best small camera ?

common · 14-06-2003, 8:00 PM

Hi,

Need (want) a new digital camera for holiday - so smaller the better, easy of use and style are important.

I guess it's the Ixus or the small Sony - I have a 128mb card from my Fuji MX2900 which I would like to still use, but looking at the price of cards now it doesn't make much difference.

On a second point - am I going to see any better results from the newer 4 and 5 meg pixel camera's to my Fuji (2.3meg but very good results) ?

Pehaps I should just stick with the Fuji MX2900??

Matt F · 14-06-2003, 9:02 PM

I'd suggest going for a minimum of 3mp as that will be able to produce top quality 7X5 prints - if you want to be able to go to 10x8 then maybe look at a 4mp model.

Worth checking out IMO - Canon Ixus 400, Konica KD400, Canon S45, Olympus MJU 300 or 400, Fuji F410 etc.

Matt.

MarkE19 · 14-06-2003, 10:54 PM

The Ixus cams are great, but have limited manual features.
The S45 is a bit larger, but has full manual override.

It really depends on the required features.
I've got the Canon S30 (older version of the S45) and think it is a great camera and would recommend it to anybody looking for a cam with manual features, but still small enough to carry around.
A friend has an Ixus and it is so small it just fits in a pocket. You can forget you've got it as it is so light, but there when you want it.

Mark.

Wayne Moule · 15-06-2003, 1:17 AM

This ickle Minolta Dimage X looks fab.

http://steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/dimagex.html

rags · 15-06-2003, 3:26 AM

I narrowed my choices down to -

1. Sony DSCP10
2. Canon Ixus 400
3. Minolta Diimage

Eventually plummed for the Sony and havent looked back. Pictures come out very good indeed. It's 5 megapixels (not that you need it) and is packed with features, including a great movie mode.

Only drawback with the Sony is that the memory stick pro is very expensive in the UK.
I had to import one from New York where it's half the price. I got a 256mb stick for £55 from there.

Wayne Moule · 15-06-2003, 4:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rags
I narrowed my choices down to -

1. Sony DSCP10
2. Canon Ixus 400
3. Minolta Diimage

Eventually plummed for the Sony and havent looked back. Pictures come out very good indeed. It's 5 megapixels (not that you need it) and is packed with features, including a great movie mode.

Only drawback with the Sony is that the memory stick pro is very expensive in the UK.
I had to import one from New York where it's half the price. I got a 256mb stick for £55 from there.

What made you go for the Sony?

rags · 15-06-2003, 2:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wayne Moule
What made you go for the Sony?

Not in any order of priority -

1. looks (personal preference) although the Ixus 400 looks good as well.
2. movie mode which lets you run through the whole memory card rather than other cameras which normally have a 15 second limit.
3. Used to own a Sony P9 which got nicked - but I loved it's simplicity
4. The Ixus and others were lower than 5 megapixels
5. I own a Vaio laptop which has a memory stick slot
6. Went to South Africa with a few mates to watch the cricket world cup - one of them had a 3 megapixel Ixus and had my P9 - the pictures on the P9 came out slightly better (the Ixus were slightly soft but in the main suffered from a lot of red eye). I know red eye can easily b corrected by it shouldnt be there in the ist place.
7. I know the Minolta's etc have a lot of manual features (maybe more so than the Sony?) but I am highly unlikely to use them.
8.The Sony was a lot faster between pictures.
9. Sony stamina rechargeable batteries are way ahead of the competition. But again expensive if you need to buy a spare.

Wayne Moule · 15-06-2003, 3:27 PM

rags

I can see where you're coming from.

The Sony's come out very well in tests.

I like the option of selecting the 3:2 image ratio on the Sony's,so that the pics don't get cropped if you take them into Jessops.Only Kodaks are like this as well.

MarkE19 · 15-06-2003, 3:49 PM

Quote:

This ickle Minolta Dimage X looks fab.

Yes, but IMHO it's a little too small (for my fat fingers anyway

)

Quote:

Only drawback with the Sony is that the memory stick pro is very expensive in the UK.
I had to import one from New York where it's half the price. I got a 256mb stick for £55 from there.

That is what put me off getting a Sony. When I was buying mine you couldn't (as in I couldn't) find any cheaper third party memory sticks. They are more readily available now though.

Mark.

Wayne Moule · 15-06-2003, 4:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MarkE19
Yes, but IMHO it's a little too small (for my fat fingers anyway )
Mark.

Don't buy the Dimage X anyway,it comes out crap in tests,I've just checked,poor soft camcorder like pic quality.

rags · 16-06-2003, 1:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MarkE19
Yes, but IMHO it's a little too small (for my fat fingers anyway )

That is what put me off getting a Sony. When I was buying mine you couldn't (as in I couldn't) find any cheaper third party memory sticks. They are more readily available now though.

Mark.

Mark,

Dont bother getting the old memory stick - with 5 megapixel pictures it is seriously slow - just to flick through pic by pic in the camera takes too long. Get the memory stick pro - much faster and most people will need a 256mb stick to take pics at max resolution.

One thing to watch with the Sony - I am nearly certain that there is a dodgy batch of them out there - these ones have seriously loose lense housings that rattle a heck of a lot - make sure you dont get one of these (if you decide to go for it of course)

boostii · 20-06-2003, 9:53 PM

Have a look at the Dimage XT - the latest version of the Dimage X. It is even smaller, better looking and 3 Mega Pixel instead of 2 on the X and Xi. I picked one up with a 128Mb SD card for £306 from digitaldepot.co.uk. The camera is only just realeased. It is my first forray into digital photography but I am very please with the picture quality and some of the features. Just back from Iceland and my holiday snaps are the as good as any taken with a conventional camera of similar cost.

jaybeegee · 24-06-2003, 2:32 PM

Any online reviews of the sony p10 or s92 that anyone can point me to

thanks

jay

common · 24-06-2003, 2:37 PM

This seems an excellent resource

http://www.steves-digicams.com/

acollins · 18-08-2003, 2:59 PM

What is the difference between the Sony P10 & P12? Is it just different colour and P12 comes with spare battery?

If so how much are the spare batteries?

Any problems I should be aware of with these cameras?

Cheers

seany · 22-08-2003, 12:49 PM

Got to be the ixus400 for me. I'd stick with a companie that specializes in cameras. My friend got shut of his p9 (and he had not had it long) after playing around with my 400.

dejongj · 18-09-2003, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by keanyboy
Got to be the ixus400 for me. I'd stick with a companie that specializes in cameras. My friend got shut of his p9 (and he had not had it long) after playing around with my 400.

Why do you say that? Just a valid argument good be to stick with a company that is good with electronics. Besides the lens there is nothing to compare to a normal camera....
And just because you are a camera company (just a manufacturer of products) that doesn't mean your lenses are any good.....That is why there are so many third party lens producers as they believe they can do it better...

So what was the point again?

seany · 18-09-2003, 2:11 PM

It's always better to go for dedicated specialist in my view thats all. I like cannon. They have a good history of making cameras, a 100 year history.