Camera Labs

Hello to all,
I am a fire investigator who needs a camera that is easy to hold, not bulky, fixed wide/zoom but especially macro capabilities. I also need a large sensor as low light is always an issue. I need a good built in flash or hot shoe.

Now this sounds like a job for the new Canon G1X except the lousy and non existent macro. The Fujifilm x10 also seems like a candidate but I am requesting the help of the experts on this site. I love the reviews and the expertise provided here.

Thanks and I appreciate any effort to solve my dilemma,
Jim Brown

Do you have a budget in mind that you're looking into? And would you waive the "not bulky" clause if the rest of the camera would be perfect for you? Would a smaller dSLR be small enough for you? Like the Canon T4i / Nikon 3200. Or Something more professional such as the Canon 5dIII / Nikon D800?

If you want great macro capabilities and great low-light capabilities which I'm sure you would need as a fire investigator, you would most probably be better served by a dSLR camera which offers much better ISO performance, so you can take shots in near darkness. Depending on your budget, I have a few options in mind for you.

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Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T2i, Canon S90
Lenses: Tamron: SP70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD, Canon: EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens, 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 III, and EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Retired camera: Fujifilm Finepix s700

Thanks for the reply Jean-Pierre. I currently carry a Nikon d 5100 and prior a Canon 20D. I am trying to get away from the normal DSLR and into a multi function compact that I can get into tighter places with without sacrificing image quality and features. Most important features are close flash and macro as well as some zoom. The cameras I have looked at are the Canon G1X and the Fujifilm X10. The Canon is great but little to no macro eliminates it from my list. The Fuji seems to fit nicely but I was hoping some of the forum members had another choice or two.

Thanks again!!

I've had some Fujis in the past, and absolutely loved them. I'm sure the Fuji X10 would be quite good. The f/2.0 to f/2.8 lens offers a great aperture range.

My only two concerns is how well a 2/3" sensor would hold up if you need to crank the ISO high, and the image quality of the built-in lens. I'm 99% sure that the photos would come out better with your 5100D, and you could get a nice macro lens for that one.

But if you want something with a fixed lens, the Fuji is probably as good as they get.

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Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T2i, Canon S90
Lenses: Tamron: SP70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD, Canon: EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens, 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 III, and EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Retired camera: Fujifilm Finepix s700

Thanks for the nod to the Fuji, I have never had one before. I do have a 55 macro for the D5100 but being on a ladder trying to photograph an arced electrical wire is bothersome. I did it for years because of the low photo quality of small handhelds but I think that the technology has increased to a point that I can give a "bridge" camera a try without much sacrifice. Like I said, the Canon G1X should be perfect but the lack of macro puts me on the X10 for purchase.

Thanks for the assistance!!!

Sigma has nice very fast (f/1,8) fixed lens large sensor compact cameras.
So, say that again

Ricoh too though.

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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

Might be worth reading into the Sony RX100 which was recently announced and is forthcoming. It might fit the bill for at least some of your needs - it's very compact, has a much larger than P&S sensor (1" sensor, same as Nikon 1 series size) but a bit smaller than M4:3 or APS-C...very fast fixed lens, full manual and RAW shooting, etc.

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Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

Good call Justin, I just looked it up and it does sound promising. Thanks for the tip.

the other one might be the S100 or some of the cameras listed in the verdict.
http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_PowerShot_S100/

I have got the S95 and its similar enough to the S100, just not quite as good in low light.
It may cover you needs, the flash and focus work well in low light and for macro stuff.

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Canon Powershot S95, Canon 7D, 15-85, Canon 85 1.8 USM, Sigma 30 1.4, 50mm 1.8, Canon 100 2.8L IS Macro, Canon 70-300L IS USM+Kenko 1.4 Pro 300DGX, Canon 430EX II and RS 4 Classic