Recommend me a Camera

[foofighterjim]

So the summer is here and for once I am actually going away on holiday

 

It has been about 10 years since I actually went on a holiday and I have realised that I really don't have a camera suitable for capturing some of it. At present all I have is the camera on my HTC One M9 and even a novice like me can see that the image quality is rubbish. I have done some looking but am getting a little lost in all the technicalities of photography. I know there are a number of you who are quite keen on photography so I though I would ask; I am after a camera that fits the following:

 

• Pocket sized (so thats SLRs out)
  
• Good optical zoom (I would think anything over x20 should do it)
  
• Good in low light situations
  
• Able to capture fast moving (+150mph) objects without too much motion blur
  
• Not unnecessarily expensive (around £500 or less)
  

 

I don't need any fancy connectivity or sharing options, just a camera that takes good pictures. All suggestions welcome.

[bald_pig]

I'd say go for a csc, it's not quite a compact, but it's not SLR sized, and still has the option to swap lenses

 

10 best mirrorless cameras in 2016 | TechRadar

[Mark_Norton]

I've heard good things about the Canon Powershot G7x?

 

Having said that, if you want 20x Zoom might not be for you.

[foofighterjim]

I'd say go for a csc, it's not quite a compact, but it's not SLR sized, and still has the option to swap lenses

 

10 best mirrorless cameras in 2016 | TechRadar

 

I think they might be a little on the large size still, I'm not sure I want to be involved with making sure I have the correct lens on / with me.

 

I've heard good things about the Canon Powershot G7x?

 

Having said that, if you want 20x Zoom might not be for you.

 

Yea, the zoom is quite important as I might not be physically able to get close.

[Gaz]

In that price range you may be able to get a mirrorless but they aren't very pocket friendly. A Sony RX100 mk3 (or mk2 which is cheaper) series may be in budget and they get very good reviews with amateurs and professionals and it ticks all your boxes.

 

I'm a Canon fanboy so for my "pocket" camera I use a Canon G16 Which is still a bit big to be considered a pocket camera.

 

You don't really even need to spend anywhere near £500 to get a good camera after a while you are just adding features which you may never even use.

[foofighterjim]

In that price range you may be able to get a mirrorless but they aren't very pocket friendly. A Sony RX100 mk3 (or mk2 which is cheaper) series may be in budget and they get very good reviews with amateurs and professionals and it ticks all your boxes.

 

I might be reading the specs wrong but that only has 3.6x optical zoom.

 

I have just found https://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-SH-2-Digital-Compact-Camera/dp/B00UKLAZ72/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467206639&sr=8-1&keywords=Olympus+SH-2 but don't really know if the 1/2" sensor would be noticeable to someone like me.

[mavhc]

Pocket sized (so thats SLRs out)

Good optical zoom (I would think anything over x20 should do it)

Good in low light situations

Able to capture fast moving (+150mph) objects without too much motion blur

Not unnecessarily expensive (around £500 or less)

 

These things are incompatible with each other.

 

Good in low light/Fast moving = large sensor, simple lens

Good zoom + pcket sized = small sensor, complex lens

 

If you want zoom look at ultrazoom/bridge cameras

If you want low light/fast look at SLR/mirrorless

[unixman_again]

A Minox, although it is a might inconvenient carrying the desk and lamp around with you

 

[foofighterjim]

These things are incompatible with each other.

 

Good in low light/Fast moving = large sensor, simple lens

Good zoom + pcket sized = small sensor, complex lens

 

If you want zoom look at ultrazoom/bridge cameras

If you want low light/fast look at SLR/mirrorless

 

Thanks for breaking it down into simple terms for me, so basically I need to decide which aspect is more important. Keep in mind that we aren't talking about particularly high benchmarks here regarding quality. As I mentioned am I really going to miss the benefits of a large sensor never having had a camera with one before?

[Gaz]

Arh yes it does, sorry. Why do you need such a long zoom? Are you going to a beach? The bigger the sensor the more detail that can be captured through the lens. 1/2.3 isnt a bad size but you can probably do better for your budget.

[mavhc]

Really when you're thinking about zoom "you're doing it wrong", you can "zoom" by cropping, as long as you have the sensor size and pixels you want.

 

https://skinflint.co.uk/?cat=dcamsp&xf=1480_EVIL+(spiegellos)#xf_top

 

You either want sensor size of APS-C (That's the same as most DSLRs) or Four Thirds (4/3rds of an inch, compared to 1/2.3 of an inch common in ultrazooms)

 

Let's pick 4/3rds for now, as you wanted smaller, so

 

https://skinflint.co.uk/?cat=dcamsp&xf=1480_EVIL+(spiegellos)~169_Four-Thirds~845_Bundle+mit+einem+Objektiv#xf_top

 

2016 Roundup: Interchangeable Lens Cameras around $500: Digital Photography Review

[foofighterjim]

Arh yes it does, sorry. Why do you need such a long zoom? Are you going to a beach? The bigger the sensor the more detail that can be captured through the lens. 1/2.3 isnt a bad size but you can probably do better for your budget.

 

It basically boils down to my holiday being in two parts; Prague and Brno. With the family in tow I might not be able to get particularly close to the may things in Prague I would like to capture, with it being a capital city I don't really want a big heavy camera on show all the time. Later I will be in Brno for the Moto GP and would be taking action shots during practice but even then may still need a zoom of x4 or more. I generally like the idea of having a high zoom in order to capture little details that you may otherwise miss, however could this be achievable with a better sensor and sacrifice some of the zoom?

 

Edit: Is this basically what you have just said in your last post @mavhc ?

Edited June 29, 2016 by foofighterjim

[mavhc]

Yes, zoom is only useful if it can still gather enough light, that's why the pros have lenses that come with their own trolley and security guard.

 

Also look for optical stabilization and auto focus time. The new thing for non-DSLRs is phase detect on the sensor. Phase detect basically means it can focus in just 2 stages, instead of focusing in and out a bit to try to find the best position, bad if your subject is going at 100mph

 

More reviews The Best Midrange Mirrorless Camera | The Wirecutter

[foofighterjim]

Also look for optical stabilization and auto focus time. The new thing for non-DSLRs is phase detect on the sensor. Phase detect basically means it can focus in just 2 stages, instead of focusing in and out a bit to try to find the best position, bad if your subject is going at 100mph

 

How about this: https://www.parkcameras.com/p/1010075C/compact-cameras/canon/powershot-g7-x-digital-camera??source=aw&awc=6241_1467212851_e9327e1034a246b99ca22f47b39126da&utm_source=AWIN&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=103504

[mavhc]

If you want that compact, fair enough, but if I was spending that much I'd go with a removable lens camera, then you can expand its capabilities.

[MatthewL]

Some of the Panasonic compacts have good reviews and they produce some good images.

[arwen]

The panasonic LX100 gets fantastic reviews - Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100: Digital Photography Review

It is slightly on the chunky side, but has many of the features you want.

[Gaz]

Beware of Panasonic cameras as they use proprietary USB cables which means you can't just use any USB cable which for me is a deal breaker.

[buzzard]

If you're looking at getting good images at a GP race, you need pro kit, I manage on normal camera gear and whenever I go to a GP race (dependant on where you are on the circuit /distance to track) depends on the kit you need. Fast moving = Fast lenses, I normally use a prime lens and then "zoom" (crop) the image down. So if you want a camera you need to decide what exactly you want it for. If its a camera for general use, get a standard no frills one, if you intend to visit Race circuits look towards the pro end of the market, I'd look for a minimum of the Bridge Cameras. A friend of mine gets shots probably better than mine with his GoPro, filming and then takes stills out..... again some of his phone camera shots are epic but he's got a decent phone (I'm happy with my Nokia Brick )!!

[bald_pig]

I'd say that being able to lock the focus is an important feature when shooting bikes, nothing worse than your camera deciding to refocus when you try to get an action shot!

 

And at this point I'm going to slip in my BSB album

[foofighterjim]

The panasonic LX100 gets fantastic reviews - Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100: Digital Photography Review

It is slightly on the chunky side, but has many of the features you want.

 

I had seen that but sort of dismissed it purely on resolution, will read into it.

 

Beware of Panasonic cameras as they use proprietary USB cables which means you can't just use any USB cable which for me is a deal breaker.

 

I'll keep that in mind.

 

I'd say that being able to lock the focus is an important feature when shooting bikes, nothing worse than your camera deciding to refocus when you try to get an action shot!

 

And at this point I'm going to slip in my BSB album

 

Some good shots there, unfortunately pit lane access is off the agenda at Brno. I did look at Pramac Ducati hospitality which would have given me access to their garage but it was just too expensive.

[bald_pig]

Luckily I know one of the riders