Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 or Canon Powershoot SD900?

Question

Ok I've been stuck between these two cameras for awhile now and undecided as which one to get. I really want a p&s camera has really really good image quality (possibly the most important quality) but also one that's versatile (wide angle, macro, portraits, action shots, decent in low light) and has a good lens with a decent amount of features.

From what I understand the SD900 has the one of the biggest sensors and takes some of the best pictures as far as image quality, but lacks in versatility and features. Whilst the DMC-TZ5 is pretty versatile with a good lens and more features, but has a smaller sensor.

I want to hear from people that have used/owned either of the cameras, or both :) would be great. And if you think the SD900's worth it because it doesn't lack that much in features and is worth it for the sensor. Or if the DMC-TZ5's versatility and features will prove more valuable then a bigger lens.

And price is NOT an issue, I'm aware that the DMC-TZ5's somewhat cheaper

Answer 1

I would love Lumix .

it has wider lens.It has longer Tele..

It has bigger LCd .(very essencial for confirming sharpness.).

It has better LCD reolution.More DPI.(pixel)

Answer 2

I would choose the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 !

Answer 3

For image quality, I'm a big sensor lover.  Go here and click on the review for each camera of interest.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_...

I had an SD900 for about a year to supplement my DSLR's and I was very happy with it until they came out with the SD950-IS, which has image stabilization.  You should consider that camera, also.

Let me go through some of my stock answers comparing pixels to zoom and you see what you think.  Make use of the sample galleries and view them FULL SIZE by clicking on the file name under the sample once you open it up.  I would say - from the seat of my pants - that double the sensor size is about equal to double the focal length.  In other words, you can get a decent enough crop from a nice image to make up for the lack of zoom.  This is not scientific and you'll have to decide for yourself, but I would avoid a superzoom camera.  There are too many compromises for my taste.

This one sample might tell the story for you, but I do not have a Panasonic sample and to be fair, that's what you would need.  Try finding similar samples on the dpreview site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstei...

Sensor Size

Sensor size is made more confusing by the archaic way that they are described. Think of the fractions as if there were no decimals involved. 1/1 is bigger than 1/2. 1/1.7" is bigger than 1/2.5". As a general guideline, the bigger the sensor, the better the image quality.

1/2.5" is probably the most common sensor size in point and shoot digital cameras. It is about 5 mm by 4 mm, or 20 square millimeters.

1/1.8 is 7.2 mm by 5.3 mm or about 38 square millimeters.

I don't know the exact dimensions of 1/1.7", but it would be slightly larger than the 1/1.8", although mot so much larger that it would offer any real advantage in image quality.

Here's a good page to study:

http://photo.net/equipment/digital/basic...

One question that we get fairly often here is, "How do I make my subject in sharp focus with a blurry background?" The smaller the sensor, the harder it is to accomplish this. You will see an explanation (if you want details) on this page:

http://www.photo.net/learn/optics/dofdig...

Another thing that you might notice is that the "super zoom" point and shoot cameras tend to have the 1/2.5" sensor. Since focal length is a function of image size, this is how the camera designed is able to achieve such extreme zoom power (10x - 12x is common). The smaller the sensor, the greater the "lens factor." A Canon Powershot S3-IS is said to have an "equivalent focal length" of 36 mm-to-432 mm. Considering the lens factor of 6.03x for all 1/2.5" sensors, the real focal length of this lens is about 6 mm-to-72 mm.

Here is a mini-tutorial I made myself to compare 10 MP sensors in a digital SLR (DSLR) and a point and shoot (P&S) camera.  I have tried to keep everything on equal footing with no unequal cropping of the original images.  Both images were taken at the equivalent of 75 mm from about 1,000 feet away.  View this FULL SIZE and scroll through the image to compare the resolution at various points of the images.  To me, the P&S sensor practically looks like an impressionist painting compared to the DSLR sensor.  Please note also that this is the "large size" P&S sensor, as most are using the smaller 1/2.5" (5x4 mm) sensor.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7189769@N04...

Here is a comparison between 10 MP image from the SD900, which is a 1/1.8" sensor, and a 6 MP image from an SD700-IS, which is a 1/2.5" sensor.  Okay, I don't know if we are comparing pixel count or sensor size here, but take a look anyway and see what you think about the differences.  Click on "All sizes" and then "Original" to judge for yourself.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstei...

Here's another: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7189769@N04...

Here are two comparison shots using two 12 MP cameras – the Canon SD950-IS (1/1.7" sensor) and the Nikon D300 (23.6 mm x 15.5 mm):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstei...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstei...

Here is a set that compares a 12 MP DSLR (D300) with a 12 MP P&S (SD950-IS) as well as a 6 MP DSLR (D50):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstei...

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SD900 Samples: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstei...

SD950IS Samples: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstei...