Computers & Hardware > Other Technologies & Hardware
Compact Camera recomendations
sevenlayermuddle:
I feel the need for a new camera and, moreover, I have a birthday approaching. :)
The one thing I would like to see, but have never seen on a compact, is full manual focus control. I want to be able to set the distance in feet, rather than trust it to the camera's sensors. I also want to set the aperture (iris) to achieve a particular depth of field, for selected focus distance.
This is not new technology, relatively inexpensive cameras had these features all through the last century, by simple virtue of markings around the lens. I'm aware that bulky and expensive SLRs might do it, but I don't want bulky and I don't want expensive (say, £200 budget).
Any suggestions for a decent compact that might fulfill my wishes?
roseway:
One thing you didn't mention is the viewfinder. If you want to be serious about photography you have to have an eye level viewfinder (in my opinion of course). Using the LCD screen on the back as a viewfinder just doesn't do it, for all sorts of reasons.
I have a Panasonic Lumix TZ60, which covers just about all my needs and does so very well. It fits in my pocket, so I can take it everywhere. Recommended.
sevenlayermuddle:
Actually Eric, with respect, I don't entirely agree about viewfinder.
On an SLR the viewfinder is very useful, it shows exactly what will be captured, including focus and depth of field. On an (old technology) rangefinder, the viewfinder is also useful... There will be some parallax error but at least it shows, with absolute accuracy, the distance to focus.
But on a modern digital compact, I just don't get it. The LCD shows exactly what will be captured, there is no parallax error but (on all I have seen) depth of field is pot luck, what can a separate viewfinder add to the LCD? Happy of course, to be educated. :)
Anyways old fashioned SLRs and rangefinders aside, to emphasise... What I hanker after, non negotiable, is manual focus and manual aperture control with old fashioned depth of field indicators. That's about it really, don't really know why it is so unreasonable or hard to find? ???
roseway:
There are two serious problems with using the LCD as a viewfinder:
1. Holding the camera in front of you greatly increases the likelihood of camera shake, particularly at high zoom levels and in poor light. All modern cameras have shake reduction systems, but these only go so far (equivalent to a few stops' increase in shutter speed).
2. In bright light the LCD is useless.
Concerning manual focus, that's one of the options on the TZ60. It has a large ring round the lens, which can be configured to control manual focus, amongst other things. You won't have depth of field markings on it of course, but these are only of limited use because in reality depth of field depends on other factors, such as eventual printing size (magnification).
sevenlayermuddle:
Thanks, I'll look at the TZ60.
What I'm really after of course with the aperture control is the ability to choose whether or not the background should be in focus as well as the object I am photographing. Most compacts seem to just assume that I want everything in the frame to be in best possible focus, whereas of course I don't necessarily want that.
But if the TZ 60 has manual focus, and I am able to also influence exposure conditions so as to influence the aperture opening vs shutter speed, I can probably achieve the effects that I want.
I guess it may just be my eyesight, or maybe my nose is in the wrong place as it seems to get in the way, but I really do prefer the LCD under all conditions, never had a major problem from bright sun. Being short-sighted, it is very comfortable to use my eyes with glasses removed.
Re camera-shake, you probably know this but I'll mention it anyway... try using the 'delay' function when on long zoom or poor light. That way you can concentrate on just holding the camera still, as opposed to holding it still and press a button at the same time. I also tend to try and pin my elbows or shoulders against a wall or similar if possible where shake is a risk, for which the LCD is of course much more convenient.
Thanks again though, the TZ60 certainly sounds like a candidate. :)
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