Canon Ixus 850IS or Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2??

[Break It Down]

Hi All,

I'm in the market for a digital compact camera as my wife and I are expecting our first child in about 7 weeks, and I'd like to have a camera that I can take everywhere with me to capture all of the important moments. I've narrowed it down to the Canon Ixus 850IS or the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2, they're both in my price range and both seem to get good reviews. Can anybody help me out as to which one I should go for? I've got an older Panasonic DMC-LC5 at the moment, but it's too big to be carried around everywhere. I've always been happy with the photo quality of it though. Any thoughts and/or experiences on either of these cameras would be much appreciated, or alternatively, if you think there's another model I should consider in this category, please let me know. Many thanks everyone

[espressotalk]

Congrats on the new future addition!

I would really suggest you buy the camera that is better under low light conditions. You might not always want to use the flash, and indoor lighting conditions are not always the best.

You are on the right track in getting a camera with an IS lens/feature. This will help get rid of camera shake. Try them both out with the flash disabled and see which one gives you the better result. My bet is with the Canon, but I have not tried that model yet.


Happy shopping and all the best for your new family!

[Photo-John]

espressotalk's low light advice is excellent. The hospital won't arrange studio lighting for you when you're having your baby so using the flash or other settings that help in low light will be critical. Both cameras have a wide sensitivity range - up to ISO 1600. And both cameras have optical image stabilization. I've been using testing the Panasonic Lumix LX2 for the past couple of weeks and I really like it. I think Panasonic is one of the best camera makers when it comes to user interface. With the LX2, I can access the controls I want easily and quickly so that I get the photo I want. There is very little that's buried in the main menu (although ISO is). The LX2 also offers full manual exposure controls. For me, that's very important. I don't like full auto. All of the Canon Ixus/SD compacts are pretty much pure auto point-and-shoot cameras. They have a "manual" mode. But it's really just exposure compensation.

Here's a link to a page that compares both cameras:

Compare Canon SD800 IS to Panasonic Lumix LX2 >>

And here's a link to a few Panasonic LX2 images:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Sample Photos >>

The big plus for the Canon is the size. It will fit in a pocket. The LX2 is just a little too big for that. I haven't tested it so I'm not sure. But I would assume that the Canon has better image quality because Canon's cameras usually do.

[Break It Down]

Thanks for the advice and kind words guys, much appreciated. :thumbsup:

[rzozaya1969]

Thanks for the advice and kind words guys, much appreciated. :thumbsup:

I have the Canon SD700 IS, which I think it's the same as the Ixus.... I love the camera, pretty fast for a p&s, and it's nice. What I don't like is that it doesn't have a manual aperture and shutter settings, it's just what the camera decides. But it's fast and nice. Another option is the Canon A710 IS, which I think it's pretty similar to the SD700, but I think it does have aperture and shutter speed controls, and just a little bigger, better zoom and maybe more resolution.

This was a sequence I did of a friend with the camera, he was going fast, and the 3 pics are very good quality in my novice opinion.