Am I crazy? Considering selling my RX100 and getting a Canon G15 or Panasonic LX7.

I have a Sony RX100, and while in many regards it is a great camera, there are a couple of aspects that are starting to grate with me, and I'm seriously considering selling it and getting either a Canon G15 or Panasonic LX7.

Does this sound crazy considering all the hype around the RX100? The things I find compromise the RX100 as a complete package are:

1. Poor macro performance - can't focus close up unless you're wide.
2. Soft corners - the RX100 has amazing detail, but somehow I prefer a more consistant image across the frame.
3. Poor image stabilisation - almost non-existant in fact.

All these aspects look much better in either the LX7 or G15, so I just want some advice comparing the two.

- ISO performance looks better on the G15 - possibly by around 1 stop. But LX7 does make up for this somewhat with a slightly faster (around 0.5 stops) lens. Even so, I'd still give the G15 the win here.

- G15 has longer tele (140mm), LX7 is wider (24mm)

- LX7 has articulating LCD - G15 has viewfinder

- LX7 better suited to video with more modes, 1080p and articulating screen. But I'm happy with 720p to be honest - is the video and audio quality any better on one or the other or are they much the same?

- LX7 a bit cheaper

Does this pretty much cover it or is there anything else to consider? And am I really crazy to consider either of these cameras over the much heralded RX100?

The poor IS, the mediocre auto WB, and previous negative experiences with Sony's P&S cams has kept me on the fence about the RX100 for some time.  It does have the best IQ in its class, but for some of us, this may not be worth the tradeoffs.  Nothing crazy about it ... needs vary.   If size was irrelevant, I'd pick the G15 over the RX100.  The LX7 is nice as well, though I personally prefer Canon's warmer colors.

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"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." ~ Immanual Kant

I won a competition once with the slogan "Sell it and buy a Volkswagen"   Same applies here, Sell it and buy the Canon.

I sold my RX100, but went a slightly different direction. I replaced it with the  Canon G1 X. No regrets here. I love the G1 X image quality. And, it's larger size is actually a plus for me.

Steve

FYI, the LX7 does not have an articulating LCD.  Are you thinking of the Olympus XZ2, which does?

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Mike

2eyesee, You are not crazy, only confused and seem to have difficulty making a decision. Let me try to make your decision easy for you to decide which camera you should get.

Q - “ISO performance looks better on the G15 - possibly by around 1 stop. But LX7 does make up for this somewhat with a slightly faster (around 0.5 stops) lens. Even so, I'd still give the G15 the win here”.

A- Does a .5 stop advantage really matter to me that much? Yes______ No_______

Q - G15 has longer tele (140mm), LX7 is wider (24mm)

A- Is longer reach more important to me than having a wide angle? Yes______ No_______

Q - LX7 has articulating LCD - G15 has viewfinder

A- Do I prefer an articulating LCD over a viewfinder? Yes______ No_______

Q - LX7 better suited to video with more modes, 1080p and articulating screen. But I'm happy with 720p to be honest - is the video and audio quality any better on one or the other or are they much the same?

A- Would I rather have the better video performance of the LX7 over the G15 ? Yes____ No_____

Q - LX7 a bit cheaper

A- Is price a limiting factor for me if one camera suites my needs better? Yes______ No_______

Once you have answered these questions, you will have your answer. Since only you know what your preferences are in a camera, only you can answer those questions. Listening to what other people feel their preferences are, should not determine what camera you should get. Hope this helps.

I looked at all of these cameras and ended up getting the RX100.

Its claim to fame is low light performance and high resolution in a pocketable camera. These were the things most important to me.

As for the macro performance, I find that there is lots of room to crop so I don't have to be as close. The ghosting when really close in annoying.

I never see the soft corners. There is seldom anything in the corners of my shots that has to be razor sharp. If I am shooting landscapes, there is usually enough light to stop down so it's not a problem. For big super clean landscapes, I shoot multiple shots and stitch them together.

The stabilization does not seem as good as my Canon S95. I think this is partly due to the higher resolution sensor. When zoomed in to 100% it is more visible. It has certainly made me more aware of how I hold and brace the camera. I am still getting some crisp images at 1/20 sec. zoomed out pretty far.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/post/50752700

So the IS does work but not as well as Canon.

Good luck with your choice, whatever you get.

Both have their advantages, but like others have posted, you need to figure out what is your style and type of photography and what features and specs will help me accomplish my ultimate goals and preferred images.

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http://mikeneufeld604photography.blogspot.ca/

As far as zoom range, the RX100 would appear to be limited compared to the G15 on the long end and the LX7 on the wide end.

However, the sweep panorama feature allows super wide shots (as long as the subject is not moving too fast) and the 20MP image size lets you crop to 150mm field of view and still print an 8x10 at 300 DPI.

Sorry - my mistake. I must have been thinking about the Nikon P7700 - possibly another contender I should consider!

I looked at the G1X but the reports I've seen say it has bad AF. I have little kids (i.e. fast moving subjects) - would the slow AF be a problem for me?

Point taken! 

However, it's nice to get feedback from those that had either considered/made a similar move or those that had maybe used these cameras to make sure I have considered everything and my reasoning is sound (the 'am I crazy?' question!).

I considered the same cameras and bought the G15, primarily because of the OVF. It's a fine camera and fits in my shirt pocket. IQ SOOC is the best of any of my several cameras. I do wish it was more "feature packed" like the Panys are. I miss the good burst rates, panoramas etc, but really do like the camera. Personally, I will not buy another camera without an EVF or OVf, but that may not be important to you.

Jack

The LX video capability is superior to that of the RX100 and the G15. Go to the Panasonic forum for details and LX7 dim- and bright-light video examples.

I have the G15 (along with several other compact fixed lens cameras).  Before I bought the G15, I had the G11.  So I was considering whether to get the G15, sell the G11, and keep my S90; or get the RX100, sell the S90, and keep the G11.

Since I liked the S90 and had no complaints, it came down to G15 Vs RX100.  I found that the G15 looked cleaner at high ISO, was significantly faster at 100 mm, equivalent; where the G15 is around f/2.4 and went to 140 mm besides.  The hot shoe also made a difference to me.  All that and a significant premium cost for the RX100 made the decision for me.

After I got the G15, I found it was slim enough to go into a shirt pocket.  Pocketability is determined more by thickness of the camera, than by either of the other dimensions.  I use the g15 with a neck cord, which stays around my neck with the camera in my shirt pocket.  Then when I bend over to tie my shoes, and the camera slips out of my pocket, the cord catches it.

I have three smaller and lighter cameras (S90, SD950IS, and Panasonic ZS15); but I find myself taking the G15 more than I thought I would.

The LX7 is a fine camera; but the lens projection and separate lens cap make it a little large for pockets.  I also value length more than width; so the G15's 28-140 meant more to me than the LX7's 24-90.  Same with the optical finder Vs the articulated LCD on the LX7.  I never did use the articulated LCD on my G11, except to turn it inward when putting the camera away, in order to protect the LCD.

I will say that I am very pleased with the image quality of the G15 at ISO 1600; and even 3200 isn't too bad.  Performance with a hot shoe mounted flash is excellent and is at least as good as my 60D.  The little 270EX is the best match; but the larger 420EX also works very well.    
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Jerry

Drop the RX100 to 10MP and try it again, you'll probably like the sharper photos better...it does take some work at 20MP, but the photos are excellent...

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--Really there is a God...and He loves you..
FlickR Photostream:
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Mr Ichiro Kitao, I support the call to upgrade the FZ50.
I will not only buy one but two no questions asked...

I think the AF issues of the G1 X are way overblown. OTHO, when I need speedy AF combined with shallow DOF, I pick up a DSLR. There is not a p&s camera out there that I trust under those conditions.

Steve

I had the G15 and returned it. Any time I used it over 800 iso the pics were very noisy. I wish I could put the the Sony guts in the G15 body. I loved the G15 for handling and controls but not the final pic outcome.

As I said in the Open Forum, I carry an RX100 in my pocket all the time. But I will not pretend its images compete with my G1 X, which is my favourite compromise between portability and IQ.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/post/50812668

If you need to focus on fast moving objects though, or don't want to bother to carry a close up filter, I can see why some might go for the Sony. But, even though I shoot RAW, I do not like its noise, its low light performance, and - often - its auto white balance and flesh tones. I also fight the colours seem to give me less leeway for adjustment in Lightroom.

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Some favourite pics:
http://garyp.zenfolio.com/p518883873/

Not a bad suggestion - I tried it and it does improve the consistency of the image across the frame.

What would be even better is if Sony used the 10MP mode to just capture the middle 10MP of the sensor (i.e. the sharpest part) instead of scaling down a full 20MP capture.