Pocket Size Cameras

[KMBB]

We have a Canon power shot A40, 2.0 megapixels, 3x zoom with a 1.5 screen. We want to purchase a pocket camera. Any suggestions? We will not be making pictures over a 8by10, maining just 4by6 pictures, we would really like a large screen to view. Have looked briefly at a canon, nikon and now a sony (less than 10m thick) and help would be appreciated. Thanks KMBB

[zackiedawg]

Beware the pursuit of only a large LCD and ultimate pocketability!

 

While the newest crop of super-compact pocketable cameras are very good, and quite capable...they do have compromises which should be taken into consideration to ensure you don't suffer disappointments.

 

First of all, the credit-card style cameras are probably the most conveniently sized cams on the market...slim enough for a pocket and with the ability to use up to 2.5" LCDs. However these larger LCD cameras do not have any form of optical viewfinders, and even with the huge LCD, they can become hard to see in bright sunlight. Look for screens that have transreflective capability to give you the best chance to see what you are shooting. Also, note that these tiny lenses which zoom verticaly within the body do not have great light capabilities...at wide angle they should mostly be capable of F2.8 or so (about average for most cameras) but at 3x telephoto, they will fall to F3.8 - 4.5 (meaning much slower shutters needed to take low-light or indoor shots without flash). The smaller aperatures mean slower shutters, which mean handshake becomes an issue. Tiny little quivers or vibrations in your hand can result in blurry shots indoors. The built-in flashes on these devices are fairly weak too...so they are not great indoor cams.

 

If your primary use is outdoor, daylight, and general purpose, they should be OK...but always remember that if you zoom in more, you have to be more steady...even bracing the cam against a rail or wall, as the longer exposures are necessary to get a properly exposed picture.

 

Also, these credit card cams have to use thin lithium batteries...they are not as long-lasting as normal lithium rechargeables, and not as convenient as AA or AAA rechargeables. If this is a second camera, which you just want to have around for spontaneous or convenient shots, it should serve wonderfully...but as a primary camera, you may need to purchase a spare lithium battery cell, and charge them both the night before. These can run $40 - 70, so beware!

 

The other type of pocketable or compact camera would be the small rectangle variety. Often these can't have the 2.5" LCD screens, but can still have decent 2" screens which have good visibility, and they are roughly the same volume (fatter, but shorter...more cube-like in shape). These can have slightly better low light capability (still poor compared to a prosumer or advanced cam) than the credit cards, because the lenses can zoom out traditionally instead of folding the optics on their side. They also can take either larger lithium batteries or AA/AAA rechargeables. You'll pay less for these because they are not as 'fashionable' as the credit card style cams...but some of them can still be quite fancy and fun designs. Check out Canon's new upcoming SD30 or Olympus' Stylus Verve.

 

If you are willing to go up just a hair in size, you can get a small compact camera (still smaller than your A40) which is slightly larger than the ultra-compacts, but has more features and better capabilities. For example, Canon's SD500, Sony's P200, Nikon's 7900, Fuji's F10, or Panasonic's LX7 are all better in low light, have sharper lenses, more manual controls, and some have standout features like image stabilization (Panasonic) or high ISO capability (Fuji).

 

By the way, any 4MP or greater camera on the market today will print brilliant 12x15 pictures at basically film quality...so don't worry about the megapixels. An 8MP, 7MP, or even 5MP camera will print at far higher size and resolution than you will likely ever use, so it is a bit wasteful to spend a ton more for 3 more megapixels which you never use! The only advantage the higher megapixels may offer you is the ability to crop your photos and still maintain good resolution. Otherwise, the MP race is all marketing hype and misunderstanding - most people are like you, and will view pics on a computer screen or print at no larger than 8MP (which you can even do with a 2MP camera).

 

Your definition of 'pocket cam' is the most important factor. Are you more interested in the size and pocketability and willing to compromise some photographic capability, or are you looking for the most photographic capability in a still-reasonable compact size and convenience? For definition 1, I would recommend the highly stylish and incredibly well-built Sony T7 or the Nikon S1. They are both super-compact, convenient, have great LCD screens, and take very clear, sharp, excellent color photos in most situations. They will both struggle a bit in low light, but are a good compromise for someone weighing pocketability as high importance. For definition 2, I would recommend the Panasonic LX7 or the Fuji F10. Each of these cams has standout features which make them useful - the Panasonic is the only compact to squeeze in image-stabilization in a compact, making handshake less of an issue and increasing the camera's usefulness in low-light or zoom scenarios; the Fuji is the only compact capable of shooting up to ISO1600, with very usable results at ISO800...allowing it to be used without flash indoors and in low light scenarios without the horrible noise and grain which affect all other compacts at ISO200 or more. The Fuji also has the longest-lasting battery on the market.

[zackiedawg]

Beware the pursuit of only a large LCD and ultimate pocketability!

 

While the newest crop of super-compact pocketable cameras are very good, and quite capable...they do have compromises which should be taken into consideration to ensure you don't suffer disappointments.

 

First of all, the credit-card style cameras are probably the most conveniently sized cams on the market...slim enough for a pocket and with the ability to use up to 2.5" LCDs. However these larger LCD cameras do not have any form of optical viewfinders, and even with the huge LCD, they can become hard to see in bright sunlight. Look for screens that have transreflective capability to give you the best chance to see what you are shooting. Also, note that these tiny lenses which zoom verticaly within the body do not have great light capabilities...at wide angle they should mostly be capable of F2.8 or so (about average for most cameras) but at 3x telephoto, they will fall to F3.8 - 4.5 (meaning much slower shutters needed to take low-light or indoor shots without flash). The smaller aperatures mean slower shutters, which mean handshake becomes an issue. Tiny little quivers or vibrations in your hand can result in blurry shots indoors. The built-in flashes on these devices are fairly weak too...so they are not great indoor cams.

 

If your primary use is outdoor, daylight, and general purpose, they should be OK...but always remember that if you zoom in more, you have to be more steady...even bracing the cam against a rail or wall, as the longer exposures are necessary to get a properly exposed picture.

 

Also, these credit card cams have to use thin lithium batteries...they are not as long-lasting as normal lithium rechargeables, and not as convenient as AA or AAA rechargeables. If this is a second camera, which you just want to have around for spontaneous or convenient shots, it should serve wonderfully...but as a primary camera, you may need to purchase a spare lithium battery cell, and charge them both the night before. These can run $40 - 70, so beware!

 

The other type of pocketable or compact camera would be the small rectangle variety. Often these can't have the 2.5" LCD screens, but can still have decent 2" screens which have good visibility, and they are roughly the same volume (fatter, but shorter...more cube-like in shape). These can have slightly better low light capability (still poor compared to a prosumer or advanced cam) than the credit cards, because the lenses can zoom out traditionally instead of folding the optics on their side. They also can take either larger lithium batteries or AA/AAA rechargeables. You'll pay less for these because they are not as 'fashionable' as the credit card style cams...but some of them can still be quite fancy and fun designs. Check out Canon's new upcoming SD30 or Olympus' Stylus Verve.

 

If you are willing to go up just a hair in size, you can get a small compact camera (still smaller than your A40) which is slightly larger than the ultra-compacts, but has more features and better capabilities. For example, Canon's SD500, Sony's P200, Nikon's 7900, Fuji's F10, or Panasonic's LX7 are all better in low light, have sharper lenses, more manual controls, and some have standout features like image stabilization (Panasonic) or high ISO capability (Fuji).

 

By the way, any 4MP or greater camera on the market today will print brilliant 12x15 pictures at basically film quality...so don't worry about the megapixels. An 8MP, 7MP, or even 5MP camera will print at far higher size and resolution than you will likely ever use, so it is a bit wasteful to spend a ton more for 3 more megapixels which you never use! The only advantage the higher megapixels may offer you is the ability to crop your photos and still maintain good resolution. Otherwise, the MP race is all marketing hype and misunderstanding - most people are like you, and will view pics on a computer screen or print at no larger than 8MP (which you can even do with a 2MP camera).

 

Your definition of 'pocket cam' is the most important factor. Are you more interested in the size and pocketability and willing to compromise some photographic capability, or are you looking for the most photographic capability in a still-reasonable compact size and convenience? For definition 1, I would recommend the highly stylish and incredibly well-built Sony T7 or the Nikon S1. They are both super-compact, convenient, have great LCD screens, and take very clear, sharp, excellent color photos in most situations. They will both struggle a bit in low light, but are a good compromise for someone weighing pocketability as high importance. For definition 2, I would recommend the Panasonic LX7 or the Fuji F10. Each of these cams has standout features which make them useful - the Panasonic is the only compact to squeeze in image-stabilization in a compact, making handshake less of an issue and increasing the camera's usefulness in low-light or zoom scenarios; the Fuji is the only compact capable of shooting up to ISO1600, with very usable results at ISO800...allowing it to be used without flash indoors and in low light scenarios without the horrible noise and grain which affect all other compacts at ISO200 or more. The Fuji also has the longest-lasting battery on the market.

[kaguilbeau]

Thank you for taking the time to post such a detailed answer. I've printed it for my reference in my next digital camera purchase!

 

K

[zackiedawg]

No problem. Sorry it came up twice...the boards here have been having lots of server problems which are causing replies to not post or hang up...sometimes you repost only to find that the original did get posted after a long delay!