Little digital point-'n'-shoot cameras seem to be a dying breed, largely supplanted in the snapshot department by cell phones. Our local Target, which used to keep a whole aisle of the things in stock, now only has a bare dozen or so models.
They still serve a niche with me, however. While bigger cameras like my old hand-me-down Coolpix 990 from Oleg or the newer
Shower Pot SX500
have been supplanted by the DSLR for when I am Going Someplace To Take Pictures, and the really quite decent camera in the Galaxy SII suffices for I'm Someplace And, Hey!, There's A Picture!, there's still a niche for something to slip into a jacket or shirt pocket for I'm Going Someplace Where I Might Take Pictures But Maybe Not.
The digital zoom on the cellie wouldn't have sufficed for these snaps on the canal or at the Art Fair last Sunday:
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| Blimp |
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| Bird |
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| Graptemys geographica? |
I would love to find a good shirt-pocket-size camera with more than 5x zoom (and preferably with WiFi) that didn't cost a mint. This little
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W650
is the right size, being about as big as a pack of cards, but is a little weak on the zoom for candid or nature shots, being only a 5x. Suggestions?
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26 comments:
Shirt pocket sized with WiFi was my thinking when looking to upgrade to the Nokia Lumia 1020 phone. It has optics on par with the lower end point & shoots.
I haven't pulled the trigger on the upgrade yet. Only $45 for a refurb online with contract but I've just been busy with other nickel and dime expenses.
As for regular cameras I like the shower pots.
An A40 was our only camera from 2002 to 2010 when my brother handed down his Nikon D70s to me.
Unfortunately I broke the Nikon by bending a CF card pin while inserting a card last fall. I need to get it fixed.
My mom got tired of no new pics of the grandchildren and handed down the Power Shot A560 she upgraded from recently.
I have an Olympus vr-320 that has done well by me. It's small, has a 12.5x optical zoom but it isn't sold anymore and doesn't have wifi. You can however put wifi in most cameras with an eyefi card. The current Olympus equivalent, the vr-370 goes for about $130 or so.
I use a Sony HX20V http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX20V-Digital-3-0-inch/dp/B006K551WQ
It's a little thicker, but still fits in a shirt pocket.
Even if your camera doesn't have wifi you can get SD cards with WIFI built in, like this
http://www.eyefi.com/
Brand doesn't really matter, because all these small sensor shirt pocket cameras are about as good as the laws of physics will let a camera that small be. The only real differences between brands are the menu and interface. I'd pick up a Nikon S6800 ($200 +-$20) which has a 12x zoom or a S9700 (~$350) with a 22x zoom. Neither gives anything like SLR quality, but either will easily fit in your shirt pocket and will take as good a picture as you will get for this side of $500.
No help here I'm afraid. I just graduated to my first dSLR this week =)
Consider one of the Panasonic "travel zoom" models if you want critter pichurs from a pocket camera. I've been pretty happy with the ZS19 model (2012 vintage, selling on Amazon for $149 these days) which is something like 480mm on the long end in 35-mm film terms. The image stabilization works pretty well. No wifi though. I've played briefly with more current models(higher megapixel) in the store and have been disappointed by noise.
That said, newest pocket toy is the Fuji XF1 which just makes me smile when I use it for some reason. Maybe it's the mechanical zoom -- a rarity in a pocket cam.
Our service guys just upgraded to the Nikon Coolpix P340 because it has wifi. They're really nice looking little cameras. I don't know if the 5x zoom does what you want though.
Me, I'm waiting for the next gen Casio Exlim. I want to do slow motion video of shooting things. Either that or wait until the edgertronic gets cheap.
The sad fact is that all cell phone cameras are crap for anything beyond taking selfies to post on Facebook. Mention it to the users and after a momentary confusion they'll start babbling about megapixels like Christopher Guest describing his Marshall amps that go to eleven.
Steve Skubinna,
Considering what it is, I've been quite pleased with the results from the Galaxy SII's rear camera. It's got reasonable low-light performance, and I've been on day trips to the zoo, Grissom Air Museum, and the State Fair where the batteries in the real camera shit the bed and I finished the day with the cell phone and was not at all disappointed with the results.
That said, it has its limits, and one needs to know what they are in order to get good results.
I just picked up a Sony W830. 8x optical zoom, Zeiss optics, 20.1 MP. I'm looking forward to the Panorama feature. $118 and smaller than a deck of cards.
Suggestions?
Yes, tell them about Zippy.
Shootin' Buddy
I have had a couple of Canon Powershots. They are probably bigger than you are looking for, but besides a good zoom they have that rarest of features for a digital point and shoot, a view finder. I insist on that for a camera I use outside because display screens are worthless in bright light.
I think the biggest shortcoming of cell phone cameras is the optics, or lack thereof. No way a digital zoom can compete with an optical zoom, and for the latter you need focal length.
Then the other shortcoming is the size of the image plate, which in a phone is minimal, whatever the megapixel rating.
I've seen your shots from Grissom and other locales, and they're good, especially for a phone camera.
As you note, knowing the limitations and how to best use the camera are key. Me, I'm kind of sloppy and so appreciate having good equipment that can cover up my lack of detail and attention.
Another niche some lightweight point & clicks can fill is balloon based aerial photography due to their time lapse function.
THis one works well.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-DSC-WX300-Digital-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B00BEHQKPW/ref=sr_1_7?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1400984593&sr=1-7&keywords=digital+camera
If I had to put it in a pocket...
Panasonic Lumix ZS-40
I have a TS3 that is a great field camera (replacing with a TS5 or current version when it dies), and have had several FZ-series cameras for wildlife shots. All worked well.
Tam:
"Bird" --> Great Blue Heron.
BSR
BSR,
I know. I was just riffing off the single-syllable word starting with "b" from the first photo.
The 500's "little brother," the SX280, was picked up for a ridiculous price as Target pared down its offerings. 20x zoom and wi-fi. (already had the 260, bit for the wi-fi upgrade) The smartphone apps are good for viewing pics on iOS and Android, but the camera remote function doesn't work...yet.
-Buzz
I know it ain't a Canon, but we bought my niece the Nikon AW100 waterproof Coolpix variant. It only goes to 5x optical zoom, but the digital zoom at 16Mp takes you in even closer. She uses hers in the local pool and lakes for photos and videos, and pretty much abuses it. I don't know if she uses the GPS function much, but it's there if you want it.
Pawn shop find, $40. Olympus VR-320. 10X zoom. Use it for property inspections. Never a problem, and the quality of the snaps is great.
Olympus VR-330. 12.5 optical, motor driven zoom. 14mp. 3D photos?- (decal on the body, haven't looked into it)
2.5 x 1.75" screen. Came with two Li-ion batteries. Got it about a year ago, IIRC. Around $120, maybe. Fits in a t-shirt pocket.
+1 on the AW100 suggestion. Michael has been running one and has gotten very good results. I believe the AW110 is WiFi, even. I've been thinking about one to fill the very same niche myself. I love my DSLR, but it is certainly less portable.
Was that a Direct TV blimp? If so, I saw it passing over Hamilton, OH Saturday. Was flying fairly low.
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