Canon vs Nikon vs Minolta

Hello...I'm shopping for an APS camera for my wife and have narrowed
the choices to the following:
Canon Z3, Nikon Nuvis S, Minolta Vectis 300L. I've also considered
the Canon Elph 260LT and Minolta Vectis 300. I'm leaning towards the
Z3 and the Nikon. Can anyone give their opinions on any of these
models? I'm new to APS cameras as I've always used Pentax SLR's in
the past.
Important features considered include (in order of importance):
very compact (she will be carrying this in a small purse along
with wallet and phone)
rugged and dependable (we travel a lot in third world countries)
zoom ability
range of shutter speeds (like to have very slow and very fast
options)
battery life
flash range
nighttime performance (nightview or similar options)

Any advice will be appreciated. Also, how available is APS film in
South East Asia (particularly Taiwan and the Philippines)?

Thank you for the advice....
Craig (address email replies to ignore
the deja-news address)

(Craig KB8FGC) wrote in message . com...
Hello...I'm shopping for an APS camera for my wife and have narrowed
the choices to the following:
Canon Z3, Nikon Nuvis S, Minolta Vectis 300L. I've also considered
the Canon Elph 260LT and Minolta Vectis 300. I'm leaning towards the
Z3 and the Nikon. Can anyone give their opinions on any of these
models? I'm new to APS cameras as I've always used Pentax SLR's in
the past.
Important features considered include (in order of importance):
very compact (she will be carrying this in a small purse along
with wallet and phone)
rugged and dependable (we travel a lot in third world countries)
zoom ability
range of shutter speeds (like to have very slow and very fast
options)
battery life
flash range
nighttime performance (nightview or similar options)

Any advice will be appreciated. Also, how available is APS film in
South East Asia (particularly Taiwan and the Philippines)?

Thank you for the advice....
Craig (address email replies to ignore
the deja-news address)


OK! Well, my recommendation is unhesitatingly the Elph Z3. It's
incredibly small and light (150g without battery) and has a decent, if
modest 2.3X zoom. The Vectis 300L has NOTORIOUS problems with
reliability and the flash is very weak. I don't know much about the
Nuvis, but I have heard a lot of negative comments about Nikon APS
cameras in the past.

Thank you much for the reply and the confirmation, as that is exactly the
camera I purchased for her! Now I've been scooping up film in preparation
for our coming vacation. How easy is it to find APS film in SE Asia? Does
Fuji still sell 100 speed print film there and their slide offerings? (If
slide were available it would be the best of both worlds...I would consider
leaving the SLR at home this time.) I also saw that the local camera shop
carries Fuji's 800 speed film. How is the grain on this?
Craig

--
"They that can give up essential liberty to
obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither
liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

Concerned with the direction our government
is going? VOTE LIBERTARIAN

"Offshoreman" wrote in message
om...
(Craig KB8FGC) wrote in message
. com...
OK! Well, my recommendation is unhesitatingly the Elph Z3. It's
incredibly small and light (150g without battery) and has a decent, if
modest 2.3X zoom. The Vectis 300L has NOTORIOUS problems with
reliability and the flash is very weak. I don't know much about the
Nuvis, but I have heard a lot of negative comments about Nikon APS
cameras in the past.

I also saw that the local camera shop
carries Fuji's 800 speed film. How is the grain on this?
Craig


I'm staring at a Fuji Nexia 800 print right now... I find it very
acceptable, not any worse than Kodak 400 IMO. The flexibility it offered me
in shooting indoor "landscapes" of cathedrals while touring Germany was
impressive. I'm not an avid photographer, so I tend to like using 200 or
800 depending on situation.

Brian

The Fuji 800 speed film puts the whole advantage of APS into perspective. When
you see a low-light situation you can just rewind and eject your 200 speed film
(or 100 speed if you're in Europe) and drop in the 800 film.

Brian Dors wrote:

I also saw that the local camera shop
carries Fuji's 800 speed film. How is the grain on this?
Craig


I'm staring at a Fuji Nexia 800 print right now... I find it very
acceptable, not any worse than Kodak 400 IMO. The flexibility it offered me
in shooting indoor "landscapes" of cathedrals while touring Germany was
impressive. I'm not an avid photographer, so I tend to like using 200 or
800 depending on situation.

Brian

wrote in message
...
The Fuji 800 speed film puts the whole advantage of APS into perspective.
When
you see a low-light situation you can just rewind and eject your 200 speed
film
(or 100 speed if you're in Europe) and drop in the 800 film.


Yes, this is absolutely THE reason I love APS. But some APS cameras have
dropped Mid Roll Change functions and now only have Mid Roll Rewind. These
are not the same, as a Mid Roll Rewind doesn't let you finish that roll
later. I was very disappointed when Canon chose to drop M.R.Change in some
of their latest models, and that's why I dug up some old inventory of a 370Z
instead of the Z3.

I do have 100 ISO available here in the US too.... shot up a roll around the
holidays and although the outdoor shots were nice the indoor ones were
obviously begging for 200/400. If I actually kept swapping between all 4
speeds (and B&W too) it would take me years to get anything processed.

Brian

According to Canon's web site, the Z3 offers both mid-roll change and
mid-roll rewind. That's one of the features I liked about that model. By
the way, where do you purchase your 100 speed film?
Craig
P.S. Saw a roll of APS 800 at the grocery store the other day...good to see
it outside of a camera shop.

Craig

"Brian Dors" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
The Fuji 800 speed film puts the whole advantage of APS into
perspective.
When
you see a low-light situation you can just rewind and eject your 200
speed
film
(or 100 speed if you're in Europe) and drop in the 800 film.


Yes, this is absolutely THE reason I love APS. But some APS cameras have
dropped Mid Roll Change functions and now only have Mid Roll Rewind.
These
are not the same, as a Mid Roll Rewind doesn't let you finish that roll
later. I was very disappointed when Canon chose to drop M.R.Change in
some
of their latest models, and that's why I dug up some old inventory of a
370Z
instead of the Z3.
.....................

I've only seen 800 at Target, never at a camera store!

--
Michael Weinstein | "Never underestimate the power of stupid
Nashua, NH | people in large groups."

From: "Craig"
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.aps
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 18:12:37 GMT
Subject: Canon vs Nikon vs Minolta

According to Canon's web site, the Z3 offers both mid-roll change and
mid-roll rewind. That's one of the features I liked about that model. By
the way, where do you purchase your 100 speed film?
Craig
P.S. Saw a roll of APS 800 at the grocery store the other day...good to see
it outside of a camera shop.

Craig

"Brian Dors" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
The Fuji 800 speed film puts the whole advantage of APS into
perspective.
When
you see a low-light situation you can just rewind and eject your 200
speed
film
(or 100 speed if you're in Europe) and drop in the 800 film.


Yes, this is absolutely THE reason I love APS. But some APS cameras have
dropped Mid Roll Change functions and now only have Mid Roll Rewind.
These
are not the same, as a Mid Roll Rewind doesn't let you finish that roll
later. I was very disappointed when Canon chose to drop M.R.Change in
some
of their latest models, and that's why I dug up some old inventory of a
370Z
instead of the Z3.
....................

Where are you getting that 100 speed film?

Brian Dors wrote:

wrote in message
...
The Fuji 800 speed film puts the whole advantage of APS into perspective.
When
you see a low-light situation you can just rewind and eject your 200 speed
film
(or 100 speed if you're in Europe) and drop in the 800 film.

Yes, this is absolutely THE reason I love APS. But some APS cameras have
dropped Mid Roll Change functions and now only have Mid Roll Rewind. These
are not the same, as a Mid Roll Rewind doesn't let you finish that roll
later. I was very disappointed when Canon chose to drop M.R.Change in some
of their latest models, and that's why I dug up some old inventory of a 370Z
instead of the Z3.

I do have 100 ISO available here in the US too.... shot up a roll around the
holidays and although the outdoor shots were nice the indoor ones were
obviously begging for 200/400. If I actually kept swapping between all 4
speeds (and B&W too) it would take me years to get anything processed.

Brian

B&H has it. But ironically they don't carry Kodak's "High Definition" 200 speed
film.

"Michael Weinstein, M.D." wrote:

I've only seen 800 at Target, never at a camera store!

--
Michael Weinstein | "Never underestimate the power of stupid
Nashua, NH | people in large groups."

From: "Craig"
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.aps
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 18:12:37 GMT
Subject: Canon vs Nikon vs Minolta

According to Canon's web site, the Z3 offers both mid-roll change and
mid-roll rewind. That's one of the features I liked about that model. By
the way, where do you purchase your 100 speed film?
Craig
P.S. Saw a roll of APS 800 at the grocery store the other day...good to see
it outside of a camera shop.

Craig

"Brian Dors" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
The Fuji 800 speed film puts the whole advantage of APS into
perspective.
When
you see a low-light situation you can just rewind and eject your 200
speed
film
(or 100 speed if you're in Europe) and drop in the 800 film.


Yes, this is absolutely THE reason I love APS. But some APS cameras have
dropped Mid Roll Change functions and now only have Mid Roll Rewind.
These
are not the same, as a Mid Roll Rewind doesn't let you finish that roll
later. I was very disappointed when Canon chose to drop M.R.Change in
some
of their latest models, and that's why I dug up some old inventory of a
370Z
instead of the Z3.
....................