I need a camera expert's opinion please.

[Mazda3X2]

We are looking to pick up a digital camera for a little Christmas gift for ourselves. Not looking for anything huge, just an upgrade to our 4 year old little 4MP Canon.

Here are the ones we are thinking about at the moment. They are on sale right now. The one you will see is a little more pricey than the other two. Does this camera justify the price difference in your opinion?

We have been told great things about the Fuji and are leaning towards that one so far.

FujiFilm S1500fd http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10120332&catid= On for $194.99
Canon SX120is http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10129617&catid= On for $229.00
Canon SX200 http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10134647&catid=# on for $339.99

Thanks in advance.

[JovianGhost]

I'm partial to Canon myself. I've had Canon cameras for years and they've always been fantastic.

I used Fuji a few times, and to be honest I found them very lacking. Much less bang for the buck vs Canon.

If you're just considering these ones, I would say go for the SX200. It has HD recorded and uses a Li-On battery, which tends to last longer than AAs. Of course the advantage with AAs is that you can carry around as many as you want and swap them in the field. But unless you're going to be out taking a thousand pictures a day I doubt you're going to run into battery problems with the Li-On.
Overall, the SX200 seems to have better specs than the SX120is.

Are these the only ones you are thinking about? I only ask because there are other great cameras you can get, depending on what you want to do with it.

These ones are the in-betweens of point-and-shoots and SLR cameras. To be honest, they're pretty much just point-and-shoots with better optical zoom. If you're looking for just a point-and-shoot, then I would highly recommend Canon's SD Powershot series. I've got an SD770 myself and it's just fantastic.

[Noisy Crow]

+1 on Canon.

Best place I have found for camera reviews is Steve's Digicams:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/

Lot's of good info and recommendations......

[CFX]

+2 for Canon.

From those three you have listed, I'd probably go with the Canon SX120is.

[vcp]

Thought I would add my 2 cents.

It really depends on what you are going to be shooting with the camera. The average person will be photographing a broad range of subjects in varying locations both indoors and outdoors. Almost every digicam will perform very well outdoors as there is plenty of light for their small sensors to capture. Where P&S cameras really start to show their limitations is indoors. Another thing to consider is how large the rooms are that you will be taking photos in. If your interested in taking group photos indoors (think holidays) you want a camera with a wider angle lens. Most P&S cameras have a lens that is a 3x-5x optical zoom that would be a 35mm equivalent of 35-105mm/38-114mm or 35-175mm/38-190mm. Often is isn't wide enough to get everyone into the photo. Also P&S camera's ability to shoot in low light are typically poor.

Another thing to consider is how often you will be going to the bar/beach/ski hill etc. Many manufacturers now offer shock/dust/water resistant cameras. If I was still into the bar scene I definitely would consider something like this.

If I was in the market for a compact camera right now my top two considerations would actually be from Fuji. They have done a great job with their slightly higher end models.

FUJI FINEPIX F70EXR (http://www.henrys.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ItemsDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&departmentId=10404&categoryId=10429&itemID=263504) at &279.99 is a great value.

FUJI FINEPIX F200EXR (http://www.henrys.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ItemsDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&departmentId=10404&categoryId=10429&itemID=255751) at $349.99 would likely be what I would end up with.

Canon makes some fantastic cameras, I have $$$$$$ invested with them. But I think most people would be much happier with a camera that takes better indoor (low light) photos with a wider angle lens. These are features that you will use all the time. Besides, with the megapixels that cameras are at these days if you want to zoom in just crop the photo. The average person doesn't need 10+mp. You can print a fantastic 8x10 from 4 or 5mp's and I am willing to bet most don't even go that big, if they even print them at all.... ;)

I get great 4x6's from my iPhone in the right light and it is only 2mp!

[Mazda3X2]

Thanks a lot for the advice guys! This is great stuff. I'm sure any of these would prove to be a big upgreade from what we are using and I''ll be looking further into the cameras listed.

One of the bigger concernes was our picture quality with indoor, poorly lit areas. They always come out grainy and darker areas show no detail.

Thanks again, more to follow.:)

[aris]

I have never used any of those camera's but i got a sony and it's worked wonders..and i have had it for 5 years...so maybe a sony you might want to consider..next camera i buy will be a sony

[Kappa]

not to down play sony but i have worked for 2 camera stores and one currently.. and not once have a seen a sony last long term but thats just what i have seen around here... canon and nikon are the way to go.. from what you listed you looking at a smaller camera with a good zoom..

first off megapixels are worth nothing and should not be the deciding factor in picking a camera.. human eye can only see 6mp and you can blow a 6mp photo up to billboard size and still have it look good... so 10 would be good but i shoot my slr's at 8 to 10..

no matter what you do your not going to get a camera to take "tack sharp" photos inside unless you use a flash or ultra high iso rating.. in both cases your going to find they are not that great.. even if you buy an slr and get a f1.8 lens that might not even help in a dark place.. for low lighting tripod! if not find some were to sit it down..

the cameras you picked are all good but if your looking at that price check out the canon sx10is or sx20is or even a rebel xs.. future shop is a good place but i would say buy one from a place like blacks photography or staples you will not have to fight them on warranty issues..

i would suguest the rebel xs! great little camera a little more money but it will last you and plus if you come to a few meets i can show you some quick dirty tips to make your photos look great with little or no effort! or add me on msn and i can give you some tips to :)

websites to check out that have great customer service

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ they are one of the biggest camera stores.. they are in new york but just have it shipped to maine and you might end up saving money plus we could get a cruse down to get it :D

www.photo.net ask them what they think about a camera they are the pros and you can see examples of the photos they will take.. they have used stuff to..

and even check out ebay i know a few places that have an ebay store as well as a real store and as long as they have good feed back you cant go wrong :D

just my 2 cents :D

[Mazda3X2]

Thanks Kappa for the information. Is there something wrong with Fuji in your opinion?

I got back from the local photo place and he highly recommended the Fuji F70EXR.

I will look into the other cameras listed here too. I do want to stick with something fairly compact that I could wear on my belt for vacations.

[vcp]

The cameras Kappa is recommending are dSLR's which will always yield better results as the image sensor in the camera is substantially larger than any point and shoot including cameras like Canon's G11. But with that type of image quality you sacrifice how compact the camera is. They are not pocketable at all and are much more of a commitment to carry around.

[Kappa]

The cameras Kappa is recommending are dSLR's which will always yield better results as the image sensor in the camera is substantially larger than any point and shoot including cameras like Canon's G11. But with that type of image quality you sacrifice how compact the camera is. They are not pocketable at all and are much more of a commitment to carry around.

dslr stands for digital single lens reflex... the canon sx10is and sx20is are not dslr's the canon rebel is a dslr.

if your looking something small that works great and is not hard on the bank then the sx110 or now 120is are great cameras and work wonderful we have had very little problems with them and i love how well they work.. mind you they both take AA battery's.. G11 is a great camera but it weighs almost the same a dslr with a stock 18 to 55 lens.. it is used by the military and is top grade camera and has lots of stuff to play around with..

fujifilm has been around for a long time i like some of there stuff.. now there highzoom cameras that i have played with like the s2000 and s1500 eat battery's like crazy..

Summary of the FinePix F70EXR Specifications:

Super CCD EXR 10 Megapixel switchable sensor
EXR Priority Modes and EXR Auto Modes
Fujinon 10x optical zoom (27mm - 270mm)
2.7”, 230k dot High Contrast LCD Monitor
Wide Dynamic Range up to 800%
Ultra High sensitivity in low light (up to ISO 12800 at 3 MP Resolution)
Face Detection 3.0 with Automatic Red-eye Removal
Dual Image Stabilization (ISO and CCD Shift)
Pro Focus Mode / Pro Low-light Mode
High Speed Continuous Shooting of 5 fps up to 12 frames (3 megapixel)
Full Manual Control
5 Film Simulation Modes
Super Intelligent Flash
Movie Mode with sound (640 x 480, 30 fps)
230 shot battery life (with included NP-50 Li battery)
Accepts SD/SDHC Memory Cards
2 Year Canadian Manufacturer’s warranty


only thing i dont like are how the mp go way down for your high iso which sucks as for your high speed shooting.. not that they really make much of a difference. i love that it takes the li battery major pro in my mind. the one major thing i didnt like after looking at this camera is its lens barrel.. its great that its so small and has a large zoom.. BUT (this is a big but) i see about 2 or 3 cameras a day come back to the store with a lens error... some people drop it some people dont do anything.. it can be dust it can be water it can be salt from your table.. anything that can get in there will mess it up big time and there are way to many points on that camera for it to enter. fuji will not replace the lens barrel under warranty.. in most cases. and to replace it will cost anywhere from 180 to 300.. and i have seen higher its crazy but i see it everyday. the thing thats nice about the 120 is its got 2 or 3 points i believe that come out not like 5 or 6 but that may not ever be a big deal but just something i hate to see happen to cameras :)

your totally on the right track with what cameras your looking at! and i think if you pick any of the ones you have talked about you will be totally fine and be very happy with what you have :) and when you do get one let me know ill show you some stuff i know some neat tricks on all of them but the fuji :D

[Mazda3X2]

I found the Fuji F70EXR at Newegg.ca for $259.99, plus right now there is a web coupon for $20 off. Seems like a good deal for this camera and right in my budget. With shipping and taxes it comes to $282.61.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830122214&cm_re=fuji-_-30-122-214-_-Product

I'm no expert, but I don't see much benifit in upgrading to the F200 for $70 more for my needs. I actually don't see why the F200 is more expensive than the F70 other than the fact that it is 12MP.

[vcp]

I found the Fuji F70EXR at Newegg.ca for $259.99, plus right now there is a web coupon for $20 off. Seems like a good deal for this camera and right in my budget. With shipping and taxes it comes to $282.61.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830122214&cm_re=fuji-_-30-122-214-_-Product

I'm no expert, but I don't see much benifit in upgrading to the F200 for $70 more for my needs. I actually don't see why the F200 is more expensive than the F70 other than the fact that it is 12MP.

The big difference between the two camera's is that he F200 has a much better lens. It will give you better image quality when compared to the F70. It may not be as useful as it is a 5x vs 10x zoom but generally you can assume that the less zoom a lens has the better the image quality when comparing like lenses.

I hope the camera works out for you!

[Kappa]

12mp means nothing looks like a good deal.. no way you could tell the difference between 10 and 12..
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Fujifilm-FinePix-F70-EXR-12224



Following on from the stellar performance of the Fujifilm FinePix F200 EXR, we see the release of the F70 EXR. The smallest camera to boast a 10x optical zoom.

i say go with the f70 !

now as for the lens thing i have never heard of a bigger zoom lens making it less quality i have a $2000 70 to 200 lens that is way better than my kit lens and its a higher zoom but hey im not saying your wrong by any means because i dont know everything but i dont think it would change the quality any imo. but hey i like to learn new stuff about cameras so yeah if you have some more info on that then i would like to know :D

[Kappa]

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Fujifilm-FinePix-F70EXR-F70-EXR-Battery-Wty-6Gifts-8ALL_W0QQitemZ330362295394QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDigit al_Cameras?hash=item4ceb209462#ht_3001wt_1165

good feedback and free shipping :) if your into ebay :)

[vcp]

12mp means nothing looks like a good deal.. no way you could tell the difference between 10 and 12..
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Fujifilm-FinePix-F70-EXR-12224




i say go with the f70 !

now as for the lens thing i have never heard of a bigger zoom lens making it less quality i have a $2000 70 to 200 lens that is way better than my kit lens and its a higher zoom but hey im not saying your wrong by any means because i dont know everything but i dont think it would change the quality any imo. but hey i like to learn new stuff about cameras so yeah if you have some more info on that then i would like to know :D

Your 70-200 is less than a 3x optical zoom. 70 goes into 200 less than 3 times. Assuming that it is Canon's version and you were to compare that lens to Canons 100-400L or 28-300L which are 4x and 10x lenses the 70-200 is far superior. The best quality lens you can buy is a prime (fixed focal length/non-zoom) lens. The 70-200 is a fantastic lens and many do compare the quality to that of a prime. You could say zooms are like Jack of all trades where as primes are masters of one. Again this is a general rule but it does tend to hold true for most lenses of the same system.

[Kappa]

Your 70-200 is less than a 3x optical zoom. 70 goes into 200 less than 3 times. Assuming that it is Canon's version and you were to compare that lens to Canons 100-400L or 28-300L which are 4x and 10x lenses the 70-200 is far superior. The best quality lens you can buy is a prime (fixed focal length/non-zoom) lens. The 70-200 is a fantastic lens and many do compare the quality to that of a prime. You could say zooms are like Jack of all trades where as primes are masters of one. Again this is a general rule but it does tend to hold true for most lenses of the same system.


ohh i see! makes since to me never knew that thanks for the info! :)