Compact for newbie

[TheBear]

Hi everyone

I am currently contemplating purchasing a compact camera after years of using my mobile phone. I have become quite frustrated in less than ideal light with the phone as its lacking(small sensor I presume).

I have a few questions if someone could be kind enough to answer please.

There are many cameras up to and around the £180 mark. One I've been looking at is the Sony HX20V. Is this going to be a noticeable step up from my phone(Xperia T with 13mp cam) or is it a waste of money at that price point?

Should I look at spending more? I'm not looking at getting into serious photography but want something that is going to be a good improvement over my phone but small enough to fit in my pocket.

Thanks.

[MysteryLemon]

Regardless how much you spend, you will always get a better image from a camera than a phone.

There will be someone along in a minute to tell you otherwise but think about it. A phone is designed to be a jack of all trades. Modern stuff can take pretty good pictures, if the light is good. They are terrible at anything else.

A proper compact will have a decent sized sensor so better in low light but will also have a proper flash on it for when it can't cope in low light. Phone flashes are awful even at the best of times. They do not compare to a proper camera flash.

A proper camera will also have a zoom... Yes, an optical zoom that actually zooms in. Not a silly bit of software that crops the picture to make it look like you have a zoom.

A compact will never be amazing at low light but they will surpass any phone picture any day of the week, even when spending under £100.

If you want something that is aimed at pro photography but will fit in your pocket then have a look at an enthusiast compact. Something like a Lumix LX series or Olympus XZ series. You can easily pick up an LX-3 under £180 (or spend £250-300 and get the new LX-7). Same with the Olympus XZ-1. They have all of the DLSR functions and features and near DSLR quality but will fit in a (slightly oversized) pocket.

Edited by MysteryLemon on Saturday 16th March 16:55

[K12beano]

TheBear said:

I'm not looking at getting into serious photography but want something that is going to be a good improvement over my phone but small enough to fit in my pocket.

That's quite a difficult call, I reckon.

Sure, a few years back, you could easily say that a camera would win hands down. But the gap is closing.

Then the other point is that, if all you are going to do is stick a camera in auto and let it do its stuff, you're just as much at the whim of chance and the manufacturer as you are with the 'phone.

I suppose one important factor is what are you photographing, and what is your output likely to be, because 'phones are pretty good for faces and reportage-style images which might or might not be tweaked a little bit with a 'phone app and fired up onto the interwebnet at 800 x 600. To pay £100-200 to do just that doesn't seem to me to be a step forward. Hell, it's quite fun and not too much brain power to play with Hipstamatic and similar at pennies!

For a bit more control and, say, holiday and travel shots with landscapes and cityscape,s it's worth learning a bit more about photography and then, when you buy the camera, you'll probably get what you pay for. Then it's worth going for a Canon S100 or something - where you have much more control over what's what.

This corner of PH is famous for spending £000's of other people's money, though, so someone else will be along in a minute to recommend a dSLR!

[sgrimshaw]

Go that Sony for Christmas .... very nice piece of kit

[TheBear]

K12beano said:

TheBear said:

I'm not looking at getting into serious photography but want something that is going to be a good improvement over my phone but small enough to fit in my pocket.

That's quite a difficult call, I reckon.

Sure, a few years back, you could easily say that a camera would win hands down. But the gap is closing.

Then the other point is that, if all you are going to do is stick a camera in auto and let it do its stuff, you're just as much at the whim of chance and the manufacturer as you are with the 'phone.

I suppose one important factor is what are you photographing, and what is your output likely to be, because 'phones are pretty good for faces and reportage-style images which might or might not be tweaked a little bit with a 'phone app and fired up onto the interwebnet at 800 x 600. To pay £100-200 to do just that doesn't seem to me to be a step forward. Hell, it's quite fun and not too much brain power to play with Hipstamatic and similar at pennies!

For a bit more control and, say, holiday and travel shots with landscapes and cityscape,s it's worth learning a bit more about photography and then, when you buy the camera, you'll probably get what you pay for. Then it's worth going for a Canon S100 or something - where you have much more control over what's what.

This corner of PH is famous for spending £000's of other people's money, though, so someone else will be along in a minute to recommend a dSLR!

That's interesting advice, thank you.