Hi all,
I've recently begun looking for a compact camera that will be versatile enough for me to carry around on a daily basis. I already have the Panasonic Lumix
FZ50 (and adore it xD), but its not really the type of thing you'd take to a friend's birthday party, you know? Or to a random restaurant, or to a club, and especially not to school...
So I want a compact camera that i can take with me everywhere, because often i will see a potential shot that might have turned out great if only i had something to record it with
. I'll just post the questionnaire, and i hope that you guys can help me somewhat! xD
I've read tons and tons of reviews, but it seems that there is nothing out there that effectively combines everything that i want into one package - good low-light, good macro, has manual controls. (wide-angle of 24mm or below a big plus). I saw a camera that blew me away by showing literally no noise and VERY minimal quality loss due to smudging (and by that i mean the edges of blades of grass in the background were a little bit smudged) at 100% crop of an ISO 2000(!) image! I can't find the camera now, although it was a Fujifilm one. It was pretty cheap too, under $200. The thing that made the camera unbuyable for me was the fact that there are no manual shutter speed/aperture controls, and for me that's like a car with no steering wheel.
I also saw a decent camera with a macro focal length of 1cm(!), but it didn't fare well under low light conditions (or there was some type of other problem with it, i can't remember...). It gets very frustrating sometimes with my
FZ50 when i'm trying to take a macro shot (I do that a lot xD) only to find out that it doens't focus close enough for me to fill the frame.
And since i'm generally too lazy to post-edit in photoshop, the shot goes untaken, or is ruined due to the fact that the subject is not big enough in the picture.
Anywho, enough rambling.
Budget - the cheaper the better (this is going to be a birthday present, and i don't want my parents to spend too much money), preferably in the $150-300 range. I am willing to go higher if needed.
Size - compact camera. specific size and weight doesn't matter, as long as its not a dSLR-style heavy huge thing. xD
Features:
How many megapixels will suffice for you? - 5+
What optical zoom will you need? - the more the merrier, but this is not as important as other settings. I would LOVE a 28mm or below wide-angle option though.
How important is “image quality” to you? - 11/10.
Do you care for manual exposure modes (shutter priority, aperture priority, manual)? - manual is a must, i can't live without it. I don't generally touch shutter priority and aperture priority though.
General Usage:
What will you generally use the camera for? - low-light and macro, as well as action shots, and landscapes/nature.
Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? - probably not, but i'd like the option if possible. I rarely shoot at anything above 5MP on my
FZ50 because it bogs down the computer too much once the file sizes go beyond that. I only shoot at the full 10MP when i know for sure that i'm taking pictures for print (i.e. when i set up a "formal" photoshoot or something).
Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? - YES. The main reason for getting this camera is for me to be able to take it to places where lugging my
FZ50 isn't an option - parties, clubs, school, etc.
Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? - yes, and probably in low light conditions, too. Although this isn't that much of a biggie.
Miscellaneous:
Are there particular brands you like or hate? - nope. I have a thing for Canons due to getting up close and personal with my school's Canon Rebel
XTi recently (but this is different, since i'm not looking for a dSLR). I like Fujifilm because of their market leadership in low-light photography... Panasonic Lumix makes great cameras as do all the other mainstream camera manufacturers. I don't care about make and model as long as it gives me what i want - macro, low light, and manual controls.
Are there particular models you already have in mind? - nope, which is why i'm here.
I hope you guys can help a little bit! xD
(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD) - a wide-angle of 28mm and below would be great for those indoor group shots and those landscape shots i tend to do a lot of, but not necessary. IS would be good, but that's standard on most cameras anyways. I don't really care about anything else, as long as I can take my macros without post-editing, take good shots in low light, and have my manual controls at my disposal.
Also, AA batteries are a big no-no and can potentially be the deciding factor against a camera. I much prefer a standard block rechargable battery.
However, if there is a camera out there with great low-light and macro and manual controls that runs of AAs, i guess i'll have to settle.
I don't care at all for movie mode, i never use it. An optical viewfinder would be nice, but not important and definitely not a deciding factor. Manual focus isn't a biggie for me, but manual shutter speed and aperture controls (and obviously ISO) are a must. Also, i never use the in-camera flash unless i have no other option, since i hate the look of it in most pictures. So those settings are not important. An external flash (which i have and use rarely with my
FZ50) would kill the overall purpose of a take-me-everywhere camera. So instead of a flash i need a low-noise cam at high ISO.
Don't want much, do I now.
Low-light + macro + manual = compact camera?
