Looking for a P&S that also does HD Video

[tfa8rva]

I do aerial photography and videos with an rc plane, and i would like to upgrade my camera to something that will hd video. I'm currently using a Canon SD880IS, and I'm fairly happy with it, but I would like to upgrade.

Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.

+-$500

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?

No more than 140 to 170 grams

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?

At least 8mp and ability to shoot HD Video

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)

3x-4x Zoom with a wide angle lens (preferable, but not necessary)


* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)

At least an 8

Do you care for manual controls?

Yes!

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?

Aerial Photography and Video

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?

yes

*Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?

No

*Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?

No

Miscellaneous

*Are there particular brands you like or hate?

I like Canon and Lumix

*Are there particular models you already have in mind?

Canon SD780IS SD980IS or Lumix LX3

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)

Yes.....Need Wide Angle Lens and the ability to shoot HD Video

[David Metsky]

Here is the list of cameras with wide angle lenses, manual controls, HD video, with 3-5x zoom - http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/cameraList.php?search=1&manSearch=0&resSearch=0&lcdSearch=0&storageSearch=0&priceSearch=0&cameraTypeSearch=1&zoomSearch=2&lcdTypeSearch=0&batterySearch=0&HD_Movie_Search=Y&manCtrlSearch=Y&wideLensSearch=Y&submit.x=34&submit.y=3

You will notice there is only one camera listed. You'll need to change your requirements a bit, what are you willing to trade off?

[tfa8rva]

Well as long as I have some control of exposure and such, I don't need complete manual control. And by unchecking that box, the list grows considerably. Obviously I'm not expecting SLR type control out of a point and shoot, as long as its on par with what I have in my SD880, then I'd be okay with that.

[David Metsky]

Manual controls means Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority. Without those you have ISO, White Balance and scene modes. If you're happy with the controls on your SD880 then I'd look at the Canon SD940 and SD980, the LX3, and the Sony WX1.

[tfa8rva]

After doing a little research, I think I'm leaning toward the SD980. It has a wider lens than the 940, and it does 30fps compared to the LX3's 24fps. Thanks.

[nyer82]

I highly recommend the camera I just got Panasonic ZS3 or Tz7 if you're not North American. It shoots really great HD, has some great auto modes, and it has a nice 25mm wide lens. Unlike the canon, the controls aren't touch screen which I really don't like. The HD mode lets you zoom while shooting and gives the choice of using AVC-HD which compresses video more efficiently and saves space. Also has a 12x zoom, which combined with the 25mm is crazy.

It's a great little camera and you can get it for like $281 at b&h now. I love it! If you want manual controls, this won't be your camera though. But for a great point and shoot this is it!