Fast compact suggestions?

[marc]

I am looking for a compact camera for my father and am hoping for some suggestions

He has a compact Sony that's about 4 years old and is generally happy with it, except that he finds it too slow in operation so he misses a lot of pictures - I imagine it's mostly a focus speed issue, but perhaps also time to turn on.

I would prefer to give him a 4/3 with a pancake lens to keep it pocketable (which it has to be), but he would miss the zoom too much, so it seems that something like the Canon S95 or Olympus ZX-1 would be the way to go. Does anyone have experience with the operation speed, particularly focus speed of these cameras - or have similar ones to recommend?

[Brian Hirschfeld]

No Fuji X10?

[BernardLanguillier]

Your father seem like the very target of the Nikon J1 designers.

Its AF s faster than that of most DSLRs. Although I own one, don't take my word for it:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-11666-11988

Cheers,
Bernard

[MrSmith]

the new panasonic pancake zoom?

[marcmccalmont]

Bernard
How's the IQ of your J1?
I've never been happy with my p7000 or my s95
Still searching for the small camera with high IQ and good user interface!
Marc

[BernardLanguillier]

Bernard
How's the IQ of your J1?
I've never been happy with my p7000 or my s95
Still searching for the small camera with high IQ and good user interface!

I have not done any detailed/rigorous comparisons with anything else, but it feels very close to what my D80 used to deliver.

It is much superior to any compact I have used, including the S90/S95.

On other accounts, the J1 focusses faster, exposes much more accurately,... Now its UI is designed for people you are willing/able to give up control for the sake of a simple user experience. It does work for me the same way a car with an automatic gearbox works for me. There are cases now and then when I miss a few pics because it takes too long to change some settings, but the camera gets it right so incredibly often that it more than compensates for all the other cases.

Cheers,
Bernard

[BernardLanguillier]

One more:

http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2011/10/nikon-1-counterintuitive-crazy-and.html
http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2011/10/nikon-v1-part-two-wet-performance.html

Cheers,
Bernard

[AndreasE]

Bernard
How's the IQ of your J1?
I've never been happy with my p7000 or my s95
Still searching for the small camera with high IQ and good user interface!
Marc

Marc,
I own the P7000 (and some DSLRs). It was the reason to get into the System 1. See it from a package perspective.
Some images I shot in the first few weeks:
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5

My recommendation: Don't buy immediately, but give it a thorough consideration, if fits you,
Andy

[stever]

I've just ordered an X10 to replace my frustrating S90 (slow focus, high noise, fiddly controls, no viewfinder). The improvement in pocket cameras over the last 5 years has been quite disappointing.  Not interested in ultimate resolution from a pocket camera - just want good images for more than static subjects in good light.

i need to see more development of the mirrorless interchangeable systems before commiting - there's not a pocketable (even for big pocket) choice with built-in EVF, and the IQ of available camera/lens combinations can't persuade me to leave the 5D2 at home for reasonably serious shooting.

We'll see.