P&S 10x zoom bridge camera, 10 mp

[Victress2007]

I think this is a good range for a reasonable sized, reasonable zoom, decent megapixel camera. Now the question - which is the best? Canon seems to lead in picture quality - but how much slower is it really? We'll be going to Hawaii, then taking college graduation pictures this spring. I'd like to be able to take burst shots with it - while whale watching, dolphin watching, etc.

 

Right now I have an Olympus FE-340, but I'm not all that impressed with it. I'll keep it for snorkeling shots, I have a good Aqua Case for it.

 

Another consideration (weird one) I'd like to be able to buy it at Sears - I have a $75 card from there. They have comparable Samsung, Sony & Kodak cameras.

 

Thanks,

Vic

[chipmaster]

Canon is always good, but the newer sonys are also good. Perhaps the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 might be worth a look.; 14Meg, 10x zoom and capability to do 10FPS but its not full resolution.

 

I think this is a good range for a reasonable sized, reasonable zoom, decent megapixel camera. Now the question - which is the best? Canon seems to lead in picture quality - but how much slower is it really? We'll be going to Hawaii, then taking college graduation pictures this spring. I'd like to be able to take burst shots with it - while whale watching, dolphin watching, etc.

 

Right now I have an Olympus FE-340, but I'm not all that impressed with it. I'll keep it for snorkeling shots, I have a good Aqua Case for it.

 

Another consideration (weird one) I'd like to be able to buy it at Sears - I have a $75 card from there. They have comparable Samsung, Sony & Kodak cameras.

 

Thanks,

Vic

[pierces]

I have pre-ordered the Sony DSC-HX5V after way, way too much research. It is 10MP with excellent high-ISO performance(for a compact). It also has a 10x (25-250 equivalent) zoom with remarkably little distortion and will shoot full resolution bursts at 10 fps. It has some features that, while not primary in my criteria, are interesting nonetheless. Sweep Panorama allows you to sweep across a scene while holding down the shutter release and the camera will take the captured images and stitch them into a panorama for you. It also has a Twilight mode that snaps two images in rapid succession and merges them to increase the exposure and eliminate noise. To top it all off, it will record full-HD video (1920x1080) AVCHD format (720p in MP4) and allows you to zoom while shooting. It includes a built-in compass and GPS for geo-tagging your photos.

 

Release is in mid-March and I have to admit, I'm a little impatient to get my hands on it.

 

Dave

[Victress2007]

Dave -

That camera sounds awesome! I'll be interested to hear if it works as advertised. I kind of prefer a slightly larger camera - I think they're easier to hold - the smaller ones I've used I tend to take blurrier pics - and it seems to be operator error.

 

Is there a good camera store where I can actually go in and see how these work? I'm in northern LA county and we have tons of big box stores. Target has more that actually turn on - I had to get one off the greek menu and into english the other day. Right now seems to be a pretty good time to buy - lots of sales because of new models coming out?

 

Vic

[pierces]

Dave -

That camera sounds awesome! I'll be interested to hear if it works as advertised. I kind of prefer a slightly larger camera - I think they're easier to hold - the smaller ones I've used I tend to take blurrier pics - and it seems to be operator error.

 

Is there a good camera store where I can actually go in and see how these work? I'm in northern LA county and we have tons of big box stores. Target has more that actually turn on - I had to get one off the greek menu and into english the other day. Right now seems to be a pretty good time to buy - lots of sales because of new models coming out?

 

Vic

 

The PMA show was in mid-February and a bunch of new models are coming out. Hence, the sales.

 

BTW, the HX5V also has optical image stabilization for fighting the blurries. I am in the market for a new compact to replace my ageing Canon SD800 (which will retire to a backup along with its waterproof housing) and not looking at the HX5V as a main camera. If you want something larger, you may want to look at the Sony HX1 (most of the same features with a 20x zoom for $100 more). Another one worth a look would be the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. Not as many bells and whistles as the Sony, but well regarded.

 

Check out Samy's or Bel Air camera in LA. About the only full camera stores left.

 

Dave

[Victress2007]

So, for a casual user do you think the 20x zoom would be worth the extra size and weight over the 10x? This would be my main camera. It's really just for family pictures and travel shots. I occasionally blow them up or watercolor/pencil sketch them for cheap art.

 

Thanks,

Vic

[pengu1n]

I have pre-ordered the Sony DSC-HX5V after way, way too much research. It is 10MP with excellent high-ISO performance(for a compact). It also has a 10x (25-250 equivalent) zoom with remarkably little distortion and will shoot full resolution bursts at 10 fps. It has some features that, while not primary in my criteria, are interesting nonetheless. Sweep Panorama allows you to sweep across a scene while holding down the shutter release and the camera will take the captured images and stitch them into a panorama for you. It also has a Twilight mode that snaps two images in rapid succession and merges them to increase the exposure and eliminate noise. To top it all off, it will record full-HD video (1920x1080) AVCHD format (720p in MP4) and allows you to zoom while shooting. It includes a built-in compass and GPS for geo-tagging your photos.

 

Release is in mid-March and I have to admit, I'm a little impatient to get my hands on it.

 

Dave

 

Hey, Dave, I pulled the trigger on this one too! (Don't know where you ordered, but sonystyle.com has them in stock, shipping tomorrow!) As you can see, I'm leaving FRI :eek: for my next cruise, and I was figuring I'd be going with my current set-up. Anyway, since it was in stock, I paid extra shipping & it should be here before I go! I am very excited about the features on the sony HX5 & hope it lives up to my expectations. Don't know if I'll have any time to post any pictures here before but there should be some after the cruise.

[lanabanana78]

I LOVE my Sony DSC-HX1!!! Got it in October and it's a nice stand-in for a DSLR. I needed to downsize from my DSLR (I know, sounds weird, but I had my reasons.) Has a decent zoom and good quality. There's an available telephoto lens for this, but I haven't really found any reviews about how well that works. And most of the time if you want an additional lens, you might as well have an SLR! My biggest complain is the lens cap doesn't fit extremely tight and is prone to coming off in my bag.

 

I'm going to try to attach a few samples from my HX1.

[oceanbums]

Carrying a alot of stuff never appealed to me, that's why I got the HX1, just a few days ago actually. Now that I'm hearing a telephoto lens is available I'm all excited. Does that it mean it's official-I have the photography bug? I think I'm in trouble LOL

 

I haven't yet learned all the features, but so far love this camera. The grip and shutter placement fits perfect for my hands, and the twilight mode seems to be effective. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish I had bought something like this a year and a half ago instead of the smaller Pana TZ5(10x zoom).

 

(Just an fyi, I am a casual shooter, vacation shots, photo excursions with the camera club, etc. )

[pierces]

So, for a casual user do you think the 20x zoom would be worth the extra size and weight over the 10x? This would be my main camera. It's really just for family pictures and travel shots. I occasionally blow them up or watercolor/pencil sketch them for cheap art.

 

Thanks,

Vic

 

If this will be your all-the-time camera, I might opt for the HX5V due to it's portability. After all, the camera you use most is the one you have with you. I carry my little Canon on my belt 24x7(well, almost) and will do the same with the new Sony.

 

Dave

[pierces]

Hey, Dave, I pulled the trigger on this one too! (Don't know where you ordered, but sonystyle.com has them in stock, shipping tomorrow!) As you can see, I'm leaving FRI :eek: for my next cruise, and I was figuring I'd be going with my current set-up. Anyway, since it was in stock, I paid extra shipping & it should be here before I go! I am very excited about the features on the sony HX5 & hope it lives up to my expectations. Don't know if I'll have any time to post any pictures here before but there should be some after the cruise.

 

Pre-ordered from Amazon...I have a couple hundred dollars worth of certificates, so it's worth the wait for me! :D

 

Let us know how it works out.

 

Dave

[Victress2007]

So Dave, what in your research made you pick the sony? Was it the twilight & panoramic sweep? (both pretty cool features). I saw the Nikon today and am now waiting for the Sony to come out. Does Canon have a new comparable one too?

 

Vic

[pierces]

So Dave, what in your research made you pick the sony? Was it the twilight & panoramic sweep? (both pretty cool features). I saw the Nikon today and am now waiting for the Sony to come out. Does Canon have a new comparable one too?

 

Vic

 

I've been a big fan of my Canon SD and my first look was at the new S90. I then saw some test shots with the Sony and the combination of the Exmor-R sensor and it's low-light potential coupled with the remarkably good G-series lens sold me on the Sony. The oooh-aaaaah features are cool, but the basics are what I look for first. I shoot with a Sony A700 DSLR, but I am actually pretty much brand-agnostic. I chose the DSLR because of the way it felt and the easy access to the controls. At the time, I didn't have enough invested in accessories and lenses to make switching to Canon or Nikon prohibitive. I just liked the feel and the specs better as well as the magnificent Zeiss and G-series lenses they have released (eating beans so I can afford a couple of those!)

 

In the same range as the HX1, the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS is pretty close, but I like the Sony's lens and sensor better. And face it, that pretty much makes the camera!

 

Good luck with the hunt...it's easy to find a good camera these days, but finding the best one for you has never been tougher!

 

Dave

[chipmaster]

So Dave, what in your research made you pick the sony? Was it the twilight & panoramic sweep? (both pretty cool features). I saw the Nikon today and am now waiting for the Sony to come out. Does Canon have a new comparable one too?

 

Vic

 

 

IMHO Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Olympus and others have pretty compettiive P&S depending on the specific category; compact, ultrazoom, waterproof/shockproof etc. Nikon really is a pack laggard across the board in P&S. Unless you ahve a specific brand allegiance I can think of NO category where Nikon in P&S is a leader. DSLR now that is a complete another matter :D Canon / Nikon is to DSLR like Mercedes and BMW are to luxury / performance ;)

[zackiedawg]

DSLR now that is a complete another matter :D Canon / Nikon is to DSLR like Mercedes and BMW are to luxury / performance ;)

 

So that must make Sony like Audi - just as fast, just as luxurious, sells to well heeled folks who don't need a certain badge to feel special. ;)

 

(that was a joke, people!).

 

I agree with you on the P&S synopsis - Nikon isn't bad, but as you mentioned not really the class leader in any category. Canon, Sony, Panasonic are definitely the big three right now in innovation, selection, build, and image quality. None are bad anymore though...the market is very competitive with lots of great selection and variety.

 

Dave, looking forward to seeing how you do with that new cam...it does look quite intriguing. I've been having a ball with the miniscule TX1 - perfect replacement for my T100 as it is so much smaller and lighter - I don't even know I have it on me. And the Exmor-R's low light ability and especially the brilliant Twilight mode make it a true anytime walkaround camera. and having HDR mode on my DSLR-A550, I can vouch for how cool that mode is.

[lanabanana78]

I'm wondering what you guys think about using the telephoto lens attachment on the HX1? I'm just wondering how it works, adding a lens on to a P&S? I went to the HX1 from my Nikon D40 because I didn't want all the weight and wanted a smaller camera for taking around for normal stuff. I'm thinking that at least with this I would only have to have the extra lens when I really wanted it - such as my Alaska cruise! Thoughts? And do you think I could put a filter on it? Would like to be able to do UV/Polarizing.

[pierces]

Dave, looking forward to seeing how you do with that new cam...it does look quite intriguing. I've been having a ball with the miniscule TX1 - perfect replacement for my T100 as it is so much smaller and lighter - I don't even know I have it on me. And the Exmor-R's low light ability and especially the brilliant Twilight mode make it a true anytime walkaround camera. and having HDR mode on my DSLR-A550, I can vouch for how cool that mode is.

 

I'll post some stuff after I give it a workout. I'm not expecting a DSLR replacement (that's what the DSLR is for) but I expect the back-lit sensor and the low distortion lens to make it a very satisfactory 24x7 camera.

 

I'll be interested to see if they add the auto-HDR to the A700 followup in addition to the DRO+. I find the DRO+ (the hardware version on the A700/850/900) has made my interest in HDR more of an academic pursuit than one of necessity. The auto-HDR twilight mode seems to perform as well (maybe better in low-light shadow noise), but not in real-time at 5fps!

 

It just keeps getting better!

 

Dave

[pierces]

I'm wondering what you guys think about using the telephoto lens attachment on the HX1? I'm just wondering how it works, adding a lens on to a P&S? I went to the HX1 from my Nikon D40 because I didn't want all the weight and wanted a smaller camera for taking around for normal stuff. I'm thinking that at least with this I would only have to have the extra lens when I really wanted it - such as my Alaska cruise! Thoughts? And do you think I could put a filter on it? Would like to be able to do UV/Polarizing.

 

It wouldn't hurt to get one. If you do, get a good one like the Sony. The cheap extenders rarely give you a better picture than if you just cropped an enlarged the regular image. I had one for my Minolta A2 digicam that was made by Minolta and gave me 1.5x with very little image degradation, but it was massive and sort of killed the idea of the small, portable system. The Sony VCL-DH1757 appears to be a good, solid unit designed for the HX1 and should perform well. (BTW, it weighs about 75% as much as the HX1 at 12 oz..) It doesn't have filter threads, so don't knock yourself out looking for a listing of compatible filters.

 

Dave

[chipmaster]

On a serious note, a car is cast away. You buy it, use it, at the end buy a new one and brand of the last one matters little. Please don't take this as any specific brand bashing, but if you are in it for the long haul and plan to make it more than just the next level of improved picture taking. If you buy a DSLR and get or already have the serious bug you can spend easily 5x the money that you did on the body on accessories; lense, flash etc. The lenses can last 10-15 years maybe your lifetime. The DSLR market is maturing and future growth in units will slow. The progress we saw of the past 5 years will NOT extrapolate to 24megapixels with 102400 ISO DSLRs. There are way too many companies chasing a shrinking and slowing innovating market. There are reasons one should seriously consider the market share leaders in addition to a specific camera attributes if one is a serious hobbiest or pro.

 

Here are a few reads for those interested:

http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2009.04.24/state-of-the-slr-industry-2009

 

http://www.bythom.com/2009%20Nikon%20News.htm

 

So that must make Sony like Audi - just as fast, just as luxurious, sells to well heeled folks who don't need a certain badge to feel special. ;)

 

(that was a joke, people!).

 

I agree with you on the P&S synopsis - Nikon isn't bad, but as you mentioned not really the class leader in any category. Canon, Sony, Panasonic are definitely the big three right now in innovation, selection, build, and image quality. None are bad anymore though...the market is very competitive with lots of great selection and variety.

 

Dave, looking forward to seeing how you do with that new cam...it does look quite intriguing. I've been having a ball with the miniscule TX1 - perfect replacement for my T100 as it is so much smaller and lighter - I don't even know I have it on me. And the Exmor-R's low light ability and especially the brilliant Twilight mode make it a true anytime walkaround camera. and having HDR mode on my DSLR-A550, I can vouch for how cool that mode is.

[Victress2007]

So I went the cheap route and bought a Sony H2O. I love it. It's not too big and not too small - just over $200 - on sale at Sears. I don't do much that is fancy and I love the clear, sharp pictures this gets.

 

How is the new Sony - does anyone have it yet?

 

Thanks for the comments,

Vic

[pierces]

...How is the new Sony - does anyone have it yet?

 

Thanks for the comments,

Vic

 

I got to take the HX5V out for a bit of a test drive this weekend/week. First impressions were very good:

 

Sweep Panorama: Wow! It does an amazing job but I need to practice with it a bit. It takes some skill to sweep it steadily at the right speed.

 

Hand-held Twilight: Wow, again! With a steady hand, it gives you clean and crispy images in truly horrible lighting.

 

Back-light HDR: At the risk of being repetitious, wow! Situation: Person with bright scene or sunset behind them - It snaps two shots in rapid succession and merges them to properly expose the person in the foreground and the background.

 

The lens is almost distortion-free at 25mm andit keeps it up all the way out to 250mm (equivalent). Images sharp across the image and it focuses fast and accurately. Good stabilization.

 

Burst mode only does 10 shots before clearing the buffer, but it will shoot at 3fps, 5fps, or 10fps!

 

Good exposure and easy to adjust in tricky situations. Good color. Flash won't win any contests for distance, but it works very well within its limits.

 

Dials and controls are well-places and most of the controls that you would change often aren't buried in the menus.

 

Custom White Balance: Easy to set and really comes in handy since this camera isn't much better at tungsten and CFLs than any other.

 

Movie: Though it will record 1080i AVCHD, I have mine set to 720p/MP4 since I don't have a Blu-Ray recorder. There is a dedicated movie start button that let's you start recording at a moment's notice without spinning any dials and you can zoom (optically) all you want while shooting. The zoom is a little touchy, but with practice it works just fine. The output on our plasma is simply stunning. It won't replace pro HD broadcast cameras anytime soon, but it beats my 6 year-old dedicated camcorder hands-down! I may have to add some video clips to this trip's slide show!

 

I'll add a gallery just for HX5V images when we get back from our cruise. I have high expectations and don't think I'll be disappointed!

 

Dave

[pierces]

Looks like it was within a meter or two...

 

 

Dave

[pengu1n]

I really enjoyed my HX5V on our recent cruise. I found it easy to get used to and was pleased with most of the shots (the ones I didn't like were usually because I was asking the impossible of it!)

 

One thing that seemed to fool it was trying to take a panorama of the shore when the ship was moving. It couldn't do it, gave some kind of error message. While I kind understand why that would be, I hadn't thought about it before taking the shots.

 

I'll post a few shots this weekend. Haven't uploaded any pics yet.

[cctn]

I got to take the HX5V out for a bit of a test drive this weekend/week. First impressions were very good:

 

Sweep Panorama: Wow! It does an amazing job but I need to practice with it a bit. It takes some skill to sweep it steadily at the right speed.

 

Hand-held Twilight: Wow, again! With a steady hand, it gives you clean and crispy images in truly horrible lighting.

 

Back-light HDR: At the risk of being repetitious, wow! Situation: Person with bright scene or sunset behind them - It snaps two shots in rapid succession and merges them to properly expose the person in the foreground and the background.

 

The lens is almost distortion-free at 25mm andit keeps it up all the way out to 250mm (equivalent). Images sharp across the image and it focuses fast and accurately. Good stabilization.

 

Burst mode only does 10 shots before clearing the buffer, but it will shoot at 3fps, 5fps, or 10fps!

 

Good exposure and easy to adjust in tricky situations. Good color. Flash won't win any contests for distance, but it works very well within its limits.

 

Dials and controls are well-places and most of the controls that you would change often aren't buried in the menus.

 

Custom White Balance: Easy to set and really comes in handy since this camera isn't much better at tungsten and CFLs than any other.

 

Movie: Though it will record 1080i AVCHD, I have mine set to 720p/MP4 since I don't have a Blu-Ray recorder. There is a dedicated movie start button that let's you start recording at a moment's notice without spinning any dials and you can zoom (optically) all you want while shooting. The zoom is a little touchy, but with practice it works just fine. The output on our plasma is simply stunning. It won't replace pro HD broadcast cameras anytime soon, but it beats my 6 year-old dedicated camcorder hands-down! I may have to add some video clips to this trip's slide show!

 

I'll add a gallery just for HX5V images when we get back from our cruise. I have high expectations and don't think I'll be disappointed!

 

Dave

 

 

sorry to change the subject, first of all - I appreciate all your advice re: camera's - been reading some ...

Your new Sony sounds great -

Right now I am shopping for an upgrade to my Panasonic Lumix - I looked at the Canon SX120 1S - am interested mainly in the lag time between shots - my camera now is about 6 to 7 seconds before it's ready to take the next shot -

I played with the Canon of this model in the store and it was ok as far as speed - but been reading some reviews about it, some good, some not - what is your opinion = if you are familiar with this particular camera... thank you. Carol

[Victress2007]

I saw many more negative reviews on the Canon than I did on the Sony. They are about the same size, and now about the same price. The burst mode on the Sony will take one pic after another with very little lag time for as long as the shutter is held dowm. You can also set it to take 3 in a row at intervals of .3, .7, or 1.0 seconds. This was one of the features I was looking for and I've played with it quite a bit.

 

Vic