I can see you can multiply, but my point is that saying the CP5000 has 3x zoom is misleading because this "zoom" is less than most other digicam's 3x "zoom"... using the fov measurements (84mm vs 102mm) and (28mm vs 34mm) is much less ambiguous.
I'm sure the 28mm wide angle is great for wide angle shots. My point is that there is a corresponding tradeoff on the telephoto side (the focal range is shifted down). This was in response to the previous poster's comment that the Nikon's 3x zoom is plenty and I was saying that compared to most other digicams (not just G2 and 707), it is much less than 3x zoom.
My zoom formula is based on a 35mm max wide angle, the Sony is 38mm... the Sony has 5.5x zoom, but this is at the cost of poor wideangle capability. See, the point is that you have tradeoffs.
You're exactly right. While technically the CP5K is a legitimate 3x optical zoom camera, having only an 85mm-equivalent at full zoom is weak (IMHO).
--Franco
Thanks for the explaination..... For a minute I thought it really did have a 3 times "Zoom".
That's perfectly good workaround.
True.
This is a debate over terms. In my previous post I said the CP5000 is strong (i.e. good for) wide angle shot, but "weak" (less suitable) for telephoto shots while the Sony F707 is "weak" (less suitable) for wide angle shots and very strong (very good for) telephoto shots.
I disagree and that why I wanted to point it out - most people think in zoom factors. Not everyone here is as steeped in camera knowledge as you are (I myself still get fooled by zoom factors sometimes).
Pardon? You might want to elaborate on this claim? Having to screw on and off telelphoto attachments is somewhat annoying. Especially since the TC-E2 locks the zoom 3 steps away from max zoom to avoid vignetting (meaning you have to take off the lens to shoot normally shots). The TCE3 actually uses 1.2x digital zoom to avoid vignetting as well.
I'd agree with you if the CP5K was being marketed as a wide angle camera but it's not; it's being marketed as a general purpose camera. Given this, I feel that the 85mm-equivalent maximum is weak. Just my take.
Make no mistake, the CP5K is definitely being marketed as a head-on competitor to both the Sony F707 as well as the G2. It is most certainly not being marketed in a "different category". I agree with you that it is, in fact, in a different category but this is due strictly to its feature set which, from a general purpose point of view, isn't as competitive as what the other two offer. I think it's safe to say that most people buying a nice quality prosumer camera in the US$1000 price range aren't looking for a "wide angle-centric" camera. Again, just my take.
Could you explain what you mean by 'liveliness'? What lab tests did you do to confirm your conclusions? What sample images did you use to perform your comparisons? Or is this just an 'eyeball analysis' type of lab test.
