Best budget compact camera

I'm looking for a compact 'point and shoot' camera to take walking as my
Canon A620 is a little bulky. Looking for around 6 MPX upwards, standard 3x
zoom or better but want a good sharp picture, minimal colour fringe.

It needs to be large enough to be useable i.e. not too small, but not bulky.

I get the impression that Lumix models are good and also Fuji for low light
(big advantage for me), but what can YOU recommend - whats the word on the
street?!

Old Strebuggart wrote:

I'm looking for a compact 'point and shoot' camera to take walking as my
Canon A620 is a little bulky. Looking for around 6 MPX upwards, standard 3x
zoom or better but want a good sharp picture, minimal colour fringe.

It needs to be large enough to be useable i.e. not too small, but not bulky.

I get the impression that Lumix models are good and also Fuji for low light
(big advantage for me), but what can YOU recommend - whats the word on the
street?!

I'm quite happy with my glove box Fuji A820. Based on it, my buddy got an
A920. I don't know if that series has been expanded. Oh...4x optical
zoom, which was one of my criteria when I was shopping. As was
nonproprietary battery usage (4 x AA).


--
Blinky
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Need a new feed?
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In article .net, Blinky the Shark wrote:
Old Strebuggart wrote:

I'm looking for a compact 'point and shoot' camera to take walking as my
Canon A620 is a little bulky. Looking for around 6 MPX upwards, standard 3x
zoom or better but want a good sharp picture, minimal colour fringe.

It needs to be large enough to be useable i.e. not too small, but not bulky.

I get the impression that Lumix models are good and also Fuji for low light
(big advantage for me), but what can YOU recommend - whats the word on the
street?!

I'm quite happy with my glove box Fuji A820. Based on it, my buddy got an
A920. I don't know if that series has been expanded. Oh...4x optical
zoom, which was one of my criteria when I was shopping. As was
nonproprietary battery usage (4 x AA).

Hmm anobody got a best budget camera with a decent WIDE range. Like
less to 35 mm, perferably 28mm ??

greg

GregS wrote:
[]
Hmm anobody got a best budget camera with a decent WIDE range. Like
less to 35 mm, perferably 28mm ??

greg

I went for the Panasonic TZ3 with its 28 - 280 mm (equivalent),
image-stabilised, Leica lens, and I've been very pleased with it. It may
not meet your definition of "budget" or "compact", though.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonictz3/

Cheers,
David

David J Taylor wrote:
GregS wrote:
[]
Hmm anobody got a best budget camera with a decent WIDE range. Like
less to 35 mm, perferably 28mm ??

greg

I went for the Panasonic TZ3 with its 28 - 280 mm (equivalent),
image-stabilised, Leica lens, and I've been very pleased with it. It may
not meet your definition of "budget" or "compact", though.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonictz3/

Cheers,
David


The Panasonic TZ3 is a very good camera. My wife and I each have one. I
use mine when I don't want to carry the DSLR. Small enough to fit in a
shirt pocket, but a 10x zoom. Has some focusing/exposure issues but
that is to be expected in any small P&S camers.

Recently Panasonic replaced the TZ3 with the TZ5, but you can still find
the TZ3 for about $200. If you have the money look at the TZ5.

Clair

Clair Johnston wrote:
David J Taylor wrote:
GregS wrote:
[]
Hmm anobody got a best budget camera with a decent WIDE range. Like
less to 35 mm, perferably 28mm ??

greg

I went for the Panasonic TZ3 with its 28 - 280 mm (equivalent),
image-stabilised, Leica lens, and I've been very pleased with it. It
may not meet your definition of "budget" or "compact", though.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonictz3/

Cheers,
David

The Panasonic TZ3 is a very good camera. My wife and I each have one.
I use mine when I don't want to carry the DSLR. Small enough to fit
in a shirt pocket, but a 10x zoom. Has some focusing/exposure issues
but that is to be expected in any small P&S camers.

Recently Panasonic replaced the TZ3 with the TZ5, but you can still
find the TZ3 for about $200. If you have the money look at the TZ5.

Clair
The main drawback to most Panasonic camera is either increased noise at
lower ISOs. They compensate for this by heavier processing and that
creates some artifacts and what is known as smearing. This looses some
of the fine detail to compensate for the noise. Thats why many feel
that the Canon compacts produce better image quality. The color is
better, the noise is less, and the in camera processing is lower
resulting in better image quality as many ISO settings.

measekite wrote:
[]
The main drawback to most Panasonic camera is either increased noise
at lower ISOs. They compensate for this by heavier processing and
that creates some artifacts and what is known as smearing. This
looses some of the fine detail to compensate for the noise. Thats
why many feel that the Canon compacts produce better image quality. The
color is better, the noise is less, and the in camera processing
is lower resulting in better image quality as many ISO settings.

You should try actually using Panasonics such as the TZ3 at ISO 100. Yes,
the trade-off between noise and resolution is different to the Canon, but
you might actually prefer the slightly sharper images from the Panasonic
which have a little more noise (grain) than the more blurred images from
the Canon which have a little less noise. In the cameras I've compared,
the Panasonic has a better lens producing sharper images, and the camera
can take advantage of that.

But, as I say, it's what you prefer which matters, and it's a somewhat
subjective measure.

David

David J Taylor wrote:
measekite wrote:
[]

The main drawback to most Panasonic camera is either increased noise
at lower ISOs. They compensate for this by heavier processing and
that creates some artifacts and what is known as smearing. This
looses some of the fine detail to compensate for the noise. Thats
why many feel that the Canon compacts produce better image quality. The
color is better, the noise is less, and the in camera processing
is lower resulting in better image quality as many ISO settings.


You should try actually using Panasonics such as the TZ3 at ISO 100. Yes,
the trade-off between noise and resolution is different to the Canon, but
you might actually prefer the slightly sharper images from the Panasonic
which have a little more noise (grain) than the more blurred images from
the Canon which have a little less noise. In the cameras I've compared,
the Panasonic has a better lens producing sharper images, and the camera
can take advantage of that.

But, as I say, it's what you prefer which matters, and it's a somewhat
subjective measure.

David



Based on the results I have seen the additional sharpness of the Leica
lens is offset by the loss of detail due to smearing in the in camera
processing of the Panasonics. Overall the Canons appear to have more
detail, better color and overall better image quality.

While I prefer my Canon S5 IS using many of its features the Canon A720
IS appears to produce image quality about the same when used under
similar conditions.

measekite wrote:
[]
Based on the results I have seen the additional sharpness of the Leica
lens is offset by the loss of detail due to smearing in the in camera
processing of the Panasonics. Overall the Canons appear to have more
detail, better color and overall better image quality.
[]

Simply doesn't agree with what I've seen. Both cameras can produce
excellent, although different, results. But as we're obviously not going
to agree on which we prefer, I would suggest people test for themselves,
and see which they prefer.

Pixel-peeping at 1:1 zoom or greater will not accurately reflect the
impression of the overall image.

Cheers,
David

About a year ago, I bought a Lumix LS-70 at my local wholesale club. Cost me
about $100, on sale down from 140, I'm thinking. Anyhow, I've been pleased
as can be, with this camera.

I'm thinking the resolution is 7.2 megapixel. Optical zoom out to something,
and then with digital I can zoom to 18 power. The on board menu has more
options than I'll ever use. And the removable SD memory allows me to take
lots of pics. Uses AA cells, so I can run NiMH and charge batteries at home.
The local grocery store will develop paper prints off my SD memory card. The
machine at the grocery will allow me to crop, zoom, etc.

The camera fits easily in my front pants pocket along with keys, and
handkerchief.

The screen on the back also allows me to show others. Like yesterday when I
was in Walmart, and wanted to ask "do you have an item like this" and show
the floor sales person what I wanted.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Old Strebuggart" wrote in message
...
I'm looking for a compact 'point and shoot' camera to take walking as my
Canon A620 is a little bulky. Looking for around 6 MPX upwards, standard 3x
zoom or better but want a good sharp picture, minimal colour fringe.

It needs to be large enough to be useable i.e. not too small, but not bulky.

I get the impression that Lumix models are good and also Fuji for low light
(big advantage for me), but what can YOU recommend - whats the word on the
street?!