Need advice. Disappointed with the selection

[Vric]

Hi Everyone !

I'm looking to change my good old Nikon Coolpix 950. I was sure it would be an easy upgrade, but look like I have bigger shoot to fill than I was thinking. After hours of research, I came with few camera on my list. The Canon S2 IS, Panasonic FZ5, Panasonic FZ20 and Finepix 5200.

So yesterday, I'm doing some shopping and I was looking for those camera.


First I see is the Canon S2.. What a disappointment. It's nice size, it hold nicely, but the body look so cheap! Did they use Fisher-price plastic or what ? Nothing to compare with my old Coolpix.

Then I saw the Finepix 5200. Sadly, the camera had no battery so I couldn't "play" with it. The Overall feel is good, look less cheaper than the Canon (which cost near 200$ more) but it still look like a wannabe camera.

Then I hunt the Panasonic. FZ5... way too small for me.. next.. Then I saw the FZ-30.. Wow.. This is a camera. Very impressed, but it's out of my price range. Still hunting the FZ-20 with the good feeling of the FZ-30 in memory. Find it.. What a letdown ! Nothing, I say nothing to do with his bigger brother. It look cheap, and feel cheap.

Now I'm stuck. I was looking for an upgrade, but I really have no idea anymore.

Canon S2 IS: Cheap looking. Look well built, but the feel of it is a bit cheap.


Finepix S5200: Look nice, nice grip, but couldn't play with it. It's also quite new and there is no "real" review yet.. XD memory is also a big down side.

Panasonic FZ5: Way to small. It look more like a gadget than a camera.

Panasonic FZ20: Very disappointed with the built quality.

So I need your help. Here is what I need / What I do:

- Sport pictures. Mostly outside racing. (Rally, F1, Le Mans)
- Macro pictures. Not too small object, but I need very good detail
- I have big hands, and I love to use them both on a camera :D


- I have many CF and SD memory. I have lot of NIMH AA Battery and Nikon SB22s flash. It could be no use them on the new camera, but it's not a must.

- Need a 7X zoom or more.

- Budget is about 600usd


I know DSLR would be better (I have a Nikon D70) but I'm looking for a "smaller" camera that can do everything without 3000$ worth of lens. With the D70, I'm over the 2000$ spent, and I still have no macro lens. I need 2 camera, this is why I'm not looking for a DSLR again.

I have read on some forum that it was nearly impossible to take racing sport pictures with a bridge camera (like those higher) Is it true ? My old Coolpix 950, even with a shutter lag, is able to make nice picture. I just need bigger pictures (2Mpix is too small for printing) and bigger zoom.

I which Nikon would have something to offer in this budget. Look like they stopped with the 8800 last year, that is still selling for the last year price and is quite slow. Sad..

Help me, I'm completely disappointed with all my research. I'm not a professional photographer, but I want good pictures. Nice pictures = fun. Fun = satisfaction :D

Thanks for reading all this message. I know it was long.

[pas49ras]

I found a good review at http://www.photoxels.com/fujifilm-s5200.html on the new 5200...and bought one shortly after reading it. I own a Coolpix 8800 and have been frustrated by the poor low light preformance and slow focusing. The Fuji is much better in both these areas. I have been very impressed with the feel and preformance of the camera and would recomend giving it a close look...good luck with you choice.:D

[Vric]

Hi

Thanks for the input. Could you comment on the speed of the camera ?
How fast it work, how is the focusing speed etc..

Is it possible to track an object (auto focus) with any of those camera ? (called Servo I think) My 950 can do this if I old the shutter button half pressed in manual mode, but I'm wondering if it's possible to do this with those camera.

Like I said, I'm doing racing sport pictures, so a fast focus speed and low lag time is important (even if the lag is quite high on my Coolpix, after missing few shot, you get used to it :D)

Since the Fuji is the cheapest of the bunch, the XD memory wouldn't be too much a problem.

Thanks

[cdifoto]

- Budget is about 600usd


I know DSLR would be better (I have a Nikon D70) but I'm looking for a "smaller" camera that can do everything without 3000$ worth of lens. With the D70, I'm over the 2000$ spent, and I still have no macro lens. I need 2 camera, this is why I'm not looking for a DSLR again.

First, what lens(es) do you already have for your D70? Surely you have some decent ones if you have $2000 invested so far.

You'd be better off putting that $600 towards a lens to fill a gap in your shooting needs rather than buying a point and shoot to be annoyed with.

Advising what lens(es) to buy without knowing what you already have would be impossible though.

[Vric]

You'd be better off putting that $600 towards a lens to fill a gap in your shooting needs rather than buying a point and shoot to be annoyed with.



True, but I need 2 camera. As of today, my Coolpix 950 is still as usefull as the D70. This is why I look at a "advenced Point and shoot" camera.

As for the lens, nothing exceptional. I have a Nikon 18-200mm and 70-300mm (cheap)

[cdifoto]

True, but I need 2 camera. As of today, my Coolpix 950 is still as usefull as the D70. This is why I look at a "advenced Point and shoot" camera.

As for the lens, nothing exceptional. I have a Nikon 18-200mm and 70-300mm (cheap)

You already have a D70 so I fail to see why

A) You believe you need 2 cameras,
B) You won't use the dSLR you already own,
C) You would rather try to find a P&S,
D) You would rather struggle to do with a P&S what that D70 would let you do easily with the proper lens.

I suggest (my opinion only) that you sell the 70-300mm and the 18-200 and use the $600 plus selling price of 70-300 & 18-200 and maybe a little more (depending what the lenses sell for) to get the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 and something for the wide end like maybe the Nikon kit lens (or better, depending how much you use that end). For the most part that should give you speed and reach to get those sports, and your wide end would be covered for family/casual/group photos and general walking around.

I'm in Canon so I'm not up on Nikon lenses so someone else could probably suggest something better for the wide end. I know you'd be happy with the 70-200 and MAYBE miss that 100mm of reach on the long end that your current tele has but I doubt it. I was shooting a high school football game with a Nikon guy and he loved his 70-200 f/2.8.

IF you need a helluva lot of reach and can spare the dough AND you only shoot sports in daylight...then you could forego the 70-200, keep the 18-200 for general walkaround (or sell it too and use your current P&S for walkaround), sell the 70-300, and get the Sigma 50-500mm aka Bigma for about $900USD new or $750-850 on the used market. It's big, slow, and heavy but it has insane reach and darn good image quality and awesome when you have the light.

[Rex914]

True, but I need 2 camera. As of today, my Coolpix 950 is still as usefull as the D70. This is why I look at a "advenced Point and shoot" camera.

As for the lens, nothing exceptional. I have a Nikon 18-200mm and 70-300mm (cheap)

I hope you mean the Nikon 28-200 because the 18-200 isn't even sold in stores yet!

[Vric]

Long story short, In race even, I often bring a friend with me to have 2 camera shooting. It's for fun, but I still enjoy good picture.

So I use the D70 (which is a gift for sport racing) and My Nikon 950 to my friend. I also use my 950 over my D70 for macro shooting one when I don't want to carry the whole set.

I don't say that I don't like my D70 (I love it) but I do need 2 camera and I don't want to go DSLR because it will be, once again, a money eater. I want a good camera out of the box, this is why I'm looking for a P&S camera as a second camera. I'm not looking for a D70 killer, I don't want to replace it :D

Thanks, and sorry for confusion