Raybo Loc: George Town, Grand Cayman

Looking to buy something to upgrade for my wife. She's been using various iterations of the Olympus "Tough" line point and shoot. Used them while we were cruising on a sailboat in Central America a few years ago, and she has a ton of really nicely composed shots, albeit that the IQ is limited due the camera. She likes to use the "in camera" scenes and special effects. But she's also seen some of the stuff I get with a DSLR, and is about ready to get out of the "auto" mode, and actually learn the subtleties of Aperture, ISO and shutter speed.

I've been looking at some of the "super zooms" like the Panasonic FZ1000, Sony RX10 & Nikon Coolpix P900 lines, but at the cost and size, I figure it's best she just learns to hold the DSLR with an appropriate lens. But there's lot of time she won't want to haul that around, so I started looking at some of the fixed lens options.

The two that I've narrowed it down to in that category are the Fujifilm X100F and Panasonic LX100 II.

Kind of leaning toward the LX100-II, mostly because of the (albeit short) zoom. Any thoughts suggestions or constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.

Below are a couple of samples of the kind of stuff she (likes &) does. These were done with the in camera modes. Not PP on a computer.

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Most vacationers are looking for small size and weight without degrading photo quality, a quality fixed lens camera will probably be your best bet. My vote is for the Fuji X100 F. Your Wife has a good eye for photography. Good luck.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Personally, I would want a zoom lens, and one with more range than the LS100. However, that would probably put me in a camera with a smaller sensor. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV Digital comes to mind. Similar, but less expensive are the Panasonic DMC-FZ1000 and DMC-FZ2500.

If she insists on a pocketable camera, the Sony DSC-RX100 vii or Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 or Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 might be the best choice.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Both look like great choices. The big advantage they have over many bridge cameras is sensor size. The Fuji has a full APS-C sensor, the Panasonic a somewhat cropped MFT sensor. Either one will offer much better IQ than the small sensor in her Olympus. The disadvantage is they don't offer them zoom range found on those smaller sensor cameras, but it looks like that wouldn't be important to her type of work. The Fuji has a great reputation, but I like the Panasonic for a few reasons. One, the Fuji has a fixed lens, at 35mm equivalent it's slightly wide angle while the Panasonic gives you a 24-75mm equivalent range making it more versatile. The Panasonic is better for video, which may not be important on it's own, but it also has some pretty cool still photo capabilities based around the 4K video, like focus stacking and post focus. I also like the $300 price difference.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

I second the vote of Ched49 for the Fujifilm X100F.

davyboy Loc: Anoka Mn.

I believe the lx100 by Panasonic has a m4/3 sensor not totally sure but it gets wonderful reviews I think it would be a great fit

regularguy55

The Panasonic LX100 II offers more flexibility than the Fuji. The Fuji has better IQ because of the APS-C sensor but for me the extra zoom of the Panasonic is important and the IQ is still exceptional. The Lumix FZ1000 is a little larger bridge camera that is very well balanced for its size and the longer zoom has very good IQ. The FZ1000 price point with the features and flexibility offers a great bang for the buck.

Raybo Loc: George Town, Grand Cayman

Long zoom isn't really that much of an issue, but a short zoom as opposed to a prime might be useful.

We're going to AZ in November. I'll have a 6D mkII with several lenses up to 300mm (not dragging the 150-600 along...not looking for birds in the desert...well, maybe not!) and may have my D850 with lenses up to 200mm by then. But those will be more for the landscape which is what I focus on. But both of those would be a handful for her to learn between now and then. So it's more just something small to throw in a jacket pocket on a hike not purely dedicated to photography kind of stuff.

I like stuff about both of them, that's why it's a bit of a toss up for me, and hence, the request for thoughts and/or experience with them.

Thanks.

cascoly Loc: seattle

i've had excellent results with thee lu mix FZ-1000 w a 25-400 zoom - i get better overall results than with my previous dslr and at 1/2 the weight; i shoot 95+%

cascoly Loc: seattle

i've had excellent results with thee lu mix FZ-1000 w a 25-400 zoom - i get better overall results than with my previous dslr and at 1/2 the weight; i shoot 95+% intelligent auto, rarely needing any adjustments, and it's great for bracketing HDR

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

I agree with the X100F.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Does it have to be fixed lens? How about the Fuji X-T20 with the excellent 16-50 zoom “kit” lens (24-75 mm “FF equivalent”) - $799 at Adorama. Just a little heavier but much more versatile with room for future growth as the user’s needs change.

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

My vote is the Lumix LX100. I have the version 1.
There's a bit of a learning curve but it provides stunning results in my opinion. Ive been using it for over a year and it has now, almost totally, replaced my D7100. The Summilux 1.7 lens is excellent. The 24-70 range suits me for travel and touring.
I really like its sorts of retro feel when carrying it. And, the iA mode when you are feeling lazy is a very reliable alternative for shooting.
For someone looking to take over the settings from auto the iA (intelligent auto) will always be there to help out.
I dont use the special effects etc but there is a good range and I suspect the camera can apply them effectively.
Its not pocketable really unless your wife has a 'baggy' pocket but it does fit in a jacket pocket.
No regrets from this user.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Raybo you mentioned "cost and size, I figure it's best she just learns to hold the DSLR with an appropriate lens. " The phrase "best she just learns to hold the DSLR with an appropriate lens" is your preference, better that she have a small camera in her purse ready to capture the moment. She does not need to fuss with the bulk of a DSLR nor select the "Appropriate Lens." let her enjoy photography do not make it a burden.

The one-inch sensor Superzooms by Sony and Panasonic can be had at a reasonable price if you go with yesterdays camera. Yesterday's camera meaning the last year of 2 years ago model. For the most part, the "improvements" of the newest can be an annoyance; better to KIS [keep it simple].

I chose the Panasonic TZ100. The lens is super zoom affixed to the camera.. not detachable and turtles back into the body when turned off... making it pocket small ... many advanced features. If she is happy with Auto... fine... The composition is the important issue in photography, not image quality. Too many UHH people go crazy about IQ and do crappy jobs of composition and story telling.

In addition to Panasonic, Sony and now Canon have one-inch superzooms.

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

Theses are all Fuji X100f from a few days ago. I usually shoot Canon, but wanted to see what was possible from the fuji sensor. I'm finding the images to be quite good... you should consider the X100f for its 6000 x4000 crop-able image, and the unique Leif shutter...

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