Current pocket sized "king of low light" digital camera?

[BNF]

I just got back from a nice, relaxing weekend. I took my Fuji Z5 and Fuji S6500fd with me.

I ended up using only the Z5.... because it was always with me. It's the same old story: loaded up with shopping bags, family luggage, maps etc and room enough in one pocket for a pocket sized digital.

No chance of my DSLR outfit... no chance for an SLR... no chance even for my G2 or larger Fuji.

Next, I really saw that I shoot - on vacation anyway - 80% indoors, and 80% of that inside of restaurants and coffee bars.

So, what is the current king of low light in a pocket sized digital today? My Z5 produces quite good results up to 800ISO, but I'm willing to spend some $$ if there is something small and better.

Ideas?

 

[oftheherd]

I think both Canon and Panasonic have models that go up to 1600. I don't know how well they do it, or if others do too.

 

[dcsang]

Panasonic LX3's 800ISO is very very very good and trumps Canon's G10 - either that or find yourself a Fuji F31fd (if you can) 😀

Cheers,
Dave

 

[bmattock]

If you can wait, Fuji just introduced a new high-ISO camera:

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/f/finepix_f200exr/index.html

No reviews on it yet to see if it lives up to the hype, but if it does, it should be quite nice for low-light work.

 

[BNF]

Good info, thanks!

My Z5 also goes up to 1600, maybe even higher, but the quality isn't enough for me. I've seen other cameras at ISO800, and, frankly, most shouldn't offer the setting.

--

Actually, reading a bit more about that F200, it looks like it is exactly what I am looking for!

 

[tensai]

Agree with the LX3.

 

[thirteen]

Currently - I agree with the LX3. ISO 800 is relatively very good. It also has a faster lens - f2- which allows shooting at f2 ISO 800 - which is by far better than the f2.8 ISO 1600 equivalent on other cameras.

 

[M4streetshooter]

That Fuji looks nice but why make such a nice
camera that can't do raw?
What a waste.....
I like the DP1 for everything but it excells in low light.
Most AF doesn't work well in low light anyway so the
DP1 focus wheel is great.....
shooter

 

[Sam N]

Focus on P&S cameras usually works fine in low light since they almost all have AF-assist lamps and use contrast-detect focusing.

I don't think any compact digicam can yet be crowned the "king of low light". They're all pretenders to the throne for now.

I think the LX-3 is a good choice for now (fast lens and very nice ISO400), and I am hoping for good things from the DP2.

It's actually nice that the upcoming Fuji doesn't do RAW, because ACR/Lightroom and the like probably won't do too well with data from such a "weird" sensor and whatever camera-branded RAW conversion software it comes with would likely suck and make for a terrible workflow.

 

[Wiyum]

Adding to the choir, I'm going to say the LX3. It has a faster lens, it has pretty effective image stabilization, and from everything I've seen, outperforms the competition at ISO800. I certainly enjoy shooting with it, and hope to buy one for myself pretty soon.

 

[Pablito]

Love the LX3. Bought two of them. Next best thing to as DSLR for low light.

 

[chut]

How is the bokeh on the LX3? Is it decent? Most digital P&S cameras don't do this very well. If anyone has some good shots please do post.

 

[amateriat]

Yep, just noticed that the new Fuji only does JPEG, although I don't necessarily regard that as a deal-breaker for a pocketable digicam for general use.


- Barrett

 

[M4streetshooter]

Oh no....no...not the focus assist light.....
I sold the LX3 because I did a party with it and it refused to focus in very low light....the manual focus was not the best to use....
The DP1 will focus with the wheel in blackness (a stretch of course) and records with little noise. I really wanted to love the LX3 and had one of the 1st ones out there but when I really need a camera to record at say 1600, and get me a sharp image, well gents...it ain't that one.

shooter

 

[Pablito]

Oh no....no...not the focus assist light.....
I sold the LX3 because I did a party with it and it refused to focus in very low light....the manual focus was not the best to use....
The DP1 will focus with the wheel in blackness (a stretch of course) and records with little noise. I really wanted to love the LX3 and had one of the 1st ones out there but when I really need a camera to record at say 1600, and get me a sharp image, well gents...it ain't that one.

shooter

well you may be asking too much of it, it's only a p&s, but I did a whole series with available light in a very dark bar and the camera focused very well. There is new firmware which may help. For for an important gig, I'd always use a DSLR. The D300 with and f2 prime lens is very VERY good in low light

 

[robbo]

If you can find one, a Fuji F30 or F31 would be a good choice for low light and general use. No longer made, but the generally held view is that Fuji F models went downhill after these two models because they got sucked into the 'pixel race'. The F30/31 got the balance right with the sensor size and it's the Super CCD which improves dynamic range. There are 1/2 dozen on ebay at the moment, but prices are high because they are very sought after.
Am alternative suggestion that I hope is helpful.
Regards, Chris

 

[M4streetshooter]

well you may be asking too much of it, it's only a p&s, but I did a whole series with available light in a very dark bar and the camera focused very well. There is new firmware which may help. For for an important gig, I'd always use a DSLR. The D300 with and f2 prime lens is very VERY good in low light

Yes the D300 is as good as it gets.....but

I need to stay invisible in my surroundings....that camera sings like Harley.
I like the focus wheel...of the DP1...plus I look like everyone else in the place...just a stupid point n' shooter.....

 

[VladimirV]

For me the best compact point and shoot is the Ricoh GRD I. It is the only compact camera I can shoot at ISO 1600 without hesitating and the f2.4 lens is great, very sharp and contrasty. It has RAW and although there is quite a lot of noise present at ISO 1600 there is also a lot of detail.

 

[boy_lah]

Shooter and I seem to keep saying the same thing. LX3 is nice, but DP1 is the other (and in my mind, better) option.