Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Looking for a new camera

Aug 27, 2011 7:08AM PDT

Hello - looking for a new camera but am not quite ready to upgrade to a DSLR. My camera is quite old (Canon SD880 IS) and was looking for a good but relatively easy camera to use. I am indifferent between having an ultracompact camera versus one that is slightly more bulky however less than a DSLR. I want something that would be great to capture details at my upcoming travels. I would like a camera with the following specifications:
<div>1. Less time between each picture I take while still keeping a good quality in photo. Would like something that would be good for capturing action or sports in a continuous mode without halting in between where I would miss a shot.
2. Should have good quality photos in no light or low light so that if I was out visiting a specific location at night - the camera should be able to capture that location. Using my current camera at night will blur out the scenery at night and in ISO mode will be extremely blurry. Would like to avoid that.
3. Should have a good zoom while retaining quality when taking photos from a distance.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
New Camera
Aug 27, 2011 7:41AM PDT

The Canon G12 is a good choice for a camera that performs better than average in low light.
But it does not have a lot of zoom.

However, if you want a camera with a lot of zoom and better than average low light performance, you are out of luck.
They have not built one yet.

Good low light performance is only available on a DSLR camera.

..

- Collapse -
Answer
Less Zoom, Much Better Image Quality
Aug 27, 2011 2:46PM PDT

The G12 is near the top of its class, but for even less money, I would go with the Olympus E-PL2, which is currently $418 on Amazon. It is a Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens camera, which has a much bigger imaging sensor than the G12. It has less zoom, but you can buy addition longer lenses. Another M4/3 option is the Panasonic GF2, $485 on Amazon. Both the Olympus and Panasonic are great values because they have recently been replaced with newer models.