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The ultimate SMALL backup camera?

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DavidP said:
I'm not looking for something that will do ambient-light concert
photography. If I were, then the G3 would be the way to go.

I want something small and tiny I can carry with me. Something
with really good DOF (small sensors are good for that), and
hopefully not TOO much red-eye (the S400 seems to have a good
reputation in that regard).
Click to expand...
I don't know about the s400, I have an old s300 myself and while I love that camera, it has serious red-eye problems. I guess this is natural due to the size of the camera, as the flash is extremely close to the lens.

--
br
ZapE
 
Actually, the Kyocera 7135 is the one I'm drooling over. I haven't seen one "in the flesh", yet, though. I was initially impressed with the Treo, until I actually held one.

They don't make any of these cool phones for Cingular (which uses TDMA instead of CDMA -- unless I have that backwards .. . I can never remember which I have).
William Wood said:
If your Palm has an SD slot you can get a camera for it. The new
Kyocera 7135 Palm Phone has an SD slot. I'm getting one this week.
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
 
Here is the ultimate compact camera shown next to it's full-sized brother.


DavidP said:
I had just about decided that I wanted the Canon S400 as my
ultra-portable 3x zoom camera that I could have with me whenever I
wanted.

Then I made the mistake of going to Fry's yesterday, and seeing the
Pentax Optio S.

Wow, that thing makes the S400 look HUGE.

It will fit into a box of Altoids!

It's "only" 3.2 megapixels (compared to 4.0), and uses something
other than CF, but that's not a big deal. It can only do 30 second
movies (compared to 3 minutes), but that's that a big deal, either.

Neither is the shorter batter life, really.

Has anybody compared the images from these two cameras?

Casio makes a tiny one, too, though I believe it's a bit bigger
than the Pentax.

This is smaller than a credit card, and thinner than a deck of
cards. Like I said, it will fit into a box of Altoids!

The S400 could be made to fit into a shirt pocket, but it's still
substantially thicker (1.1" vs. 0.8") than this little Pentax.

--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Click to expand...
 
Exactly. I just select all the pictures I want to convert with the same lighting, including the expodisc shot, right click on the expodisc shot, and choose "convert image." Then I pick on the image, which selects the grey, and click "convert selected images."

Sometimes I take more than one expodisc shot if I am unsure of a lighting situation. With this method, I can try both shots (as well as the auto white balance) and choose the best one. Another plus is that you will also be building a library of expodisc shots or grey cards , which can work with a variety of lighting situations.
Alice
William Wood said:
Alice_61 said:
I really like our S30, which is our first and only digital camera.
I was first attracted to the S230 because it was so compact. But
my husband and I tried the cameras in the store and the S230
controls were too small for my husband. I realized that the S230
would be a little bulky in a pants pocket so I'd probably need a
small case, anyway. On the other hand, the G2 seemed too bulky, so
we decided on the S30.

I usually carry it in a Lowepro MX-10 bag, which also accommodates
an extra battery, CF card, and an expodisc, whose cord is thread
through the loop for the wrist strap along with the wrist strap. I
use the strap that came with the bag to carry it around my waist.

I really like shooting RAW because I can wait to choose a custom
white balance until conversion time. I just leave the white
balance set to auto and take an expodisc shot for each change in
lighting. That way I can whip out the camera and immediately start
shooting and then, when it's convenient, take an expodisc shot.

We have had the camera for about six weeks and I have taken 1800
pictures, most of them of my young child or of buildings. I love
having the camera ready at all times. I have taken good pictures
at the most unlikely places: shopping at Wal-mart, working in the
garden, playing with the neighbor children, passing interesting
buildings on my way to work. The S45 or S50 is probably a little
better, but I am quite happy with the S30 and think it is a good
value. The results are quite good.

Alice
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Got it as a shirt-pocket cam, and it's really worked well for me. Very quick to power up and shut down, focus is accurate and relative quick. Perfect for grab shots. It's so small you don't have any excuse for leaving it at home.

Only downside: it's so light it can be hard to keep steady. But when camera movement isn't a factor, the image quality is very good. Highly recommended.
Nill Toulme said:
Nill
~~
http://www.toulme.net
DavidP said:
I had just about decided that I wanted the Canon S400 as my
ultra-portable 3x zoom camera that I could have with me whenever I
wanted.

Then I made the mistake of going to Fry's yesterday, and seeing the
Pentax Optio S.

Wow, that thing makes the S400 look HUGE.

It will fit into a box of Altoids!

It's "only" 3.2 megapixels (compared to 4.0), and uses something
other than CF, but that's not a big deal. It can only do 30 second
movies (compared to 3 minutes), but that's that a big deal, either.

Neither is the shorter batter life, really.

Has anybody compared the images from these two cameras?

Casio makes a tiny one, too, though I believe it's a bit bigger
than the Pentax.

This is smaller than a credit card, and thinner than a deck of
cards. Like I said, it will fit into a box of Altoids!

The S400 could be made to fit into a shirt pocket, but it's still
substantially thicker (1.1" vs. 0.8") than this little Pentax.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/davek/
 
David,

I am looking for a small pocket size camera as well. From what I have seen (feature-wise) DSC-V1 has a lot of stuff that I like and it Looks like Sony is finally shipping the DSC-V1.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1009&message=4866646

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1009&message=4867417 (very slow)

Salim
DavidP said:
I had just about decided that I wanted the Canon S400 as my
ultra-portable 3x zoom camera that I could have with me whenever I
wanted.

Then I made the mistake of going to Fry's yesterday, and seeing the
Pentax Optio S.

Wow, that thing makes the S400 look HUGE.

It will fit into a box of Altoids!

It's "only" 3.2 megapixels (compared to 4.0), and uses something
other than CF, but that's not a big deal. It can only do 30 second
movies (compared to 3 minutes), but that's that a big deal, either.

Neither is the shorter batter life, really.

Has anybody compared the images from these two cameras?

Casio makes a tiny one, too, though I believe it's a bit bigger
than the Pentax.

This is smaller than a credit card, and thinner than a deck of
cards. Like I said, it will fit into a box of Altoids!

The S400 could be made to fit into a shirt pocket, but it's still
substantially thicker (1.1" vs. 0.8") than this little Pentax.

--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Click to expand...
 
DavidP said:
Actually, the Kyocera 7135 is the one I'm drooling over. I
haven't seen one "in the flesh", yet, though. I was initially
impressed with the Treo, until I actually held one.
Click to expand...
Yeah, wasn't too impressed with the Treo. The thing is flat and w i d e. It looks smaller in the print ads.
DavidP #28649 said:
They don't make any of these cool phones for Cingular (which uses
TDMA instead of CDMA -- unless I have that backwards .. . I can
never remember which I have).
William Wood said:
If your Palm has an SD slot you can get a camera for it. The new
Kyocera 7135 Palm Phone has an SD slot. I'm getting one this week.
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Click to expand...
 
My friend is now on her third S230....BOTH of the previous camera had spots on about half of the images. The camera store checked the third S230 out and said it was OK. I was not present to get more information. Well, my S400 came today. I shot 4 quick pics using her battery since mine was not charged..... RESULTS.... First photo has a spot on it. Very disappointing. The other 3 were fine. I am charging my battery now and will do more tests.

BTW this is not flare or some reflection. I will try to do a post and enclose an image.

Anybody else out there with this problem????

Thanks
Bill Branham said:
Hi David,
A friend of mine purchased an S230 about a week ago. I loved the
size and ordered an S400. HOWEVER, many of the S230 images had
spots all over them. They varied is size and location frame to
frame. The Canon rep. said he had not seen that problem before and
that it must be dust between the lens and the sensor. The dealer
exchanged the camera. Last night one of the two photos my friend
took also had the spots. So it is back to the dealer tomorrow.
Now I am getting worried about the S400 that will arrive tomorrow.
I have already purchased a belt pouch for the camera!!!! When
others whip out their cell phone, I can whip out my camea....LOL

Bill Branham
http://members.aol.com/Wsbranham/Page1.html
Click to expand...
--
Bill Branham
http://members.aol.com/Wsbranham/Page1.html
 
I'm a little bias, but don't forget to check out the Pocket PC phones as well.
William Wood said:
DavidP said:
Bob Murching said:
The image quality is pretty atrocious, there isn't much contrast to
speak of, overhead lights with blow out large sections of the
image, 640x480 is the peak resolution, and the flash is good for
about two feet. But, the look on peoples' faces when I take their
mug shot with my cell phone makes up for the terrible camera that
it really is.

It's certainly not a mature technology, yet, but I think it's an
indication of what future ultra-compact digicams will look like.
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
If you don't have to pay sales tax, Dell has a deal today that's $40 off and 10% off if you have the right coupon code (see ecoupons.com). Shipping is free, too.

For me, though, I have to pay state sales tax with this deal, bringing my total to $443.

For $1 more, I can get it (with $11 shipping) at BPAV. Plus I don't have to make the decision TODAY to get it at that price.

Looks like BPAV will be getting my business, once again.

--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
 
BTW, film is STILL made!
DavidP said:
Donald Maldonado said:
david, i would have to say that the ultimate small camera should
have at least the following qualities:

Sharp glass! this is a must..
No batteries needed.
Light weight
reliable
Able to take images which are archived once taken
No sensor cleaning required
Able to be handheld......

My vote. Leica M6 with TTL and a 35 mm or 50 mm lens ..well maybe
not light weight.
Don
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Click to expand...
--
Don Maldonado / DMP Imaging
http://www.pbase.com/dmp
 
mark kay said:
DavidP said:
I had just about decided that I wanted the Canon S400 as my
ultra-portable 3x zoom camera that I could have with me whenever I
wanted.

Then I made the mistake of going to Fry's yesterday, and seeing the
Pentax Optio S.

Wow, that thing makes the S400 look HUGE.

It will fit into a box of Altoids!

It's "only" 3.2 megapixels (compared to 4.0), and uses something
other than CF, but that's not a big deal. It can only do 30 second
movies (compared to 3 minutes), but that's that a big deal, either.

Neither is the shorter batter life, really.

Has anybody compared the images from these two cameras?

Casio makes a tiny one, too, though I believe it's a bit bigger
than the Pentax.

This is smaller than a credit card, and thinner than a deck of
cards. Like I said, it will fit into a box of Altoids!

The S400 could be made to fit into a shirt pocket, but it's still
substantially thicker (1.1" vs. 0.8") than this little Pentax.

--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
The S45 is superb. Image quality is unbelievable for such a small camera.
--
Chris Clark
 
I don't have time to read all of this thread, but I do have both a 10D and a S400. IMHO they make a great duo. Sure there are times I'm out with the S400 and wish I had more manual control, but then there are times I'm lugging the 10D and wish I had brought its lighter sibling.

My only complaint? is that the S400 is so small that I have to be extremely careful to hold it steady while shooting. I do leave it set for center focus point because I never can tell which of those 9 points it will select for me. Give the S400 a try, I think you will be pleased.

Mark.

ps check out Canon's neck chain for the S400 -- it's cheap and I find it a lot more comfortable than carrying a camera in my pants pocket on the trail.
 
David,

I got my Kyocera - great phone! Feels like a Mercedes car door when you open and close the flip. The antenna has to be seen to be believed. It resets a little too often, and sometimes the screen gets too bright - set the contrast down 3-4 notches to compensate. Don't bother with 1X fast Internet service, its only about 1.5 times faster than the regular 14.4 service. Phone sound quality is great, and it has an MP3 player too. The holster is great, very high quality and it has click stops so you can turn the phone horizontal so it won't dig into your side. Get Splash Photo software for viewing images, the included Photosuite sucks in comparison.

I'm using Verizon.
DavidP said:
They don't make any of these cool phones for Cingular (which uses
TDMA instead of CDMA -- unless I have that backwards .. . I can
never remember which I have).
William Wood said:
If your Palm has an SD slot you can get a camera for it. The new
Kyocera 7135 Palm Phone has an SD slot. I'm getting one this week.
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Click to expand...
 
that will fit in pocket yet take decent pictures. You know, for that time when the UFO lands right in front of you...
or (more likely) for street photography or whatever
so -- besides small it should be somewhat fast and unobtrusive.

For me that means something sneaky like the Coolpix swivel. I love the 4500 in this regard, but it is way too big.
So, whatever happened to the widely anticipated Coolpix SQ??
 
Nill Toulme said:
Mine finally came in yesterday. I'm thrilled with it. Here's a
quick grab shot made from about three feet away just to see if the
redeye reduction works (it does), ISO 50, AWB, standard parameters,
unprocessed except for resizing:



Full size image here:

http://www.toulme.net/misc/S400-00050.jpg

I really like this camera.

Nill
~~
http://www.toulme.net
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
 
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