Compact Camera For Low Light

Fujifilm FinePix F30 sports ISO 3200



More info

The Panasonic Lumix LX3 has fine optical quality and a very fast F2.0 lens, so it is good in low light. Take a look in the what concert thread and you will see a lot of pics from me all taken with that camera without flash in indoor concert settings. Well worth a look.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicdmclx3/

I also have the LX3 and it does a good job for a compact camera with a compact sensor

You could also consider a camera with a Micro Four Thirds sensor. Generally, the bigger the sensor, the lower the digital noise at high ISO and therefor the better the low light performance.

The Panasonic GF1 or the Olympus E-P1 both have the larger MFT sensor and interchangeable lenses in a relatively compact body.

Or you could sell all your Naim gear and a kidney and go for a Leica M9 and Noctilux lens

quote:

Originally posted by DaveMS:
I also have the LX3 and it does a good job for a compact camera with a compact sensor

You could also consider a camera with a Micro Four Thirds sensor. Generally, the bigger the sensor, the lower the digital noise at high ISO and therefor the better the low light performance.

The Panasonic GF1 or the Olympus E-P1 both have the larger MFT sensor and interchangeable lenses in a relatively compact body.

Or you could sell all your Naim gear and a kidney and go for a Leica M9 and Noctilux lens

Don't you mean both Kidneys!

Nice pic Adrian !

quote:

Originally posted by shoot6x7:
Nice pic Adrian !

Thanks!

Gotta say that I find people photographing concerts from the audience incredibly distracting. All those bright LCD screens waving around in the foreground drives me nuts. I know each person thinks "It's just this shot. I'll be quick.", but when everyone does it, there are always a bunch of phones and cameras being waved around in front of my eyes. Grrr.

Well at least they won't set the venue on fire, as could have been the case with lighters!

The Canon Powershot s90 also has an f2.0 lens and high sensitivity processor, or something like that -- anyway, they're reportedly very good in low loght too. I asked for one for Christmas as I hate the flash effect on point and shoots. The s90 also has a ring around the lens which allows for manual override of focus or aperture or iso settings.

I think they're ~ $400 USD.

That Lumix looks nice too.

dn'l

I, too have the Panasonic LX3. Can't really pick many faults with it. The F2.0/2.8 lens is awesome!

quote:

Gotta say that I find people photographing concerts from the audience incredibly distracting.

That's mostly bloody mobile phones these days.

quote:

Originally posted by shoot6x7:
Nice pic Adrian !

Interesting too. What gender is that bass player??

quote:

Originally posted by Rockingdoc:

quote:

Originally posted by shoot6x7:
Nice pic Adrian !

Interesting too. What gender is that bass player??

Male - a Danish chap called Anders Christensen. Here he is on the right pictured on the cover of his own album.

Canon G11

Low light shooting would appear to be chief among them, the Canon PowerShot G11 offering a maximum user selectable setting of ISO 3200 (up from the G10's ISO 1600) at full resolution, with the ability to expand the range to a DSLR-like spec of ISO 12800 in a newly-implemented low light mode, with the compromise of a resolution drop to 2.5 megapixels. Its maker further claims that by wedding a high sensitivity sensor wedded to its standard issue (at this level) Digic 4 processor, it is delivering a 'dual anti noise system'.


I have this camera and intend to use it for Scuba diving photography

Hi

If you want a camera that is good in low light situations you really need DSLR which will have a large sensor. The next best would be one of the new Olympus PEN cameras or the Panny GF1. Normal compacts mostly acheive their best low light performance by utilising noise reduction software which also compromises fine detail.

The Canon G11 [David mentions above] is interesting. It seems that manufacturers have finally cottoned on thats it's not all about resolution, the latest G series model having a lower resolution than its predecessor. The G11 still has a physically small sensor though. Not sure I could live with the 2.5MP in low light either.

Julian