Lumix FZ35 vs Nikon CoolpixP100 vs CanonSX30 IS

[Mercury12]

Lumix FZ45 vs Nikon CoolpixP100 vs CanonSX30 IS

Have to get gift for a friends wedding and decided on getting a camera- budget R4500 max, considering the bag and sd card will cost and additional R300-500.

He already has an run of the mill pocket sized camera so decided to get him a upgrade. I know the Canon s95 is rated very highly at a very decent price but wanted to get a camera with a better zoom as he travels a lot and loves nature and he has a compact camera anyway. Was thinking of getting more advanced digital camera rather than slrs as they are over my budget.

The three cameras I found in the price range are the ones mentioned in the topic

Lumix FZ45- R4700- www.sacamera.co.za- with bag and sd card
Nikon Coolpixp100-R3800- www.ormsdirect.co.za- Just the camera
CanonSX30IS -R4500-sacamera-with bag and sd card

Comparison of the specs are shown in the link below, all three have decent ratings.The Nikon has hd 1080p which is a standout but the canon has overall higher specs. Does anyone have hands on experience with any of these cameras or even recommend something else in the price range?

http://reviews.cnet.com/4504-4_7-0.html?id=33765520&id=33966421&id=34176641&tag=compare

 

[Pooky]

Out of those cameras I have tried the Canon SX 30 and the Nikon P100.

The Nikon is very plasticky I really don't like it at all.
The Canon is far superior to the Nikon BUT... its low light performance is not so great...

If you can still find it, the Sony HX1 is a brilliant camera. If you want something more compact but still with a good zoom, go for the Sony HX5.

 

[Mercury12]

Yeah, was looking at sample images for the canon and there seemed to be a lot of noise in low light. Just looked ormsdirect and the have the sony for R4500. Its got 1080p hd as well. It has a 9.1MP as a posed to the canons 14.1, shouldn't make a massive difference to normal user right? Its a year older than the other 2 but rated quite highly on amazon

 

[Pooky]

No the 9.1 mp is actually a good thing. It means there will be even less noise. 9.1 is definitely sufficient. It is only 20x zoom compared to Canons 35x , but the image quality is really good.

 

[Mercury12]

35x zoom is insane, the camera isnt going to be used to stalk people . Just had a look at samera and they are R300 cheaper than orms, definitely leaning towards the Sony

 

[DukeofHouse]

I've got the P100. Picked it up at Makro for about R4200 with the bag and SD card a few months ago.
The camera is very light which is great for carrying around, but not so great for hitting the shutter button at high zoom levels.
That's about my only complaint though... well, that and no RAW support.
Extremely versatile, compact, good image quality, good low light performance and full manual control.
You can also shoot high speed video (I normally use 60fps @ 720p) which I thought was a bit gimmicky at first, but am loving it now.

Can't comment on the other cameras, but I'm definitely happy with the Nikon.

 

[GTi]

I have the FZ35, have it for a year now, it is no comparison to the others, this camera is in a league of it's own, Awsome camera. The price show have dropped due to the new models on the shelves already FZ40/45 and FZ100.

 

[Pooky]

Let us know what you decide to go with.

 

[Mercury12]

Yeah very tough choice with positive comments about all the cameras

 

[Mercury12]

I actually meant the FZ45 not FZ35

 

[HapticSimian]

For what it's worth, I've only ever had Sony FZ 'super-zooms' - always arriving at the same conclusion after doing loads & loads of research. If/when I go D-SLR I suspect my Panny days might be over, but 'till then I don't think any of the other comparable cameras come close.

 

[Wasp_21]

Just to add my 2c.

I'm also looking for a decent camera in a similar (lower) price range than you.

So far my research has come up with: 1.Pentax X90 - R3729; 2. Canon Powershot SX20is - R3261; 3. Canon SX130is - R2299. Personally i'm tending towards the Pentax, but may have to settle for the SX20is due to budget.