# Which Camera? Canon Powershot SX10 v. Nikon Coolpix P90 v. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28



## Point401 (Aug 15, 2006)

I am stuck on these three. I am going to buy one after work today before I go on vacation. Any thoughts or opinions would be great :thumbup:

PS: I already compared them on crutchfield, read reviews, did research etc.


----------



## Calliope (Feb 3, 2007)

There is a photog forum. Did you try dpreview.com, you can do side by side comparisons of features. I think it all depends on what you are going to take picutres of. For me Optical Zoom was the most important. In fact with my previous camera I sacraficed some mgpxl to get more zoom. If you are only going to take pictures of landscapes, buildings and non-moving ppl you really don't need a fancy camera for that. If you are taking pictures of more mobile objects or things far away or things very up close (animals far away, birds & insects) you might want one that is faster, has better zoom and mgpxls. Are you going to make the pictures into poster size, if not save money on mgpxl mine is 8mpxls and the pictures are huge! They take a lot of storage so you might want to think about that as well. I am sure this will get towed to photog but that is my two cents. And I didn't even answer your question LOL


----------



## Point401 (Aug 15, 2006)

I want it to be extremely versatile, thats why I settled on these three. I want to take action shots while golfing, zoom in to take pics of athletes at sporting events and snap landscapes while traveling. I am not a photojournalist or anything, but I want the pictures I take to be respectable for the viewer and enjoyable for me to take.


----------



## hts (Dec 19, 2001)

fz28. i bought one this past weekend in fact after much research.

my digicam evolution:

sony (forget the model, but still have it)
canon s1is
canon s3is
nikon d40 slr
panny fz28 (after narrowing it down to the canon s1is, no the s10is).

costco has a smoking deal on the fz; in fact, i bought the canon hf10 camcorder at the same time.


----------



## Calliope (Feb 3, 2007)

hts said:


> fz28. i bought one this past weekend in fact after much research.
> 
> my digicam evolution:
> 
> ...


LOL my progression was similar

Sony Cybershot (2.1mpxl)
Canon S1 IS (3.2mpxl)
(skipped the S3 as the camera was too big for my small hands)
Olympus SP560-UZ (8mpxl)

I am going to make the big step into SLR territory next time... Maybe a Canon Rebel * :eeps:


----------



## hts (Dec 19, 2001)

Calliope said:


> LOL my progression was similar
> 
> Sony Cybershot (2.1mpxl)
> Canon S1 IS (3.2mpxl)
> ...


can i interest you in a smoking deal on a gently used d40 with both the standard 18-55 and a 55-200 vr lens?

:angel:

how do you like the oly?


----------



## bkmk5 (Feb 19, 2008)

I had a Canon S5 IS and it was awesome for the $. Had to upgrade to a D90 though. I bought the fiance' a Samsung SL 201 and it shoots great photos and built well for being an el'cheapo camera.

Go to B&H after work and get the 101 on camera's. They are VERY knowledgable and friendly.


----------



## bkmk5 (Feb 19, 2008)

hts said:


> can i interest you in a smoking deal on a gently used d40 with both the standard 18-55 and a 55-200 vr lens?
> 
> :angel:
> 
> how do you like the oly?


The D40 is garbage. How much you want for the 55-200VR lens?


----------



## Calliope (Feb 3, 2007)

hts said:


> can i interest you in a smoking deal on a gently used d40 with both the standard 18-55 and a 55-200 vr lens?
> 
> :angel:
> 
> how do you like the oly?


I like it for the most part (as with all cameras I have had I have yelled at it several times for not doing what I want :eeps: ), it has some cool functions I have yet to try LOL. The macro is much better than the Canon which essentially had none. Believe it or not my original Sony had a decent macro function actually missed it when I was using the S1 and with Sony's propensity for overly colored photos it made nice vibrant macros, although not very realistic in color LOL. Long distance focusing on something moving (say a bird flying) is a bit weak. Haven't found a camera good at that, maybe there isn't such a thing, or maybe I am not using it right. Will have to dig out the manual and see if I am missing something.


----------



## hts (Dec 19, 2001)

bkmk5 said:


> The D40 is garbage.


The Nikon D40, the answer to most people's camera questions.

For the best possible camera for just about anything, fun or serious, I use my Nikon D40.

Sure, I own more expensive cameras, but whenever I grab a camera for my own personal vacations or family photos, it's almost always my remarkable and super lightweight Nikon D40. There isn't anything reasonable I can't do with Nikon's least expensive D40. There is no real reason to pay more for a Nikon D60 or D80. Save your money for more important things, like another lens or flash, or just pocket the difference and enjoy a vacation.

For $449 or less, complete with an exceptionally good 18-55mm lens, it's a no-brainer. (I paid $600 for my D40 in 2006 and still love it.)

I wouldn't bother with the more expensive Nikons unless you really want to spend money, or will be using it all day, every day, or just have to have a bigger screen on the back. Don't worry about durability: I've made 25,000 shots on my D40 and it still looks and works like new.

I only use my more expensive cameras when I'm shooting all day. If I'm spending more time carrying it than using it, I grab my Nikon D40.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/recommended-cameras.htm


----------



## bkmk5 (Feb 19, 2008)

hts said:


> The Nikon D40, the answer to most people's camera questions.
> 
> For the best possible camera for just about anything, fun or serious, I use my Nikon D40.
> 
> ...


With no internal focus motor that means you are limited in lenses(no prime) that you can buy unless manual focus on EVERY shot is something that you like to do.

Its all about trade off's. If I don't want to bring an SLR with me(very rarely) I'll bring the Samsung. Great for landscapes and portraits. Yea the P&S has no depth of field and sucks in low light, but where the P&S sucks I've got the D90 to pick up the slack.

Different strokes for different folks!


----------



## Frank Rizzo (Aug 2, 2003)

I used to have a few Pannys like that one because I could get an employee discount on them. 
I gotta be honest that the pictures were never that impressive...I ended up getting a gently used Cannon G7 on ebay a couple of years ago and it blows away the Panny in picture quality IMHO. I'm a big Cannon fan now. I want a G10 to use the RAW next. It's agreat combo of portability and easy to use in auto with great overrides.

I'd look at a G9 or G10 if I were you in addition to the SX10


----------



## hts (Dec 19, 2001)

G9/G10 aren't bridge/super-zooms. Phil seems to think that it's pretty much a toss-up between the SX1 and FZ28, but I thought he gave the nod to the Panny. I've had 2 Canon's and they're ok. If I don't like the Panny, I have 90 days to return it to Costco.

I mentioned earlier that three cameras consistently outperformed the rest of the group. Of these three the Sony H50 lost marks for its smaller zoom range, fiddly controls and tiny, low resolution viewfinder (it also has the most destructive noise reduction and least effective image stabilizatoin of the trio), leaving the Canon SX10 IS and Panasonic FZ28 vying for the top spot.

Both cameras are significant upgrades to successful and popular models in long established lines, both offer reliable point and shoot image quality as well as comprehensive manual controls and both offer fast, responsive handling and logical user interfaces. But that's as far as the similarities go, and sat here with both cameras in front of me it's obvious that which to choose will depend entirely on the priorities of the potential buyer.

The Canon SX10 IS has the slight edge in image quality (especially at lower ISO settings), has the longest zoom range and by far the best viewfinder in the group, plus a list of features as long as your arm (including flash hot shoe and an articulated screen) and - unlike some of its predecessors - it is very keenly priced. But it's a big hulking beast of a camera that's getting close to entry-level DSLR size and weight.

It's only a little lighter and smaller, but the Panasonic FZ28 feels less bulky, and though it lacks the Canon's style, it also feels a lot more user friendly (especially for the less experienced user). The larger screen, raw mode, clever AF tracking and HD movie capture are all welcome, and the high ISO performance is a lot better than we've seen in previous models (and noticeably better than most of the cameras in this group). Ultimately though, the appeal of the FZ28 is that it is a small, light, reliable camera with a huge zoom that offers excellent image quality and is easy - and fun - to use.

So then, the SX10 IS may win on points, but the FZ28 puts up quite a fight, and is the one we'd pick up when going for a walk and didn't fancy carrying an SLR. Two very impressive cameras; all the more so considering their sub-$350 price ticket, and both easy recommendations.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q109superzoomgroup/page16.asp


----------



## F1Crazy (Dec 11, 2002)

Given almost $100 difference in price I'd pick Panasonic and I'm a fan of Canon's P&S cameras.
If money is no object then pick Canon PowerShot SX1 IS, SX10's big brother.

I think the comparison from dpreview will be more useful than the one from crutchfield: 
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q109superzoomgroup/


----------



## Eddie Bimmer (Jan 17, 2006)

hts said:


> G9/G10 aren't bridge/super-zooms. Phil seems to think that it's pretty much a toss-up between the SX1 and FZ28, but I thought he gave the nod to the Panny. I've had 2 Canon's and they're ok. If I don't like the Panny, I have 90 days to return it to Costco.


try taking some indoor pictures with it with less than ideal lighting. i'll bet you'll end up returning it the next day.


----------



## Point401 (Aug 15, 2006)

I am leaning towards either the Canon PS SX10 IS or the "panny" Lumix DMC-FZ28. I think I will just go to the store and hold them and make a decision then. Thanks for the help and I will let you know which one I go with.


----------



## Dave 330i (Jan 4, 2002)

I was very happy with my Canon powershot A550, which I took to EU instead of my Nikon heavyweights. You can't go wrong with Canon P/S. The weather in EU tend to be overcast and gay. All the mounments turn out uninteresting, but here is a pic from the A550 I took to brighten up your trip.


----------



## hts (Dec 19, 2001)

while the colour saturation in that particular pic is beautiful, it's not a particularly sharp image.

if i thought the sx1is was better than the fz28, i would've bought it. in fact, i had been waiting months for it to be released in the us, and very nearly bought a japanese version. phil's review on the sx1is was not as flattering as all the hype:

"But cameras don't exist only on spec sheets or web pages. Once in hand, the SX1 IS cannot deliver on the promise of the CMOS sensor (which Canon is known for in their EOS range of DSLR cameras). Image quality, while not terrible is actually slightly worse then the much cheaper SX10 IS, and high ISO noise performance is firmly in compact territory. As much as it tries to be DSLR junior, as soon as you see the images you know that it is not. Even though there is RAW mode to give you control over image processing, it offers no more dynamic range, just control over white balance and the amount of noise reduction and sharpening.

The other big difference between the SX1 IS and the cheaper SX10 IS (other then RAW mode) is 1080p HD video capture. While this might sound significant, the image quality problems with the smaller sensor such as noise are also present in the movies, and the usual 'jelly effect' caused by the rolling shutter when panning with CMOS sensors is present here as well. What it comes down to is that the price difference between the SX1 IS and SX10 IS could buy you a nice HD video camera that would give you as good - if not better - video quality."

it was "just barely recommended"

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonsx1is/page17.asp


----------



## Dave 330i (Jan 4, 2002)

hts said:


> while the colour saturation in that particular pic is beautiful, it's not a particularly sharp image.
> 
> if i thought the sx1is was better than the fz28, i would've bought it. in fact, i had been waiting months for it to be released in the us, and very nearly bought a japanese version. phil's review on the sx1is was not as flattering as all the hype:
> 
> ...


party pooper.


----------



## Eddie Bimmer (Jan 17, 2006)

Dave 330i said:


> I was very happy with my Canon powershot A550, which I took to EU instead of my Nikon heavyweights. You can't go wrong with Canon P/S. The weather in EU tend to be overcast and gay. All the mounments turn out uninteresting, but here is a pic from the A550 I took to brighten up your trip.


looks overly saturated but pleasing.


----------

