Another 'Which Camera Thead'.

[c123]

Hello.
Below are my answers to the suggested questions.

Thank you for any help.

Budget

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

£200 is the most I am wanting to spend.

Size

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

I’m going travelling for 3 months, so I want it to be compact.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?

8+. But I’m more bothered about picture quality.

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

I would like a good optical zoom, but this isn’t a huge priority.

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

10. This is very important. As I said it is for the purposes for travelling and it would be good to have a high quality collection of photos to look back on.

Do you care for manual controls?

These are not a priority.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?

This will be used during travelling. But also, when I return, it will be used for general point and shoot purposes. This will be both indoor and outdoor.

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

I probably wont be doing this.

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

I will probably be shooting indoor quite a bit.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?

This wont be a priority for the camera, but it would be good if the camera can make a decent attempt at these sort of shots. Ie. i don't want blurry action shots.

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?

N/A

Are there particular models you already have in mind?

I have narrowed my choice down to the Panasonic DMCTZ5, and the Canon IXUS 950 IS (SD850 IS).
I am however open to any other suggestions.

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

Image stabilization would be good.

[David Metsky]

If you like the TZ5 you should also look at the Canon SX100 and the Sony H3. The Canon SD850 isn't really a direct competitor to the TZ5, it's smaller and has less zoom.

None of these are going to be great in low light situations.

[c123]

Cheers for the reply.

Whilst a big zoom would be nice, it isn't really a priority for me. The TZ5 just seems like a good camera, and the zoom is a bonus.
Does the TZ5 produce good quality images? Would they be better than the Canon i've mentioned?

I've looked at the Canon SX100 you've mentioned. Would you say that is better than the TZ5?

[tkbslc]

Cheers for the reply.

Whilst a big zoom would be nice, it isn't really a priority for me. The TZ5 just seems like a good camera, and the zoom is a bonus.
Does the TZ5 produce good quality images? Would they be better than the Canon i've mentioned?

I've looked at the Canon SX100 you've mentioned. Would you say that is better than the TZ5?

The TZ5 has a wide angle lens, which is great for interior shots and landscapes/scenery. There are reviews for both cameras on this website, complete with sample images. You may want to read and compare. Basically The Tz5 is more pocket friendly and has a wide angle lens, the SX100 has manual controls and is cheaper. Both can make great pictures if you aren't comparing it to an SLR.

If you really don't care about zoom, you might look at the Canon SD870, the Panasonic FX35, or sony W150/170. Those give you a smaller camera with a wide angle lens. I think the wide angle is more important for travel than a big zoom.

[KCook]

Keep in mind that when we compare image quality we are splitting hairs. Canon, Panasonic, and Sony all do a decent job. Indoors performance is a more tricky proposition, there will be a little greater differences between various cameras. And for indoors performance flash vs no flash also makes some difference.

I'm puzzled by the Panasonic TZ5 selection too, the Panasonic FX35 would be a closer matchup to the Canon SD-series cameras.

I know we all like to nit-pick performance, but in my view the control features and layout are just as important when it comes to how happy you will be living with your camera. And each of us has different ideas on the best controls.

Kelly Cook