jfly
01/01/2004, 01:31 PM
Alright, here's the contenders (all 3mpx):
Canon A70
Nikon 3100
Pentax Optio S
I don't think I'll actually need a 4mpx camera for anything as I don't generally crop pictures that much or make big prints. Heck, I don't even make prints most of the time. I like the fact that all three of these cameras are small. I want to make sure that I can take nice close pictures of my reef first and foremost. I also want a camera that I'd not hesitate to bring with me, but more importantly is image quality. Who cares if I have a camera that gets close and fits in my pocket nice if the image quality sucks, right? :) The price differences between these cameras (or lack thereof) isn't an issue. Whichever of these three is the best choice is the one I'll get, regardless of price.
The cameras:
My mom just got an Optio S for Christmas so I've had some experience playing around with it. The disadvantage that I see is the proprietary battery because if I run out in a pinch I just can't run to a store and get some extras. However, the camera is TINY. I know if I had this camera that I would ALWAYS have it on me. Granted, the majority of pictures that I take are of my reef, but I'm almost positive its due to the bulk of my current camera and my not wanting to bring it along all the time. I've taken a few pictures of my reef with this camera (about 100) and it does a surprisingly good job. I haven't even read the manual yet.
The Coolpix is a nice camera, I know a few people who own them. It's smaller than the A70 but only uses two batteries which means it doesnt last as long, but then again, they're AA's and I've got those 15 minute rayovak batteries so I can always change em. :) However, like it says on dpreview "The 3100 is certainly a capable point-and-shoot digital camera, its major problem at the moment must be the strong Canon PowerShot A70 which at the same price offers more features and slightly better image quality (although is bigger and heavier)."
The A70 has the advantage that I can use additional lenses, and it also runs on 4AA batteries with the longest duration of the three by a LOT. The reviews I've read of this camera all point out its fantastic image quality. The main disadvantage I'd see to this camera is that it is the largest of the three and might cause me to leave it behind more than I'd like. Granted, any camera would be smaller than my bulky old Kodak, and I can still fit THAT in my pocket if I try hard enough. :)
Questions:
How close of a macro is close enough? All of them get pretty darn close up.
Is compact flash better than SD or vice versa?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this, and even more thanks if you respond. :)
Canon A70
Nikon 3100
Pentax Optio S
I don't think I'll actually need a 4mpx camera for anything as I don't generally crop pictures that much or make big prints. Heck, I don't even make prints most of the time. I like the fact that all three of these cameras are small. I want to make sure that I can take nice close pictures of my reef first and foremost. I also want a camera that I'd not hesitate to bring with me, but more importantly is image quality. Who cares if I have a camera that gets close and fits in my pocket nice if the image quality sucks, right? :) The price differences between these cameras (or lack thereof) isn't an issue. Whichever of these three is the best choice is the one I'll get, regardless of price.
The cameras:
My mom just got an Optio S for Christmas so I've had some experience playing around with it. The disadvantage that I see is the proprietary battery because if I run out in a pinch I just can't run to a store and get some extras. However, the camera is TINY. I know if I had this camera that I would ALWAYS have it on me. Granted, the majority of pictures that I take are of my reef, but I'm almost positive its due to the bulk of my current camera and my not wanting to bring it along all the time. I've taken a few pictures of my reef with this camera (about 100) and it does a surprisingly good job. I haven't even read the manual yet.
The Coolpix is a nice camera, I know a few people who own them. It's smaller than the A70 but only uses two batteries which means it doesnt last as long, but then again, they're AA's and I've got those 15 minute rayovak batteries so I can always change em. :) However, like it says on dpreview "The 3100 is certainly a capable point-and-shoot digital camera, its major problem at the moment must be the strong Canon PowerShot A70 which at the same price offers more features and slightly better image quality (although is bigger and heavier)."
The A70 has the advantage that I can use additional lenses, and it also runs on 4AA batteries with the longest duration of the three by a LOT. The reviews I've read of this camera all point out its fantastic image quality. The main disadvantage I'd see to this camera is that it is the largest of the three and might cause me to leave it behind more than I'd like. Granted, any camera would be smaller than my bulky old Kodak, and I can still fit THAT in my pocket if I try hard enough. :)
Questions:
How close of a macro is close enough? All of them get pretty darn close up.
Is compact flash better than SD or vice versa?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this, and even more thanks if you respond. :)