Canon SD800 vs Panasonic Lumix TZ3 Want a 28mm wide angle (less interested in the telephoto), compact rather than subcompact. Looked at both in stores, similar price. Cannot decide. My first digital so do not care about the manual controls too much. I use a lot the wide angle lens in my film cameras Or should i try to forget about the wide angle and get a better quality picture from a Canon A620 or 630? I mostly take architectural shots,and landscapes. Canon SD800 vs Panasonic Lumix TZ3 Want a 28mm wide angle (less interested in the telephoto), compact rather than subcompact. Looked at both in stores, similar price. Cannot decide. My first... » Read More Canon SD800 vs Panasonic Lumix TZ3 Want a 28mm wide angle (less interested in the telephoto), compact rather than subcompact. Looked at both in stores, similar price. Cannot decide. My first digital so do not care about the manual controls too much. I use a lot the wide angle lens in my film cameras Or should i try to forget about the wide angle and get a better quality picture from a Canon A620 or 630? I mostly take architectural shots,and landscapes. « Show Less
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Didn't get but one answer. Bought the Panasonic TZ 3 and i am VERY happy with it so far. No regrets about the choice. Very good quality of 8x10 enlargements even without any corrections. Sturdier than the Cannon i think. Two other friends just bought it also.
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Check out reviews and sample photos/videos of the sx200, zs3 and tz5 at cameralabs online. The zs3 is worth the difference in price over the sx200 and tz5 due to better lens, image quality, video compression and the Venus HD processor built into it. The zs3 is also smaller, lighter and has longer battery life than the sx200 and tz5. Search youtube for "zs3" or "tz7" (as it is known in europe) and you'll find a lot of sample video showing what can be done with it. Oh, and search youtube for "tz7 night restaurant" for a very well done commercial quality video done on a tz7/zs3. The video capability of the zs3 is amazing. Check out reviews and sample photos/videos of the sx200, zs3 and tz5 at cameralabs online. The zs3 is worth the difference in price over the sx200 and tz5 due to better lens, image quality, video compression and the Venus HD processor built into it. The zs3 is also smaller, lighter and has longer battery life than the sx200 and tz5. Search youtube for "zs3" or "tz7" (as it is known in europe) and you'll find a lot of sample video showing what can be done with it. Oh, and search youtube for "tz7 night restaurant" for a very well done commercial quality video... » Read More Check out reviews and sample photos/videos of the sx200, zs3 and tz5 at cameralabs online. The zs3 is worth the difference in price over the sx200 and tz5 due to better lens, image quality, video compression and the Venus HD processor built into it. The zs3 is also smaller, lighter and has longer battery life than the sx200 and tz5. Search youtube for "zs3" or "tz7" (as it is known in europe) and you'll find a lot of sample video showing what can be done with it. Oh, and search youtube for "tz7 night restaurant" for a very well done commercial quality video done on a tz7/zs3. The video capability of the zs3 is amazing. « Show Less
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I actually ended up w/ Pana ZS1. Got a deal from Costco and felt it suited me fine because I don't ever use the video. I like it better than Canon so far because I don't have to adjust it all the time for a decent shot.
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Thanks for your recommendation of the Panasonic Lumix LZ8. (Like others in this dialogue, I'm looking to replace a Nikon that was very disappointing.) It's been three years since your post, and I've noticed that it's hard now to find an LZ8. Is there a newer Panasonic you'd recommend with the same enthusiasm now? Thanks for your help.
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I think you should get the Panasonic TZ5 (or TZ4 if you don't care about HD video). The TZ's will jump to an Optical 16.7x@ 3MEGAPIXELS, and will be in the $200- 230 area vs. the much more expensive 12x...I have both the TZ5 and SX110. They are both GREAT cameras. The TZ5 is lighter and smaller, and you can take video with optical vs digital zoom (clearer video). I bought the SX 110 , because there is a CHDK modification available for it (Google CHDK). You can do timelapse, RAW format, extend the shutter speed to 64 seconds....but if you are using the camera for the day, I would go with the TZ4 or 5, but you better hurry- all of these cameras are discontinued!
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http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/panasonic_lumix_dmc_tz20_review/product_images/
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I had a Canon PowerShot SD800, which also has a wide angle lens. In my opinoin, WIDE ANGLE is WAY MORE VALUABLE than higher zoom. I find that I often "can't back up far enough" to get the shot I want ... for many situations, wide angle is super useful. Zoom doesn't help nearly as much.. you're likely to get blur, etc. I'm now searching for a reaplacement and I will ONLY buy one with wide angle. I'd recommend the same for you. thx
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If you intend to shoot video primarily and stills, as well, I feel the GH3 is clearly the better choice. If you primarily want to shoot stills and some video, too, maybe the Canikon choices would be a bit better. They shoot stills a little better than the GH3, but the GH3 is so geared to video, it is just a natural choice for that. I shoot nature and wildlife video, so having the 2x crop factor of the Panasonic is better, and with the addition of the ETC mode the amount of magnification you can get from a lens is staggering. For instance, a 300mm lens on the Canon (1.6x crop factor) or Nikon (1.5x crop factor) is equivalent to 480mm and 450mm, respectively. With the Panasonic GH3, with the 2x crop, the 300mm lens becomes a 600mm equivalent (to full-frame cameras, like the Canon 5D MK III) and with the ETC mode dialed in (2.4x addl. crop factor w/ NO LOSS OF LIGHT) your 300mm lens has become a 1440mm equivalent telephoto monster lens...insane! Another factor about the GH3 is having no mirror. This means the camera's sensor is closer to the front of the camera and allows just about any lens ever made to be adapted to the camera, usually with an adaptor (Fotodiox brand adaptors are a huge favorite of micro 4/3 camera users...well made and very inexpensive) costing around $20.00. I also like putting my eye up to the live electornic viewfinder, but the swing-out LCD can be used to focus and compose video shots, too. The video recording codecs used by the GH3 are many, stable and of high quality. The body of the GH3 is weather-sealed magnesium, a high-end, professional feature. So, yes, I really REALLY like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. Put high-end new or used glass on it and get gorgeous images. I use it professionally on ALL my nature-based shoots and always get great shots...when I've done all the right things first! Read bunches of reviews before you buy, but if video is your main need/desire, this is the choice right now.
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Late to respond, but my previous camera was a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ18, a point and shoot camera which I thought took outstanding pictures...until I bought the DMC-FZ150. Holy cow! What a jump in performance that even an unsavvy enthusiast like myself can actually use. I am, however, shocked by the price increase. I had to buy it online because it wasn't available locally but with the reviews and my past experience with Panasonic, I took a deep breath and did it, purchasing it through Amazon for $439 in early April 2012. I consider it top echelon of the "amateur" use cameras.
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Hi Glenn,Wow, thanks for doing that research for me. You found out in minutes what has taken me weeks!!! Well I guess with what you found I will have to narrow it down to either the T90 or the ZS3. I was reading other blogs that said that Panasonic is going to introduce a ZS7 and that might result in a price decrease on the ZS3 which is always good. I've talk to some people who are big fans of Sony cameras but, when you look at the table for shutter lags, they really are not doing so well. I will take your advice and go give them a "test drive" at Best Buy before I finally buy one. Thanks again for your time, that was very nice of you ;)Isabel Hi Glenn,Wow, thanks for doing that research for me. You found out in minutes what has taken me weeks!!! Well I guess with what you found I will have to narrow it down to either the T90 or the ZS3. I was reading other blogs that said that Panasonic is going to introduce a ZS7 and that might result in a price decrease on the ZS3 which is always good. I've talk to some people who are big fans of Sony cameras but, when you look at the table for shutter lags, they really are not doing so well. I will take your advice and go give them a "test drive" at Best Buy before... » Read More Hi Glenn,Wow, thanks for doing that research for me. You found out in minutes what has taken me weeks!!! Well I guess with what you found I will have to narrow it down to either the T90 or the ZS3. I was reading other blogs that said that Panasonic is going to introduce a ZS7 and that might result in a price decrease on the ZS3 which is always good. I've talk to some people who are big fans of Sony cameras but, when you look at the table for shutter lags, they really are not doing so well. I will take your advice and go give them a "test drive" at Best Buy before I finally buy one. Thanks again for your time, that was very nice of you ;)Isabel « Show Less
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I went to the camera store today to compare these two cameras and came away with a definite lean toward the FZ18 vs the TZ3. The three big negative factors for the TZ were: 1. There was significant color blurring (red text on white background) when magnifying comparable shots (the FZ was clean); the compression noise was also significantly higher on the TZ3. 2. The image stabilization on the TZ3 at 12X zoom was WAY inferior to the FZ18 at 18X. I had a LOT of trouble getting one clear shot out of 10 tries at 12X with the TZ3, while the FZ18 gave perfect 18X images 9 out of 10 times. I don't know why this might be, and I checked all the settings on both cameras to be sure I wasn't comparing apples to oranges, but these results are real. 3. The TZ3 does not have a viewfinder and I have found that in bright sunlight outdoors a viewfinder is a huge plus. All this said, the TZ3 is still a nice camera for the size - it is pocketable (in baggy pants) while the FZ18 is not. -- Just my 2 cents. _eric
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Thank you for your comment. I found it very helpful. I naturally prefer Canon but really want the wide-angle offered in this Sony camcorder. Canon missed the boat on wide angle in my view.
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Ninan, I have the ZS3 and love it. I reviewed the H20 and it lacks a few things. Most notably, the lens only goes to 38mm on the wide end compared the the ZS3 which goes all the out to 25mm. That was enough for me to rule out the H20, so I don't know much more about it.I'd suggest going to the Panasonic global website at www.panasonic.net/avc/lumix and checking out their info on the ZS3. It is amazing.Then go to youtube and search for "tz7 night restaurant" and "20090514 ZS3 Sample Videos" to see some examples of the video and zoom. (note the ZS3 is known as the TZ7 in Europe). Ninan, I have the ZS3 and love it. I reviewed the H20 and it lacks a few things. Most notably, the lens only goes to 38mm on the wide end compared the the ZS3 which goes all the out to 25mm. That was enough for me to rule out the H20, so I don't know much more about it.I'd suggest going to the Panasonic global website at www.panasonic.net/avc/lumix and checking out their info on the ZS3. It is amazing.Then go to youtube and search for "tz7 night restaurant" and "20090514 ZS3 Sample Videos" to see some examples of the video and zoom. (note the ZS3... » Read More Ninan, I have the ZS3 and love it. I reviewed the H20 and it lacks a few things. Most notably, the lens only goes to 38mm on the wide end compared the the ZS3 which goes all the out to 25mm. That was enough for me to rule out the H20, so I don't know much more about it.I'd suggest going to the Panasonic global website at www.panasonic.net/avc/lumix and checking out their info on the ZS3. It is amazing.Then go to youtube and search for "tz7 night restaurant" and "20090514 ZS3 Sample Videos" to see some examples of the video and zoom. (note the ZS3 is known as the TZ7 in Europe). « Show Less
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I really like the Panasonic ZS30. I do not have the Fuji f900, although I've heard nice things about it. Google www.dpreview.com. I think they have professional reviews of both cameras. Might also try www.whatdigitalcamera.com. Another good place for professional reviews is www.cameralabs.com. If you go to www.whatdigitalcamera.com, it is a British magazine, and the ZS30 is known as the TZ40 in Europe - same camera. Both the Fuji and the Panasonic are highly rated. Another option to consider - Panasonic has announced that the ZS40 - next upgrade - will be coming out in March. It will have a 30X zoom, RAW shooting, and EVF, and several other new features. Might want to check that one out if you can wait a bit.
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I'm still shopping, but the deciding factor for me is going to be the wider angle on the S95. The only way I get into photos is to hold the camera at arm's-length, and the difference between 28MM and 36MM makes a big difference to me. Since this is for my wife, where simpler is better, it would be a no-brainer if the SD4500 had the same 28MM-wide lens as the SD4000. Too bad they changed it.By the way, the f2.0 on the wider lenses makes a big difference to me, too. The SD4500 starts at f3.5.I want the better HD video features of the 4500, but will probably get a compact HD video camera for that some time in the future (where I will complain about the photo features ;-) ) I'm still shopping, but the deciding factor for me is going to be the wider angle on the S95. The only way I get into photos is to hold the camera at arm's-length, and the difference between 28MM and 36MM makes a big difference to me. Since this is for my wife, where simpler is better, it would be a no-brainer if the SD4500 had the same 28MM-wide lens as the SD4000. Too bad they changed it.By the way, the f2.0 on the wider lenses makes a big difference to me, too. The SD4500 starts at f3.5.I want the better HD video features of the 4500, but will probably get a... » Read More I'm still shopping, but the deciding factor for me is going to be the wider angle on the S95. The only way I get into photos is to hold the camera at arm's-length, and the difference between 28MM and 36MM makes a big difference to me. Since this is for my wife, where simpler is better, it would be a no-brainer if the SD4500 had the same 28MM-wide lens as the SD4000. Too bad they changed it.By the way, the f2.0 on the wider lenses makes a big difference to me, too. The SD4500 starts at f3.5.I want the better HD video features of the 4500, but will probably get a compact HD video camera for that some time in the future (where I will complain about the photo features ;-) ) « Show Less
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Be careful in what you expect. With the wide angle on a regular lens you will get a lot of distortion around the edges. I was trying to get by cheap with shooting rooms for real estate and it never did work out so I ended up buying a Tamara wide angle len that cost about as much as the Nikon 5100 body that I had bought. Your not investing a whole lot in buying these two lens but don't expect the results of having a good wide angle or telephoto regular lens.
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Sorry T. Das, but that is not correct. The SD870 is the successor to the SD800, both with the 28mm wide angle lenses. The SD850 is the one without the wide angle lens. Blame Canon for their extremely confusing product identification.