Help best compact camera?

[Yaka]

ive been happily using my 7mp sony p150 camera for the past 4 years. but it has its draw backs, only 3xzoom and needs a extremely steady hand to take pics and it only saves to .jpg not raw.

having not looked at any compact camera since i got it i need some advice on which one to get. basically after one that saves to raw, does not need a steady hand and has good video recording capabilities

 

[Rubric]

ive been happily using my 7mp sony p150 camera for the past 4 years. but it has its draw backs, only 3xzoom and needs a extremely steady hand to take pics and it only saves to .jpg not raw.

having not looked at any compact camera since i got it i need some advice on which one to get. basically after one that saves to raw, does not need a steady hand and has good video recording capabilities

Does it have to be a compact in the true sense of the word as findin one that shoots Raw won't leave you with much choice.

this Canon PowerShot G9 Digital Compact Camera - Canon UK
however would meet your requirements i think? If you have plenty of cash to splash as i think £300 for a compact is quite a bit.

 

[Ch3tan]

The W or T series Sony cams are very good, don't know about raw but they take very steady pics and have a whole host of features including large touch screens.

 

[Deebs]

I have a Canon isus 950. Lovely camera but won't save to RAW, normally you have to go to SLR for that feature.

 

[Yaka]

raws not a major need, i have an old proggiy on wm5 based dell 51v pda that i use edit and thouch up pics and it b0rks up working jpgs some times.

but not needing a steady hand is must, as since my kid was born all the pics the wife and me mum takes of me are blurry. in 8 weeks of me being a dad i just have 4 good pictures with me and the sprog . any ways i'll look ito those suggestions thanks

 

[throdgrain]

Ive got a Canon A550, I can say thats an excellent camera, if it's any help

 

[Hawkwind]

Canon Isus range are excellent. Picture quality is about the best in its class. The lenses are superb and their CCD's (image capture device) are about the best around. Other makes with decent lenses/CCD's are the Nikon and Panasonic (which uses Leica lenses). I would not look at any other makes tbh.

 

[Chilly]

Ixus, not Isus. I picked up a ixus 75, was a brilliant piece of kit till I lost it after about a week in a pub (((

 

[dysfunction]

I have a Canon IXUS 860IS and it is superb!! Just point and click on the auto setting! Brilliant!

It has picture stabiliser so you will hardly ever get blurry photos. In fact you probably wont. The only time i have had blur is with a very closeup shot in poor light. So far I have taken about 300 photos and all of those have been crystal clear.

Pictures are awsome and the battery life is amazing! I can take hundreds of pictures and videos and the battery is still going strong! Ive not as yet, touch trems wood, run out of battery power.

Also it takes incredible videos...unfortunately you can't really use the zoom as the quality isnt so great then.

Only thing it doesnt have is a view finder but I never feel I need it...

I deffo recommend this camera! You wont be sorry!

edit: I will post some sample photos if you would like to see the quality...

 

[DaGaffer]

Don't know of any compacts that shoot RAW. If you've been using a Sony in the past I'd suggest the DSC-T200; very good reviews and very good anti-shake.

 

[Rubric]

Don't know of any compacts that shoot RAW.

Canon PowerShot G9 Digital Compact Camera - Canon UK

 

[Yaka]

tempted by the features of the g9, scraed off from the price tho

 

[wyrd_fish]

Buying Guide: Features Search: Digital Photography Review

don't be put off by the url

but you can do a feature search here and do side by side comparisons of most digital cameras

PS the G9 is nice

 

[Ch3tan]

I have the old g3, and it is ace. But compact it is not.

The t series sony's or the ixus' you can put in your pocket. The G series you cannot.

 

[dysfunction]

I have the old g3, and it is ace. But compact it is not.

The t series sony's or the ixus' you can put in your pocket. The G series you cannot.

I had a Powershot before the Ixus and they are very bulky indeed!
Its great having a properly compact camera that takes brilliant pictures

 

[itcheh]

I'm using a Panasonic TZ5 - 9mpx and 10x optical zoom AND it has a huge view screen. Took some great pictures on my road trip across the USA ... highly recommended.

 

[Yaka]

thanks everyone for being so helpful
narrowed down my chioices to these 3
Panasonic - ideas for life - Specification
&
Canon Digital IXUS 970 IS Digital Compact Camera - Canon UK

or the chunkier g9

are ones that i am looking at, both have features to stop blurry/fuzzy pic cuased by shaky hands. the panny has some nifty video recoding features

 

[Naetha]

I know you've already narrowed it down a lot, but I've got a Canon Ixus 75 and I absolutely love it. I'm not a camera buff at all, but the pictures it takes are top quality, easy to use/manipulate and it also takes great video.

Only drawbacks are that the zoom isn't the best, but otherwise I'd give it a good 9/10.

 

[Trem]

very good anti-shake.

This feature is a must for anyone DaGs age.

 

[Yaka]

damn, come close to buying the panny, and the helpful sales bloke with the fa cup ears tells me to check lifer hacker for hacking canon cameras

Camera Hacks: Turn Your Point-and-Shoot into a Super-Camera

enables RAWW mode and stuff

 

[Rubric]

damn, come close to buying the panny, and the helpful sales bloke with the fa cup ears tells me to check lifer hacker for hacking canon cameras

Camera Hacks: Turn Your Point-and-Shoot into a Super-Camera

enables RAWW mode and stuff

if that works thats shit hot, nice find

 

[Ch3tan]

Absolute class.

*goes to buy an ixus*

 

[Trem]

Just to bump this thread a little bit.

I am also after a compact camera and don't really care about raw mode but would like a good vid feature with sound, simply cannot be arsed with my camcorder anymore.

So suggestions please, need good picture taking for spackers and good quality video recording with sound and good battery life.

I guess around £200 odd.

Cheers.

 

[dysfunction]

Just to bump this thread a little bit.

I am also after a compact camera and don't really care about raw mode but would like a good vid feature with sound, simply cannot be arsed with my camcorder anymore.

So suggestions please, need good picture taking for spackers and good quality video recording with sound and good battery life.

I guess around £200 odd.

Cheers.

As from my previous post The Canon IXUS 860is is superb...has really good video. I was really impressed by it...

 

[Trem]

Cheers Dys but as always for a few quid more there appears to be better cameras....but are they?

For instance is the Canon IXUS 960 IS better than yours? This is the stuff that does my head in especially when it comes to cameras as I don't really know much about them.

 

[dysfunction]

Yes its very difficult to work that one out. One is not necessarily better than the other.

For example the 860 has 8mega pixels while the 960 has 12megapixels but the picture quality may not be as good as 12MP is very high and I read somewhere that cameras dont necessarily deal with this very well. But I could be wrong about the picture qlty..

http://www.cnet.com.au/digitalcameras/cameras/0,239036184,339281304,00.htm?feed=pt_960_is - explains some differences between the cameras

Also the 860 has a wider lens 28mm to 105mm but the 960 can zoom in more to from 36mm to 133mm.

The 960 has a view finder which the 860 doesnt but I have not as yet found I needed a view finder even in very bright conditions (eg while skiing in bright sun).

Other than that the other features are the same I think...

 

[Yaka]

Just to bump this thread a little bit.

I am also after a compact camera and don't really care about raw mode but would like a good vid feature with sound, simply cannot be arsed with my camcorder anymore.

So suggestions please, need good picture taking for spackers and good quality video recording with sound and good battery life.

I guess around £200 odd.

Cheers.

TZ5 tbh its wot i settled on as at the mo it has the best video recording capabilities, simple to use and when the wifey takes the pic it blurred less than the canons we tested, the g9 beats it tho but its more expensive. got mine 189 off ebay NEW~ PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-TZ5 BLACK DIGITAL CAMERA +2GB on eBay, also, Digital Cameras, Photography (end time 09-Jul-08 09:55:10 BST)
listed as usa seller but it arrived nextday before 9am

but at the end od the day go to currys or jessops etc and demo some then shop online at cheaper place

 

[Trem]

I found lots of the Canon that Dys has on Ebay but none from this country and the warranty bothers me with that.

I think you were after the same sort of camera as me yaka so maybe I should listen to you (no offence Dys), I did like Dys' camera start up time though, compared to a 12mp one that is.

Having said all that I have always trusted Panasonic with pretty much all my electronics and they never let me down.

 

[Trem]

But oh dear the Panasonic captures the video in Quicktime :/

What does your Canon use for its video codec Dys?

 

[dysfunction]

quality of video

http://www.jgda.co.uk/photos/MVI_0474.AVI