Discussion
I'm just checking my thinking...
I know the default answer is the Sony RX100 at whatever budget you have, but my budget is a bit limited @£300ish (definitely not more than £400...) Which gets a ii or iii I think.
Vs a PanasonicLX100 TZ100 which is £369 although I have seen it lower.
I would like the longer zoom of the TZ100 but it's not a deal breaker.
Use will be mainly holidays and family snaps, often in the Alps in winter/summer. It's replacing a D70 and a Panasonic bridge camera that are both too big to carry around as a routine.
I know the default answer is the Sony RX100 at whatever budget you have, but my budget is a bit limited @£300ish (definitely not more than £400...) Which gets a ii or iii I think.
Vs a Panasonic
I would like the longer zoom of the TZ100 but it's not a deal breaker.
Use will be mainly holidays and family snaps, often in the Alps in winter/summer. It's replacing a D70 and a Panasonic bridge camera that are both too big to carry around as a routine.
Edited by Bill on Sunday 19th January 11:10
But yes, a Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III at £329 from John Lewis would be my choice.
https://www.johnlewis.com/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-rx10...
https://www.johnlewis.com/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-rx10...
craig1912 said:
I got a RX 100 mk4 secondhand for £300. Great little camera and useful when I can’t be bothered to carry my A7iii.
OP, I'd agree with this. Look for second hand later generation gear. More bang for your buck.Good dealers (in my view and experience): FFordes, Park Cameras, Mifsuds.
I got a cheap second hand RX100 Mk1 a while back, wanting something compact enough to carry while mountainbiking. It fills that role well enough - it is small and image quality is much better than my phone especially when the light is anything less than perfect.
On the downside, it has the shape and ergonomics of a bar of soap. Its small, rounded, slippery and quite fiddly to use. Because of that I almost always use the wrist strap to avoid the risk of dropping it (which reduces the convenience factor) and tend to leave most settings on auto because its annoying to mess around with.
I handled a Canon G7X MkII which was around the same size but far better ergonomically and from reviews has very similar image quality - I'd probably go that way instead if making the same decision again.
On the downside, it has the shape and ergonomics of a bar of soap. Its small, rounded, slippery and quite fiddly to use. Because of that I almost always use the wrist strap to avoid the risk of dropping it (which reduces the convenience factor) and tend to leave most settings on auto because its annoying to mess around with.
I handled a Canon G7X MkII which was around the same size but far better ergonomically and from reviews has very similar image quality - I'd probably go that way instead if making the same decision again.
GravelBen said:
I got a cheap second hand RX100 Mk1 a while back, wanting something compact enough to carry while mountainbiking. It fills that role well enough - it is small and image quality is much better than my phone especially when the light is anything less than perfect.
On the downside, it has the shape and ergonomics of a bar of soap. Its small, rounded, slippery and quite fiddly to use. Because of that I almost always use the wrist strap to avoid the risk of dropping it (which reduces the convenience factor) and tend to leave most settings on auto because its annoying to mess around with.
I handled a Canon G7X MkII which was around the same size but far better ergonomically and from reviews has very similar image quality - I'd probably go that way instead if making the same decision again.
Get the Sony stick on grip- makes a big differenceOn the downside, it has the shape and ergonomics of a bar of soap. Its small, rounded, slippery and quite fiddly to use. Because of that I almost always use the wrist strap to avoid the risk of dropping it (which reduces the convenience factor) and tend to leave most settings on auto because its annoying to mess around with.
I handled a Canon G7X MkII which was around the same size but far better ergonomically and from reviews has very similar image quality - I'd probably go that way instead if making the same decision again.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-AGR2-Grip-DSC-RX-Bla...
Comparing my TZ100 with my SX740HS, I can't honestly say that for holiday snaps you need to go for a 1" camera. OK, night shots are probably better but the lesser sensor is just fine.
If I had to choose only one, to take on on holiday, I'd take the 40x zoom of the Canon and it's flip screen.
Price-wise, the Canon can be bought for under £280 while the TZ110 ( grey import TZ100 from T3-Dimension) is £330.
Both have 4k and side by side, the photos are much the same for most amateurs (like me). I also prefer the Canon button to access your photos - you have to turn the TZ on which extends the lens every time.
If I had to choose only one, to take on on holiday, I'd take the 40x zoom of the Canon and it's flip screen.
Price-wise, the Canon can be bought for under £280 while the TZ110 ( grey import TZ100 from T3-Dimension) is £330.
Both have 4k and side by side, the photos are much the same for most amateurs (like me). I also prefer the Canon button to access your photos - you have to turn the TZ on which extends the lens every time.
^^ You do talk a lot of sense, but I am hoping to get some more photos on the wall. Plus we already have a point and shoot, so I'd probably not bother with improving on that unless there's a step up in quality. The zoom limitations for snaps would be mitigated by cropping the better quality pictures. (But might get a lense for my D70 for wildlife...)
Which does mean the discount for used makes more sense.
But I also had a play with the Panasonic and although the evf isn't as good I liked it more. The Sony feels properly tiny and the lack of zoom was annoying even in the shop. I also FWIW had a play with the Canon 740 which struggled a bit in the shop for focus, doesn't have an evf and was a bit jumpy on the screen when panning. The zoom though is bonkers.
So thank you for all the input, my mind is (almost) made up.
Tony1963 said:
But yes, a Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III at £329 from John Lewis would be my choice.
https://www.johnlewis.com/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-rx10...
Had a play in JL today, and this is a ii AIUI. They have the iii as a kit for £499.https://www.johnlewis.com/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-rx10...
Which does mean the discount for used makes more sense.
But I also had a play with the Panasonic and although the evf isn't as good I liked it more. The Sony feels properly tiny and the lack of zoom was annoying even in the shop. I also FWIW had a play with the Canon 740 which struggled a bit in the shop for focus, doesn't have an evf and was a bit jumpy on the screen when panning. The zoom though is bonkers.
So thank you for all the input, my mind is (almost) made up.
Another +1 for the RX100 III.
A grey import, but it's on sale here for £329:
E-infinity - Sony RX100 III
It's a great little camera, and there's a significant jump up in image quality when comparing to photos taken on a very similar camera with a 1/2.3" sensor (Sony HX90).
A grey import, but it's on sale here for £329:
E-infinity - Sony RX100 III
It's a great little camera, and there's a significant jump up in image quality when comparing to photos taken on a very similar camera with a 1/2.3" sensor (Sony HX90).
Sparkov said:
It's a great little camera, and there's a significant jump up in image quality when comparing to photos taken on a very similar camera with a 1/2.3" sensor (Sony HX90).
Can confirm. Had an RX100ii and loved it. So much that I rejigged my setup, upgrading to an A6000 for lens-swapping, but getting an HX as an always-carry camera. Big mistake - the HX has a 30x optical zoom but the IQ is lamentable. Sold the HX quickly (and bought a used Ricoh GR II - APS-C in a teeny compact).Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff