Really need your help in choosing a pocket camera ...

S

sdd

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Hi Guys

I really need a hand choosing a super point and shoot camera that easily fits in ones pocket.

My main considerations is weight, size and form factor of th ecamera. I would like to have it readily in my shirt pocket to take a quick photo whe I need to. Should not have to lug a big pouch around.

Camera functionality wise the things I am looking at is >8MP and optical zoom of 6 (if possible). It should be able to shoot in 3:2 mode.

Your advice would be most appreciated.

sdd
 
I'm pretty happy with my Sony Cybershot DSC-T100. It's so thin and light I forget it's in my pocket. 8MP and 5x optical zoom via a completely internal lens, stabilizer, HD 1080 output, and all the gimmicks you expect from a modern P&S.

Dimentions: 91.8 x 59.2 x 22.3mm.

Weight: 141g

It's old news now, the T200 is identical except it replaces most of the buttons with a touch screen setup. It has been followed up by the 10MP T300.
 
Until it got stolen I had a Panasonic Lumix that was just incredible and I wouldn't hesitate to go right back to that range if I was in a camera-buying frame of mind; note that these and the similar-sized Leicas are pretty much the same thing, the latter being for brand-conscious snobs. :rolleyes:

Anyhow, at a quick glance, compare that Nikon you listed against the DMC-LZ8 and DMC-TZ5 Lumixes, just for starters.

As an opener, your Nikon makes what is for me a deal-breaker: no image stabilisatio :eek:, something which the Pana's have (and I just know it'll rock!) Then, the Nikon comes with a smaller sensor than both the 10 AND 8MP Pana's, sies man! Heh, it at least gets to beat one of the Pana's on aperture range, but not, oddly enough, the 'lesser' 8MP one. Finally, it's further away from the optical zoom you want (tho' that may be a guess, dpreview's a little unclear on that spec). Bottom line: comparatively it's kinda lemonish around the edges!

...and that's before you get into some IXUS lovin'!
 
koffiejunkie said:
I'm pretty happy with my Sony Cybershot DSC-T100
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Ahhh Sony, bend over and take it like a man with their BLOODY storage medium! Meanwhile, the rest of the world all gets along famously with SDHC ..guess which ones end up being vastly cheaper because of economy of scale gains? Guess which one you can pretty much jack into any device without teeth-grinding adapter issues?
 
:confused: Not only Sony manufactures the medium. My first card was a Sandisk which cost a few bucks less than the Sandisk SD card at the time. The last one I bought was a 4GB I bought about 6 months ago, again for roughly the same price as the equivalent SDHC. Just shop around...
 
koffiejunkie said:
:confused: Not only Sony manufactures the medium. My first card was a Sandisk which cost a few bucks less than the Sandisk SD card at the time. The last one I bought was a 4GB I bought about 6 months ago, again for roughly the same price as the equivalent SDHC. Just shop around...
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Sony is the only one that USES the damn things - and they're (in)famous for their epic dumbass attempts at forcing (single - them only, of course) vendor lock-in on just about any device they make!

Here's a f'r instance for you: you and a mate, both with your P&S cameras take some snaps and you run out of space. Now your mate, being sensible, has a spare SD card in his wallet and could easily have lent it to you had you been using a card that EVERY.other P&S camera takes ..but no-o-o-o, YOU have to be the 'special' kid on the block with the incompatible card! :D

(not a personal dig, just trying to illustrate the point of avoiding Sony like the galloping clap because of their storage format stupidity)
 
bdt said:
Sony is the only one that USES the damn things - and they're (in)famous for their epic dumbass attempts at forcing (single - them only, of course) vendor lock-in on just about any device they make!
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Not really. I have seen other cams that use MS and other manufacturers can make it, so it's a choice really.

Here's a f'r instance for you: you and a mate, both with your P&S cameras take some snaps and you run out of space. Now your mate, being sensible, has a spare SD card in his wallet and could easily have lent it to you had you been using a card that EVERY.other P&S camera takes ..but no-o-o-o, YOU have to be the 'special' kid on the block with the incompatible card! :D
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Only one of the cams I've owned take SD(HC). The family had a camera that takes MMC - can't remember the make or model but I still have the original 128MB card that came with it - and the two I own now take MSPro and CF.

(not a personal dig, just trying to illustrate the point of avoiding Sony like the galloping clap because of their storage format stupidity)
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I'm not trying to defend Sony, just pointing out that MemoryStick is hardly the vendor lock-in you think it is.
 
koffiejunkie said:
Not really. I have seen other cams that use MS and other manufacturers can make it, so it's a choice really.
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None come to mind for me, I'm genuinely interested in knowing who else makes one that uses 'em. Oh, and the all-time winner for only-user storage: Olympus and their silly little card! ;)

Only one of the cams I've owned take SD(HC). The family had a camera that takes MMC - can't remember the make or model but I still have the original 128MB card that came with it - and the two I own now take MSPro and CF.
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MMC is the same form-factor as SD, it's pretty much the lobotomised twin. I'm open to be corrected on it, but AFAIK you can readily swop out an MMC card for an SD one. The cams that offer CF, they're not li'l P&S jobbies, are they - they're more SLR-shaped units, no?

I'm not trying to defend Sony, just pointing out that MemoryStick is hardly the vendor lock-in you think it is.
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I've just noticed you're in a country with *real* consumer electronics availability - something I can't claim. Let me say that my viewpoints are skewed by what I've found to be available here.
 
bdt said:
None come to mind for me, I'm genuinely interested in knowing who else makes one that uses 'em.
Click to expand...

I'll ask next time I'm in S.A.

Oh, and the all-time winner for only-user storage: Olympus and their silly little card! ;)
Click to expand...

Now there's real vendor lock-in...

MMC is the same form-factor as SD, it's pretty much the lobotomised twin.
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I didn't know that.

I'm open to be corrected on it, but AFAIK you can readily swop out an MMC card for an SD one./quote]

Just compared them. The SD has more pins. I'm not about to test it though.

I've just noticed you're in a country with *real* consumer electronics availability - something I can't claim. Let me say that my viewpoints are skewed by what I've found to be available here.
Click to expand...

I bought the Sandisk cards in S.A. The ones I buy here I buy online, they tend to come from the far east, so there's no real difference where I am. Yes there is a very real choice in shops here, but you pay through your nose for retail.
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Sony S800 is 8megapixel with 6x Optical. Uses Memory Stick Pro Duo for Memory Card. Priced at around R2000 +- *depend on where u buy*

Try Game, or Makro
 
guys ... thanks for the input but please do not derail the thread. Storage media is not an issue for me. Memory stick or SD - I use both and have adapter for all of them.

Just to clarify - if you shop around the SD and MS can be bought at roughly the same price - so it is a non-issue.

@bdt: that nikon has got electronic stabilisation (whatever that is). I checked it out and it is small and light. I try to stay away from panasonic's because inthe past I noticed their cameras had a lot of noise. This was not the case for Sony ones.

I like the picture quality of Sony cameras. As I said I am really an amateur. The photos to me is so vivid and looks nice.
 
sdd said:
that nikon has got electronic stabilisation (whatever that is).
Click to expand...

Mostly a sneaky ISO boost so that they can use a faster shutter, in my experience.

I try to stay away from panasonic's because inthe past I noticed their cameras had a lot of noise.
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Panasonic's "Quest for Zero Defect" has always come at the cost of quality IMHO.
 
I just recommended the Ixus 80 IS to the MiL but I see you're looking for a slightly longer zoom.
 
Thanks bwana ... but I want a camera with a slightly longer optical zoom. There were too many occasiion that I wished I had. The Ixus 80 is nice though.
 
Napalm said:
Sony S800 is 8megapixel with 6x Optical. Uses Memory Stick Pro Duo for Memory Card. Priced at around R2000 +- *depend on where u buy*

Try Game, or Makro
Click to expand...



Damn ... this is what I was looking for as a spare ultra-compact camera for the missus. Only drawback for me is the fact that it does not have image stabilisation of any kind and viewfinder. If I get it cheap I may settle for this one.

Thanks for this.
 
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