Wanted: Digital Still Camera recomendations

[sinij]

With vacation coming up I decided to replace my old camera (AGFA CL50). It still works but now is severely outdated.

I know little-to-nothing about photography and looking for point-and-shoot digital camera with at least 10x optical zoom, image stabilization and large number of pre-set modes that would allow me to take pictures without fiddling with camera settings.

So far I'm considering:

Kodak EasyShare Z712
Panasonic DMC-FZ8K/S
Fuji FinePix S5200

Can someone with some expertise in photography comment?

[Righ]

Try using:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp

Their review are in depth, including detail test photos using each camera. You may want to look at the Canon S3 IS.

[sinij]

So far my top choice is Fujifilm FinePix S5200. While Cannon S3 IS looks like superb camera it has quite a bit more features that I see ever using, being more for photo enthusiasts than amateurs like me.

[Yegolev]

My wife got a Canon something, about $700 or so I think, and she bought just the body since she already had a Canon 35mm and attendant lenses.  She is completely in love with it, especially the thing that snaps consecutive action shots.

I got the impression that a new-model rollout was pending, not sure if that has happened just yet.

[SimuKaren]

If you're looking for ease of use, from those three options I would highly recommend the Kodak Z712. Kodak is known for its ease of use, with several different scene modes that take the guesswork out of taking pictures.

Also when choosing your camera, keep in mind what kind of memory card it uses. If you have a wii, you would want to snag a camera that uses an SD card so you can take advantage of the built-in slot on the console. Most devices seem to be tending toward SD compatibility. On the other hand, XD memory cards will hold about one and a half times as many photos as SD or Pro Duo cards will (at the same megapixel). Just be sure to get a card that will hold more photos than you think you'll take. Or buy two. Nothing sucks more than being out there in the beautiful Bahamas and having to delete photos on the fly so you can take more.

[SimuKaren]

My wife got a Canon something, about $700 or so I think, and she bought just the body since she already had a Canon 35mm and attendant lenses.  She is completely in love with it, especially the thing that snaps consecutive action shots.

You're probably talking the Canon Digital Rebel XT (or the XTi perhaps), which is a superb camera for the price. I personally own and love the XT, which retails for $700 and will use the older Canon EF lenses. Great digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera, though it seems a bit much for what sinij is looking to do. Costs much more than the others (though it will definitely capture more professional-looking photos).

Oh, and the burst mode to which you refer is actually available on most cameras nowadays. It's faster and better with a DSLR, sure, but it's on almost everything. Just read the manual.

Definitely not a point and shoot style camera. Not to mention it takes CompactFlash cards, which nearly nothing else these days uses. Just something else to keep in mind. That said, I love it.

[Yegolev]

Saw the box this morning and it is in fact the XTi.  What little I know about it, it is probably more than what most people want; I'm a tad scared of it, myself.  She wanted to get one what took the SD cards, but apparently that was due in the next model from Canon, if a_best_buy_employee_088 is to be trusted, and we were in a bit of a rush since her 35mm Rebel died at the end of January.

The CF thing is not really an irritant other than requiring a USB card reader, of which we have several, and that the Wii won't accept CF.  But who gives a shit about that?  The PS3 does.  Not sure I give a shit about that, either.

[Bunk]

Being a Rebel XT user myself, I will say - don't go near DSLR unless you are willing to let it become a passion for you. Once you start buying lenses, its hard to stop.

As mentioned above, DPReview is about the best option for thorough reviews. When it comes to point and shoots though, pick a few models you like, go to a store, and make sure the damn thing fits your hands. Some of them these days are so awkwardly shaped...

Fuji FinePix S5200 - I like the full size lens designs, it shoots in RAW format which is huge if you want to edit your photos in photoshop, but on the downside uses AAs instead of a battery pack.

Panasonic DMC-FZ8K/S - Nice body again, bit higher resolution than the Fuji, RAW mode, and uses a battery pack - nice looking for the price

Kodak EasyShare Z712 - I'm a little iffy on this one, its brand new, has a bit of a limited appeature range, and I can't find details on whether it shoots RAW or not

Based on the quick look at those, I'd consider the Panasonic.

When I mention RAW, that basically means shooting uncompressed images. They are way bigger on the memory card, but for important pictures it gives you way more editing control. Basically you can fully edit the exposure, color, contrast, etc after the fact without loosing image quality. Trying to edit that type of stuff in JPEG deteriorates the picture quickly.

It really means nothing for snapshots, but if you plan on getting in to working with photos in Photoshop after the fact, you want RAW.

[Trippy]

With vacation coming up I decided to replace my old camera (AGFA CL50). It still works but now is severely outdated.

I know little-to-nothing about photography and looking for point-and-shoot digital camera with at least 10x optical zoom, image stabilization and large number of pre-set modes that would allow me to take pictures without fiddling with camera settings.

So far I'm considering:

Kodak EasyShare Z712
Panasonic DMC-FZ8K/S
Fuji FinePix S5200

Can someone with some expertise in photography comment?

Is there a reason why you are looking at "super-zoom" models? Generally speaking you trade off mega pixels for the ability to have a larger zoom range. Depending on the types of pictures you want to be able to take that may or may not be a good thing.

Edit: I should also mention that you give up the "pocketability" factor with these sorts of cameras. If you are doing the tourist thing on vacation that's not an issue but afterwards it'll be harder to carry it around just so you can have something to take spur of the moment pictures.

[Trippy]

When I mention RAW, that basically means shooting uncompressed images. They are way bigger on the memory card, but for important pictures it gives you way more editing control. Basically you can fully edit the exposure, color, contrast, etc after the fact without loosing image quality. Trying to edit that type of stuff in JPEG deteriorates the picture quickly.

It really means nothing for snapshots, but if you plan on getting in to working with photos in Photoshop after the fact, you want RAW.

RAW images are compressed, just not lossy compressed. Also you can lose image quality editing RAW images too, it just takes more work to do so because the RAW format captures more data per color channel compared to the JPEG format so you have more room to adjust things before "clipping" and other bad stuff occur.

[Yegolev]

Is there a reason why you are looking at "super-zoom" models?

I had assumed some type of restraining order.

[Righ]

Saw the box this morning and it is in fact the XTi.  What little I know about it, it is probably more than what most people want; I'm a tad scared of it, myself.  She wanted to get one what took the SD cards, but apparently that was due in the next model from Canon, if a_best_buy_employee_088 is to be trusted, and we were in a bit of a rush since her 35mm Rebel died at the end of January.

I guess that explains it. I got a Nikon D50 DSLR which uses SD cards, but I didn't have any existing investment in glass. Well, nothing modern in any case - a couple of Pentax Spotmatics and a bunch of M42 lenses. As old as me. :)

[eldaec]

You sound like you are looking at the top end of compact cameras, so I'd at least try out a budget DSLR before you buy (The canon rebel series is great). You can have just as many auto modes on a DSLR as a compact camera, but you also get the option to start turning off the auto help one function at a time and build up to better photography.

Also there is typically a big usability jump upward from top compacts to budget DSLRs, it is much easier and quicker to get a good shot off a DSLR once you understand your way around it (the camera will respond much much faster, and the design of the controls and the grip is based on working well rather than looking good). 10x optical zoom is pretty awkward to handle on a compact camera.

The S3 IS is a good halfway house, but the benefits you'd get from it are not just in the tech specs, they are also about the design of the camera and it's controls, it's set up like a proper camera. The ability to add a polarizing filter on a non-DSLR is also very cool - anyone who ever takes outdoor shots should own a circular polarizing filter for every lens they buy, it's a zero-effort way to get instant awesomeness in any shot with water or sky. Do you take pictures that ever feature water or sky? Thought so.

[Trippy]

You sound like you are looking at the top end of compact cameras, so I'd at least try out a budget DSLR before you buy (The canon rebel series is great). You can have just as many auto modes on a DSLR as a compact camera, but you also get the option to start turning off the auto help one function at a time and build up to better photography.

No he's looking at super-zooms in the $300 range which is about half what you could get a Digital Rebel for.

[eldaec]

You sound like you are looking at the top end of compact cameras, so I'd at least try out a budget DSLR before you buy (The canon rebel series is great). You can have just as many auto modes on a DSLR as a compact camera, but you also get the option to start turning off the auto help one function at a time and build up to better photography.

No he's looking at super-zooms in the $300 range which is about half what you could get a Digital Rebel for.

Yeah, but it's electronic toys and shit - so I'm rounding up with extreme prejudice.

Spending other people's money is fun.

[sinij]

I'm looking at 'super zoom' simply because I find such feature most useful in my picture-taking activity. Faults of my original camera are that you can't take any scenic pictures without being right on top of things, I also played with friends 10x camera and zoom was feature that impressed me most.

[Bunk]

It is a nice feature. I had a Sony F717 before I went SLR, and though it was a big clunky monster, it really did take nice pictures and had a hell of a zoom.

Basically, buying one of these super zooms is just going to lead you down the slope to an SLR, but that's ok.

[Yegolev]

If you drop the cash on, say, the Canon XTi, you can just buy a dedicated zoom lens, however that's money you might not want to spend.  My wife only uses the "big" lens every now and then but it's invaluable when the time comes.

[Trippy]

Doing some brief searching I'd skip the Panasonic since it apparently shares the same noisy sensor trait that many of the other Panasonic models have. The Kodak is too new to even have any reviews out for it out. The Fuji looks pretty nice except that it uses non-standard xD flash memory cards. I'd look at the Canon S3 and the Sony DSC-H2 as well (even though it uses those annoying Memory Sticks) since they are in your price range. All of these cameras have full auto modes so it doesn't really matter if the camera has more features than you think you might use and you never know, maybe you might want to learn more about photography in the future.

I would also suggest going some place where you can hold some of the above cameras in your hand and if they are powered play around with the controls. Some of them may actually be uncomfortable for your hand to hold. I was thinking of buying a Canon G3 a while back but gave up on the idea cause holding it with my right hand caused one of the corners to dig painfully into my hand.