Help purchasing a point and shoot

<p>I normally use a Canon 7D and I also have a 30D. I use L lenses and a powergrip. I am having back issues and am finding carrying around a heavy camera, camera bag with multiple lenses, etc. too much for me at times. I would like to purchase a good quality point and shoot. I shoot in the raw. Lens quality, speed are also important to me. I did have a Canon G9 and had a horrible experience with it (I understand there was a problem with an internal screw). Canon let me trade it back in. I was going to purchase another Canon when I noticed my photography teacher using a Lumix. Now, I am open to any and all suggestions. I probably will use this for travel, family events, indoor shooting and times when I just can not carry heavy equipment.<br>

Suggestions?<br>

And thanks<br>

Leah</p>

Pretty easy choice at the moment. Canon S100 if you want something pocketable, Fuji X10 if you are willing to carry something a bit larger. Alternatives are worse, in different ways. If you decide on the S100, make sure you can return it, because DPreview has so far received two samples with decentered lenses.

<p>There are better alternatives, like some from Lumix or Nikon, but for the best small size get Sony NEX-5 or the newer NEX-7.</p>

<p>Leah:</p>

<p>I have a Fuji X100 to complement my full sized DSLRs. I'm extremely happy with it. If you want a zoom, I'd look at the Fuji X10, but the downside is a much smaller sensor.</p>

<p>Eric</p>

<p>A budget and more sizing info would help...The recommendations thus-far are all over the map, size and moneywise ...</p>

<p>"I would like to purchase a <em>good quality</em> point and shoot. I shoot in the <em>raw</em>. <em>Lens quality, speed</em> are also important to me."</p>

<p>I have a Panasonic/Leica P&S but do not use it except for small scale (5x7 inch max) images. With its smaller than finger nail sensor, I don't expect it to give what one might call <em>good</em> performance, that similar to a larger sensor system camera. But you appear to be in luck as some of the newer large sensor P&S cameras offer very good quality. There are several to choose from, between about $500 and $1200 or so (Fuji X100). If you want something light that will be as good in quality as your larger cameras, it is probably best to stay away from the very small sensor P&S models. A number of reviews do good comparisons of specs and performance of the newer large sensor P&S cameras.</p>

<p>I am open to a mid-size point and shoot and would entertain any budget for quality. I just want to be able to take pictures without my back killing me at the end of the day. Quality is very important to me. I would like to come close to reproducing the quality I am use to. Any suggestions would be appreciated. </p>

<p>Canon S95 was the best P&S until the S100 came out. It is still a great little camera and can be had at a real bargain price right now. http://www.adorama.com/ICAS95.html </p>

<p>The new Sony NEX 7 is <strong>wonderful</strong> but spendy. I picked up a Samsung NX100. 14.6MP, APS-C sensor plus the lenses are very good, plus other manual focus lenses, and EOS lenses can adapt. I picked up mine on eBay, new, open box, with the kit 20-50mm zoom for under $250. Downside: no anti-shake with this kit lens though others have it. But a nice, small body, easy carry. A slight bit more noise than my Canon 7D but very nice quality for the money. For shirt pocket size I use a Canon S95. Better IQ than my old G9 and way smaller.</p><div></div>

<p>To see the Samsung NX100 performance with manual focus lenses look here:<br /> <a href="../canon-fd-camera-forum/00ZTdA">http://www.photo.net/canon-fd-camera-forum/00ZTdA</a></p>

<p>Here's one shot with the Canon FD 50 mm macro lens at ISO 200 and a 50% crop.</p><div></div>

<p>1. Ep3, Epl3<br>

2. Nex 7, 5n<br>

3. Fuji X100<br>

4. Nikon J/V1</p>

<p>I would consider these, each has its own strenghs and weaknesses, of course...</p>

<p>Louis, aren't adapted EOS lenses stuck at wide-open aperture though?</p>

<p>I honestly don't know. Perhaps you are correct. I've seen the NX-EOS adapters but I've only used manual focus lenses</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Lens quality, speed are also important to me.<br /> Quality is very important to me.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Then I would strongly advise against a P&S.</p>

<p>I recently "upgraded" my wife from a Nikon D60 to a Sony NEX 5N because she wanted something smaller and lighter. If you are willing to use 3rd party manual focus lenses or wait a bit until some higher quality NEX lenses are coming out (not that the kit lens is horrendous), I think that is a good option, given that is "as cheap" as some other alternatives with smaller sensors. It is surprisingly light. An E-P3 would be another choice (have not used it but I have used the E-P2 and was quite impressed).</p>

<p>I got to use a Fuji X10 the other day. It's quite nice! The best parts are it's fast lens, lightening quick autofocus, almost "zero" shutter lag and very solid build and dials. Don't buy anything without trying this one!</p>

<p>There are lots of good choices in this range these days, each with its own tradeoffs in terms of price & capability. About a year ago my choice of Lumix LX-5 seemed relatively clear to me -- fast 24-90 zoom, hotshoe, and (what seemed to me) better build & ergonomics vs. the S90/S95. Canon's successor S100 remains the only truly pocketable model of the bunch, but at the cost of the hotshoe and a slightly slower lens. Since then, the Olympus XZ-1 and Fuji X10 have emerged in similar mold. One remaining plus for the LX-5 is a 24mm equiv wide end while the others make do with 28mm, but they offer a little more reach. The X10 appears to pair the fast zoom with the largest sensor of the bunch and an attractive body including a Canon G-series-like optical viewfinder.</p>

<p>As impressive as the X10 is, its price and size makes me want to compare it a bit with micro 4/3 system bodies too. At $700 it goes for nearly twice what an LX5 goes for now, and $700 will also buy you a m4/3 kit -- for example, a G3 with 14-42 std zoom and high-quality EVF goes for $650. The lens isn't as fast or long but the larger sensor and lens-swapping capability mitigates that a bit.</p>

Leah, I think the recommendations for micro 4/3 (Olympus EP and Panasonic GF) are misguided. Avoiding its right side, the DPreview studio comparison widget shows that the Canon S100 is superior to them up to ISO 1600 or so, and to the GF3 even afterwards. Moreover the EP and GF cameras are tested with excellent prime lens, not the crappy kit lenses they are sold with, so the studio comparison is unfair, though they lose anyway. Oly/Panny sensors are overdue for an upgrade.

 

Sony NEX sure, if you are satisfied with the lens selection. Not at all pocketable, though. Or the Samsung NX, which has a better lens selection. Both are APS-C.

<blockquote>

<p><em>"Leah, I think the recommendations for micro 4/3 (Olympus EP and Panasonic GF) are misguided. Avoiding its right side, the DPreview studio comparison widget shows that the Canon S100 is superior to them up to ISO 1600 or so, and to the GF3 even afterwards."</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Leah or anyone else interested, I would encourage you to <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/studiocompare.asp#baseDir=%2Freviews_data&cameraDataSubdir=boxshot&indexFileName=boxshotindex.xml&presetsFileName=boxshotpresets.xml&showDescriptions=false&headerTitle=Studio%20scene&headerSubTitle=Standard%20studio%20scene%20comparison&masterCamera=canon_s100&masterSample=img_0067.acr&slotsCount=4&slot0Camera=canon_s100&slot0Sample=img_0067.acr&slot0DisableCameraSelection=true&slot0DisableSampleSelection=true&slot0LinkWithMaster=true&slot1Camera=oly_xz1&slot1Sample=p1170596.acr&slot2Camera=panasonic_dmclx5&slot2Sample=p1000045.acr&slot3Camera=panasonic_dmcg3&slot3Sample=p1-400080.acr&x=-0.6817042606516293&y=0.4845177511460165">check this for yourself</a> -- I think this interpretation might be open for debate.</p>

<blockquote>

<p><br />Leah, I think the recommendations for micro 4/3 (Olympus EP and Panasonic GF) are misguided</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Sure, Bill, although the m4/3 IQ isn't up to today's great standard, the AF is much faster than all P&S except maybe the recent nikon JV1. AF speed could be a big part of the equation, no? Who cares about IQ when the photo is miss focused, right? Besides...m4/3rd has the best lens selection including speedy fast primes. Isn't the S100 pretty slow (f4-5.9) in the tele ranges? What ISO range would she have to in inside light, 3200--12800?</p>

<p>Lastly, unless they fixed the AF/shutter significantly in the s100, it's just too slow for anything moving imo, no matter how good the IQ is, and the IQ isn't all that...</p>

<p> </p>

<p>if it does not have to be pocketable but has to be reasonably light and small, how about a digital rebel and a fixed lens ( such as 28/1.8 or 50/1.4).. this way you do not much compromise image quality and yet can use whatever other lenses you already own on a given day..</p>

<p>I understand your desire for something light. I have been exploring this space for a while and rented a Sony Nex 5 a while ago. My experience was pretty positive with it. If you want to see my full thoughts visit http://www.e2photo.net/e2Photography,_LLC/Blog/Entries/2011/1/20_Nex-5_Camera.html<br>

Based on this experience, I have been waiting to see Nikon's position (now the 1 bodies) and see Sony's 5N and Nex 7. Before the end of the year, I will pick up a camera such as these as camera/video option in a small form.<br>

What struck me about the Nex-5 was how similar the images were with my Nikon D700 up to an ISO of 800. What I did not like about the Sony series was the ability to control external strobe units.</p>

Leslie, what you say about AF speed was not true of older m4/3 models. Imaging-resource.com measured the EP1 at .983 to 1.19 second, whereas they measured the F200EXR P&S at .49 to .451 second - twice as fast. Moreover the EP1 produces many misfocused images with moving subjects. The new EP3 is faster, .205 to .267 second, about the same as a Nikon D40 DSLR or F300EXR P&S.

 

But point taken, Canon P&S models have relatively slow AF. The S95 measured .617 to .641 second. The S100 has not yet been tested. This is one reason I recommended the Fuji X10.

<p>Give the G12 some consideration. I carry one along with my 7D all the time. At low ISO settings it's very impressive and the auto-HDR feature is pretty cool. I find it quite usable easily at ISO 800 and even 1600. It's really a very nice little camera that would probably take care of most of my photographic needs, if I'm being honest (and humble!). The list of features is pretty awesome too!</p>

<p>Sobering how fast things change. The LX-5 looked pretty obvious to me a year ago as well; now it hardly gets a mention. But, the other side of this is that the cameras that are now out of date still produce the same photos they did a year ago. I'm happy with my LX-5. With digital, it's expensive to stay at the leading (bleeding?) edge.</p>

<p>Yeah, Bill, I was only speaking of the ep3 variants...should of made myself more clear. </p>