$300 camera: wide angle, decent picture quality

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Helping a friend decide. I told her if you don't go DSLR, it doesn't
matter a lot for image quality, mostly fancy features like making
movies, long zoom, etc. so she's thinking a $200 camera for now. I'm
raising that to $300 to be reasonable. She has need for a wider angle
for landscsapes. I think if there is a model with better image quality,
that would be more important than other features. Less purple fringing,
less noise. Lower shutter lag would be nice but not likeley at this
price range. As low as 3MP would be OK though she's used to 5MP.

If I search dpreview for 28mm or less, $300 max, 5MP I get:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp

Fujifilm FinePix E500 Zoom $221
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sp [...] xe500z.asp
-user reviews complain about shutter lag & lack of autofocus assist lamp
for low light focusing (understandable for this price).

Raise the price to $400 & I get:

Canon PowerShot S60 $380
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sp [...] on_s60.asp
-apparently has AF assist & less shutter lag
-at this point, might as well go for $500 (her original budget) & get
something really nice, but as I said the image quality due to small P&S
sensor doesn't really change much.

Any thoughts about those or other models to look at? I guess relaxing
the 28mm wide angle would open up a lot of options. Is the Fuji E500 a
good camera?


--
Paul Furman
http://www.edgehill.net/1
san francisco native plants

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Tony Hwang wrote:
>>
> Hi,
> Check out Oly wide angle cameras such as C5060. Worth looking, IMO.
> Very capable camera.
> Tony


Yeah she's used to my old OLY. That one is $430 & I heard Oly is
stopping production of all P&S models so a C8080 can be had for $515:
http://www.adorama.com/IOMC8080.html
which is one model she was drooling over till I warned her the noise &
low ISO performance isn't much different from a $200 P&S.

I couldn't find a C5060 for a decent price with a quick search?

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Paul Furman wrote:
> Tony Hwang wrote:
>
>>>
>> Hi,
>> Check out Oly wide angle cameras such as C5060. Worth looking, IMO.
>> Very capable camera.
>> Tony
>
>
>
> Yeah she's used to my old OLY. That one is $430 & I heard Oly is
> stopping production of all P&S models so a C8080 can be had for $515:
> http://www.adorama.com/IOMC8080.html
> which is one model she was drooling over till I warned her the noise &
> low ISO performance isn't much different from a $200 P&S.
>
> I couldn't find a C5060 for a decent price with a quick search?
Hi,
I got one from eBay. Refurbished by Oly with latest firmware already
loaded. 200 some was the auction price. They fixed that known rotary
switch problem. Been working floawlessly since I got it. I got rid of
Canon G4 now. I couldn't tell the camera was used when I received it.
And they have flat rate shipping to U.S./Canada destination.
Hope you can find one.
Tony

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Go for the eBay 5060. It's a great camera. I've put mine though its
paces.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Paul Furman wrote:

> Any thoughts about those or other models to look at? I guess relaxing
> the 28mm wide angle would open up a lot of options. Is the Fuji E500 a
> good camera?


Personally I would not relax the wide angle requirement. You should
never purchase a point and shoot that lacks the AF assist lamp.

At Buydig:

The S60 is $326
The S70 is $400

She could also get an A95 with an add-on lens, but this would be almost
as much as the S60.

Probably the S60 is a better choice, the S70 isn't worth that extra $74.