Help me select a compact

Barryboy

Barryboy

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Rob
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Hi... Looking to acquire a compact for holiday/"days out" use to avoid lugging my DSLR kit about. Budget is £200-250 and must have a viewfinder (simply can't get on with just a viewscreen, particularly when the sun is shining), a zoom lens and RAW capability. I don't mind something used as long as it's in top condition. Two that have caught my eye are Fuji X30 (best price I can find is £255 from a company called eglobalcentral.co.uk) and the Panasonic DMX_TZ70, best price £205 from Citiwide Technologies. The Fuji has a neat fold-out viewscreen which is a nice feature and the Panasonic has a Leica lens - I once had a Lumix model which had superb IQ but no viewfinder so had to go.

Grateful for any suggestions/thoughts, but I have to have it sorted and bought within 4 weeks.

Rob
 
Well, I have a Fuji X20 and that works well although I didn't bring it on my current trip. A Canon G16 is with me this time... Not sure what they have come down to,the next version must be on the way soon.
 
Rob,

I am just about to put my Panasonic GX1 in the classifieds. I've had it about 3 or 4 years but used it very little, so it is in excellent condition. It has the LVF2 viewfinder which I bought as an accessory for close on £200. I'd sell it with or without the 14-42 kit lens. Price £200/£250.

If you think you might be interested we can take it further.

jerry
 
Hi Jerry. I won't rule it out... I'm just a little concerned that as it's not a retractable lens and the viewfinder is sat on top it wont be as portable as, say, the Panasonic TZ70. Go ahead and put it in the classifieds and need case I'll be in touch.

All the best
Rob
 
The Panasonic LF1 has a small but usable viewfinder, a 1/1.7 sensor, a useful zoom and is incredibly small.
 
Barryboy said:
Hi Jerry. I won't rule it out... I'm just a little concerned that as it's not a retractable lens and the viewfinder is sat on top it wont be as portable as, say, the Panasonic TZ70. Go ahead and put it in the classifieds and need case I'll be in touch.

All the best
Rob
Click to expand...

It's not a compact as such, no.
 
Thanks, Odd Jim. Some interesting reading, there, but nothing that addresses my particular query.

Ian5pa - good shout for the LF1. I'll do some research on that one.

Rob.
 
odd jim said:
There have been loads of threads on this lately!
Click to expand...
Yes I thought this one was one of the other threads popping up again. Why have compacts become interesting all at once? Is it the holiday time? Maybe they should start a new sub forum: "Which compact camera? " Although those threads do seem to aim for different cameras, they all start with a common complaint.
 
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Yes many do tend to follow fashion, rather than pick something that is right for the job. But actually it's best to have one of each type of camera just to be sure.
 
Also I think manufacturers have upped their game over the last few years due to the onslaught of phone cameras, as a result we have some very interesting and capable compacts.
 
Barryboy said:
Hi... Looking to acquire a compact for holiday/"days out" use to avoid lugging my DSLR kit about. Budget is £200-250 and must have a viewfinder (simply can't get on with just a viewscreen, particularly when the sun is shining), a zoom lens and RAW capability. I don't mind something used as long as it's in top condition. Two that have caught my eye are Fuji X30 (best price I can find is £255 from a company called eglobalcentral.co.uk) and the Panasonic DMX_TZ70, best price £205 from Citiwide Technologies. The Fuji has a neat fold-out viewscreen which is a nice feature and the Panasonic has a Leica lens - I once had a Lumix model which had superb IQ but no viewfinder so had to go.

Grateful for any suggestions/thoughts, but I have to have it sorted and bought within 4 weeks.

Rob
Click to expand...

I would not bother with the Panasonic TZ70 it has a tiny little 1/2.3 sensor. I have the Panasonic TZ55 and it also has a tiny little 1/2.3 sensor, the images from it are terrible, and my iphone probably takes better images. I only use the Panasonic, for in the park when I want to zoom into wild life while doing video. I also have an old Fuji X10 and the images from this are lovely, as it has a 2/3 sensor. I prefer the images from the bigger sensor, but not pocketable.

I too am looking for a pocketable compact, and I am currently torn between the Canon S120 1/1.7 sensor at £180 and the Sony RX100 mk1 at £240 but has a much bigger 1 inch sensor. Going to have a nose at both, at some point :)

NOTE: Neither have a viewfinder, so those cameras may not suit you !
 
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To sum up this thread, I've got a rather nice D610 and a good range of lenses but as for lugging them around on holiday?? No chance! I think more and more us (particularly if, like me, you'll never see 60 again...) have reached the same conclusion. However I still want good quality results, and I want to be able to make a good print if against all the odds I get a really good photograph. This calls for a decent camera fitted with good glass, able to be manipulated to a certain degree and reasonably portable. I don't need it to be pocketable; weight is obviously a consideration but in my experience it's the lenses that weigh the bag down more than the camera body, and a lot of cameras have controls too small for my goal-keeper sized hands and stubby fingers. :(

No doubt we will see more of these threads as the quality gets higher, more and more models become available and people are looking for advice/guidance on the cameras they have narrowed their choices down to. I've had a good response from this thread and thanks to all who posted, but I haven't found a third option that fits my criteria. Reviews tend to favour the Fuji very slightly for IQ and handling, yet give the Panasonic praise for the 30x zoom range and it's retractable lens. Whilst I haven't pulled the trigger yet I am leaning more towards the Fujifilm X30 than the Panasonic..... decisions, decisions.....

Rob
 
The other half bought me a Panasonic TZ60 just before last Christmas and I have been very impressed with it. The zoom range is great, the menus etc. are easy to master, the camera is easily pocketable and although small, the viewfinder is a bonus.

I cannot remember the model of Panasonic compact that I had previously, but the screen was very difficult to see when using the camera in bright conditions but I was pleasantly surprised at the brightness of the screen on the TZ60 and how infrequently I have had to use the viewfinder.
 
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