Guys, I’m in the market for a new camera and want a fairly compact one (SLR’s are off the list due to price and size at the moment)
So I’m thinking of getting a high end prosumer (hate that word). So I’ve narrowed it down to:
Leica D-LUX 3
Panasonic Lumix
Canon Powershot G7
Any advice or ideas?
TycOOn wrote [quote]I’m in the market for a new camera [/quote]
What camera do you have now?
I have a crappy Olympus C-770 which broke down. It was fiddly bulky piece of crap that constantly overexposed.
Before that I had a Casio Exslim (2 megapixel I think) which was a wonderful point and shoot camera within its abilities.
If I were to replace my little point-and-shoot Canon IXUS40 right now, I would probably get the Canon 850IS. 7.1 megapixels (not that megapixels mean much any more), 28-105mm wide lens and image stabilization. The Leica/Panasonic (basically the same cameras rebadged and repriced for each brand) have a little too much in-camera post-processing for my tastes.
Good choices listed, I would also suggest looking at the Canon 640 and Panasonic Luminix DMC-LX2K
All nice cameras. The Leica is pretty sweet, but costs more than the Pentax k100d dslr that I picked up a couple of months ago. Certainly can’t pop the Pentax in my pocket, but it’s small (for a dslr) and light, and I’m very happy with it… particularly since picking up a Sigma 70~300mm lens for $100 on eBay. So, you might not want to count out the dslrs after all.
A friend is offering me that very canon camera now 2nd hand for ~$7K TWD. He said its a great point and click camera, so I am defn. considering it.
I just read the review on the Pentax and it looks very good. I’m suprised one can get a dslr setup for less than the cost of a high end prosumer.
A few questions tho: Is the lens compatible with Canon or are the Pentax and canon lenses a different fit? If the lenses are interchangeable I’d defn consider it.
[quote=“Tyc00n”]
I just read the review on the Pentax and it looks very good. I’m suprised one can get a dslr setup for less than the cost of a high end prosumer.
A few questions tho: Is the lens compatible with Canon or are the Pentax and canon lenses a different fit? If the lenses are interchangeable I’d defn consider it.[/quote]
Canon and Pentax lenses are different, so you won’t be able to stick Canon lenses on a Pentax. You can buy an adaptor to make it fit, but I think they’re fairly expensive.
Sadly, you’re asking the wrong guy. I highly doubt it, but can’t be definitive. The Pentax works with the k-mount system, so all the old Pentax lenses work (thus, cheap finds on eBay), but I don’t think Canon lenses work.
When I was looking, I was concerned about it’s performance at high ISO (and it does get grainy at 1600), in low-light conditions, and sports shots. But, as I’m learning my way around the camera, and photoshop, I’m not so worried. 
*these shadows are an artifact of faking an HDR effect to take care of ice glare.
[quote=“Tyc00n”]Guys, I’m in the market for a new camera and want a fairly compact one (SLR’s are off the list due to price and size at the moment)
So I’m thinking of getting a high end prosumer (hate that word). So I’ve narrowed it down to:
Leica D-LUX 3
Panasonic Lumix
Canon Powershot G7
Any advice or ideas?[/quote]
On the subject of 150 to 200 USD digicams:
An avid amateur myself, I tend to agree with a master photographer I knew. He said get the best lens. The lens is the eye of the camera. That being said, Iv bought and sold a few digitals of late. Not anything real fancy. But I got a Nikon one and a Panasonic Lumix with the leica lens, and now currently use a FE 180. OH and used a friends Sony with the Carl Zeiss lens.
MY scoop on things so far? I liked the NIKON the best for overall excellence. Now being a Canon guy I used to not really “feel” a Nikon. But I must say that the NIkon had the best overall clarity and color and sharpness as far as the 150 to 200 dollar digicams that iv mentioned so far. The lumix’s leica lens are no doubt sharp and so is the zeiss lens on the Sony. However the color seemed a bit harsh . My Olympus has nice natural colors but the lens sharpness is not up to par . So I personally would get another Nikon. Thinking of getting rid of my FE180 after using it only a few times. Anybody wanna buy it?
heres a great site I use to find out pricing and specs on a lot of different digicams. And you can buy online as well.
Well I prefer www.dpreview.com myself, but from what I hear, whilst the Leica / Panasonic Luminix has a great lens, its the post processing that sux
If anyone wants to buy a really nice, non-digital SLR, consider my Nikon N70.
That’s not my actual camera depicted above, but it is a Nikon N70 with different lense.
After traveling a year in SE Asia and coming back with loads of great photos from my point and shoot Olympus, I decided to upgrade so I could take better shots on my next trip, so I bought the Nikon, but it was a mistake as I know diddly about photography and never did feel comfortable with it (though it’s easy to set on automatic and use that way if one wants).
It has an intense 28-200 mm lense and has barely been used.
If you’re interested, send me a pm.