes down, but it wasn't reached at 2MP for the P&S cameras.
I really like the Canon models with the 7.1MP sensor, a sweet spot in
P&S for Canon. I also have an SD800 IS which was the only pocket camera
with a wide angle lens AND an optical viewfinder. It was also the only
P&S I ever saw go UP in price during its lifteime, because it was in
very high demand. There is no replacement for it--there are pocket
models with wide angle-lens but no viewfinder, and models with a
viewfinder but no wide-angle lens.

If I do upgrade again, I would get the SX20 unless the SX1 IS were
available at worthwhile cost saving. I don't find the AA batteries to be
a disadvantage except for a little more size and weight and I insist on
having some form of viewfinder, something that seems to be omitted from
more and more p&s's.


Good points, though I find a Li-Ion battery preferable because a) it
lasts much longer, b) it's more reliable in terms of the physical design
of the contacts and battery holder, and c) you get a much better
indication of the remaining energy in the battery because the Li-Ion
battery has a linear voltage/capacity curve. If there are after-market
Li-Ion packs for the camera they're also generally cheaper than buying
the same capacity in Sanyo Eneloops or other low-discharge AA NiMH cells.

Even with the CHDK battery feature on AA powered Canon cameras, which
gives you more information about the state of the battery, it still
can't fix the inherent flat discharge curve of an NiMH battery (if you
use disposable Lithium AA batteries then you don't have the problem).

I'd be very wary of the SX20 IS in terms of noise. It uses a higher
resolution sensor, and it's CCD not CMOS. The SX1 IS is pretty good in
terms of noise because of the CMOS sensor and because they didn't go
crazy in terms of megapixels.

In any case, the original poster should just get the SX1 IS. The battery
type is a minor issue. Even if Panasonic comes out with an FZ-38
replacement it will likely suffer the same noise problems as the FZ-38
unless Panasonic does some radical shift in their designs. It's a shame
about Panasonic because if you look just at the specifications they have
some compelling models that seem like just the perfect camera with
combinations of features that you often can't get from other
manufacturers. But they just have never been able to get a handle on
their noise problems. The most amusing review I read of the FZ-38 was
the faint praise that 'the noise is not much higher than the FZ-28'!
Yeah, I guess that's a good thing, LOL.

One problem with these super-zooms is that their often unfairly compared
to D-SLRs rather than to P&Ss. Of course they'll never be able to be as
good as D-SLR with a much larger, much lower noise sensor, and the
AF/lag will never be as good with contrast detection AF as it is with
phase detect AF. Guess one should "never say never" but it's hard to get
around the basic physics.
  #8  
Old May 27th 10, 07:19 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.photo.digital.point+shoot
nospam
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Default Canon and Panasonic: updated models

In article , John Navas
wrote:

One problem with these super-zooms is that their often unfairly compared
to D-SLRs rather than to P&Ss. Of course they'll never be able to be as
good as D-SLR with a much larger, much lower noise sensor, and the
AF/lag will never be as good with contrast detection AF as it is with
phase detect AF. Guess one should "never say never" but it's hard to get
around the basic physics.


Total nonsense.


it's not nonsense.
  #9  
Old May 27th 10, 09:19 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.photo.digital.point+shoot
LOL!
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Default Canon and Panasonic: updated models

On Thu, 27 May 2010 09:47:28 -0700, SMS wrote:


Yeah, I have an old A60 that I got my son many years ago. Great camera,
but I upgraded the kids to two of the A570 IS because of the IS and the
video capability. There's also no CHDK available for the A60, and since
I helped write the documentation for CHDK I wanted cameras that it
supported.



You don't have it on any camera. You can't even tell someone how it works.
We've already tested and proved that about you. And the WIKI history PROVES
that you've NEVER contributed even ONE WORD to the documentation, you
useless psychotic pretend-photographer troll.

LOL!
  #10  
Old May 27th 10, 09:46 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.photo.digital.point+shoot
GGBrowne
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Posts: 10
Default Canon and Panasonic: updated models

On Thu, 27 May 2010 09:47:28 -0700, SMS wrote:


I'd be very wary of the SX20 IS in terms of noise. It uses a higher
resolution sensor, and it's CCD not CMOS. The SX1 IS is pretty good in
terms of noise because of the CMOS sensor and because they didn't go
crazy in terms of megapixels.


Proving yet again that you just make up all these things out of your
delusional pea-brain. CMOS are slightly more noisy than CCD, due to the
smaller photosite sizes caused by the extra circuitry required between
photosites.

 




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