I'm going insane!

Please help me - I think I'm going to explode with frustration.

I've been trying to decide on a camera for about a month, and seem no
closer to making a decision. In fact, the more I look into it, the
more confused I become!

I've been trying to compare the Minolta A1, A2, Nikon 8700, and Fuji
S20. I want a high end compact (because I cant afford a DSLR) which
has good manual control, for photographing unusual things including
fireworks.

I had thought the 8700 would be perfect for my needs, even though the
remote cord has a crazy price tag. I'm used to SLR, and would
definately miss the focus rings, and optics, but it's something I can
do without, and I'm not going to be doing much fast paced stuff. I
really want lots of pixels to play with in Photoshop.

The problem is reading reviews. I've read so much stuff saying this
camera is a pile of ****, then people saying it's wonderful. I just
don't know anymore.

I think I'm just going to go ahead and buy it. Am I going to be
dissapointed?
Should I save up and get the cheapest DSLR?

Please help me!

Yep....that is how it is. Have you been to www.DPReview.com ? That is the
place to start. Read what he has on the cameras you know about. Run a
comparison between them on their search engine. Run a search on the features
you like and see if there are other with these features. Then go to Costo
can ask the teenager behind the counter which camera they have is the
cheapest and buy that one.


"Creeper" wrote in message
om...
Please help me - I think I'm going to explode with frustration.

I've been trying to decide on a camera for about a month, and seem no
closer to making a decision. In fact, the more I look into it, the
more confused I become!

I've been trying to compare the Minolta A1, A2, Nikon 8700, and Fuji
S20. I want a high end compact (because I cant afford a DSLR) which
has good manual control, for photographing unusual things including
fireworks.

I had thought the 8700 would be perfect for my needs, even though the
remote cord has a crazy price tag. I'm used to SLR, and would
definately miss the focus rings, and optics, but it's something I can
do without, and I'm not going to be doing much fast paced stuff. I
really want lots of pixels to play with in Photoshop.

The problem is reading reviews. I've read so much stuff saying this
camera is a pile of ****, then people saying it's wonderful. I just
don't know anymore.

I think I'm just going to go ahead and buy it. Am I going to be
dissapointed?
Should I save up and get the cheapest DSLR?

Please help me!

Yep....that is how it is. Have you been to www.DPReview.com ? That is the
place to start. Read what he has on the cameras you know about. Run a
comparison between them on their search engine. Run a search on the features
you like and see if there are other with these features. Then go to Costo
can ask the teenager behind the counter which camera they have is the
cheapest and buy that one.


"Creeper" wrote in message
om...
Please help me - I think I'm going to explode with frustration.

I've been trying to decide on a camera for about a month, and seem no
closer to making a decision. In fact, the more I look into it, the
more confused I become!

I've been trying to compare the Minolta A1, A2, Nikon 8700, and Fuji
S20. I want a high end compact (because I cant afford a DSLR) which
has good manual control, for photographing unusual things including
fireworks.

I had thought the 8700 would be perfect for my needs, even though the
remote cord has a crazy price tag. I'm used to SLR, and would
definately miss the focus rings, and optics, but it's something I can
do without, and I'm not going to be doing much fast paced stuff. I
really want lots of pixels to play with in Photoshop.

The problem is reading reviews. I've read so much stuff saying this
camera is a pile of ****, then people saying it's wonderful. I just
don't know anymore.

I think I'm just going to go ahead and buy it. Am I going to be
dissapointed?
Should I save up and get the cheapest DSLR?

Please help me!

"Gene Palmiter" wrote in message
news:ypA4d.8710$uz1.7833@trndny03...
Yep....that is how it is. Have you been to www.DPReview.com ? That is the
place to start. Read what he has on the cameras you know about. Run a
comparison between them on their search engine. Run a search on the
features
you like and see if there are other with these features. Then go to Costo
can ask the teenager behind the counter which camera they have is the
cheapest and buy that one.

or get a s/h Canon D-30

Well you say you can't afford a D-SLR. But frankly, by the time you pay $800
for a Nikon 8700, you are THAT close to a Canon Digital Rebel or Pentax *ist
DS . The Nikon D70 is a bit more, but worth it. The only advantage for the
all-in-ones is that you won't need to clean any digital sensors and you
won't have to lug lenses around. But if your concern is money, frankly
there's little if any price advantage to those models.

Cameras like the one you mentioned actually can take great photographs. The
main thing is that you have to stick with the lowest ISO value possible,
whereas if you need higher ISO values in low-light situations the D-SLRs do
a FAR better job than the "all-in-one" models do, MUCH better. That's simply
because the physical size of their sensors is smaller. Also, the D-SLRs tend
to be more responsive than the all-in-ones; the Nikon D70 (admitedly, a tad
higher than the Digital Rebel or Pentax * ist DS) is especially quick and
responsive.

As for the 8-megapixel all-in-ones, Dpreview.com gives the highest rating to
the Olympus C-8080. The Sony DSC-F828, Coolpix 8700, Canon Powershot Pro 1,
and Fuji Finepix S7000 get the "Recommended" rating, the Sony barely so. And
with all of those--with the possible exception of the Fuji, which is a bit
cheaper--by the time you pay for any of those, you could've had the Canon
Digital Rebel or Pentax *ist DS. The Nikon D70 is a tad higher but not all
that much, and if you have any Nikon SLR lenses made in the past few years
that would surely help. (Obviously the same would go for the other 2 as
well.)

If you want a higher-grade "prosumer" camera but really can't afford a
D-SLR, consider either the Sony DSC-F717 or Nikon Coolpix 5700. It's hard to
find the Sony in stores but you could find it on eBay for sure, and in fact
Dpreview.com doesn't have either listed under "Discontinued" models. Both
used to sell for close to a grand, they are cheaper since 8-megapixel
upgrades went on sale, you can get either of these 2 fine cameras for close
to $500 now. Both are 5-megapixels, and actually that is plenty for
photo-quality 8x10s of practically anything; heck, many have stated they've
gotten 11x14s from them that looked really good.

Both offer plenty of the "photographer's options," the Nikon a tad more
(control of saturation, contrast and noise reduction). The Sony's
autofocusing is better in low-light and has longer battery life, the Nikon
has more of a feature set, shoots RAWs, has 8x zoom vs 5x zoom for the Sony
(though the Sony's is "faster,") a swivel LCD (although the Sony's entire
body swivels) and uses Compact Flash rather than the propreitary Memory
Stick used by Sony, and the Nikon does much better macros. Both are "Highly
Recommended" by Dpreview.com and are real "instruments" as opposed to being
a "snapshooter" type of camera. I think you'd be well pleased either way. In
particular, their price difference is enough that you won't feel like you
were THAT close to a D-SLR but "settled," a feeling you're guaranteed to
have if you go the other models listed.

Both cameras tend to be biggish by "all-in-one" standards, though certainly
more compact than any D-SLR. If you want something more compact, consider
the Nikon Coolpix 5400, which has 5-megapixels and shoots RAWs but is
particularly distinguishable for its 28mm wide-angle zoom (28-116mm). The
Sony DSC-V1--just replaced by the DSC-V3--is similar and highly
recommended--and a tad cheaper--but doesn't shoot RAWs and uses the Memory
Stick rather than Compact Flash. The Olympus C-5050 is another good choice
in this class. Ditto the Canon Powershot G3, which is 4 megapixels vs 5 for
the others but is really good to the extent I don't think you'd miss the
megapixel. (The Canon Powershot G5? Not a bad choice, but most seem to
actually prefer the G3.)

LRH

"Creeper" wrote in message
om...
Please help me - I think I'm going to explode with frustration.

I've been trying to decide on a camera for about a month, and seem no
closer to making a decision. In fact, the more I look into it, the
more confused I become!

I've been trying to compare the Minolta A1, A2, Nikon 8700, and Fuji
S20. I want a high end compact (because I cant afford a DSLR) which
has good manual control, for photographing unusual things including
fireworks.

I had thought the 8700 would be perfect for my needs, even though the
remote cord has a crazy price tag. I'm used to SLR, and would
definately miss the focus rings, and optics, but it's something I can
do without, and I'm not going to be doing much fast paced stuff. I
really want lots of pixels to play with in Photoshop.

The problem is reading reviews. I've read so much stuff saying this
camera is a pile of ****, then people saying it's wonderful. I just
don't know anymore.

I think I'm just going to go ahead and buy it. Am I going to be
dissapointed?
Should I save up and get the cheapest DSLR?

Please help me!

Well you say you can't afford a D-SLR. But frankly, by the time you pay $800
for a Nikon 8700, you are THAT close to a Canon Digital Rebel or Pentax *ist
DS . The Nikon D70 is a bit more, but worth it. The only advantage for the
all-in-ones is that you won't need to clean any digital sensors and you
won't have to lug lenses around. But if your concern is money, frankly
there's little if any price advantage to those models.

Cameras like the one you mentioned actually can take great photographs. The
main thing is that you have to stick with the lowest ISO value possible,
whereas if you need higher ISO values in low-light situations the D-SLRs do
a FAR better job than the "all-in-one" models do, MUCH better. That's simply
because the physical size of their sensors is smaller. Also, the D-SLRs tend
to be more responsive than the all-in-ones; the Nikon D70 (admitedly, a tad
higher than the Digital Rebel or Pentax * ist DS) is especially quick and
responsive.

As for the 8-megapixel all-in-ones, Dpreview.com gives the highest rating to
the Olympus C-8080. The Sony DSC-F828, Coolpix 8700, Canon Powershot Pro 1,
and Fuji Finepix S7000 get the "Recommended" rating, the Sony barely so. And
with all of those--with the possible exception of the Fuji, which is a bit
cheaper--by the time you pay for any of those, you could've had the Canon
Digital Rebel or Pentax *ist DS. The Nikon D70 is a tad higher but not all
that much, and if you have any Nikon SLR lenses made in the past few years
that would surely help. (Obviously the same would go for the other 2 as
well.)

If you want a higher-grade "prosumer" camera but really can't afford a
D-SLR, consider either the Sony DSC-F717 or Nikon Coolpix 5700. It's hard to
find the Sony in stores but you could find it on eBay for sure, and in fact
Dpreview.com doesn't have either listed under "Discontinued" models. Both
used to sell for close to a grand, they are cheaper since 8-megapixel
upgrades went on sale, you can get either of these 2 fine cameras for close
to $500 now. Both are 5-megapixels, and actually that is plenty for
photo-quality 8x10s of practically anything; heck, many have stated they've
gotten 11x14s from them that looked really good.

Both offer plenty of the "photographer's options," the Nikon a tad more
(control of saturation, contrast and noise reduction). The Sony's
autofocusing is better in low-light and has longer battery life, the Nikon
has more of a feature set, shoots RAWs, has 8x zoom vs 5x zoom for the Sony
(though the Sony's is "faster,") a swivel LCD (although the Sony's entire
body swivels) and uses Compact Flash rather than the propreitary Memory
Stick used by Sony, and the Nikon does much better macros. Both are "Highly
Recommended" by Dpreview.com and are real "instruments" as opposed to being
a "snapshooter" type of camera. I think you'd be well pleased either way. In
particular, their price difference is enough that you won't feel like you
were THAT close to a D-SLR but "settled," a feeling you're guaranteed to
have if you go the other models listed.

Both cameras tend to be biggish by "all-in-one" standards, though certainly
more compact than any D-SLR. If you want something more compact, consider
the Nikon Coolpix 5400, which has 5-megapixels and shoots RAWs but is
particularly distinguishable for its 28mm wide-angle zoom (28-116mm). The
Sony DSC-V1--just replaced by the DSC-V3--is similar and highly
recommended--and a tad cheaper--but doesn't shoot RAWs and uses the Memory
Stick rather than Compact Flash. The Olympus C-5050 is another good choice
in this class. Ditto the Canon Powershot G3, which is 4 megapixels vs 5 for
the others but is really good to the extent I don't think you'd miss the
megapixel. (The Canon Powershot G5? Not a bad choice, but most seem to
actually prefer the G3.)

LRH

"Creeper" wrote in message
om...
Please help me - I think I'm going to explode with frustration.

I've been trying to decide on a camera for about a month, and seem no
closer to making a decision. In fact, the more I look into it, the
more confused I become!

I've been trying to compare the Minolta A1, A2, Nikon 8700, and Fuji
S20. I want a high end compact (because I cant afford a DSLR) which
has good manual control, for photographing unusual things including
fireworks.

I had thought the 8700 would be perfect for my needs, even though the
remote cord has a crazy price tag. I'm used to SLR, and would
definately miss the focus rings, and optics, but it's something I can
do without, and I'm not going to be doing much fast paced stuff. I
really want lots of pixels to play with in Photoshop.

The problem is reading reviews. I've read so much stuff saying this
camera is a pile of ****, then people saying it's wonderful. I just
don't know anymore.

I think I'm just going to go ahead and buy it. Am I going to be
dissapointed?
Should I save up and get the cheapest DSLR?

Please help me!

Creeper wrote:
Please help me - I think I'm going to explode with frustration.

I've been trying to decide on a camera for about a month, and seem no
closer to making a decision. In fact, the more I look into it, the
more confused I become!

Clearly go for a dSLR. The Canon 300D with 18-55mm kit goes for $869 on
bhphotovideo or adorama. Add another $150 for a 1-2GB CF card and you
are rolling.

I don't know how does an Oly C-750 compare to the P&S you mentioned but
for whatever its worth, let me share some experience about the Oly
C-750.

Its a great camera when you have enough light. For low-light and
indoors, you often need a tripod. Also, most P&S come with electronic
viewfinder which is horrible. Other than that, its a great camera and
has enough manual control including a low ASA of 50 which even some
dSLRs lack ((I always wondered why)) and shutter speed of 30sec which
should be useful for fireworks.

Again, if I were to buy a P&S again, I would buy the Panasonic FZ-20.
Take a look at it - with the Leica lens and stabilized zoom, its a
beauty for the price.

Cheers,

Siddhartha

In message , Creeper
writes
Please help me - I think I'm going to explode with frustration.

I've been trying to decide on a camera for about a month

If you only need one for a month, have you thought about hiring one?

Snipped....
--
Tony Morgan

In message , Creeper
writes
Please help me - I think I'm going to explode with frustration.

I've been trying to decide on a camera for about a month

If you only need one for a month, have you thought about hiring one?

Snipped....
--
Tony Morgan

In message ypA4d.8710$uz1.7833@trndny03, Gene Palmiter
writes
Yep....that is how it is. Have you been to www.DPReview.com ? That is
the place to start. Read what he has on the cameras you know about. Run
a comparison between them on their search engine. Run a search on the
features you like and see if there are other with these features. Then
go to Costo can ask the teenager behind the counter which camera they
have is the cheapest and buy that one.

And if you're in the UK, find the cheapest supplier on the Internet,
print out their price, go to Jessops and ask if they'll price-match
(they invariable do).
--
Tony Morgan
http://www.rhylonline.com