I am an experienced “old-time” optical SLR user; formerly took B&W photos of musicians in very DIM taverns … I used to have a fine old Canon with a 1.2 lens that could see in the dark.
I now have a 5-yr-old Samsung 7.3 megapixel digital with probably a 3x zoom.
Another camera I’m considering: the Nikon Coolpix L810, 16.1 megapixels / 26x zoom @ $249.99, on sale $30 off of regular price. It “may” be “sleeker” than the Fuji.
What I meant by liking the Fuji “viewfinder”(above) is ==> it has one you can look thru, as differentiated from the camera-you-hold-out-from-your-head & lookit the 3" screen for the preview …
As an old timer, you will gasp at the ISO possibilities for new DSLRs. 6400 is now what the top of what the last generation was capable of without pushing. Pro cameras all do four additional stops.
I’d recommend Canon or Nikon. I’ve a Canon T3i myself and I am very, very pleased. Did I mention the 6400 ISO? Indoor restaurants, homes etc. with no flash or outdoor light.
I can’t fine the Fuji S4400 online. Do you mean the S4200 or the S4500 which are similar to the specs you listed? Same with the Olympus ZS-12, I can only find the ZS-20 which has specs close to the ones you listed.
The biggest problem with the large zoom cameras you listed is that they are most useful outside in full sunlight. Big zoom cameras eat up lots of light, and they have tiny sensors in order to keep the whole package small, so noise is a big factor. IMO, they are not appropriate for a general purpose camera as you end up with too many compromises. If you’re going to be shooting mostly outside then these are good choices. I think Panasonic and Canon are currently making the best compact big zoom cameras right now.
Since I don’t recognize the models you’ve listed (are they special models for Costco or something like that?) I’d recommend the Panasonic ZS-15 or the Canon SX-260.
Thanks to both of you, who gave me some excellent information!
I ended up buying the Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, for relatively big bucks (for me … it cost $349.99 before taxes from Staples – which included an 8GB SDHC card and extended warranty). LOTSA bells & whistles.
35x zoom ! A view-through viewfinder with diopter correction ! A fold-out LCD screen !
Big Honkin’ HD video capabilities ! YIKES! :eek:
Tomorrow I head to Memphis for the Blues (Foundation) Awards, equivalent to the Grammys but exclusively for Blues The Genre. I’ll have lots of ops for all kinds of grab shots
Late to the thread, but I think you’ll be really happy with the Canon. A few years ago I was looking for a compact camera and got caught up in the megapixels. Took home a Fuji Finepix 12mp, and wasn’t just disappointed, but it was defective. Took it back, and they didn’t have any more of them, so I had to choose something else. Caught up in the megapixels again and was looking at brands I hadn’t heard of before and feeling dubious.
I somehow got really lucky and ran into an assistant manager (Best Buy) who actually knew what he was talking about and had worked in cameras for a couple of years. He explained to me how the Canon PowerShot was only 8 megapixels, it had a far bigger processor, bigger lens, and faster chipset inside, resulting in far more information reaching those pixels than the itty-bitty cameras with more pixels advertised. So I went with the Canon, even though it was a little larger - I carried it in a case in my bag anyway, I’m not really a pocket-gadget girl so it didn’t much matter.
I took it home and took the same shots that I had the night before with the Fuji - and got far superior photos! That PowerShot is maybe 5 years old now, and it holds up beautifully. It takes such good pictures I still don’t feel any need to pick up a DSLR, even though the idea of getting it was just to tide me over until I could afford one.
So I hope you enjoy your new Canon - I think you’ll be happy with it for quite a few years.
Only in good light. Indoors you need the flash and some luck. The sensor is good, but it’s just too small for great high ISO performance from what I’ve seen.
Fair enough, I think it’s an excellent choice in that category. I’m generally a Canon guy and would recommend the Canon or the Panasonic FZ47 for ultrazooms.
I just was trying to avoid what seems to be common disappointment when people find they can’t use their ultrazooms indoors at full zoom and think that there’s something wrong with the camera. It’s a limitation of the camera style; all cameras are compromises.
