Originally posted by buffalobillI have the later model 5500z and it's great. 64-400asa and chome film settings and lots of manual options which are simple to use.
I've got a Fuji S5000 with 10x optical, which is a couple of years old, so don't accept anything less.
A personal thing here is that anything you buy is going to be redundant on the day of purchase so you could look at the cameras that use interchangeable optical lenses. Previously I had a smaller Fuji and I can't re-use anything - memory cards inclu ...[text shortened]... few years. Separate the lens from the case and you won't go wrong.
My thoughts. Any comments?
It's only 4mp but the 8 x 10 prints it produces are brilliant using 10x optical zoom. The burst and continuos shooting is not as fast as a dslr but produces good results and should be used for action to over come shutter lag inherant with all this type of digitals.
This camera will take you through to when you are ready for a dslr.
If you want a compact Sony Cybershot S90.. my wife loves her's and her 8 x10s are superb.
Originally posted by PBE6No. That's not what it means.
Every other camera on the market in the price range I was looking at has 3x optical zoom at best, so no I'm not being facetious. 10x must mean that camera has a pretty kickass lens.
It means the lens, for that price, is not very good.
It probably has a 40mm to 400 mm lens.
But a GOOD lens general doesn't start till 70mm.
If you look at good zoom lenses, you generally have a 100 mm to 300 mm zoom.
The reason why is light and focus.
You know the pictures where you get something at central distance sharp and things closer and further away are slightly out of focus? That's a good lens and that's not one that starts at 40mm.
A 40mm lens zoomed x10 (to make the 400mm) will hardly have any lighting. So you'll get close up photos without anything extra.
So, you have to ask yourself what sort of photos you want to take. Do you want semi-professional photos? Get a mirror-reflex camera with a proper lens (I'm translating mirror-reflex from Dutch, I'm not sure what it's called in English...but the shop will know what I mean).
If you want holiday snaps, don't bother with a 500$ camera.
All the photos on my website are made with a 200$ HP camera (that's got a pentax lens in it). The camera is 3.1megapixels and 3x optical zoom. The lens...wait for it...is 7mm to 21 mm (VERY SMALL).
All the photos can be printed on 20x30cm and still look good (not the photos as I've put them on the website though, I had to shrink them).
On a 128mb card I can shoot 81 such photos.
The only reason I can think for buying a small lens with a mega-zoom would be if you're going on safari or something (taking dirty pictures of topless women on beaches). .
Originally posted by shavixmirIf you only want snaps with everyone and everything in the distance Shav's right.
No. That's not what it means.
It means the lens, for that price, is not very good.
It probably has a 40mm to 400 mm lens.
But a GOOD lens general doesn't start till 70mm.
If you look at good zoom lenses, you generally have a 100 mm to 300 mm zoom.
The reason why is light and focus.
You know the pictures where you get something at central ...[text shortened]... if you're going on safari or something (taking dirty pictures of topless women on beaches). .
Practically every digital camera consumer advisory service says to get maximum mp and maximum optical zoom for your dollar bracket.
We just gave the 3mp away. The clarity of the fuji 5500 means I can take reasonable shots of my kids of my kids on the other side of the football field and take photos of a stage from the back of a hall...easily and blow them up too. with 3x opt zoom you'll always want more and when you blow them up (you loose clarity.) If you want 3 or 4x opt zoom get more mp. There are plenty of 4 or 5mp cams in the lower price range. (we upgraded from 3x opt & 3mp very quickly)
I know it's confusing but you have to deside and stick to your price and then apply the above.
I'll be out of the 5500 and into a dslr by the end of the year hopefully.. again more mp and faster shutter plus as shav says higher lens quality.
Check out some of the steves reviews
Originally posted by Tirau DanBump.
If you only want snaps with everyone and everything in the distance Shav's right.
Practically every digital camera consumer advisory service says to get maximum mp and maximum optical zoom for your dollar bracket.
We just gave the 3mp away. The clarity of the fuji 5500 means I can take reasonable shots of my kids of my kids on the other side of the f ...[text shortened]... ster shutter plus as shav says higher lens quality.
Check out some of the steves reviews
I just bought my digital camera!! Sweet Jehosephat, I love taking pictures of unsuspecting saps...ummm, I mean "friends".
I got the Canon Powershot A95, 5.0mp with 3x optical zoom, with a 512 MB memory card. I've been taking stupid snaphots of peoples faces and backsides (when they run away...heheh, they can never get away...), and I must say I'm impressed. It's easy to use and abuse, and I'm looking forward to figuring out how to take a nice picture using it. Thanks for the advice, eveybody!
Snapsily yours,
Andy Boy (aka PBE6)
Originally posted by PBE6good for you... they interface directly with canon printers which are cheap and easy...
Bump.
I just bought my digital camera!! Sweet Jehosephat, I love taking pictures of unsuspecting saps...ummm, I mean "friends".
I got the Canon Powershot A95, 5.0mp with 3x optical zoom, with a 512 MB memory card. I've been taking stupid snaphots of peoples faces and backsides (when they run away...heheh, they can never get away...), and I must say I ...[text shortened]... nice picture using it. Thanks for the advice, eveybody!
Snapsily yours,
Andy Boy (aka PBE6)
WE WANNA SEE YOU IN RHP PHOTO CLUB!!!! see Rag's Photo Comp thread...
Originally posted by PBE6Digital Camera Advice:
I'm looking to buy a digital camera for taking various snapshots, nothing too fancy. I'd like to get at least a 5 megapixel camera in case I want to print out 8x10 or larger pictures without noticeable loss of quality.
Anyone bought a digital camera recently that they're happy with? Any suggestions/advice?
Don't leave them around were friends or roomates can get ahold of them otherwise you'll end up with 50+ pictures of someone's genitals taken from various angles... if you're REALLY lucky someone will through in a picture of their dogs bollox to keep you on your toes.
Sorry. Off on a tangent here. A friend of mine went into a camera shop a couple of years back, to buy a digital camera. The shop assistant, who was showing him this particular model, only went and dropped the thing on the floor. He then picked it up, mentioned that it was shock proof or something and continued trying to sell him the blooming thing.