DSC-TX55 broken - what to go for next?

[S6PNJ]

My Sony DSC-TX55 has died with a broken LCD screen so it's time for a new camera. I have a budget of up to £350 and was wondering what the PH knowledgeable people would recommend.

Ideally I'd like a compact/supercompact camera so don't want anything too big. The Sony was just 13mm thick but I don't think I'm going to find anything as thin again.

I've been considering a Sony RX100 II as this seems to be within price range, but not sure if I should be looking at anything else? Generally, there are no specific features I need (not bothered about GPS/WiFi) but I would like image stabilization.

I already have a Canon digital SLR so I'm not looking to fill that gap.

Any suggestions/recommendations please?

[DibblyDobbler]

The RX100 is superb - weapon of choice if you are serious about your photography but want a properly pocketable compact

[S6PNJ]

Any more suggestions as to what else might be worth looking at please?

[rottie102]

S6PNJ said:

Any more suggestions as to what else might be worth looking at please?

Canon G7X which I prefer over RX100

[rich888]

rottie102 said:

S6PNJ said:

Any more suggestions as to what else might be worth looking at please?

Canon G7X which I prefer over RX100

The Canon G7X is physically bigger than the Sony RX100 so I'm not sure whether it would suit you, and from the reviews I've read, along with my own experiences of using the inferior S100, I would still chose the the Sony RX100.

My Sony RX100 packed up a few months ago just under two years old so I've relied on my Canon DSLR since then, but I'm now longing for the RX100 again because it was just so compact and pocketable. I've been tempted by the Sony HX90 and WX500 with their longer 30x zoom lenses, but both of these cameras have smaller sensors so would be a backward step in terms of quality.

In terms of where to buy from, John Lewis tend to be quite competitive in terms of pricing, but what does it for me is their 2 year warranty and the ability to extend it to 3 years including accidental damage for £30 or £40, which is way better than the warranties offered by any of the other high-street competitors.

Ironically I've been in to the local John Lewis store in Nottingham on several occasions over the past two or three months, with the intention to buy, but they never seem to have any stock which is very annoying. If anyone from JL is reading this then please sort out this issue.

[S6PNJ]

It's going through as an insurance claim (accidental damage) and I've been offered a Sony HX90V as a replacement. The question now is do I go for the HX90V, take the cash settlement and get the RX100 or something else?

Also, following a quick look - what's the difference/benefit of the RX100 II over the RX 100? I can't see anything except for a higher light sensitivity on the RX100 II and I don't think I'll be needing that

[sgrimshaw]

S6PNJ said:

Also, following a quick look - what's the difference/benefit of the RX100 II over the RX 100? I can't see anything except for a higher light sensitivity on the RX100 II and I don't think I'll be needing that

This might help, it compares all 4 versions of the RX100:

https://photographylife.com/sony-rx100-series-comp...

Basically, in addition to higher ISO, you get tiltable screen, hotshoe, optional EVF and built in wi-fi.

Edited by sgrimshaw on Monday 27th June 18:52

[rich888]

S6PNJ said:

It's going through as an insurance claim (accidental damage) and I've been offered a Sony HX90V as a replacement. The question now is do I go for the HX90V, take the cash settlement and get the RX100 or something else?

Also, following a quick look - what's the difference/benefit of the RX100 II over the RX 100? I can't see anything except for a higher light sensitivity on the RX100 II and I don't think I'll be needing that

I've also been considering the HX90V and the cheaper WX500 because they offer a longer 30X zoom lens than the RX100, however, they have smaller sensors than the RX100 so the final image quality will be poorer and the low light performance will probably be worse. Is a tough decision to make!

With regard to the RX100 MK1 or 2, the most noticeable difference I can see is the addition of a hot shoe which I hasten to add has been omitted on both the newer MK3 and MK4 models. Am sure that the consensus on the forums was to skip the MK2 and buy the MK3. I am sorely tempted to buy another RX100 again and it's only been the fact that the Nottingham John Lewis store never seems to have stock that has stopped me buying one. I appreciate that I can buy online for a little less, but the standard 2 year warranty they offer is tremendous, along with the option to buy a 3 year warranty including accidental damage for a small premium, plus the fact that I'm actually quite loyal to the store, so would prefer to buy in-store rather than buy online and collect.

In an ideal world I would go for the RX100 MK4 because it's substantially faster, but priced at over £700 I really can't justify the expenditure. Hopefully the RX100 MK5 will come out soon which should reduce the prices across the range.

If you don't need the massive 30X zoom lens I would suggest you buy a RX100, which variant is down to you, is your money...