Opinions on digital camera please?

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Hey all, just looking for some suggestions for a new digital camera for myself. I have a fuji finepix 2 million pixel camera at the moment but it needs to be replaced. I'm looking for a camera that is small enough to fit in my pocket to take out on a night out. I will be using it mostly on nights out, taking pictures of bikes and cars, and the odd wedding or holiday. I would also like to take black and white photo's. They are the main things i'm looking for in the camera, but i would also like to be able to use it as a web cam if possible aswell. Anybody got any suggestions?

I was looking at this today.... http://www.fujifilm.co.uk/digital/cameras/a500/ . It was €210. It came with a carry case, a 256mb memory card and rechargeable batteries and a charger, what does everybody think?

I haven't got a huge budget, not much more than about €200 - €250!

Cheers

5uspect

Most point and shoots are pretty much the same nowadays. But there are a couple of things to watch out for:
-Resolution isn't everything - noise can be a big issue
-Auto foucs can be slow especially in low light
-Electronic view finder (LCD screen) eats batteries
-Proprietary Li-ion batteries are expensive to replace/buy go for a camera that can take rechargable AAs so you won't get caught out with a flat battery.
-They used to be slow to power up but that seems to have improved.

The nikon 7600 for example can take AA batteries, can record high resolution quicktime videos with audio (they eat memory space mind!). I have the older Coolpix 5200 which is a nice neat little camera. It suffers a bit from camera shake and some noise but other than that its pretty good.

As regards black and while this is a commom feature but it can also be done in the most basic of editing apps. It can be done to death in any number of ways in photoshop! Its probably better to always shoot in colour and desaturate afterwars anyway just incase you accidently take a pic in B&W you wished was colour.

Edit: and as the sticky on this forum shows its always cheaper to shop abroad, but always make sure you check out the camera you order in Dixons or somewhere to make sure you like the feel of it. It probably not the nicest thing to do but why pay €100 more?

rabbitinlights

Check out http://www.onedaymobile.ie/ they have great prices for cameras.

311

It's probably just me ,but I always try and go for the camera with the highest optical zoom in the range I'm looking at.

pissed

I ordered a fuji f11 zoom camera from jessops last thursday and it arrived yesterday lunchtime, camera cost £149.99 and the delivery was £9.95. It came with a 64mb xd card. I have not had much time to mess around with it but looks good so far, heres the link you can look for yourself.

http://www.jessops.com/Store/s32821/1-136-236/Home/Cameras/Digital-Compact-Cameras/Fujifilm/Finepix-F11-Zoom-Digital-Camera/details.aspx

CreativeA

I'd be looking for good optical zoom and a decent quality LCD screen.
The canon ixus are meant to be good. Think they are expensive.

peter1892

The A500 is a fine little camera - basic point & shoot, I've used one & the images are good. Perfect for most people's requirements. And the price is good too. Gunn's in Dublin sell it for €195 with the card/case package you mentioned.

digitalbeginner

If Night Photography is your main requirement then you might check out the new Fuji FinePix F30.

dpreview says
"The FinePix F30 offers a tantalizing glimpse of how very different compact cameras would be if all manufacturers put as much effort into developing sensor and processing technology as they do into designing and marketing pretty cameras with features no one ever asked for. Our tests show that the F30's sensor gives you at least a two-stop advantage over the best that conventional CCD technology can offer, and in many cases a three-stop advantage, with ISO 800 output that can rival some cameras at ISO 200.

Given that most 'average' casual snapshooters are likely to use their camera at (dimly lit) social occasions more than at any other time, this is a real, significant advantage; allowing flash-free photography without blur. More serious photographers will welcome a camera that brings the low light capabilities of a compact a step or two closer to those of most digital SLRs. It's also, surprisingly, significantly better than the F10, something I must admit I doubted would be true when I started this test."

Thinking about this as my "Night Out" replacement for my D70s

The direct link is http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilmf30
Seems to be just out and can't find a price for it.