HELP--This is what I'm looking for...

[digitaljoe]

Hi everyone! I'm going to make this short and simple...

I'm looking to buy a dig. camera before Christmas but I am overwhelmed with the selection out there. I would like it to have the following features:

-atleast 4MP
-atleast 3x optical zoom
-uses AA NiMH batteries
-uses CompactFlash or SecureDigital memory (prefer CF)
-has the ability to turn red eye reduction on/off on camera...not interested in software doing it for me
-atleast 1.8" LCD (the larger the better)
-image stabalization
-lots of shooting modes
-excellent nighttime shooting
-manual modes

My neighbor told me that a camera equipped to use a Lio-ion battery (i.e. Nikon) will completely erase the memory card if it goes dead. Is this true and does it apply to NiMH battery equipped cameras?

Keep in mind I'm going to be printing mostly 4x6 with the occassional 8x10. I'm not going to be cropping much but if I did I don't want to loose much quality.

Thanks for any help.

Joe

[PhilR.]

AFAIK, the only camera that meets most of your requirements is the Minolta Z3. I don't think there is a camera that meets all of your requirements.

That thing about erasing the memory card is false.

PhilR.

[ktixx]

My neighbor told me that a camera equipped to use a Lio-ion battery (i.e. Nikon) will completely erase the memory card if it goes dead. Is this true and does it apply to NiMH battery equipped cameras?


Memory Cards are completely separate forms of storage than the memory in a PDA. When you run out of batteries on most PDA's you will loose all your files and settings. Think of it this way. You have to take the memory card out of the camera to print the photos at Wal-Mart or other photo places, and you can buy external memory readers for you computer to transfer pictures faster. When you remove the card from the camera there is no power source, but the pictures still remain on the card. The Battery type has nothing to do with memory being erased. As for battery types, NiMH is no where near as good as LI-ION batteries. There is a virtual memory on NiMH batteries, therefore you have to wait until the batteries are completely dead before you recharge them. As for Lithium Ion batteries, they prefer to be constantly topped off, so even if you take 10 pictures you can re-charge the battery just to make sure you have 100% capacity. I have been doing a lot of research on Digital SLR Cameras, so I don't have any recomendations on 4mp cameras, maybe someone else can help you with that.
Hope this gets you started
Ken

[digitaljoe]

Thanks for your responses. I'm going to look into the Minolta Z3. Yea, I don't know what was up with that memory loss issue. I'm not sure whether or not it happend to my neighbor or if it was a rumor she heard. Thanks again.

[John_Reed]

Thanks for your responses. I'm going to look into the Minolta Z3. Yea, I don't know what was up with that memory loss issue. I'm not sure whether or not it happend to my neighbor or if it was a rumor she heard. Thanks again....and you'll see, if you look at the bottom, other recommended cameras that compete quite favorably when compared to the Z3. Here's the review link. (http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/minolta/dimage_z3-review/index.shtml) Personally, I'd think the Panasonic FZ15 would compare more than favorably with the Z3, and it's priced competitively, ~$376 on http://www.buydig.com, for example.