Topic: Best small/thin Digital Camera for concert photos?

[Craise Finton Kirk]

Howdy!
Just wondering if you guy's could drop some names of some models to check out?
I want somthing small and thin..but able to take good photos at a distance and in low light.
I have a super old HP 2.1mp Camera so I'm way behind! What's out there?
Thanks in adavance!
Craise

[dmonterisi]

I want somthing small and thin..but able to take good photos at a distance and in low light.

i don't think such a thing has been invented yet.

P&S's that are small and thin are going to be limited typically to 3x optical zoom.  the max aperture is likely to be f2.8 so that part should be fine, but ISO will likely not go higher than 400 and 400 may not be usable.  if you move up to the semi-slr's, you get some more length on the lens and better optics and higher ISO performance.  those super-small ccd sensors in the tiny P&S cameras are just so susceptible to noise.  remember digital zoom in these cameras is 100% useless and merely an advertising gimmick.  digital zoom, just means cropping.  your effectively losing all resolution if you utilize digital zoom unfortunately.

[Craise Finton Kirk]

Thanks for the info bro!
I see people all the time with those thin camera's with a telephoto lens poping out an inch or two...those aren't what I want?
Doh! well I guess my question just turns into...
What is the smallest/highest quailty camera for concert photos?
Just looking for some model names..good brands...ect
thanks again in advance!!

[kuuan]

a small pocketable camera that is good in low light AND has a great zoom is not here yet.

for low light the Fuji 10 or F30

for very small size with amazing zoom range ( starting from 28mm which I personally like a lot )
Panasonic FX01 ( zoom 28mm - 102mm )
Ricoh Caplio R4 ( zoom 28mm - 200 mm )
for closeups of the musicians from distance:
Panasonic TZ1 ( zoom 35mm - 350mm )

the Panasonics and the Ricoh also have good functioning 'image stabilizers', very useful if using strong zoom or low light!

please check:
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.megapixel.net/html/reviews.php

[Craise Finton Kirk]

Thanks so much for your help kuuan...
I've been looking over them and I came across the new
KODAK EasyShare V610  http://www.dpreview.com/news/0604/06042502kodakv610.asp
It also has 10x optical zoom as the Panasonic TZ1
Any thoughts on this one? It looks pretty nice.
Small, Thin + 10x real zoom....
 

[jpschust]

Thanks so much for your help kuuan...
I've been looking over them and I came across the new
KODAK EasyShare V610  http://www.dpreview.com/news/0604/06042502kodakv610.asp
It also has 10x optical zoom as the Panasonic TZ1
Any thoughts on this one? It looks pretty nice.
Small, Thin + 10x real zoom....
 

you are going to have a hard time shooting at low light with your speed at 800 (max) and your f stop at 4 ish.  also id bet that its gonna be grainy as hell at 800

[Javier Cinakowski]

Thanks so much for your help kuuan...
I've been looking over them and I came across the new
KODAK EasyShare V610  http://www.dpreview.com/news/0604/06042502kodakv610.asp
It also has 10x optical zoom as the Panasonic TZ1
Any thoughts on this one? It looks pretty nice.
Small, Thin + 10x real zoom....
 

I have the v610 and love it.  It is a freaken awesome camera.  it does a good job of video too.

[Javier Cinakowski]

you are going to have a hard time shooting at low light with your speed at 800 (max) and your f stop at 4 ish.  also id bet that its gonna be grainy as hell at 800

yep, low light is a problem.  But if the lights on stage are good, the pics are fine.

[kuuan]

Craise I do not know this particular model. On megapixel.net there is a review of the Kodak easyshare V570 ( http://www.megapixel.net/reviews/kodak-v570/v570-gen.php ) which roughly seems to be the same camera but with different lenses, sporting a wide angel range instead long zoom as the V610.
My impression from that review is that it certainly must be a very good camera, but that it's photo quality is not great specially at low light or when using the flash.

These last years I particularily like the Panasonics and I really got a liking for the mentioned Ricoh R4 as I find the important menus very easy to access, the zoom toggler very good positioned and easy to operate, it overall sports many manual adjustments, though it's operation is a bit noisy ( e.g. zoom motor ).

Many very good small point and shooter cameras came to the market these last few months. To choose which one will be yours I'd recommend to first find out on reviews on the net which models fit your requirements, and then to go to a retailer to get a feel of the models of your choice. Play around with them, how does it lie in your hand, how practical do you find the access to the various modes and adjustments, how comfortable to you find the operation of the zoom toggler?

Which one do you 'like', feel good about? This one should be yours!

[Craise Finton Kirk]

Thanks again for your thought guy's! 

I see, so with the TZ1 I will get 1600 High Sensitivity Mode
Are there any other small 7-10x optical I should consider?
or is it down to these three?
Ricoh R4
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022302ricohr4.asp

Kodak Easyshare v610
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0604/06042502kodakv610.asp

Panasonic Lumix TZ1
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06021405panasonictz1.asp

V610 is smaller/thiner VS. TZ1 a little bigger but better at low light

I think I might have to see these and hold them in my hand before I
buy. If the TZ1 isn't too bulky I gues I would go for that.
V610 and R4 are pretty tinny...

windorabug, can you get good head to waist shots from 20-30 rows back?
Or is that to much to ask? 
Any thoughts?

[kuuan]

windorabug, can you get good head to waist shots from 20-30 rows back?
Or is that to much to ask? 
Any thoughts?

I'd think that a waitshot from 20-30 rows back would show an unfocused, broad back of the guy standing in front of you.

[Javier Cinakowski]

windorabug, can you get good head to waist shots from 20-30 rows back?
Or is that to much to ask? 
Any thoughts?

I'd think that a waitshot from 20-30 rows back would show an unfocused, broad back of the guy standing in front of you.

I have taken quite nice pictures from that distance.  It has 10x optical zoom, not to bad.

[kuuan]

my comment was meant to be a joke....shooting fotos from 'the waist' standing in a growd...

[Javier Cinakowski]

oh, gotcha,  sorry, haha.   T+

[kuuan]

Glad to know that you really like your camera, windorabag, and that you are satisfied with it.

The double lens solution is interesting, gives a very big zoom range. I guess that the lenses, being small in diameter, will be somewhat 'slow', needing a lot of light. But I believe that to shoot at concerts a camera does not necessariily have to be great at low light situations as stage lightening will be very bright at times.