Digital camera recommendations please

I have just got a Canon powershot A720 for my daughter - very good it is too.

Panny TZ3 is really good value if they are still available. 7dayshop still has them @ £150.

I'll third that! I bought a TZ5, which is basically the same, just more pixels.

Brilliant!

I also bought the TZ5 - very impressed, especially for gigs.

And very well-regarded Leica-designed lens on it too. (the Panasonic, I mean). The problem for all compacts at gigs is that when you push the ISO beyond 400 the images can look a bit "noisy". What we used to call "grain" in film. That said, the TZ range have a very good zoom lens so you will be able to get decent pics without all the heads between you and the stage in the frame.

Thanks guys.

My existing museum piece is a Cannon Ixus - are the new ones any good?

M

They are very good indeed, especially the Ixus 800is. But if you want a long zoom, I think that the Panasonic is the one to go for.
Ken

PANNY TZ3 here too - no complaints.

TX3 it is then, thanks guys. £170 from Comet; its just been discontinued. Also bought an 8mb SDHC card wgich I hope is not too clever for the camera / me.

Thanks again, I hope to be able to take some neat pics of the B-52s...

M

I'm going to the B-52s too, so please remember to turn the bloody flash off. Thanks.

Mind you, at their age I'd be surprised if any cameras are allowed near the place.

I used to take an SLR to gigs regularly with no problem but a lot of venues are getting really arsey about it now. And then the bloody flashes go off all over the auditorium and eve ry other person is holding up their phone and taking pics.

VERY hot on this when I saw Gilmour, D in Chelsea couple of weeks ago. My sneak pic still made it to the banner of "A Fleeting Glimpse" - FloydNerd website.

M

I have really old Canonette rangefinder 35mm camera, which takes a very good photo, but lacks auto-focus. This is usually no problem, but certainly makes the impromtu shot much more "catch-penny."

Looking through would a Canon Ixus 75 get a similar quality [not necessairly quite as fine, but still good] as the old film camera, whilst being obviously more capable of impromptu shots of consistent quality [especially of focus]? It looks a very useful package for the complete amateur, to me.

George

George,
A decent digital camera with 3Mp or more will enlarge quite happily up to A4 size. You must have had your Canon a good while, and they made excellent film cameras. Their digital models are first class but there are other makes you may like to consider.
There are some good review sites such as Steve's Digicams and DPreview.com.
Ken

Dear Ken,

It was my Norwegian granndmother's and replaced her entirely manual Leica. When she died in 2000, I was offered the choice. I took the usable Cononette, rather than the "professional" style Leica! I suppose if I had been mercenary, I should have asked for the classic, and its many lenses, and light meter, sophisticated flash gun and so forth. But I was delighted to be given the camera my grandmother had taken so mnay pictures of my brother and me as children on holiday over there. I think the Canon is about forty years old. The Leica would probably be post 1945.

If I had been offered both, I would have sold the Leica!

The Ixus 75 is about £190 which is the most I would spend on a camera, and it would run in parallel to the old Canonette, which does take a really nice photo if I have time to focus and frame the shot!

ATB from George

Hi George

I bought a Canon Ixus (can't remember the model) a couple of years ago, and I'm really pleased with it. I take it with me everywhere, as it's small enough to stow in my bag, and it's provided many fine, hassle free snaps. If you're after a simple point and click camera, and don't wish to spend weeks and months agonising over online reviews like I did, I think it's a pretty safe bet.

I guess that if I ever want to get fancier or artier with photography, I might trade up to a DSLR, which would provide more manual control of settings, but for now I'm happy to train my eye with the help of the Ixus. The mere fact that it's so compact encourages you to take it everywhere, and to take more photos, which is a good way to learn and improve.

Cheers
Nigel

Job done; took hundreds of pictures and some surprisingly high-quality video; some examples below.

Thanks to all for the tips, the Panasonic is very good indeed IMO. I managed to get RIGHT to the front, which was nice.

oops double post...

I didn't even notice the costume changes on the night. I assume that was for the encores. They were rather good weren't they.

Hello Mike,

Enjoyed the photos. What are your start off standard aperture and shutter settings for concerts?

Where would you place the Funplex album in The B-52's League Table?

Fred was on the BBC London 94.9 Danny Baker Show last Thursday, you should be able to get it on the iPlayer if you are quick - 7 days.

Cheers,
OW

Doc

Having no friends or social life, I went to three of the Bs gigs - hence the varying outfits...

OW - dunno; I put the camera onto "simple" mode, alternated with "Intelligent ISO" and snapped away.

If you search YouTube for mikelacey52 you'll find the two video clips I took with the panny - bonus feature...

Thanks for the tip re Fred.
M