FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Best Photo Quality in a Point & Shoot for Novice
Old Apr 10, 2014, 10:24 am
  #12  
Thalassa
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Finland
Programs: Almost anything with six to twelve steps...
Posts: 1,033
Originally Posted by glennaa11
Best photo quality is probably the Sony RX100 II. But it's rather pricey at about $700. Has a 1" sensor which is considerably larger than most compacts and will give you better low light performance. Has optical image stabilization and seems to have good high ISO performance as well.
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PROD...-rx100-iiA.HTM
Originally Posted by deniah
those arent real zooms. theyre digital zoom, which means just blowing up the images. (or the opening in the lens is so small at long zoom distance that it bumped the sensitivity that introduces more noise)

if youre shooting indoors you wont use the zoom.

the original rx100 isnt priced differently from the s120. the real difference is you'll have cleaner and/or less shaky pictures in the dark (and/or at longer zoom range!).

you can always bring a memory card to the store, and take some test shots with the 2 cameras to compare at home. maybe you can take photos of underneath the display stands to simulate darker lighting condition
Digital zoom, fortunately, is a rarity these days. But cramming a 20-50x zoom into a small (and, by necessity, inexpensive) lens forces the designers to make compromises.

Unless you are keen on bird or other wildlife photography, you will find the wide end of the lens far more useful than extreme telephoto. The Sony has a highly usable zoom range that you are probably going to be happy with.

And as for "too much camera", what you are paying for is the larger sensor and excellent (for this class of camera) optics. The Sony has some excellent features but it is not gimmicky, at all. Think of it as a camera you can grow into and with.

Cheers,
T.
Thalassa is offline