Camera Choice

I'd been using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20 for some years. It's got a 14.2Meg 1/2.33" sensor and a 16x zoom. I wanted to replace it because:

• Fluff had got inside the lens and was visible at some focal lengths
• The zoom tended to stick
• I was underwhelmed by the low light performance - my Samsung A3 (2017) phone was better.

I selected a Canon G7x Mk II. for it's 1" sensor although I was worried that the 4.2x zoom might frustrate me.

So I took both cameras out to Cirencester park on a clear day. From the main track, you can see the tower of the church in Cirencester:

Shot with the Canon G7x Mk II

When I got home, I zoomed in on the church tower:

G7x Mk Ii    TZ20

I'm not quite sure how, but the Canon seems to have been much better at recording "distant detail". The Panasonic does have some advantages - when composing the shot, that church tower looks a lot bigger on the screen making it easier to frame the shot.

Comparing both cameras with my eyesight:

• The TZ20  viewfinder is better than my eyes at distant detail but not as good in poor light
• The G7X Mk II viewfinder is not quite as good as my eyes at distant detail but it's much better in than my eyes in poor light. The image you can extract is better in both respects.