SX110 or TZ5 for new baby

[99mkw]

We're expecting our first baby and I'm looking for an upgrade of my 3MP sony compact. I have a Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D dSLR but looking for something smaller to be more ready at hand. I would like to defer buying a digital camcorder a few years until HD flash-based models get cheaper and better, so I'd like this camera to have the strongest possible movie mode. Ultimately, what I'm looking for is a compact, responsive camera to capture nice pictures of spontaneous moments in the first year with minimal need for post-processing. I like manual controls but my wife will be the primary user so a strong auto mode is preferred.

Budget: Prefer under $250 delivered but could stretch a bit for a big difference.

Size: My wife actually prefers the bridge size to true compacts as she likes a little handgrip.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you? My dSLR is 6 and I can't imagine how anyone but a professional has any use for more than 8 mp.

* What optical zoom will you need? At least 4x but I would prefer 10x unless I am really giving up IQ for it.

* How important is “image quality” to you? If I assume my dSLR's quality is 10 and my dinky old sony is 4-5, then I am looking for 7-8.

Do you care for manual controls? Yes, but not essential.

* What will you generally use the camera for? Taking pictures of the baby, often indoors, without the flash when circumstances allow.

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? Not usually, but I would like the option of 8x10 size for photo books, etc.

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

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? Nothing faster than a toddler for a few years. Would probably always grab my dSLR for actual "events."

Are there particular brands you like or hate? I enjoyed my Fz20 before trading it in for the Minolta. I would prefer a model using SD cards but I'm flexible.

Are there particular models you already have in mind? The Canon Sx110 and the Panasonic Tz5. A somewhat out-of-the box option I'm considering is the Fuji F40fd.

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features?
-After IQ, the most important factor is a good movie mode. Quality is more important than total pixels. I suspect the duration would seldom be longer than 5 minutes.
-Having enjoyed IS before, I have focused on cameras that have that feature. However, I would probably be happier with a non-IS camera with good high ISO and/or fast lens that would allow faster shutter times.
-Wide angle is preferred (advantage Tz5) but since it will often be just the kid in frame so not essential.

[David Metsky]

All compacts will suffer trying to take a picture of a baby in low light with no flash. Your results will be pretty poor most of the time unless you can use the flash or use your DSLR. No camera in this class has good high ISO performance.

I'd pick the Canon just to get the manual controls. With those you can do a better job of working around the limitations of these cameras in low light.

[99mkw]

then my concern with the canon is the slow recycle times commented on in the reviews. I confess that I didn't care much for the menu dial on the Fz5 and I liked the Canon's options, but for most of the time my wife will have the camera in auto.

[Jonathan Gingerich]

"I'd pick the Canon just to get the manual controls. With those you can do a better job of working around the limitations of these cameras in low light."

Is this really true? - Low-light tests the physical limits of the camera more than it's automation. You can manipulate ISO and exposure on the TZ5, and do you really want less than a wide open aperture? That said, the SX110 should have an advantage with it's faster lens. I'd also say that the aspects that make the TZ5 a brilliant travel camera - size, build, LCD, zoom range, are less important around the house. But the flash recharge is an issue. I think it's time for Canon to can the AA idea. It was laudable back in the day, but now Li-ion clones are readily available and pack more punch than AA's. They will last all day, unless you take so many pictures you should probably move up to finer equipment. And any place you buy AA's, you can plug in (bicycle touring being the only exception I can think of.) Don't have a socket adaptor? Well there goes your razor, your cell phone, your i-Pod, your laptop...

JG

[AndyfromVA]

Can you manipulate shutter speed on the TZ5? If I were taking a low light picture of a baby without a flash, I'd want the camera to have a wide open aperture, the slowest shutter speed possible without blur and the lowest possible ISO. A scene mode won't guarantee you're getting the right settings. You can only do so with manual exposure controls.

[Jonathan Gingerich]

You can indirectly, by changing the exposure compensation and ISO settings...

How many apertures does a TZ5 have? IIRC the TZ1 only had two(?)...

JG

[Jonathan Gingerich]

BTW let me mention my local Costco was selling a huge stack of TZ5's with 4M card and case (not clear if it's a nylon zip or a faux-leather magnetic clasp...) for $240, but Newegg has a similar package online for $225.

JG

[99mkw]

Thanks for the feedback. As I think about it, I'm leaning more towards the Fuji F40fd in spite of the title of the post. If my main purpose is better low light shooting it seems the strongest choice. I'm sure it will be a pick step up from my 3MP Sony and at $150 I don't think I'll have buyer's remorse.

[kthartline]

I'm going through a similar decision right now... I'm considering the Sony DSC-H10 or the DSC-H50. I think I really like the shutter-lag times on it for the same reason as you (I have a not quite 2 year old who is done doing something before my old Olympus Stylus 3 MP can take the pic but I don't want something quite as big as an SLR - still want it to fit in my purse).

Just an idea for you.

I found this site to compare Shutter Lags (time from button push to picture take - http://www.cameras.co.uk/html/shutte...omparisons.cfm

The canon SX110is was high on my list until I saw that it's more than double the shutter-lag...

[David Metsky]

Keep in mind those are optimal times, I don't think you'll see them in real world situations. In low light those numbers will get much larger because it will take time for the camera to achieve focus lock.