First compact camera for indoor family photos

jgdmp

jgdmp

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Hello everyone, I would appreciate some advice on a compact camera as a step up from a smartphone camera. I bought a Nikon Coolpix S570 a few years ago, but indoor results are quite poor. My main camera use is family photos and whilst bright outdoor shots are fine with either my smartphone or S570, they struggle with indoor conditions. Low energy light bulbs at home don't help either!

Due to christmas, I have a limited budget of £200. If I could push that budget to £350, I would be inclined to buy a Sony RX100. Size is another big consideration as with a young family I don't see myself carrying anything too bulky.

I have been offered a Nikon J1 with both kit lenses (10-30 and 30-110) for £180. This is pushing my size preference to the limit with just the 10-30 lens, but is a lot of camera for the money. I understand the J1 is not too bad in low light and is fast enough to cope with active kids.

The other camera which caught my eye is the Fujifilm XF1 at £149 from Currys/PCWorld. Smaller sensor (1/1.7") than the J1 (1" CX), but more compact and has a f1.8 max aperture. I know this won't be as good as the J1, but the fact it will slip easily into a pocket means I'm more likely to have it with me.

My question is would I be sacrificing much low light performance or overall IQ with the XF1 over the J1 or are there any cameras I could consider?

I've also looked at the Samsung EX2F (£207), but it's size is close to the J1 and has a 1/1.7" sensor. Similarly, the Panasonic LX7 has a bright f1.4 lens, but a 1/1.7" sensor and would have to order from HK to get close to my £200 budget.
 
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Don't let the small sensor of the lx7 put you off, the sharp lens is amazing and retains detail even at high iso. It's also f2.3 at the long end and accepts filters (with adapter) If I'm shooting indoors or at night, I'm rarely above 800. Usually in the 400 range though.
 
Chaz Photos said:
Take a look at this and compare then with each other \\\what about the Canon G16 you will also find a good s/h might get you a better camera for your money http://www.dpreview.com/products/co...&products=panasonic_dmclx7&products=canon_g16
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Thanks for that comparison link Chaz, very informative. For some reason I thought the XF1 was thinner than the J1 and the link corrected that assumption.

The G16 is a bit larger and appear to go for £270 - £300 used, which I can't manage at the moment, although I'll keep an eye out for any cheap offers.
 
jgdmp said:
Thanks for that comparison link Chaz, very informative. For some reason I thought the XF1 was thinner than the J1 and the link corrected that assumption.

The G16 is a bit larger and appear to go for £270 - £300 used, which I can't manage at the moment, although I'll keep an eye out for any cheap offers.
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Look for G15/14 even all very good, I have a older G10 and friend has G12 all great
 
Chaz Photos said:
Look for G15/14 even all very good, I have a older G10 and friend has G12 all great
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Along the lines of these 'bulkier' compacts, op has mentioned the LX7.

It's pointless even dicussing the G series - they are bigger, slower and comparatively inferior in almost every way.

The only camera in G series that is worth thinking about in this instance would be the G1x.
 
Phil Young said:
It's pointless even dicussing the G series - they are bigger, slower and comparatively inferior in almost every way.

The only camera in G series that is worth thinking about in this instance would be the G1x.
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Have you owned the G15? It's not slow at all. The G1x is supposed to be slow though...


My vote would be for the Canon S120. It's compact and will easily slip into a tight trouser pocket. The AF speed is supposed to be as fast as the G15 (older Canon compact had very slow AF speed) and if it's anything like the past three Canon compacts i've owned, it will give pretty consistent results.

Old compacts that i've owned but sold on were: Panasonic DMC-TZ25 (lacking detail and slightly unatural colours), Sony RX100 (inconsistent results), Canon S100 (poor AF speed compared to G15), I also have a very old Canon compact, can't remember model number, it's slow as hell but gives very good results most of the time.
 
fatmarley said:
Have you owned the G15? It's not slow at all. The G1x is supposed to be slow though...


My vote would be for the Canon S120. It's compact and will easily slip into a tight trouser pocket. The AF speed is supposed to be as fast as the G15 (older Canon compact had very slow AF speed) and if it's anything like the past three Canon compacts i've owned, it will give pretty consistent results.

Old compacts that i've owned but sold on were: Panasonic DMC-TZ25 (lacking detail and slightly unatural colours), Sony RX100 (inconsistent results), Canon S100 (poor AF speed compared to G15), I also have a very old Canon compact, can't remember model number, it's slow as hell but gives very good results most of the time.
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I was referring to lens speed.
 
fatmarley said:
Oh I see.

The G15 is f1.8 to f2.8 and the LX7 is f1.4 to f2.3, so not a big difference. And according to Imaging Resource the G15 is cleaner at higher ISO.

You can also compare camera sizes here: camerasize.com (The G15 is slimmer than the LX7 too)
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What you lose in iso noise you gain in aperture. Anyway, noise is noise, one would have compare the sharpness of the lens to determine its usability in low light.

Also...the G15 can only take 15s exposures??? LX7 can go on for 250s.

Anyway, each to their own. I love my LX7 and there isn't much I couldn't use it for, it has everything - if the G15 is packed with all the same features then it's something thought about.
 
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Indeed Matt, the low light capabilities I'm looking for are at fast enough shutter speeds to shoot kids with. My 3 year old, like most, is incapable of playing musical statues :) I'm hoping to lift the quality of general indoor pictures.

The S110 was also one of the cameras I had noticed, but wasn't sure if it was among the better low light cameras.

It strikes me that good quality cameras with 1/1.7" sensors are well regarded. How would they generally compare to the Nikon J1 when it comes to low light? One of the things that also drew me towards the J1 was it's fast autofocus and shooting.
 
Olympus XZ-2? Underrated camera in my opinion .

Also, I have one for sale in the classifieds well within budget...:)
 
Thanks Steve for the recommendation and offer. I ended up buying the Nikon J1 twin lens kit for a price I couldn't refuse - £150 with a click count of 6!

I apologise for ignoring all the recommendations and hope I don't regret getting the larger kit. I'll probably buy one of the compacts too in the near future and will have options. In the meantime, I'm really impressed with the J1 and it's much easier to use and get good results than my brother's Canon 400D.

An 18.5mm f1.8 prime lens might be on the horizon too. :)
 
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