Best lens on a compact digital camera?

Question

I'm looking to buy a new compact digital camera (I already have a digital SLR). I'm not so much interested in the latest gimmicks or an extreme number of megapixels or zoom range; my main criterion is lens quality.

I'd be grateful for recomendations on which camera(s) exhibit the least vignetting and curvature of straight lines at the corners of the image. I'm happy to pay a premium price for this but if you know of any bargains, I wouldn't mind hearing about them too!

Thanks.

Thanks for all the helpful answers so far, especially the ones that have been more specific about possible choices. The answers just seem to be getting better and better and it's going to be hard to choose a 'best', although Dr. Sam's is going to be hard to beat!

Answer 1

Check this out:

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a620-review/index.shtml

Then check out:

http://www.dcresource.com/buyersguide/

He puts lens reviews in these tests.

Other sites that may help:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html
http://www.popphoto.com/buyingguide/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp

I'd like to think that the Leica lenses on Leica cameras are good, but I've heard that the Panasonic cameras using Leica lenses are not that good as cameras.

I'm not a huge fan of Kodak, but they do have some Schneider lenses on the upscale models, if you look for them.

I've had no other brand besides Nikon for P&S cameras and I always felt that the LENS was what made these cameras better than some others.

These were all shot with a Cloopix 4600, which cost less than $200 when I got it as a pocket camera, pretty much what you are looking for, to use when I don't want to haul out the D200 and others... Check for distortion (or lack of it) in the Ben Franklin picture. Check for vignettign in any of them. (Well, the sunsets are dark in the corners, but the light falls off naturally.)

500KB - http://members.aol.com/swf08302/benfranklin.jpg
Supported on a metal fence for about a 3 second exposure
The camera was in "auto" mode and I just held it still.

1.7 MB - http://members.aol.com/swf08302/commsthouse.jpg
Just a grab shot of a particular house

2MB - http://members.aol.com/swf08302/sunset20060214.jpg
Pretty winter sunset

38KB - http://members.aol.com/swf08302/solstice20051221.jpg
That's Venus up in the sky

Answer 2

Digital compacts will have zoom on it so you won't have to choose a prime lens (50mm if you did, it's stunning for portraits and general use- my yashica mannuel has this lens and I often choose it over my Canon Digital SLR)...unless you went for a leica. Leica every day of the week if money isn't an object, they are the best quality. I think they also make lenses for olympus- but don't quote me! It's not the camera's that bend the images, it's the lens- the wider you go the more you'll get it. Anything past 19mm will have that effect, but remember with digital you have to multiply the lens you get by 1.6- so no lens will be as wide as it says.

Answer 3

Hey Chris,
Have you tried one of the simple 6 to 8 m pix Canon or Nikon cameras with the optical zoom of about 4. You can get them at Walmart for about $189.00- 200+ anyway they are small and both have excellent optics! You can get the ones with less meg pix for even less but with excellent optics for closeup work! Both these companies optics are excellent in this line of small cameras! Sony lens in their High End cameras DSLR is excellent but their lens in their small cameras is not made by the same company and is just not the same! That is the advantage of both Canon and Nikon in-so-far as the lens quality, they make their own lens, and both do a darn good job! I honestly do not think you could go wrong getting either one of those brands. Probably if you were to just look for the best buy for a knock around camera for less serious use looks like this is what you want! Really their camera's just cannot be beaten for durability and overall quality. Look for the best price. On line there is a company that sells cameras that have been returned to the manufacturer and reconditioned and have a full warantee at good prices! I have purchased several cameras from them. Look around for factory reconditioned cameras they are a real good buy!

I have primarily Canons line of film cameras but I do have 2 of their Digitals one of which is the SLR.

Have a good day and good luck I myself like my Powershot S2 IS when I am on a trip along with one of my 35 mm camera bodies and a couple of lens! I will have to admit that the 12 to 1 optical zoom is pretty neat but I just wish it did not have a electronic viewfinder when I am outside! When shooting in the dark they are absolutely tremendous!

Have a good day

APS

Chris
Have to admit that He does have me beat on research and sources just trying to give you my personal experience! The doctor is a real good and thorough researcher! Really one of the better people surely wouldn't mind recommending him! There are some people who are real Jerks though! The Doctor is NOT one of them he gives good thorough sources and does not cut and paste other peoples work as his own!

Still like Canon and Nikon over the others with 37 years experience but only 15 or so with High end Digital!

Answer 4

In the most general terms, look for a well known camera manufacturer (Fuji, Olympus) that has moved on to digital cameras, not an electronics firm that also now do digital cameras. However, there is always an exception to every rule, and in this case it is Sony.

Answer 5

Trusted brand names should be best although I don't think that any digital lens will be as good as a film camera lens.
The quality of all lenses generally have fallen since the seventies

Answer 6

My husband uses binoculars and telescopes, and reckons Leica make the best lenses. When we came to buy a small digital camera, we bought a Panasonic with a Leica lens, and it's pretty good.

We once had a problem with a lens on a pair of Leica binoculars; I sent them off to Leica (in the UK) on a friday, and they came back to me on the monday, and they'd replaced the lens free of charge. Awesome service.

Answer 7

There's more to things than the actual lens, but to answer your question, many Sony cameras have excellent Zeiss lenses.

Answer 8

Hey I can recommend the panasonic tz1 its 10 times in 5 million pixel and 12.5 times in 3 million.also extremely compact and has image stabiliser...