P/S for serious shooter

[john_n._wall]

I'm looking for a digital p/s camera and I'm accustomed to shooting with

high-end 35 mm film cameras. I do not now have a digital camera; this will be my

first step into digital shooting (though I do scan film, use Photoshop, and

print digitally).

 

I find the digital p/s feature sets to be confusing and overly complex. Please

help me sort out what's important.

 

I want something small and solid, with perhaps a zoom lens with a wide-angle to

short telephoto range (perhaps 28-105 equivalent), with high image sharpness,

low distortion, low noise in the 100-400 ISO range, with little shutter lag and

aperture priority as well as the usual program modes. Manual settings would be a

bonus but not required. Might as well throw in image stabilization.

 

What else am I not thinking of? What choices do I have? What cameras should I

look at?

[emre]

Fujifilm FinePix F40fd. No stabilization, but good otherwise.

[michael s.]

The Fuji doesn't start at 28mm wide.

 

But the Canon SD800 IS does. So do various Panasonic/Leica p & s models -- and they offer i.s. as well. The Panasonics and Leicas shoot at 28mm in the wider format.

 

But those cameras are more often criticized for excessive noise above iso 200, whereas lower noise at higher iso is said to be Fuji's strength.

 

But many say that lower noise in the Fuji p & s family comes with a "tax" -- missing detail due to aggressive noise reduction. And others point out that the Fujis don't offer enough control over image parameters either.

 

But if want more control and you're willing to forego zoom altogether, there's the Ricoh GR-D with a 28mm single focal length (equivalent of course) and it offers raw. Some of the street photo enthusiasts I 'know' (on pnet and elsewhere) like the Ricoh very much.

 

But the Ricoh is pricey and some aren't so happy with its noise either.

 

But there are the newer G7 from Canon and P5000 from Nikon -- seemingly solidly built little guys with rather extensive manual controls and real but small optical viewfinders (an extra cost add-on for Ricoh, and not offered at all on Fuji F models, Leica, or Panasonic).

 

But the G7 and the P5000 don't start at 28mm either, and neither offers raw. And the G7 is missing the nifty -- and to me, very usable -- tilt/swivel lcd offered on prior G series Canons and the Canon A630/640 as well. That's a great feature for discreet photos, and low-angle and off-angle shooting.

 

But ........

 

See where I'm going with this, John ? :-)

[godfrey]

The ones I'd look at are the RIcoh GX100, Ricoh GR-D, Panasonic LX2, Panasonic TZ2,

Panasonic TZ3, Fuji F30, and Fuji F31. No one of them does everything you are looking for,

but all of them will return good quality and a reasonable feature set.

 

I have had the Panny LX1 and now have the Fuji F30. Both work well, the Fuji is more

capable for what I like in a compact. But for something akin to what I used to have in a

Leica CL or Rollei 35S ... there is nothing in a compact, fixed lens digicam that really does

it well. My solution is a Panasonic *ist DS body with a DA21 Limited lens ... a little larger,

more capabilities, good responsiveness.

 

Godfrey

[alex_langer]

If you are shooting with high-end 35MM film cameras, do you not already have lenses for such a camera? If so, why not go to a digital system that utilizes those lenses.

[brian_goodman]

You can do some very serious photography with small compact cameras. I hate the term "point and shoot". My 20D is a point and shoot if you choose to use it that way.

 

I have the Fuji F30 and a Canon G7 and the S3IS. Each one can offer total control over your image.

I've shot what I have considered "serious" Landscapes with each one. It's the way that you approach it. Tripod mount them and control your image, just like you would with your DSLR, and your results may suprise you.

 

All I have is my 20D and 17-55 F2.8IS and 10-22 to judge these compact cameras with. The one that comes the closes to my DSLR with smaller prints and web work is the F30. But they all give an excellent image when I approach them the same way as I would my DSLR.

[dg1]

There's lots to pick from. I would check out some of the following, (some of these would be in the used or refurbished market, but still good cameras):

 

For compacts..

Canon G7

Ricoh GX8

Ricoh GR-D (incl RAW)

Ricoh GX100 (incl RAW)

Panasonic LX1 and LX2 (incl RAW)

Leica equivalents of the panasonics above (incl RAW)

Fujifilm E900, F810, F700 (incl RAW)

 

other all-in-ones (not compact)

 

Sony R1 (incl RAW)

Fujifilm S6000fd, S9100 (incl RAW)

KM A1, A2, A200 (incl RAW)

Leica digilux 2 and it's twin: (not sure if these shoot RAW files)

Panasonic DMC LC1

 

Canon G6, G5 (incl RAW)

[dzeanah]

When shopping for one recently I chose the Fuji F30. Looks like there's a pattern forming...

[rjacksonphoto]

I've been very happy with the Canon SD800IS. It doesn't offer aperture priority but does have multiple metering modes (including spot), esposure compensation, image stabilization, and a 28mm f/2.8 lens at the wide end. I also have been pleased, so far, with the Nikon P5000 and ists much more extensive exposure control options.<div></div>

[pbizarro]

The obvious camera is the new Ricoh GX100: 24-72mm zoom lens, RAW, image stabilization, aperture priority, manual mode, etc, etc. Robust and easy to use.

 

The top two rows of photos in this page are from the GX100:

 

http://paulobizarro.com/tema.asp?id=34

 

I bought a Panasonic TZ3 for my wife. It is a very good travel camera, but a bit frustating for more serious use (it lacks aperture priority, and in Program mode it almost always defaults to wide open, with inherent light fall-off in the corners).

 

The G7 is a serious contender too, but the lack of RAW may put you off.