O/T - APS Cameras

[Podie]

Mrs Podie is after a "point and click" APS camera... looking to spend £180-£200... MUST be easy to use, and must have a decent zoom on it.

Any recommendations?

(I've got a digicam, so don't go suggesting that, ta!)

[pdv6]

Always got on well with Fuji cameras

[135sport]

I got one of those Cannon IXUS things about 4 years ago. It is small and compact, and gives a bit of variety for the picture you can take.

No problems, other than it stopped working skiing in Canada at -24 C (I guess the battery died).

The only problem I find with APS is the picture quality is not brilliant (but that could just be my camera).

[pdv6]

Picture quality is really down to the quality of the lens. A decent point 'n' shoot jobbie gives decent results, but will never be as good as an SLR.

I've seen some great quality shots from APS SLRs.

[Whoozit]

I've got an Ixus 2 which is brill, with good enough image quality. The Ixus 3 I bought recently has much softer images, not nearly as good.

[Podie]

Whoozit said: I've got an Ixus 2 which is brill, with good enough image quality. The Ixus 3 I bought recently has much softer images, not nearly as good.

odd... you'd expect it to be better.

Basically, the last one got nicked by some tea-leaf, and the insurance have coughed up the cash. She would like to replace it with a point and click jobbie as she only really uses it for holiday snaps.

[incorrigible]

If you've already got one digital camera, then shurely another is the way forward, get one with the same memory card and either more mem cards, a cheap zip drive or laptop

Obviously I don't know how many snaps you take in one go but memory cards to hold a couple of hundred at high res is only going to be £50 or so

I've always got 1 or 2 really good photos from a roll of film but get much better results from digital (because you can instantly see where you've gone wrong)

I'd go digital IXUS for point and shoot

[Podie]

incorrigible said: If you've already got one digital camera, then shurely another is the way forward, get one with the same memory card and either more mem cards, a cheap zip drive or laptop

Obviously I don't know how many snaps you take in one go but memory cards to hold a couple of hundred at high res is only going to be £50 or so

I've always got 1 or 2 really good photos from a roll of film but get much better results from digital (because you can instantly see where you've gone wrong)

I'd go digital IXUS for point and shoot

:sigh: incorrigible it's NOT for me!

I've got a Fuji 6800 digicam and enough bloody smartmedia cards to sink a ship, but the doris doesn't want a digicam (she nicks mine when she does want one)...

[moreymach]

Do you really want APS ??? The quality isnt as good as 35mm and the processing is more expensive generally. I love cameras and have got umpteen including the original ixus a waterproof ixus and an ixus 90.. none of them produce as good prints as a modest 35mm compact would.. Id go for somthing like an Olympus mju .. small and easy to use with good lense.

Edited to say its the film size that makes APS poorer quality. Its 24 mm film so has to be enlarged more than 35mm to make a print hence losing quality.

>> Edited by moreymach on Tuesday 19th November 15:18

[Podie]

Jeez, I don't believe this!

Mrs Podie want's;
1) a "point and click" camera
2) it to be APS
3) around £200
4) have a long-ish zoom on it.

She does NOT want a digital camera, a 35mm camera and SLR or any other bloody type! We have a digicam, we have an SLR... she wants a simple point and click APS easy to use compact.

Therefore, I would appreciate recommendations that MEET THE CRITERIA.

Thank you. I am now going for a beer.

>> Edited by Podie on Tuesday 19th November 15:19

[chrisvernonparry]

Podie

How sure are you that the Mrs wants APS? All the ones I have used have not been up to the quality of a 35mm P&S.

Have you thought about a second hand Nikon 35Ti, or Contax T2? Both top notch lenses in small well built packages. If it has to be brand new then Ricoh make nice 35mm P&S's.

If it's got to be APS I'd vote for the Cannon IXUS.

Just my 2p.

Chris

Edited to add; ignore my previous comments, as Mrs Podie has said exactly what she wants, so go for the Canon.

Chris

>> Edited by chrisvernonparry on Tuesday 19th November 15:25

[moreymach]

Podie said: Jeez, I don't believe this!

Mrs Podie want's;
1) a "point and click" camera
2) it to be APS
3) around £200
4) have a long-ish zoom on it.


>> Edited by Podie on Tuesday 19th November 15:19

OOOO GET HER !! Only trying to be contructive mate, APS in my opinion just isnt as good. But if you fancy one a tasty one I reckon is Fuji 1300, a mate got one recently and is quite chuffed. BIG 4x zoom lense and quite well made.. dunno where it came from but was about 200 squid

[superflid]

Point about smaller film size is spot on, as is remark regarding lens quality being important.
There really isn't going to be much difference (no real surprise as they are manufactured in the same factories, in the main) as long as you stick with well-known top brands.
Cheap brands save money on lens quality and Q/C.
I spent 5 years repairing cameras for a less well-known company.

[davidd]

I bought a konica revio (I think) about 4 years ago, it is small, has an excellent zoom, is APS and I think the quality is pretty good. Was about £120. Highly recommended.

There is a new version here

[incorrigible]

Podie mate,

Have you turned into a bird

We're only telling you what she should get, because given your situation (with loads of s-media cards and a bit of nouse and a computer) she should buy a compact digital (an Ixus, like I said)

What's you next thread going to be

"What's the best car under £8k, by the way it's for the missus must be made by Nissan and be a Micra or similar"

[Podie]

incorrigible said: Podie mate,

Have you turned into a bird

We're only telling you what she should get, because given your situation (with loads of s-media cards and a bit of nouse and a computer) she should buy a compact digital (an Ixus, like I said)

What's you next thread going to be

"What's the best car under £8k, by the way it's for the missus must be made by Nissan and be a Micra or similar"

Cheeky fecker!

The misses is not the most technically minded creature on the planet (I mean, c'mon she's only a chemical engineer! ). She's decided what she wants, and it's her money, so it's her call - I merely wondered if the PH collective could recommend anything that fits the bill.

We are both aware that 35mm films give better results, and the old SLR we have lying about probably takes better pics than my digicam... but hey I prefer the flexibility the digicam gives me.

Each to their own... and Mrs Podie is not a woman to argue with! (trust me on that!)

[incorrigible]

We had guessed, but like you say all you can do is give her the facts, you can't argue

APS is bloody expensive to develop, try www.dpreview.com they may have some less intimidating digitals, also www.whichcamera.co.uk

IMHO 35mm for quality, digital for everything else, but you already knew that (ps I've got a Fugi 6900 and even Mrs B has worked out how to use that)

[Whoozit]

Ixus 2, mate - my previous post was a recommendation even if it didn't read like one (sorry). My sister was married in Venice and I took all the "official" photos with it, plenty of which came out well enough for 5x7 enlargements. Being small, though, the flash isn't very strong. I leave it on all the time for all daylight shots (makes a good fill-in flash without being overpowering), and it really is only good for around 3 metres at night.

[yum]

My APs Olmpus has just died after about two years; it simply isn't worth spending £70 to get it repaired.

So avoid Olympus!

In looking for a replacement, I have been advised against APS for the same reasons as below. Equivalent 35mm cameras are cheaper to buy and run than APS, but I'll probably go digital now.

R

[incorrigible]

Yum, could I just repeat www.dpreview.com then, fantastic reviews if you're going digital

Sorry for hijacking your thread Podie