Home Forums Gear Photography How 'bout some point and shoot camera help?

I want a simple, compact point and shoot digital. Picture quality is the most important criteria, video is the least important. I've been looking at the Panasonic Lumix Zs5, Fuji Finepix S200 EXR, and Coolpix 8000. Can someone recommend a good one? I'm primarily wanting a lighter weight compact to do some amateur digiscoping with. No SLR's right now. Thanks.

Canon or Nikon

I've used several coolpix over the years, they take quality pictures and are pretty tough. Things to consider in addition to the optical quality is the autofocus and the speed of the camera.

Which ones? There's like 50 models from each.

I've been pretty happy with my Panasonic and I think I'm going to upgrade it a couple notches to the ZS5. Take a look at dpreview.com.

[color:#000099]P&S shootout[/color]

From low light to daylight to reflection in water, stopping action, to closeups...The Canon Power Shot SD800IS Digital Elph has been a great camera. It is fully automatic, and completely manual if you choose.

I researched cameras extensively to find what the best recommended camera would be and it was agreed that the Canon was that camera.

The last photo is just a couple days ago. I dropped it into the river when I was taking the picures of the Salmon. I tried my best to dry it out and it must have worked, as I have taken dozens of pictures with it since the dip in Alaska...














[img]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee202/bridgershooters/100_4246.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee202/bridgershooters/100_4016.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee202/bridgershooters/Antelopeb.jpg[/img]

Nikon Coolpix. I have an older 6 megapixel, but they are good cameras.

they are all getting pretty close. I like the lumix zs5 myself.

Not to hijack the thread, but what the devil is that rifle?

I have held my share of old rifles, but that is sure beyond my experience!

Details, man, we need details!

John

That's the one I'm leaning toward myself.

That is a Burgess rifle that is "one of a kind". It is a prototype that never made it into a production gun by Burgess Gun Company, in New York. Mike Venturino is writing an article on it right now, along with a Burgess shotgun that I got since.

They are both very unique guns made by a prolific gun designer by the name of Andrew Burgess. Burgess has hundreds more patents than even John Browning. He is little known, but very influential in the gun designs that are still in use today by companies like Marlin.

The article should be out in the December issue of "Rifle" magazine...

Well, that is about an 11 on a 1-to-10 scale of cool!

Thanks for the info!

John

Nikon is coming out with a new camera the S8100 in about a week. It is awesome. Much faster then the S8000, better sensor and better in low light. High speed shooting up to 10 frames per second and 1080 HD video
Figure the camera with a Nikon case, 2 year extended warranty, 8 gig card and an extra battery would be 299.99 shipped for forum members

I use a Panasonic Lumix zs5 at work almost daily and I liked it enough that I bought one for personal use. Great picture quality, solid, 12 megapixel, excellent 12x zoom, useful settings, and easy to use. I also bought a Canon Powershot SX20IS and I'm kicking myself for not buying a Panasonic FZ35... The Canon sits on the desk because its been that much of a disappointment. I don't have any personal experience with the Nikons.

Here are a few Panasonic Lumix pics. It looks like the compression settings on the host site have taken some of the clarity away but the originals are crisp enough that they could be 16x20 prints and turn out good.

And since you mentioned digiscoping--these are freehanded through a Nikon Prostaff 16-48x60 with the Panasonic.





And here's one of those dreaded "back of the pickup" trophy pics, just because I killed him near where the digiscope pics were taken with the same camera.

Here are a couple using the self-timer on the Panasonic. I would have been a lot happier with the result if I hadn't been in such a hurry and had thought about where the light was coming from. Proof that composition has as much to do with picture quality as the camera itself...

Hopefully this gives you an idea of what you can expect with the Panasonic--I tried to cover the bases.

I just got a ZS5 from Camera Land and this is my second Lumix camera. Looks and feels like another solid unit.

Doug....between the new Nikon 8100 and this Zs5,what are the noticeable differences and what would make one select one over the other if the person was basically a snap and shoot K.I.S.S beginner?

Bob,
Looks like the Nikon 8100 will have a better (larger, more dots) LCD screen than the ZS5. But the Panasonic zooms from 25mm as opposed to the Nikon 30mm. You will find the extra 5mm wideness of the Panasonic significant, especially in a room or even doing wide angle landscape. Both do HD move clips.

DPreview is a decent place to compare camera specs and look at some more technical reviews.

Nikon 8100
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_cps8100.asp

Panasonic zs5
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Panasonic/panasonic_dmczs5.asp

Reviews test of compact super-zooms.
From this review, I like the Casio FH100, but certainly wish any of these compacts came also with a viewfinder and not only an LCD screen. Note that this reviews the Nikon 8000, not the newer 8100
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q210grouptravelzoom/

Hope this helps some,
from another Doug

Nikon has a model P100 that is an amazing camera. It always depends on price and features but this camera has terrific programming abilities and a 26X zoom that is super. <$400.00