20 replies to this topic

[turbobob]

So I'm considering changing my camera later in the year before I go to Kenya. And I normally recommend straight away to folk the Panasonic Tz range. At the moment I'm between the Panasonic tz40 or the Sony dsc-hx50. Does anyone have any experience of both? I'm especially keen on the HD video of both. Which is best?

[Goosenka]

Does it really matter that much?

[turbobob]

No. That's why I've created a thread asking about it

 

[Rickwoo118]

Hey Bob, you can't go wrong with a Samsung Galaxy camera. I briefly showed you mine ( camera ) at Tatton Park Show. Seriously...the quality is amazing.

[CocoPops]

Do Sony still use memory stick? That would put me off now, almost everything accepts sd cards without needing converters or leads.

[turbobob]

Hey Bob, you can't go wrong with a Samsung Galaxy camera. I briefly showed you mine ( camera ) at Tatton Park Show. Seriously...the quality is amazing.

It was something that I seriously considered. But every sample video I saw it seemed to really struggle with the focus. And as you say battery life isn't great.

 

Its a fantastic looking camera and no doubt a joy to use with good quality pics. But the two reasons I mentioned above have all but ruled it out.

[H1 HWK]

Do Sony still use memory stick? That would put me off now, almost everything accepts sd cards without needing converters or leads.

 

They've finally stopped robbing owners for proprietary hardware and now use standard SD cards (at least they do in my NEX5N).

The same slot still supports a Sony specific HG Memory Stick? if you really want to spend more than you need to.

[H1 HWK]

Haven't tried the Sony mentioned, HX50 and I'm sure its pretty good, but as a long term Lumix (T7 maybe?) owner, Panasonic are tried and tested in this area for me and if mine broke, I think I'd stick with the same series (just wait until they tweak the product and launch the new model to make a saving on the current TZ40 price).

[jameso]

HX50 has bigger optical zoom, EV dial, longer battery (500 shots), higher avchd bitrate so better quality video, hot shoe for accessories, and picture modes. > TZ40

Edited by jameso, 11 June 2013 - 10:31 PM.

[fezzasus]

Wouldn't touch either. Get a Cannon G15 instead

[jameso]

Wouldn't touch either. Get a Cannon G15 instead

Nope, that's comparing apples to oranges. Tz40 and hx50 are high zoom travel compacts. G15 is a 'large' sensor compact so you should compare this with Sony RX100 (even bigger 1 inch sensor) and Nikon P7700 - in this market if you want the biggest sensor (and therefore best image quality and background defocusing) you should buy RX100, if you want the biggest zoom buy the P7700, and if you want the all rounder (that compromises on zoom relative to the Nikon and image sensor size relative to the Sony) buy the G15

[alexb]

Know absolutely nothing about video, but a bit about wildlife photography (see www.lookingforcats.com). If you go to Kenya for wildlife pictures, the one thing that sets more or less professional looking pictures apart from the rest is depth of field. Camera is secundary to that (the sensor size actually is), lens is everything. We take most pictures with full frame SLR and a 600F4 lens wide open. That's about 9 kgs with 8 of that the lens. There is nothing like that in a compact form. Had a look at the specs of the Sony and it says 720mm in 35mm equivalent, but with an F value of about 35 (in 35mm equivalent again). So depth of field will not be very good.

 

Don't get me wrong, you can still make very nice pictures. It's horses for courses so to speak.

[siztenboots]

cheap nikon coolpix , something that if you drop / lose it , won't matter, plus they use AA battery which are easy to replace anywhere in the world.

[turbobob]

HX50 has bigger optical zoom, EV dial, longer battery (500 shots), higher avchd bitrate so better quality video, hot shoe for accessories, and picture modes. > TZ40

The spec on the battery is 400 shots (vs 300 on the TZ40) and the bitrate seems to the same on both 28Mbps.

[turbobob]

 

Wouldn't touch either. Get a Cannon G15 instead

Nope, that's comparing apples to oranges. Tz40 and hx50 are high zoom travel compacts. G15 is a 'large' sensor compact so you should compare this with Sony RX100 (even bigger 1 inch sensor) and Nikon P7700 - in this market if you want the biggest sensor (and therefore best image quality and background defocusing) you should buy RX100, if you want the biggest zoom buy the P7700, and if you want the all rounder (that compromises on zoom relative to the Nikon and image sensor size relative to the Sony) buy the G15

 

Agreed. I want a compact with a good zoom. I have reviewed pretty the offerings from pretty much all the manufacturers and have narrowed it down to these two.

[jameso]

Happily get you a cheap hx50 if u need

[jameso]

(£204)

[turbobob]

That's cheap How so?

[jameso]

Staff price

[turbobob]

Now you've got me thinking. Do you only deal with Sony goods?