suggestions for a new camera

[aladin9]

...hi to everyone...I'm from italy and let me say that this site and this forum is really great!...I write you to have some suggestion about a new camera, beacuse my Canon ixus 800is after my last holiday doesn't feel very well...honestly it's been so long that i didn't read reviews about cameras, I heard a lot about Fuji FinePix F100fd, but I don't know so much...so I ask you which is the best camera I could buy with a budget of 400/500 $ ?

I advancely thank you

[KCook]

Most of the highest priced point-and-shoot cameras are SLR-types. The Fuji F100fs is an ultracompact. In my personal view it's hard to justify spending more than 300USD for a little ultracompact. But that's just me. You can do a search of this forum on most any camera model of interest to you. Did you mean to limit your selection to ultracompacts like that Fuji? Or would you also consider an SLR-type?

Kelly Cook

[aladin9]

hi and thank you so much for your answer...SLR-types means that are like my Canon ixus 800is? (a bit bigger than an ultracompact?) Honestly I didn't know that the fuji was an ultracompact...I absolutly consider the SLR-type (I agree with you that it's hard to justify spending more than 300USD for a little ultracompac)...When I bought my canon the choice was between the canon ixus 800 and the fuji f30, because I had read in all the reviews that those two camere were the best...so now I'd like to find the best and more complete camera in the range of 400/500 $

thanks again for your help

[KCook]

The Fuji F100fd is 0.9 inches thick (with lens retracted). As a loose rule cameras around the 1 inch thickness or less get the ultracompact label.

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/cameraDetail.php?cam=1145

The SLR-like cameras fall mostly into the 300-400USD price range. They are bulky enough that they need a camera bag. Cannot be considered pocket cameras.

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/cameraDetail.php?cam=1211

Once the price gets near 500USD that is also the low end for DSLR cameras. Which are SLR-like too, but use nice interchangable lenses. They do pretty much everything better than a point-and-shoot. Except video, which they cannot do at all.

Kelly

[S_p_i_d_e_r]

Fuji F100fd is an ultracompact camera (good at higher ISO settings, wide angle lens, but no manual modes), Fuji S100fs is an SLR-like camera (also called bridge or ultrazoom) sporting 28-400 stabilised lens with SLR-like manual zoom, full manual controls and very good picture quality, but it costs around $600-700.

Other interesting SLR-like cameras include Panasonic DMC-FZ18/FZ28 and Canon S5 IS (watch out as it has no RAW capability and no real wide angle at 36mm).

[aladin9]

hi...thank you for your answers...now I understand what you mean for SLR-like cameras...no, they are not what I would like to buy, I think I prefer compact camera like the fuji F100fd...so in this category what camera do you suggest me around 400$ (if it's less i'm more happy ) ? (I read good things also about panasonic lumix dmc tz5)

thanks again for your help

[AndyfromVA]

The Panasonic TZ5 is a good choice if you're mainly going to use it outdoors. It has a very long zoom for a small camera, which is useful outdoors but not indoors. If you're going to be taking a lot of indoor pictures the Fuji F100fd is probably the best small camera available at this point, as it produces low noise photos at higher ISO's than other small cameras (such as those made by Nikon, Canon or Panasonic).

[aladin9]

thanks for the answer, last question...there's a compact camera that could be good as for indoor as for outdoor? ('cause i will use it for both) if the choice should be between these two, which do you suggest me?..thanks again

[AndyfromVA]

I like the picture quality of the Sony H50, both indoors and outdoors. It has a long 15x optical zoom and a lot of cool features. It's a large but lightweight SLR-type camera. I also like the picture quality, indoors and outdoors, of the smaller, less expensive Sony H10. The H10 is a small SLR-type camera with a 10x optical zoom.

[aladin9]

I think my choice will be from:

-fuji f100fd
-fuji j150w
-panasonic tz5
-panasonic dmc fx37

there are some new models in the next few months that it is better to wait?

[KCook]

One of those listed that jumped at me was the Fuji J150. This is a coming model, no reviews yet. I'm happy with my Fuji F45fd, but I think the Fuji J150 is not a good fit for your list. For shoppers the J150 will bring a nice lens at a nice price. But otherwise the specs do not generate much excitement. Quite a bit lower priced than the rest of your list, as it's more of a modest price camera. If you did mean to consider cameras at that price level, then I would suggest replacing it with the Panasonic FS20 or Sony W130. In fact, seems a bit odd that there are no Sony cameras on your list.

So far I have not seen any announcements for the new Fall cameras from Canon or Sony. Might as well hold off until that is known.

Kelly

[aladin9]

last question
ok, so now the choice is:
-fuji f100fd
-panasonic tz5
-panasonic dmc fx37

I know that the one that works better with low light is the fuji, but with full light which is better? which has the best colours?

thanks

[KCook]

My Fuji is not the F100fd, what I have is the Ritz version of the F40fd. Which I have been happy with outdoors. But I do take issue with its auto WhiteBalance function. Outdoor shots in Auto mode looked a little too yellowish to me. This is easily corrected by taking the WB off Auto and setting it to Fine Day (or whatever the label is for full sunlight). But still a niggle. Especially when full Auto mode for the camera means the WB is also stuck in its Auto mode. Here is a link to some sample shots to see what I mean -

http://needsabeach.com/Albums/Fujifilm%20F45fd/HTML_Index/index.html

I have not tested the F100fd, don't know if it shares this characteristic with the less expensive F45fd. And have no clue what the auto WB story is for the Pannys. But if you expect to shoot away in full Auto mode a lot, this is something to check.

no help Kelly

[aladin9]

i find this site: http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM
where you can compare two cameras...i have tried to compare f100fd with tz5...it's seems to me that the colours of thef uji are more dark than the panasonic, but in general i didn't understand which one is better...i think i need an opinion of a pro...if someone have time...

thank you

[AndyfromVA]

The TZ5 is excellent for outdoor shooting because of its sharp Leica lens, long zoom and good colors. It makes more sense than the Fuji F100fd (in my opinion) if most of your photography is going to be outdoors.

[aladin9]

hi thanks for your answer...you know what, this morning I was quite sure about the fuji, now I can say that I prefer the panasonic...the only thing is that the tz5 is a bit bigger than the others compacts...(so maybe the panasonic fx 37 could be a good solution, but it's to early to know something)...I really don't know what to do
as regards the canon's, the only one with 28mm is the 870...are arriving new models with wide angle?

[KCook]

Good question about new Canons for this Fall. I expect a lot of us are wondering exactly the same thing. BTW, that Canon SD870 is an outstanding camera. Personally I would lean more toward it than the Panny TZ jobs. But I don't lust for big zoom range either.

Kelly

[aladin9]

so do you suggest me a stand-by and wait some canon's news...and if there will be nothing intresting I will but the tz5?

[KCook]

So long as the wait doesn't kill you, why not? Canon does have some "catch up" ahead of it to keep up with all the other WA cameras now on the market (just look at the latest Sony W-series). So it would not surprise me if they came up with some new WA models this Fall.

Kelly

[mark.taylor156]

Hi, I suggest you Fuji FinePix F100fd, It can detect the subject from any angle & will automatically adjust the focus and brightness. I recently bought it from http://www.checkcost.co.uk/digital-cameras/c/4368/pageindex/0/. It’s really fabulous; I am enjoying the quality of picture I get from it.