I've been pretty happy twice now with the Lumix line from Panasonic.
I helped a friend purchase one a couple years ago and it shot RAW and
had a swivelling LCD screen. Then last spring I bought one with both
those features that I use for video - the important feature I wanted
was a lens with a zoom ring, not a rocker switch zoom.
The sensor is certainly not the size of my Canons, and the
top-of-the-line Lumices are not exactly what you'd call pocketable.
The files from mine are large and the RAW capture does not compress
them as far as the RAW capture on my Canons so they're bigger files
off the card. The viewfinder is not as bright, either, but another
important feature for me was that the camera have a viewfinder as
well as an LCD screen with live viewing. The glass is quite
satisfactorily sharp and the range of the zoom is temptingly
convenient.
So all in all, a detailed and careful visit to dpreview and a clear
idea of ones budget, and possibly a trip to the local super gadget
store, can be a real help in figuring out what's worth the trouble.
I cannot imagine any mid-level slr-type non-interchangable lens
camera from any of the leading manufacturers being unsatisfactory at
this point.
--
Emily L. Ferguson
mailto:elf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
508-563-6822
New England landscapes, wooden boats and races
http://www.landsedgephoto.com
http://e-and-s.instaproofs.com/
