Best Compact Camera

[-KiTtY- boo]

Hello All,

I need some help in choosing the right compact camera.
I would like something that is simple to use (for mom) but at the same time I would like something that can offer or give me the option of shooting "professional" like pictures. I would like it to have the capability of shooting great pictures in low light settings as well as have a great night shot.
Price is not an issue as long as the performance can justify the cost. If I going to buy something, I might as well buy somthing good the first time.

I read a previous thread and some suggested the Cannon S95, and ga16i suggested the SX230, but that is because the thread author wanted something simple; would these still hold true in my case?

I guess bottom line is I want something that is easy to use but shoots amazing pictures at the same time.

Thanks in advance.

[taemo]

S95 is still a great performer but for latest and greatest P&S for me, it would either be the Canon S100 or Fuji X-10

[revelations]

S95 are simply awesome for P&S, but are a little behind the curve now.

If youre after a deal, they are worth looking at, but if you want the best..... the choices mentioned above would be good to look at.

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by revelations
S95 are simply awesome for P&S, but are a little behind the curve now.

I was in the market for this camera, behind the curve in what sense?

[-KiTtY- boo]

Whats the difference between the Cannon S series and ELPH series?
Also is the Cannon Power shot SX150IS good?

[dragonone]

you have to define what's 'compact' to you

the s95 is hardly behind the curve, since only the lx5, p7000/7100, x10, or x100 can compare at the moment. the s100 is producing just on par results apparently, not much better than the s95 (except gps, video, and zoom).

either the above or you'd have to go m4/3's

[-KiTtY- boo]

Originally posted by dragonone
you have to define what's 'compact' to you

the s95 is hardly behind the curve, since only the lx5, p7000/7100, x10, or x100 can compare at the moment. the s100 is producing just on par results apparently, not much better than the s95 (except gps, video, and zoom).

either the above or you'd have to go m4/3's

I would like it to be small enough to fit in a clutch purse or carry around conveniently. So approximately the same size as an iPhone. I don’t want to look like a tourist when I walk around with it (already have one of those cameras)

What is brand of cameras that you listed there (lx5, p7000/7100, x10 or x100) and what is a m4/3's?

The Cannon Power shot SX150Is seems small (according to the dimensions given on Best Buy's website) for a camera with a lens like that. My Olympus has a lens like that and it is huge, but was considered small at the time i bought it, which was about 11 years ago.

Thanks

[revelations]

Behind the curve as in evolutionary upgrades.

Compared to Powershot S95 - key differences
The S100 is in effect a whole new camera compared to the S95; almost every key feature has been upgraded or updated:

24-120mm (equivalent) lens range, F2.0-5.9, built-in neutral density filter
12.1 MP 1/1.7" Canon CMOS sensor
DIGIC 5 image processor
ISO 80-6400
2.3 fps continuous shooting (9.6 fps for 8 frames in High-Speed burst mode)
Full HD (1080p24) movie recording; H.264 compression, MOV format
Optical zoom in movie mode
Super slow motion movie recording (640 x 480 @ 120fps, 320 x 240 @ 240 fps)
Direct movie record button
Built-in GPS unit with image tagging and logger functions

Advantages of the Canon S100
Much higher true resolution 12 MP vs 10 MP
Higher resolution movies 1080p @ 24fps vs 720p @ 24fps
Shoots higher resolution Full HD (1080p) video
Better maximum light sensitivity 6,400 ISO vs 3,200 ISO
The S100's maximum light sensitivity is 1 f-stop better

Significantly better wide angle 24 mm vs 28 mm
Records high-speed movies 240 fps vs None
Has a CMOS-family sensor CMOS vs CCD
Has a GPS Yes vs No
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly faster 10 fps vs 1.9 fps
Better macro capability 3 cm vs 5 cm
Slightly more zoom 5x vs 3.8x
Slightly smaller 99x60x28 mm vs 99x58x29 mm
Slightly thinner 1.1" vs 1.2"
Faster max shutter speed 1/2000s vs 1/1600s

[Mitsu3000gt]

From all the samples I've seen, I prefer the S95 image quality. In most scenarios there is no noticeable difference.

The S100 has a longer zoom, but the lens is also slower at the long end.

The S100 adds bells & whistles like 1080p video (vs 720p) and GPS. A bunch of stuff I'll never use.

Continuous shooting is useless to me unless it can AF track between frames, so I've never used that feature on any P&S.

I'm sticking with my S95....the S100 doesn't bring anything incredible to the table this time around.

To the OP: No P&S camera is going to take great pictures in low light, unless you use a tripod.

[dragonone]

i wouldn't jump on the s100 even if i didn't have a s95 right now because the s95 has almost identical IQ and has been $2xx. as a s95 owner, I've watched the s100 reviews closely, and have come to the same conclusions from the reviews out there like above.

Originally posted by -KiTtY- boo


What is brand of cameras that you listed there (lx5, p7000/7100, x10 or x100) and what is a m4/3's?

panasonic lx5
nikon p7000/7100
fujifilm x10/x100

m4/3's

google this stuff next time