compact digital camera best value under £100

[Jacob]

What's the opinion on compact digital camera best value under £100? Or much better value at higher prices?
I tend to leave my SLR behind on some excursions and a pocket compact would be handy. Low light for interiors and good close up for details - for when snooping around museums, country houses, shops etc.

 

[AndyT]

I think that so many people have switched to using the very good cameras on smartphones that there are some real bargains to be had. In this thread Devon Woody bought a Nikon for £25 which had a very good spec

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/topic72278.html

 

[longinthetooth]

With the slr how much control do you exert over the images when taking them - or do you go with auto everything? I only ask because you could find a cheap point&shoot disappointing in terms of image quality.

Triple your budget & you could get a new Fuji X10 - now superceded by the X20, so a relative bargain. Just a thought.

Sensible rather than silly zoom range, optical viewfinder ...

 

[Steve Maskery]

I have a Panasonic Lumix G1 camera. It's quite elderly now and has been superseded by several models. However, the same engine is used in some of the lower-end models, I believe. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one, it's excellent (too good for me, really, I don't know how to use 95% of it!)
Edit - This for example.

 

[Harbo]

I don't know about the sub £100 ones but I've just bought a Lumix TZ40 (for £225) - mainly to replace my camcorder.

Takes amazing pics in poor light and the 20x optical zoom is great giving a fairly wide angle.

The only thing I don't like is the lack of viewfinder - shooting in bright light is like shooting blind - but that's a problem of all these LCD cameras?

Rod

 

[Jacob]

Thanks for the info. There are a lot of alternatives!
At the mo I'm going for a 2nd hand Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ7 which gets very good reviews.

 

[davem62]

Jacob
argos are doing the tz25 @ £116.99 if that fits your budget and being new will have the warranty
hth dave

 

[Hivenhoe]

Is this worth consideringhttp://shop.fujifilm.co.uk/finepix-sl240-refurbished.html £90

 

[cutting42]

Given your predilection for the older methods and technology, I suggest something like this:

 

[Jacob]

Given your predilection for the older methods and technology, I suggest something like this:

Very nice but it wouldn't fit in my pocket and I wouldn't be able to sneak it out without being spotted!
Same goes for the 'bridge' options suggested. I've already got a good DSLR - I want something pocket sized.

 

[MickCheese]

I too have a Panasonic Lumix but find the shutter delay a real pain in poor light. If anyone can tell me how to reduce the delay then it would be a good camera.

You point shoot and by the time the camera fires the subject has either turned away or closed their eyes.

Sorry a bit of a hijack.

Mick

 

[Jacob]

I too have a Panasonic Lumix but find the shutter delay a real pain in poor light. If anyone can tell me how to reduce the delay then it would be a good camera.

You point shoot and by the time the camera fires the subject has either turned away or closed their eyes.

Sorry a bit of a hijack.

Mick

If it's possible you have to anticipate the long exposure with manual settings and manual focus. Reduces camera thinking time!

 

[AndyT]

Coming in on the back of my first comment I think you should look at putting your camera budget into a phone upgrade. You'd get something properly pocketable, capable of excellent snaps, plus you could read and reply to forum posts wherever you are!

 

[bugbear]

What's the opinion on compact digital camera best value under £100? Or much better value at higher prices?
I tend to leave my SLR behind on some excursions and a pocket compact would be handy. Low light for interiors and good close up for details - for when snooping around museums, country houses, shops etc.

Ah, these amateurs who rush out and buy expensive tools...

Anyway, I think you requirments may present a problem; in the present era, mobile phones at one end have killed the cheap compacts - why carry a cheap compact when your smartphone has built in instagram?

At the high end, the digital SLR continues its reign. For those that find digital SLR too big, but want the quality, there's a new world of "mirrorless" cameras. These are not cheap - the lenses and sensors are the pretty much the same size, quality and price as a DSLR.

The upshot of these changes is that the high quality compact market is dead. There are a VERY few good spec compacts, mainly aimed at being a professional or enthusiasts "second" camera, models like the Canon G15 or Nikon P7700.

You specifically mentioned low light - I think you will be disappointed by ANY small sensor camera; one area where DSLRs are great (and have been for a long time) is low light capability; it's the simple physics of large sensor pixels gathering more light.

Photographers now deliberately ADD simulated grain to rock concert shots, because the perfect sharp picture the cameras (actually) take don't have the right "feel" to them!

So I'd second the notion that a second hand model from an earlier era may be the best choice. I happen to own a Panasonic TZ8, and its optical capabilities are pretty good, although low light can be grainy. It also has less good ergonomics than the Canon models (I note that Panasonic finally changed the shape for the TZ18 and 20 models).

But, to repeat; given the shots you'll currently be getting in low light from your SLR, you are almost certain to be disappointed by the shots from a small sensor camera.

I would recommend borrowing one from a friend for a trial before splashing the cash.

BugBear

 

[MickCheese]

I too have a Panasonic Lumix but find the shutter delay a real pain in poor light. If anyone can tell me how to reduce the delay then it would be a good camera.

You point shoot and by the time the camera fires the subject has either turned away or closed their eyes.

Sorry a bit of a hijack.

Mick

If it's possible you have to anticipate the long exposure with manual settings and manual focus. Reduces camera thinking time!

Thanks Jacob

Have tried that before but will go back and try again.

Mick

 

[Harbo]

I haven't noticed the slowness on mine but will check it out?

This photo of a Coffin Makers shop powered by "gaslight" was taken (on my TZ40) in a Museum at Kirkstall Abbey - no flash and very gloomy.

Humber Bridge no zoom

Humber Bridge with zoom (cannot remember what the figure was?)

Rod

 

[AndyT]

This was in a very gloomy workshop at St Fagan's

And this grain ark was in an even darker unlit farmhouse there - you can see a lot more detail in the photo than I could in real life

Both taken on an iPhone without flash. I didn't bother taking my compact camera with me.

 

[Harbo]

Yes I take lots of snaps on my iPhone and video though that is let down by lack of zoom - the reason I bought the Lumix.

I used to take my Canon D40 and a camcorder on holiday but together they are incredibly heavy and bulky.
Now I tend to use my iPhone and Lumix and mini iPad ( leaving the MacBook at home too).

I've tried the Lumix in dark conditions the iA setting was marginally faster than the P but both very quick - it does send out an ray to focus so there is a very tiny delay?

On the video front, I've just realised that the top quality AVCHD setting 50P does not work with the Mac software but 50i does!


Rod

 

[Silverbirch]

Found this last week at the back of a cupboard. My first digital camera - 5mp, 3X zoom, cost £350 in 2003.
How things have moved on!

Ian