Personal shopper please

August 22, 2012 12:45 PM

I want to upgrade my point'n'shoot from a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 to something else. Camera people, please help me out.

So I've had the Lumix DMC-ZS6 for over a year and I really like it.

I love the up to 60 second long exposures for night sky shots but can't say I use that feature too much. I love the wide angle lens and the 16:9 photo capability.

I saw this deal on tech.woot for a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX90 or a SAMSUNG DV300F for $119 and it has me wanting to upgrade. Both cameras seem to be an improvement on my current one so I'm thinking if I like my current one I'll like either of these. The Panasonic seems like a steal at that price but maybe it was just really overpriced to begin with?

I tend to only bring a dedicated camera around when I'm doing a backpacking trip/mountaineering/rock climbing/vacation. Otherwise I use my phone (which is currently a Samsung Galaxy)

My current camera is heavy (7.2 oz with battery, sd card, no strap) and I am one of those people that weigh all their gear so both of these cameras weighing a few ounces less is really attractive to me.

I like the phone app compatibility/wifi with the DV300F but I don't know how much I'd use it. Maybe with a camera that is lighter, less bulk, and that makes sharing as easy as taking a picture on my phone I'd carry one around more? I think the screen on the front would come in really handy for doing self shots where I ruin a beautiful vista or mountain. Saving time and battery life where I don't have to try to retake a photo.

Comparisons: 1, 2

I'd be interested in other cameras up to $200. I'm not sure what other factors are important to me or what I should be looking for except for what I already mentioned. The "scene" options are about the extent of the customization I go through when taking pictures.

posted by zephyr_words to shopping (4 answers total)

My wife had a couple LUMIX in a row, and once she tried the Canon ELPH line she declared she'd never go back. The pictures just come out so much nicer on the Canon than they ever did on the Panasonics... I think you should take a look at Canon as well. Great little cameras! I think she has the 300HS model, but not 100% sure.
posted by Grither at 12:54 PM on August 22, 2012

I went from a LUMIX DMC-ZS6 to a Canon Powershot S95 - it offer full manual controls, and takes great photos.

I think generally speaking it's a good idea to stay with established camera brands, rather than Samsung. It's a great company, but has no history with optics.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:27 PM on August 22, 2012

Had a Panasonic Lumix DMC LZ3, it did a fine job and lasted through some serious outings - but when it finally busted I went for the Canon Power Shot SX series. I've had the 100 and the 130, and have loved them both. I am hard on them & they go everywhere in all conditions. A great product. Love the 12X zoom and the simple interface. (Only what I really want is a Leica....sigh.)
posted by henry scobie at 4:09 PM on August 22, 2012

I thought people would have a lot more opinions on cameras. I'll update this as maybe it'll be helpful to someone else. :D

I looked at almost the entire ELPH line. They all look good but most were heavier than the DMC-FX90 and did not have as good of a wide angle or aperture. It seems their main advantage was a slightly faster shutter speed in some cases and better movie capability. Also, the DMC-FX90 can be had for $119 where the ELPHs were in the $350 range.

The one exception I found was the ELPH 110 HS. That one is very light and seems like a slightly better camera than the DMC-FX90. It can be bought for under $200.

All of the powershots look very nice as well. They are all just fairly heavy in comparison to the more portable cameras. The S100 looks awesome and the extra weight looks worth it for the increase in photo quality but at 3x the price I can't really justify it.

I'll probably look at buying the ELPH 110 HS or the DMC-FX90.
posted by zephyr_words at 10:31 AM on August 23, 2012