Canon sx200 IS vs Panasonic dmc-fx550 - wide angle, good in low light

I am looking for a new camera (surprisingly)
I want to have a camera that has several manual functions so I can experiment a bit, I want at least a 30mm wide angle lens and the camera needs to perform well in poor lighting conditions, with which I mean ambient light etc...

From these specs I am now looking at the Canon sx200 IS vs Panasonic dmc-fx550 (these camera's are not yet on the market, but will come soon, there predecessor were the sx100 and fx500)

I have the idea that canon delivers sharper and more detailed pictures as panasonic and its colors are brighter.

Does anyone have some comments on this or may even suggest a better option?

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Originally Posted by loesjes

Does anyone have some comments on this or may even suggest a better option?

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First up, welcome to CiC - great to have you with us :) If you get a chance, pop a reply onto the welcome thread so we can give you a proper welcome!

I don't know either of these cameras to be honest, but my experience is that the colour from all cameras is much of a muchness in that the all get tweaked to taste in post-processing (PP).

My initial thought was have you thought of investing in a true SLR to give you a more flexible platform to work from in the future?

My daughter has the FX500. It is a very solid little camera and the image quality is good. The menus are not that intuitive however but with practice you can find what you want fairly quickly. Personally I would go for something with a view finder. The LCD is big and quite bright but in very bright sunlight (which will hopefully be behind you) I really struggle to compose the frame. It feels great, a bit like the feel of a zippo lighter or an iPhone but if you want a camera where you can experiment with manual settings you will very quickly grow out of the ZX500. My daughter is 14 and she is already eyeing my discarded Finepix F7000. As too performance in poor light do not expect miracles you will get grainy images. I cannot comment on the image sharpness compared to the Canon.

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My initial thought was have you thought of investing in a true SLR to give you a more flexible platform to work from in the future?

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I am not looking for a SLR because I am taking pictures on holidays and when on holiday I take my camera everywhere, and I think an SLR is to big to do this. I know that compact camera's do all this processing and maybe I will buy an SLR someday, but first I want to experiment with a compact camera with some proper manual controls.

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she is already eyeing my discarded Finepix F7000

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And therefore I also do not want this kind of camera :)

I know that I have a somewhat impossible combination of specs but I am looking for a camera that comes close...

If you want a compact with full manual over ride take a look at the Sigma DP1 and the Canon G10
john

These camera's are really nice, but a bit out of my budget....I am thinking about buying a camera with the best manual controls and lens from about 300-400euro's....

You shoul look at Canon SX110 Is, they don't have 28mm wide like SX200, the lens start at 36 but they are fastest than SX 200.
best,
Alex

Hi
My wife wanted a compact that 'sort of did all the things a DSLR did'!
After a lot of checking I bought a Canon sx200 for her.
I've got a Samsung GX-20, but she usually gets the best pictures on her little Canon.
So annoying.....!:mad:
Tony
Hillingdon

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Originally Posted by aertaylor

Hi
My wife wanted a compact that 'sort of did all the things a DSLR did'!
After a lot of checking I bought a Canon sx200 for her.
I've got a Samsung GX-20, but she usually gets the best pictures on her little Canon.
So annoying.....!:mad:
Tony
Hillingdon

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Tony,

Do you and your wife photograph the same subjects?

often we do!
what made you ask?

I thought that would be the best comparison of both of your cameras, if you were both shooting the same subject under the same conditions. When I went to Vegas this past autumn, I took three cameras with me, my point and shoot, bridge, and DSLR. Each performed well under specific conditions. I had more flexibility with the bridge and DSLR but the compact worked just as well shooting from a moving vehicle.

Hi
I bought the Canon sx200 for my wife a couple of months ago. Its absolutely brilliant. I've got a (Samsung) DSLR, but usually she gets the nicer shots now! I'm very annoyed! Her little sx200 has 28mm - and it does 48x zoom - and mostly that digital zoom looks as good as optical. Say no more.

One advantage of using a point and shoot is it is light weight and not as sensitive to camera shake.

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Originally Posted by Shadowman

One advantage of using a point and shoot is it is light weight and not as sensitive to camera shake.

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I would think that the lighter the camera the MORE susceptable it would be to camera shake as the lower mass would require less energy to accelerate it.

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Originally Posted by Colin Southern

I would think that the lighter the camera the MORE susceptable it would be to camera shake as the lower mass would require less energy to accelerate it.

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Colin,

For me this is not the case, I can generally hold the camera with one hand or in a moving vehicle and still get an in focus shot.

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Originally Posted by Shadowman

Tony,

Do you and your wife photograph the same subjects?

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Hi
Sorry I'm so late back on CIC
'Yes' is answer to your question, we wander side-by-side!
regards
Tony