Camera Labs

Hello everyone,
I'm a new forum user and this is my first post. I'm here to help and be helped.
I am starting to photography and I still have a compact camera that doesn't fit my needs, a Sony W110. I want a better cam, and my budget is around $400~$600 (I'm from Brazil, so make it almost a R$ 1200).

I'm totally undecided between these models: (notice that I've read thousands of reviews and have seen a billion of photo samples)
Panasonic FZ35/38 (I'm trending towards this one)
Canon SX20
Canon G11
Sony HX1
Canon S95 (don't like it that much)

My objective:
To shoot photos for my websites and graphic works (that's what I do for living today) and for simple hobby, since I'm starting to love photography. I work with Photoshop, so I don't care about in-camera resources for editing my photos.

What I need/like:
To shoot low light photos (often)
Long exposure shots (I've bought a tripod)
Zoom shots (not always)
Macro shots (often)
To shoot buildings at day or night
To shoot indoor/outdoor people and stuff
High ISO (low/high number) quality
To shoot self-lightened stuff (lamp-posts, overall lamps, stove fires, ...)
Max. control over all camera settings (focus, f-numbers, exposure, depth of field, ...)
Capturing videos at day or night
Clean images (max. noiseless)

What I dislike/don't need/don't use:
Colour aberrations (RGB fringing)
Continuous shooting
In-camera editing tools
Weight and size of the camera
Lithium battery or AA or else
Flash (I don't use often)
Changing lenses (maybe in the future I'll buy a camera for that..)
Face recognition, smile recog., etc

Anyway, I'm not sure if those cameras I've chosen to compare are the best to suit my needs, but I really like them, and they're cheaper if compared to a DSLR (which here in Brazil is abusrdly expensive).

Sorry for the long text, it seems like a decree..

Thank you!

_________________
Caio Schleich | 11PX

www.11px.com.br

The Canon G11 and S95 are the only cameras that are better in low light, but they dont have much zoom.

If low light is really important and you can afford the G11, I think you should buy it. But compare it closely to the S95 though.

I have the FZ28 (predecessor FZ35) and in low light you really wont use it without flash, so is the SX20 and the HX1.

_________________
Ruben

Panasonic DMC-FZ18, Panasonic DMC-FZ28, Canon G5, Canon 350D, Canon 50D + BG-E2N
Tamron 17-50 2.8, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM,
Canon 18-55 II plus lots of Minolta MD/M42 lenses and bodies

Thank you Ruben for your help.

I've seen night/low light photos taken using a Canon G11 and they're really great, but photos taken in the same conditions using a Panasonic FZ35 are nice too (good enough for my needs). Plus, the FZ35 has a longer exposure resource (60s vs. 15s, according to some review websites) and the zoom feature is way better, and I'll use that.
(Notice that I've seen sample images in Flickr and in a few camera review websites, don't know how reliable Flickr is for comparisons)

Anyway, now I've narrowed my options to FZ35, SX20 and G11, since S95 is only available here in Brazil in a few not-so-popular online stores, which are not reliable. Sony HX1 is way too expensive for my beloved pocket (all Sony camera models are absurdly expensive here). Here I show you the pricing differences between my chosen models, as US$ converted, in lowest price found:

Canon G11: $720,00
Panasonic FZ35: $667,00
Canon SX20: $639,00
Canon S95: $625,00
Sony HX1: $778,00

Any more help?

_________________
Caio Schleich | 11PX

www.11px.com.br

The only difference between the S95 and the G11 is that the G11 has a better (But larger) build, while the S95 has a smaller, more "Point and shoot" like look. IQ really is the same.

If low-light is that important, consider a Nikon D3000 or Canon 1000D (Rebel XS), as the DSLR cameras perform much better in low light without a flash, as they have much larger sensors.

Going back to the P&S cams, the FZ35/FZ38 is a very nice super-zoom, one of the best. Compared to the Powershot SX20IS, it really comes down too which one feels better in your hand. The G11 will give you the best low light, and the most manual controls (Considering that the super-zooms really are just basic P&S cams, with a longer zoom and a few more manual controls). All in all, it comes down to if you want a longer zoom in a larger package with limited manual controls, or a tiny zoom (Compared to the others) in a small easy-to-carry package, with lots of manual controls and superb IQ.

-Evan

_________________
-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

Could you tell me what manual controls the G11 has and the FZ38 is lacking?
If you think the FZ38 will suit your needs, but if you are not sure, consider buying (a used) FZ28. It is really as great as the FZ38 but if you dont like it, you dont had spent much money on it.

_________________
Ruben

Panasonic DMC-FZ18, Panasonic DMC-FZ28, Canon G5, Canon 350D, Canon 50D + BG-E2N
Tamron 17-50 2.8, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM,
Canon 18-55 II plus lots of Minolta MD/M42 lenses and bodies

Personally, I have always been partial to the G-series. The articulated screen is very useful -- letting you get to more difficult shooting angles more easily.

But - at the end of the day, I have always found that the G's have a more solid/confident build. They are easy to control and simply are a great camera. And if you really need longer reach, you can always by a lens adapter and a tele converter. Not the best optics, but it is a surprisingly good and very workable solution.

_________________
Olympus e-620 / 14-42mm / 40-150mm
Metz 48 AF-1
Kata 3-N-1 20, LowePro Orion Mini, LowePro Nova 2
My Flickr

Reading your requirements, I'd still go for a DSLR. Buy the cheapest you can find, it will suit your needs better, will last you longer, and will be cheaper in the long run.

_________________
I take pictures so quickly, my highschool was "Continuous High".

Hi schleich

welcome to cameralsbs

Just drop by and one to say few thing I'm might agree with Citruspers here after reading your requirements.
maybe sony NEX-3 and Panasonic GF1 might work very well for you and i hear that sony NEX are working very well with a low light, too.

cheer

_________________
Canon EOS 7D + Red Canon IXUS 300HS.
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L,Canon EF 100mm F/2.8L IS USM.
Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM, Sigma 50mm F/1.4 HSM
Canon Speedlite 480EX II + Tripod+ B+W MRC (2x77+67), hoya HD UV (77) B+W MRC 77mm(CPL slim+10 ND).

I'm afraid the system cameras (NEX etc.) are too expensive, looking at his budget. The advantage with a DSLr is that you can start with a cheap lens, and upgrade later on.

Is there a big secondhand market over there?

_________________
I take pictures so quickly, my highschool was "Continuous High".

HA! sorry guy
I accidentally miss one of his post .
I really sorry because here nex 3 is not that expensive .

@ Citruspers

About the secondhand market for DSLR here it not big at all and many time their price is rip off (if you wanted to second hand here you might consider buy at ebay). luckily new thing here isn't (SO) expensive .

For easy example back when i buy len hood for my ef-s 18-135mm lens it cost me $15 and i got discount to $14-$13 not sure and no after market tax (back then on amzone it cost me around $20-21).

_________________
Canon EOS 7D + Red Canon IXUS 300HS.
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L,Canon EF 100mm F/2.8L IS USM.
Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM, Sigma 50mm F/1.4 HSM
Canon Speedlite 480EX II + Tripod+ B+W MRC (2x77+67), hoya HD UV (77) B+W MRC 77mm(CPL slim+10 ND).

Thank you EvanK, jwnrw, Citruspers, KSK. I really appreciate your help.

The Sony NEX series are out of question because of its price. The same happens with Panasonic GF1. DSLR cams like 1000D are really nice, but I'm not sure if that's what I want right now.
(Maybe in the future (about 5 yrs) I'll buy a DSLR. Besides, I'm a beginner and don't know if I can use the DSLR resources properly.)

Anyway, I'm between G11 and FZ35. I've found a FZ35 for $510,00 here in an online store (versus a G11 for $611,00). Those are the best prices I could get.

What's in your opinion the cam that better fits my requirements (low light/night, zoom, macro, max. settings control, video, outdoor, etc) between these two cams? (FZ35 vs. G11) I don't care about face detection and these fancy stuff.

I'm gonna research about the 1000D and DSLR cameras overall to learn more about them and then compare prices, but I'm not wanting that kind of advanced stuff right now, I guess.

_________________
Caio Schleich | 11PX

www.11px.com.br

As I said before, the G11 has more manual controls (Ex. it has special dials for controls, there's a hotshoe).

I personally think that the G11 has better low light and IQ, but of course the FZ35 would be better for zoom. Also, it has better quality video. Try them eout, and see which onr feels better in your hands. Does the large size bother you, or would you rather have the small size?

-Evan

_________________
-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

EvanK,
I don't care about the camera size, since it's not hard to grip, like a wet soap bar. Size itself is not a problem, even camera transportation. I see that both FZ35 and G11 are great designed and won't be hard to grip at all.

Please tell me something, when you say that G11 has more manual controls, you mean that it has easier-to-use controls or unique and exclusive controls? (not talking about flash hotshoe, but controls like ISO, f-numbers, exposure, etc)

One more question: is FZ35 as versatile as G11? I mean, except for the zoom (FZ35 is obviously better), are f-numbers, ISO, exposure, shutter speed, and other adjustable stuff similar in both cams? I'm talking about numbers, configuration amplitude, quality, fidelity, etc.

Thank you!!

_________________
Caio Schleich | 11PX

www.11px.com.br

You can adjust the settings on both of the cameras, but it's easier on the Canon considering that it has dedicated buttons or dials for controls. They really do offer the same features, but the G11 would be better for the "Manual" photographer, considering that it's designed as a pro compact, while the FZ35/FZ38 was just designed for simple point and shoot with a longer zoom.

_________________
-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

Hi schleich, like it was mentioned before, sounds like you need a DSLR. With all those requirements and the knowledge you have, you may well be disappointed with any of the cameras mentioned.
For what its worth, I buy a compact for the ability to carry anywhere, so the powershot S90 or S95 would be my pick.
I have an earlier powershot a S70, I love it for that and would upgrade to the S95. The S70 is a bit slow to focus and slow at taking photos, but then its over 5 years old.

since you don`t want it for size, a DSLR maybe a better path for you.