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Thread: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

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    Gold Member Marcos's Avatar
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    Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    im about to sell my DSLR as i never use it, nice camera but too bulky for 9/10 scenarios

    300D should fetch about £160?

    I need something small enough to go in jeans back pockets, but i would like some manual control, a bigish screen and at least 3x zoom.

    Im out of touch with the digital camera market, has anyone here been looking recently?

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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    Yeah I have been trying to decide between a DSLR and a compact.

    Good alternatives to DSLRs seems to be the "super zooms" with Panasonic's Lumic range getting very good reviews e.g. the DMC-FZ18

    Have a look here for more info:http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html

    This might be ideally suited to what you are looking for http://www.steves-digicams.com/2008_...sonic_tz4.html
    Last edited by kmac; 27-11-2008 at 03:27 PM.

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    Studmuffin Flibb's Avatar
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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    Have a look at the nikon p5100, resonably compact, manual controls, AF speed is ok for a mid level camera, but poor for a high end one, metal body, can use external flash, has add on lenses including fisheye. Might not be as compact as you want though. the mid range powershots have manual controls, not shure which models but it does say on canons website.

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    Gold Member Marcos's Avatar
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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    problem with DSLR is that because of its size i rarely take it out, similar problem with big-zoom compacts, they're still not quite compact enough to go into trouser pockets comfortably


    I have just thought though, the Sony Ericsson C905 does a really good job for a camera phone, even has proper flash, but i dont think it has a real zoom

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    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    Canon A650IS, A720IS and A590IS are all corkers for what you want. The latter two are small/light, but not flat. They will fit in jeans back pocket, but bulge. Front pocket is no problem for my 720IS.

    If you can afford it, the best P+S with manual controls is the Panasonic Lumix LX3, but it's quite large (not as large as the superzooms though).

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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    The Panasonic LX3 does seem to be popular http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicdmclx3/
    Its a it steep in price though and not much of a zoom.

    I have a TZ3 which squashes into by front jeans pocket well enough. The 10x zoom on a compact
    is great however on my TZ3 the low light performance is atrocious and even in bright sunlight the
    shots came out like it was over cast. It seems like other people have had this problem, but not
    everyone it would appear.

    The TZ5 may not have that problem at all, I took a low light shot with a TZ5 recently and took
    the same shot with my TZ3 the TZ5 was much better from what i could see on the screen.

    It seems that some of the really cheap ones dont include the battery with the camera so watch
    out for that.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DM...7821155&sr=8-1
    http://direct.tesco.com/search/defau...=0&confirm.y=0 (could get it cheap with the £13 off code at hotukdeals and if you know someone who works for tesco another 10&#37

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    Gold Member Marcos's Avatar
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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    Quote Originally Posted by kalniel View Post
    Canon A650IS, A720IS and A590IS are all corkers for what you want. The latter two are small/light, but not flat. They will fit in jeans back pocket, but bulge. Front pocket is no problem for my 720IS.

    If you can afford it, the best P+S with manual controls is the Panasonic Lumix LX3, but it's quite large (not as large as the superzooms though).
    Is your A720is really no problem for your front pocket?

    At 4.2 x 9.7 x 6.7 cm ; 200 g, thats like having 4 mobile phones in my pocket


    it looks like a great camera and spec, but about the same size as my old A70 which was a bit big for pockets. Im looking at about 2cm max thickness


    That LX3 looks interesting, i like it that some companies are still putting a lot of effort in like that, but its above my budget, nice camera

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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    dpreview have just posted their first (of 5 iirc) group previews on compacts.

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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    I have just been through exactly the same scenario, had a DSLR for 18 months, rarely used it so I ended up with a Canon G9 which I'm very very happy with.

    I also hear good things about the Panasonic Lumix range, friend of mine has one, it's good.

    Neither are very compact though.

    They're small but won't fit in a jeans pocket.

    I think you're going to be pushed to find something small but with a fully manual option.

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    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    Quote Originally Posted by Marcos View Post
    it looks like a great camera and spec, but about the same size as my old A70 which was a bit big for pockets. Im looking at about 2cm max thickness
    No, it's really not. I have an A70 as well, and the A720 is noticeably smaller and lighter.

    But yes, the 720 is a front jeans pocket camera no problem (obviously depending on jeans, I'm not talking skinny fit here ) But 2cm thickness it is not, nor will you get a camera focused on manual controls etc. with that regulation!

    Just go to Jessops and ask to see one.
    Last edited by kalniel; 28-11-2008 at 10:21 AM.

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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    Id say its not easy to be happy coming dslr to a compact camera. What i do know is that the CANON G series offer the best photos for its size panasonic are very bad in the high iso lots of noise i hate them... i hear good things on the new nikon range but cannot compare to the canon G!! i still have a g7 top pics.. had the tz3 no good soft pics at times bad in light. next i do like the fuji with high iso ability which is my fav. i cannot remember the damn fuji model now i will update you. f50 i think ...

    one panasonic i do love is my fz5 sharp pics but not great in the dark check out the pans fz28 or fz18..
    Last edited by Alfie786; 28-11-2008 at 02:22 PM.
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    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    That's almost the opposite of what I've heard Alfie - the Panasonic are fairly widely acclaimed as very good cameras. The LX3 is the best top end point and shoot, winning out over the canon G10. The LX8 is one of the best budget cameras - in fact I didn't know it was full manual as well, so definitely one for marcos to consider, given it's even cheaper than the A720. The G10 only seems to product good photos at the absolute lowest ISO setting, however it's a bit moot, considering the size problem.

    All compacts produce horrible noise at high ISO, but the panasonics usually handle this better than most (though canon are nearly as good).

    It's not so bad going from DSLR though - I went from film SLR to a compact digital with the A70 and I've been more than happy.

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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    I suppose i only need some control, i just dont want to end up with one of those super-simplified cameras that treat you like an idiot

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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    Oh, well in that case just get a canon ixus and use CHDK to get more control over things.

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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    I recently upgraded from a not compact[old coolpix] to a ricoh R7. I picked the ricoh as I take mostly pics of cutting tools[sad or what] and macro is important. I am really impressed with it, I borrowed the 10x panasonic[tz3?] for a while and it was nice but the ricoh is smaller and fit's in my jacket pocket, so I tend to keep it with me[when i have a jacket on], the only thing I don't like about it is the size of the on/off button. I used to use a manual slr but have to say now I am a point and press photographer, apart from picking scenes and things and I am pretty pleased with most of the pics I take. Don't ask me about the options, I haven't read the manual;-) The best bit[if yer a tight arse] I got the ricoh for £80 from jessops, probably get them for £40 now;-) So they are worth a look at.
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    Re: Good compact digital camera with manual control?

    imho steves digicam is great for pics of the cams but earns allegedly part its living from the cam makers and usually gives just about all digicams it tests positive wishy reviews .. check out the forums at dpreview dot com

    personally i need a cam that does video as well (hence why i gave up on cheap dslr) and l-o-v-e canons for the supersmall digicams (i have an sd950 which is super ) ... i have (after much dithering) also bought a panasonic fz28 superzoom s well (dithering beween it and canon sx10) ... i would have got the canon but the canon suffers from blue frindging and is way bulkier and heavier ...

    check out cameralabs dot com as well

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