• 06-09-2009, 07:31 AM
    T roy
    SLR-Size Sensor in a Point and Shoot Camera
    Hello,

    I haven't posted here in a long time, so forgive me if this has been discussed. Anyone have any opinions on when we will see an SLR-size sensor in a point and shoot camera? I currently own a Pentax K100D Super and a Panasonic TZ5. I would love to have a camera the size of the TZ5 with an SLR-size sensor. I assume we haven't seen it yet because of cost, but since digital camera prices are continually falling, it doesn't seem like this would be far off.

    Thanks!
  • 06-09-2009, 12:25 PM
    Franglais
    Sank like a stone
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by T roy
    Hello,

    I haven't posted here in a long time, so forgive me if this has been discussed. Anyone have any opinions on when we will see an SLR-size sensor in a point and shoot camera? I currently own a Pentax K100D Super and a Panasonic TZ5. I would love to have a camera the size of the TZ5 with an SLR-size sensor. I assume we haven't seen it yet because of cost, but since digital camera prices are continually falling, it doesn't seem like this would be far off.

    Thanks!
    You're talking about the Sony DSC-R1, released in 2005 and not really heard of since? You're forgetting that big sensor means big everything and less liberty for the lens designer to be daring. The DSC-R1 had a 5x zoom f2.8 lens while the camera it replaced (with a small sensor) had a 7x f2 lens

    Or how about the Sigma DP1 and DP2 compacts with the Foveon sensor - and fixed focal length lenses? Haven't seen many of those around either.

    The size of the sensor means nothing to point-and-shoot buyers. They just care about how big the camera is and how "powerful" the zoom is, and of course the price. The sensor is the most expensive part of the camera. Why buy a bridge camera when you can have a DSLR for only slightly more
  • 06-09-2009, 12:58 PM
    SmartWombat
    Re: SLR-Size Sensor in a Point and Shoot Camera
    You mean like the Sigma DP2 ?
  • 06-09-2009, 03:06 PM
    T roy
    Re: Sank like a stone
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Franglais
    You're talking about the Sony DSC-R1, released in 2005 and not really heard of since? You're forgetting that big sensor means big everything and less liberty for the lens designer to be daring. The DSC-R1 had a 5x zoom f2.8 lens while the camera it replaced (with a small sensor) had a 7x f2 lens

    Or how about the Sigma DP1 and DP2 compacts with the Foveon sensor - and fixed focal length lenses? Haven't seen many of those around either.

    The size of the sensor means nothing to point-and-shoot buyers. They just care about how big the camera is and how "powerful" the zoom is, and of course the price. The sensor is the most expensive part of the camera. Why buy a bridge camera when you can have a DSLR for only slightly more

    I guess what I had in mind was a P&S camera about the size of a TZ5 (something almost pocketable and easy to carry), and with a 10X-12X zoom lens, that offered the benefits of a larger sensor (low noise at ISO 800+, etc.). I really enjoy my DSLR, but convenience is more important to me and when I travel I'm just not willing to carry a large DSLR everywhere I go.
  • 06-09-2009, 06:39 PM
    Photo-John
    Re: Sank like a stone
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by T roy
    I guess what I had in mind was a P&S camera about the size of a TZ5 (something almost pocketable and easy to carry), and with a 10X-12X zoom lens, that offered the benefits of a larger sensor (low noise at ISO 800+, etc.). I really enjoy my DSLR, but convenience is more important to me and when I travel I'm just not willing to carry a large DSLR everywhere I go.
    I've been waiting for the camera you describe for years. The Sigma DP1 has an APS-C sensor. But it has a fixed lens and is way too slow for my taste. The image quality is really nice, though. I am waiting for a camera company to step up to the plate and make a pro-quality point-and-shoot, just for the status. Sigma gave it a shot but I think they came up a bit short. It would be pretty sweet if Panasonic made a TZ/ZS compact with a DSLR sensor.

    What do you think of Panasonic's G1 and GH1 Micro Four Thirds cameras? They're not pocket-sized. But they're small compared to any DSLR, and the image quality is wayyyy better than any point-and-shoot.
  • 06-10-2009, 09:41 PM
    T roy
    Re: Sank like a stone
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Photo-John
    I've been waiting for the camera you describe for years. The Sigma DP1 has an APS-C sensor. But it has a fixed lens and is way too slow for my taste. The image quality is really nice, though. I am waiting for a camera company to step up to the plate and make a pro-quality point-and-shoot, just for the status. Sigma gave it a shot but I think they came up a bit short. It would be pretty sweet if Panasonic made a TZ/ZS compact with a DSLR sensor.

    What do you think of Panasonic's G1 and GH1 Micro Four Thirds cameras? They're not pocket-sized. But they're small compared to any DSLR, and the image quality is wayyyy better than any point-and-shoot.

    I haven't had the opportunity to use a camera with a four thirds size sensor. Panasonic's offerings do look interesting though! I would probably even be happy with a TZ compact with a four thirds sensor.
  • 06-11-2009, 06:28 AM
    Photo-John
    Re: Sank like a stone
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by T roy
    I haven't had the opportunity to use a camera with a four thirds size sensor. Panasonic's offerings do look interesting though! I would probably even be happy with a TZ compact with a four thirds sensor.
    The 12-megapixel Four Thirds sensor has much better image quality than point-and-shoot sensors. I use the Olympus Four Thirds cameras all the time for mountain bike and ski photos. The Four Thirds sensors don't offer the same quality as an APS-C sensor. But they're getting very, very good. I'm not sure they could make a camera as small as the TZ-Series. But it would be sweet if they did.