Lumix LZ2 vs PowerShot A95

[huckknows]

I have been looking around for awhile, really would love one, and i am in Japan so the photo oppurtunities will be great.

I really like these two cameras, both about the same size, same features, and around the same price.

So with that known which one should i get? Is the image stabilizer seems like a nice feature, however i heard that the lumix has a bad lcd.

I really like the LCD in the powershot.

From reading reviews it seems like the PowerShot is better but i am drawn back to the Lumix, everytime i think of it, and i am not sure why.

What are your opinions, as being in the know, which camera would be best, most of the shots will likely be taken outside, and at a distance.

[speaklightly]

huck-

For me, at least, the fack that the LZ series from Panasonic have no optical viewfinder is a big thing. It overrides image stabilization. Certainly, a poor quality LCD is going to make a viewfinder-less digital camera even more difficult to use, or at least it would be for me.

In contrast, the Canon A-95 is proven hardware. It has justly received great reviews and it is very fairly priced as well. All in all, I believe that the Canon A-95 offers a better value.

Sarah Joyce

[jbcm]

I agree with Speaklightly. I would go for the A-95 it is a very good camera and think you will be very happy.

Jason

[aparmley]

I'd go with the Canon A95. I suppose my vote may have been fueled by the fact that I own one ... :D . It takes great pictures, I was really blown away with the quality and versitility of the camera. I can post some pictures here if you like -- untouched straight from the Camera. In fact I will just go ahead and do that for ya later tonight when I get home.

update: Naturally they will have to be reduced in size.

[aparmley]

this picture is of my pup, it was taken with my Canon A95 inside a garage at 1/60 @ ISO200. This is a 4x6 crop of the original then reduced size for web display. other than that it is straight from the camera, no post editing.

[aparmley]

Again, this was taken with my Canon A95. 1/640, f/4.9, portrait mode macro mode. This is a 4x6 crop of the original then reduced size for web display. other than that it is straight from the camera, no post editing.

[aparmley]

And finally another Canon A95 Picture taken at 1/6 exp. f/5.6. ISO Auto. This image is straight from the camera. I resized it for the web, orignal image size in pixels was 2592x1944 I reduced it to 600x450 and reduced the quality down to 75%. Hope these pictures help you decide which camera is right for you!

[gary_hendricks]

I agree with the other posters -- go with the Canon. I recently upgraded to the A85 from the A25 and I have been nothing but impressed with the whole PowerShot line of digital cameras. Before using a Canon I had a Sony and a Kodak digital camera -- both were good but not quite what I was looking for.

[gary_hendricks]

The Canon Powershot A95 (http://www.basic-digital-photography.com/canon-powershot-a95-review.html) is my choice as it is has consistently been ranked very high in various reviews.

[Rex914]

The A95 easily beats the LZ2 without a doubt. The LZ2 sounds enticing on paper, but it lacks some key features and its photo quality is a bit lacking.

[JTL]

Is this question a joke? It's not even a contest...and the funny thing about it is I don't even have to say which is the winner! :D

[Pierre Ardennes]

Two days ago i got my LZ2 : waaaooowww!

I have lost the Canon A80 i had for one year : very nice pictures, LCD in the sun : you don't see a pixel, shutter speed : slow, menu : complicated, zoom: 3x, size : big and a certain weight in the pocket.

Now my new LZ2 :

Menu : very easy and quick : don't have to go to menu, sub-menu, sub-sub-menu : you touch a button one or two times and you have EV compensation, bracketting,...

LCD screen : very good, even in the sun : 8/10 (with my Canon A80 : 3/10)

Start and shutter lag : very quick

Zoom : 6x, silent and fast, 20 steps (Canon 7 steps not silent)

Image stabilization : it works great, even shaking when shutting, sharp image

RED eyes : works fine, i haven't any pictures with red eyes, even when people looks right face of LZ2

Low light : it's very impressive compare to my Canon A80 : inside of the house (when cloudy and rainy outside), without flash, no light in the room, the pictures are very sharp, well exposed, i don't see any noise on the PC screen, the quality is very surprising!

There are not so many manuel functions like my Canon A80 or A95 (it's the same except 5MP), but they are very helpfull and all is quick, the EVF for me is not a problem while the LCD makes his job very well and the picture quality is very sharp for me.

Let's see this new review which represents my feelings with the LZ2 :

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/PanasonicLZ2/

And another upcoming review announced :

http://www.megapixel.net/html/cover.php

[Rex914]

It has impressive specs, but the problem (and that's a big one) is that it overprocesses and oversharpens its images. Maybe Jeff got a bad copy, but the DP Review review mentioned that too.

Photo Gallery (http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/panasonic/dmc_lz1_lz2-review/lz2/gallery.shtml)

Notice the moire and the artifacting going on. That's what happens when the camera overdoes things.

[farqwar]

Get the Panny FZ5 :cool:

[ibmikie]

In my opinion having a optical view finder is huge. My previous digital camera did not have one. I went with the Canon A85, and really like it so far. when I read the specs for the LZ series I was really disappointed about the low resolution LCD and lack of viewfinder. Since you will be taking outdoor shots, you will want to have a optical view finder, especialy on sunny days. A95 all the way.

[Pierre Ardennes]

You say that you read specs : and me, i see the real LCD screen of LZ2 : I had a A80 and the viewfinder was absolutely necessary, but with LZ2 not, because even if the paper spec was low for LCD, in the real sun, you see very well the picture in the screen with the standart level and more, you have seven level of lightening for the LCD.

The best thing to do is to go to the shop and go with your SD card and ask for making some shots with A95 and LZ2 and after, see your shots on your PC screen.