Canon and Panasonic: updated models
in [Digital Cameras]
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From: LOL! on 27 May 2010 00:40 On Wed, 26 May 2010 20:48:48 -0700, SMS <scharf.steven(a)geemail.com> wrote: > >One advantage of most Canon P&S models is the availability of the free >CHDK software which adds some extra capabilities that more sophisticated >photographers may find useful. See "http://mighty-hoernsche.de/". >There's a beta version available for the SX1 IS. I helped write some of >the CHDK documentation and I'm a big fan (and user) of it. You don't have it on any camera. You can't even tell someone how it works. We've already tested and proved that about you. And the WIKI history PROVES that you've NEVER contributed even ONE WORD to the documentation, you useless psychotic troll. LOL!
From: John Navas on 27 May 2010 10:37 On Wed, 26 May 2010 20:48:48 -0700, SMS <scharf.steven(a)geemail.com> wrote in <4bfdeba6$0$1601$742ec2ed(a)news.sonic.net>: >On 26/05/10 3:19 PM, F wrote: >> I'm looking to replace my ageing Panasonic FZ30 and am considering the >> Canon SX1 IS and the Panasonic FZ38. Does anyone know whether or not >> either of these is likely to be replaced in the next couple of months? >The FZ38 is noisier than the SX1 IS, not surprising given Panasonic's >long history of noise boxes. Don't get the FZ38 if you plan on doing >anything in low light/higher than 100 ISO. Some reviews complain about >noise even at 80 ISO! It's actually the FZ35 in the USA, and unbiased reviews and tests say just the opposite; e.g., Dave's Pick (Imaging Resource): Once again, one of the finest long zoom digital cameras on the market Few long zoom digital cameras are as well-received as the Panasonic FZ line, and that trend continues with the Panasonic FZ35. As we expected, the Panasonic FZ35 is one fine digital camera, with a great lens, good image quality, and more than a few smart features. ... >Bottom line, the FZ38 while it has impressive specs on paper, >disappoints in actual use. You've never used one, and have absolutely no idea what you're talking about (as usual). -- Best regards, John Buying a dSLR doesn't make you a photographer, it makes you a dSLR owner. "The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it." -Ansel Adams
From: Dave Cohen on 27 May 2010 11:07 On 5/26/2010 6:19 PM, F wrote: > I'm looking to replace my ageing Panasonic FZ30 and am considering the > Canon SX1 IS and the Panasonic FZ38. Does anyone know whether or not > either of these is likely to be replaced in the next couple of months? > > TIA > According to the Canon site, the SX1 IS is replaced by SX20 IS. This seems to be essentially the same except for HD video and more pixels which it didn't need anyway. There may also be an update to the processor. Although Canon dosen't list the SX1 IS, reviews state it's still available. My A95 went kaput and I'm back to using the old A40, a 2mp camera that takes excellent shots withing it's limitations. It's that 2mp that convinces me that ever more pixels are just a marketing gimmick plus the reinforcement of comments in this group from people who are more dedicated photographers than myself. If I do upgrade again, I would get the SX20 unless the SX1 IS were available at worthwhile cost saving. I don't find the AA batteries to be a disadvantage except for a little more size and weight and I insist on having some form of viewfinder, something that seems to be omitted from more and more p&s's.
From: SMS on 27 May 2010 12:47 On 27/05/10 8:07 AM, Dave Cohen wrote: > On 5/26/2010 6:19 PM, F wrote: >> I'm looking to replace my ageing Panasonic FZ30 and am considering the >> Canon SX1 IS and the Panasonic FZ38. Does anyone know whether or not >> either of these is likely to be replaced in the next couple of months? >> >> TIA >> > According to the Canon site, the SX1 IS is replaced by SX20 IS. This > seems to be essentially the same except for HD video and more pixels > which it didn't need anyway. The SX1 IS does higher resolution HD video than the SX20 IS. > There may also be an update to the > processor. Although Canon dosen't list the SX1 IS, reviews state it's > still available. My A95 went kaput and I'm back to using the old A40, a > 2mp camera that takes excellent shots withing it's limitations. Yeah, I have an old A60 that I got my son many years ago. Great camera, but I upgraded the kids to two of the A570 IS because of the IS and the video capability. There's also no CHDK available for the A60, and since I helped write the documentation for CHDK I wanted cameras that it supported. > It's > that 2mp that convinces me that ever more pixels are just a marketing > gimmick plus the reinforcement of comments in this group from people who > are more dedicated photographers than myself. There's definitely some negatives as the pixel count goes up and the pixel size goes down, but it wasn't reached at 2MP for the P&S cameras. I really like the Canon models with the 7.1MP sensor, a sweet spot in P&S for Canon. I also have an SD800 IS which was the only pocket camera with a wide angle lens AND an optical viewfinder. It was also the only P&S I ever saw go UP in price during its lifteime, because it was in very high demand. There is no replacement for it--there are pocket models with wide angle-lens but no viewfinder, and models with a viewfinder but no wide-angle lens. > If I do upgrade again, I would get the SX20 unless the SX1 IS were > available at worthwhile cost saving. I don't find the AA batteries to be > a disadvantage except for a little more size and weight and I insist on > having some form of viewfinder, something that seems to be omitted from > more and more p&s's. Good points, though I find a Li-Ion battery preferable because a) it lasts much longer, b) it's more reliable in terms of the physical design of the contacts and battery holder, and c) you get a much better indication of the remaining energy in the battery because the Li-Ion battery has a linear voltage/capacity curve. If there are after-market Li-Ion packs for the camera they're also generally cheaper than buying the same capacity in Sanyo Eneloops or other low-discharge AA NiMH cells. Even with the CHDK battery feature on AA powered Canon cameras, which gives you more information about the state of the battery, it still can't fix the inherent flat discharge curve of an NiMH battery (if you use disposable Lithium AA batteries then you don't have the problem). I'd be very wary of the SX20 IS in terms of noise. It uses a higher resolution sensor, and it's CCD not CMOS. The SX1 IS is pretty good in terms of noise because of the CMOS sensor and because they didn't go crazy in terms of megapixels. In any case, the original poster should just get the SX1 IS. The battery type is a minor issue. Even if Panasonic comes out with an FZ-38 replacement it will likely suffer the same noise problems as the FZ-38 unless Panasonic does some radical shift in their designs. It's a shame about Panasonic because if you look just at the specifications they have some compelling models that seem like just the perfect camera with combinations of features that you often can't get from other manufacturers. But they just have never been able to get a handle on their noise problems. The most amusing review I read of the FZ-38 was the faint praise that 'the noise is not much higher than the FZ-28'! Yeah, I guess that's a good thing, LOL. One problem with these super-zooms is that their often unfairly compared to D-SLRs rather than to P&Ss. Of course they'll never be able to be as good as D-SLR with a much larger, much lower noise sensor, and the AF/lag will never be as good with contrast detection AF as it is with phase detect AF. Guess one should "never say never" but it's hard to get around the basic physics.
From: John Navas on 27 May 2010 14:16
On Thu, 27 May 2010 09:47:28 -0700, SMS <scharf.steven(a)geemail.com> wrote in <4bfea229$0$1618$742ec2ed(a)news.sonic.net>: >One problem with these super-zooms is that their often unfairly compared >to D-SLRs rather than to P&Ss. Of course they'll never be able to be as >good as D-SLR with a much larger, much lower noise sensor, and the >AF/lag will never be as good with contrast detection AF as it is with >phase detect AF. Guess one should "never say never" but it's hard to get >around the basic physics. Total nonsense. -- Best regards, John Buying a dSLR doesn't make you a photographer, it makes you a dSLR owner. "The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it." -Ansel Adams |