Show us your best with an SX220/230

thanks Garry. Sorry I've taken so long to reply. The S9100?
* better high ISO performance than I expected
* truer colours than my old ZS3 Pany
* long, long lens (need to be wary of camera shake!)
* my wife liked it
My LX5 has run away from home; I've replaced it (yesterday) with a Sony NEX5. Same zoom restrictions. Much, much better high iso performance. In fact, better than my d300s. Love the swivel screen. Missed that when my G11 ran away from home.
Sometimes wonder why I don't just buy an entry level dslr, smaller, for my every-day-carry. Like Ken Rochwell has been known to say.

Best,

DaveL

Dave,
As I said in my previous post I've been thinking about compact system cameras and also about lightweight DSLRs. How is the focusing on the NEX5? Can you get good separation between a sharp subject and a blurred background?

Hi Garry,
Took this Friday August 19th long after dark, at a car show. Some blurring of background. Took this without flash...with my new to me Sony NEX5 and kit zoom lens.
Hope this helps.

FWIW the car was on display; I don't know the owner. I haven't figured out how to get the exif information to show. I'm old, and computer challenged.

The lens on the Sony is quite slow. I'm surprised at the amount of difference in blur... hope this helps. I haven't been so excited with the purchase of a camera in some time. Perhaps my Sony 828? I considered Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony cameras. All had some feature that was a compromise for me. The Sony had fewer of them. I found my Sony used in an estate sale.

Hope this helps.

Garry and others I'm feeling silly; there is a "background defocus" control on the camera back when shooting. Sony NEX5 with latest operating system.

Hope this helps

Thanks for that pic, Dave. My Chrome exif viewer is showing that it doesn't contain any exif data.

Garry, I'm computer challenged, and have a new iMac. Sorry!

Garry--here's a link to a forum with a photo that you will want to see...NEX5? with kit zoom lens.

http://forums.dpreview​.com …rum=1042&messag​e=39165645

Best,
DaveL

OK, thanks, Dave. The exif data on that one shows 1/640 sec, f/4, ISO 200. So if it can get that kind of blurred background over that short a distance at f/4 then it's obviously a lot better than a compact.

Garry, the primary advantage (for me) is the incredible high iso performance. I took the photo above with street lights as a source of illumination! Strange lighting, yet the colours are true.

My G9 was incredible. My G11's were good (battery issues), and the articulating screen was beautiful. Now I'm getting photos that I couldn't get with my other cameras. That's cool.

Best,
Dave

I still have my G9 and G11, but recently picked up a Samsung NX100. I also wanted a "small dslr" to be able to use a larger image sensor and high ISOs to achieve higher, hand-held shutter speeds. The NX100 is working well for me. I just shot about 230 photos for a farewell gathering at our church Sunday evening. All the shots were at ISO 1600, and I used a monopod to add more stability. The NX100 kit lens, and the body do not have IS, but higher ISOs let you work around that.

Here's one of the first shots I got with it, hand-held, and without the monopod. I was surprised at the very narrow DoF of the kit lens (20-50mm, 30.8-77mm equiv).

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/picsdennis/5956​332048/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/picsdennis/5963​900029/

Hi Dennis,
The first camera I was attracted to was the Samsung NX11--except I thought it was an NX10, which is selling cheaply here. I read the reviews but they were for a NX10, and they made me cautious...The NX11 seemed like a small jewel in my hands! I liked the EVF, the size of the camera with kit lens, and the availability of a modestly priced moderate telephoto zoom. Regrets? Didn't see a review of the '11.
The Sony has been well reviewed. I really enjoy the higher ISO performance, and images made at higher ISO were attractive to me. I bought one. Regrets? Sony doesn't have an affordable, moderate telephoto zoom that I'm aware of. And the 18-200 is made of unobtainium! I simply can't afford that lens. I know what people are saying about the NEX5 menu functions, and difficulty accessing common settings; however, it's good enough for me.

First trial, literally, was outside, after dark in a scene lit with street lights in a small town. Frankly, the photos I got blew me away! They were taken hand-held. My monopod was safe at home, unfortunately.I tried flash, but results in a camera assigned nightime mode were far superior.

I have no regrets selling my LX5. I do regret giving up on my G11, after the internal memory holding Date/Time failed in the 2nd camera I had. I considered a G12, but wonder whether this issue was corrected.

OK, thanks for the updates, guys. And, Dave, I'm glad you're so happy with your camera

Hi Dave,

You may have seen this comparison/review of four mirrorless cameras;

http://bythom.com/comp​actmirrorless.htm

The NEX-5 has the best sensor, but the reviewer did not like the controls. It also does not have a standard hot shoe. I probably would like the flip LCD, but I'm also happy with the NX100 LCD.

This reviewer of the NX100 really like the handling of the camera, but feels high ISO is lacking. Also, he points out you should use ACR to process RAW files. I tend to use Adobe DNG converter on the SRW files, and then process on whatever I choose. Generally, I am finding JPEGs work fine if I'm careful. I also find using Noiseware Pro, as I do for my G9/G11 gives me excellent results if necessary.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/NX1​00/NX100A.HTM

I now consider my G9 or G11 as my (larger) pocket cameras.

Dennis

Thanks Dennis. For the longest time, I've said that image stabisation has been the biggest change in photography for me, since I opened my business and bought pro gear. Now--no business, but image quality is a need for me.

Now, high ISO performance is another leap into the future for me. I no longer have an assortment of fast glass.

Out of frustration, I traded my d80 (which I never liked), and bought a d300s. I know it's the wrong brand... Far more keepers. Better high ISO performance and image quality. An ah-ha! moment with the first images out of the camera.


Along the way I bought my G9. Incredible camera. The one here, sx230 was my first choice for a wide-to-long zoom P&S. That's why I started looking here in this thread. My wife surprised me picking an S9100 because I was looking at this group of cameras. Bless her.

I didn't intend to hijack the thread; started with the intention of buying an SX230.