Re: choice of camera

The main thing for me is I'll have to learn to "use" it. Clearly Auto
setting is not going to work that well in many of the places I'll be going.
It's like a guitar I bought years ago, I had great problems with it at
first, but once I got it set up (professionally) it all started to come
together, I learned how to handle it better. This could be the same with
the camera.

But fact is, I was really disappointed in a non programmable self timer - I
though most mid range digi cameras would do that. My SLR (Ricoh xrx is 15
years old) and that does it.

I'll post another test soon, but this weekend I'm busy so it might take a
few weeks. It'll give me time to learn the thing! Got a funny feeling that
bright sun will make the pics better, but when do we get that?

Jhimmy

Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the
wonderful person Andy Champ <[email hidden]> said

Quoted message said:

Shaun Woodward wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

Should the camera manufacturers make what we walkers or backpackers
want ie a good wide angle lens in a lightweight compact body.

<snip more>

Not always.

I have a 10x zoom lens (Kodak DX6490), this lets me do the
wide-angle-landscape, or have a good crack at the deer in the next
field. It isn't exactly pocket sized though!

My Olympus C-2100 UZ has the same facilities and same drawback -
basically it's too big to carry all the time, but it can get you the
wildlife shots that most other cameras can't (and it'll do the wide
angle too) .. Image stabilised as well, which is sort of a requirement
at 10x zoom, unless you also pack a tripod..

One of these days I'm going to have to get something that can sit in the
jacket pocket all the time though. Or maybe, by then, the mobile phone,
MP3 playing, GPS handset will have the required functionality. 8>.

--
GSV Three Minds in a Can
Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.

Shaun Woodward wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

Should the camera manufacturers make what we
walkers or backpackers want ie a good wide angle lens in a lightweight
compact body.

<snip more>

Not always.

I have a 10x zoom lens (Kodak DX6490), this lets me do the
wide-angle-landscape, or have a good crack at the deer in the next
field. It isn't exactly pocket sized though!

Andy

The message <[email hidden]>
from "Jhimmy" <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

I'll post another test soon, but this weekend I'm busy so it might take a
few weeks. It'll give me time to learn the thing! Got a funny
feeling that
bright sun will make the pics better, but when do we get that?

But would you recommend it to others? I really need to replace my
digital camera (no optical zoom) but am totally bewildered by what is
now available.

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 34 summits
New - 15 (Marilyns 4, Sweats 1, Outlying Fells 10)
Repeats - 19 (Marilyns 5, Sweats 10, Wainwrights 12, Outlying Fells 0)

"Roger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from "Jhimmy" <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

I'll post another test soon, but this weekend I'm busy so it might take a
few weeks. It'll give me time to learn the thing! Got a funny
feeling that
bright sun will make the pics better, but when do we get that?

But would you recommend it to others? I really need to replace my
digital camera (no optical zoom) but am totally bewildered by what is
now available.

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 34 summits
New - 15 (Marilyns 4, Sweats 1, Outlying Fells 10)
Repeats - 19 (Marilyns 5, Sweats 10, Wainwrights 12, Outlying Fells
0)

Not sure, Roger, the results in 2 days wasn't exactly great. Maybe I
expected a bit more then I should. I think I'm going to have to learn the
lost art of manually setting the thing.

According to a lot of test reports on the internet, it's a great camera.
The only other camera's I felt suited was the Nikon 7900 and the Olympus Mju
(the 5MP) weatherproof one.

The next chance of testing the S70 is over the bank holiday in 2 weeks time.
This time I'll give a good going over!

Jhimmy

Roger <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from "Jhimmy" <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

I'll post another test soon, but this weekend I'm busy so it might take a
few weeks. It'll give me time to learn the thing! Got a funny
feeling that
bright sun will make the pics better, but when do we get that?

But would you recommend it to others? I really need to replace my
digital camera (no optical zoom) but am totally bewildered by what is
now available.

I had a look at a Fuji Finepix S5500 Zoom today in Jessops.
Their price is now down to £229, and I liked it, but the guy asked me if
I had looked at the Konica Minolta Dimage Z5, at £379 including a case
and I think a larger memory card.

I had read the review for the Fuji, but not the other, so I told him I
would take a look at that before deciding, and pointed out that he had
lost his sale for today. He was actually quite helpful guy and knew
his way round both cameras.

I will probably go back there because it was the only place I could find
batteries for my ancient camcorder when other stores just sneered at me.
--
Gordon Harris

"Gordon Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Roger <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from "Jhimmy" <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

I'll post another test soon, but this weekend I'm busy so it might take
a
few weeks. It'll give me time to learn the thing! Got a funny
feeling that
bright sun will make the pics better, but when do we get that?

But would you recommend it to others? I really need to replace my
digital camera (no optical zoom) but am totally bewildered by what is
now available.

I had a look at a Fuji Finepix S5500 Zoom today in Jessops.
Their price is now down to £229, and I liked it, but the guy asked me if I
had looked at the Konica Minolta Dimage Z5, at £379 including a case and I
think a larger memory card.

I had read the review for the Fuji, but not the other, so I told him I
would take a look at that before deciding, and pointed out that he had
lost his sale for today. He was actually quite helpful guy and knew
his way round both cameras.

I will probably go back there because it was the only place I could find
batteries for my ancient camcorder when other stores just sneered at me.
--
Gordon Harris

Hi Gordon

I own both a S5500 and a Canon G5. Although the G5 has an extra megapixel
the S5500 produces shots that in my view are just as good ( I print up to
A3). One thing I personally like about the S5500 is that you have the
electronic viewfinder which believe you me makes it far easier to use than
trying to view an LCD screen in bright light.

At £229 its a real bargain and the 10X optical zoon is very handy indeed.
Out of the two cameras I prefer the Fuji to the Canon, but only just.

Martin

The message <[email hidden]>
from Gordon Harris <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

I had a look at a Fuji Finepix S5500 Zoom today in Jessops.
Their price is now down to £229, and I liked it, but the guy asked me if
I had looked at the Konica Minolta Dimage Z5, at £379 including a case
and I think a larger memory card.

Eeany, meany, miney, mo ...... :-)

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 34 summits
New - 15 (Marilyns 4, Sweats 1, Outlying Fells 10)
Repeats - 19 (Marilyns 5, Sweats 10, Wainwrights 12, Outlying Fells 0)

In message <[email hidden]>
"Jhimmy" <[email hidden]> wrote:

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Not sure, Roger, the results in 2 days wasn't exactly great. Maybe I
expected a bit more then I should. I think I'm going to have to learn
the lost art of manually setting the thing.

According to a lot of test reports on the internet, it's a great
camera. The only other camera's I felt suited was the Nikon 7900 and
the Olympus Mju (the 5MP) weatherproof one.

Olympus have also just announced a weatherproof 8MP Olympus Mju, but
I've not seen one in the flesh.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0505/05051201oly_mju800.asp

Both the 500

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Olympus/oly_stylus500.asp

and the newly announced 800 rely on using the new bright
vision LCD screen for framing the image, they don't have an optical
viewfinder unlike the 4MP 410 and 400 (which I have and like, and use
for rock climbing and ski-mountaineering because their light and
weatherproof).

The other compact (but not weatherproof) alternative from olympus which
I also have, is the C70 (or 7000) Zoom

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Olympus/oly_c7000z.asp

which is a fully featured 7MP which has a very wide zoom range from
35-190mm equivalent and has AP, SP and manual override as well as
various programme functions and histogram display.

Quoted message said:

The next chance of testing the S70 is over the bank holiday in 2 weeks
time. This time I'll give a good going over!

Jhimmy

--
M.R. Clark PhD
Cambridge University, Department of Pathology
Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP
Tel +44 (0)1223 333705

Martin <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

"Gordon Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I had a look at a Fuji Finepix S5500 Zoom today in Jessops.

I own both a S5500 and a Canon G5. Although the G5 has an extra megapixel
the S5500 produces shots that in my view are just as good ( I print up to
A3). One thing I personally like about the S5500 is that you have the
electronic viewfinder which believe you me makes it far easier to use than
trying to view an LCD screen in bright light.

At £229 its a real bargain and the 10X optical zoon is very handy indeed.
Out of the two cameras I prefer the Fuji to the Canon, but only just.

Martin

Thanks for that, Martin! The reviews I have looked at also showed
favourable sharpness over rivals, while there were comments about noise
on the Z5 at anything above 100 ISO. :-(
There were other factors, so in spite of the anti-shake on the Z5 I
think I'll go for the S5500.
I definitely want a black one this time, as I take photos of 'feathered'
birds through window glass, and the reflection of a shiny silver camera
is a disaster.
Regards
--
Gordon Harris

In article <[email hidden]>, Gordon Harris
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I take photos of 'feathered' birds

You have learned well my friend...

--

Dominic Sexton

Dominic Sexton <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Gordon Harris
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I take photos of 'feathered' birds

You have learned well my friend...

She looks good with her feather boa round her shoulders....
--
Gordon Harris

In article <[email hidden]>, Gordon Harris
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Dominic Sexton <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Gordon Harris
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I take photos of 'feathered' birds

You have learned well my friend...

She looks good with her feather boa round her shoulders....

In your garden? Good job its warming up again ;-)

--

Dominic Sexton

"Dominic Sexton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Gordon Harris
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I take photos of 'feathered' birds

You have learned well my friend...

--

Dominic Sexton

I actually take photos of the non feathered kind which is also very
enjoyable!! I wish I had done it as a career :-)

Martin

Roger said:

But would you recommend it to others? I really need to replace my
digital camera (no optical zoom) but am totally bewildered by what is
now available.

Well I've an old Canon S10 that I think it great!

Seriously, recently bought the missus a Kodak CX7530....depends on how
much you want to shell out?

David.

Andy Champ said:

Roger wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

But would you recommend it to others? I really need to replace my
digital camera (no optical zoom) but am totally bewildered by what is
now available.

Quoted message said:

IMHO the worst thing is that 6 months later it's obsolete.

Patience! If you choose wisely in five years it will have become a
classic, in ten a valuable antique :-)

--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]