Is there such a thing ?

Hi all,

I am looking for a new camera, but I am a little overwhelmed by the choices.

Ideally I would like a camera that:

(A) has the -> Canon A570IS

(B) has the -> Fuji f30

Lets say budget is in the sub $350 range.

Do you know anything that comes close ?

No that doesn't exist. Only Fuji ever managed the low-light thing well in compact cameras.

The Canon you mention probably comes as close as anything else.

If you're really keen on getting decent low-light photos you'll have to think hard about an SLR.

--
Androo
http://Androo.smugmug.com

Thanks Androo,

I see the Canon 350D goes for about $450 ... so I will think about it (a little over budget).

Hi all,

More questions

What are your opinions on
1) Fuji Finepix E900
2) Kodak Z1085 IS

Both have large sensors 1/6 in
Both use AA batteries
Both have fully manual mode

Nikon D40 - fulfills majority of the things you wanted :

compact, full manual, a lot of lenses out there with VR (IS), very, very usable ISO 1600 with a two step boost, uses SD cards and the kit goes around for $350-400 Used or I have seen used body only at $250 used. IQ, even with the kit lens is more than acceptable.

The only thing is it does not use AA batteries.

Hope this helps.

Respects,

Doni
--

...in matters of grave importance, style not sincerity is the vital thing - Oscar Wilde

Not everybody wants or needs a DSLR.

Cheers

I own a Fuji S6500 which has the same sensor as the F30 and I can tell you that I only use ISO 800 and higher if I am absolutely desparate or the flash won't go far enough. Sure, that sensor does better than other small sensors but like other compacts, the NR system produces artifacts that remove detail and other nasties.

So my advice is to get a compact camera with a hot-shoe and use a tilting flash for indirect illumination unless you like to use your camera handheld for sunsets or any other scenes beyond flash range.

So, in conclusion, get a Canon S5IS if you want to stick to the brand.

Also, this camera has a viewfinder (EVF) which is a necessity in bright sunlight.

Cheers

Guys,

What about the Canon 650IS vs Fuji f50 ? (or even versus Fuji f100fd) ?

rocklobster said:

Not everybody wants or needs a DSLR.

Cheers

Click to expand...

I have to agree. The DSLR is NOT for everyone. However, the OP gave a list of things he/she wanted from a camera. Majority (actually ALL, except the use of AA) fell into the category of the Nikon D40. I believe that more choices gives the op more options and opens up possibilities to make an informed decision.

I gave my opinion, which is as valid as yours =) It is, after all, just an opinion and suggestion. It will ultimately be the OP's choice.

to the OP: Just for you, I did a quick research =) A quick research on the web will provide you a link to a 3rd party battery grip for the Nikon D40 that allows the use of a AA batteries. I believe I saw some recently on ebay.

In the end, it is your decision and I wish you the best! Happy shooting!

Respects,

Doni

--

...in matters of grave importance, style not sincerity is the vital thing - Oscar Wilde

doni,

Don't worry about it all suggestions are welcome.

Size is not too much of a problem (though compact is preferable), but the budget is more of a priority. So even an slr-like option might be fine (such as a Fuji S6000fd ... or similar). I like to keep it in the sub $350 range (with lens included and everything).

By the way, thank you guys for all the responses so far. I am reviewing cameras left and right at the moment ... so keep the suggestions coming

Thomas

I would still recommend the S6500 (S6000), despite my other posting, because of its zoom range general image quality and it has RAW, from which you can achieve excellent results.

Only thing it lacks (for me) is a hot-shoe although the flash is quite powerful.

But seriously, what I need now is a compact camera with fast 'snapsot' capabilities. Even the S6500 is too big to lug around.

Cheers

rocklobster,

In the end it looks like I am going to agree with you !
I have clicked every single camera in the entire dp database in the past week.

There are a few options in my list, but the s6000fd seems to fit my criteria the most (and I think I might be able to squeeze it in my budget).

It has the f30 sensor (thus getting a taste of the f30)
It uses AA batteries
It has all the manual control I would want (at least as much as the 570is).

The closest runner up is the a650is (which has the advantage of small size) ... but I think the Fuji will win the battle to gain my confidence (it is nearly a done deal, and I am reading at the PDF manual as we speak).

Thanks to all suggestions gentlemen !

In the end I went with the s6000fd (it is out of stock in most places ... so I may have gotten the last one )

Good choice Thomas.

Just remember for those high contrast shots, set the camera to RAW (expose for highlights) and play with the images in PP. You will be impressed with what this camera can do provided that you are prepared to perform some sharpening and noise reduction to get a good result.

Cheers

Thanks for the tips rocklobster

You (and others) mentioned that the s6000fd uses the f30 sensor. Should I expect the same IQ and the same ISO performance ? Is there a gallery that compares their output side by side ?

EDIT: Oh, never mind, I found this on the main review:

"and disappointingly - the S6000fd's high ISO performance (particularly at ISO 1600 and 3200) isn't anywhere near as good as the F30, a camera with, apparently, the same sensor. The only explanation is a change in the internal processing."

So ... that is why you have been suggesting playing with RAW images

Thomas An said >

"and disappointingly - the S6000fd's high ISO performance (particularly at ISO 1600 and 3200) isn't anywhere near as good as the F30, a camera with, apparently, the same sensor. The only explanation is a change in the internal processing."

There are several reasons for this -

1. The ISO accuracy of the F30 is a little innacurate - 1/3 to 1/2 a stop and you can check this through a myriad of postings around 1 year ago in Fuji forums. Also, the S6000 tends to overexpose by about 1/2 a stop.

2. You are right about yhe internal processing. The S6000 tends to oversharpen images which makes noise and noise reduction artifacts look worse. This was probably done intentionally to compensate for lens softness at the tele end of the zoom.
3. The F31 is also worse than the F30 - possibly because of reason 1.

Some tips for making S6000 images look better -

To make JPEG images shot at ISO 800 and above look better, I shoot with SHARPNESS set to soft and sharpen later but only if I need to for a larger print or crop.

But, if that all seems to hard to handle, just shoot RAW and post process to remove as much noise as you like to get the right balance. You will find other advantages such as not having the limitations of the contrasty tone curve that afflicts JPEGs shot in bright situations.

There are many RAW converters availible but the best combo that I have found in freeware is S7RAW for setiing the white balance, parameters curve and sharpening and then NeatImage for noise reduction. I know that this is a two stage process but the result is still better than just using NeatImage on the JPEGs.

Cheers