Panasonic DMC-FS5 or Sony DSC-W150

[jsmith4721]

I am going to Italy in a couple of weeks and searching for a good portable digital camera. After researching, I believe I want one of these two. I plan on not spending over $270 on a camera.

Which of these produces better pictures? Or would you suggest a different camera?


***** UPDATE ***** I am considering the Casio 1080, anyone have any opinions?

[KCook]

Both are attractive cameras. I downloaded full size sample shots from the reviews for these. Comparing those samples, the IQ of the Sony was a little more impressive than the Panasonic. Unfortunately the samples were by different reviewers, shooting different subjects under different lighting, so this is hardly a precision measure. Use at your own risk.

Very different flavor of camera, but an alternative at about the same $ bracket is the Nikon P5100. This is a chunkier compact, not a slim ultracompact. It features manual control and an external flash shoe. In contrast the Panasonic and Sony are auto-shooters. They give you some control via EV correction and Scene choices. Where the Nikon is more hands-on. Different strokes for different folks.

Kelly Cook

[jsmith4721]

Thank you for doing that research. Right now, though, I am in favor of the Panasonic because I believe it has the better lens and I have seen more reviews on it, but I am not a professional by any means.

**** Also I have started to consider the Casio 1080, does anyone have any opinions on this camera. I read that it had a bigger sensor and could produce better images.