eek! pentax/canon/sony...

wagsy

hi,

i bought a pentax digital slr a few weeks ago (can't even remember the model now!) & i asked for some advice in this forum. i was having difficulty using the veiwfinder. in the end, i brought it back to the shop. then i took a canon 1000D home to try it out. but i found live view only available on some functions. so, that went it's merry way back to the shop too! well, the saga continues. today, i have a compact sony cyber-shot dsc-t300. i took it (i paid for it!) because of the size of the lcd screen (3.5"). however, this is partly used for the functions as it is a touch screen. but, i've been reading that the battery life on it is abysmal. so if anybody could suggest a good compact camera: lithium battery, 3" lcd screen, 8-10mp, 4/5x zoom my husband would be extremely grateful as he's getting a bit fed up with my hmming & hawing...!!!

is an cat dubh out there?!

go raibh mile maith agaibh,

wagsy

ThOnda

Ouch, we have lost another one! Poor Pentax, who will pay for the development of their new cameras?

Sorry to hear that. The viewfinder is one of the reasons why to buy a SLR.

wagsy

There are compacts with a viewfinder, but at the expense of the screen. It wasn't until I tried out the Pentax & Canon that I realised what a pain in the proverbials it is to get old & have eyesight problems or, at least, to have to take eyesight into account. I wear reading glasses & distance glasses (I haven't tried bifocals/varifocals yet as they're VERY expensive and, I believe, not everybody can get used to them). Until it happens to you, you can't imagine eyesight as a consideration on buying a camera - ut, i guarantee you, it is!

Wagsy

AnCatDubh

Yikes. (i've just fainted when i read your 3rd sentence ) I guess there's always a first :rolleyes:

Sorry, i know next to nuttin about the Sony (except i have an irrational male perception that all things Sony are technologically excellent and you can't go far wrong with them).

DP Review (where i assume you read about it) states;

Battery life
The T300 uses a NF-FD1 Lithium Ion battery which, according to standard CIPA tests, should provide around 130 shots per charge. We have to assume that it's the large screen that's leading to this rather paltry figure. This short life span either means you'll have to get used to putting it on to charge, every time you've used it or having to fork out for a spare battery or two. Certainly traveling with the T300 would be a disappointing experience.

If other than the battery it is ok for your needs, would you not just buy extra batteries - they're about €10 each on eBay or €25 including a charger - keep two or three (or four maybe!) in your camera case. Like many, I keep many AA's and now a battery grip for my gear. When going on a shoot, i need to ensure i've all the batteries charged for the day's activities.

I'm into the realm of guessing here but if using a live view be it on DSLR or a compact then you are going to get fairly poor battery performance because you are running a bright screen pretty much constantly. Some will obviously perform better than others but even if you change you may be faced with the same problem. Hence i'm also guessing that you'll probably want to have a few spare batteries for whatever other compact that you'd buy. So if the Sony is fitting the bill other than battery, you might want to think about just upgrading to having a few spares (which may be cheaper too!).

Sorry, i can't help on the which compact front - last one i had was about four years ago and i haven't really followed them since.

I've listened to lots of standard recommendations for things like the Canon G9 but nothing along the lines of your requirements.

Oh - one final thought. 130 images is paltry by comparison to what DSLR's and some other cameras boast, however 130 images could be as much as some people may want to take at any one time - it would be more a light user tbh but just a point to throw into the melting pot for you.

I hope you get sorted ok.

ThOnda

I wear glasses, but fortunately, I can use my camera without them so far. But it's getting only worse thanks to time spent at PC.

Good luck with finding camera that will allow you to capture pictures you want. And my recommendation would be to go to some bigger shop with cameras and get the cameras into your hands. Compacts develop very quickly and they are being produced by lots of manufacturers.

wagsy

Was the third sentence the one about taking it back to the shop?! i guess i need to get my glasses sorted out before i can realistically consider a dslr. it's not something i thought would be a problem until i got the cameras into my greasy mitt! The Sony is pretty sleek. I read about the battery, as you said, in DP review and, unfortunately, in many other places. I'd love to see some of your photos...???

wagsy

It's the changing of the glasses (sounds like changing of the guard!) that's the pain i.e long distance to see the object of my (photographic) desire & reading to see in the viewfinder or even the lcd screen...

I find it hard to really pore over & get a feel for the camera in the shop so I have to go through the whole rigmarole of paying for it, taking it home, (wo)man-handling it etc etc.

Thanks for reply anyway...

TJJP

I rate the G9 very highly. I have an SLR too but I'm just as inclined to use the G9. The screen is big and bright and the viewfinder, while a bit tricky, is good too.

There is a new G10 on the way so the G9 should be available at a good price.

If the G9 seems too much the Canon 860is is a great camera too. I'm not as familiar with other brands so can't really comment. Always found battery life on my canons was great. I have a second battery for my G9 but I've rarely needed it, was more likely to fill a 2GB card before the battery ran out.

AnCatDubh

wagsy wrote: »

I'd love to see some of your photos...???

Me or ThOnda or both ??? meh.... Lots of random stuff over here by me and also can be seen today for one day only in the Irish Times Gallery supplement - wooo hooo go me :rolleyes:

nilhg

Maybe its too late seeing as the OP has bought the Sony, but it might have been worth having a look at the Panasonic G1, it's just hitting the shops and should be in the same general price range as the two DSLRs you've looked at already, and seems to be just about what you are looking for.

An early review here

ThOnda

If your skull is shaped in a specific way, you could be able to lift the long distance glasses on your forehead above eye brows. It looks funny, but it works. And I have seen quite a few photographers doing this. Or strings on their glasses.