Went “e-window shopping” online for cameras that I wanted to buy.. lol no, I won’t actually buy them. I have no money, surprise! But yeah when the time comes.. or until these companies release a new one, I’d love to get my hands on one of these lovelies.
1) Panasonic Lumix ZS20 (20x optical zoom, 14mp, 1080p video)
I don’t really like Leica cameras to begin with but this sounds promising. Knowing Leica (in my point of view), and have used 2 Leicas in the past with disappointing results.. this isn’t really a high-priority on my list. I just thought of this one first that’s why I have it here in #1, haha. What turns me off the most aside from the grainy photos this camera will probably produce is that its display is also a touchscreen. Nope, cameras with touchscreens are a dealbreaker for me.
A few things that I do like is the zoom range, and it’s megapixel count (though it’s not really that big of a deal daw) and that it looks like a beefy mancam (HAHA) although it is the thinnest among other cameras with the same specs at the moment.
2) Canon SX240HS (20x optical zoom, 12mp, 1080p video)
Last year, when I purchased my first digicam (with my own moolah, hehe) I was torn between the predecessor of this model (the SX230HS) and the Nikon P300. The Canon camera had it all, but the f/1.8 feature of the Nikon was so tempting and it was way cheaper! So I went ahead and bought the Nikon, no regrets! The only drawback then was I discovered that camera a little too late and I had a feeling they were going to release a followup in 2012.. which is this one.
The specs are quite big upgrade from the previous model, but people say because of the 20x zoom range, the aperture is too slow for it (f/3.5).. What I like about this camera, aside from the zoom and full HD is the P, A, S, M modes and the navigation wheel. The design for this one is totally different from the previous models too, makes me think that it’s not very ergonomic. They also ditched with widescreen style of screen and went back to the usual 4:3 type.
Looks like this is the best one for my needs. If ever I end up buying this, I will most likely get myself an extra battery for it too.
PS: Canon released the SX260HS along with the SX240HS. Both cameras have the same specs, but they only differ in the colors they come in and the SX260HS has GPS, the other one does not.
3) Sony HX30V (20x optical zoom, 18mp, 1080p HD video)
At first glance, I was reminded of the Canon G12. Look at it, it has a G12 feel to it! It has the same specs as the two cameras, but with small differences like it has wireless capability, no aperture and shutter speed priority modes and the manual mode isn’t really that manual (it has some limitations like you can only set it at a certain number of settings). Among the three, this model has the biggest aperture which, I assume, would do better in low-light situations. Also, I am doubtful that the image quality might not be that good and might suffer too since the HX9V had the smeared, “watercolor” effect in the photos it produces in 100% crop. The photos aren’t too detailed in 100% view unless it’s resized.
….But still, it has no A&S priority mode, that’s the only downside for me. Overall, I would purchase this in a heartbeat but I’m having second thoughts about it unless I see closeup photos of it and see if the image quality has improved since the last release. Since it was released just recently, there aren’t much sample videos or photos about it. : For video, I assume the quality is still as great as the HX9V. That’s the reason why I wanted that cam in the first place.. the video quality is really superb, according to the samples anyway.
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You know what? I can ditch this camera hunt if only the management whose behind the shows/concerts I go to would allow their audience to bring DSLRS!! I have one, I have good glass to back it up, and I know how to use it! I don’t even have to use the built-in flash nor an external flash and you won’t even feel me taking photos (aka I won’t look distracting) IF YOU JUST LET ME. It’s so frustrating to use tiny cameras to capture moments from rare shows like concerts and struggle with editing them to make them look good. Ugh. Photography enthusiast problems.
Camera companies, maybe you want to send me a demo unit of these models so I can personally review them and see if they’re fit? Hahaha. I do honest reviews of cameras because I am in the search of a camera that I can use for concerts!!!
This is a cross-posted entry from my Tumblr. Original entry is here.
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