Digital Camera

[Strong Eagle]

Thanks so much for the enthusiastic replies...

How abt panasonic? Perhaps FX8 or 9? anyone has any comment on it?

Im looking at Canon Ixus 50 or 60 too.... comments?

I'd disagree with Bremen. Panasonics are better than Canon.

Leica lenses. Image stabilization. Excellent color saturation. Good program modes. A case that is easier to hold with one hand than the Canon. I own the FX8 and have given away FX9 and FX01 as gifts.

FX01 is the latest. Has a 28 to 102 zoom. All other compact cameras have 35 to 110. Much better wide angle.

[Bremen]

I'd disagree with Bremen. Panasonics are better than Canon.

Leica lenses. Image stabilization. Excellent color saturation. Good program modes. A case that is easier to hold with one hand than the Canon. I own the FX8 and have given away FX9 and FX01 as gifts.

FX01 is the latest. Has a 28 to 102 zoom. All other compact cameras have 35 to 110. Much better wide angle.

I actually find the color saturation on the Panasonics to be quite muted. The colors on the canons are much more natural, while on the sony they're punchier. Much better for printing. Also, the Panasonics, while having excellent lenses, are let down by higher chroma noise at lower ISO levels, and have poorer high-iso performance than, say the fuji cams:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfx9/page8.asp

[Baron Greenback]

I would say each to his own, most people like their own camera & brand. In the same way that we tend to stick to the same mobile phone manufacturer, I have always had motorolas.

Persoanlly I would go for a fuji (because that is what I have got & am very happy with it).

When buying a camera it is very easy to over-engineer your research, there is so much information on the web. At one point when I was doing my own rsearch I found myself staring at various pictures of converging lines to see which camera picked up finer detail. I had to step back & think "what the hell am I doing?"

Set a budget, decide what is your buying criterea ie size, megapixels whatever, find the differnt models in your budget, go & look at them in the shop - you might find that you prefer the one that is small & light or just looks good. The important thing is to get a camera & start taking pictures.

Best of luck

[ksl]

I'd disagree with Bremen. Panasonics are better than Canon.

Leica lenses. Image stabilization. Excellent color saturation. Good program modes. A case that is easier to hold with one hand than the Canon. I own the FX8 and have given away FX9 and FX01 as gifts.

FX01 is the latest. Has a 28 to 102 zoom. All other compact cameras have 35 to 110. Much better wide angle.

I actually find the color saturation on the Panasonics to be quite muted. The colors on the canons are much more natural, while on the sony they're punchier. Much better for printing. Also, the Panasonics, while having excellent lenses, are let down by higher chroma noise at lower ISO levels, and have poorer high-iso performance than, say the fuji cams:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfx9/page8.asp

No offence Bremen, but the link doesn't impress me! I've seen to many manipulations of what cameras can and cannot do, especially here in Sim Lim, never trust any of the salesmen! 9 out of 10 will push the ones, with the most profit margins, and up the price.

I think one needs to experiment for a while with each camera, possibly at a camera club.

I purchased the Minolta 5D simply because it's more economical, having the stabiliser in the camera, rather than on the lens and also i have the film camera, with lenses i can use.

Unfortunately I cannot stop thinking about the cannon 350D, and wondering what the pictures are like. I'm not overly impressed with the Minolta, even though it does its job, but i put that down to my inexperience with a digital SLR

[Scorpion]

....
Unfortunately I cannot stop thinking about the cannon 350D, and wondering what the pictures are like. I'm not overly impressed with the Minolta, even though it does its job, but i put that down to my inexperience with a digital SLR

In what aspects does the Minolta let's you down

[Bremen]

No offence Bremen, but the link doesn't impress me! I've seen to many manipulations of what cameras can and cannot do, especially here in Sim Lim, never trust any of the salesmen! 9 out of 10 will push the ones, with the most profit margins, and up the price.

I think one needs to experiment for a while with each camera, possibly at a camera club.

I purchased the Minolta 5D simply because it's more economical, having the stabiliser in the camera, rather than on the lens and also i have the film camera, with lenses i can use.

Unfortunately I cannot stop thinking about the cannon 350D, and wondering what the pictures are like. I'm not overly impressed with the Minolta, even though it does its job, but i put that down to my inexperience with a digital SLR

Ksl, dpreview is a highly respected digital camera review site. It is NOT based in Singapore, nor does it manipulate it's images. They have some of the most comprehensive testing of any site.

As for the 350D, it's a truly EXCELLENT camera... But you need to make sure you have a good lens too.

DPReview has a huge amount of sample pictures in their 350D review. See here:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos350d/

Again, dpreview is NOT A SALESMAN. If you can't trust one of the most respected camera review sites around, then there's little that can be done to give you the data you need.

[Bremen]

In what aspects does the Minolta let's you down

Poor sharpness, poor colors, high ISO noise.