Best Compact Camera with Decent Optical Zoom??

[scz4]

Evening guys,

I've been doing a bit of research on compact camera's and it's quite clear that in terms of quality the Sony RX100 is the winner. However, it's only 3.6 optical zoom and coming from 10x, I'd really miss that.

Is there another camera that comes close in terms of size, quality and price (around £300-£350), but with a decent optical zoom?? Not interested in faffing with interchangeable lenses etc

Thanks in advance.

Graeme

[damianmkv]

Pany tz60 ?

[Mr Will]

scz4 said:

Is there another camera that comes close in terms of size, quality and price (around £300-£350), but with a decent optical zoom?? Not interested in faffing with interchangeable lenses etc

Short answer - Nope

Long answer - Lenses are always a compromise. You cannot have a massive zoom range, low light ability and decent quality, physics just doesn't allow it. This is why we still have interchangeable lenses, even at five figure prices. For the RX100 Sony chose to cover only the range that most people actually use. This is to allow the lens to have the level of quality and low light performance that it does. It's not even really a question of cost.

The way I see it there are three options:

Firstly, take a look back at your existing photos and see what focal lengths you've used in the past. Lightroom can show you what your most used ranges are if you have it and if not I'm sure there are other bits of software that will do the same job.

If you find that 99% are within the RX100's range (as a lot of peoples are) then problem solved and job done. For the 1% you'll likely find that cropping the RX100's images will achieve roughly the same result.

If that's not the case and you do find that you use the longer lengths regularly, ask yourself when. If it's a random scattering amongst other photos then accept a hit in quality and look at the various travel-zooms. If it's specific occasions though (e.g. Le Mans, school sports day, whatever) I'd suggest looking again at the interchangeable lens option. I know you said that you didn't want the faff but bear with me. Nobody says you have to take a whole bag of camera gear with you just because you have it and nobody says you have to keep switching lenses. Chose the most appropriate lens before you leave the house in the morning. Leave it on the camera all day. Revel in having a camera that can change it's personality to suit the task in hand.

[scz4]

^ Thanks for that.

I think I'll go with the RX100 after all. As you can say, I can digitally crop the pictures once downloaded to give the zoomed effect if the quality is there in the first place.

[scz4]

Is this the RX100 II or III? I think the III just came out earlier this month.

£50 cashback makes it more competitive.

http://www.johnlewis.com/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-rx100...

[Mr Will]

That's the mark I.

Mark II adds a flippy screen, slightly better sensor and a connection on the top for a viewfinder/flash

Mark III adds a built in viewfinder but loses the hotshoe. It also swaps the lens for a faster one (read - better in low light) that goes a little bit wider but doesn't zoom in as much.

[scz4]

Thanks again.

Sounds like I want the MK III then. Will have a look online to see where is cheapest.

[gjc10212]

damianmkv said:

Pany tz60 ?

Always Ultra Normal 16s version?

[scz4]

Hmmm, just seems to be the MKI and MKII online shops have in stock. And the MK2 is £200 more (£550), won't be paying that sort of money for a MKIII, assuming it's roughly the same.

[Mr Will]

scz4 said:

Thanks again.

Sounds like I want the MK III then. Will have a look online to see where is cheapest.

Not quite released yet, and will likely be a chunk more expensive (at least to begin with). Just beware the shorter zoom - it goes from 24-70 rather than the 28-100 of the older models which flies slightly against your original requirements

[scz4]

Hmmm, I'm sure the MK1 will suffice then. Got to be better than what we have now anyway.

Edited by scz4 on Friday 30th May 11:35

[rich85uk]

Sorry to hijack the thread (but this might help the o/p) how does the Sony cope with fast moving objects?