Hx200 or ?

[rowman]

Dear folks,

I am asking this on behalf of a friend which is going to shop a P&S camera. I will answer the questionaire:
Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.

Max 250 EUR

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?

Better to be small but not really an issue

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?

maximum an A4 print.

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x)
I think he does not need more than 15x for sure.

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
Good overall but not too peaky at all.

Do you care for manual exposure modes (shutter priority, aperture priority, manual)?
Yes. He needs all the features to learn

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
Outdoor, indoor

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
No

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Occasionally

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
I don't think so

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
No

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
he has seen an hx200. Infact the seller has recommended this to him. Can be biased

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Only IS. Rotating LCD is a bonus. Definitely not hotshoe and Weatherproof.

He seems to be interested to learn photography, so as long as he has access to manual settings he will be happy. I think even if he can find something cheaper with the requirements mentioned it would be very good option, since he can invest some possibly on tripod or good books. I did not have good idea about 4/3 if he can also consider that or not. Answers as always are appreciated.

[KCook]

Micro4/3 prices can cover a big, big range. As there can be killer deals on closeouts of old models, not to mention refurbished cameras. Of course this depends entirely on your dealers/importers/stores. As a lot of zoom is not needed, I would recommend Micro4/3 over the usual point-and-shoot for serious learning. Good luck bargain hunting!

Kelly

[rowman]

Micro4/3 prices can cover a big, big range. As there can be killer deals on closeouts of old models, not to mention refurbished cameras. Of course this depends entirely on your dealers/importers/stores. As a lot of zoom is not needed, I would recommend Micro4/3 over the usual point-and-shoot for serious learning. Good luck bargain hunting!

Kelly

Thanks kelly. Can you name some those old models. Then I can have a look. Are they inside price range with say 10x zoom lens?

[Andy Stanton]

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
he has seen an hx200. Infact the seller has recommended this to him. Can be biased

The HX200v is an SLR-like ultrazoom with a 30X zoom lens, a much longer zoom than your friend needs (you mentioned 15x). The HX200v will definitely not fit into a pocket. If he likes Sony products the HX20v would be a much better fit - small, a 20x optical zoom, manual controls, quick, good image quality. Some other possibilities are the Canon SX240 HS or SX260 HS or the Panasonic ZS15 (TZ25) or ZS20 (TZ30), all of which are similar to the Sony HX20v.

[KCook]

Thanks kelly. Can you name some those old models. Then I can have a look. Are they inside price range with say 10x zoom lens?

No 10X, they will be the usual 3X. In the USA market deals can be found on the old Olympus PL1, PL2, PM1, and Panasonic GF3 models. These deals come and go quickly, from different sellers.

Kelly