Trouble Deciding on Camera, need help

[typopyt]

I've read so many camera reviews my eyes are crossed :-P

I'm in the market for a digital camera under 350 dollars.
I want one that is compact something I could put in my pocket but it doesn't have to be sub-compact.

I need at least 4 mp would prefer 5mp and an optical zoom of 3x to 5x would be ideal.

I will probably not be printing anything larger than 8x10.

For video I would like to be able to record nice video clips of any length, I probably won't use this all that often but I want the ability to.

I've looked at a few different brands and models and am undecided on which would best suit me.

I like the Canon A520 except for lackluster red-eye correction and not the greatest video mode.

Fuji E550

sony p93

sony s60/90

sony p150 - I like the 7mp

nikon coolpix 5900

There are too many choices.
So what do you like dislike about any of the above cameras? Anything that bugs you? Something you really enjoy and can't live without?
I need more input to decide. Thanks a lot!!
-typopyt

[Radio63]

Wy wife and son both have Coolpix, though with fewer mpx than you're talking about, and just love them: easy to use, quick to respond, excellent results. My wife's 3.2 mpx prints lovely 4x6 but we've never tried for anything larger.

Mpx can be overrated, I think. My old 2.1mpx Olympus will print at 11x14 without any problems whatsoever. Many variables go into the quality of an image, not just mpx. Interesting article in the New York Times this week about selecting digicams: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/08/technology/circuits/08pogue.html?
You might have to register (free) to read it, but it's got some good tips, I think.

[typopyt]

I agree that Mpx are not the end all measurement and have seen high Mp cameras suck at image quality...
So yeah I am still looking for something that is above 4mp but has good image quality as well. I'm leaning towards teh Fuji E550 right now or maybe Nikon 5900... but am in no way decided.

Thanks

-typopyt

[John_Reed]

I agree that Mpx are not the end all measurement and have seen high Mp cameras suck at image quality...
So yeah I am still looking for something that is above 4mp but has good image quality as well. I'm leaning towards teh Fuji E550 right now or maybe Nikon 5900... but am in no way decided.

Thanks

-typopytThat camera has a 3X zoom, and ISO performance comparable to many dSLRs, not to mention 500 shots on a battery charge. 6 clean megapixels, from what I've seen. If you're enamored with "available light" photography, that's a good place to look, I think.

[typopyt]

The Fuji F10 is tempting however it has two things I don't believe I would like. First it has no optical viewfinder and second is the dongle you have to have to transfer pics/ charge the battery. Since it has both of these problems I can't see myself being happy with it.

Thanks again for the reccomendations. Every bit of input helps me :-)

-typopyt

[ishturkish]

The Canon sd400 may be the perfect fit for you:

under $350
very compact
excellent movie mode
5 megapixels
optical viewfinder (though it is very very tiny)
very fast operation, and good image quality.
trustworthy brand
uses common SD cards (unlike the sony's you mentioned, which require beta-max..sorry, memory stick duo, which are more expensive, and less likely to be transferable).

[John_Reed]

The Fuji F10 is tempting however it has two things I don't believe I would like. First it has no optical viewfinder and second is the dongle you have to have to transfer pics/ charge the battery. Since it has both of these problems I can't see myself being happy with it.

Thanks again for the reccomendations. Every bit of input helps me :-)

-typopytLong-zoom cameras of the fixed-lens variety generally have no optical viewfinder either, they use Electronic View Finders (EVF) or LCD displays. These EVFs are good for showing 100% of the field of view as an SLR would, but they lack the resolution of an optical viewfinder, generally. Lower-end cameras with optical viewfinders generally leave the user wanting, in that they don't portray the entire scene that the photo will show, and there's always the parallax issue to deal with. So using an LCD only as a "viewfinder" may seem distasteful to you, but at least it'll give accurate framing at any focal length or distance.

As for the "dongle" of the Fuji F10, I don't see that as a big drawback. If you regard the output connector of the device as the camera's "umbilical" connection to the world, it's no different from a camera like many Kodaks, for example, that are supplied with a dock for the same purposes. Moreover, the Fuji F10 gets a lot of shots per battery charge, so you won't have to even plug in the dongle very often, only when you feel like downloading photos.

[typopyt]

Yeah the F10 is attractive in the limited light shots.

Does anyone have any input on the sony cameras? The p150? S60?

-typopyt

[raven15]

Hi,
I was just looking for a camera with those EXACT specifications (see "backpacking" post below), and I have pretty much narrowed it down to either the E550 (which has 4x zoom), or wait to see if anything else comes out in the near future (probably not, because new cameras seem to be more expensive). My main reasons for the E550 are fast reactions, high zoom, small size, good pictures, optical viewfinder, and good movie mode (in that order, probably). My dislike is that has too many loose pieces (like flash and that one cover), and it does not save directly to a 6MP format, instead it goes to 12MP first regardless.

[typopyt]

Yeah I was looking at your thread, it gave me the idea for the e550, What do you mean it only saves in the 12mpx format? can you set it to 6mpx? or does it always reset after every shot? What other loose pieces? I thought just the usb/power cover came off. The 4x zoom is definently appealing though.

I agree with your wait and see sentiment but I need a camera now to replace my old 1mpx no zoom camera, a little outdated to say the least :-P

I came across a deal for the Sony DSC-W1 at Onecall for $250 for a package deal, includes a tripod and a case and some other little things like that. I have heard good and bad things about the W1, it has good image quality but to get clear pictures you have to be absolutely still I guess. For that price I'd be willing to tolerate a few blurry pics.

Does anyone have any experiance with the W1? is it worth it?

I've also been thinking about just going with the Canon SD400 for its sleek look and small size, I could pick one up for $320 probably.

So yeah still no decision on a camera :-(

-typopyt

[raven15]

No, you still can save it in a wide range of MP's, including 6MP, but after reading a few reviews, apparently the camera doesn't do the best job at resizing from 12MP back down to 6, resulting in a few quirks (I doubt I'd notice, actually). Saving at twelve megapixels produces very good pictures, but they are 4.5 megabytes each, so only about 120 of theses could be saved on a 512MB memory card, fortunately they just released 1GB xD cards that aren't too expensive.

The pop up flash is a little irritating, that's the only other "loose part" I meant, but I can live with that easily.

Somehow a preference for AA batteries worked is way into my list without me noticing, which is why I still like the E550, though someone recently suggested the Cannon S60 and Olympus C-7000 Zoom, which also seem like good cameras (minus AA batteries, good movie mode, and a few $$$'s, though still less than $350).

[typopyt]

The olympus C7000 looks nice, think it is a little pricey for me, and I wouldn't get the Canon S60 because of the lens cover style power switch (which I have on my current camera and hate) plus it is a little big (long)

I'm thinking I'm going to go for a cheaper camera and not care as much about image quality/features and maybe in another year or two something that will fit me perfectly will come out.

Has anyone heard anything about the Sony S40? it looks pretty cheap, I can't really find a comprehensive review on it.

-typopyt

[kimnicho]

If you want a Very Good and Inexpensive Camera, I would strongly suggest Sony P93...5 MP and takes Great Pictures. Little "chubby" but definitely pocketable. Can be had for ~$200 - much better than the new "cheap" sony cameras

[Chucko]

I recently picked up an Olympus C-5500 and have been happy with it. It has 5 MPix and a 5X zoom, good image quality, full manual controls, quick startup, a so-so movie mode (320x240 @ 30 frames/sec max), and runs on AAs. Oh, and it can be had for under $300, well under if you shop around.

Where it doesn't meet your requirements is the size; it's a little bulky compared to others in its class, but it fits my medium-large shooting paw just fine.

It also uses xD-Picture Cards. They're more expensive and harder to find than SD or CF.

There's a review here on the DCRP if you want more info.

[typopyt]

The C 5500 looks a little big for what I want, however the image quality looks good that and the xtra zoom.

I did consider the P93 and by what I saw it was a good deal. If I was going to go cheap I would sacrifice image quality for a smaller size.

-typopyt