Please help HZ30w St600

I can't give you any comparison info but will say that I am satisfied with the performance of my hz35w (same as the 30 + GPS and oled)

jcbrown wrote:

Hello all...I am in need of your expert opinion please. I am trying to decide between a Samsung HZ30w or a ST600. I know these are older models but a local retailer has them both on sale for $150. I have read several reviews and realize they both have their pros and cons. As for picture quality being the most valuable to me, which of these two would offer the best properly set? Which one is actually the better bang for the buck in your expert opinion?

Thank you so very much for reading this and for your help!!! I am a novice and this is a college graduation present for my nephew who is an avid photographer.

If he is truly a photographer, he won't like either. There are lots of caveats to owning these cameras, particularly noise at base ISO and inability to go much past ISO200 without significant degradation of quality.

Ask yourself if he's discerning about photography or not. If you're simply calling him a "photographer" because he likes taking pics with anything he has, maybe he'll be ok, but if he's very discerning and on good equipment, then you have to think in another direction, as these cams aren't made for IQ, to be honest. I have the HZ35w model (again, same as the HZ30+gps) and it's passable only in very bright light.

I'd look for something with less zoom and possibly a bigger, better sensor. For an "avid photographer" I would never recommend anything less than a prosumer class, so perhaps look at the EX1, LX5, Xz1, and so on.

Please note that snake_b will always advise against buying a Samsung compact. Check his posting history before you come to a conclusion.

jcbrown wrote:

Hello all...I am in need of your expert opinion please. I am trying to decide between a Samsung HZ30w or a ST600. I know these are older models but a local retailer has them both on sale for $150. I have read several reviews and realize they both have their pros and cons. As for picture quality being the most valuable to me, which of these two would offer the best properly set? Which one is actually the better bang for the buck in your expert opinion?

Thank you so very much for reading this and for your help!!! I am a novice and this is a college graduation present for my nephew who is an avid photographer.

Please note- Graynerd follows me around the forum and adds flamebait. He also doesn't read my posts fully (in this instance, where I also recommended up to an EX1, in fact suggesting a Samsung, counter to his claims).

It's ok. Bumps up my posts and puts focus on them, especially since I actually ground my answers, so it says more about him than it does about me, and in a negative way.

Greynerd wrote:

Please note that snake_b will always advise against buying a Samsung compact. Check his posting history before you come to a conclusion.

jcbrown wrote:

Hello all...I am in need of your expert opinion please. I am trying to decide between a Samsung HZ30w or a ST600. I know these are older models but a local retailer has them both on sale for $150. I have read several reviews and realize they both have their pros and cons. As for picture quality being the most valuable to me, which of these two would offer the best properly set? Which one is actually the better bang for the buck in your expert opinion?

Thank you so very much for reading this and for your help!!! I am a novice and this is a college graduation present for my nephew who is an avid photographer.

I bought my WB650(HZ35W) as a pocketable small sensor long zoom P&S to supplement my DSLR and it works well enough at that level. I can get superb looking 6x4 prints in all light levels from daylight indoors upwards and that's all I ever expected it to do. As long as its limitations are realised there's no problem.