Compact Camera, Canon or Lumix

[Katian83]

I thought I posted this last night but it has disappeared into cyber space.

My husband has offered to buy me another camera. I love my D80 and I try to carry it with me always but when I am toting my 1 year old grandson and all of his gear it is a bit bulky. I would like to buy a compact ( something more pocket sized) camera but which one. I want to have manual settings and I want to be able to shoot in RAW. It seems that both the Canon s90 and s95 as well as the Lumix LX3 and LX5. I would love to hear your opinions. I I have not been able to actually put my hands on any of these cameras. IS anyone out there using one or the other? Why? What do you love about yours?


Michelle

[LeeR]

The cameras seem pretty well matched in many ways, however, if you are used to the Canon system is makes sense to stay with that rather than learning a new one. You might also look at the Canon G11, arguably the best point at shoot on the market right now and just a bit more than the S95.

[Katian83]

Originally Posted by LeeR

The cameras seem pretty well matched in many ways, however, if you are used to the Canon system is makes sense to stay with that rather than learning a new one. You might also look at the Canon G11, arguably the best point at shoot on the market right now and just a bit more than the S95.

I am a Nikon user so either wil be something new to me. How compact is the G11?

Michelle

[OsmosisStudios]

I'd definitely suggest the S95 over the G11, purely for size and for the video.

[inkista]

I'd wait a bit and see if a G12 announcement pops up, before deciding between S95 and G11 for HD video. (Agree it's unlikely it'll pop-up, given that the S95's already announced, but until the 1DsMkIV announcement arrives, Canon's likely to still have more press rounds to go).

Whether you go with the high-end Lumix or the high-end Canon P&S, you're likely to be happy. The Lumixes will go wider, iirc.

I shoot with an S90, and I've been very happy with it--the single fly in the ointment being how fiddly and flimsy the backwheel control feels. I would highly recommend getting your hands on one before purchasing--some folks love it, some folks can't stand it. The front wheel control rocks. The S90's big advantages over the G11 are: f/2 at the wide end, pocketable size, and the front wheel control.

Go with a G if you don't mind the bigger size (more coat-pocketable than pocketable), and need the flash hotshoe, to add filters to the lens, to use a cable release/remote, or as a swivel screen. Go with the S if you want something pocketable and you're not considering using it with additional gear.

The thing about going with the G is, if you're ok with small-bag sized $500 cameras, you might also want to look into micro four-thirds/EVIL offerings like the Olympus EP-L1, Panasonic GF1, or Sony NEX5, for the step-up in image quality/noise performance the larger sensors will get you and the versatility of interchangeable lenses.

[Katian83]

Thanks! Now I just have to find someone who has them in their store.

Michelle