Oi Camera folk!

[Trogladyte]

I seem t have two compacts, for complicated reasons. Which one is likely to give me best results? I am struggling t find specs online that are in any way comparable.

They are

1 panasonic lumix dmc-fx70; and
2 panasonic lumix dmc-TZ9

The fx70 feels nicer and better quality in the hand, while the TZ9 seems too have more nobs and whistles and lots of modes available from a dial on top. All those modes may be available through the nested menus of the fx70, but i haven't really explored it, as I thought soneone here might just know.

[Slenver]

For some reason it's pretty hard to find much reference to the TZ9 online so struggling to find in-depth specs. Edit: It was a special only sold through Currys/Dixons/PC World apparently.
On the face of it though, the FX70 seems to be the better camera with the better quality lens. It also has a higher pixel count - not that that necessarily means higher quality - but it can be an advantage.

Remember that buttons, knobs and whistles are completely unrelated to picture quality... they're just shortcuts and presets to make life easier, but ultimately it's like comparing the dashboards on two bikes. Pretty lights and LCD displays don't make it go faster, they just tell you more

[Slenver]

From what I've found so far:

Sensor size: FX70 1/2.33", TZ9 Not sure but prob the same
Widest equivalent focal length: FX70 24mm, TZ9 25mm
Longest equivalent focal length: FX70 120mm, TZ9 300mm
Pixel count: FX70 14Mp, TZ9 12.1Mp
Maximum equivalent aperture at widest focal length: FX70 F2.2, TZ9 F3.3
Maximum equivalent aperture at longest focal length: FX70 F5.9, TZ9 F4.9
Max video resolution: Both 720p

In all the important ways, the FX70 is better... except that the TZ9 has a much longer zoom lens, so will go to an equivalent of 300mm compared to 120mm. So, if taking pictures of things far away is important than that'll do a better job. Otherwise the FX70 looks to be in a range that sits above the TZ9. Its lens is significantly faster and a tad wider.

[Trogladyte]

From what I've found so far:

Sensor size: FX70 1/2.33", TZ9 Not sure but prob the same
Widest equivalent focal length: FX70 24mm, TZ9 25mm
Longest equivalent focal length: FX70 120mm, TZ9 300mm
Pixel count: FX70 14Mp, TZ9 12.1Mp
Maximum equivalent aperture at widest focal length: FX70 F2.2, TZ9 F3.3
Maximum equivalent aperture at longest focal length: FX70 F5.9, TZ9 F4.9
Max video resolution: Both 720p

In all the important ways, the FX70 is better... except that the TZ9 has a much longer zoom lens, so will go to an equivalent of 300mm compared to 120mm. So, if taking pictures of things far away is important than that'll do a better job. Otherwise the FX70 looks to be in a range that sits above the TZ9. Its lens is significantly faster and a tad wider.

Thank you. That is really very helpful. And that is very much the impression I get from the feel of the two cameras.

What is puzzling me is that the TZ9 seems t be much more feature rich - or at least has easier to access features. For example it has aperture priority, shutter priority, program AE, manual exposure, scene mode and AF tracking. The FX 70 on the other hand seems to have intelligent auto, scene, cosmetic mode and normal mode. In normal mode you can have some control (plus or minus a couple of stops) on the exposure, but I can't see anything like aperture or shutter priority or manual exposure.

I am surprised that they are such different cameras.

[Scootabout]

I think I'm right in saying that sensor size is the biggest indicator of image quality. Both those cameras have a relatively modest size, but so do most compact cameras:

https://images.app.goo.gl/N2vhdXNndWL5ik429

[Trogladyte]

I seem to have a bit of a glut of cameras. I'm a bit of a hoarder, and struggle to dispose of stuff. I also found a Sony DSC S85, Canon AE-1P and EOS 350D, and 3 box brownies.

I need to rationalise.

[Slenver]

What is puzzling me is that the TZ9 seems t be much more feature rich - or at least has easier to access features. For example it has aperture priority, shutter priority, program AE, manual exposure, scene mode and AF tracking. The FX 70 on the other hand seems to have intelligent auto, scene, cosmetic mode and normal mode. In normal mode you can have some control (plus or minus a couple of stops) on the exposure, but I can't see anything like aperture or shutter priority or manual exposure.

I am surprised that they are such different cameras.

That does seem a bit odd. Normally you'd expect the 'better' one to have fewer presets like scenes, but more manual control. Still, companies like Panasonic have a lot of different models in a load of different ranges, so who knows?

[Slenver]

I seem to have a bit of a glut of cameras. I'm a bit of a hoarder, and struggle to dispose of stuff. I also found a Sony DSC S85, Canon AE-1P and EOS 350D, and 3 box brownies.

I need to rationalise.

I'm not too bad... I do have 2 contemporary DSLRs, but I do photography as a second job so need a spare/2nd body for weddings and stuff. I also have a Rolleiflex cos, y'know, they're so wonderful! I've managed to finally divest myself of all compacts.

The bigger problem is my dad who's a retired photojournalist and he keeps trying to foist weird and wonderful things onto to me that he's picked up and doesn't need or use. Funky little 1960s Minox spy cameras and the like. Amazing and everything, but of no real use to me.

Course, like everyone else, I take 90% of my photos on my phone

[Horse]

Course, like everyone else, I take 90% of my photos on my phone

We have a Panasonic Lumix summatorother and it's great for taking photographs. But, as you say, mostly I use my phone now for taking pictures, even for a lot of work stuff (if I don't need optical zoom, etc).

[Slenver]

Course, like everyone else, I take 90% of my photos on my phone

We have a Panasonic Lumix summatorother and it's great for taking photographs. But, as you say, mostly I use my phone now for taking pictures, even for a lot of work stuff (if I don't need optical zoom, etc).

I did have a nice little Lumix but my missus lost it Since then, phone got so much better that I'd probably never use it now.

There's still definitely space between phones and SLRs that can be usefully filled, but I find one or the other covers things really. Having a choice of 3 seems too many.

[Trogladyte]

Phones have got a LOT better. The camera on my S10+ is really quite impressive. Phones don't really do optical zoom, but the S10 gets around this by just having three different lenses. And the quality is actually pretty good - I think probably as good as the compacts.

I rarely use anything else tbh. But I like cameras. I'd like to use my SLRs more, but its such a faff - you have to go out deliberately to take photos, whcih to be honest i rarely do - opportunistic photography is a lot easier and the phone is always there.

I'd quite like to use my lovely old AE1 again, but is there really any point?

[Trogladyte]

Found another one. Its an Olympus mu 850 SW, which appears to be a ruggedised waterproof (underwater capable) compact. Seems to be quite a nice bit of kit.

[Yambo]

I basically have two cameras now (and a smart phone). I have to admit I don't like using the phone as a camera, for a number of reasons so tend not to use it very much at all.

I'm out on the water quite a bit so I have a Fujifilm Finepix XP80 which is both waterproof (to 15m) and shockproof (to 1.75m). It's a great little camera for when I'm kayaking or messing around on the water (as I will be tomorrow morning - I might take some pictures ) but it was also way better than my phone when trekking in Nepal the last couple of years.

The other camera is a Canon EOS 800D which is for proper photographs and which will be used for my forays into astrophotography later in the year. I'll probably be asking for some advice with that although I know my way around the camera.

Sitting around somewhere is an Olympus C 5000 which could be a decent camera (a bit old now mind) except for the unbelievably crap batteries required.

[Yambo]

I only took a couple of pics (and a couple of vids) with the waterproof camera while out kayaking but here's one.




I'm in the kayak that forms the basis for the trimaran. It's shorter and beamier, and is very stable - I think I could stand up in it if my balance was better (an age thing) but goes surprisingly well. I've left it in my friend's restaurant on the prom and might go fishing in it later in the month when the palamut are around.