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View Full Version : Canon S80 vs Panasonic DMC-LX1


Militaris
01-11-2006, 06:19 PM
I am still looking for a secondary camera....

Budget
Not important, but want value for money.

Size
Compact-Ultra Compact.

Features
Manual controls would be nice.

General Usage
Taking tramping/hiking, into areas where a Canon S2, or Pana FZ20 would be annoyling bulky.

Would take a few indoor photos.
Might use to take photos of Birds/wild life. Could be in dim forest. I plan to purchase a underwater case.

Miscellaneous
Are there particular brands you like or hate?
I am currently looking at one of two cameras, They are the Canon S80, which I quite like, but it is fairly expensive. The other camera is the Panasonic DMC-LX1 which my mother likes, but is also expensive. (And also lacks a water proof case which means it would not suit my needs... but ignore the need for a water proof case for this comparison).

How would the two above cameras compare (In terms of image quality, general preformance) with the Canon PowerShot A620. Which is quite a bit cheaper, although it does not have wide angle lens.

coldrain
01-11-2006, 07:16 PM
The tele range of these two cameras do not really make them suitable for wildlife photography... The S80 is a lot better than the LX1. The LX1 is a rather noisy thing with a bit drab colours. It has image stabilization, but that is not really a plus at these focal lengths... IS is not a great tool for making low light photos, unless the subject is still. Maybe in museums where flash is not allowed it starts to be very handy.

So, image quality wise, the S80 wins hands down (so it is the better camera), also in menu structure and panoramic mode. The LX1 is a bit more compact I think.

Militaris
01-11-2006, 07:35 PM
Thanks for the reply.

It would only be used to take opportunist wild life photos, I agree a ultra zoom is better (Thats why I own a Canon S2 IS). Just need a more compact camera.

How does the S80 compare with the A620 in terms of image quality?

coldrain
01-12-2006, 03:54 AM
They both perform well, just take a look at the image galleries from Jeff Keller's reviews.

Sample A620:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a620-review/IMG_0011.JPG

Sample S80:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_s80-review/IMG_0010.JPG

danielg
01-12-2006, 06:56 PM
Which of the two photos do you think has a better image quality? I honestly can't tell the difference maybe because I am a total newbie.