Fuji Suggestions for a P&S

CaptZoom

Veteran
A friend asked me to recommend a camera for his special lady friend. She's been using some P&S for the last ten years, and he wants to get here a new one for her birthday. His two (and and implied 3rd*) requirements are:
1) A good quality zoom lens (as far P&S are concerned)
2) Total budget is $500
*3) Has to be brand new

My first impulse was to recommend the X20. But it may be too intimidating and it's definitely outside his budget. I've narrowed my recommendations down to four cameras:
Pentax MX-1
Fuji XF1
Panasonic LX7
Pentax WG-3 (she's a long distance runner and competes nationally)

Of the four, which would you recommend?
 
I bought my Wife the XF1 for her birthday. She loves it. It is a more than capable performer and satisfies in the style stakes too, particularly in the tan finish with matching case. She is fascinated by the zoom mechanism. It has encouraged her to do more photography of her own - she has a good eye - and has the advantage of being small enough to fit in her handbag du jour. No viewfinder, but you can boost the lcd display brightness in bright sunlight. I'd say it was a good bet.

Sent from another Galaxy
 
"My first impulse was to recommend the X20. But it may be too intimidating and it's definitely outside his budget. I've narrowed my recommendations down to four cameras:
Pentax MX-1
Fuji XF1
Panasonic LX7
Pentax WG-3 (she's a long distance runner and competes nationally)

Of the four, which would you recommend?"

Of the four I'd recommend the Panasonic LX-7; the images I've seen are superb, and the ergonomics excellent!
That said, I am looking for a fast P & S for a December trip to France... have you considered the Canon G15? Zoom range is 28-140, F1.8-2.8, and eye-fi capable!
 
"My first impulse was to recommend the X20. But it may be too intimidating and it's definitely outside his budget. I've narrowed my recommendations down to four cameras:
Pentax MX-1
Fuji XF1
Panasonic LX7
Pentax WG-3 (she's a long distance runner and competes nationally)

Of the four, which would you recommend?"

Of the four I'd recommend the Panasonic LX-7; the images I've seen are superb, and the ergonomics excellent!
That said, I am looking for a fast P & S for a December trip to France... have you considered the Canon G15? Zoom range is 28-140, F1.8-2.8, and eye-fi capable!

I've not considered the Canon G series. I have a G11 or 12 (haven't used in awhile) at work. The control dial stopped functioning properly three months after purchase! As for the friends GF, the G series would have the same problem as the X20 in that it will seemingly be too complicated.
 
It's a pity that the Sony RX100 is over budget, as I consider that to be the king of the point-and-shoots and an obvious choice for your friend. The X20 is more of an enthusiast's camera, by all accounts, and it probably is too intimidating - particularly if the current recommendation is to shoot RAW for best results.

Of the shortlist you've provided, I'd probably go for the LX7. People just seem to like it, and the results I've seen have been great.

-R
 
I've seen Olympus E PM2 with 14-42 kit advertised for $424.
Of The four above I think the Panasonic is the best bang for the buck.

Regardless of the good pricing, I wouldn't call the E-PM2 a point and shoot and it definitely does not have the form factor, even with the collapsible zoom. (I got an E-PL2 with that same lens from my son for $200; it was refurbished but I count that as new as it came with a one year warranty. But it's not a P&S still.)
 
Fuji X10's are on ebay for under $500 new, shoot size M, DR 400, jpeg's and it will do what other point and shoots can only dream of IMO.

Tim
 
In the rugged camera category, you might also consider the Olympus TG-1 or TG-2. Or, for pure style points, good image quality and very lightweight (should be easiest to bring on a run), the Sony TX20 or TX30.

In the non-rugged class, I think XF1, LX7 or LF7 would be your best bets. The Canon S-series seems to have lost quite a bit of popularity among enthusiasts in the last few years, but that might simply be due to the number of more enthusiast-oriented cameras being launched by competitors. I think a camera with an internal lens cover (instead of a loose lens cap) is preferred by most casual consumers.
 
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