Help me choose a compact camera

[OnMyWay]

Weĺl, still no pics to upload but we, my daughter and I, are having fun testing it.  It has wifi so if I can figure it out later I can upload via my phone.

I didn't bring my laptop to our current location.  After the wedding rehearsal this afternoon we have checked into a 2 br apartment at the Hilton complex next to the cruise ship dock in Auckland.  Wedding is tomorrow and I'm stuck here for 2 nights.

[Tommy T.]

OMW... I know of a thousand places that are a lot worse to be stuck in... Suck it up, have a few Speight's, or Lion Red beers, a few delicious meat pies and/or maybe some wonderful Kiwi wines! I am jealous of your experience there now...

[OnMyWay]

OK, finally got the pics from the camera to my laptop.  I did figure out how to transfer pics from the camera to my phone using the Panasonic app, but after the first small batch, it kept disconnecting.  I don't like dealing with pics on my phone anyway.

These pics are all from the first day, last Thursday.  Probably 80% were taken by my daughter.   They were all taken with IA Intelligent Auto mode and have not been edited.

You can see the sky tower in downtown Auckland from their house.  On Google maps it is 9.5 km as the crow flies.  These next 3 are right after I bought it in the morning and it was very foggy / hazy.    Handheld.

 

  

Another zoom from the house down to a small flower bed.

  

Around the house

  

We went to dinner at my BIL's old house, which is now owned by his daughter, and they have really nice gardens and flowers.  It was already 8 pm when we got there, so the sun was setting.

  

  

  

 

[OnMyWay]

A few more...  I brightened these a bit.

My daughter took this one through the glass in our balcony at dusk.

The flower girls Saturday morning before the wedding!

  

 

[OnMyWay]

I have yet to explore all the options on the FZ 80.  I'm happy with quality of the shots and video we have taken.

However, I can't say that I am happy with the purchase, but it is my own fault.  The small high end cameras were so expensive here that I decided to go with this larger camera at half the price.

The size is what I am unhappy about.  Instead of being pocketable, I have to always carry it or put it someplace safe.  At the wedding, I had to plunk it on the crowded table.  Etc., etc.

My daughter likes it so we can share it.  When I find a good price on a small one, she can keep this one.

[stevewool]

10 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

I have yet to explore all the options on the FZ 80.  I'm happy with quality of the shots and video we have taken.

However, I can't say that I am happy with the purchase, but it is my own fault.  The small high end cameras were so expensive here that I decided to go with this larger camera at half the price.

The size is what I am unhappy about.  Instead of being pocketable, I have to always carry it or put it someplace safe.  At the wedding, I had to plunk it on the crowded table.  Etc., etc.

My daughter likes it so we can share it.  When I find a good price on a small one, she can keep this one.

I find the best pocket camera is your phone , but they are getting to big now, I like to feel a camera in my hand , even the Fuji is a nice size, but the button to click is just to low and sometimes you flick other settings , it’s only after you have taken a few pictures that are not right you realise .

[OnMyWay]

3 hours ago, stevewool said:

I find the best pocket camera is your phone , but they are getting to big now, I like to feel a camera in my hand , even the Fuji is a nice size, but the button to click is just to low and sometimes you flick other settings , it’s only after you have taken a few pictures that are not right you realise .

Yes, but the glare without a viewfinder is terrible.  I took the pictures of the bentley with my phone I and could not see my screen.

[Viking]

7 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

I have yet to explore all the options on the FZ 80.  I'm happy with quality of the shots and video we have taken.

However, I can't say that I am happy with the purchase, but it is my own fault.  The small high end cameras were so expensive here that I decided to go with this larger camera at half the price.

The size is what I am unhappy about.  Instead of being pocketable, I have to always carry it or put it someplace safe.  At the wedding, I had to plunk it on the crowded table.  Etc., etc.

My daughter likes it so we can share it.  When I find a good price on a small one, she can keep this one.

Thats the "price" you had to pay . 

Finding a small, good AND cheap camera is not easy. Finding a camera with 2 of these characteristics is quite easy but when you want all 3 is when the problem starts.

[earthdome]

On 1/1/2020 at 10:54 PM, OnMyWay said:

Yes, but the glare without a viewfinder is terrible.  I took the pictures of the bentley with my phone I and could not see my screen.

I found this on a quick search for a smartphone viewfinder:

https://www.dpreview.com/news/9346172995/oko-is-an-immersive-viewfinder-for-your-smartphone-camera

Perhaps their are other solutions out there.

[OnMyWay]

13 hours ago, earthdome said:

I found this on a quick search for a smartphone viewfinder:

https://www.dpreview.com/news/9346172995/oko-is-an-immersive-viewfinder-for-your-smartphone-camera

Perhaps their are other solutions out there.

I'd forgotten about those.  I saw someone using one a while back.