Camera Replacement

cmwade77

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 1, 2005
My current camera, a Panasonic DMC-ZS60 that was purchased a bit over 2 years ago is having trouble with zooming, where it takes several seconds to start zooming in or out in many cases. I am pretty confident this is from me dropping, bumping and just very heavy use so I doubt it would be covered under the 3 year warranty.

So in case it isn't covered, I have looked high and low for cameras, some requirements for me are: A large Optical Zoom (30x+), it to be a compact lightweight camera and have Wireless connectivity.

Ultimately I have narrowed it down to two possibilities:
Nikon Coolpix A900 ($180, but I would need to buy new extra batteries and chargers)

Or replace it with a new DMC-ZS60 ($200, but my existing batteries and chargers would work)

Unfortunately there really isn't a good upgrade at a reasonable price.

As I said, it is important to be compact because I go to theme parks and zoos and such, so lugging around a SLR or mirrorless camera and lenses wouldn't work well.

So after all that the basic question is:
Panasonic DMC-ZS60 or Nikon Coolpix A900?
 
At that price point, and considering the features of the cameras, it probably doesn't matter too much. Panny's seem to have a slightly more loaded feature set, dollar per dollar, than others. And don't forget you already know the zs60's interface.

BUT. They are also known for not being stellar about image quality. So the Nikon might be a marginally better choice, especially if you're just shooting for 4x6s and the occasional 8x10. In the ultra-compact, long-zoom market, you could also look at the Canon SX7x0. Both the Canon and the Nikon will deliver solid results.
 
Honestly, both of the cameras are normally about $400, just had a good deal. But ultimately I went into a camera store and looked at the A900 and the Canon SX740 HS, whish I hadn't really considered before. And I ended up going with that one because it was more recently released and had some nice features for some basic in camera editing that the others didn't and that means less time editing when I get the pictures onto the computer. As well as a few other features that I really liked over the Nikon, including a 40X zoom.

But nice to know someone else here had the same thought. As for interface, I am not too picky and can pick things up fairly easily.
 



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