good for backpacking, Fujifilm E550? etc.

[raven15]

Hi! If anyone can offer an opinion, I will appreciate it.

Budget
Less than US $350

Size
If it can fit in a pocket, that would be great. Otherwise I will find another way to carry it around. Smaller and lighter is better. No SLR.

Features
4-7 megapixels
Optical zoom 3x-6x, for wildlife etc.
Desired image quality: 8.5/10

manual controls
My previous camera was disposable (don't laugh too hard.) I will never be a serious photographer, but I should at least be able turn off digital zoom and it would be nice to control exposure. If manual controls are there I will probably use them, if they aren't, I might not motice.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
I would like a camera that I can take backpacking, meaning good wide angle and zoom. I should be able to use it for 7 days/ 300 pictures, while only changing batteries once. I could also be using it as a tourist, taking macro shots, and other general uses. It should not be absolutely horrible for any purpose, but I can fix some things on my computer, like red eye, color saturation, sharpening, etc.
About 1/3 of my pictures will probably be indoors.

I should be able to make an 8x10 print.

Miscellaneous
I am currently looking at:
Olympus C-5500, which takes very good pictures and seems to be exactly what I want, except that it is big and slow. I haven't been able to find one to try out.
Fujifilm E550, which seems like what I want, though the photo quality isn't quite as good as the 5500. I tried one of these and I liked it, except the menu system.
Sony DSC W5, also what I want, except the zoom is smaller. But this one could fit in a pocket. I tried it and liked it.
Canon A510, which does all of these to a lesser extent, but is cheaper. Also slower. I didn't like the feel quite as much as the others.

If you have any other suggestions in the <$350 price range, let me know.

[PhilR.]

Something to consider are the Panasonic LZ series, which are compact 4/5mp with a stabilized 6x zoom, which is a bit more zoom than the models you mentioned.

Pentax also has a few 5x compacts as well, but I'm not sure if they are in your price range.

For backpacking, you might also consider a water-resistant camera, such as the Pentax WR series. These are so water-resistant that they can actually be submerged. They also have an internal zoom lens, which I would think would be better as far as durability goes. Also uses AA's as well.

PhilR.

[jessie25]

I do a lot of backpacking travel and I went through a list similar to yours before making a purchase decision. I ruled out the Olympus as too bulky, the Fuji because of its pop-up flash (maybe that's not an issue for you but it was for me), and the Sony for a number of reasons. I also ruled out the Panasonic LZ series because they lack an optical viewfinder, which I find is an indispensible thing on a digicam.

Ultimately I went with the Canon A520 and I've been very happy with it. I haven't been backpacking since buying it but I think it will make a great backpacking camera.

It's got manual controls if you want to use them, or else it takes great pics on automatic. It's got an AF-assist lamp and takes good indoor photos. It has some redeye but much less than I used to get on my old film camera. The 4x zoom lens is great, it beats the zoom on most standard 3x lenses. And the battery life with AA-sized NiMH rechargeables is over 400 shots if you use the optical viewfinder. The size is nice and compact, it's not a sub-compact by any means but it's pretty small. My only complaint is it's a little slow sometimes, especially on startup and flash recycle.

By the way, I'd never laugh at the disposable thing. In some places, I won't take anything else with me for fear of having it stolen. And disposables can take pretty decent photos in some circumstances.

[raven15]

Thanks.
I agree with Jessie25 on the need for an optical view finder, otherwise the Panasonics would have been on my list. Actually, the A520 started off on the top of the list, but eventually I couldn't justify its price vs. features when compared to the E550. After doing a little online research, I suspect the next in Canon's A series will be exactly what I am looking for. We'll see if I will wait that long, I was hoping to use the camera this summer.

[aussie_rob]

im off on a big backpacking trip soon, but have been on a smaller one, and battery life followed by size/weight then durability where most important things. followed by good pictures!

when holding the camera look for dials on the top that could break off or get sand/dirt in them easily.

the thing that turned me off AA cameras where the weight of the camera & recharger, and the rechargeable battery ability to hold there charge.
Also check before you buy how many pictures that camera can take with normal alkaline battery.

http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showthread.php?p=35866

for me i made my pick from the casio z750, fuji f10, sony p200 and nikon 5900

[raven15]

Ha... looking for cameras on the internet is a clear-cut case of too many choices. If I didn't look online, I would have walked into a store, bought a camera, and been happy. Instead, I can see all the features I would like to have.

On thought going through my head is to buy a binocular/camera combination. There is one of these selling for $40 at newegg.com, and people have said good things about it. It has 8x opt. zoom, 2 MP, SD memory, and 2AAA batteries, but is otherwise a decent pair of binoculars (no LCD). Then get a good camera for everything else.

[aussie_rob]

i'm the same way, but i guess its a good thing to look! i would just go with the one that feels best to you. or if that does not work out go with the one that has less negatives then the other.

for me i was set to buy the p200, but due to it coming from an importer here in australia, and the reports of blurry pictures it scared me off, since i would not be able to return it. so made my pick between 7900, p200 & f10 little easier.

[kimnicho]

After reading your requirements, I would recommend either the Canon S60 or Olympus C-7000. I immediately thought of the S60 b/c of its wide angle capability and of course top-notch image quality. Many consider it to be the "best" travel compact camera. It can be had e.g. Dell (w/coupons) for $300-$350 and the Compact Flash Card is by far the most affordable. I also would recommend the Olympus C-7000 which is very compact and is a whopping 7 mpg camera with 5x optical zoom....costco.com has it for $350 right now which is an amazing price.

[raven15]

(begin theme music)
In the last episode of "Good for Backpacking?", we left our Hero bravely awaiting new developments in the World of Digital Cameras. Bored by the wait, our Hero boldly began clicking around the internet in search of news of his Foe, when suddenly! ...

he stumbled across the Pentax 750z!
(end theme music)

It is now so incredibly ancient -almost 1 year old!- that its price is within my $350 dollar limit at some online retailers. In fact, if you consider eBay a reputable source for cameras, the Olympus C-7000 is also within that price range (some camera stores and even manufactures like Olympus sell on eBay). Both cameras are extensively reviewed here, and especially at dpreview.com. They both seem like better choices than the models in the posts above.

Two funny little things I like about Olympus are the landscape+portrait scene mode (that is possibly my most common type of picture) and the file naming system (Pentax has "food" and "fall colors", just what a college student in Nevada needs). More practically, Pentax has better battery life and SD memory, but I would gladly trade the swivel LCD for faster performance.

I was wondering if anybody had any comments on either of these given the criteria in my first post. I am especially looking for people who actually have tried the camera, since there are no stores that sell either near where I live. Finally, in the near future, are any entry-level cameras likely to pack the performance and features of these two for their current price?

[speaklightly]

raven-

Cute posts, but perhaps you should look at the thread started by Panda. The Pentax 750Z is really not so hot when compared to the Fuji F-10. Take a look. Then you make the judgement.

Sarah Joyce

[jessie25]

The Fuji F10 might have another advantage for backpacking and that's its ability to take shots without flashes in museums or other places where you can't use a flash. Because it can go up to ISO 1600, you can get a lot better naturally-lit shots from it. And its battery life is very long too.

But dammit, Fuji, why couldn't you add an optical viewfinder to the thing? I realize many people just frame shots with the LCD, but the optical viewfinder is, IMHO, an indispensible backup especially in low light or bright sunlight.

[speaklightly]

Jessie-

Yes, I agree with you. It would be a whole lot handier to have an optical viewfinder on the F-10. However, I have learned to do without it due to the fact the the F-10 has so many other pluses.

By the way, Raven, did you know that the Fuji F-10 is actually smaller and lighter than the Pentax 750Z. It also has longer battery life as well.

Sarah Joyce

[raven15]

Thank you. In fact, I read the post for Panda where you compared the 750z and F10 just a few minutes before I wrote my own post. And while I realize the F10 is smaller, lighter, and has better battery life (all things I am strongly interested in), it does not have the thing I am most interested in, which is high optical zoom. Hence the reason I asked about the Olympus C-7000 and Pentax Optio 750z, which both have 5x zoom.

I was previously looking at:
Fuji E550 (excluded because it seemed half-baked for some reason)
Canon A520 (excluded because I didn't like the feel in my hands)
Olympus C-5500 (excluded because it is too big)

So now I am looking at the Pentax 750z and Olympus C-7000, which are not available to try out in my area, so I am simply looking for thoughts of anybody who has tried these two cameras.

[speaklightly]

Raven-

My C-7000 is now out on loan to a vacationing friend and will not be back for about a week. I do have my Pentax 750Z ready at hand. How can I help you?

Sarah Joyce

[raven15]

Speaklightly,
Thank you for your generous offer to help. However, I am not looking for anything too technical, just the "feel" of each camera since I cannot try them out myself. I suppose your answer to this question would be "neither," but which one would you choose if you had to pick one? In your experience is there any aspect which automatically disqualifies one of these? (Keep in mind, I do not take pictures in low light very often.) Basically, I just want an easy, general impression.

[speaklightly]

Raven-

That is a very simple question. Just go to www.ebay.com where Olympus disposes of the refurbished digital cameras and pick-up an Olympus C-5500. That is the BIGGEST bang for your buck!

Try this photo! It is Boris Gudenov at the Bolshoi on 6/30. Now ask me the digital camera. It will surprise you.

Sarah Joyce