Minolta P&S

Many Minolta P&S reviews say the cameras break,
the support is bad and they want to charge $100 for repairs.
Are Minolta P&S really that bad?
I am looking for a P&S with no less than max 120mm zoom.

should I get a min.28mm instead of a 38mm?
When taking group shots, or in tight spaces, I suppose it is easier to
zoom in than to step back.

Mr.Bolshoy Huy wrote:
Many Minolta P&S reviews say the cameras break,
the support is bad and they want to charge $100 for repairs.
Are Minolta P&S really that bad?
I am looking for a P&S with no less than max 120mm zoom.

All P&S cameras, except perhaps the high priced models, have a
rather short expected lifespan. My Minolta P&S has proved more durable
than a Konica P&S and an Olympus P&S.

should I get a min.28mm instead of a 38mm?

Yes.

When taking group shots, or in tight spaces, I suppose it is easier to
zoom in than to step back.

Main reason is that the 38-NNN zooms where NNN is above 100
are largely useless at the long end, even with 800 speed film,
due to small apertures that require slow (long) shutter speeds.

"Mr.Bolshoy Huy" wrote:

Many Minolta P&S reviews say the cameras break,
the support is bad and they want to charge $100 for repairs.

P&S cameras are generally made of plastic, and are more fragile than
SLRs. Therefore, anyone who is used to the durability of an old SLR
will consider P&S cameras as fragile. You have to decide if you tend to
be rough on cameras, and be governed accordingly.

Are Minolta P&S really that bad?

I have had a Minolta P&S for about 5 years, and am happy with it for the
candid shots I use it for. It has given me no problems, and the
resulting photos are reasonably clear and sharp. Their aspherical lenses
are quite good. I still use an SLR for more serious shooting because of
the more extensive controls and faster lenses.

I am looking for a P&S with no less than max 120mm zoom.

Be aware that anything longer than about 100 mm has limited utility.
The lenses are small on P&S cameras, which leads to really small f-stops
at long focal lengths. That means you will likely need fairly fast,
grainy film, or run the risk of camera shake on scenes where the flash
is ineffective, i.e. more than about 10 feet away.

should I get a min.28mm instead of a 38mm?

They make a number of cameras in the 28-90 range that are quite useful.