super zoom compacts

[ehobbs1970]

what do u guys consider the best super zoom compact. i have read good things about panasonic tz60 / zs40. any other suggestions for compact quality zoom. i want to be able to use it a lot. i read good things about the sony rx100 mk3 but when i read about it smaller zoom. ideas please. going on alaska cruise and wilderness/whale tour. traveling with someone who is disabled too so lots of juggling around.

 

ok yes i bought the a6000 but a little concerned i am over my depth on this one and concerned about the zoom without the larger lens. sooooo..... that is why thinking about exchaning.

[pierces]

Sony just released the HX90V which is a very pocketable 30x compact zoom camera. It has a pop-up electronic viewfinder that will make shooting in bright light a lot less frustrating.

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/sony-hx90v/sony-hx90vA.HTM

 

Dave

Edited April 20, 2015 by pierces

[ehobbs1970]

Sony just released the HX90V which is a very pocketable 30x compact zoom camera. It has a pop-up electronic viewfinder that will make shooting in bright light a lot less frustrating.

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/sony-hx90v/sony-hx90vA.HTM

 

Dave

hi dave do you feel pretty good about this sensor size? i love the 30 zoom but is 1/2.3"-type ok?

[pierces]

hi dave do you feel pretty good about this sensor size? i love the 30 zoom but is 1/2.3"-type ok?

 

I have used previous iterations of this sensor and and was pleased with the images made within the capability of the camera.

 

Link to images from my 10MP HX5V: http://galleries.pptphoto.com/sony_hx5v

 

Sony makes this sensor for everyone except maybe Panasonic so as far as small-sensor cameras go, it's sensor is top of the line.

 

I dropped the DSLR for the A6000 and while it is a huge reduction in mass, I see your point coming up from the other way. I have come to love the images from the big APS-C sensors in the little Sony E-mount bodies and am reluctant to go smaller.

 

Best of luck with whatever you choose!

 

Dave

Edited April 20, 2015 by pierces

[ehobbs1970]

shoooots ok looked and was getting myself pretty jazzed about the sony hx90v an its not avail until right before my trip. ideas on others in this zoon compact category? zs50 /40? or please comment on any others. its seems like u know what i am going for . i sort of want to buy it and play before my trip.

[pierces]

The HX50V was the last USA iteration of this series. It is a bit larger and has the same 30x range but lacks the viewfinder. I think it can use the FDA-EV1MK viewfinder from the RX-1 full-frame compact but that thing is built for a $2500 camera and is priced accordingly.

 

I have owned Canon, Minolta and Sony compacts and honestly, they were all pretty darn good. Once you get into the $300+ range, all the major models/brands are solid, capable cameras.

 

Dave

[c230k]

Have a look at the Sony HX50V

 

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-DSC-HX50V-20-4MP-Digital-Camera/dp/B00CDIK48U/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1429563195&sr=1-2&keywords=sony+dsc-hx50v+battery

 

This is the camera that will be replaced by the HX90V.

 

I have one. takes great pictures, only complaint I have is the LCD is a little hard to view in bright sun light. Over all, for the size and zoom range does a good job. try one out it's with a try.

 

Tom :cool:

[mskaufman]

I have a Canon SX40 and am very happy with it. I have a friend with an SX50 (50X zoom) and she is very happy with that.

[setsail]

I have a Canon SX40 and am very happy with it. I have a friend with an SX50 (50X zoom) and she is very happy with that.

 

Great cameras

 

I would go with the new canon SX60

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2164591

Edited April 20, 2015 by setsail

[havoc315]

hi dave do you feel pretty good about this sensor size? i love the 30 zoom but is 1/2.3"-type ok?

 

That's the sensor size you will find in every superzoom (anything at 30x or above). A larger sensor requires a larger lens in order to get more telephoto power. The only reason super zoom P&S/bridge cameras are smaller than dSLRs is because they have smaller sensors.

 

Is the sensor size ok? It's a tiny bit bigger than a smart phone sensor. In good light, you can get great pictures even with a smart phone. So in non-challenging situations, you'll be able to get very nice images, even with a small sensor.

 

What do I mean by non-challenging? Excellent light. Your subject probably isn't moving. And particularly if you are using the long end of the telephoto, you stabilize the lens either with a monopod or tripod or at least bracing the camera.

 

Outside in the bright sun, if you took the same photo with the A6000 and with the superzoom... and then you looked at it on the computer in "facebook size".. you wouldn't ever be able to tell the difference.

 

But when circumstances get more challenging, or when you are being more critical with very large prints, etc... that's where the better sensor makes a much bigger difference.

 

Take an indoor picture without flash... with the A6000 and with a superzoom... blow them both up, not even huge.. say to 8X10, and you will start to see big differences.

 

So, the small sensor can be very "ok".. as long as you know the limitations and have realistic expectations.

[ehobbs1970]

thanks guys but the recommendations

Edited April 21, 2015 by ehobbs1970
i was being sort of rude

[zackiedawg]

Agreed with what Havoc wrote - in general, when you want big telephoto reach in a tiny camera, the only option will be to go with the tiny 1/2.3" sensors which is the only way to keep lens size down. Whether it's good enough for your needs are entirely up to your needs - good daylight conditions, it should be fine. Small prints, internet display and slideshows, should be fine. Low light - probably not so good. Fast motion - not so good. Indoor - not so good. But usable at least if you have no high printing demands for indoor/low light stuff.

 

As for the reach - if it's maximum ability to fill the frame with distant subjects that's important to you, don't latch on so much to the '30x' part of the equation. What you need to look at is what the wide end equivalent of the lens is, then multiply it by that zoom factor...that will tell you how far out it will reach. For example, if I give you a 20x camera with a 36mm wide end, versus a 30x camera with a 24mm wide end...which has more telephoto equivalent reach? Neither...they're exactly the same! 36mm, multiplied by 20x, is 720mm. 24mm multiplied by 30x is the same 720mm. So it's not so much the '20x', '30x', etc that matters - it's what that multiplier is starting from. Most cameras will tell you the range in '35mm equivalent' numbers - or at least the wide angle equivalent. The actual lens is usually something MUCH smaller in actual focal reach - to get a hint, read those little numbers printed on the rim around the glass at the end of the lens, and you'll see the actual lens focal range - something like 4mm-72mm. The 'equivalent' part comes from that tiny tiny sensor, which as what's known as a 'crop factor' - usually in the 6x range - so the '35mm-equivalent' reach of a 4mm to 72mm lens would be 24mm to 432mm.

 

Not sure if you needed or wanted to know any of that - but thought it might help understand the small sensors, and also help when looking for P&S cameras that tell you all that '30x' zoom info, which can be confusing and misleading if you don't know that this multiplier is dependent on the widest focal equivalent.

[emeybee]

what do u guys consider the best super zoom compact. i have read good things about panasonic tz60 / zs40. any other suggestions for compact quality zoom. i want to be able to use it a lot. i read good things about the sony rx100 mk3 but when i read about it smaller zoom. ideas please. going on alaska cruise and wilderness/whale tour. traveling with someone who is disabled too so lots of juggling around.

 

ok yes i bought the a6000 but a little concerned i am over my depth on this one and concerned about the zoom without the larger lens. sooooo..... that is why thinking about exchaning.

 

Well I just replied in the other thread but anyway... if you go here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/emeybee/sets you can see my travel photos. Pretty much all of them except for Turkey, Mexico and a bit of Italy were taken with different superzoom cameras. The photos look good until you click on the larger sizes, then they look very smudgy and lose a lot of detail (i.e. green blobs instead of blades of grass). That is the downside of the tiny sensor. If you click on Turkey/Mexico, the pictures look much better at larger sizes.

 

The flip side for travel photography, is that you don't have a long time to set up your shot, change lenses, adjust settings, etc. Often a shot is there one second and gone the next (or your family is impatiently dragging you to the next sight :)). So in my experience, for amateur travel photography a camera with one lens is best. This could be the A6000 with an 18200le zoom lens (which is my current setup) or it could be a fixed lens camera like a super zoom. In both cases you'll be sacrificing quality, as lenses give up a lot to be able to cover a big focal range, regardless of sensor size. With a typical superzoom you'll give up even more quality because of the tiny sensor.

 

If I were deciding on a travel setup today, these are the three options I would consider:

• Sony A6000 with 18200le lens (27-315mm range, big sensor, expandable)
  
• Panasonic FZ1000 (25-400mm range, medium sensor)
  
• Sony HX90V or Panasonic ZS50 (24-720mm range, tiny sensor)
  

 

Which camera you choose is really going to be based on what you will be shooting, and what you intend to do with your photos. If you're mostly going to take pictures outdoors on sunny days, and you only want to use the pictures on Facebook or maybe print out regular snapshot sized prints, then I'd go with the HX90V or ZS50 because they're pocketable and the poor image quality won't really matter. If you want to do larger prints like 8x10s, or use the pictures as your desktop wallpaper, but you don't want to learn advanced settings or worry about changing lenses, then I'd go with the FZ1000. If you want to do huge prints, like 11x17s or larger, and you might want to go further into photography than just for travel, then I'd go with the A6000 and start with the 18200le. You can always add lenses as you gain more knowledge.

 

In no case in this day and age would I go with a DSLR-sized superzoom with a tiny sensor. I have had many of these cameras and they were great for what they were back in the day, but now that the FZ1000 is available with a larger sensor, and the HX90V/ZS50 are available in pocket-size with long zooms, those other cameras have become obsolete. They're too bulky for the tiny sensor they provide, and the crazy zoom numbers (50x! 60x! 90x!) are pointless unless you want to lug a tripod with you everywhere you go, and whatever you're photographing is nice enough to stay perfectly still.

 

Whichever camera you pick I'd suggest taking as much time as you can to practice before your trip. Zoos can be great for this. Knowing how to use the camera is much more important than which camera you buy.

Edited April 21, 2015 by emeybee

[gopro63]

the next step will be a larger sensor and 4K resolution will you wait another year for that. May be called Sony Cybershot DSC-UX5, and zoom will not be as high this is a game Sony is playing time to be @4K

[emeybee]

the next step will be a larger sensor and 4K resolution will you wait another year for that. May be called Sony Cybershot DSC-UX5, and zoom will not be as high this is a game Sony is playing time to be @4K

 

She needed a camera for a trip coming up so I doubt she can wait a year. Also, 4K is a fun idea, but most screens/televisions don't support it yet so in my mind it's not a deciding factor. That said, the Panasonic FZ1000 already has 4K, so if she did want it, that would be the way to go as far as cameras already out.

[ehobbs1970]

hey guys thanks for all the info - so...

1. i bought a6000 last weekend and feeling a bit over whelmed with it and the bulk of what have to carry for zoom during alaska trip. i know this is relative but i am coming up from ps world

 

2. fz1000 - didnt like bulk but did like sensor but wanted more zoom then it offered. if i was going that route would stay with the a6000 - same price wise.

 

3. sony hx90v - just pre ordered it - sony thru in a lot of doo dads and paid for expedited 1 day shipping. guarantee deliver 6/24 or sooner. i liked that it the tilt screen plus great 12800 iso. as compared to the equivalent earlier sony. my big debate was betw this one and the panasonic zs40 (not the zs50 newer with less megapixels). that was my big debate. the panasonic zs4- and this sony hx90v. i just dont like that i have to wait to play with it.

[havoc315]

hey guys thanks for all the info - so...

1. i bought a6000 last weekend and feeling a bit over whelmed with it and the bulk of what have to carry for zoom during alaska trip. i know this is relative but i am coming up from ps world

 

2. fz1000 - didnt like bulk but did like sensor but wanted more zoom then it offered. if i was going that route would stay with the a6000 - same price wise.

 

3. sony hx90v - just pre ordered it - sony thru in a lot of doo dads and paid for expedited 1 day shipping. guarantee deliver 6/24 or sooner. i liked that it the tilt screen plus great 12800 iso. as compared to the equivalent earlier sony. my big debate was betw this one and the panasonic zs40 (not the zs50 newer with less megapixels). that was my big debate. the panasonic zs4- and this sony hx90v. i just dont like that i have to wait to play with it.

 

Congratulations. I'm sure it will be great. But be warned.... the ISO 12800 will not be great. Even on the A6000, you would find the ISO 12800 is so-so.

 

For comparison-sake, here is ISO 12800 on the HX50:

 

http://216.18.212.226/PRODS/sony-hx50v/FULLRES/HX50VINBI12800.JPG

 

And here is ISO 12800 on the A6000:

 

http://216.18.212.226/PRODS/sony-a6000/FULLRES/A6000INBI12800.JPG

 

On the HX90, you will probably be in good shape up to about ISO 1600-3200 range. Really depends how big you are viewing. An ISO 6400 shot might even look pretty good as a small "web image" or 4X6.

[ehobbs1970]

havoc wow what a difference - on the a6000!!!!

 

question if 12800 is not going to be needed on the sony hx90v then the only thing going for it over the panasonic zs40 (available now) is the tilt-able screen. the luminx one does not have a movable screen at all.

 

what are your thoughts. i would rather get the one to play with it now but the sony sounded a lot better. would love to get feedback

 

 

http://www.cameracomparisonreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX90V-vs.-Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-ZS40-3.jpg

 

http://snapsort.com/compare/Panasonic-Lumix-ZS40-vs-Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX90V

[havoc315]

havoc wow what a difference - on the a6000!!!!

 

question if 12800 is not going to be needed on the sony hx90v then the only thing going for it over the panasonic zs40 (available now) is the tilt-able screen. the luminx one does not have a movable screen at all.

 

what are your thoughts. i would rather get the one to play with it now but the sony sounded a lot better. would love to get feedback

 

 

http://www.cameracomparisonreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX90V-vs.-Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-ZS40-3.jpg

 

http://snapsort.com/compare/Panasonic-Lumix-ZS40-vs-Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX90V

 

That's the benefit of a larger sensor, and also why you can get more room to crop a high quality image.

 

So on a small sensor, I'd stay at lower ISO unless absolutely necessary.

 

Honestly... When comparing cameras in a similar category -- same price range, same sensor size, etc -- the differences become rather minor. You can pick a camera that feels most comfortable in your hands, and maybe compare some of the slight feature differences. You won't find earth shattering differences between models but perhaps you want wifi built in, or a tiltable screen, etc.

 

Personally, I'd insist on a model that lets you shoot RAW. But if you don't ever see yourself shooting anything other than JPEG, it makes little difference.

[ehobbs1970]

ok again great feedback - so really it comes down to this - tilt screen sony hx90v and RAW with panasonic zs40.

 

more research needed.

 

meanwhile i have been playing more with the a6000 and seeing its value big time. just dont know if i can use it on this cruise but i know long it would be a keeper and better investment overall .

Edited April 23, 2015 by ehobbs1970
wrong wording

[emeybee]

hey guys thanks for all the info - so...

1. i bought a6000 last weekend and feeling a bit over whelmed with it and the bulk of what have to carry for zoom during alaska trip. i know this is relative but i am coming up from ps world

 

2. fz1000 - didnt like bulk but did like sensor but wanted more zoom then it offered. if i was going that route would stay with the a6000 - same price wise.

 

3. sony hx90v - just pre ordered it - sony thru in a lot of doo dads and paid for expedited 1 day shipping. guarantee deliver 6/24 or sooner. i liked that it the tilt screen plus great 12800 iso. as compared to the equivalent earlier sony. my big debate was betw this one and the panasonic zs40 (not the zs50 newer with less megapixels). that was my big debate. the panasonic zs4- and this sony hx90v. i just dont like that i have to wait to play with it.

 

On small sensor cameras, more megapixels are actually a worse thing to have. They introduce noise. It's another spec like the 90x zoom that is meant to look great on the packaging, not to produce better pictures. If it were me, I would wait for reviews of the HX90v/ZS50 and see which one ends up being better received on sites like Imaging-Resource.com and cameralabs.com. But Sony and Panasonic both typically make great user-friendly cameras and they have very similar specs so you probably can't go wrong with either.

 

As for the FZ1000, you have to remember that because of the larger sensor you can crop a lot more (or use digital zoom) than you can on a camera with a tiny sensor. So you can essentially double the zoom to 800mm and still match the image quality of the smaller cameras. It is indeed bulky though, so if you're not going to make big prints then the smaller Sony/Panasonic still may be your better bet.