A question for photographers out there

[reddwarfcrew]

I'm looking to replace my current camera as it's only got 3x optical zoom although 14MP.

I like the ixus range from canon and my last 2 have been ixus, so I'm looking at the ixus240 vs 510.

Now my question is around what is the most important:

Megapizels
Optical Zoom
Aperture size

Essentially the difference between the 2 from what I can see is:

240 510
MP 16.1 10.1
Opt Zoom 5 12
Aperture size 2.7 3.4

I guess the MP is more important if you plan to enlarge the pics (ie display on a 65in telly????) where as the zoom is more important for long distance pics. I don't know much about the importance of aperture size though?

Any comments appreciated.

[Scubbie]

The amount of MPs you have depends more upon what you intend to do with the images that you create.

Sure the more the merrier, but if you only intend to show them on a 1080p (1920x1080) TV, then a 10.1 mega-pixel camera is more than adequate. If you like to periodically print off your pictures, then personally I like the higher quality images from the higher rated cameras. Personally I like to be able to crop photos if required on my PC before I print them off. I have also printed some off on A4 photo paper and framed them. This is on my 10.2 mp camera.

As for Zoom, personally I hate Digital Zoom. I can do that at home. How much you go for really depend on what you are using it for. I like to take a variety of different shots and do like the ability to zoom in when taking some landscape photos or pics of objects that are close. My current camera only has a 3x optical Zoom and I would love to get a 10x or more optical zoom.

The aperture is going to affect the focus and light. The higher the number the less light, but the better the focus plane (i.e. the more that will be in focus).

A few other things to consider are:

• how fast the camera takes between pictures
• maximum amount of storage
• batteries or rechargeable battery and how long it will last between charges/replacing them

Whilst at Marwell Zoo last summer I was taking the pics of that Puma yawning. A couple beside me were taking several photos a second to my one every second or so. I am sure that they would have captured a better photo than myself, even if they have to wade through 100s of images. If you intend to take pictures like Kona Owner, then this will also be important.

There are some expensive cards available which go up to 64GB available now. The SDXC spec allows for a lot more (2TB) but this will be for the future.

Battery life is the biggest issue, especially if you are away for a few days and have no where to charge overnight. A lot not recharge via a USB lead which can be useful. Would you want to leave your camera in the car overnight though?

The hardest thing I find with many of todays instant cameras is the inability to see the picture on the display panel when outdoors. I like to frame mine well before I take the picture. Making sure that the horizon is flat, not at a 5º or 10º angle.

I am considering getting a better quality camera this summer, but I will have to see.

[Efc1888]

If your looking in the £275 range the Sony hx20v and Panasonic tz30 are very good compact cameras. Unless your focusing purely on the 2 mentioned above that is.

Ive recently upgrade to a Nex 5n from the compact cameras and although expensive its the best picture quality I've ever produced myself, and aperture is something you have to consider a lot as its to do with the light hitting the sensor but To answer your question more precisely, google tells me

The main function of a camera lens is to collect light. The aperture of a lens is the diameter of the lens opening and is usually controlled by an iris. The larger the diameter of the aperture, the more light reaches the film / image sensor.

Aperture is expressed as F-stop, e.g. F2.8 or f/2.8. The smaller the F-stop number (or f/value), the larger the lens opening (aperture).
[Note: Many camera user manuals today will refer to the aperture in terms of "aperture value" instead of f/value. I'm not sure when this trend started but don't get confused between "aperture" and "aperture value." Aperture value" is simply another way of saying f/value.]
In practice, unless you are dealing with a fixed-aperture lens (many simple point-and-shoot cameras have only one fixed aperture), the aperture of a lens is usually expressed as a range of fstops.

[BritBrat]

None of the above.

It is no good having the highest MP if the lens is like the bottom of a milk bottle.

Lens quality is most important.

[Efc1888]

It's actually the sensor that is most important, not the lens, the lens is important, for using/capturing images in different scenarios but its the sensor that captures the image.

LIve got a Nex 5N which isn't DSLR size etc but is up there in quality due to its APS-C sensor packed into its small form factor.

But as the OP is looking for a compact surely you should be offering up a compact suggestion or decent alternative

[dms05]

It's actually the sensor that is most important, not the lens, the lens is important, for using/capturing images in different scenarios but its the sensor that captures the image.

LIve got a Nex 5N which isn't DSLR size etc but is up there in quality due to its APS-C sensor packed into its small form factor.

But as the OP is looking for a compact surely you should be offering up a compact suggestion or decent alternative

Just look at the light path. The first thing it comes to is the lens and if it's not very good then anything after that can't work any better than the image the lens produces.

If the lens is very good then look at the imaging sensor. More pixels isn't just the answer, often more pixels produces more noise in less than ideal conditions. It's the size of the sensor that contributes more to image quality, so go for the bigger sensor if it's available.

I'm still using a 5 year old Nikon D40 DSLR with 6 Mpixels sensor and that produces much better results than my sons compact with something like 15 Mpixels. Why? Because the Nikon lens is infinitely better than the lens fitted to the compact.

[Efc1888]

But your comparing a compact with a dslr. If you put your lens on a newer Nikon with a bigger sensor, you would expect to produce better results. compacts have smaller sensors (the new Sony rx100 has a big one I've read but it's £500+ for a compact) to allow the smaller form factors.

Chicken and egg really

[dms05]

But it's still the lens that is the determining stage not the sensor. No matter how many Mpixels the sensor is it can only record the resolution passed to it by the lens.

[Efc1888]

I think we've got wires crossed mate, I'm talking m4/3 or aps-c or FF sensors not the megapixels they carry. The second link explains what I'm on about better than the first

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor_format

http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/16/e...-size-matters/

[reddwarfcrew]

Thanks guys and gals. As much as I'd like a 'real' camera, it's a compact that i'll be getting. For what I'd use it for I'm thinking the optical zoom is the most important thing for me.

I was at a Queen gig at the Hammersmith Apollo last week and my 3x OZ wasn't up to it before the rubbish digital zoom kicked in. I;m not a big camera user so it's more of a good all rounder I'm after.