Digital Cameras

[ACK]

I am interested in purchasing a digital camera and I am currently looking around at the moment for one.

If anyone has one, I'd love to know your tips on purchasing and which brands are the best value for money.

Thanks.

[It's Not Working]

I'm in the same boat (I can use the B word here can't I?) as ACK and am particularly interested in the Canon Digital IXUS. Has anybody got one of these and if so what do they think. Cheapest I've seen it for is UK£350(ish) at LHR, are there any better deals anywhere?

[fobotcso]

If you search back about two months you will find an exhaustive thread dealing with this started, I think, by Dingducky. The thread was even more extensively developed in Jet Blast, for a reason I never understood!

Things don't move so quickly that that information will be out of date.

[dingducky]

huh?
what did i do???
i don't even have a digital cam! http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif
no nudies pics of me out there ;)


------------------
Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are
perfect

[fobotcso]

Doh! Sooory DD, that'll teach me to be too idle to make sure of my facts. It was Bird Strike who started the threads as far back as August last year.

Birds...Ducks... at least I got the association right but I can tell the difference - honest!

But, to the questioners again; do use the search facility. The results will answer most of your initial questions. Then, if necessary, you can ask for an update.

[addinfurnightem]

Using a Kodak 260 Zoom, no complaints, it is heavy on batteries but there are ways around this. The Kodak 290 is the top of the Kodak range at the moment, (3.3 pixies etc.), neither look as good as the Canon etc. but the general opinion from the people who check these things suggest that Kodak is OK.
FWIIW.

[It's Not Working]

Did as I was told and did a search on 'Digital Camera'. Bu&&er, there's 14 different topics on the subject, It'll cost me a fortune in phone bills wading through that lot. Can any recommend a good (ie free) ISP. Hang on, I'll do a search - Oh bu&&er

[fobotcso]

Okay, already, INW, here's something a bit more helpful!

PC Magazine did a review in Dec 2000 (which means it was actually written in Aug/Sep) and recommended the Olympus 3030 but it was pricey then at £660 + VAT. It might have come down, or there might already be a A or B model 'cos that's the way these things go. Click this link for that review.

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/pcmag/labs/2000/12/dc/02.html

Just reading the review will help you form your own opinions about what is important to you.

There's an ad in today's paper for a "half" price sell off of a Fuji FinePix 2200 by Dixons at £175 inc VAT. Its got 2.2 MPixels which is good but I would worry that the tiny lens isn't going to let in much light.

I still love my two and a half year old Olympus 1400 (pixels) but it's big and I wish I could take pictures in quick succession. There is a 5 second or more delay between clicking the shutter and the camera being ready to take the next picture. As soon as I had bought it, Olympus brought out a model which could take 3 or more pictures in quick succession. More memory, I guess. Optical zoom is the thing to go for. I can see little virtue in digital zooms of up to x20 as you forfeit much resolution

The pace of development in this technology is fierce. Two years on, your treasured possession will be well obsolescent.

There is something to be said for buying your first one cheap while you get used to it so that you are better able to judge what to spend your big bucks on if that day ever comes.

[It's Not Working]

Thanks for the link Fobotcso.

The first review I’ve read about the IXUS Digital, they loved its diminutive size and er um thought it was nice and small. Guess I’ll just have to dust off the old SLR and see the chiropractor again.

Spent far to long in the dark room many years ago and haven’t touched a camera since, totally ticked off with lugging the bl@@dy equipment around so when something the size of a packet of 20 appears, with nil running costs, my heart went all of a flutter. Do I let my heart rule my wallet or pay the mortgage this month?

Still all is not lost, I've learnt to use the search facility in the last 24 hours! 73 OM


Edited cos I've still to learn to use the keyboard!

[This message has been edited by It's Not Working (edited 11 February 2001).]

[fobotcso]

INW, you may have found my thread about launching into the digital video world and my pleasure with the results.

The still quality from the movie camera is also amazing (>1 MPixel). The day of the film camera for all but the real enthusiast or professional is nearly over.

Hand-in-hand with digital imaging goes the software for processing the images. Even professionals now need to be able to correct shadows, crop, enlarge etc and if you start with a film image you have to scan it. So why not go digital to start with?

A mega-pixel image viewed on a monitor is enormous and fills my 1152 x 864 display; printing is not a problem from the pixel point of view, but if you want to save a picture in a file watch out. 6"x4" = 1800x1200xthe number of colour bits! Well, you work it out! I have one hi-res B & W image of >50MB! So you need a new hard disk to hold all the big files, Photoshop 6.0 to process the images and compress them (jpeg is very user friendly), at least 256 MB RAM and a 1GHz processor. But I guess its not art!

Get the picture? (pun intended).

Can you still get 120 film?

BTW, did I give something away? 73 from G0$$$ (inactive).

[It's Not Working]

Fobotcso

I’m lucky, at work I can get my hands on a Nixon (SP) with a price tag like the national debt and an A0 inkjet printer. That produces some fantastic results.

I’ve the software (Adobe), scanner (Agfa E50) and I think I understand the maths, www.scantips.com (http://www.scantips.com) has sorted that out. The Luddite in me refuses to upgrade the PC (400MHz & 128MB) but I guess it’ll do, David Bailey I’m not. All I need is a camera of my own! Watch this space.

As we are beginning to get intimate I’ll share a few more details:

G8xxx
CT1xxx
DA2xx
G4Vxx

very much inactive, the only radio licence I’ve got these days was issued by Aviation House and the only thing that remains from the old days is my trusty Bencher somewhere in storage. I’ve even thrown the anorak away

[Tom the Tenor]

If anyone is passing through Heathrow Terminal 1 International Departures you might like to take a look at the airside Dixons Shop. They have a good range of digital cameras and one of the best deals I saw about two weeks ago was an Olympus D-490 for £299 that has a resolution of 2.1 Million Pixels. Looks a great job, I was really tempted but that would have put the kybosh on my trip to Spain! Thank you, TTT.

[fobotcso]

INW, I'm trying to visualise the volume of ink an A0 injet printer would use! But you obviously know the stuff, so good luck with your quest. I can't help with the specific request about the Canon IXUS.

Thanks for the link; it's excellent reference for all who need an understanding of the background to scanning and digital imaging.

Mmmm..., all right then, what about VE6$$$?

Ah, the anorak..... :)

[It's Not Working]

Fob

VE6, let's call it match drawn at 15 all!

[PilotsPal]

I bought a Canon Digital Ixus early in the New Year from Kamla Electronics in Tottenham Court Road (close to the YMCA) for £419. I also bought the case (at around £20 a bit expensive but it does hold spare batteries & CF cards), an additional 16mb card and another battery (essential - its very heavy on battery power), one or two other bits and pieces. The card and battery were heavily discounted because I bought it all at the same time. Have since added the mains lead for the camera (easier when downloading).

It took quite some time to get the initial camera set-up as I wanted it and to get the software loaded on the PC as the instruction books aren't the clearest - what happens on screen is not necessarily what's illustrated in the book.

I'm getting on pretty well with it now and am quite happy with my choice.

[Bird Strike]

Yes it was me who was asking about digital cameras...

I settled for Canon Digital IXUS, too. The main reason being the small size (fits my handbag without much trouble, along with a kitchen sink and a full make up kit... :)). As PP says, the manuals aren't brilliant, but it's fairly easy to use (it has to be if I can use it), and the software works pretty well (can take a bit of getting used to, to use it to its full potential though).

[It's Not Working]

PP & BS

[It's Not Working]

PP & BS

Sorry about the previous post, my keyboard ran out of letters!

Thanks for your words on the IXUS Digital. I've made my mind up, that's the one for me. I think the clincher was the results from my wife's IXUS II (optical). I bought her that for Christmas and this is the first film she's had developed. Stunning results and not one of her thumb.

I was going to get her the digital but remembered what happened the previous Christmas when she was most unimpressed with her new circular saw, there's just no pleasing some people. Incidently, as we were talking about circular saws never use one to cut up a frozen joint, does the job in seconds but what a mess!

[This message has been edited by It's Not Working (edited 12 February 2001).]

[Mac the Knife]

The Olympus D-490 that Tom T mentions is excellent. Bought mine in November - you'll need a bigger memory card than the dinky 8MB one that comes with it (I got a 32MB one)and the FlashPath floppy adaptor to save messing about wiring it up to the PC (and eating batteries unless you use a mains adapter). The whole thing is small and neat and almost pocketable. Optical zoom range is good. It is very battery hungry, but I run it on rechargeable alkalines and it does just fine. 2.1 megapixels is fine. I use it for clinical work and the quality is more than good enough. The little built-in flash is reasonable, which is a good thing as there isn't a hotshoe for a real one. It won't do EXTREME closeups (and it won't accept macro fittings), but I get by. It does a good job of adapting to different colour tempaeratures and even takes a decent piture under fluorescents. Skin tones are good. Does behave a bit differently from an analog camera, but you get used to it fairly quickly. It hasn't let me down yet - ask me again in 6/12. What with the bits and bobs and the service/maintenance contract I paid near enough 600GBP. Which will be a very good deal if it goes on working.....

[Pengineer]

Even here shanksy!...

[InFinRetirement]

In March I bought the Olympus D-490 in Florida. I paid $399 and paid $55 for a 32mb chip. The equivalent camera here is the Olympus D-990 and costs around £490 the 32mb chip is about £65. Massive savings by any standards. Whats more There is really no need for a bigger chip. I take 64 pics at the HQ setting - which is very good.

I am more than pleased with it and I am now selling my Canon A-1 with all the trappings.