Digital Cameras

According to LetsGoDigital : Camera phones won’t replace digital cameras:

Even as they increase in popularity, camera phones are not likely to replace digital cameras and camcorders as consumers’ primary picture taking device, according to a study recently released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which found that some 91 percent of digital camera owners consider their digital camera to be their main photography device. CEA’s “Digital Imaging Study: Sharing and Storing Pictures and Video,” also revealed that consumers are unaware of the need to archive their digital photos and video - an issue of increasing importance as the penetration rate for digital cameras nears 50 percent with those camera owners snapping billions of pictures each year.

Design Technica features a nice FujiFilm FinePix F10 review and states:

The new 6.3-megapixel FujiFilm FinePix F10 ($399 MSRP) is a rather unassuming digital camera with a silvery metal finish and plain vanilla styling. Yet looks are very deceiving; this is one of the best performing cameras on the market. The camera has superb low-light shooting capability, film camera-like response, easy-to-operate controls and menus. And, of course, great photo quality. In effect, this is everything a point-and-shoot digicam should be in 2005. For slightly more than 300 bucks, this camera should be high on the list for those who want effortless picture taking. That said, the FinePix F10 is not God’s Gift to Photography; there are some annoying flaws we’re happy to point out in the hope that Fuji engineers will take the comments as constructive criticism.

The appreciated features of the FujiFilm FinePix F10 digital camera: Beautiful, accurate photos; Very accurate colors ; Ability to shoot in available light; World-class battery life ; Fast, fast, fast.

For these features the conclusion of this review is:

“With a “go” price of under $350 (not counting the current $30 rebate from FujiFilm), this camera is a great buy for anyone looking for an easy-to-use digicam that delivers excellent quality and response. The Natural Light feature is terrific, letting you take very nice available light shots. It’s fast and battery life is excellent. The only major negatives are the ridiculous xD Picture card flash memory and that bizarre “terminal adapter” for recharging the battery and connecting to your computer. If you can deal with those issues and the others mentioned, give this baby a serious test drive.

Cameras.co.uk has a Fuji Finepix Z1 review and writes :

“The Finepix Z1 produced a pleasing set of test pictures. There was only one photo that it failed with and that is the test carried out in complete darkness. The result was an over exposed shot that was out of focus. This is a test that Fuji digital cameras routinely struggle with. It means that the camera is likely to get into difficulties when the light is really poor.”

The conclusion is :

‘The Fuji Finepix Z1 is certainly up there amongst the best ultra compact digital cameras that I have tested. The picture quality is very pleasing and I am a big fan of the design. It is slightly more expensive than its rivals, but I would be prepared to pay the extra few pounds. One area I would like to see improved is the menu system. ‘

DP Review features a review of the 5.0 megapixel Canon PowerShot SD400 Digital Camera and writes:

In an ideal world buying an ultra compact camera would not involve any compromise at all. But this ain’t a perfect world, and if you want a camera you really can carry with you anytime, anywhere then you have to accept there will be some trade-off in terms of absolute image quality. The Canon PowerShot SD400digital camera is a fast, easy to use, well-specified camera that can genuinely claim to be pocket-sized, and it produces images that - whilst by no means perfect - are sharp, clean and colorful, and it does so with the minimum fuss. It’s so small, and is so enjoyable to handle and use that you cannot help but take it with you wherever you go, something you might hesitate to do with a larger camera. It’s also nice to be able to report that there is a noticeable (albeit small) image quality advantage to be had by buying the SD400 over the less expensive 4MP SD300.

And the final word of this Canon PowerShot SD400 review:
“If it hadn’t been for the lack of shutter speed information and the minor problems with edge sharpness and fringing, this would have been a Highly Recommended for Canon PowerShot SD400, as it is I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone wanting a small, fast, capable camera, and near the top of the 5MP ultra-compact tree. “

Steves Digicams has a Fujifilm FinePix A350 review and writes:

“I found the overall image quality was good when using the 5M Fine mode. Most of our sample images were sharp with good color balance. The exposure system also did well and I especially liked how it captured sky detail. Noise levels were moderate in high/low contrast areas, but we didn’t see much purple fringing (aka Chromatic Aberration) around highlights. However, I was very disappointed with its autofocus system. It failed more often then not in dim lighting and every time the camera tries to lock focus, the LCD freezes up, making it useless if following a moving subject. But thanks to its optical viewfinder, you should have no problems capturing images of the kids running through the house or yard. When a still picture won’t capture the moment, you can opt to use its movie mode. Sound is recorded and the movie frames are captured at a relatively low 10fps in 320×240 (QVGA) resolution. Our sample movies were average with noticeable amounts of compression noise.”

And:

Bottom line - the Fujifilm FinePix A350 was a mixed bag. While I was pleased with our indoor and outdoor image quality results, its sluggish performance really dragged it down. Also when shooting portraits indoors, you have to make certain there’s plenty of light for the autofocus system, and the LCD freezing issue was very aggravating.

Cnet Reviews published an Olympus C-5500 review and writes:

The Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom is, above all, a good compact camera for the money. Its 5-megapixel resolution, 5X optical zoom, solid build, impressive array of features, and very good image quality add up to a strong all-purpose option for the advanced snapshot photographer. That said, some of its features are compromised; for example, you can’t shoot in burst mode at the highest-quality JPEG setting. That drawback, in addition to some inconsistent shutter lag and focus-time performance, makes this camera less suited for shooting action than the Sport Zoom moniker might lead you to believe.

The good :Solid build; long telephoto range; strong image quality; better, broad feature set.
This camera receives 6.7 points (”Good” rating):

“The Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom, while not as adept at action photography as its name might lead you to expect, offers a lot of features and very good image quality for an affordable price”

Lets Go Digital has a Canon PowerShot A520 review and states:

The Canon Powershot A520 is absolutely a recommendable digital camera. It offers value for its money, has a few minor points that need improving, but in general it delivers an excellent result. The compact size offers many possibilities, turning itself into a versatile camera, and actually exceeding its own class. The possibilities that the A520 offers ensure keeping the camera in sight and in use. The Canon A520 is a worthy successor to the old Canon A-series digital cameras!

Digital Camera Info features a Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro Digital Camera Review and writes:
“The FinePix S3 really does offer expanded dynamic range, with beautiful color and excellent noise control. Maybe we should stop right there, because that’s the news. That’s what the competition has to try to match.

The question is whether or not to buy one. Sure, lots of people need more dynamic range and good portrait color, but do they need it for $2500? Do they need it at one frame per second? Do they need it with autofocus that wasn’t top-of-the-line even three years ago?

Actually, yes. The camera will serve a sizable market. Wedding and portrait photographers need to take flattering pictures with rich color even when they can’t control the lighting. This is a very large sect of commercial photographers, compared to other segments of the photographic profession, and they can put up with many of the limitations of the S3. Fuji is wise to go after them.

Professional photographers will have to make their own judgments about whether they’ve been losing money thanks to limited dynamic range, or if more dynamic range will pay back a $2500 bill at the camera store.

For users who don’t have a cost/benefit analysis to run, the question is much more subtle. The FinePix S3 yields much, much better dynamic range than the Nikon D70 or Canon 20D, and better color. It’s not better in any other respect, and it’s inferior in many other regards, so the decision will inevitably come down to personal preference and shooting priorities.”

PC Magazine reviews the Konica Minolta DiMage Z5 and this camera receives 3.5 stars:

“The Konica Minolta Dimage Z5 has a striking design, balanced body, and rugged feel. With its 2-inch LCD screen and electronic viewfinder, you’re able to see subjects in nearly any shooting situation, and the 12X optical zoom brings you close to the action.

The Z5 is a 5MP camera that features a 5.83- to 69.9-mm zoom or, in 35-mm equivalent, a 35- to 420-mm zoom range, with a wide f-stop range of f/2.8 to f/4.5.

On our tests, the simulated daylight image showed very little noise, excellent color matching, and very good color saturation. The image was crisp and sharp, with deep blacks, and we found very little fringing or noticeable aberrations. The shot was a bit underexposed, but overall the exposure was balanced, so it would probably be easy to correct in an editing program.”

Bottom line:

The Konica Minolta DiMage Z5 is a good buy with some excellent features, such as 12X optical zoom, effective image stabilization, and the ability to zoom during video shooting.

The Fujifilm FinePix S9500 is also known as the Fujifilm Finepix S9000 in Northern America and is a 9 megapixel digital camera with a 10.7x Optical Zoom (28-300mm) , 1.8 inch LCD, PC sync connector, dual memory card slot (Compact Flash/Microdrive and xD Card), ISO from 80 to 1600, twist-barrel zoom control as well as electronic viewfinder.

Fujifilm sees the S9500 Zoom (S9000 Zoom) as the point where compact and DSLRs meet as it offers the resolution and control of an SLR, while at the same time offering functions associated with a compact camera. Other features include a real time histogram, xD-Picture Card, CompactFlash and Microdrive compatibility, hotshoe and RAW format. The S9000 Zoom will be available in August at a priced to be confirmed.

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