Okay gents, we all do it. What do you think about this camera? I think/want/need to try/buy this camera. Truth is, there is no single best option which is why camera guys tell you not to catch the bug. I get it. I've done this myself. It is called procrastination.
Now it's time to get to the rat killing. My daughter entered grade eleven this year and one of her first semester classes is photography. And of course she needs a camera for the class. Now normally I would mull this over really well for a week or two and read loads of reviews. I do not have that luxury. She needs it Tuesday next or Wednesday at the latest. Of course she needs manual controls for the lessons and I am glad of that. The main functions the instructor demands are P, T(Tv), A(Av), M, and possibly A-DEP. She did say some cameras are lacking the last feature but she wants the first four and that's fine.
I am likely to not go with an interchangeable lens model. I think she would be served better with a higher end point and shoot. The ones that came up rather quickly as sort a best of 2016 were the Canon G9x, Panasonic Lumix Zs100, and the Sony RX 100. Most seem to think the earlier iterations of the RX100 are better than the IV versions out now. Too much weight gain and increased size. I picked these because they are typically available semi locally or a one day ship from Amazon.
Near as I can tell they run from about $449 for the Canon to $750 for the Sony(II and III versions) with the Panny falling somewhere in between. Now the Canon is the midget of the bunch. Very compact compared to even the Sony models. She is not a big girl at around 5'4" and slightly built. So ham fists don't come into play. However, like most dads there is a genius at work here and I am thinking of myself when she is done with it.
The Canon has great specs including full 1 inch sensor, touchscreen plus mode dial on top, wifi, gorgeous looks, and great grip ergonomics according to most reviews. Don't overlook the beauty feature here. We are dealing with a sixteen year old girl here and she is not likely to want an old mans camera.
Sony RX 100. This one has pretty much dominated the segment since it came out. In typical Sony fashion their menus are different that most others, the prices are higher, and the reviewers are really grumping about the model's weight gain and bigger size. As noted, some say to stick with the earlier versions.
Panasonic ZS100. Pretty new and I know nothing about it.
I am open to suggestions but it cannot be some esoteric model from outer Whoville. I need something mainstream, available, and warranty covered. I can budget about 450-600. Maybe more but how much kit do you let a teenage kid have? It goes without saying the teacher prefers the mode dial on top for the settings since it makes it much faster to change settings. I did see some complaints about the Canon not supporting RAW mode in auto settings and even when you do set it for that capture in manual it slows to a crawl. How important really is RAW? They will be spending a lot of time with a non linear editing programme and I wondered if this would make a difference?
I am open to suggestions but will likely need to do something by tomorrow afternoon. Thanks gents.
Now it's time to get to the rat killing. My daughter entered grade eleven this year and one of her first semester classes is photography. And of course she needs a camera for the class. Now normally I would mull this over really well for a week or two and read loads of reviews. I do not have that luxury. She needs it Tuesday next or Wednesday at the latest. Of course she needs manual controls for the lessons and I am glad of that. The main functions the instructor demands are P, T(Tv), A(Av), M, and possibly A-DEP. She did say some cameras are lacking the last feature but she wants the first four and that's fine.
I am likely to not go with an interchangeable lens model. I think she would be served better with a higher end point and shoot. The ones that came up rather quickly as sort a best of 2016 were the Canon G9x, Panasonic Lumix Zs100, and the Sony RX 100. Most seem to think the earlier iterations of the RX100 are better than the IV versions out now. Too much weight gain and increased size. I picked these because they are typically available semi locally or a one day ship from Amazon.
Near as I can tell they run from about $449 for the Canon to $750 for the Sony(II and III versions) with the Panny falling somewhere in between. Now the Canon is the midget of the bunch. Very compact compared to even the Sony models. She is not a big girl at around 5'4" and slightly built. So ham fists don't come into play. However, like most dads there is a genius at work here and I am thinking of myself when she is done with it.
The Canon has great specs including full 1 inch sensor, touchscreen plus mode dial on top, wifi, gorgeous looks, and great grip ergonomics according to most reviews. Don't overlook the beauty feature here. We are dealing with a sixteen year old girl here and she is not likely to want an old mans camera.
Sony RX 100. This one has pretty much dominated the segment since it came out. In typical Sony fashion their menus are different that most others, the prices are higher, and the reviewers are really grumping about the model's weight gain and bigger size. As noted, some say to stick with the earlier versions.
Panasonic ZS100. Pretty new and I know nothing about it.
I am open to suggestions but it cannot be some esoteric model from outer Whoville. I need something mainstream, available, and warranty covered. I can budget about 450-600. Maybe more but how much kit do you let a teenage kid have? It goes without saying the teacher prefers the mode dial on top for the settings since it makes it much faster to change settings. I did see some complaints about the Canon not supporting RAW mode in auto settings and even when you do set it for that capture in manual it slows to a crawl. How important really is RAW? They will be spending a lot of time with a non linear editing programme and I wondered if this would make a difference?
I am open to suggestions but will likely need to do something by tomorrow afternoon. Thanks gents.
