Digital Point & Shot

panocho · Apr 16, 2005

I shot mostly film, but sometimes use a digital -it helps to prepare the shots you want to do or just have a little fun :mrgreen: . It obviously is just a point & shot what I use, since I am not into digital

The case is that I would like to buy one. So far I have been using a kodak CX7300 (3.2 MP) with sometimes good results (landscapes, for example) but also very disapointing to "close" distances (and close can mean about 4 or 5 feet! :thumbdown: ). Then, it has also been a little disapointing when printing the results (and I did not print them myself, but send them to a lab) At 3" prints you can see the grain already.

My very limited knowledge on digital tells me that lens is as much important as pixels to get sharpness. What would you recommend among the point & shot cheapies? I really don't want to spend money on this (I prefer to save it for film

) so it should be something around $150. I will appreciate any suggestions!

photong · Apr 16, 2005

all i can think of to suggest is the zoom, whether it be digital or optical. I dont bother using either (especially digital because it sucks A LOT) if I can help it. i noticed either make the sharpness of the image worse.

*brag* I use a Fujifilm A303 and it's awesome. it has macro, and i can adjust the exposure (it doesnt go by aperture and shutter speed though, it does it's own thing) etc. It's a 3.2 and is good with enlargements. I have no complaints about the sharpness but like all other digital, sometimes i needs help from Photoshop. the camera costed about $300CAD. But it's prolly replaced by a newer model by now since its been a year and a half since I got it.

So watch out for that zoom, it could be your problem.

I've used this camera for portraits, landscape (with and without people), and tabletop product images. If you go to my website, and go to the food section (and others http://amhr.freelinuxhost.com/gallery_food.htm) you can see some pictures from my minidigi

The prints are amazing as well. */brag*

Goodluck!!

catweh00 · Apr 17, 2005

I have used Canon Point and Shoot cameras (for action, landscape, nightscape, portrait shots, etc) and they work very well. I use to have a nikon 4300, but it didn't have an AF Assist lamp, which is very important for P/S cameras. Now I think the nikons come with the AF lamp, and if that is the case, I would choose them (if you do a lot of macro). They have nikkor lenses and are great in macro mode.

Personally, I am through with P/S because of my nikon d70. The camera is just so fast. But expensive, and if you are shooting stagnant, unmoving objects, you'll be fine with nikon or canon's A series. I would choose canon for sports/action photos.

Or you could save up and get a dSLR--you'll love it!! No more film! All the quality! Ok, well, there is my pitch for dSLR. Sorry, I had to.

Canon A95 is great or A75 ($159.00). Nikon Coolpix 4100 is pretty good.

Good luck!
Craig

panocho · Apr 17, 2005

Thanks for the comments. The macro is something that I'd love to have, so I'll check those models you mention.
Apart from the focusing capabilities, which I really need to improve, the quality of the lenses is, as I said, something that worried me. I guess that Canon, Nikon and Fuji have deserved good names and their lenses won't dissapoint. At least, I know their SLR lenses already.

Another question, does any of these cameras have the possibility of choosing the flash intensity? That's another thing that sucks on the Kodak. It always shot the same intensity and, either you are at a particular distance or the flash will burn the whole image!

Again, thanks. I didn't know the P&S had macro possibilities, and that's great!

panocho · Apr 17, 2005

photong said:
If you go to my website, and go to the food section (and others http://amhr.freelinuxhost.com/gallery_food.htm) you can see some pictures from my minidigi

The prints are amazing as well. */brag*

Goodluck!!

Did you really shot this pictures with the Fujifilm A303!!??
They are excellent! I had already seen some of these here in the forum (congratulations for the pics, by the way!), but I assumed they had been made with a dSLR!!

Now that I see these pictures, two things are clear: 1, the Kodak I use sucks and 2, I am sure I will be very happy if I buy one of these you recommend

Great advices! thanks!

tempra · Apr 17, 2005

I have a Canon Powershot S45, and you can alter the flash levels on that - not sure about the a95, but I would expect you could as the S45 is nearly 3 years old now and things have moved on. Check dpreview for the features - or Canons website.

panocho · Apr 18, 2005

I have been doing some reading, both reviews and users' opinions. Although the Canon A70 seemed to be the best option (it really looks a nice P&S!), I found out that it develops a problem very often, the supposedly-famous "error E18". I also read that this means the end of the camera, since it's not worthwhile to fix it (it costs as much as a new camera).

I'll probably go for the Nikon, even though the Canon looked better to me!

I wonder, what is it about Canon that it seems they always have to put the cherry on the top with some particular problem? In the 80's, the famous shutter squeak on their A-1 and AE-1 models. Now, this issue that, again, is associated with Canon brand!