jcolwell Offline Upload & Sell: On
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One of the most important contrubitors to image quality (IQ) is sensor size. I have three compact P&S cameras: RX100, S110, and ELPH 330HS, with decreasing sensor size and decreasing IQ, in the order listed. In comparison with mobile phones, even my "low end" 330HS is way better. I posted a comparison of the ELHP and my Galaxy Note 3 (which has a good camera, as far as mobile phones go), earlier this year. It makes sense to use a smart phone or tablet (or phablet) instead of a decent P&S camera if convenience is your highest priority, not IQ.
ELPH vs GN3 https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1277151
The DPR "Roundup: Enthusiast Zoom Compact Cameras" is worth a read. It's almost two years old, yet the S110 and RX100 still stand out. Newer versions of both cameras exist (S120, RX100 II, and RX100 III).
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/2367736880/roundup-enthusiast-zoom-compact-cameras
You might find a used RX100 for under $250, definitely for under $300. The RX100 and S110 both save RAW and/or JPG files, while the 330HS only saves JPG.
Finally, I've attached a summary of specs for my three P&S cameras. Many people aren't aware that sensor sizes for P&S cameras are quoted with respect to a cinema lens measurement quantity, based on the image circle required to provide decent IQ within the smaller film frame or sensor size. I've included the common "sensor size names" for my P&S cameras, along with the diagonal of these sensors, in inches. You can see that the RX100 "one inch" sensor has a sensor diagonal of just over one-half inch. For comparison, the diagonal of an APS-C "1.6x CF" sensor is about 1.1", and a FF sensor is about 1.7".
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