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Reviewed by
Rayaz
, Intermediate
Price Paid
$260.00
at Amazon USA
Photography Experience
6-10 years
, Other
Summary
The camera for some reason gets very little attention compared to other compact super zooms from Panasonic, canon, fuji, etc with very limited reviews. However its one of the better priced and highly featured camera's in the market, and is extremely well constructed.
The limited wide angle can be annoying but its not a deal breaker as if you can step a few steps back you can cover the area, as the powerful flash compensates for this. The very long telephoto aided by a good image stabilization of the camera helps take long range photos making this an ideal travel camera.
The biggest limitations is that the camera has a rather long shutter lag, and the flash recycle time is also long compared to many other cameras which makes it not suitable for moving objects, even people walking :( You can partially overcome this by pressing the shutter button half to focus, though not all would like this workaround.
The auto focus unit does not work great under low light, but that's an issue with most compacts but seems to suffer a bit compared to the others. However when the photos are properly focused the pictures are very good in quality and sharpness. The camera also has a somewhat larger sensor compared to other 1/2.3" compacts and this along with the Carl-Zeiss lens makes it perform well under low light without flash compared to many other cameras.
Overall though its an underestimated camera, and is a very good buy for a family use as its durable and gives very good quality photos and video as long as watch out for its weaknesses and train yourself.
Strengths
- Very well built even though its made of plastic materials, and compared to other Sony cameras this is built in japan
- Carl Zeiss lens is sharp and clear
- Very long telephoto zoom for a 10X
- Good image stabilization
- Very powerful flash for a compact camera
- Video quality is very good, and less grainy than most of the other highly raved cameras (such as the Panasonic ZS3)
- Good audio quality in videos (however its only mono audio)
- Manual controls allow some level of creativity and customization when taking photos
- Though not pocket friendly the camera has a nice feel when you grip it
- Photo quality is very good (when the focus is achieved)
- Low light photos are better than other rival compact super zooms though not up to pro consumer cameras such as the Canon G11/S90
Weaknesses
- Very long flash recycle time (over 10 secs)
- Shutter lag (time from pressing the shutter to taking the photo) has a delay that makes it a hit and miss for taking photos of moving items (even if slow moving)
- Focusing under low light is poor
- Lens cap is a nuisance, and automated lens cover would have been so much more suited
- Output from camera to TV is not great, very grainy and dark
- A bit too large for pocket use, you need to take it in a bag or belt case
- Wide angle at 38mm is a let down when competitors are either 28mm or better. Makes taking group photos and indoor photos harder
- Flash can be too powerful, and you cannot change the flash intensity in auto mode which is a shame
Similar Products Used
Panasonic TZ3, Panasonic TZ4, Panasonic ZS3/TZ7
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