Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 vs Canon Powershot SD950IS

[mrimperfection]

Ok I've been stuck between buying these two cameras for awhile now and I'm undecided as which one to get. I really want a p&s camera has really really good image quality (possibly the most important feature) but also one that's versatile (wide angle, macro, portraits, action shots, decent in low light) and has a good lens with a decent amount of features.

From what I understand the SD950IS has the one of the biggest sensors for a p&s and takes some of the best pictures as far as image quality, but lacks in versatility and features. Whilst the DMC-TZ5 is pretty versatile with a good lens and more features, but has a smaller sensor.

Do you think the SD950IS is worth it because it doesn't lack that much in features and is worth it for the sensor. Or if the DMC-TZ5's versatility and features will prove more valuable then a bigger sensor.

And price is NOT an issue, I'm aware that the DMC-TZ5's somewhat cheaper.

[Liz]

I can't speak about the SD950, but there is a review here by PhotoJohn in the review section.

I can speak a little about the TZ5 because I just purchased it. I had no interest in it until I did some research on it for a friend who asked me as a photographer to help her choose a good p&s camera. She purchased it and in learning how to use it with her, I ended up getting one myself. I'm selling my G9 which is a wonderful camera, but I am really impressed with the features of the TZ5 along with the size. I haven't used it much yet, but I can share what my initial impressions are.

WA lens - this didn't mean too much to me until I saw the images the TZ5 produces at 28mm. What a difference a few mm makes! I've gotten some nice sharp images from this camera at the wide and tele end at 280mm. Also, the color rendition is the closest to Canon's that I've seen in other brands - and I love that Canon color!

The Intelligent Auto (IA) works really well, switching gears quite accurately from one mode to another automatically without having to change a dial. You can also set the camera for a Max ISO - if you want the camera to choose the ISO and don't want the noise at 800 etc. The awesome 3" LCD has 460,000 pixels with high angle viewing. It has a very small VF. It also has a quick menu option which lets you choose options without going through the entire menu.

Low light and noise isn't great with any p&s. I think the TZ5 does fairly well indoors with and without flash. You can see images on the link below done by another TZ5 owner. I haven't used the camera much yet, but I'm very happy with the results I've gotten so far. It's a learning curve for me - my first adventure out of Canon.

One con is that it doesn't give you an option for manual control. Personally, because there are so many options to change settings, and the images right out of camera on IA are usually excellent, I don't mind.

Here are a few photos - along with others - that helped me make the final decision.

http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/date/2...8-05-31#P-23-9

You might be familiar with the specs and features, but in case you aren't, you can check them out here.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...al_Camera.html

PhotoJohn's SD950 review

http://www.photographyreview.com/cat...x.aspx?TabID=2

Liz

[California L33]

Ok I've been stuck between buying these two cameras for awhile now and I'm undecided as which one to get. I really want a p&s camera has really really good image quality (possibly the most important feature) but also one that's versatile (wide angle, macro, portraits, action shots, decent in low light) and has a good lens with a decent amount of features.

From what I understand the SD950IS has the one of the biggest sensors for a p&s and takes some of the best pictures as far as image quality, but lacks in versatility and features. Whilst the DMC-TZ5 is pretty versatile with a good lens and more features, but has a smaller sensor.

Do you think the SD950IS is worth it because it doesn't lack that much in features and is worth it for the sensor. Or if the DMC-TZ5's versatility and features will prove more valuable then a bigger sensor.

And price is NOT an issue, I'm aware that the DMC-TZ5's somewhat cheaper.

The DMC-TZ5 was on my short list. It's got a really nice zoom range, and a Leica lens no less. The problem with it is that it's a completely automatic camera. It has a lot of options for shooting modes, and one review I read said you can usually 'trick' it into using the speed, aperture, and shutter speed you want, but why would you want to have to 'trick' a camera into doing what you want? (Let's face it, getting a camera to expose properly for the conditions is more than half of getting 'decent' pictures).

I guess the question is why have you narrowed it down to these two? I ended up going with the Canon 650 IS. The lens doesn't have the coverage of the Panasonic, but it's not a bad range (28mm-210mm 35mm equivalent), and it also has a huge number of auto modes, plus aperture priority, shutter priority, and full manual mode. Another plus is that if you ever decide you want more than point and shoot functionality there's an optional tube that attaches to the lens base that allows you to add filters. Also, there's a nice piece of free ad-on software called CHDK that allows it shoot uncompressed Camera Raw instead of the compressed jpeg format. (And honestly, with the cost of memory cards I see no reason for makers to compress files anymore).

The biggest problem with the 650 is the size. It's not a miniature camera for sure. It, including lens which like all point and shoots retracts into the body, is about 2/3s the size of a standard SLR body, which is small, but you can't slip it in a standard pants pocket. About the same size is the G9, also 12 megapixel, it shoots Camera Raw without add on software.