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Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 or Canon Powershot SD800 IS
- Thread starter blakeg
- Start date
Depends on who you talk to. People seem to be split on which camera is the best.
I have an 800IS and have no complaints. It's a great camera.
Several people have the TZ3 and feel the same.
You'd probably be happy with either camera.
I have an 800IS and have no complaints. It's a great camera.
Several people have the TZ3 and feel the same.
You'd probably be happy with either camera.
If you can stick to ISO100 & 200 and shoot mostly outdoors then the TZ3 is a very good camera due to it's distortion free lens and the 28-280mm range, which is fun to use. It is also PF free and is sharp corner to corner which can't be said for the SD800.
At ISO400 the Canon probably is more useable as the TZ3 which will loose more detail to NR. Color is affected too on the TZ3 at ISO400 and will bleed.
As for the SD800, you should check out this here as I would be alarmed and very suspect of the IQ on the SD800. Regardless of what users might say (because most owners aren't going to knock what they bought), a photograph tells the whole story about a camera's IQ:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilmf31fd/page11.asp
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Packy
http://picasaweb.google.com/patsweb .... try the slideshow option!
........I have a bit of stuff up there with the TZ3. But all images are post process a small bit like sharpened and with more color added but in general it will give you an idea of what to expect if you keep the ISO's down. Also I forgot to mention that the TZ3's flash ain't the greatest IMO.
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Packy
http://picasaweb.google.com/patsweb .... try the slideshow option!
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Packy
http://picasaweb.google.com/patsweb .... try the slideshow option!
Packy,
Please believe me when I say that I'm not defending the SD800IS because it's the camera we recently bought. Although I know what you mean when you say that people don't want to knock their purchase.
The SD800 really is an excellent camera.
The one thing the puzzles me about this camera's rating is that the only place you'll find that has bad things to say about the camera is here at dp review. All other professional reviewer's rate it excellent. 99% of the people who own one say they love it.
It does have a wide angle (barely) small lens so you'd expect it to have some problems at the 28mm range but if it's present, you can't see it at normal size.
If you enlarge your picture, on screen, to 100% maybe it is there but even then you'd have to look very close.
On the camera we recently purchased, I see no problems.
It also takes great indoor flash shots and to be honest I can't find much of anything wrong with the camera.
Here is a picture which is basically straight out of the camera. All I did was a little sharpening. I didn't even do any red eye reduction. It's nothing great but it's about as good as you can get from a small point & shoot type camera.
As I said in another post this would probably look better with more post processing.
Anyway, I think it's a very good camera but I'm sure the TZ3 is also very good.
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Please believe me when I say that I'm not defending the SD800IS because it's the camera we recently bought. Although I know what you mean when you say that people don't want to knock their purchase.
The SD800 really is an excellent camera.
The one thing the puzzles me about this camera's rating is that the only place you'll find that has bad things to say about the camera is here at dp review. All other professional reviewer's rate it excellent. 99% of the people who own one say they love it.
It does have a wide angle (barely) small lens so you'd expect it to have some problems at the 28mm range but if it's present, you can't see it at normal size.
If you enlarge your picture, on screen, to 100% maybe it is there but even then you'd have to look very close.
On the camera we recently purchased, I see no problems.
It also takes great indoor flash shots and to be honest I can't find much of anything wrong with the camera.
Here is a picture which is basically straight out of the camera. All I did was a little sharpening. I didn't even do any red eye reduction. It's nothing great but it's about as good as you can get from a small point & shoot type camera.
As I said in another post this would probably look better with more post processing.
Anyway, I think it's a very good camera but I'm sure the TZ3 is also very good.
bogeyman
Forum Enthusiast
I have both and my vote goes to the TZ3, both have so-so IQ but the TZ3 has many more useful features than the SD800, a much better LCD and a great useful zoom range.
Ed, I wasn't favouring the TZ3 in my post as it would be unfair as I don't own an SD800. Also I never indictated to the posted to NOT choose the SD800. I mearly indicated that he would want to check out certain IQ issues to see if the are acceptable to him, just like I pointed out IQ issues with the TZ3 when over ISO200 which you will get color bleeding and too much NR which if viewed on the web won't be noticeable either but could be a deal breaker if you print big. Thats why I liked him to some ISO400 here below to see if they were acceptable:
http://picasaweb.google.com/patsweb/TZ3church
And from what I have seen in photos with the SD800 so far are soft corners at 28mm which the TZ3 doesn't have and distortion which the TZ3 dosen't have either. Also the sample on DPR against the F31 is alarming IMO and the worst I have seen from the Ixus range. Maybe it's a bad copy that the testers got.
But the other issues of soft corners and distortion might not be a deal breaker and noticeable to you at normal sizes and for the web size that you posted, but for some it may be if they print larger and it was worth noting in my post for "Blakeg" to check out and it would have been an injustice not to mention these things however small they seem to you so that the poster can make a thorough assesment of both cameras IQ without bias.
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Packy
http://picasaweb.google.com/patsweb .... try the slideshow option!
scphoto
Senior Member
I have an SD800 and really like it. I don't have a TZ3, but I do spend time on the Panasonic forum (I've got a Panny FZ30.), and I've seen some great TZ3 photos. The SD800 and the TZ3 are both very good cameras.
I really think the choice comes down to whether or not you want greater than 105mm zoom capability. If yes, go with the TZ3, if not, flip a coin.
Good luck on finding the right camera for you ...
- Simon
SoundsGood
Leading Member
What about the SD700? Does it has better picture quality than the TZ3?
And before anyone jumps on me ;-) I realize the SD700 starts at 35mm, not 28mm, but I'm only referring to IQ... not zoom range.
And before anyone jumps on me ;-) I realize the SD700 starts at 35mm, not 28mm, but I'm only referring to IQ... not zoom range.
baig
Forum Enthusiast
I would no comment about either of the cameras because I donot have them. However I bought Sony T-100 and tested 800 IS at the store. Also evaluated number of other ultra compacts. My conclusion was that if your primary utilization is day time outdoors or low light indoors if you are going to shoot from a very close range (4-6 feet) using flash then your short listing is correct. For that matter you can also include Sony T-100 or even F40fd. But if you are looking at party shooting at night with flash on, then its a different story. Most of these ultra compacts have very week flash and therefore fush the ISO to as high as 1600 at times. This creates water colour effect which degrades skin texture/ tone due to heavy NR. In this case prints up to 4x6 or may be 5x7 inches would be ok but not beyound that. It was because of this reason and realizing that I need some thing with hot shoe. that I disposed off Sony T-100 and ultimately picked up G-7. This is a compromise on size but then the quality is worth it. It is by no means a verdict for you. All I am saying is that you should know the compromises. If indoor shooting is your preffered utilization and you have to depend on internal flash then evaluate the flash range carefully. Ranges mentioned in specs do not follow consistent standards hance can not be compared directly.
Good luck with what ever you purchase.
Baig
Good luck with what ever you purchase.
Baig
If you search for "Gail", she has both. I would suspect that the SD700 would be better in IQ as it is has for me the max megapixels that a sensor should hold (6mp) and it wouldn't use as much NR on it's photos like the TZ3 does.
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Packy
http://picasaweb.google.com/patsweb .... try the slideshow option!
SoundsGood
Leading Member
Hmmm... the upcoming SD850 (the replacement for the SD700) will have 8 mega-pixels. Does that mean that the IQ of the new SD850 will be worse than the current SD700?
I have the SD800IS and like the TZ3. I bought the 800 because of it's size and 28mm wide and IS and optical viewfinder. It's my wife's camera and she likes it. I like the TZ3, but it doesn't have any optical or electronic viewfinder. They are not in the same classifcation of cameras. I need reading glasses and intend to use any camera for travel, so holding a camera a foot in front of me in the sun with my glasses on, won't work for me. So I'm looking at the Pan FZ8 or the Sony H5 even thought I want 28mm wide and like the TZ3.
Wes
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'It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into'.
Jonathan Swift
bluefear
Forum Enthusiast
packy got the point quiet well! there are a few downsides on both cams... nobody is perfect. take a look at the IQ of the SD800 and decide if it's sharp enough for you cause there are NOT 99% positive reviews!
devide on the zoom range you need cause this is a big point and decide on the size of the cam.
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