Digicam comparison and advice, please

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m looking at two different digital cameras right now, and not sure which to buy. I’m pretty sure this goes here rather than CS, because it may be about photography but it is very much a poll. I don’t have the cash for a thousand dollar digital SLR right now, so I’m looking a bit down the scale right now - and all prices I refer to are CAD. I’m still very much an amateur photographer, but I’ve taken classes through my major, and have moved away from the random webcam shots to the actual caring about the composition stage. Whatever camera I select might end up being used a bit for things like simple product shots for work (web designer), but more or less just hobbyist pics. I’d just like something that actually has optical zoom and manual control, unlike my ugly old digicam.

The Kodak Z740 [here] is a 5MP camera. It also offers full manual control over aperture and shutter speed, which is a must for me. It also takes SD cards, which is cool, because in the meantime I can just swipe the one from my existing craptastic digicam. It is also $279, which my wallet loves. Oh, and the optical zoom is pretty - 10x!

The other one is the Fujifilm S5200 [here]. The Fujifilm offers nearly identical features, except that the aperture and shutter speed have slightly higher ranges. Now, in my classes, I worked with a Pentax *ist digital SLR, which seems to have a similar interface to this camera (as opposed to the Kodak), which is comforting. However, this is a $399 camera, which my wallet can cough up, but not without some reluctance. :wink: (hey, I’m a student here! I still need to get a tripod!)

I’ve always known Kodak to be the simple point and click kind of cameras, and Fujifilm to be a bit more professional. Is getting a Kodak going to get me laughed out of the park by the other photographers? Is there something I’m grossly overlooking in the quality of the Kodak vs. the Fujifilm? I’ve chosen these particular cameras because we actually have a store in my podunk town that sells them, so taking them back if they don’t work out/are broken/need warranty stuff is a lot easier. Also, the crappy digicam I referred to earlier cost $199 in the first place, so seeing a much better camera for $279 makes me wary - I feel like by buying the Kodak, I might just be buying a Dell compared to an Alienware, you know? Plus like I mentioned I still need a tripod, rechargeable batteries and hopefully a new memory card, so that adds up too.

Any advice, fellow Dopers? Thanks!

2

Both are good cameras, and no, real photographers won’t laugh at you for any camera you have. They know that good pictures come mainly from the photographer, not the camera.

Depending on your budget, however, there are IMO better cameras to be had. The Canon S2 or new S3 will certainly get you better features and better image quality. They also have the best video modes on the market. Panasonic also has some excellent super zooms at similar prices; the FZ7 and FZ30. I’d favor those over the Kodak and Fuji you have selected but I understand the comfort of having the stores locally. I bought my cameras from B&H online.

Memory prices are dropping fast. The Fuji takes xD so they’ll be a bit more expensive, but all the others take SD memory, which can be had for $20 US for a 1 gig card. Go mail order for these if you can.

3

I wouldn’t worry about that - prices of digital cameras have been parctically in free-fall for a while now, driven by cut-throat competition; all the better for consumers, eh?

What I would do in your situation is to set a budget, and then go looking for reviews of cameras that seem to suit. DPReview has a pretty neat comparison feature (linked) that allows you to set a price and other features, and then comes up with results. I found 10 cameras under $300 (US) which have manual controls. Googling for “camera name + review” should get you a good place to start. There’s nothing like going and using the camera, though. I’d recommend that you go down to a camera store (if that’s possible) and play with as many models as they have. You can get a pretty good idea of whether you like a camera or not in a surprisingly short time, especially when it comes to ergonomics.

4

I found this site to be helpful in choosing my last camera

5

The camera links in the OP are from this link, so I think kushiel is aware of that site. My personal favorite is DPreview.

The two cameras you mentioned are ultrazooms, and every manufacturer has one. I think right now Canon and Panasonic have the best offerings with full manual controls, but they cost a little more. Canon also has a fantastic movie mode with great stereo sound and zoom during filming.

I feel comfortable buying on the internet but I can go to local stores and play with all the models. I don’t know the shipping situation to Canada. Based on the two models you mentioned, I’d go for the Fuji. Not for the name, but I think because it’s a better camera.

6

Okay, I’d like to ask another question: what difference am I getting between SLR-like cameras and compacts? A lot seem to have the same features, but only look different because of the lens. How can you have all the same features yet totally different lenses?