Upgrading my Canon Powershot SX220 snap camera, advice
Discussion
Hello all,
I have been using this camera for a long time now, it is handy, in P mode it does a fair job and I use it for all my family snaps etc. I'm not a semi pro as you can tell. However over time I'm getting more unhappy with results especially when I see other photo's online. Also I have started walking my dog and see some really nice things to snap, from mushrooms to sun filtered mist, and the camera snaps I take of these landscapes, both big and small, seems to be a bit lacking. For instance this
It's a nice photo but it's not quite as I saw it at the time. Of course this is user influence as well, I have not got time to start "fiddling about" with the camera and need to let it use it's magic to take over from my tragic as a photographer. I need to just have it in a clever mode or such and for it to take up the workload.
Thinking of what I need I don't need zooms or stuff, just panoramas from small to large. But all in focus and with good lighting and nice colours.
The problem of course is where do I start to look? I have a Canon bias having used them for a while, this is probably a bad thing .. like always wanting to buy Alfa's .... so I was looking at the Canon PowerShot G7 X. It seems to have a larger sensor. I assume that is good for what I want?? In the old days it was the optics .. hmmm....
The problem is there is so much choice. I just want something that I can use really quickly on the fly whilst giving me a better image than the above so I can look back and really be there again. Does that make sense?
Any recommendations to start my quest? Cost is not a problem, but obviously if I get my camera I want to see the first snap and be impressed over what I have at the moment if I am spending the money.
I have been using this camera for a long time now, it is handy, in P mode it does a fair job and I use it for all my family snaps etc. I'm not a semi pro as you can tell. However over time I'm getting more unhappy with results especially when I see other photo's online. Also I have started walking my dog and see some really nice things to snap, from mushrooms to sun filtered mist, and the camera snaps I take of these landscapes, both big and small, seems to be a bit lacking. For instance this
It's a nice photo but it's not quite as I saw it at the time. Of course this is user influence as well, I have not got time to start "fiddling about" with the camera and need to let it use it's magic to take over from my tragic as a photographer. I need to just have it in a clever mode or such and for it to take up the workload.
Thinking of what I need I don't need zooms or stuff, just panoramas from small to large. But all in focus and with good lighting and nice colours.
The problem of course is where do I start to look? I have a Canon bias having used them for a while, this is probably a bad thing .. like always wanting to buy Alfa's .... so I was looking at the Canon PowerShot G7 X. It seems to have a larger sensor. I assume that is good for what I want?? In the old days it was the optics .. hmmm....
The problem is there is so much choice. I just want something that I can use really quickly on the fly whilst giving me a better image than the above so I can look back and really be there again. Does that make sense?
Any recommendations to start my quest? Cost is not a problem, but obviously if I get my camera I want to see the first snap and be impressed over what I have at the moment if I am spending the money.
The camera you have got is fine really - you just need to learn a bit more about the physics of photography, how to get more control over your exposure, post processing etc. That camera will shoot in Manual, shutter priority, aperture priority so it's got plenty of scope for you to influence the picture.
A newer / more expensive camera might have a bigger sensor and other things, but if you just shoot in Auto or P mode you won't be getting the benefit of them.
A newer / more expensive camera might have a bigger sensor and other things, but if you just shoot in Auto or P mode you won't be getting the benefit of them.
For the past few years most consumer friendly cameras have been looking for ways to try to breathe life into a dying market. You are not likely to gain much by "upgrading" unless you want to go down the route of DSLRs, lenses and spending time post processing.
Money no object would suit that strategy but the investments may not result in a "dog walking, instant result" sort of satisfaction.
You might gain some small apparent benefit spending a couple of grand or more on a Fuji or Panasonic or Sony mirrorless camera system but the chances are you will be impressed to start with but less so shortly after.
Until you start to push beyond the boundaries of what you can really achieve with your current kit, having moved beyond the basic modes, there is probably not really that much extra to be discovered to justify the costs - which can stretch well beyond the basic camera system and into computing overheads and your time performing image processing to extract the "best" from your new system.
The masses are heading towards the dual purpose benefits of mobile phones and their cameras. The environmental benefits of one smaller device instead of two are clear and of course the phone waste every 2 years or so helps to reduce a rather similar attrition rate for compact cameras, most of which seem to be acquired, used for a short time and then "retired" to a long ignored cupboard or drawer. Their photos probably disappear with the next computer upgrade or ISP change. Fortunately that does not matter too much these days since many other people will have the same shots or something very close to them for you to copy as your own in 30 or 40 years from now when you get nostalgic for the "good old days".
HTH.
Money no object would suit that strategy but the investments may not result in a "dog walking, instant result" sort of satisfaction.
You might gain some small apparent benefit spending a couple of grand or more on a Fuji or Panasonic or Sony mirrorless camera system but the chances are you will be impressed to start with but less so shortly after.
Until you start to push beyond the boundaries of what you can really achieve with your current kit, having moved beyond the basic modes, there is probably not really that much extra to be discovered to justify the costs - which can stretch well beyond the basic camera system and into computing overheads and your time performing image processing to extract the "best" from your new system.
The masses are heading towards the dual purpose benefits of mobile phones and their cameras. The environmental benefits of one smaller device instead of two are clear and of course the phone waste every 2 years or so helps to reduce a rather similar attrition rate for compact cameras, most of which seem to be acquired, used for a short time and then "retired" to a long ignored cupboard or drawer. Their photos probably disappear with the next computer upgrade or ISP change. Fortunately that does not matter too much these days since many other people will have the same shots or something very close to them for you to copy as your own in 30 or 40 years from now when you get nostalgic for the "good old days".
HTH.
If you're not looking to purchase a DSLR then perhaps consider the Sony RX100 and view a few of the photos posted on here by 'GetCarter' to appreciate just how good it is for landscape photographs. From my own experience it's not so good in low light conditions or photographing fast moving kids, but for static scenery or objects it's pretty damn impressive.
I purchased a RX100 MK1 which is good apart from the above issues, though there have been several more improved (and more expensive versions) launched by Sony since then.
Like you I moved from a Canon S100 which I thought was pretty good, to the RX100 which was vastly superior in image quality, build quality, and quite surprisingly battery life which was an absolute godsend, no need to carry around a spare battery!
I'm now considering the purchase of a Canon EOS 100D Digital SLR + 18-55 IS STM Lens, though feel the price may drop lower ahead of Christmas, but you still can't put it in your pocket!
In terms of mobile phone camera technology, they are improving in image quality and are obviously better than nothing, but mobile phone cameras are still well behind the quality of the original Sony RX100 which at least you are able to put in your pocket.
Sometimes you have but one opportunity to take the pic, so you need something that you will carry around with you day-in, day-out, and that will be able to take a high-quality pic in an instant, and I think the Sony RX100 in its various incarnations is pretty damn good.
Incidentally, Sony do manufacture a higher-end and full-frame RX1 should you really want to spend a lot more money!
I purchased a RX100 MK1 which is good apart from the above issues, though there have been several more improved (and more expensive versions) launched by Sony since then.
Like you I moved from a Canon S100 which I thought was pretty good, to the RX100 which was vastly superior in image quality, build quality, and quite surprisingly battery life which was an absolute godsend, no need to carry around a spare battery!
I'm now considering the purchase of a Canon EOS 100D Digital SLR + 18-55 IS STM Lens, though feel the price may drop lower ahead of Christmas, but you still can't put it in your pocket!
In terms of mobile phone camera technology, they are improving in image quality and are obviously better than nothing, but mobile phone cameras are still well behind the quality of the original Sony RX100 which at least you are able to put in your pocket.
Sometimes you have but one opportunity to take the pic, so you need something that you will carry around with you day-in, day-out, and that will be able to take a high-quality pic in an instant, and I think the Sony RX100 in its various incarnations is pretty damn good.
Incidentally, Sony do manufacture a higher-end and full-frame RX1 should you really want to spend a lot more money!
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