[Gigabomber]

All we have is an old Cannon digital that, I think, sucks.

The new Nikon is coming out soon, and I would have to get it the day it hits the shelves if i want it as a present, but 600 bucks (with lens) for a new model...I dunno about that.

I'm more interested in something tried and true.

I should say that I want, more or less, point and shoot functionality while being able to manually adjust for the picture on the spot if necessary.

And yes pds6, I've wanted to get my mother a camera I like and will use more than her for a while now but have been scared that I will leap on one that is too expensive for how little we use it.

 

[GlendaleViper]

Considering the camera is FOR your mom, and it sounds like she would be more interested in a point and shoot, I will definitely recommend the Canon A range of cameras. They accept "AA" sized batteries (alkaline and rechargeable), and they have a pretty sweet spread as far as automatic presets are concerned - but they all come with Aperture and Shutter priorities, Program mode, and full Manual. Furthermore, they use Canon's DiGIC II processor which is lightning quick.

 

[Gigabomber]

So has Cannon basically taken over the camera scene?
I remember old Nikons used to have the best picture quality.

 

[Naris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabomber So has Cannon basically taken over the camera scene? I remember old Nikons used to have the best picture quality.

In the point and shoot category at least. Nikon point and shoots have... ridiculously dumbed down controls. Canon at least lets you use some manual control. The image stabilization is also nice (though many manufacturers are doing the same... notable exception being Fuji... which is a pity as an IS F30 would be AWESOME).

EDIT: Not to mention Canons are some of the only point and shoots that still use optical viewfinders (which are of admittedly mediocre quality but when you can't use the LCD...).

 

[jpelg]

I went to B&H after work tonight and handled a few camera models. The Canon G7 is too small for me overall. There is no grip area to speak of, and more importantly the finish is so slippery that it does not inspire confidence in me not dropping it repeatedly. Very disappointing. Next!

Btw, I looked at a few <$1k SLR models, and was surprised at my finding. Hint: Neither Nikon nor Canon were my choice. Not Sony either.

 

[vibin247]

Is your mother against photographing with film? If so, look into getting a used Nikon D50 kit. I'm still for photographing with film, after seeing a bunch of Kodachrome slides a guy came in with one day at the photo lab I'm working at. The prints that we produced were just absolutely rich with color and sharpness. Most of the slides were shot in the mid 50s

 

[majid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabomber So has Cannon basically taken over the camera scene? I remember old Nikons used to have the best picture quality.

Nope, that was always Leica's prerogative...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naris The image stabilization is also nice (though many manufacturers are doing the same... notable exception being Fuji... which is a pity as an IS F30 would be AWESOME).

No, the trade-off for IS is a smaller sensor, typically a 1/2.5" or 1/2.7" vs. the F30's 1/1.7". The F30 gets it's superior sensitivity a little from the SuperCCD layout, but mostly because it has a much larger sensor than most point-and-shoots.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naris EDIT: Not to mention Canons are some of the only point and shoots that still use optical viewfinders (which are of admittedly mediocre quality but when you can't use the LCD...).

That's a good point - without an optical VF, you have to hold your camera at arm's length, and the resulting shake counterbalances any benefits from IS.

As for the Nikon D40 being unproven, it has essentially the same sensor as the D50, with the the AF package of the D80 in a lighter body, i.e. all the components have been proven in one or two generations already. I am a Canon shooter myself (hopefully soon switching to a M8), but the Nikon entry-level packages are mightily attractive.

 

[kugino]

bump...

i'm in the market for a relatively inexpensive ($200-$250) point and shoot digicam...and i want a fairly small one that i can stick in my pocket or my wife can stick in her little purse when we go out in the evenings or to the beach, etc. basically, for events when i don't want to lug my d70/18-200VR system.

i've been reading around on steves-digicams, dpreview, etc. (all the usual suspects) and in the price-range i'm looking at, it seems that a couple of canons and a fuji stand out...any thoughts on choosing b/n the following?

canon SD600
canon SD700 IS (a bit over my $250 max budget, but willing to bend if the IS really does make a huge difference)
fuji F30

and maybe the casio ex850 (i think that's the model)...some of the newer samsungs look okay. my present point and shoot is the old and venerable canon A70, which is finally dying on me...i like canon point and shoots but can be swayed to other manufacturers. i want something small, so the elph series appeals to me...but after size, i'm interested in night-time/low-light quality and then some manual controls. any thoughts?

 

[sorrick]

I would reccomend the fuji f30. In terms of color reproduction I think that fuji cameras are tough to beat. The high iso capabilities of the camera however, are what really make it stand out. It allows you to take shots without a flash that you would never dream to take with other cameras. The only downside to the camera is the xd picture format which is not used in other camera brands so if you already have cards you would need to buy new ones. Fuji just announced the f40 which does accept sd cards (although they got ride of one of the priority modes--either aperature or shutter priority, I can't remember which one). I have have a fuji point and shoot and I definitely think that the fuji's produce the best jpegs straight out of the camera, which is great if you're not planning on doing tons of image editing.

I also applaud fuji for realizing that picture quality and megapixel count are not necessarily one in the same. You don't need more than six megapixels in a point and shoot (the sensor is so small that noise becomes tough to control when you keep cramming in the pixels). Fuji has spent a lot of time focusing on improving the quality you get from each pixel and it shows in the end results

 

[GlorytheWiz825]

Do you really "need" a camera?

You can buy a cheap $250 camera and put the rest to audiogear!

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sorrick /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would reccomend the fuji f30. In terms of color reproduction I think that fuji cameras are tough to beat. The high iso capabilities of the camera however, are what really make it stand out. It allows you to take shots without a flash that you would never dream to take with other cameras. The only downside to the camera is the xd picture format which is not used in other camera brands so if you already have cards you would need to buy new ones. Fuji just announced the f40 which does accept sd cards (although they got ride of one of the priority modes--either aperature or shutter priority, I can't remember which one). I have have a fuji point and shoot and I definitely think that the fuji's produce the best jpegs straight out of the camera, which is great if you're not planning on doing tons of image editing. I also applaud fuji for realizing that picture quality and megapixel count are not necessarily one in the same. You don't need more than six megapixels in a point and shoot (the sensor is so small that noise becomes tough to control when you keep cramming in the pixels). Fuji has spent a lot of time focusing on improving the quality you get from each pixel and it shows in the end results

i totally agree with you about megapixels and picture quality...sigh...the biggest myth in consumer digicam world, IMO.

right now i'm leaning toward the f30 simply b/c of its outstanding picture quality...the comparisons in dpreview are amazing...the f30 is better at iso800 than the canon sd700IS at iso200!! i love taking low-light photos without flash so it seems the f30 is better by far...although the IS feature of the canon would mean i could take pictures at lower ISO, too...

need to go to a brick and mortar just to see how the sizes compare...

 

[450]

Do they have to be jpeg or is there an option that lets you have lossless type save file?

 

[kugino]

reviving an older thread to ask some advice...

i want to get a new ultra-portable point and shoot...preferably before leaving for a trip to NYC in april. the canon SD600 is $199 at staples right now, which is a pretty good deal. i really want the sd700 but i won't pay $300 for it...the fuji f30 is nice but i don't want to pay more than $200.

anyway, the question is, should i just pick up the sd600 or wait until all the new models start trickling out later this year? most of the new stuff from nikon, pentax, casio, and sony have image stabilization, which i love b/c i don't like using the flash...

as with any electronics purchase, the question is buy now or wait for enhanced models in the future...what do you guys think?