Advice, Fuji, Nikon

Advice, Fuji, Nikon

I'm looking at several digital cameras in the $200 - $300 price range,
and have some rather basic questions. Two that seem attractive are the
Fuji S1000fd ($250 at a local dealer) and the Nikon Coolpix P60 (around
$230). They both have digital viewfinders that provide essential
information about the settings and let you see the picture directly
rather than trying to see it on the rear screen. This to me seems to be
an advantage, particularly in bright sunlight. Both have over 8 Mpx and
plenty of features. The Fuji has a larger body and has a 12X optical
zoom compared with 5x for the Nikon. Both use AA batteries, although
the Fuji uses four of them compared with two in the Nikon.

My previous experience has been with 35mm SLR film cameras and also
older medium format cameras, and with an older Nikon Coolpix 880 (which
we didn't like because we could never tell when it was going to take a
picture (shutter lag), or whether or not it had taken one (unless we
could see the screen).

I'm not a serious amateur and probably don't need an SLR, although I
like to experiment in low-light situations, etc.. But I haven't kept up
with current developments with digitals and would appreciate suggestions
and general information, or references to websites I could go to for
such information. (Incidentally, the dealer is offering a no-cost
package of accessories with the camera, and I'm probably not going order
one on-line to save a few dollars.)

Here are a few of the issues I don't understand:

1) I have read that some digitals use up batteries quickly,
particularly conventional lithium rechargeable. Any advice on batteries,
and does the battery life depend on the type of flash card or memory
used? (We have a recharger for AA batteries.)

2) It would be nice to have a camera body with removable lenses (for
astronomy, etc.). Is this feature available in low-priced models, or
only on SLRs?

3) Regarding the two cameras mentioned above, the dealer suggested
that if I didn't need the 12x zoom on the Fuji, the Nikon might provide
somewhat better pictures. - Any opinions on this? What's the advantage
of the larger body (of the Fuji) compared with the pocket-sized Nikon.
Also, is there an advantage to having four AA batteries (the Fuji)
rather than two (giving twice the voltage)?

4) Any suggestions for other cameras with digital viewfinders in this
price range?

5) With 10 Megapixels, will I get pictures with detail equivalent to
those provided with a good 35mm film camera?

Thanks for any advice or suggestions.

Jim Cate

Re: Advice, Fuji, Nikon


>
> Here are a few of the issues I don't understand:
>
> 1) I have read that some digitals use up batteries quickly, particularly
> conventional lithium rechargeable. Any advice on batteries, and does the
> battery life depend on the type of flash card or memory used? (We have a
> recharger for AA batteries.)
>
In general:
In the old days, with hardly any automatics in the camera 2 small batterie
cels would last about two years.
With my AF autowinding SLR (non digital), the batteries would last for about
a half year to a year.
Now on vacation I recharge my batteries regulary. (So they last less than
days).
BUT, now I can take a few hundred pictures, review them, have AF and lot
more on one battery charge.
So allthough in time batteries last far shorter than in the 'old' days.
Considering the number of pictures I can take with a single charge and the
number of functions (AF, review etc.) battery life is not bad on modern
SLR's.
(And with AA batteries you can always take one or two extra sets.).


> 2) It would be nice to have a camera body with removable lenses (for
> astronomy, etc.). Is this feature available in low-priced models, or only
> on SLRs?
Only SLR's have removable lenses. (There are some lensattachments for some
camera's,
for example .75 or 1.5 focal length multipliers).

>
> 3) Regarding the two cameras mentioned above, the dealer suggested that
> if I didn't need the 12x zoom on the Fuji, the Nikon might provide
> somewhat better pictures. - Any opinions on this? What's the advantage of
> the larger body (of the Fuji) compared with the pocket-sized Nikon. Also,
> is there an advantage to having four AA batteries (the Fuji) rather than
> two (giving twice the voltage)?

Four batteries give a higher voltage, for most functions this will not make
a huge difference, but they probably last longer and the flash receicling
time will probably be shorter.

>
> 4) Any suggestions for other cameras with digital viewfinders in this
> price range?
>
> 5) With 10 Megapixels, will I get pictures with detail equivalent to
> those provided with a good 35mm film camera?
>
For normal use the 10 Megapixel will result in about the same sharpnes as a
35 mm camera.
BUT the best 35 mm pictures (High resolution film, tripod etc etc. still
produce more resolution than a 10 Mp camera can produce). Offcourse it's not
only depending on the number of megapixels. Most digital point and shoot
camera's are better than the point and shoot film camera's where in the old
days.

Ben

> Thanks for any advice or suggestions.
>
> Jim Cate

Re: Advice, Fuji, Nikon

On 2008-05-23 22:00:40 -0400, JimC <avocat5@sbcglobal,net > said:

> I'm looking at several digital cameras in the $200 - $300 price range,
> and have some rather basic questions. Two that seem attractive are the
> Fuji S1000fd ($250 at a local dealer) and the Nikon Coolpix P60 (around
> $230). They both have digital viewfinders that provide essential
> information about the settings and let you see the picture directly
> rather than trying to see it on the rear screen. This to me seems to
> be an advantage, particularly in bright sunlight. Both have over 8 Mpx
> and plenty of features. The Fuji has a larger body and has a 12X
> optical zoom compared with 5x for the Nikon. Both use AA batteries,
> although the Fuji uses four of them compared with two in the Nikon.
>
> My previous experience has been with 35mm SLR film cameras and also
> older medium format cameras, and with an older Nikon Coolpix 880 (which
> we didn't like because we could never tell when it was going to take a
> picture (shutter lag), or whether or not it had taken one (unless we
> could see the screen).
>
> I'm not a serious amateur and probably don't need an SLR, although I
> like to experiment in low-light situations, etc.. But I haven't kept
> up with current developments with digitals and would appreciate
> suggestions and general information, or references to websites I could
> go to for such information. (Incidentally, the dealer is offering a
> no-cost package of accessories with the camera, and I'm probably not
> going order one on-line to save a few dollars.)
>
> Here are a few of the issues I don't understand:
>
> 1) I have read that some digitals use up batteries quickly,
> particularly conventional lithium rechargeable. Any advice on
> batteries, and does the battery life depend on the type of flash card
> or memory used? (We have a recharger for AA batteries.)
I have a lesser Nikon Coolpix (L14) and it came with lithium double As
(not the rechargeable kind) and the camera has you set the specific
kind of battery you use. I get much longer life out of those energizer
lithiums than any alkaline AA or rechargeable AA.
>
> 2) It would be nice to have a camera body with removable lenses (for
> astronomy, etc.). Is this feature available in low-priced models, or
> only on SLRs?
>
> 3) Regarding the two cameras mentioned above, the dealer suggested
> that if I didn't need the 12x zoom on the Fuji, the Nikon might provide
> somewhat better pictures. - Any opinions on this? What's the advantage
> of the larger body (of the Fuji) compared with the pocket-sized Nikon.
> Also, is there an advantage to having four AA batteries (the Fuji)
> rather than two (giving twice the voltage)?
>
> 4) Any suggestions for other cameras with digital viewfinders in this
> price range?
>
> 5) With 10 Megapixels, will I get pictures with detail equivalent to
> those provided with a good 35mm film camera?
The digital advocates will tell you yes. The film advocates will tell
you no. The answer is partly that megapixels alone don't tell the whole
story. Sensor size is important. Lenses are important. IMHO my old
(regrettably sold) Nikon F Photomic FTN took pictures that no digital
camera has even approached, and that was with film of the 1970s. My
Olympus OM cameras beat everything I've seen digital and my Pentax 6x7-
well there is not even a close rival in digital. Digital advocates
always talk about sharpness, which is not the criterion on which you
should judge. They comfortably avoid talking about INFORMATION and
tonal range, two things they ignore because digital does not match
film, and most of them don't know what it is anyway. But the short
answer is that a 10 megapixel P&S from a good manufacturer will
outperform a 35mm P&S, but will not likely equal a good 35mm SLR.
>
> Thanks for any advice or suggestions.
>
> Jim Cate


--
Michael

Re: Advice, Fuji, Nikon



Michael wrote:
> On 2008-05-23 22:00:40 -0400, JimC <avocat5@sbcglobal,net > said:
>
>> I'm looking at several digital cameras in the $200 - $300 price range,
>> and have some rather basic questions. Two that seem attractive are the
>> Fuji S1000fd ($250 at a local dealer) and the Nikon Coolpix P60
>> (around $230). They both have digital viewfinders that provide
>> essential information about the settings and let you see the picture
>> directly rather than trying to see it on the rear screen. This to me
>> seems to be an advantage, particularly in bright sunlight. Both have
>> over 8 Mpx and plenty of features. The Fuji has a larger body and has
>> a 12X optical zoom compared with 5x for the Nikon. Both use AA
>> batteries, although the Fuji uses four of them compared with two in
>> the Nikon.
>>
>> My previous experience has been with 35mm SLR film cameras and also
>> older medium format cameras, and with an older Nikon Coolpix 880
>> (which we didn't like because we could never tell when it was going to
>> take a picture (shutter lag), or whether or not it had taken one
>> (unless we could see the screen).
>>
>> I'm not a serious amateur and probably don't need an SLR, although I
>> like to experiment in low-light situations, etc.. But I haven't kept
>> up with current developments with digitals and would appreciate
>> suggestions and general information, or references to websites I could
>> go to for such information. (Incidentally, the dealer is offering a
>> no-cost package of accessories with the camera, and I'm probably not
>> going order one on-line to save a few dollars.)
>>
>> Here are a few of the issues I don't understand:
>>
>> 1) I have read that some digitals use up batteries quickly,
>> particularly conventional lithium rechargeable. Any advice on
>> batteries, and does the battery life depend on the type of flash card
>> or memory used? (We have a recharger for AA batteries.)
>
> I have a lesser Nikon Coolpix (L14) and it came with lithium double As
> (not the rechargeable kind) and the camera has you set the specific kind
> of battery you use. I get much longer life out of those energizer
> lithiums than any alkaline AA or rechargeable AA.
>
>>
>> 2) It would be nice to have a camera body with removable lenses (for
>> astronomy, etc.). Is this feature available in low-priced models, or
>> only on SLRs?
>>
>> 3) Regarding the two cameras mentioned above, the dealer suggested
>> that if I didn't need the 12x zoom on the Fuji, the Nikon might
>> provide somewhat better pictures. - Any opinions on this? What's the
>> advantage of the larger body (of the Fuji) compared with the
>> pocket-sized Nikon. Also, is there an advantage to having four AA
>> batteries (the Fuji) rather than two (giving twice the voltage)?
>>
>> 4) Any suggestions for other cameras with digital viewfinders in
>> this price range?
>>
>> 5) With 10 Megapixels, will I get pictures with detail equivalent
>> to those provided with a good 35mm film camera?
>
> The digital advocates will tell you yes. The film advocates will tell
> you no. The answer is partly that megapixels alone don't tell the whole
> story. Sensor size is important. Lenses are important. IMHO my old
> (regrettably sold) Nikon F Photomic FTN took pictures that no digital
> camera has even approached, and that was with film of the 1970s. My
> Olympus OM cameras beat everything I've seen digital and my Pentax 6x7-
> well there is not even a close rival in digital. Digital advocates
> always talk about sharpness, which is not the criterion on which you
> should judge. They comfortably avoid talking about INFORMATION and tonal
> range, two things they ignore because digital does not match film, and
> most of them don't know what it is anyway. But the short answer is that
> a 10 megapixel P&S from a good manufacturer will outperform a 35mm P&S,
> but will not likely equal a good 35mm SLR.
>
>>
>> Thanks for any advice or suggestions.
>>
>> Jim Cate
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for the helpful information. I bought the Fuji S1000fd and have
been pleased with the results so far. Lots of options and functions
still to be learned, however (160 pages of instructions). Regarding the
performance and resolution of different cameras, I still have an Icona
Zeiss medium format camera 6x9 that has produced great images for
enlargements. Also have a Russian camera that seems similar to the
German camera.

Jim