H9 best prosumer on the market today?

I've been snapping away for two weeks with the H9 now and a couple of thousand photos on I love the camera and what it can produce (despite the odd artefact, the awful buttons, the early misplaced hysteria about compression etc and the LCD's really really irritating failure to keep up with burst mode), but is it the best 'all round' bridge camera that money can buy at this point in time? The ultimate lightweight alternative available to all the fuss, expense and bother of a DSLR?
The Panasonics produce slightly sharper photos in bright sunlight,
The Fujis produce slightly better photos in low light,
The Olympus has a greater range from wide angle to full zoom,
The Canon is a solid reliable all rounder with good features and great handling,

But overall, in May 2009, is the H9, with its high quality 3" LCD, superb zoom lens, light weight, great colours and fast burst speed, the best overall compromise available on the planet today?

On balance, I think might just be. Can you name another prosumer class camera that beats it for all round performance?

Sorry, I meant 2007. Hit the wrong key.

KnockerT said:

But overall, in May 2009, is the H9, with its high quality 3" LCD,
superb zoom lens, light weight, great colours and fast burst speed,
the best overall compromise available on the planet today?

Click to expand...

You meant May 2007.

KnockerT said:

On balance, I think might just be. Can you name another prosumer
class camera that beats it for all round performance?

Click to expand...

I am anticipating Canon S5--probably because the main reason you buy a camera is for the IQ. I'm not quite sure the Sony H9--with all its features--can beat the S5 in that respect. Have to wait for it to come out though.

I'm an H9 owner but I'm contemplating of returning it due to the premature issues surrounding it. It is feature-packed all right, but IQ counts for most of the criteria. Maybe it's just me--but I'll stick around with my H9 for a while since there is no other camera in its category that beats it (well, until the S5 comes out though). Besides I have around 20+ days to think about it--until the money-back guarantee from Amazon expires. ;-)
--
aluxious™

Toss them in a big blender and use the superior camera that comes out and throw the extra parts away. ;--)

They are probably bent all out of shape anyway.
--
Marion
http://www.pbase.com/kattslackey/stf_members

And keep it at 6 mp. Now that would be sweet!

--
Rooski
FuZi50, Uzi, H-two

' Edit life's big picture, one crop at a time '

aluxious said:

KnockerT said:

But overall, in May 2009, is the H9, with its high quality 3" LCD,
superb zoom lens, light weight, great colours and fast burst speed,
the best overall compromise available on the planet today?

Click to expand...

You meant May 2007.

aluxious said:

On balance, I think might just be. Can you name another prosumer
class camera that beats it for all round performance?

Click to expand...

I am anticipating Canon S5--probably because the main reason you
buy a camera is for the IQ. I'm not quite sure the Sony H9--with
all its features--can beat the S5 in that respect. Have to wait for
it to come out though.

I'm an H9 owner but I'm contemplating of returning it due to the
premature issues surrounding it. It is feature-packed all right,
but IQ counts for most of the criteria. Maybe it's just me--but
I'll stick around with my H9 for a while since there is no other
camera in its category that beats it (well, until the S5 comes out
though). Besides I have around 20+ days to think about it--until
the money-back guarantee from Amazon expires. ;-)
--
aluxious™

Click to expand...

The DPReviews of the S1, S2, and S3 talked about softness in pix. What has changed in the S5 to break that string? Same sensor, more pixels.
--
Bob,

'We don't make a photograph with a camera; we bring to the act of photography all the books we have read, the movies we have seen, the music we have heard and the people we have loved.' Ansel Adams

Sony R1
Canon Pro1
Casio Z750
Nikon 3100

KnockerT said:

But overall, in May 2009, is the H9, with its high quality 3" LCD,
superb zoom lens, light weight, great colours and fast burst speed,
the best overall compromise available on the planet today?
On balance, I think might just be. Can you name another prosumer
class camera that beats it for all round performance?

Click to expand...

I hope you don't mind my answering in a Sony forum with a non-Sony camera, but you asked. The Panny FZ50 is my choice as best prosumer camera for these reasons:

1. Very likely the best lens of the superzooms, less CA and PF than any other camera in the class.

2. Zoom lens fixed in place - zooms internally so it doesn't draw attention to you in public. Also, it's easier to fit filters, takes a standard 55mm size, no adapters or tubes needed.
3. 1/1.8 sensor instead of 1/2.5

4. Manual zoom and focus rings - a revelation if you've never used them. You can put the camera back in its case and power it down at full zoom, it powers back up instantly at full zoom. The zoom stays where you put it and the camera's size and form factor do not change.
5. RAW
6. TTL hot shoe

7. Complete control over exposure, image settings and functions. (I do wish the NR could be turned off altogether, but RAW is always an option.)
8. Front and rear thumbwheel controls
9. Tilt and swivel LCD
10. Build quality (made in Japan) and reliability second-to-none

11. Runs on excellent lightweight lith-ion battery instead of those AA lead sausages. (AA's can't be made from lith-ion due to cell voltage, BTW.)
12. Uses SD memory cards.

Granted the FZ50's processor shares the ever-more-common trait of being too aggressive with the noise reduction, but at or below ISO200 it's not a problem, and at any ISO one can shoot RAW if desired. The lens is superb. Like any camera, the FZ50 has some things one must be aware of and a few shortcomings one must know and work around, but this camera can produce excellent photos, doesn't lack a single significant feature, and IMO stands above.

That ought to win me some friends here in the Sony forum! But, the question was asked. I'm sure people here are justifiably pleased with their Sonys as well.

Hey, what are you doing, over here?! hehehe......just kidding!

To me, the term "prosumer" describes a camera that handles more like a dslr (pro), where as the Sony H series seems more like in the class of "advanced digicams". Using my H2 gives me a totally different feeling, then when using my fz50. Definitely seems like two different classes of camera.

Of course, I'm probably wrong, here

--
Rooski
FuZi50, Uzi, H-two

' Edit life's big picture, one crop at a time '

I used to think my Sony 505v was the best prosumer in the market. The only minor drawback I had with that cam was that I couldn't see anything on the LCD in lowlight to help frame... ha! The 'flavor of the day' at least for me as best prosumer is the FZ50. Who knows what tomorrow may bring. Enjoy what ya have!

--



Regards,
Kirwin
http://timebandit.smugmug.com

Rooski said:

Hey, what are you doing, over here?! hehehe......just kidding!
To me, the term "prosumer" describes a camera that handles more
like a dslr (pro), where as the Sony H series seems more like in
the class of "advanced digicams". Using my H2 gives me a totally
different feeling, then when using my fz50. Definitely seems like
two different classes of camera.

Click to expand...

I thought I recognized your ID...!

It depends where someone draws the line for 'prosumer'. I agree that some are actually advanced digicams, more accurately described. No matter how tightly you draw the restrictions, the FZ30 and FZ50 remain in the category due to the manual zoom and focus rings, RAW, and the tilt / swivel LCD. Even the FZ8, wonderful camera though it is, doesn't make the 'prosumer' cut IMO because it doesn't have the manual zoom and focus, and no matter what you do, those little switches for 'manual' focus and zoom pale in comparison to the manual rings. Those are key to the 'pro' in prosumer.

So hopefully nobody is offended, I've taken almost all of the Pannys out of the 'prosumer' category here myself, but if someone spends half an hour shooting with the FZ30/50's manual rings, if they see how easy it is to adjust exposure with the control wheels vs. fighting through menus, if they see how RAW can save the day sometimes, it gets hard to go back to a camera which lacks those things. I know I'm hooked.

Keep posting those great H9 pics here though, people. I always like to see great photography. (And my usual plea - easy on the ducks, squirrels, birds, and flowers....)

I have a Panasonic FZ20, FZ5. FZ30, Sony H1, Sony H5 and truly like them all. But if I am running out the door and can only grab one camera to take with me, it's my HC9. I been very pleased with the results and it's a fun and enjoyable camera. I'm a people person photographer and I have had great results with the face recognition feature when there is no time to fiddle with settings before a once n a lifetime shot will be gone. I love the ultrazoom capabilities for my trips to the zoos and travel overseas.

mercurycu

--
Rooski
FuZi50, Uzi, H-two

' Edit life's big picture, one crop at a time '

--

I got the FZ50 to compare to my H9...There are pro's and cons for each camera but in the end the LCD monitor of the H9 totally blows away the FZ50.There is a huge difference in brightness and quality..They actually reduced the LCD resolution down to 210,000 from I believe 230,000 fromthe previous FZ30 model..Now, I don't buy a camera just on the LCD but trust me,after shooting and reviewing pics on the H9 and then going to the FZ50 its night and day.

I found the picture image to be very close and for me personally I prefer the electronic zoom to the fuji manual.The focus ring is so close to the soom ring that often i turned the wrong ring.The H9 zoom is very smooth.

I returned the FZ50 as my preference was definetly the H9.

http://www.pbase.com/dsg2/daves_pictures
http://www.pbase.com/image/22632338/original.small jpg

I saw - don't remember where - samples of movie clips made by fz50 and sony h5 (!) - the differnce was huge, in favor of h5. The quality of Panny's clips were horrible ...

KnockerT said:

I've been snapping away for two weeks with the H9 now and a couple
of thousand photos on I love the camera and what it can produce
(despite the odd artefact, the awful buttons, the early misplaced
hysteria about compression etc and the LCD's really really
irritating failure to keep up with burst mode), but is it the best
'all round' bridge camera that money can buy at this point in time?
The ultimate lightweight alternative available to all the fuss,
expense and bother of a DSLR?

Click to expand...

Wouldn't a H9 need RAW to quality for as a "bridge" camera? Thought all DSLR's had RAW.