[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by manson

Looking to buy a good compact camera and currently eyeing the Canon A4000 IS priced at just over 11K. Which are the other options I should be considering around this 8 - 12K budget?

Check out this one. SONY DSC-HX9V. DSC-HX9V : H Series : Digital Still Camera : Sony India

Even though slightly above your budget, a very capable cam at the price.

Other option could be Nikon p310. Nikon Imaging Asia Pacific

[manson]

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

Check out this one. SONY DSC-HX9V. DSC-HX9V : H Series : Digital Still Camera : Sony India

Even though slightly above your budget, a very capable cam at the price.

Other option could be Nikon p310. Nikon Imaging Asia Pacific

Thanks! I'm not so keen on getting a Nikon since I've already had one back in 2005, intend to try a different make this time. Will check out a Sony when I'm at a store next. Anything from Lumix particularly worth checking out?

[m.shekhar]

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

Check out this one. SONY DSC-HX9V. DSC-HX9V : H Series : Digital Still Camera : Sony India

Even though slightly above your budget, a very capable cam at the price.

The DSC HX-9V has been pulled out of the market after the introduction of the DSC HX-10V AFAIK.

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by m.shekhar

The DSC HX-9V has been pulled out of the market after the introduction of the DSC HX-10V AFAIK.

Its not pulled out. I checked with the Sony dealer just yesterday and all models listed on the official site are available. Sony wants to target all price ranges, so they are going to sell everything parallel.

[m.shekhar]

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

Its not pulled out. I checked with the Sony dealer just yesterday and all models listed on the official site are available. .

Thanks for the info but when I went to purchase my HX-10V, this is what the Sony dealer told me!
Maybe he was uninformed or just trying to misguide me or something.

[blue_pulsar]

Originally Posted by manson

Looking to buy a good compact camera and currently eyeing the Canon A4000 IS priced at just over 11K. Which are the other options I should be considering around this 8 - 12K budget?

Check out the Canon IXUS 230HS. It has got some nice reviews. IMHO, stick to Canon for P&S.

[manson]

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

Check out the Canon IXUS 230HS. It has got some nice reviews. IMHO, stick to Canon for P&S.

Thanks, but I do not know if I should be choosing HD movie recording over a higher rated mpg. I also checked out a 16.1 mpg Sony cybershot last evening for 8.5K inclusive of 3 year manafacturer warranty.
I know I'm coming to an epic question, but how important is the 16.1 mpg rating over say a 12.x mpg? Is the compromise between the ratings visible in pictures whi;st say viewing on a laptop of LED screen?

[blue_pulsar]

Originally Posted by manson

Thanks, but I do not know if I should be choosing HD movie recording over a higher rated mpg. I also checked out a 16.1 mpg Sony cybershot last evening for 8.5K inclusive of 3 year manafacturer warranty.
I know I'm coming to an epic question, but how important is the 16.1 mpg rating over say a 12.x mpg? Is the compromise between the ratings visible in pictures whi;st say viewing on a laptop of LED screen?

More megapixels dont mean good image quality. Here is a more cheaper one
Canon PowerShot A2300 Point & Shoot: 16.0 Megapixels: Camera Review, Price in India, Compare: Flipkart.com

What I suggest is stick to CMOS sensor. The image quality taken with a CMOS sensor will normally be of better quality. The one I suggested earlier has a CMOS sensor.

[download2live]

^ I thought CCD were better for still images. CMOS is good for video.

[CRV2010]

how about 'Fujifilm FinePix SL300' is it worth for 18.5k? Is there are any better for the same price.

[manson]

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

More megapixels dont mean good image quality. Here is a more cheaper one
Canon PowerShot A2300 Point & Shoot: 16.0 Megapixels: Camera Review, Price in India, Compare: Flipkart.com

Besides the 8X zoom, what is it that the A4000 has over the A2300 to command a 4K difference?

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

Thanks freakmuzik.

Even though the review posted here says Sony is at the bottom position, I dont think so personally and you cannot judge a camera based on just one review. I had checked out Canon before buying Sony and the pic quality, especially the colours were not good at all.

You gotto go to the showrooms and check out the cameras yourself first hand before making a decision. Dont judge any camera by any review. Some say Canon is best, some say Sony is great, etc.

My friend, before buying his cam, had gone to all showrooms with a laptop and a memory card. He used to click various pics with various cameras (macros, long shots, wide angles, 3D photos, etc) and upload those immediately on the laptop and check if they look good. That way he was very convinced and he finally bought the one which he liked the most. Do that if you can.

That's a very valuable suggestion. I'l go to the showrooms and try it out. A BIG thanks

Originally Posted by chaudhrysan

@freakmusik:

The 3 models that have been considered above are SLR'ish type body and quite large in size, meaning that they will not fit in your typical pocket. Sure, the zoom range is quite astounding, but typically the image quality deteriorates at the longer end. Ask yourself whether you really need that much zoom length?

If you mostly shoot people and sceneries, a 24-120mm zoom range will suffice. In case you need more, a travel zoom of 15x to 20x range. The good part of these cameras is that they are quite compact and most likely to be with you whenever a photo opportunity comes.

I have Nikon DSLRs, but lately I notice that I prefer to carry my Canon G11 more often than not when I travel, because of its convinient size (even though G11 cannot be truly considered as a compact).

If I were you, I would seriously look at the following travel zooms:

Canon SX260 - 20x 25-500mmzoom
Panasonic TZ25 - 16x 24-384mm zoom

Both are highly regarded for image quality in many reviews on the net, are compact enough to slip into your shirt pocket (meaning more likely to be with you all the time), and, in my opinion, will cover more more than 95% of your shooting needs.

If megazoom is your cup of tea, then the Canon SX40 and the Panasonic FZ150 are considered to be top notch as per quite a few reviews.

In any case, do try out the models in person. The ergonomics, size (too big or too small), how comfortable the camera feels in your hand, etc., also play an important part in your decision making process.

@ajay_satpute

Generally, and not just one review, in the P&S camera category, Canons and Panasonics have been cosidered to deliver better Still image quality than the Sony counterparts. However, Sony is supposed to beat all others hollow in the video department.

regards

Wow, sounds great. I've always wanted to try out manual controls and all, but do not think I'm knowledgeable to handle them. I love super-zooms. 20x still seems to be really good and as you suggested, that should suffice most of the needs I guess. I'l check them out. Thanks a lot. Never thought of such kind of cameras. One doubt though, will the picture quality of, for example, SX40 and SX260 be comparable? I mean, I've heard people saying the image quality of super-zooms are not as good as some P&S, or is it just in the high zoom range?

[gauravdgr8]

Guys I need serious help. Going for a trip next month and thinking if I should buy a PowerZoom or a DSLR.

In the PowerZoom range, I have selected :

Canon PowerShot SX260

In DSLR it's:

Canon 1100D with Kit.

Main use that I am looking for is Zoom photography, Wide Angle shooting for Panamromic shots, Night shots (with good clarity).

Experts please advise.

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

Guys I need serious help. Going for a trip next month and thinking if I should buy a PowerZoom or a DSLR.
In the PowerZoom range, I have selected :
Canon PowerShot SX260
Main use that I am looking for is Zoom photography, Wide Angle shooting for Panamromic shots, Night shots (with good clarity).

Canon 1100D with kit lens is ruled out, if you are looking for super zoom. SX260 is a good choice, but its an expensive option given the number of features it has. Why don't you also look at other options?

1) Sony HX100V (Same price, 30x optical zoom, 3D photos and video, excellent panaroma shooting)
2) Nikon P510 (42x optical zoom, same price, fresh model in the market)

[download2live]

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

Guys I need serious help. Going for a trip next month and thinking if I should buy a PowerZoom or a DSLR.

In the PowerZoom range, I have selected :

Canon PowerShot SX260

In DSLR it's:

Canon 1100D with Kit.

Main use that I am looking for is Zoom photography, Wide Angle shooting for Panamromic shots, Night shots (with good clarity).

Experts please advise.

Stay away from the DSLR if you are a novice.
You can have a look at FZ series from Lumix. Proven workhorse.