Point-and-shoot recommendation?

I hear rave reviews about the RX 100 MIV ($1000) and the G7 MII ($800). not too sure about the rest. The amount of tech they are putting in them though is crazy and for a reasonable price, considering.

Heres a good comparison:

If it matters, you'll get a bigger resale audience with 4K video. We watch 4K content on our 27" iMac and it's a huge step up in experience, similarly on a 4K TV. Out of those, I'd pick the RX100V for it's high precision AF.
The ZS100 has 30x zoom but I prefer a wider aperture at a greater initial focal length on the RX, depends how/what you like to shoot.

Compared with similarly priced competitors, the Panasonic LX10 is exceptionally fast to focus in both bright and dim lighting. It also has a sharp lens that lets in a lot of light plus a responsive and intuitive touchscreen interface that helps bridge the gap for smartphone photographers, and it can shoot 4K video. While it lacks one standout, killer feature—many of its rivals can match one or more of its specifications—the LX10 offers the most compelling combination of features at a lower launch price than we’ve ever seen, making it the best value of any pocket-sized camera under $1,000. However, it doesn’t have a viewfinder, a feature that can come in handy for shooting in bright light or if you prefer extra stability.

Was wondering on similar comparisons that OP posted but also was open to

Panasonic Lumix LX100
Nikon A900

Now I know the two mentioned above should not really be compared but seeing as my budget can reach the price tag of the LX100 I was interested since the reviews were pretty good. I am a little confused, is the LX100 really 12.8mpx?

The reason I am looking at the A900 is because of the zoom on optical, I like macro photography and like to zoom in on tall or far away objects (bridges, towers etc).

I watched a YT video on the LX10 (see below) and around the 5 min 55 secs mark you will notice the camera seems to have difficulty focusing. Where as when I viewed a video on the A900 (sorry can't find the link, seen so many videos while researching) the camera seems to focus a little more quickly. That video was showcasing the macro video of leaves and then switching to normal video on trees afar.

Personally I love landscape photography and macro, therefore been leaning on the LX10 or LX100 so optical zoom is not all that a big factor but I would love to have the 4K aspect. Oh another thing I found was that the LX10 maxes out at 5 mins to keep it from overheating where as the LX100 has not limit because of a more advanced system within (lost the exact terminology) and it is mentioned in the video link above.

Any help is appreciated and if the OP decided which to go with I would love their opinion on which one they went with and how they feel.

Was trying to shoot float planes landing yesterday with my ZS100. Blue sky, lots of light, white paint jobs.... shutter speed anywhere from 1/125th to 1/250th to get prop blur. Could not do it - whites blown out. Think I need a NGF.

NewsyL wrote: ↑

Mar 20th, 2017 4:28 pm

Was trying to shoot float planes landing yesterday with my ZS100. Blue sky, lots of light, white paint jobs.... shutter speed anywhere from 1/125th to 1/250th to get prop blur. Could not do it - whites blown out. Think I need a NGF.

wouldn’t you need to do exposure compensation to make sure the exposure doesn’t have blown out highlights?

The last time I shot any planes in the sky I had to dial in at least –2/3 EV exposure compensation. I also tried out centre weighted metering otherwise the sky dominated the exposure blowing out details on the plane.

The versioning is often confusing - for the Panasonic what's really the difference between LX10 vs LX100 vs ZS100?

warpdrive wrote: ↑

Mar 21st, 2017 11:53 am

wouldn’t you need to do exposure compensation to make sure the exposure doesn’t have blown out highlights?

The last time I shot any planes in the sky I had to dial in at least –2/3 EV exposure compensation. I also tried out centre weighted metering otherwise the sky dominated the exposure blowing out details on the plane.

Perhaps but I did not get the chance to try it. Saw that the aperture was locked to f8.0 through the key shutter speed range and the whites were blown out. Have to dig into it a bit more. I know some of the RX100 models have a built in filter.

With my DSLR I typically use +2/3 eV to +1.0 eV for sky shots in order to properly expose the dark aircraft against the bright sky. These shots were of the float plane right above and on the water so just the usual exposure landscape type compensation.

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NewsyL wrote: ↑

Mar 21st, 2017 3:21 pm

Perhaps but I did not get the chance to try it. .

Well if you’re trying to avoid clipping the whites, you’ll have to dial back the exposure. Does the Panasonic have zebra patterns for checking the clipping the blacks and whites?

RFDMadeMeBuyStuff wrote: ↑

Mar 21st, 2017 12:56 pm

The versioning is often confusing - for the Panasonic what's really the difference between LX10 vs LX100 vs ZS100?

Yeah confusing.

LX10 – 20MP 1” sensor – fast 3x zoom
LX100 – 12.7MP cropped micro–4/3 sensor – fast 3x zoom -
ZS100 – 20MP 1” sensor – 10X superzoom

LX100 is a larger camera because of the larger sensor.

RFDMadeMeBuyStuff wrote: ↑

Mar 21st, 2017 12:56 pm

The versioning is often confusing - for the Panasonic what's really the difference between LX10 vs LX100 vs ZS100?

The LX100 (2014) uses a 4/3 sensor which is larger than the 1" sensor in the LX10 and ZS100 and it is part of the LX premium compact line of cameras going way back to the LX3. It offers a 24 to 75mm equivalent focal range (3.13x zoom). It barely fits in some coat pockets so it is not really all that compact.

The LX10 (2016) uses a 1" sensor and offers a similar 24 to 72mm equivalent focal range (3.00x zoom); it is more similar in form factor to the legacy LX3 and LX7 than the LX100 which was something of an anomaly. You could say the LX10 is returning to the original concept of a premium compact camera that will fit fairly easily in your coat pocket.

The ZS100 (2016) is the latest member of the ZS family of travel cams. It uses a 1" sensor, offers a 25 to 250mm equivalent focal range (10.00x zoom). The lens is not built to the same standard as those found in the LX series but is still much better than what is found in smart phone. It is quite pocket-able and offers an overwhelming number of options to fiddle with - too much at times imho. LOL.

.

I feel like the Sony RX100 MV is the best of the bunch, but it also shows on the pricing as it's way up there at $1200+

Seems like now I should be looking at LX10 vs ZS100 vs G7 Mark II

I am really looking for a compact, versatile camera for everyday & travel uses. No need for much zoom, ability to take quick auto sharp picture would be most desirable.

I somewhat lean towards G7 Mark II because of the tilting screen, I had the G12 before and the tilting screen is so handy.

Thoughts?

warpdrive wrote: ↑

Mar 21st, 2017 11:53 am

wouldn’t you need to do exposure compensation to make sure the exposure doesn’t have blown out highlights?

The last time I shot any planes in the sky I had to dial in at least –2/3 EV exposure compensation. I also tried out centre weighted metering otherwise the sky dominated the exposure blowing out details on the plane.

With that shutter speed, and being at the lowest ISO, dialing in exposure compensation isn't going to do anything.

G7X Mark II looks good. FHD video is plenty good, picture IQ is good across the frame, and it will feel familiar. Try playing with one at the photo store.

robertz wrote: ↑

Mar 21st, 2017 8:07 pm

With that shutter speed, and being at the lowest ISO, dialing in exposure compensation isn't going to do anything.

G7X Mark II looks good. FHD video is plenty good, picture IQ is good across the frame, and it will feel familiar. Try playing with one at the photo store.

oh yeah, I forgot he was trying to blur the props. It definitely would have helped to have some ND filter so he can control the exposure, preferably a circular polarizer (DSLRs are so much more versatile for airshows)