I need buying advice

[Roscoe]

I'm here because the camera shops in Aussie simply try to sell you what you ask ( or what has the biddest mark-up )
for not what you need.

I need a camera that I can turn on and be ready to shoot straight away.
I do not want to have to set the functions prior to the shot. The more the scene modes the beter for me.
eg sports mode, beach, night, portrait,Landscape etc.
Burst mode is important so I can capture several scene shots and select the best. eg blowing out candles on a cake.
I am a novice and not inclined to use the manual controls. I just want something that is fast with good resolution.
Video is NOT important.
So..............

Budget
Up to $900 AUD

Size
Not overly important

Features
How many megapixels will suffice for you?
Min 5 meg

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
min 10X

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
7-8

Do you care for manual controls?
Not really I'm a point and shoot guy ( I'm slower to focus than the camera )

General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for?
Fast moving kids, sports, holiday snaps etc

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?

No. max 8 x 10

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Yes a lot of my shots will be kids and family gatherings.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?

Yes.
Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?

No, I'm open to whatever suits not brand.
All the major brands Panasonic, Canon, Sony, Kodak, Fuj etc

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
FZ20/s2 IS/H1/P850/9500


(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)

IS is a major drawcard for me.
A reable LCD in bright sunlight if that's possible.

Any unbias advice greedily accepted

[Atindra]

Hi
Just check Kodak Z740 or Z7590 or DX7590 all should suit your needs.
However a little higher-end model is Kodak P850 with lot more manual controls and extra features.
Atindra

[coldrain]

What is with the Kodak only advice Atindra? Kodak of course has some good products, but in what way are you affiliated with Kodak?

[eastbluffs]

I do mostly fast moving kids too. Found the P&S shutter lag impossible to bear, but hear the latest cameras are much better at that. I'm skeptical, but so they say ...

You listed some great cameras. I might suggest adding Fuji F10 to the list. It lacks IS but with better high ISO performance you will get faster shutter speeds without sacraficing noticable image quality, and the LCD is better than most. However no viewfinder is a drawback. High ISO is better for low light photography even with flash, since the background is less dark. The review on this site indicated near instant shutter lag (time from push to shot) - as I've said, that's number 1 criteria in my book.

The Canon S2 seems to have about he most satisfied customers of all the ones you've listed.

Whatever it is, may I suggest bringing some of those fast moving kids to the store to try them. (note: Ritz camera isn't carrying Fuji's anymore, to try a store with a fuller lineup). Also; a good return policy is nice too since you can't really tell by in-store trials.

[Roscoe]

Atindra,

Thanks for the Kodak P850. Can you point to a review other than a press release? I can't seem to find anything.

I've looked at the Fuji F10, but want atleast a 10x zoom. I currently have a Fuji E550, great camera but I really miss the big zoom.

I think I'm confusing myself trying to compare 4 or more cameras all capable of the same ( almost ) performance. Maybe I'll just have to try them all. It's a hassel here in Aus, the shops assistants just aren't that helpfull.

Any and all advice appreciated.

[Rambler358]

It sounds like you'll be doing a bit of low-light and sports shooting. Perhaps one of the more automatic DSLRs may be better suited for you. If not, then I can recommend the P850 as well (perhaps a bit biased as I just bought one ;) ). But I was also looking at the Fuji S9000, Canon S2 and Sony H1. The Sony and Canon didn't have hot-shoe mounts, and have less ISO capability. The swivel screen of the S2 was tempting though, and the Sony was nice but I really don't care for the memory stick format. The Fuji lost out to not having any kind of IS and costing more. However, they're still all good cameras. I'll also second buying from a local store with a return policy in case you're not happy for whatever reason.

[swgod98]

Roscoe, if burst mode is important to you, you will probably be scratching the H1. It's burst mode is the worst of the bunch.

If you really want IS, then you will be scratching out Fuji's S9500 as well. However, (and this only makes the decision more difficult) keep in mind that it is the only camera of the bunch capable of ISO 1600 which makes it the BEST of the bunch in regards to shooting indoors without a flash. Last thing, I didnt' see where it mentioned burst mode, but there was a note about 1.5fps (shot to shot - not sure if that's burst mode though). Also, this camera is BIG compared to the rest...

My biggest concern with the FZ20 is the lack of gain up on the LCD in low light conditions. Otherwise, the FZ20 seems right up your ally. It has a relatively dismal video mode, which is what you requested lol...but, awesome lens! It actually has one of the best burst modes too (3fps, but can only capture 4 shots total...or 2fps, but only 7 shots total). The nice thing here is that the LCD/EVF does not black out between shots.

The S2 probably has the best burst mode. 2.4fps w/ no limit, however the LCD is nearly useless during this as it blacks out and only updates with each image :\ There is a lower speed mode, but it's not a whole lot better. It's LCD is a bit small, but it does rotate all over the place and it gains up.

Then there's the P850. But, as Atindra put it, you don't want to stop there, be sure to look at the whole Kodak line! HAHA Seriously, though...it has a lot of good features. Good burst mode (almost comparable to the S2). Has a hotshoe (the S2 doesn't) just in case. If Kodak made this camera like the rest of their line, they probably have the most scene modes of the group. It has ISO 800 capability, but at only 1.2 megapixels...pffft

Roscoe, what I learned when I purchased my UZ a month ago is that if you're going to go crazy over a decision, you HAVE to nitpick the features.

If I were in your shoes, I would first decide if I wanted ISO1600 capability (in exchange for IS). If you want the ISO ability, you need the Fuji. (added note here about possible weak burst mode).

Second, if you can rule out the Fuji, you can probably then rule out the H1 due to it's slow burst mode.

The camera's you are left with are the FZ20, S2, and P850. Since you don't need good video mode (S2's strength) and it has a small LCD anyways, you can rule that one out.

Now, you did say you wanted a lot of scene modes, which to me puts the Kodak at the top of your list. However, you also mentioned you wanted image quality about 7-8 out of 10, which puts the FZ20 at the top of your list too (lol, J/K all you FZ owners, bad joke)...

Seriously now...at this point, I would have to consider the size differences. The P850 is a condo on 7th street while the FZ20 is a supermarket all on it's own. So, if size doesn't matter...uhh...if you like it small, I hear the Kodak's a great camera :) And for something a little larger, so is the FZ20.

Oh, and I didn't consider the "useability of the LCD in sunlight" because I don't own either of these two contenders...In fact, I only own an S2, but I've been doing way too much research (to this day even!) and I already bought my S2 a month ago!! :D

So, ya...there's my unbiased opinion.......................................KODA K! j/k

[Roscoe]

Thanks so much for the replies. I think I just make things hard for myself for wanting the camera to do everything including taking the pictures. I just needed a nudge in the right directon.

Wsgod98 - That's the advice I was hoping to get in the camera shops here. Do you think if I printed it out and give it to the shop staff they would mind ????? :D

Seriously, the staff here do not appear to be very camera people, just people in a job. I REALLY appreciate everyone's help.

Cheers for now.

[tim11]

Roscoe. If you are in Sydney, try TED'S in Pitt Street.

[Roscoe]

Well I've been able to narrow it down to either the Fuji s9000/s9500, Kodak or the FZ30. Small problem here in Aus is I can't get my hands on any of them to play with.

One thing has me worried though. I've read a number of reviews on the FZ30 and most talk about noise above 100 iso, but state it's not a problem with a bit of post editing!

Am I really going to spend $1000 AUD only the have to clean the photo's up prior to printing each time?

Am I nuts ( don't really want an answer :D ), or is this the norm with digicams?

Can't say I'm happy about spending that sort of money and get average prints.

[gary_hendricks]

Hi
Just check Kodak Z740 or Z7590 or DX7590 all should suit your needs.
However a little higher-end model is Kodak P850 with lot more manual controls and extra features.
Atindra

Check out this review of the Kodak DX7590 (http://www.basic-digital-photography.com/kodak-easyshare-dx7590-review.html) if you're interested. :)

[JTL]

Well I've been able to narrow it down to either the Fuji s9000/s9500, Kodak or the FZ30. Small problem here in Aus is I can't get my hands on any of them to play with.

One thing has me worried though. I've read a number of reviews on the FZ30 and most talk about noise above 100 iso, but state it's not a problem with a bit of post editing!

Am I really going to spend $1000 AUD only the have to clean the photo's up prior to printing each time?

Am I nuts ( don't really want an answer :D ), or is this the norm with digicams?

Can't say I'm happy about spending that sort of money and get average prints.No you're not nuts (sorry, had to give an answer anyway :D )...the FZ30 is one of the noisiest cameras available...now, no one would claim that prints from an FZ30 are "average"...they're just noisy.