Hello dear dpreview friends...my camera got stolen & I need help picking a new one :(

I'm a casual weekend shooter. I do mostly candid shots of family and friends. Some out door scenery. I like good quality picks from a fairly snappy fast cam with decent low lighting capabilities. The zoom and portability of my lumix were great qualities before it got stolen.

Here's the deal: I won a $500.00 gift card at Office depot about a year ago. I know they're not known for cameras, but hell you gotta make good with what you've got.

My options according to their site:
1. Pentax K-X
2. Canon EOS Rebel T1i digital camera
3. Olympus E 620 digital camera
4. Canon PowerShot G11
5. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3S

Pick one, or put them in order. I've read all the boards on each of the cameras and seen pics. They're all work horses imho and I can't decide

For me it would be the LX3 for what you want.

If going for a dslr it would be between the KX and the T2 (not the T1 or if so then KX for sure).

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Cheers Brett

Thanks a million Zigsta!!

What Lumix did you have that you liked the zoom of? The LX3 doesn't have much of a zoom.
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Oll an gwella,
Jim

The DMC-ZS3... 10x optical.

It was more of an added bonus. Do you have a favorite P&S and a favorite DSLR from this list?

Thanks a million for your insight!!

medparadise said:

The DMC-ZS3... 10x optical.

It was more of an added bonus. Do you have a favorite P&S and a favorite DSLR from this list?

Thanks a million for your insight!!

Click to expand...

No. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. You didn't list which lens(es) are supplied with the DSLRs though.

The LX3 looks good at lower ISO and pretty poor over ISO 400. The fast lens will help, but whether it would offset the high ISO of the Pentax or the Canon Rebel I do not know. The E620 has some nice features such as the swivel LCD and very sharp kit lenses, but doesn't match the Canon Rebel or Pentax at higher ISO. The Pentax looks impressive but has a few faults, and I won't own a camera with AA batteries. The Canon EOS Rebel T1i would probably be my choice even though I am an Olympus user.

You have to weigh each feature from each model and match to your needs.

Need video then count the E620 out.

Need to do HDR then count the Pentax out.

Need live view then choose the E620.

Need face detection then don't pick the E620.

Not sure the continuous Fps on the Pentax, but check to see if it meets your requirements. Do you shoot raw? Check to see if your PP handles that format from that model well. If shooting JPEG compare the JPEG output. Colour accuracy needs to be compared.

http://www.camera-catalog.com/compares/dslr/pentax_k-x_vs_olympus_e-620

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Oll an gwella,
Jim

I can tell you what I'd pick, but you really need to use your own criteria. Do you want a larger camera with lenses you can swap around, or do you want something that will fit a jacket or shirt pocket? That alone can make choosing a lot easier.

Say you want portable, pocketable, aren't particularly interested in starting a lens collection, and don't especially like a camera that goes 'klunk' and alerts everyone around that you've just taken a "candid" shot. That leaves the G11 and LX3, and both are good choices.

I don't have a G11, so have to approach it from a fairly long-time LX3-user's viewpoint. One issue always brought up concerning the LX3 is the lack of much telephoto. I recall before buying one, suggesting that the G10 might be a better choice for an all-around family camera because of the extra zoom, but am not so sure now. Having used the LX3 for a lot of family and friend shots from outdoor, indoor with low light, and preferring candid shots over posed, I find the LX3 is really very good at this. It "gets the shot" when you leave it to its own iA resources (much better than your ZS3), even in awkward situations. It's silent, discreet, can shoot from the hip, yet it still gives you a full array of user choices including manual settings. The aspect ratio switch, though I'd never have thought so, is remarkably handy, and something I use all the time. Performance is zippy as long as you aren't expecting more than a camera its size can provide.

On the other hand, at times you may enjoy the extra zoom of the G11, and it does have a viewfinder, though it's not a good one. I don't think either of the two is a 'wrong' choice, you just have to know if the zoom is really that important to you. I though the lack of much zoom on the LX3 would be a much bigger issue than it is; what you may miss occasionally is made up for by what you get in seemingly impossible situations.

The other 3 are varying degrees of larger, and as cameras get larger, the technical image quality in general improves, as does focus and other performance...but you pay for it in other ways (you'll see a lot of DSLR owners here whose big camera gathers dust while they enjoy their LX3, and that may tell you something). But your choices are all good cameras so just find what fits your own needs best.

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Gary
Photo albums: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse

I'd get another ZS3, but that isn't on your list - which is very likely what you can get with your gift card.

Of the cameras on the list I'd go with the FZ35: still bigger than the ZS3, but light in weight and certainly better than the dSLRs + various lenses.

I have an older version: the FZ-18, and I like it just fine, although the ZS3 does essentially everything it can, but lacks an EVF (Electronic View Finder).

The G11 is nice enough, but weighs soooo much!

I have an extreme prejudice for a pocketable camera which can be with me at all times

-Erik
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DP Review Supporter.



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