Too many choices... G7, F31D, LX2, A710, SD800, A640... please help

[ChL]

Hi all,

I've been reading many reviews, learn a lot about cameras last week...
Now I'm very confused about the final choice.
It looks like the camera I want just don't exist yet!

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.
400, but I will go 600 for a perfect match

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
I'm not sure, I live in Brazil and will buy the camera when I travel to US, without seeing it first
I prefer something small, but I will carry something bigger if it has more features and quality
I'm concerned if a Canon A710is or G7 is too big

* How many megapixels will suffice for you?
6 megapixels is enough

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
6x optical zoom

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
7, but I need something good in indoors light

* Do you care for manual controls?
Yes... my previous cameras were all point and shoot, I want to have some more control now

* What will you generally use the camera for?
Most indoor, family/friends party at home...
Sometimes I travel and take those trivial tourist shots on sunny days

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
No, I will just see on PC, rarely small prints

* Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Yes, most of time

* Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Rarely, my wife doing belly dance presentations hehe, indoors

* Are there particular brands you like or hate?
I'm looking for a real camera maker like Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Kodak, Pentax, Olympus... not Sony, Samsumng, Panasonic, etc

* Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Too many!!! I can't decide...
Canon a700is
Canon sd800is
Canon G7
Fuji f31fd
Canon A640

* Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
The camera I want doens't exist, it has:
Image Stabilization (I rate it 9/10 important)
Low noise on High ISO for indoor low light (9/10)
Not as bigger as a A710is (9/10)
At least Aperture and Shutter Priority modes, doesn't need to be full manual (8/10)
6x optical zoom (7/10)
Rotating LCD (5/10)
Wide angle and LCD (5/10)
Hotshoe (5/10)
Acessories like lens, diving case... (4/10)

- G7 has too much noise, big, and is expensive
- Panasonic LX2 has almost everything, but it is the noisest
- a710is is great for the budget, but noise and slow flash reload
- sd800is is too small and automatic, also has noise
- f31d looks the right choice due high usable ISO, but doesn't have stabilization, viewfinder and zoom only 3x
- a640, noise, big, no stabilizer

[ChL]

Oh... I may be all wrong about my all these concerns with stabilization and noise indoors... I don't know what is really important or is just marketing appeal

[John_Reed]

After all, I use one of those "unreal" cameras, in fact 3 different Panasonic cameras live in my stable right now, not knowing they're not supposed to work?

[ChL]

After all, I use one of those "unreal" cameras, in fact 3 different Panasonic cameras live in my stable right now, not knowing they're not supposed to work?

As I just don't understand very much, I just stick to dedicated camera makers, that are supposed to produce better cameras...

Fell free to correct me...

I think the Panasonic LX2 has great specs... small, lens stabilizer, manual modes, bigger CCD (1/1.65), wide 28-112mm lens, bigger LCD (2.8, wide too)...
But the sample pictures I saw, show the highest noise with ISO settings I've seen so far... starting at 200, becoming unusable at 400 or more...

How is the ISO noise in your Panasonics?

[BryanMsi]

I have had several Panasonics, with the 2 year old FZ20 always finding a place in my bag - and consistently delivering AMAZING shots. Its only flaw is a slightly higher noise than other cameras, but 90% of the time its breathtaking.

On the strength of the FZ20, I bough a TZ1 Lumix and was appalled at the noise. In fact, I tried unsuccessfully to convince myself I could live with the noise for a few weeks before taking it back.

Personally, I think all the Lumix models above 5 MPixel have unacceptable levels of noise. Its especially obnoxious because its chroma noise and instead of innocuous grain like you might find in a film camera, its colored and very obvious. At higher ISOs, most of the Panasonic models handle this problem by aggressively removing noise (and detail) which makes the images look like watercolor paintings.

If Panasonic used better sensors, I would recommend them wholeheartedly. Until then, I'd stay away unless you only shoot outside, indoors with flash, or print very small prints.

Here is a comparison of the Fuji F20 (left ) at ISO 1600 vs. the Panasonic Lumix TZ1 at ISO 200. Gack!

[tim11]

Bigger size: G7, A630, A710 IS. Advantage: all the controls you can wish for.
Smaller size: The rest.
Some manual controls: LX2, F31fd.

Cleanest image, even on high ISO is F31fd. However, I'm not sure if its high ISO is even able to handle your wife belly dancing indoors, depending how much light you have. If you are to do the flash, you have to get within the range. I doubt IS offer any benefit for such fast moving subject such as belly dancing; unless you focus on the face and get the motion blur effect on the body.

[Elisha]

here's an ISO800 shot from my Panny......looks better than your ISO200 shot.
maybe you're camera is a dud.

[BryanMsi]

Maybe, but I don't think so - your picture does have lots of visible noise and its clearly blurring details in an attemp to remove it. Were you zoomed in to full size or was that the entire image we are seeing?

[Elisha]

not zoomed in at all.....it was not on a tripod either.