Digital compacts - did they just go crap?

[FunkyNige]

Got a bit of money for Christmas and had the afternoon off so I went out to buy myself a digital camera, I went looking just before Christmas but couldn't really justify the expense then so didn't end up getting one. I went into Jessops, asked the guy for advice on a compact around the £200 mark. He started showing me a few (including a nice Konika with a huge screen where the lens always stays inside the camera and uses some kind of mirror to zoom) and I was quite impressed with it until I started asking questions.

Now, I'm no pro-photographer but I like to have a bit of control over what the camera does so I asked if you could manually adjust the shutter speed on any of them. Apparently I'd need to spend £250 plus to be able to do that, never mind I thought to myself, shutter speed isn't the end of the world.

I then asked how many shots you could take on one battery charge, 'About 70' came the reply. Apparently most cameras they had took about 70 on one charge. If it was a film camera I wouldn't be very worried but if I'm using digital I tend to take loads more so 70 simply wouldn't be enough for a day out somewhere.

I could've sworn cameras a few months ago could deliver what I wanted, but the ones about now don't!

Does anyone know any cameras that can fit my criteria of manual shutter control and well over 100 shots on one charge for around £200?

[poah]

canon A520 has manual control. lots of fuji's have it too.

[pdV6]

FunkyNige said:

I then asked how many shots you could take on one battery charge, 'About 70' came the reply. Apparently most cameras they had took about 70 on one charge.

That sounds suspiciously like "I don't actually know"

[GetCarter]

Canon S80 - can be set to full manual - 8mp and 200 shots... but it's £330

HOWEVER - Mrs Gets D50 - took over 850 shots over 10 days on one charge. Extrodinary. I thought the thing would never run down. Got it for her for Christmas and she has only charged it twice.

My Nikon D1 (circa 2001) would take about 150 shots with a battery the size of Dover and then take spring and half of summer to re-charge.

[Andy M]

The battery in my Casio EX-Z750 lasts forever and is just outside of your price budget.

£220 here: www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/90108/art/casio/exilim-pro-ex-z75i-silver.html?srcid=3

Excellent camera IMHO

[FunkyNige]

Cheers all, looking around it seems the Fujifilm F10 (500 shots per charge, adjustable ISO which will do) is the one for me, I'll nip into Jessops on Monday and see if what it feels like.

[Phil S]

I have taken over 2000 shots from my 20D in one charge (and in one day!)

Sorry for being a bit off topic!

Non-SLR cameras use much mroe battery due to having the LCD display on all the time for seeing what you are going to shoot.

[LongQ]

Number of shots will depend how its used. Flash use in particular, and how often it is switched on and off if it has a compact zoom. The tiddly battery in my Pentax gives over 200 shots unless using flash in which around 70 is all I would expect. Maybe the sales guy only used one when clubbing?

Most will allow ISO setting but that does not necessarily relate to speed setting unless you can set the aperture a well ...

[KB_S1]

GetCarter said:

HOWEVER - Mrs Gets D50 - took over 850 shots over 10 days on one charge. Extrodinary. I thought the thing would never run down. Got it for her for Christmas and she has only charged it twice.

I too have been amazed by the battery life on my D50, even a full night of photos with flash was no problem.

The Olympus Camedia range seem to be quite decent, but they do eat the batteries.

[D_Mike]

My canon powershot A70 (old now... but there are newer versions I think) lets you alter the exposure time, aperture, you can manual focus too (though it's impossible to tell what's in focus and what isn't on the small screen) and has control over white balance too.

I've taken several hundred shots on the same set of (rechargable AA) batteries.

[Muncher]

The Canon Ixus range have decent battery life, several hundred shots from them on one charge.