Considering the Casio Exilim EX-S500 but have questions

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

And I'm not interested in Sony products at all. Sony is obnoxious with
its obsession with proprietary technology, and is incompetient when it
comes to repairing their defective products. My big screen Sony TV was
an absolute nightmare.

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

scs0 wrote:
> I'm considering buying the new Casio Exilim EX-S500 because it seems
> perfect for my needs, but I read some reviews saying that picture
> quality isn't that impressive. I don't really know how to treat that
> statement because the camera is obviously being compared against other
> cameras currently on the market, but the most meaningful comparison I
> could get would be a comparison against my 4 year old digital camera
> the Canon Powershot S30.
>
> Back in the day, my powershot was rated as taking quality pictures. I
> do not disagree because the pictures with this camera look excellent to
> me, but I am no expert on digital photography - I have no idea if
> yesterday's excellent quality is considered great, standard, or poor
> today. If the picture quality of the Casio Exilim is roughly the same
> as 2001's Canon Powershot S30 then I'd buy it immediately.
>
> If it's not, does anyone know of a camera that's going to be on the
> market soon that has these characteristics?
> - 5 megapixel or more
> - Tiny form factor (a big camera takes horrible pictures by default
> because I avoid taking it with me. Even my Powershot, small for 2001,
> is like a massive brick in my pocket)
> - Picture quality at least as good as the Powershot S30. The camera
> will usually be used outdoors in sunlight, to a lesser degree indoors,
> and rarely used at night.
> - Has some means of docking with a standard tripod
> - Price of $450 or less
>
>
> Thanks

On the one hand I'm quite satisfied with a Casio camera (QV8000) I've
used a lot. On the other hand I very much regret having bought a small
camera (in my case the Minolta Dimage Xi). What I hate most about the
Minolta is the proprietary Lithium Ion battery. They don't have much
stamina (compared to NiMh rechargeable batteries) and are extremely
expensive.
So the brand (Casio) is recommended, but I would definitely advise
against buying anything with proprietary Lithium Ion batteries. But ok,
that's just my experience. If you insist on buying a small camera,
you're options are probably limited to cameras employing a proprietary
Lithium Ion battery.