Please help me find what I'm looking for!

[navarra]

I already own a canon 300d with several lenses, and I'm quite happy

with it. I have been looking for a "pocketable" digicam to bring

around all the time, just for candids and snapshots. The problem is,

there are 1000's of small digicams, and I'm not sure wich is good

for me. Here's a list of "features" I'd like:

 

1) Small (pocketable). I want to bring it with me all the time.

 

2) Fast focus and shutter. I like candids so maybe this is the most

important point.

 

3) Decent image quality (4mpixels, no big image problems but I'd

like at least acceptable enlargments). RAW mode would be great :)

 

4) Compact flash memory is a plus, since I already own several cards

and won't have to buy more.

 

5) Aperture (or shutter) priority. I know 99% of compact digicams

are full auto and I can live with it, still I'd like some manual

control.

 

Well, that's pretty much it. I know maybe I'm asking too much, but

there are so many cameras out today that I believe there must be

something at least very close to what I need.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Simone

[peter_daalder]

Simone, I also have the Canon 300D. <br>Have you considered the <a href="http://www.canon-europe.com/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/Digital/Digital_IXUS_500/index.asp?ComponentID=156549&SourcePageID=26181"> Digital IXUS 500?</a> Looks like a great camera to carry around in your pocket...

[patricklavoie]

Canon A serie, manual and all automatic, 5 million, not sure for the RAW part...

[rob_murray]

1) Small (pocketable). I want to bring it with me all the time.

2) Fast focus and shutter. I like candids so maybe this is the most important point.

3) Decent image quality (4mpixels, no big image problems but I'd like at least acceptable enlargments). RAW mode would be great :)

4) Compact flash memory is a plus, since I already own several cards and won't have to buy more.

5) Aperture (or shutter) priority. I know 99% of compact digicams are full auto and I can live with it, still I'd like some manual control.

 

The Fuji F10/F11 6.3mp up to 1600 speed,least shutter lag around would be your best bet. Sorry few compacts use compact flash anymore. XD or SD cards are the norm. The Canon A610/620 are also very good and have a usable 400 speed. The Canon has full manual and other modes, the F11 I think has added more of a manual mode than the F10.

[godfrey]

My choice for a pocketable is the Panasonic DMC-LX1. RAW, full manual control, fast/

responsive operation, excellent lens. In-camera JPEGs are a bit noisy at ISO 200 and 400, but

RAWs are clean. A3 sized prints look great.

 

Only thing that doesn't meet with your reqs is that it requires SD storage media.

 

Godfrey

[navarra]

Thank you very much, I'll check out all the cameras that were pointed out and see if I find one that makes my day :)

 

Simone

[douglas_green1]

The Canon Powershot S70 and Powershot A95 meet your needs 100%. The newer Canon A610 and A620 are faster, and have better focusing and shutter latency performance but they use SD cards rather than CF cards. I just went through this decision for myself as a compact alternative to my bigger film and DSLR cameras, and I personally selected the Canon A620, going for higher resolution (7+ MP). I already had SD as well as CF cards, so I was looking at both types myself.

[bengt_rehn]

All cameras mention above are of high quality, but in my opinion they are not small and light enough ( IXUS 500 is close) to be carried always, except if you always carry a handbag with you all the time. You will likely loss RAW and some manual control when going smaller, but that is the trade offs for getting those unexpected snapshots.

[navarra]

Thanks again. I've looked through many reviews of all the cameras you mentioned, and I must say I still cannot decide. Most cameras are good but are either too big or do not use CF's, and overall the image quality leaves a lot to be desired (I'm used to my 300D).

 

My feel is that there is the technology but the producers are not interested in creating a "better" compact camera, for fear that people would not be interested in more expensive DSLR's. For example, Canon removed RAW support from the S80 and all the smaller models have no manual control whatsoever. These are all software related things that could be there with no effort, still they are not there.

 

I'll keep looking at the cameras you presented me, and see if I can decide for one... thanks once again for helping me out!

 

Simone

[navarra]

I ended up buying the Powershot SD450, since to my opinion the pictures look as bad as most other digicams while the size makes it very pocketable. Since I couldn't find what I was looking for, I decided to go all the way in one direction and tought size is the main factor that would make me choose another camera over my 300D.

 

I wouldn't have tought of the small ixus without someone pointing it out, so thanks for helping me. I hope to post some nice images soon, so keep an eye on me^^

 

Simone