Best pocket size digital compact

[Kissaragi]

Im looking to sell my Sony F828 and replace it with something smaller/lighter.

Kinda narrowed it down to either the fuji f30 or the Sony W100, But are there any others i should consider?

Id be looking for low noise, at least partial manual controls (more the better) and something pocketable, but no need to be ultra slim.

BTW, anyone got any idea what price F828s in perfect condition go for these days? ebay prices seem very up and down.

 

[Qianlong]

please see trhis thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/256244/

 

[jauburn]

Yes

Put Canon on your short list. Pics from Canon compacts are smooth and noise-free.

 

[satty]

...
Id be looking for low noise, at least partial manual controls (more the better) and something pocketable, but no need to be ultra slim.
...

In my opinion the "best" p&s are those ones at the moment:

Panasonic DMC-LX2
Leica D-Lux3

Everything can be done manual: Aperture, Shutter, Focus etc. RAW format. Only negatives: No optical view finder and the noise at ISO 400+ (which p&s has really low noise on 400+? Sounds like a contradiction).

 

[netdog]

In my opinion the "best" p&s are those ones at the moment:

Panasonic DMC-LX2
Leica D-Lux3

Everything can be done manual: Aperture, Shutter, Focus etc. RAW format. Only negatives: No optical view finder and the noise at ISO 400+ (which p&s has really low noise on 400+? Sounds like a contradiction).

I just got a D-Lux3 and have to agree. Puts my Canon 10D DSLR to shame in many ways.

 

[robbieduncan]

I've got an F30 (as well as a 400D). It's really good for what it is, probably handling low light better than any other compact on the market at the moment. That said in bright light, outdoors for example, a Canon will almost certainly do a bit better.

You've got to remember than as good as it is it is not going to be as good as a DSLR in low light. There are noticeable noise reduction artefacts, it doesn't have any IS and sometimes does not handle the white balance correctly. No RAW mode is a bit of a bummer when this happens.

 

[Abstract]

Well....best is difficult to determine.

For me, the "best" digital cameras are the ones that can shoot the widest....say at 28 mm or wider (like how one of larger Nikon point and shoots can shoot at 23 mm, I think). That leaves a few companies, like Panasonic (one of them can shoot at 16:9 or 16:10 ratio, I think), Canon (I believe they have a model that shoots wide), and several others.

On the other hand, one of the best models for me is the Olympus MJU 725 SW. Why? Because I can go 5 metres/15 feet underwater with it and take photos. It can't shoot wide-angle, though.

When the time comes, I'll have to decide what is most important to me. These small cameras don't handle low-light well, although some do better than others. I think the whole noise issue is overrated unless it's some crazy level of colour noise (which doesn't print out as bad as it looks on screen, anyway), and even then, I just know to avoid ISO 800 on these small cameras. My current (old) Canon IXUS 40 can't handle low light well and only goes to ISO 400 (where it's horrible), and it hasn't been a huge annoyance for me.

 

[coldrain]

The mentioned Panasonic and Leica are compact, but not really pocket size.
In the same league there is the Canon S80, which is a better camera image quality and lens wise. Only advantage of the Pana/leica over it is the IS they have. All, are 28mm wide angle capable.

The Canon SD850 IS is a real ultra compact pocket size camera, with 28mm lens, with very good image quality, and with IS. And with good software package.

High ISO low noise, and pocketable is a bit difficult, your best option would be the Fuji Z5fd. But that one lacks IS and wide angel 28mm lens.

 

[netdog]

The mentioned Panasonic and Leica are compact, but not really pocket size.
In the same league there is the Canon S80, which is a better camera image quality and lens wise. Only advantage of the Pana/leica over it is the IS they have. All, are 28mm wide angle capable.

Can't say I agree with this. The lens on the Leica/Panasonic are excellent, and it certainly fits in a shirt pocket with ease. As for the image quality, there is a lot of discussion about noise on the Leica/Panasonic above ISO 100, but in my experience, the D-Lux3 creates superb images. Curious to hear the opinions of others.

 

[e²Studios]

When i travel i usually bring one of my EOS bodies and a couple lenses, but i also bring a compact camera that i can easily tote around to place where the SLR may bring too much attention to myself.

I use a Sony DSC-T1, I'm sure they can be found for pretty cheap they are really small (sub-compact) 5.1MP Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, all internal 3x optical zoom (nothing extends out), and a pretty good point and shoot with a 1GB stick in it. The flash is a bit lackluster, but that is something that a lot of sub-compacts suffer from. I love how it just fits in a pocket and you almost forget its there. There is around 4 newer revisions of the T1, all of which got thinner but stayed the same size which is around the size of a credit card.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/t1.html

Ed

 

[semicharmed]

I have a Canon SD 550. It takes nice clean pictures, it has pretty comprehensive manual controls and it is definitely a pocketable camera.

 

[Father Jack]

Put Canon on your short list. Pics from Canon compacts are smooth and noise-free.

I totally agree.


FJ

 

[dllavaneras]

Canon cams will give you great picture quality, even some of the older models. And Canon released their replacements of the A series a few days ago