Suggest Digicam 12k - 15k

Hi!

I am planning to buy a digital camera. But I have never owned a camera before. I have clicked few snaps with my friend/relatives digital camera. That's all my experience...

Since I don't know anything about digital cameras, I googled and read some information about digital cameras.

* I am a beginner in photography. It's interesting but I don't think I will develop interests on photography or I will want to learn. So a Big NO to DSLR/Interchangeable lens type cameras.
* And I don't want Ultra/Super slim cameras as it is expensive.
* I think point and shoot camera (Basic) is enough for my need/want. But I would like to consider buying Advanced P&S with manual focus/adjustments/controls and/or Mega/Super Zoom.
* It should have features like White balance, Image Stabilization, face/smile detection, red eye reduction, night/low ligt mode, anti-blur, scene presets, Self timer among others.
* Manual adjustments includes ISO, Aperture, Shutter, Zoom
* I am not going to print a flow-up, So 8 megapixels would enough, I guess.
* Video is not the main thing. So decent audio/video capture is enough.
* Memory card slot should be compatible with SD/SDHC/SDXC
* Design - I would choose the bulkier one when there are two pieces (one is compact and another is bulky) available with same features/price tag. I have no problem in design. It can be compact or bulky.
* Maximum budget around 12 - 15k. It doesn't need to be in this range, it can be even lower than this if there are cameras which satisfies my needs/wants.
* Brand - It can be any popular brands.

I would like to know something about digicam before buying it. So I think I'll take one week or two to get to know about digicam. Your suggestions/advice would really be helpful.

I will go with Basic Point & Shoot Camera or Advanced one with Manual controls (Preferably higher zoom of around 8x and above). Not in between. So your suggestions can be in both the segments.

To narrow down my choices, I started with Sony

Out of 13 available cameras, 3 are out of my budget. In the rest, I couldn't able to scan the entire spec sheet quickly and correctly. So I started looking for cameras with manual controls. Up to my ability (to look) I get two cameras DSC HX7V/B and DSC H70/B. Rest all are Auto, i-Auto etc.
In Sony - Two models HX7V and H70
I am not sure about ISO manual controls. It says auto and 100/200/400.... I don't know whether it is fully automatic or semi-automatic (Presets - which we can choose from). And I don't see memory cards in the bundle. Don't we get memory cards with the camera when buying.

Nikon - Out of 19, I get one here. Coolpix P300

Canon - Here I get two, Powershot SX130 IS and Powershot SX150 IS

I couldn't go in depth with other brands. I am thinking of checking Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung, Fujifilm, Kodak. So far, I have narrowed 5 models from three brands. If you think I have missed any models in those three brands, please let me know. And give me your views about these 5 models and/or the models you think which is better than these 5 models.

AFAIK, shutter-aperture-iso manual operation is only applicable to slrs, not to PnS cams. correct me if i wrong... after playing with canon 1100 IS, i moved to dslr.

@choudang you r wrong here...these settings can be found on canon sx130IS, sx150IS, SX220HS,SX230HS etc
Also these can be found in Panasonic TZ10,TZ20

Get the Canon SX220. Has all the features you are looking for, combined with superb image quality.

Yes +1 for ankit.cain suggestion ...go for canon SX220HS it will fullfil all your requirements and will come in your budget

Thank you aniket and sujoy.

SX220HS is little outta my budget. Already I have stretched from 12k. Let see what happens.

I was looking for negative points on those five models. Here they are...

Sony - HX7V Sony H70 Nikon P300 Canon SX130 IS
Slow start up - 4 Sec AF struggles in low light Slow Short alkaline battery life
Unique Sony USB connector Slow burst mode rapid loss of aperture while zooming Slower lens
Cannot see anything on display in bright sunlight Sluggish shot to shot performance small battery Lengthy flash recycle time
No external battery charger Below avg battery life Normal sized sensor, lacks RAW support
GPS is not sensitive bad low light photos Auto rotation not built in
only two aperture settings poor videos In-camera charging
Not sharpest 16MP doesn't improve photo quality
Offers minimal manual controls

I don't see any reviews on Canon SX150 IS.
I don't know why there were comparison of Nikon P300 with higher priced cameras.

Now I am gonna check with other 5 brands Panasonic, Samsung, Fujifilm, Kodak and Olympus

Few things I would like to add now...

* NO to touchscreen models.
* Water/Scratch/Dust/Shock/Freeze/Crush proof sounds nice. Ok, if it comes in my budget.

Battery - What kinda battery is best? Matchbox(Lithium-Ion) like batteries or Pencil (NiMH-AA) like batteries. Performance/cost wise...

I don't know how much I will get benefited with GPS/Compass.

You mentioned your budget as 12k-15k, that is why I mentioned SX220. Otherwise, get the SX130 IS. If you use Sanyo Eneloop batteries, you will get much better battery life, and it supposedly reduces flash recycle times also. and you get all the manual controls that you want.

aniket.cain said:
You mentioned your budget as 12k-15k, that is why I mentioned SX220. Otherwise, get the SX130 IS. If you use Sanyo Eneloop batteries, you will get much better battery life, and it supposedly reduces flash recycle times also. and you get all the manual controls that you want.

.....

In Canon website, they have quoted 16k. That was the reason I said, it's little away.

About batteries, so NiMH is better. Right?

I checked some other brands. Here they are...

In Olympus, there were no mentioning of Aperture/f.no, Shutter Speed. I couldn't find whether there are any models have manual controls.

In Kodak, there are no models which have manual controls.

Panasonic - Some have price tags and some don't. I started checking models in the order they are displayed. After checking 10-15 models, I feel that Panasonic is heavily priced. May be there are plenty of features, but this price would tear up my wallet. Almost, 2/3rd of the models I checked were out of my budget.

If you guys think that I gone some where wrong checking the models of the above three brands or if you know any models which fits my criteria from these brands, Please correct me/let me know.

Samsung - Out of 32 models, only 4 have manual controls. In that four, one fits my budget "WB600".

Already we have narrowed down 5 models. This is the sixth one.

Fujifilm is yet to check... No price tags in their website. Should look in some other site.

pencil cell battery makes the camera fatter and heavier...

SX220 is available on eBay for 14.6k. After applying some coupon, you can get it for lesser than that. 14k will be a good price for it.

*www.ebay.in/itm/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Camera-SX220HS-12-1MP-14x-Optical-Zoom-/330619205666?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_203&hash=item4cfa70b822

Otherwise, if you dont have problems with the bulkiness of SX130/150 then you get this one too. SX150 is just SX130 upgraded to 14MP instead of 12MP on SX130.
Not many P&S have manual controls. And, SX130 is renowned for its image quality. You can comapre its quality with other cameras here:
Product Face-Offs Cameras - DigitalVersus

Aniket - Thanks for the link to compare cameras and thanks for the ebay link.

So now we add Canon SX220 HS

And from Panasonic I narrowed Lumix DMC TZ10 (Panasonic prices are from both official and third party site)
After looking into third party site we take Samsung WB700
From Fujifilm - S3300, S1800, S2950

Now we have total of 12 models in our pool to pick. I don't know how many models I missed which could fit my criteria.

There were not enough information about Olympus models. So I don't know whether there are any models with manual controls in Olympus and in Kodak.

Here are the 12 models

1. Canon - Powershot - SX130 IS
2. Canon - Powershot - SX150 IS
3. Canon - Powershot - SX220 HS

4. Sony - DSC - HX7V/B
5. Sony - DSC - H70/B

6. Nikon - P300

7. Panasonic - Lumix - DMC - TZ10

8. Samsung WB600
9. Samsung WB700

10. Fujifilm S3300
11. Fujifilm S1800
12. Fujifilm S2950

Which is the best among these digicams? Your help will really by appreciated. Thank you.

TZ10 was a nice cam ...but now its old tech

I would go for canon SX220HS eye closed

I step into some showrooms today to get a rough idea of cameras and it's price. I didn't hear any show room offers to give discount of more than Rs.400/- from MRP. Now I am surprised, how come in online price much lower than the MRP. I even see 28% less than MRP.

And there were only limited models available. If we need any other models, need to order and get it.

When I hear SX130 IS is bulkier, I was thinking cameras of photographers who carry theirs in wedding/reception. It is just little bigger than the compact cameras. We can very well say it is a compact one. If we are wearing cargos, it will fit very comfortable. But it's doubtful with pencil fit jeans.

Out of that 12 models, I could find only 7 models.

S3300 (Boxed) - I didn't see the opened one. - 13.5k
S2950 - This is the biggest piece in our pool - 10k
SX130 IS - 10.5k
SX150 IS - I just saw it in the rack. 13.6k
HX7V - 14.6k
H70 (Boxed) - I didn't see the opened one. - 12.6k
P300 - 14.6k

And almost all the showrooms got SX130 IS. And the best price for this model is 10.5k. And we get 4GB memory card, Pouch, 2*AA Batteries and charger (Brand - Chamelion/Uniross). Only two batteries can be charged at a time. I don't know how good are these brands (charger).

If you can buy online, then try this:

Canon Powershot Digital Camera SX130 IS 12.1 MP, 12x Optical Zoom | eBay

Y dont u just get you cam online...u r getting better price and more freebies also u will get the cam of your choice

between all the above models get sx150IS...its slightly better then SX130IS

after getting pencil cell wala cam get a quick charger which takes 1-2 hrs to charge...6-8 hrs for charging is too much which normal chargers do

aniket.cain said:
If you can buy online, then try this:

Canon Powershot Digital Camera SX130 IS 12.1 MP, 12x Optical Zoom | eBay

sujoyp said:
Y dont u just get you cam online...u r getting better price and more freebies also u will get the cam of your choice

between all the above models get sx150IS...its slightly better then SX130IS

after getting pencil cell wala cam get a quick charger which takes 1-2 hrs to charge...6-8 hrs for charging is too much which normal chargers do

I have never bought any product online. May be I doubt how reliable it is... I mean whether the product is actually new one or used. How can I claim warranty, what about bill... Yesterday, there was an offer for 8749/- now its done.

And if the freebies comes with the normal charger/alkaline batteries, again I have to spent some money on to buy rapid charger and NiMH batteries.

After I reach home today, I was looking for reviews of Canon SX130 IS. I don't what's wrong with AA batteries. And they say "Meager battery life".

There were so many negative remarks on that. OK, how long Lithium-Ion batteries can be alive before flashing "Low battery". And how long it will take to charge it up fully to reuse.

And one more important negative remark is "Slow performance".

*Slow Auto-focus
*Slow shot-to-shot performance
*Slow flash recycle

I think it's going to be sleepless night for me thinking about cameras, price...

Now do a Google search for Sanyo Eneloop with SX130, and read about its performance.

@nac ...I read that SX130IS have lightning fast focusing and exposure speed

It have digic 4 processor...I am sure all performance is upto the mark

dont worry about the performance of SX130IS its very good performer...if you r fine with the shape /size and AA cell then u should get it

I read in review that the supplied battery gives just 130 shots...soo u have to get a set of more rechargeable.

aniket.cain said:
Now do a Google search for Sanyo Eneloop with SX130, and read about its performance.

Yeah, I did. It's promising and I also read good review about Uniross Hybrio 2100 mAH batteries. Now I am ok with battery life. I am thinking about buying a good battery charger. As sujoy suggested, I need rapid/quick charger. After reading some information from websites, quick charger alone will not do good. Should buy a Smart/Intelligent (conditioning/discharging) quick battery charger. I didn't understand fully (vague understanding) about conditioning/discharging batteries - "Management of NiMH batteries". I don't know what are the choices here? If you know any brand, let me know. Preferably from Indian manufacturers.

sujoyp said:
@nac ...I read that SX130IS have lightning fast focusing and exposure speed

It have digic 4 processor...I am sure all performance is upto the mark

dont worry about the performance of SX130IS its very good performer...if you r fine with the shape /size and AA cell then u should get it

I read in review that the supplied battery gives just 130 shots...soo u have to get a set of more rechargeable.

I am very well OK with design and structure. In fact, I like bulkier one than compact. Yes, it does have everything good but it is slow.

I think this I have to compromise. :neutral:

Any suggestion on Smart/intelligent battery charger with reasonable price. I am sure it's going to shoot up somewhere in 4 digits

mine is uniross quick charger...it charges 4 NIMH AA cells in 1 hour bought it for 1200

There is also a model of Sanyo Eneloop with 4 cells and it charges in 2 hour..cost 1800

sujoyp said:
mine is uniross quick charger...it charges 4 NIMH AA cells in 1 hour bought it for 1200

There is also a model of Sanyo Eneloop with 4 cells and it charges in 2 hour..cost 1800

Do these chargers have the features I was talking about (conditioning/refresh/charging/discharging etc...)

Here is the link to the site where the writer talks about "Management of NiMH batteries"

Batteries for AA-compatible digital cameras

I am sorry I have no idea about all that...but my charger is certainly very useful and it have an led panel too...u can check the amount of charge left or done in the cells

sujoyp said:
I am sorry I have no idea about all that...but my charger is certainly very useful and it have an led panel too...u can check the amount of charge left or done in the cells

Ok, Thank you.

Will the LED panel indicate how much charge is left when you put NiMH battery in the charger (like 90%, 80%, 50%)? I am asking this because some where I read that NiMH batteries don't have memory. If we put a battery which has 50% (for eg) in the charger, it won't recognize the balance left charge in the battery and charge the rest. When we use, the battery couldn't recognize that 50% and use only the last charged 50 alone. May be I am wrong, I think this is what I understood.

Is there any mode to charge is slower (If we want to charge the batteries at low rate)?

How about overcharging if we left for hours?

I think it wont show how much charge is left but will only show during the charging that how much charging is done

No option to charge slow

I maximum left it for extra 1 hr...it stop charging but slightly heats up

go for sony HX9V or canon SX220 HS

sujoyp said:
I think it wont show how much charge is left but will only show during the charging that how much charging is done

No option to charge slow

I maximum left it for extra 1 hr...it stop charging but slightly heats up

This is the best I could find. There are two products (Super quick charger) from Sony with "Refresh" options. I don't know about other options like bad cell detection, gentle (slow) charging etc... Price is Rs. 2000/- and Rs. 1695/-

But it's not "Super quick". It charges batteries at max rate of 1050 mAH (2*NiMH). It will take 2 hours to charge 2*2100 mAH and 4 hours to charge 4*2100 mAH batteries. I guess, there will be no gentle charging option.

It would be better, if I can get it without batteries. I guess, charger alone would cost around Rs. 900/-

aroraanant said:
go for sony HX9V or canon SX220 HS

Both of 'em are little away from my budget (MRP).

Before you get any batteries, read the difference between normal rechargeable NiMH batteries and the Eneloop. With SX130, Eneloops perform better than other much higher rated batteries (in terms of mAH).

aniket.cain said:
Before you get any batteries, read the difference between normal rechargeable NiMH batteries and the Eneloop. With SX130, Eneloops perform better than other much higher rated batteries (in terms of mAH).

Yes, I want to buy Sanyo Eneloop batteries. That's the reason I am looking for a good charger with no batteries in the pack.

Do you use any battery chargers?
If yes, what is your comment on the post regarding "Smart/Intelligent Chargers".
What If I can't get such a charger?
Will I loosing something big on total life of NiMH rechargeable batteries?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

What would be your choice of battery charger if you are in my shoes?

Note: There are few chargers imported from USA with the "Smart" options from Maha/Lacrose. But it costs 2800/3700 (Just charger alone)

This is the best I could find about battery chargers with "Refresh" options.

There are four product from Sony

BCG-34HRMF4N
BCG-34HRMF4
BCG-34HRE4K
BCG-34HRE4
Charger : Battery & Charger : Sony India

There is a product called ENVIE SPEEDSTER from IMS Mercantiles
IMS Mercantiles Pvt. Ltd.

And a product from YES INFINITY - YCR-A099
YesInfinity.com

Here and there I read some models which are Intelligent chargers. I don't know what does it means (exactly). So I am not sure about those products. It seems like they are intelligent enough to function between 100v-240v.

But I couldn't find models with the options like (We have some of the options in the above models)
Discharge
Charge
Refresh
Conditioning
Bad cell detection
Individual slots
Voltage/temperature monitor
Safety cut-off
Trickle charge
Manually control charging rate
...

aniket.cain said:
SX220 is available on eBay for 14.6k. After applying some coupon, you can get it for lesser than that. 14k will be a good price for it.

Canon PowerShot Digital Camera SX220HS 12.1MP 14x Optical Zoom | eBay

I didn't know how did I missed asking you this.

How can I apply for some coupon? or How could one know the promotional code?

I am still looking for a good deal.

Do you guys have any experience in buying through Indiaplaza. If yes, what's your experience? Would you suggest others to buy from them?

Here is the link to SX130 IS. After cash back our price is 8995/- (Including freebies) much less than any other online sellers.

Canon Powershot SX130IS Digital Camera | Buy camera | Indiaplaza

There is a another deal from a e-seller called Timtara. 3% discount from MRP plus 2k discount coupon, final price 8665/-

Now, I have a doubt that how reliable timtara is?

Do you guys have any experience in buying with timtara?

Ebay# - 9595/- (Includes 4GB memory card + Pouch)
Indiaplaza - 8995/-* (Includes 4GB memory card + Pouch + Charger)
Timtara - 8665/-* (Includes 4GB memory card + Pouch + Charger)

# Best price
* Rs. 2000/- coupon.

Well, I have no experience with Timtara. My only experience with Indiaplaza was buying a Sennheiser CX200 earphones, which were fake. I never dealt with them again.
If you have a coupon of ebay, you can get it for lesser. For eg, I had a coupon which expired yesterday. It was 10% off, maximum of 1000. So one can get the SX130 from eBay itself for 8635/-.
Btw, you'll get the coupons in your mail if you are registered on eBay.
The sad thing is, sometimes the coupons of eBay are account specific.

aniket.cain said:
Well, I have no experience with Timtara. My only experience with Indiaplaza was buying a Sennheiser CX200 earphones, which were fake. I never dealt with them again.
If you have a coupon of ebay, you can get it for lesser. For eg, I had a coupon which expired yesterday. It was 10% off, maximum of 1000. So one can get the SX130 from eBay itself for 8635/-.
Btw, you'll get the coupons in your mail if you are registered on eBay.
The sad thing is, sometimes the coupons of eBay are account specific.

Yeah, I am a registered member of ebay. Let see whether I can get such coupon in my Inbox.

If I have narrowed down the model when I see your post (SX130 IS @ 8749), I would have grabbed it.

Hope for better deal from ebay.

you can have a look at nikon S6200 also available only for around 8.5k on timtara with the help of coupon

aroraanant said:
you can have a look at nikon S6200 also available only for around 8.5k on timtara with the help of coupon

It has no manual controls. ;-)

And I am convinced with Canon Powershot SX130 IS. :wink:

I am looking for a best deal. Let see when I am gonna get that.

Sulekha offer

MRP - Rs. 10995/-
Offer Price - Rs. 8495/- (Rs. 2500/- off)

There is no information about what are the things included in the offer. Whether its just the camera or it comes with Memory card, Pouch, Charger etc...

Go clicking with a Canon Power Shot SX130IS Digital Camera for Rs. 8,495! - Sulekha Offers

Hi!

Just wanna have a little discussion with the cons of SX130 IS with you guys. Red font indicates that I agree/understand it is a negative point. Black font indicates that I don't understand fully or I see no issues in that.

* Slow shot-to-shot time and continuous mode
* Very slow flash recycle
What if we don't use flash? (Obviously, we can't use camera without flash all the time) But when we keep the flash turned off, camera will be ready to take the next shot sooner. Am I right here?
* Sluggish autofocus
* Meager battery life with alkaline AAs.
But decent battery life with NiMH rechargeables
* Largest aperture is f/3.4
Most of the cameras have f. no. in these ranges 3.1-3.6. How much is the difference of 0.1 (3.3) would affect the picture quality?
* Some chromatic aberration at both wide and telephoto
* No HDMI output
SX130 IS comes with AV cable. What's the big deal here? What's the plus point of HDMI output against AV cable?
* Manually operated flash
* The low battery indicator starts flashing when the batteries have reached ~45% capacity
You SX130 IS users are still facing this issue?

I am not a sx130IS user but can explain a bit the red lines

Slow shoot to shoot means the time between u clicking 1 pic and you taking 2nd pic..cam takes time to get ready for 2nd shot...continuous mode means when you continuously click the shutter button it continuously takes the pic one after other....I find this useless

sluggish autofocus means it takes time to focus on the subject...this problem increases in low light

Chromatic aberration is the bluish tint around the outline of subject...u can find it in dark areas

Manually operated flash is good thing...u can increase or decrease flash intensity

sujoyp said:
I am not a sx130IS user but can explain a bit the red lines

Slow shoot to shoot means the time between u clicking 1 pic and you taking 2nd pic..cam takes time to get ready for 2nd shot...continuous mode means when you continuously click the shutter button it continuously takes the pic one after other....I find this useless

sluggish autofocus means it takes time to focus on the subject...this problem increases in low light

Chromatic aberration is the bluish tint around the outline of subject...u can find it in dark areas

Manually operated flash is good thing...u can increase or decrease flash intensity

Thanks Sujoy.

How about the black(font) ones?

ok now the black ones

Very slow flash recycle - takes time to ready the flash for next shot...I think u r right that if we dont use flash then camera will take less time...but this can be clarified by a user itself

An aperture value effect the low light performance...0.1 will not make much effect

u will need HDMI cables to view HD videos recorded by your cam...I think AV cable can not stream HD videos

no Idea about battery indicator

sujoyp said:
ok now the black ones

Very slow flash recycle - takes time to ready the flash for next shot...I think u r right that if we dont use flash then camera will take less time...but this can be clarified by a user itself

An aperture value effect the low light performance...0.1 will not make much effect

u will need HDMI cables to view HD videos recorded by your cam...I think AV cable can not stream HD videos

no Idea about battery indicator

Thanks a lot Sujoy.

So, I am right about flash recycle.

Now I understand. Nikon P300 got the best AV of 1.8 (Rest all in the range of 3.1-3.5) among that pool of 12 cameras. And it has the best low light performance (Source: The link given by aniket.cain)

OK. This is why people were saying no HDMI output is a con.

Lets hear it from the owner of SX130 about that low battery indication.

wow P300 have f1.8-4.5 aperture value....very good indeed

whats the price of this

sujoyp said:
wow P300 have f1.8-4.5 aperture value....very good indeed whats the price of this

MRP is 14950/-
Best price we could get around 13000/-

There are some plus against SX130

Better f.no of 1.8 against 3.4;
Higher resolution of 921k against 230k;
Wider angle of 24mm against 28mm;
1 f-stop better;
High speed movies @ 120fps;
Better continuous shooting mode of 7fps against 1fps;
Better flash range of 6m against 3m;
HDMI Output;
Full HD vs HD;
Lighter, Smaller and Thinner;
CMOS against CCD;
Finally, Li-Ion against AA.

I have a doubt here...
What is RAW? and How much it will be useful?

Actually u can not compare a 10k cam with a 14k cam

But really This cam is awesome...u can definitely get it...its specs r perfect

sujoyp said:
Actually u can not compare a 10k cam with a 14k cam

But I did...

sujoyp said:
But really This cam is awesome...u can definitely get it...its specs r perfect

Yeah, not just against SX130 but with other cameras too. But somehow I am convinced with SX130 IS. Nikon P300 seems good but the reviews are better for SX130 against P300. Some of th plus of SX130 IS against P300...

Little bulkier - I like it; And I like the design/structure too...
Lens - 28mm-336mm against 24mm-100mm;
Better macro; 1cm against 3cm;
Better Zoom; 12x against 4.2x;
Better shutter speed; 1/2500 against 1/2000;
Longer exposure; 15s against 8s;
Better Image quality;
Finally Cheaper.

There were two models in my list to finalize, Canon Powershot SX130 IS and Panasonic DMC-TZ10.

Any say on RAW?

RAW is nothing but uncompressed format of a shot...these files r larger in size and retain much more details...
You can change the exposure, sharpness and saturation after u copy it in PC...there r RAW convertors for that like photoshop etc ....even if u convert RAW in to JPEG directly it will have more details

like u compared it with 4k cheaper cam similarly compare it with Canon 310HS and specs r mostly same

AND the lens and zoom are same in that comparison...24mm is an advantage

sujoyp said:
RAW is nothing but uncompressed format of a shot...these files r larger in size and retain much more details...
You can change the exposure, sharpness and saturation after u copy it in PC...there r RAW convertors for that like photoshop etc ....even if u convert RAW in to JPEG directly it will have more details

like u compared it with 4k cheaper cam similarly compare it with Canon 310HS and specs r mostly same

AND the lens and zoom are same in that comparison...24mm is an advantage

SX130 IS lacks RAW mode.

Yeah, specs of 310HS is very similar to P300.

Tele - 336mm is better than 100mm. Am I right?

Started reading basics of photography.

I have read some reviews on SX130 IS and TZ10. It seems like TZ10 have a slight edge over SX130 IS, but I am convinced with SX130 IS. What would be your pick between these two? Size/design doesn't matter.

yes in tele the more mm indicate more zoom

TZ10 is a very good cam but now its old tech...if u want small then u can go for canon sx220HS instead...

S

Check out Nikon coolpix L110. It's a cool one. I am using it. It's a point and shoot with dSLR body design, not the exact tacky professional type. And it records HD videos which just need a bit of colour correction if you need things look good.

Sujoy,

If TZ10 is old tech, I prefer to stick with SX130 IS.

Steven,

Thanks Steven for the suggestion, but I don't know whether this model is available in market now. L120 is available but with no manual controls.

Sulekha now sells SX130 IS @ Rs. 8195/- The best so far...

I wonder how can online sellers sell at lower price than the camera shops. The best price I came across was Rs. 10200/- from camera shops. The same product are getting sold between as low as Rs. 8195/-.

Maybe camera shop stocked these things and now selling at same rate whereas companies like sulekha get the items on order at latest rate

Finally, I bought SX130 IS.

I have attached few test shots. I think I took these images in AUTO mode, but I am not sure. I don't know how to check. May be these are taken in Aperture priority mode.

*img593.imageshack.us/img593/3135/img0024xo.jpg
*img259.imageshack.us/img259/6948/img0022xo.jpg
*img411.imageshack.us/img411/386/img0021gj.jpg
*img64.imageshack.us/img64/7339/img0020zew.jpg

U can view all the details and setting in the EXIF info of the picture....i check the exif info from irfan view

BTW that cloud pic is taken at f/8 at aperture priority and at 5mm

Hope these r just test pics

I checked the info (file summary), but I couldn't find in which mode the picture was taken. But I can find it in the camera, all the four photos I posted was taken in Aperture Priority.

I think, I was trying to shoot larger DOF, that's the sky shot. I wonder how did you find that it(the sky shot) was taken in Av.

It's because of f.no. ??

And what I meant of "test shot" was, I was checking how the camera performs in different lights. And I am new to photography, I didn't know how to angle/compose a good picture. I tried to shoot things by adjust the settings I read in the manual and on online.

The pictures I posted was taken from terrace. Pictures with birds are taken @ 12x. Now I tried a low light shot. First I tried it in Auto mode, all I could see was a black grainy picture. In fact, I couldn't even see the subject when that low light shot was taken. Only a zero watt bulb was blowing at that time. Then I tried to shoot it in M mode with the subject closer to the bulb. This is the one I took in low light. Subject is just about 2.5ft away from the bulb. You can see the shadow of the camera in front of the subject, I put the camera between the subjects and light.

You can find a good night mat box, a small yellow toy, Zandu balm, Johnson & Johnson buds box, Rubiks (I just put them for different colours, but with blue light everything looks blue

)

*img809.imageshack.us/img809/482/img0049m.jpg

As I said before u can view all the settings from exif of a picture

Download an exif viewer from this -> Exif viewer : Opanda IExif - Professional EXIF Viewer & Editor in Windows / IE / Firefox

I just checked ur exif and found out all the details

By "test shots" I was pulling ur leg...just keep practicing...and dont worry about number of shots u took...
Those birds were too far...find a subject closer like a dog cat, bike etc

I downloaded that EXIF software. Even it didn't show (May be I don't know where to look for) in which mode the picture was taken. It's alright, there is a software called ZOOMBROWSER came with SX130. It shows that info.

Started "Art of composition", I feel it's too much for me.

Dont use "Art of Composition" like heavy words

just use "clicking good shots " dont it feel much light

composition is too much for me too...still I am just trying to take proper shots of any subject

Hi!

I couldn't see few shooting functions but in the manual they have explained them.

There are many, IS mode option is one among them.

What should I do?

I don't know what firmware version I am using, but I am using the latest version. I don't know how many functions/settings I am missing.

After posting that issue (actually, I sent a message Canon about that), I went terrace to take some dark sky shots and some star shots. But I couldn't see a single star on the sky.

I was surprised with these photos after taking them. I didn't see this much light when taking but camera captured more light than available. I wonder how this is possible...

And I have a doubt, using longer Tv will damage the camera??? Because, somewhere I read should not focus the camera on bright light like sun. But they weren't saying shouldn't use longer Tv, it's just my doubt.

*img225.imageshack.us/img225/4092/img0083kd.jpg
*img155.imageshack.us/img155/3915/img0085mj.jpg

u can use continous IS function ...I have never used canon cams donno exact name

The increase in light maybe because of slow shutter speed

long shutter may be used without a problem coz ur cam dont have a shutter at all soo no damage...everything is digital there

Found the solution.

We don't have option to turn ON/OFF in some modes (like AUTO). I was looking for IS option when I was shooting in such mode.

I was searching for solution online. I don't remember where I got this info. If I am right, Canon support (Canada).

Hi!

Good to see the extensive research you have done. I have also done a simillar research for the past one month and have zeroed in on canon sx130 IS. Just came across your post saying you have already bought the camera.

How is the camera sx130. Performance and ease of use especially the battery life which has got a lot of flak from users. For how much did you get it.
Also which battery, chargers are you using. (also cost of them)

Can you advise me on wether i can go ahead and buy the SX130?

Thanks in advance!!!

Yeah, its almost a month. Since it's my first camera, all my views/comments are based on this camera alone.

Performance and ease of use:

You should have read many cons about this camera. I feel these two are the cons after using this camera.

*Slow flash recycle (I don't use flash much, so it's not a big issue for me)
*Noticeable chromatic aberration at telephoto (Noticeable in my moon shots)

There are few things I like but some don't think so.
*It's little bulkier.
*It uses AA size batteries.
*Manually operated flash.

Other things I like. Better I keep it short else I have to list out most of the features.
*Full manual controls
*ISO boost up to 6400
*Longer shutter
*IQ
*Price
*Vivid, Sepia among others... (shooting modes)

I have posted around 50 photographs in this thread. You can check the quality of the image.
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/cameras-camcorders/118227-photography-thread.html

There are 8 buttons, 2 dial wheel and a zoom lever. All of them are on the right hand side. I think it's common for a camera with manual controls and I don't feel uncomfortable using it. Hmmm... Buttons could have been a little better.

In the bundle I received,
-SX130 IS
-Camelion mini charger with 2xAA NiMH (2100mAH) batteries
-2xAA Panasonic - Alkaline batteries
-4 GB San disk memory card (Class 4)
-USB Cable
-AV Cable
-Warranty card
-Pouch
-User Manual
-CD

*img853.imageshack.us/img853/860/imagevga.jpg

Later I bought,
Envie Speedster quick charger
4xAA NiMH Sanyo Eneloop batteries (2000mAH)

*img213.imageshack.us/img213/1373/img0806q.jpg

Battery life:

I keep close track of battery performance. So far I have shot with 12 pairs of batteries (Including fresh (used right out of the pack) and recharged) at an average of 167 snaps per pair of batteries (least 57 snaps from Panasonic (Alkaline) and best 262 from Sanyo Eneloop (NiMH).
These are batteries I used,
1 Pair of Panasonic - Alkaline
1 Pair of Camelion - NiMH (2100mAH)
2 Pairs of Sanyo Eneloop - NiMH (2000mAH)

Note: For calculation purpose I converted 15sec of video is equal to 4 snaps.

I used Standard mini charger for the first 2 recharge. Then I bought Envie Speedster, since then I am using Envie to recharge batteries.

Suggestion:

Are you a newbie interested in photography? and/or
Wishing to buy SLR but the budget is tight? and/or
Wishing to learn with compact before buying SLR? and/or
You want a compact camera with full manual control?

If yes, SX130 won't disappoint you. It has satisfied most of the consumer and I am one among them. In this price tag, this camera has filled with lot of good features and it produces excellent images in this category of cameras.

My quote about this cam

Compact camera with full manual controls and excellent image quality at affordable price

Wow NAC u have done very extensive research on every point...good

Wonderful!!!

I asked for the moon and you gave me the entire solar system!!!

Thank you for advising me in such detail. Appreciate your effort and concern.

I am a novice and this will be my first digital camera.

Thanks to you, I think buying the SX 130 has been finalised. But can I get some more guidance on the cost factor and where to buy. Also I would like to know the battery, chargers - cost and place to buy.

I am from Bangalore.

with many regards,

I checked few sites, this is the best deal among them. But I don't suggest, if you want to buy it from Sulekha call them and ask for detailed information.

Go clicking with a Canon Power Shot SX130IS Digital Camera for Rs. 10,015! - Sulekha Offers

If you are buying online, it's better to buy it from the seller who offers COD option. Flipkart offers COD but you can find better deal from the local dealer. You can negotiate for price from your local dealer, probably you may get some good Christmas/New year discount.

I wanted to buy a refresh charger, but it's little pricey. Finally settled with Envie speedster. If you want a refresh charger there are few in the market. Two models from Sony and one from Yes Infinity.

BCG-34HRE4KN : Chargers : Batteries & Chargers : Sony India
BCG-34HRE4 : Chargers : Batteries & Chargers : Sony India
BCG-34HRMF4N : Chargers : Batteries & Chargers : Sony India
BCG-34HRMF4 : Chargers : Batteries & Chargers : Sony India
YesInfinity.com

If you are ok a quick charger with no refresh function, you can buy Envie Speedster.

If you find big price difference between your local dealer and online seller, go ahead and buy online. But ask them the full details before buying, like what you will get in the bundle etc... Better if it's COD. If there is no big difference better buy it from local dealer.

And I don't see SX130 in Canon's site. I don't know why... When I was collecting data, there was 20 models from Canon, but now I see only 18 models and two are new in them. So 4 models are not listed in Canon site.

Maybe canon have discontinued SX130 coz even SX150 is many months old now

If it so, grab it before it gets out of stock...

Yes its not listed in canons website now ...that means it have been discontinued in India

@sujoy.. how long does a discontinued model stay in the market. Is it advisible to go for such a model (though sx 130 is not being shown on canon website from just a short time)

@nac.. thanks again. I am not too inclined on online purchase as it involves a big amount (since its my hard earned savings) and I dont really trust the reliability of such sites.

I did a few rounds to the shops listed in the canon site in bangalore - brand shops. The best price is Rs. 10500 with case, memory card and charger.

Though i didnt check out viveks, pai and such other shops or the grey market - burma buzaar, national market etc. May be for battery and chargers I will look here.

Is this a good deal, and the right decision?

It's better than Flipkart price. But negotiate you could get better than 4.5% off, it's Christmas time.

About batteries and charger, Camelion batteries are reasonably good so far. If you are not gonna take your camera more frequently, you can buy extra batteries later. Again if you are OK with 12 hours charging, you can buy a quick charger later.

Check with GK Vale, Camera Citi, Propix, Foto Circle and search online for a good camera shop in Bangalore.

Its fine to get SX130 coz ultimately canon is giving u warranty ...dont worry ...it will disappear from market as soon the stock finish off

your price is fine...and like nac said u can get a quick charger later

It's almost confirmed that SX130 is discontinued. I have few sites, and it says that the cam is discontinued. Canon Hongkong listed under discontinued cameras.

Congrats bro...u have got a great cam now...happy clicking

@nac and @sujoyp thanks a lo for your valuable updates and information.

I have just joined the Canon SX130 bandwagon. Bought it on 22nd. Currently going through the user guide.

In the mean time I snapped a few test pictures in AUTO mode and a couple of videos. The videos as short as 1 min in length have a file size of nearly 400mb in .mov format.

@ sujoyp THANK YOU!!! :razz:

??? Congrats for discontinuing

I dont know why my posts are getting tossed around. I am not able to attach photos properly.

Please advise....

Congrats SKR...

Happy clicking...

For posting your photos, don't upload here. I think we have limited storage space here. There are plenty of sites like flickr, imageshack among others. You can upload your photos there and share the link here.

After uploading your photos you'll get a direct link, copy that and insert that link here by clicking INSERT IMAGE icon (mountains and sun) and paste the link in the pop box and click OK.

@nac Thankyou!!!

Below I have attached a few snaps as captured(no editing done).

The tree in the first two was almost 30-35ft away. Shot in AUTO mode and 12x zoom.

Frm 30ft | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Sky spikes | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

The flower from my garden was shot at around 10.45 in the night. AUTO mode using flash and little zoom, the flower was around 2ft away.

Flower1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

The God tile is on our terrace. A distance of about 20-25ft from the ground. This was also shot in AUTO mode using flash and zoom in the night at around 10.45.

Aanjaneya | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Yet to discover more.

Thank you Abhi... I bought SX130.

awesme thread.....

V

Wow! Very informative thread.. :razz:

^ Thank you...

I would just like to leave an info about SX130 battery life.

So far I have shot with 27 pairs of batteries (Including fresh and recharged ones) at an average of 197 snaps per pair of batteries with the best of 316 snaps.

Note: For calculation purpose I converted 15sec of video is equal to 4 snaps.

197 per pair is nice...u can keep 2 pairs

Yeah, it's increasing. When I said last time, it was 165 per recharge with the best of 262 snaps. I guess after 14 or 15 recharge count, it will be even better.

B

nac can u tell what was the cost of the charger u bought

Rs. 660/- from Flipkart. It's now out of stock. There is a brand called Fujicell in Flipkart which sells a charger looks similar to mine...

heyy nac... so much thanks yaaarr..... this was really helpfull..... superlike for the effort.....

bUt dude one more thing..... you got the cameleon batteries and charger with the cam.....?? or you bought it separately.......??

Yes, those camelion battery and charger came along with the bundle.

nac said:
Yes, those camelion battery and charger came along with the bundle.

I believe that Sanyo Eneloope Rechargeable batteries are the best to get for SX130. Have you tried those?

^ Yeah, I have two sets of Eneloop. So far Camelion is as good as Eneloop.

ooh.... that's a great relief... i had thought batteries and chargers were to be bought separately......

but every time i searched for sx15o box contents, there were never a charger mentioned in any.......

this was what i had found...

"ORIGINAL BOX CONTENTS:

Canon PowerShot SX150 IS, Black Compact, Point & Shoot
Wrist Strap WS-800
2 x AA Alkaline Batteries
IFC-400PCU USB Interface Cable
Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
Getting Started (E/S)
Customer Support/Online Registration Leaflet
Printer Promotion Flyer"

^ But its better to buy a quick charger if you don't have one. What we get in the bundle is a standard charger. With that it will take 12 hours to charge one set of batteries.

nac...
bought canon sx150 today..
i did receive a charger.... its ENVIE nano ECR-6...
it along with a set of envie's NiMH 2100 mAh batteries ("infinite")
came with the box.....

charge time 11.7 hr for 2100 mAh NiMH.........

Congrats...

Yes, it will take too much time to recharge with that standard mini charger. Buy a quick charger if you think its necessary and one set of eneloop.

Post us some of your pictures. I am not sure if someone have posted photos taken with SX150.

here is the link to some of photos from my new sx150 IS...

IMG_0270 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

*www.flickr.com/photos/80029463@N04/7163561053/in/photostream

*www.flickr.com/photos/80029463@N04/7163565411/in/photostream

*www.flickr.com/photos/80029463@N04/7348769998/in/photostream

*www.flickr.com/photos/80029463@N04/7348777264/in/photostream

*www.flickr.com/photos/80029463@N04/7163568167/in/photostream

Good... Happy clicking...

Set camera time. Flickr info shows that you have uploaded even before taking the shot.

funny

nac said:
Good... Happy clicking...

Set camera time. Flickr info shows that you have uploaded even before taking the shot. funny

that must be my earlier photos.......
the ones dated 2009 from my n95.....

^ Nope its your Canon... Set time zone GMT/UTC +5:30 (Chennai/Kolkatta/Delhi/Mumbai)

oookayy......
oops.... didnt see that.......

Tried CHDK...

File size of a full resolution RAW image is about 18MB. It takes roughly 4 min to write the images (RAW+JPEG) in my memory card (Class 4). RAW images have heavy lens distortion and too much noise. Noisier than camera processed JPEG. Yeah, its noisier because its a RAW. I have a doubt here...
DSLR have a sophistication to use some quality lenses. Even those do produce distortion?

I read, I can do a lot with RAW. I hoped so until I saw RAW images taken with my cam. But now I don't know what all I could do with it.

Superfine images show no difference than Fine Jpeg other than larger file size. It may gives little more control over editing, I don't know.

Battery Indicator: Nice feature. Fully recharged (One month ago), shows 77% battery life up on first use after recharge.

Battery seems to be getting drained sooner with CHDK. But members of CHDK forum gives a different reason. Does RAW file writing takes extra power to do the job? I mean power consumption of taking RAW images is higher than JPEG (like 1 JPEG = 3 RAW) or may be CHDK need some power to run this firmware, I don't know.

Exposure bracketing: I don't know how this works for the cameras which have this feature in their original firmware. With CHDK it's quite easy to do.

That's all I tried and my first impression is below average.

Edited from jpeg... Do you guys think, CHDK RAW can be edited better?

*img215.imageshack.us/img215/2733/lowres.jpg

@nac You will need a converter to convert the chdk raw files into normal raw files. The popular software for handling those raw files are Lightroom and DxO Optics Pro. I prefer former.

Maybe you can upload a raw file along with full reso jpeg somewhere. I will see if RAW output is of any use.

^ Yeah, I sure do that... I will be going to take some photographs today. I will upload them...

In CHDK forum, they were suggesting few software for processing RAW files.
Rawtherapee
Irfanview

I couldn't use Rawtherapee as it needs minimum of 2GB RAM and Irfanview, I don't know how good it is...

About noise. Generally, compact cameras are not producing tack sharp pictures. With that quality this RAW adds too much noise. When I tried to reduce noise and do other enhancement image is not as good as camera processed jpeg. May be I don't know how to do it perfectly.

I think Lightroom is the best when it comes to handling noise. Since you have mentioned 2GB RAM I would like to add that Lightroom is pretty resource heavy too

Coz of file size I am just uploading one RAW file. Here is the link...
*rapidshare.com/files/1826436330/CRW_5661.CR2

Same image in jpeg format. For full size of this jpeg follow the link
*img822.imageshack.us/img822/7870/img5661ao.jpg

@nac

RAW doesn't look very promising. Total loss of detail in overexposed as well as underexposed areas

Okie... Better I start posting queries related to this. How to get a quality RAW image?

woah sx130 can take RAW :O

ye thik hai kya?
CRW_5661xx_2.jpg

CRW_5661_2.jpg

used adobe bridge for this

may be u included sun in ur snap so other parts r underexposed
try on without sun.

nac said:
Okie... Better I start posting queries related to this. How to get a quality RAW image?

*lh5.googleusercontent.com/-h40Zi3iMQUI/T_E2-9KAAMI/AAAAAAAABBU/2EwxqKfYyeg/s640/CRW_5661.jpg

In your RAW I found an interesting thing. Noise control is much better than JPEG output from my SX240. I have applied Luminance smoothing of +80 in this image. On a jpeg image this would look like water color. Comparing details in your RAW vs edited RAW... more than 90% details are preserved after noise reduction

Wow!!! Thanks for you time and effort guys...

lm2k, Yeah sure I will shoot some photos in different lights. But the sad thing is even the VGA size has noticeable noise.

Prashant, Nice work.
But we shouldn't apply same level of noise reduction for both the RAW and jpeg. As jpeg are already processed in camera. Noises are much less than when we compare the images right out of the camera. And very little amount of noise reduction would suffice with jpeg.

I will check about retaining those details after editing.

post link to original jpeg. The image you posted is highly resized

I dont think your RAW is "noisy" Fine grains only visible in 100% crop (no edit)
*lh6.googleusercontent.com/-siNczp0d_Zo/T_FP1cZHBzI/AAAAAAAABBo/rrj-ALfzU4o/s484/Capture.PNG

I haven't edited any... And imageshack reduced the image size. I will post the link to full size jpeg.

There should be some way to get the code for full resolution. But I have searched, but with no success. I am uploading it again...

Note: It is a full resolution image (2MB) takes time to load in low bandwidth connection.

*img600.imageshack.us/img600/2181/img5661r.jpg

^ will post comparisons within an hour or so

By the by, what's the value you guys used to correct the lens distortion. I guess it should be the same value across all the images.

Used +50 distortion and +115 scale (to remove the round images without reducing size of image) With this adjustment distortion seems to be gone but image is slightly wider both horizontally and vertically (visible as grey strip in jpeg below)

Color retention in shadow : RAW vs JPEG ( +5 exposure )

*lh4.googleusercontent.com/-28UDW8XQVUg/T_FYonmQ3-I/AAAAAAAABB8/cebRE_ov8lo/s912/rj.JPG

Details in overexposed areas (-5 exposure of sun)

*lh5.googleusercontent.com/-l5vG1FjmBxw/T_Fbq2UwwhI/AAAAAAAABCQ/KzO2JrdzLeU/s912/rj2.JPG

Looks useless but there is no denial that RAW retained more details in overexposed areas too. I bet it will be very helpful in images that have overexposed areas due to flash.

There is not much difference in noise performance in this image. Bringing RAW noise levels to JPEG image does not lead to loss of detail and both images seem to have the same amount of detail overall.

Wow!!!
Greener is RAW and purple is jpeg, right? Too much purple in jpeg.

I see little distortion with +50 and 115 and the good thing is, it retains the original resolution.

After some search one of the CHDK member used +69 and cropped. It lost the size when cropped. I don't know whether it's the perfect setting, just he uses this setting.

Just check this settings and comment which one is better or if you get any other settings better than these two. I tried and couldn't come to conclusion that the distortion is gone completely.

So, as far as detail is concern both are retaining the same details.

marvelousprashant said:
In your RAW I found an interesting thing. Noise control is much better than JPEG output from my SX240. I have applied Luminance smoothing of +80 in this image. On a jpeg image this would look like water color. Comparing details in your RAW vs edited RAW... more than 90% details are preserved after noise reduction

very neat edit ,btw how exactly u reduced the noise near the horizon?

@Im2k I use Lightroom Luminance smoothing for noise reduction. I also applied a graduated filter of +2.25 exposure in line with horizon which overexposed the noise at horizon and exposed the houses and trees

@nac
Green is RAW

I did not know the difference between scaling and crop until today. Scaling magnifies the image to original resolution which is good thing for RAW.
For perfect settings click a picture of graph paper

marvelousprashant said:
For perfect settings click a picture of graph paper

Sorry, I didn't get you... :blink:

Here is the various comparisons. Note too many pictures...

Unedited - Full image

*img14.imageshack.us/img14/2325/uneditedresize.jpg

UnEdited - Cropped 100%

*img832.imageshack.us/img832/7402/uneditedrawvsjpg.jpg

Edited - Full image

*img3.imageshack.us/img3/2995/rvsjfull.jpg

Edited - Cropped 100%

*img839.imageshack.us/img839/6939/editedrawvsjpeg.jpg

RAW Unedited vs Edited - Full

*img694.imageshack.us/img694/761/rawuneditedvseditedfull.jpg

RAW Unedited vs Edited - Cropped 100%

*img403.imageshack.us/img403/2776/rawuneditedvsedited.jpg

JPEG Unedited vs Edited - Full

*img405.imageshack.us/img405/4522/jpeguneditedvseditedful.jpg

JPEG Unedited vs Edited - Cropped 100%

*img32.imageshack.us/img32/7535/jpeguneditedvsedited.jpg

@nac sx130 has RAW

^ No it's a hack...

A raw image of graph will look like the 2nd image. Then add distortion till it becomes like image on top. While adjusting distortion, Lightroom provides an overlay network oh horizontal and vertical lines on top of image. The lines of graph will act as reference point. Most reviews also use a graph paper for testing lens distortion. Even minor distortion will be visible

*www.arielnet.com/main/images/fig1a.gif

marvelousprashant said:
For perfect settings click a picture of graph paper

What an idea sir-jee :idea:

Thank you...