Very pocketable?

RJ wrote:
On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:18:29 -0500, Ron Hunter wrote:

I consider the AA batteries an advantage, for my purposes, but the lack
of an optical viewfinder would be a blocker for me. It seems most
buyers today really don't care about an optical viewfinder if the LCD is
large enough... Thus the need for IS in a zoom camera used at the end
of a 3 foot moment arm.... sigh.

I agree totally !

I like my NIKON coolpix, but there are too many cases
where I find myself squinting at the LCD......
And in bright sunlight...forget about it.
Point, shoot, wish for the best.

Even now, I'm looking for a ( viewfinder ) replacement camera.


rj
Many of the Kodak P&S cameras still have viewfinders, but even Kodak
seems to be going with the trend to leaving the viewfinder out. Bad move!

On Fri, 27 Jul 2007 03:49:46 -0500, Ron Hunter
wrote:


I have minimized her
shake problems by insisting that she put her thumb on the bottom of the
camera below the shutter button, but she still doesn't seem to
understand the concept of squeezing the button.....

Take her rifle target shooting Ron. ;-)
snip


Considering how she stabs the shutter button, you want me to put a rifle
in her hands? Don't even was to think of her with a handgun!

Good points ;-)

It was funny, I mentioned somewhere how well our 12 yr old (at the
time) was getting on with her clay shooting.

Someone else expounded about "who on earth would put a shotgun in the
hands of a child..."

Someone else added "how else do you teach them?" ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

On Fri, 27 Jul 2007 03:52:12 -0500, Ron Hunter
wrote:

RJ wrote:
On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:18:29 -0500, Ron Hunter wrote:

I consider the AA batteries an advantage, for my purposes, but the lack
of an optical viewfinder would be a blocker for me. It seems most
buyers today really don't care about an optical viewfinder if the LCD is
large enough... Thus the need for IS in a zoom camera used at the end
of a 3 foot moment arm.... sigh.

I agree totally !

I like my NIKON coolpix, but there are too many cases
where I find myself squinting at the LCD......
And in bright sunlight...forget about it.
Point, shoot, wish for the best.

Even now, I'm looking for a ( viewfinder ) replacement camera.


rj
Many of the Kodak P&S cameras still have viewfinders, but even Kodak
seems to be going with the trend to leaving the viewfinder out. Bad move!

The Ricoh GX100 has a detachable EVF that fits on the
hot shoe.

I wonder if there some way of adapting an old EVF from a defunct
Camcorder to use via the video out on a digicam?

John Turco wrote:
Jeff Layman wrote:

edited, for brevity

I got an R6 a couple of weeks ago to replace my Kodak EasyShare
DX4530.

Hello, Jeff:

I own a DX4530, also; it's an excellent camera.

There were several reasons for choosing the R6; the main three were a
remarkable macro mode, 28 mm equiv wide angle, and small size. The
IS would also be useful.

I was also interested in the claimed improvement in white
saturation, as overexposed light areas were an annoyance with the
Kodak. Unfortunately, I see little difference between the R6 and
the Kodak, and indeed with my wife's Pentax Optio L30.

edited

Overall, I am quite impressed with the R6.

You are? Then, why did you imply that it's barely better than your
previous Kodak and Pentax digicams?


Only in terms of white saturation. And, as far as I can see, that is a
general problem with digital photography.

The main problem was that I got fed up screwing and unscrewing the adapter
and +7 and +10 lenses for macro work. The R6 will focus down to 1cm (it
also has a true 28 equiv mm wide-angle, 200 mm telephoto, and image
stabilisation). There is nothing else which has the macro and wide-angle
combination.

Also, the LCD of the DX4530 is pretty small by modern standards. The DX4530
was a much undervalued camera in its day (probably because it didn't come
from Canon or Nikon, and it's "Kodak" name mean't it couldn't be a good
digital compact), but its 5Mp sensor made it a bargain. I still have it and
will keep it as a backup.


--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

T i m wrote:

On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 23:10:51 -0500, John Turco
wrote:

Hi John,


I've used a Kodak V603 (6 megapixel, 3x zoom), these past few
months, and have been rather pleased with it. Other than the
optical viewfinder, it meets all of your specifications, above.


It's funny (for me anyway) that I used to work for Kodak on their
range of micro fiche and film machines and saw them at the time slip
behind in 'cameras'. Everyone was going digital and they didn't seem
to be.

That's funny, considering Kodak invented the digital camera!

They did!?

Hello, Tim:

Yes, indeed. In 1976, Dr. Bryce E. Bayer, a Kodak engineer, obtained a
patent on the Bayer sensor. This landmark invention laid the foundation
of digital photography, as we know it, today.

edited, for brevity

"AF assist light," which helps it focus, in dim conditions.

Don't most have this now John?

I think you're correct, there, my friend. g

edited

Uses Kodak's "Perfect Touch" technology, that can (optionally)
noticeably enhance photos.

I don't do much outside of a bit of cropping and resizing and use
Irfanview for that, remember I'm also only a 'snapshooter' ;-) Our
daughter hasn't got into 'retouching' outside of radical arty stuff
(like really working the contrast / colours etc). I also try not to
install any software that comes with anything if I can help it.

"Perfect Touch" is done, in-camera, exclusively; sorry, for any
confusion.

I was sorting a P_C for a friend recently who had two Kodak camera and
a dock. It didn't seem that you could access either model directly but
you had to go through the 'Easy Share' software (Would that have been
correct or did we miss something). Even once we got it going it seemed
a bit intermittent and he said 'it does that sometimes' ... ? ;-(

Well, I have six Kodak cameras and three docks. :-J You're right,
in that the latter devices need the EasyShare software installed and
running properly, in order to function.

However, each of my digicams can be connected directly to the computer,
via its own USB cable.

We did get the Fuji F31fd yesterday (local shop, good deal on camera,
case and 2G card) and when I plug it into my PC with the USB cable it
just finds it, gives an icon called "FinePix F31fd" in My Computer and
double clicking on it shows the contents of the camera.

Both our daughter and I prefer this method, to be able to select what
we want and do what we want with it.

Kodak works just as well as Fuji does, in this regard. Still, I'm
confident the F31fd is a wise selection and that your daughter shall
be quite satisfied with it.

Ironically, however, the V603's IS isn't employed, when taking still
shots...oh, well, one can't have everything, I guess! ;-)

Well it is a pretty impressive list anyway (especially the zoom in
video mode).

All the best ..

T i m

You, too!


Cordially,
John Turco

Ron Hunter wrote:

T i m wrote:

heavily edited, for brevity

She also doesn't mind 'Fuji' (my F420 / her S7000) and wasn't bothered
by the fact that it wasn't the slimmest camera available (she actually
said she has difficulty getting her very slim LG mobile phone in her
jeans pocket in any case).


Ahhh HAH! I see a really inexpensive solution to your problem. Buy her
some looser jeans for the trip! Grin.
Some of the jeans I see on girls these days would have trouble getting a
grain of sand in the pockets! Not that I am complaining.

edited

Hello, Ron:

Why, you dirty, old man, you! :-D


Cordially,
John Turco

John Turco wrote:
Ron Hunter wrote:
T i m wrote:

heavily edited, for brevity

She also doesn't mind 'Fuji' (my F420 / her S7000) and wasn't bothered
by the fact that it wasn't the slimmest camera available (she actually
said she has difficulty getting her very slim LG mobile phone in her
jeans pocket in any case).

Ahhh HAH! I see a really inexpensive solution to your problem. Buy her
some looser jeans for the trip! Grin.
Some of the jeans I see on girls these days would have trouble getting a
grain of sand in the pockets! Not that I am complaining.

edited

Hello, Ron:

Why, you dirty, old man, you! :-D


Cordially,
John Turco

Hey! I resemble that remark...

Jeff Layman wrote:

heavily edited, for brevity

Also, the LCD of the DX4530 is pretty small by modern standards. The DX4530
was a much undervalued camera in its day (probably because it didn't come
from Canon or Nikon, and it's "Kodak" name mean't it couldn't be a good
digital compact), but its 5Mp sensor made it a bargain. I still have it and
will keep it as a backup.


Hello, Jeff:

I readily concur, on the DX4530's merits.


Cordially,
John Turco

Ron Hunter wrote:

Ahhh HAH! I see a really inexpensive solution to your problem. Buy her
some looser jeans for the trip! Grin.
Some of the jeans I see on girls these days would have trouble getting a
grain of sand in the pockets! Not that I am complaining.

Reminds me of the guy, who just could not believe how tight a woman's
jeans were, said to her, "geez, how do you get into those jeans." She
responded, "You can start by buying me a martini."

On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 16:09:38 -0700, SMS
wrote:

T i m wrote:

I have looked here, asked elsewhere and Googled quite a bit and I
think it's down to the Fuji F30 or, if anyone can spot what we might
loose that is 'essential' the F20 LE or the F31fd?

In case the F20 LE is unique to one store here in the UK (Argos) a
link to it is here.

Avoid those cameras at all costs.

I guess I'd opt for the Canon SD1000. You definitely don't want to give
up an optical viewfinder. It's $200 in the U.S..

Well, everyone has an opinion.

I just bought two Fuji F20's. For what I paid for them, they are
tremendous cameras. Fast focussing, extremely good photos. No, they
don't have every gadget on the face of the earth. No IS, face
recognition, etc, etc, etc. The major failing is the lack of an
optical viewfinder. But find a good P & S with an optical viewfinder.
They are almost non-existent.

But these camera's were bought for my wife and daughter, who wanted
something they could take out of their purses and take a reasonably
good picture. I would say the F20 (and F31) exceeds this requirement
by a long shot.

Good luck.
================================================== =========================
Chris

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