Spec me a digi cam (please!)

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Currently all I have is the camera on my phone (k800i). It's not bad, but theres a couple of things I'd like that it doesn't have, namely a zoom facility*, decent video recording and a decent night mode. I'd like something fairly compact, budget within £100-150 ish. Someone recommended a Samsung PL60, is that a good choice? Any other suggestions?

* real zoom, not digital "zoom"
 
Thanks, some useful info there, will have a more detailed look through, but I'm looking for some specific features, which some of the general recommendations wouldn't necessarily have.
 
namely a zoom facility*, decent video recording and a decent night mode.
Click to expand...

Quick response times would be good too, and if the above can be combined (e.g. decent zoom on video, and decent night video etc) that'd be great.
 
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If you can find one (as they have not long been replaced by an infact higher megapixel yet inferior model) the Panasonic fx500 is about one of the best all round compact cameras I have found.

A quick google search of "Panasonic fx500" yeilds results for stores selling them at around £140 / £150 (including dellivery) and at that price I would be biting their arm off as I paid over £300 for mine and was extremely happy at that price...

Has an awesome 720p video mode, high (and more importantly usable) ISO modes for night shots. Great automatic picture modes as well as very intuative manual mode if you want to start exploring the cameras capabilities a little more.

My onlly other reccomendation would be a Fuji F31fd if you can find one on the main auction site we all love to hate. Its an old camera now but still reveared as one of the best compact cameras ever produced and the one I had that I gave to my Mum still surprises me even now with the clarity of shots it takes.

Id probably still go with the FX500 though as it just has so many more features and the video mode is very usable. Also has a wider angle lens than many other cameras meaning that you fit more of what you see in a shot (from the same distance) than most other cameras.

Hope this helps a littlle ;)
 
Yeah, it is a great camera mate. Even if it were still at £300+ I'd still be reccomending it to you. If you read some reviews (not too sure how I stand posting links here on the forum) but as not to fall fowl of anyone (by posting links), the photography blog have a good one about it and pretty much every reviewer states its in the very very top end of compact cameras. Bit of a modern classic according to some photography forums (mainly due to the wide angle lens).

Like so many though, this year Panasonic have caved in to the megapixel race (because your average Joe consumer thinks more is better) and as such photo quality has suffered because the sensor is not as good an all rounder as the 10mp one in the FX500.

A similar thing happened with Fuju not long after the F31fd came out. They released the F100fd and a few others (i.e very high mega pixel count) but the sensors were not as good in low light (or daylight for that matter) and as such they are yet to release anything as good as the aging F31fd, which is why it still now demands a very high second hand price.

I think the same is true for the FX500... they just hit the sweet spot with everything. Megapixels, sensor size, daylight image quallity, good high uasble ISO's. Its far from perfect but then absolutely no compact camera is. It is however a great deal closer than most and there is very llittle with it that is a compromise. It also has some very advanced manual modes if you found yourself wanting to explore your photography hobby a little more. Second to that though it does have some of the best auto modes of any camera and the reviews will no doubt back that up too.

Best of luck with whatever you choose :)
 
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