Best Compact Camera

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Thinking of getting a new camera. Looked at loads of reviews on internet but none the wiser.............

 

Requirements -

 

Compact - don't want to mess around changing lenses. Also something discrete as locations can sometimes be in less salubrious areas so don't want to have expensive stuff hanging round my neck to attract attention. Also like to do more candid views

 

Primary use - Prototype railway photos; both close-up detail of buildings/stock and fast moving trains in the landscape

 

Good in both bright and poor light conditions, as I like to be out at all times of day/night in all weathers

 

Don't want to pay more than £300/400 if poss

 

Not bothered what the camera looks like. Not interested in wifi connections/video etc. Picture quality most important thing.

 

Would like a decent optical zoom

 

Good battery life

 

Any ideas?

Does such a camera exist?

[Steamport Southport]

I take it this is the more modern equivilant of that one.

 

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5567548

 

 

No idea as I'm also on the look out for a camera and I am a total technophobe. But it seems to tick all the right boxes.

 

 

 

Jason

[Dagworth]

Ironically I tend now to favour my phone camera, iPhone 6S, the camera on it is stunning for what it is, and it is always in my pocket.

 

Andi

[Oldddudders]

Peter makes a good case for buying a compact camera, but the market for them has collapsed worldwide. In fact, camera and lens sales, as measured by Japanese firms' output, have virtually halved in value in the last 5 years. As Andi and others point out, the modern smartphone takes stonking pictures - and has instant access to social media where so many people want to post their pics. No camera yet made really does that without a very clunky interface - and most don't even try!

 

Compact cameras do not have a great reputation for reliability, either. And spares/repairs may be hard to obtain a couple of years down the line. That said, the Andy Y's of this world make astonishingly good pics with them. Canon seem to be one of the best makes, so starting with their range might yield a result.

[Kylestrome]

I can highly recommend the Sony RX100 which has a 20MP 1" sensor. The results from it are almost as good as from my 16MP DSLR (Nikon D7000). Although the latest version is way over what you want to pay, you can still get the Mk1 version for just over £300.

 

Check out the review:

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-cybershot-dsc-rx100

[Gordon A]

I agree with Oldddudders. My relatively new Sony mobile phone takes some pretty good pictures and as a friend pointed out it is a camera that you usually always have with you.

 

Gordon A

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I agree with Oldddudders. My relatively new Sony mobile phone takes some pretty good pictures and as a friend pointed out it is a camera that you usually always have with you.

 

Gordon A

I have the Sony Xperia M4 phone, and whilst I agree the camera is good, I cannot say the same for the phone itself...barely sufficient memory to run itself, let alone have music or many apps (I have none of the former and barely any of the latter).

 

In terms of camera, I have used Canon for the last 10-15 years. I currently have the SX710 HS, which has proved to be very capable - and is used for plenty of railway photos.

[jonny777]

I agree with all those who say just use your smart phone.

 

My iphone6 has an excellent sharp camera which takes great photos at even low light levels, and its ability to auto-focus down to near macro lens distances beats my old digital camera.

 

Here is a photo of a page from the April 1967 Railway Observer as an example:-

 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Thanks for all the ideas thus far; much appreciated.

 

Don't have a Smartphone though and the idea of using a 'phone to take pictures is anathema to me. Took me long enough to realise that digital was THE way forward          

 

Regards,

Peter (the luddite)

[shortliner]

Current camera is a Canon Ixus 170 - an excellent beastie and highly recommended -  My phone doesn't take pictures - me luddite too!

[Poor Old Bruce]

I too have taken to pocket cameras to save carting a heavy DSLR about unless I may need to take several pics in quick succession which compacts can't cope with. Have a look at the Panasonic Lumix range. I have a TZ30 (way out of date by now) which has 20X optical zoom lens by Leica and a 'Sports' setting for taking pics of moving stuff. I also have a TZ55 which also has 20X zoom and has a Flipable screen so you can take selfies (I know lots of folks do this but it's not for me) which makes it a little bit bulkier and a little bit heavier but it was half price from Argos a year ago. Both have close-up capability so you can take pics of your new Pecketts as well as distant stuff.

 

Richard

[BlackRat]

You can't go to far wrong with the Canon G series, Mr Nevard recommended to me the G9.......available readily second hand.

 

Having said that....you really can't beat the smart phone these days, even have numerous free apps for timers, macro, remote etc etc etc.

[Oldddudders]

I agree with all those who say just use your smart phone.

 

My iphone6 has an excellent sharp camera which takes great photos at even low light levels, and its ability to auto-focus down to near macro lens distances beats my old digital camera.

 

 

 

 

When iPhone 6 appeared, Chasseur d'Images, a thick and glossy French photography magazine with seriously detailed equipment tests, ran a spread on the new kit. They printed a large pic of a TGV, apparently travelling at over 100 mph, which had been taken from the platform the train was passing. Yes it was daylight, but the train motion was absolutely stopped, and the distant background was sharp too. Tough to argue against. And, taking Peter's point about less salubrious surroundings near depots and lineside viewing points, the phone simply disappears in your pocket after the photo has been captured. That can also be helpful in avoiding railway jobsworths on or about stations. 

[PhilH]

I'm a bit of a Luddite when it comes to cameras, my favourite still being a 50 year old Rolleiflex medium format film jobby. I also have a Nikon D7100, which is a half way decent DSLR. My daughter has an iPhone 6s. Guess whose photos consistently amaze me with their quality?

 

Yep, not mine.

[D9020 Nimbus]

What kind of range of zoom are you looking for?

 

Like some body earlier, I would tend to suggest Canon or Lumix as potential brands to investigate. The Lumix TZ100 has a 25-200 (equivalent) zoom and a 1" sensor (large for a compact) but it isn't cheap (about £500). There are other TZ models which are cheaper but have smaller sensors.

 

There are also a number of Canon models of various sizes, prices and sensor sizes. If you want good quality you should probably be aiming for a 1" sensor—at least if you want/need to use higher ISO speeds.

[jetmorgan]

Thanks for all the ideas thus far; much appreciated.

 

Don't have a Smartphone though and the idea of using a 'phone to take pictures is anathema to me. Took me long enough to realise that digital was THE way forward        

 

Regards,

Peter (the luddite)

Frankly Peter all compact cameras these days are much of a muchness...The thing I would do is go for a well known brand name, personally I prefer Canon as apposed to Nikon as I find Nikon stuff expensive for the sake of being expensive. But any of the well known brand names will do what you need including things like smart phones and you can get what were expensive Iphones etc etc on ebay for not much money and they are very good at taking pictures. Get the largest number of pixels that you can.

 

Don't be too sure that digital is the way forward...CD's were always said to be the death of vinyl and downloads the death of the album and yet the sales of vinyl albums has increased so don't throw out that old film camera...still keep using it. I've just bought a second hand Canon film camera.

[Tim V]

One thing a compact may have that a phone camera usually doesn't have is "control".

 

So you might have shutter/aperture priority, full manual control. Being able to turn the flash off. Focus control. Knobs and buttons, not menus.

 

Of course, if you just use the camera on auto - then a phone camera is just as adequate.

[Neil]

I use a five year old Cannon powershot A1400 which cost a whopping fifty quid from Argos (it appears to have been superseded by a newer model in the ninety to one hundred pound range) which does all I want from models to full size.

 

 

 

 

Like most tools (I often have this conversation in regard to high end soldering stations) the most vital component in ensuring success is the person in charge of said tool.

 

 

 

 

[4630]

Took me long enough to realise that digital was THE way forward

 

Regards,

Peter (the luddite)

If you've kept your film camera Peter you might now be at the front of an analog revival if this weeks announcement by Kodak of the return of its Extachrome film is anything to go by.

 

https://www.dpreview.com/news/9503675822/analog-revival-increase-in-film-sales-spurs-kodak-to-bring-back-ektachrome

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Still got my trusty Olympus, though it died a death internally at the beginning of 2007.

 

All those online camera reviews are doing my head in. Person x will say that a particular model is the best thing since sliced bread. Person y will say don't touch it with a bargepole.

 

Yours confused,

Peter

[micklner]

Canon nothing else comes close in quality and reliability !! I have a SX110 as below. Avoid anything that doesn't use Li-on batteries.

 

 

[RANGERS]

I bought a Panasonic Lumix TZ60 last year, based on some good reviews and keen pricing. What its capable of never fails to amaze me, from close up macros to long lens stuff at the limit of its zoom.

[Dagworth]

Although, as I already said, I tend to default to the iPhone as it is always in my pocket my actual P&S camera is a Panasonic, the TZ10, from the moment I bought it I have been very happy with it.

 

Andi

[Ray M]

I have to agree with the others on the Lumix TZ range.

I still carry my TZ7 everwhere , when  i`m out on the motorbike.

I think i may treat myself to a newer one this year. Something with a little more range.

[BoD]

(Yet) another vote for the Lumix range here. My DMC-TZ7 is convenient has a good optical zoom range and has never let me down reliability or capability wise.

The lens is made by Leica which I've heard isn't too bad a lens maker.