Heeeyyyyyy,

So, i have been pondering for months over which camera to buy; a DSLR, a bridge, a good compact…And finally decided on a good compact, and the one i am going for, the the new Sony HX5. Why have i disregarded the others? For me, i want a good camera (image quality) and it be pocketable. The HX5 is the smallest ‘best’ camera i think. Here are the ones i decided not to go for….

Not the Panasonic Lumix LX3. Why? There is a lens cap which i know i would hate. It is also a bit on the larger side, most things i have read are that its not really pocketable, you cant really fit it in your jean pocket. It probably is the best for the quality of images though.

Not a Canon S90. Why? It is small and pocketable, and has good image quality. But it is now old, and seems very plain looking, and doesnt have a great deal of features. The lens is fast, but not as fast as the LX3.Do i want to spend over £300 on one of these? Will the Image quality be THAT much noticible to a HX5? In sample pics i have seen, there is very little (if any) difference.

Not a Samsung EX1. Why? Well they arent available yet, and nobody seems to have a date. It looks good, but it seems like it is too fat, and also has an annoying lens cap again. Its also made by Samsung, not really a leader in cameras, so will it be good? It could be, the lens may be great, but i dont want to wait and take a risk.

Not a DSLR or Four Thirds. Why? It all comes down to the size and the price. Quality is no doubt better. I wouldnt say i wont get one, i just wont get one right now. I dont use a camera enough to justify getting one of these. When i get my Sony HX5, if i use it alot, then i will probably go for a DSLR.

That leaves my choice, the Sony HX5. Why did i choose this, well it has many good features such as GPS, HD quality video, its small, it uses SD Cards (sonly finally embracing the rest of the world), it has a sweeping panoramic mode to take some amazing pics, and above all it has a good lens/sensor, so should take some great pics. It isnt really available anywhere in the UK yet, but it should be within days/weeks, and costs around £300. Sony have a reputation of making a good camera, and they are using a CMOS sensor in this which is supposed to be good. I have seen sample pics from this camera up against an LX3 and S90 and there is little difference; So you get the best of the quality, with some cool features thrown in.

UPDATE

Read the Sony HX5 Review

Hello peoples!

So, i need a new camera, i blogged about that the other day. My choices i gave myself were an SLR, the Canon 1000D or the Lumix FZ38 which is a bridge. I currently have a Lumix FX55 which is good, and is still around the £200 even though its around 2 years old.

The good points of these 2 cameras speak for themselves. The biggest problems with these 2 cameras are:

• Ease of Use: How easy are they to use, how long does it take to get it out of your bag and snap an amazing photo
• Size and weight – You cant put it in your pocket, which means wearing it round your neck or carrying a bag
• Geek factor – If you are in a city taking photos or where there are people, you will look like a camera nerd
• Cost – Especially the Canon, which is now around the £400 mark on Amazon, you can get the 450D or a better model for just a little more

I have to consider what i am looking for. And what i want in a camera, for general use is:

• A Camera which takes a stunning photo
• Must be small, and fit in a pocket
• Must be able to take photos in low light

Those are the 3 most important things to me at this stage. If i get more into photography i can get an SLR and have that to accompany my compact. I do not care about HD video, For me its a camera, and nothing else. So after lots of reading and researching, i have found a Lumix LX3.

Everyone says good things about this camera. It is bigger than a small compact, but it is still a compact. It has a large sensor, larger than other compacts, which means that it can/does/should take a brilliant photo, with 10MP. The things which worry me are that it doesnt look nice, with a horrible pop-up flash and lens cap, not an electronic lens shutter like other compacts. The price is around £320, which is expensive for a compact, and i dont wanna spend such an amount if the differences to my FX55 arent noticeable. With £320 i can get the FZ38, The bridge camera, and have more “camera real estate” for less money. But then the whole point of this is that its NOT an SLR.

Not only that, but there are rumors of an LX4 which could be coming this year. But these are rumors, no doubt there will be an upgraded model, but the question is when will this come out…If i wait i could be waiting for a long time, or be waiting for a disapointment, as some have suggested that they will drop RAW from it, it could be even more expensive, or anything, who knows until they make an announcement.

Since i am using my blog lots, and taking more pics, i have decided maybe i should get a new camera. But i am lost as to what to get. I am not a professional photographer, but i am interested in taking pics to some degree, and i like messing around in photoshop. So should i get a DSLR, keep my current camera, or get a bridge camera?

My current Camera is a Panasonic Lumix FX55. It is a very good compact camera, i got it because it is very small for the quality it can produce. It can fit in my pocket, and i still get a good lens with 10MP. However, i have noticed that indoor shots, and detailed shots dont seem to have the good quality i want.

The big step up is a DSLR. I have been reading really good things about the Canon EOS series, in particular the EOS 1000dwhich i have heard from several photographers is “the one” to have if you are starting out taking pics and want to get into photography. You can get one of these for around £370-£400 which includes a lens kit. The big drawbacks for me for any SLR is that it is not small, its not like i could take it on a night out for example. Another drawback is the ease of use. I want a good camera, but i dont want to spend an hour setting it up to take a few pics then have to set it up again.

There is a 3rd Alternative, which is a bridge camera. This is basically halfway between a compact digital camera and a DSLR. It is a similar size to a DSLR, but does not have changable lenses and it more focused on ease of use, aswell as taking a good pic.
The one i have looked at is a Panasonic Lumix FZ38. I have seen the FZ28 in action and it is good. The drawbacks are once again the size, but it seems thats something i am going to have to get used to if i wanna take a great looking pic. It is a 12MP camera with a good lens, and lots of features such as 18x Optical zoom and HD recording which the EOS 1000d does not offer. It also comes in at £265, which is around £100 cheaper than a EOS 1000d.