@dam
10-02-2005, 12:51 PM
Hi guys. I realize topics similar to this seem to come up a lot, but I don't think a direct comparisson has realy been done yet.
My Canon S400 is starting to give me strange memory problems. I'm going on a trip to Thailand in January, so it is time to get something new.
Yesterday at Costco, I picked up the new SD500 for $399. The Casio Z750 was also there. It was a tough choice, but I have the SD500 for now. I can still exchange it though. The Casio would be nice for its manual controls, but pictures from it just don't seem to look as good as from the Canon. They seem harsh and oversaturated. I also have my eye on the Fuji F10. It is a little big, and the options kind of suck, but I love how little noise there is at high ISO, which is one of the Canon's few weak points. I really don't like using the flash since it tends to have a harsh, glary look, so that'd be nice.
What I was wondering is if anybody here has done a side-by-side shootout of these cameras. By that, I mean taking the exact same picture with each of the three cameras. Online, the only shootouts I could find was with the Z750 at its default settings. I hear it is much better if you turn down the contrast and saturation, but I've been unable to find any comparissons of the three cameras set up to work their best. I was also originally considering the Stylus 800, but the pictures from that look extremely jagged and harsh. I also looked at the P200, but it's images lacked detail, + it takes memory stick, has the dust on the sensor problem, and has that famous Sony reliability.
Also, if anybody has any tips, here is what I'm looking for in a camera.
My top two priorities are this...
1) Image quality. This is a camera first and foremost afterall! I want it to have good colors, I want it to look smooth but crisp and detailed, and I want very little noise. Good low-light pictures are a definite plus. It seems the Canon probably takes the best pictures overall, but it may not be as good in unusuall situations as the other two. This is the main reason why I so far have the Canon. I suppose the F10 probably has better quality at night though.
2) Size and speed. A camera is only going to take a good picture if it is with you and it is handy, so it must be something you can take and put into your pocket and then quicly grap and turn on quickly to take a series of shots. It doesn't have to be crazy-small though as that makes handling difficult. Something about the size of my old S400 is fine.
Secondary priorities are...
-reliability (Costco is great with returns, which is why I bought it there, but I don't want any problems that will take the camera out of comission while on a trip, so the cracked LCD problem is only somewhat of a concern since I can still take photos in auto mode with the optical viewfinder)
-Lots of control options
-Battery life
-Something that takes Compact Flash or SD- I hate propriatary memory
-Good video quality
-Ease of use (i.e., common features not buried in menus)
-Optical viewfinder (helps when batteries are low, and in unusual lighting conditions)
-Something that can handle tough environments (cold, dust, moisture. I realize this is pretty much Olympus and Pentax only though, unfortunately)
Tertiary priorities are
-Auto rotate
-Stylish
-Panaromic mode
I don't know- I suppose this is sort of a false dilema as they are all excellent cameras. I just can't stand not having the "best one" though.
My Canon S400 is starting to give me strange memory problems. I'm going on a trip to Thailand in January, so it is time to get something new.
Yesterday at Costco, I picked up the new SD500 for $399. The Casio Z750 was also there. It was a tough choice, but I have the SD500 for now. I can still exchange it though. The Casio would be nice for its manual controls, but pictures from it just don't seem to look as good as from the Canon. They seem harsh and oversaturated. I also have my eye on the Fuji F10. It is a little big, and the options kind of suck, but I love how little noise there is at high ISO, which is one of the Canon's few weak points. I really don't like using the flash since it tends to have a harsh, glary look, so that'd be nice.
What I was wondering is if anybody here has done a side-by-side shootout of these cameras. By that, I mean taking the exact same picture with each of the three cameras. Online, the only shootouts I could find was with the Z750 at its default settings. I hear it is much better if you turn down the contrast and saturation, but I've been unable to find any comparissons of the three cameras set up to work their best. I was also originally considering the Stylus 800, but the pictures from that look extremely jagged and harsh. I also looked at the P200, but it's images lacked detail, + it takes memory stick, has the dust on the sensor problem, and has that famous Sony reliability.
Also, if anybody has any tips, here is what I'm looking for in a camera.
My top two priorities are this...
1) Image quality. This is a camera first and foremost afterall! I want it to have good colors, I want it to look smooth but crisp and detailed, and I want very little noise. Good low-light pictures are a definite plus. It seems the Canon probably takes the best pictures overall, but it may not be as good in unusuall situations as the other two. This is the main reason why I so far have the Canon. I suppose the F10 probably has better quality at night though.
2) Size and speed. A camera is only going to take a good picture if it is with you and it is handy, so it must be something you can take and put into your pocket and then quicly grap and turn on quickly to take a series of shots. It doesn't have to be crazy-small though as that makes handling difficult. Something about the size of my old S400 is fine.
Secondary priorities are...
-reliability (Costco is great with returns, which is why I bought it there, but I don't want any problems that will take the camera out of comission while on a trip, so the cracked LCD problem is only somewhat of a concern since I can still take photos in auto mode with the optical viewfinder)
-Lots of control options
-Battery life
-Something that takes Compact Flash or SD- I hate propriatary memory
-Good video quality
-Ease of use (i.e., common features not buried in menus)
-Optical viewfinder (helps when batteries are low, and in unusual lighting conditions)
-Something that can handle tough environments (cold, dust, moisture. I realize this is pretty much Olympus and Pentax only though, unfortunately)
Tertiary priorities are
-Auto rotate
-Stylish
-Panaromic mode
I don't know- I suppose this is sort of a false dilema as they are all excellent cameras. I just can't stand not having the "best one" though.