Camera search problem

In article , wrote:
On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:14:50 +0000 (GMT), wrote:


I am looking for a camera, with specific (but not particularly unusual)
properties. Unfortunately, I can't cut the range down to a number
that is feasible to investigate individually, as my main sine qua non
doesn't seem to be a standard search term!

I.e. I need a viewfinder. No ifs, buts or maybes - I NEED one.
I have tried to use my wife's one without, and it's hopeless - I can't
see the viewfinder with glasses on and I can't see anything else
without. A fairly common problem for people of my age with short
sight.

Unfortunately, there don't seem to be many small, light, (fairly)
cheap ones with viewfinders, and I haven't found any with my other
requirements (mainly as much optical zoom as possible). So I am trying
to find the best of an unsatisfactory lot.

Can anyone suggest how I can find out all or almost all cameras
under 250 grammes and a viewfinder? I can do the former, easily
enough, but not the latter.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Go to this comparison page and fill in the blanks.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp


Or here

http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/...nputSummary.do

On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:45:46 +0000, nmm1 wrote:

In article ,
AlanL wrote:

[ ... ]
Been there - done that. I may try again.
[ ... ]

The closest I can think of is the Canon a590is.
And you can install CHDK on it!!

Thanks to everyone, again. Some further answers:

Campkins is still around, but (if I recall) has taken over KP cameras
shop.

I am currently thinking of a Canon Powershot A710 IS or A720 IS.
I believe that there is something that had replaced the latter, but
Canon (in their usual way) have done something incomprehensible
with the code for it. They are not unusual in that!

I recommended the A720 to a friend. I have also used it to compare
results to my Canon S5 IS. No difference in image quality. The main
difference between the two cameras is features and some good usability
controls as well as zoom range of the lens plus an articulating lcd which
I find a big advantage. I wonder if the DSLRs will adopt that feature on
most models.


But why don't they have their Basic Guide online? I have had to get
information that would be in that from reviews, in order to decode the
Advanced User Guide (which IS available online).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:45:46 +0000, nmm1 wrote:

In article ,
AlanL wrote:

[ ... ]
Been there - done that. I may try again.
[ ... ]

The closest I can think of is the Canon a590is.
And you can install CHDK on it!!

Thanks to everyone, again. Some further answers:

Campkins is still around, but (if I recall) has taken over KP cameras
shop.

I am currently thinking of a Canon Powershot A710 IS or A720 IS.
I believe that there is something that had replaced the latter, but
Canon (in their usual way) have done something incomprehensible
with the code for it. They are not unusual in that!

But why don't they have their Basic Guide online? I have had to
get information that would be in that from reviews, in order to
decode the Advanced User Guide (which IS available online).


Go to Canon USA. You can download all of the manuals.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Blinky the Shark wrote:
Dave Cohen wrote:

That's nothing to do with Canon, you wouldn't use an optical viewfinder
for macro on any camera.

I sure do.

Let's have a show of hands, here...


I should have restricted my response to P&S with optical finder. DSLR
and EVF don't have parallax errors.
Dave Cohen

Blinky the Shark wrote:
David J Taylor wrote:

You might also consider adapting a hand-held slide viewer as a sort
of "LCD" viewer for the back of an LCD-only camera.

Less of a kluge would be an LCD loupe. Here's one:

http://www.adorama.com/HNHLPP3.html

Complete with diopter adjustment.

Yes, that's the sort of thing I meant. Thanks for the pointer.

David

"David J Taylor" writes:

You didn't comment on the camera shops in Cambridge - I asked what
was still left.

Campkins have two branches, Jessops only one now (quite why they
thought they needed two shops practically just round the corner from
one another I do not know).

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/cam...d0401d412ef18a
suggests KP has shut.

--
http://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/

Richard Kettlewell wrote:
"David J Taylor"
writes:

You didn't comment on the camera shops in Cambridge - I asked what
was still left.

Campkins have two branches, Jessops only one now (quite why they
thought they needed two shops practically just round the corner from
one another I do not know).

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/cam...d0401d412ef18a
suggests KP has shut.

Thanks for that, Richard. It's been a long time since I was in Cambridge,
but it's interesting to see what's happened to shops where you have had
good service. Today, the best service I get is from the local Jessops, so
I hope they manage to survive the current recession.

Cheers,
David

wrote:


Can anyone suggest how I can find out all or almost all cameras
under 250 grammes and a viewfinder? I can do the former, easily
enough, but not the latter.

Take a look at the Canon 890is.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...S_Digital.html

I've got one. 5x zoom, viewfinder (not a great one, but there), and less than
150 grams. Images are nice for a P&S. It would certainly be my backpacking
camera if I still backpacked. -- Doug