Author Topic: Best Pocket Digital camera?  (Read 3665 times)

Best Pocket Digital camera?
on: August 15, 2006, 18:05:00 PM
My Fujifilm 6800z has given up on me and wont start up at all so im on the lookout for a new camera.

Things of upmost importance:

Size - preferable small pocket sized camera.
Speed - A quick startup would be an advantage, the 6800 took ages
Less blur on photos - the 6800 blurred loads of the pics I took

I bought a PC shopper magazing with a 15 camera review in and they came up with a clear winner SONY CYBER-SHOT W30, the screen is a bit small so im currently looking at the w50 (same with a bigger screen).

http://www.shopping4cameras.com/products/details.cfm?product=SONDSCW50

Any comments/recomendations?

Price £100-£200
Formerly sexytw

  • Offline PuNk

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Re:Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #1 on: August 15, 2006, 18:22:21 PM
http://www.fujifilm.co.uk/shop/refurb/shop.php

Highly reccomended by me, fastastic service. Camera I got (e900) was brand new.

Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #2 on: August 15, 2006, 20:59:46 PM
Cheers for the link.

Ive taken a look but I cant see anything that matches the W50 for features/price. Some good discounts though.
Formerly sexytw

Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #3 on: August 16, 2006, 09:24:04 AM
I just got back from a week in Benidorm with my mams Canon Powershot A430 and I was very impressed.  4Megapixle, 4x Optical Zoom, and quite useful if your out and about it takes a pair of ordinary AA batteries so no need to carry a charger on holiday with you.    Get yourself a nice 1gb SD card and youll be able to take around 800 pictures.

Good review on Steves Digicams http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/a430.html

and according to Froogle cheapest is £104
http://froogle.google.co.uk/froogle?q=powershot+a430&hl=en&show=dd

I think my Mam picked hers up for about £120 from Tesco but used some of her vouchers so got it for about £30.

  • Offline SteveF

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Re:Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #4 on: August 16, 2006, 18:46:27 PM
Right now for the size and quality youre looking at only two options tbh:
* Sony Cybershot range (W50/W70 being best)
* Canon Ixus range (IS800 being best)

I was going to pick up the Ixus IS800 a week or so ago but they werent around in the shops and only available through online and I needed it fast.  If you can stretch to it thats probably the best small camera going right now.

I actually picked up a Sony Cybershot DSC-W70 in the end and really very pleased with it - the W50 youre considering will be just as good.  Been using a full Nikon Digital SLR as my main camera for a while and as it excels at just about everything Id been using the small nikons as pocket cameras but they  arent in the same league as these two.  Many small cameras suffer in low light, have slow startup and shutter responses and tend to blur a great deal.

Im pleased to say the Sony cybershots dont have these issues and was suprised how well they cope in very dark places even without a flash.  I happen to have a couple of random snaps on mine right now from a night out at the weekend (at work so not got access to my iPhoto collection just whats in my pockets :P).  Theyre far from good photos but theyll give you a guide as to what you can expect to get back using a cybershot in really dark places where you would normally grain and blur on a pocket camera.  A couple are in dark corner of pub with no flash and others in total darkness outside which should just about show you the worst quality you will get from your shots.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shavenewok/

Cameras not left my pocket in last week or so so its been to pubs, clubs, dancing, mountain biking, etc and not showing any signs of wear and tear.  Not bad as ipods tend to be scratched to hell within a matter of days the way I treat my stuff in jeans pockets next to keys and phones lol.

I havent put any daylight shots from mountain biking or proper bar/club photos up on that site because as you might expect normal daytime stuff and well lit photos are pretty much perfect on any camera in this price range so wouldnt help you much.


PS: Just a reminder that high street shop Jessops will price match any UK retailer even if theyre online (you have to ask as they dont overly advertise this).  Often handy to be able to print off the price from amazon and then walk into a shop and get it from them.  Makes returns and stuff easier plus its in your hand as soon as you give them the money.

Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #5 on: August 17, 2006, 01:02:27 AM
Wow, cheers for the advice SteveF!

Glad to have some real-life comments on the cybershot range. Makes me feel more confident.

Ill look into the Canon Ixus cameras, ill see if I can have a play somewhere.

Cheers for the Jessops tip too, might well do that when I make my choice.
Formerly sexytw

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Re:Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #6 on: August 20, 2006, 01:03:12 AM
One of the problems of that kind of compact is that it has to expand the lens, the nikon S5 doesnt but is nearly £15 outside your price range. S6 is a cheaper and has a bigger screen. Worth looking at the S4 too.

Re:Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #7 on: August 20, 2006, 14:48:42 PM
Im not really much of a photographer and probably never will be.

More of a point and shoot kinda guy, as long as there is a zoom and a macro im happy.

I will have a look though.

Ive got a bit more time to decide as i spent the last pay cheque that was destined for the camera on various crap I dont really need. Grrrrrr.
Formerly sexytw

  • Offline SteveF

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Re:Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #8 on: August 20, 2006, 16:51:30 PM
Just a note - my parents came back from the US with a mini canon powershot (called ixus in UK).  It was one of the slightly lower end canons and its good.

Instant on, vivid colours, point and click simple (was bought for mum as she gets confused when she should and shouldnt use flash, etc), real viewfinder and a nice screen.

Looks like youre not going to go far wrong with either the canons or the sonys no matter which model your budget allows. :)

  • Offline ion

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Re:Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #9 on: August 26, 2006, 18:39:25 PM
I have an Ixus 50, one of the slightely older ones and its great for point n shoot. The main reason I chose it (aside from size) was the ultra quick startup and shutter times. Also does some great videos at 640x480@30fps.

Some good sites for camera reviews:
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/

  • Offline jamieL

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Re:Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #10 on: August 28, 2006, 23:04:00 PM
http://www.casioextra.com/products.asp?action=ShowProduct&category=15&subcategory=&subsubcategory=53&ProductID=1977

On offer at the moment! :D £102 inc del and you get 512mb SD card included! Great deal :)

It may be refurbished, but it has a 12 month warranty. And I reckon with refurbs, if something is going to go wrong with it, itll happen within the first 12 months!

Re:Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #11 on: October 25, 2006, 17:22:14 PM
SteveF or anyone else who knows... Im just about to buy the cybershot W70 and want to get some memory to go with it.  Whats the best memory to get as Ive heard it has to be specific to Sony o something?

Re:Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #12 on: October 25, 2006, 17:29:58 PM
dont worry ive answered my own question...Memorystick Duo Pro  :)

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Re:Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #13 on: October 25, 2006, 17:34:34 PM
Try either Aria or 7dayshop

A 2GB stick should be easily enough for your needs, most likely a 1GB stick would do.

Re:Best Pocket Digital camera?
Reply #14 on: October 25, 2006, 17:51:58 PM
memory stick is expencive and slow by comparison to SD cards. Memory stick is the single reason why I will never buy a Sony P&S camera (note, their SLRs dont use it, even Sony recognise its a bad idea in high end models).

In shooting performance for a compact youll probably never notice, but it will take longer to download than an SD card of comparable size. Download times become a factor when youre talking about GB of data transfered at speeds in the MB/s order of magnitude.

I still dont believe there is a compact P&S camera on the market that can touch my Panasonic Lumix. It beats my DSLR for hand held macro due to its image stabilisation and increadible close focus. Ive yet to see a compact that can match it for lens quality, Leica glass takes some matching.

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