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General discussion

I need an opinion

by rnash Nov 6, 2004 11:15AM PST

I have been looking at reviews for digital cameras and i just get more confused the more i read. I want a camera that will take very accurate pictures, quick shot to shot time, and good battery life. i will not be printing anything over 5x7 prints, but i will be taking pictures in the outdoors (wildlife, football games, and such), and inside. Should i get 3mp, 4, 5, I just don't know. The three cameras i have narrowed it down to are, the Konica Minolta Dimage x31, the cannon a75, and the fujifilm finepix e500. Which would you choose and why? Are there other cameras in their price range that would be as good or better? Thank you for your time Happy

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6 Posts
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Re: I need an opinion
by sbrady4000 Nov 6, 2004 1:29PM PST

For the photo size of 5x7, any of the mega-pixels you quote are good enough. But since you mention outdoor and long distance shots, you might end up wanting to enlarge just a portion of a photo to 5x7 (cropping). This would lead you to the higher resolutions, to maintain high quality. So I think the 4 megapixel (or 5) would be better for that reason. I am myself considering the new Cannon A85. It is identical to the A75 but has 4MP instead of 3. The other one that interests me is the Olympus D-580, (4MP) but it uses the more expensive xD memory.

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Re: I need an opinion
by rnash Nov 6, 2004 8:59PM PST

Thank you for your reply. I don't think the A85 is much more expensive than A75. It does make sense to have the 4mp over the 3mp. I hear these cameras take pictures as fast as you can push the button, do you know if that is true?

Thanks!

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Re: I need an opinion
by snapshot2 Forum moderator Nov 6, 2004 11:42PM PST

One thing to look for is "burst mode".
Some call it "progressive capture"

You hold down the shutter button and the camera will capture a series of photos. Great for sport and action shots.

Example: The Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2

Standard Progressive Capture - 5 images at 2.5 photos per second.

UHS Progressive Capture - 12 images (1280x960) at 10 photos per second.

....

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Re: I need an opinion
by rnash Nov 16, 2004 12:48PM PST

i do not think i will be using it for that fast of shooting, so i decided to go with the canon a85. $245 at walmart. heck, i got a lifetime warranty for free compared to paying 279 at best buy and the a $65 warranty for only 4 years!

thanks for your time!

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Re: I need an opinion
by newtriumvirate Nov 17, 2004 9:45AM PST

Canon, Fuji, and Minolta are all high quality brands so that shouldn't be a factor. For 5x7 prints, the A75's 3.2 megapixel resolution is more than enough. It is a reliable and affordable camera that performs very well for its class. If you ever want to move up to a larger size than 5x7 you may want a 4 megapixel, but from what you've said the A75 would probably win out of your three choices.

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Re: I need an opinion
by Turtlebean Dec 12, 2004 11:39AM PST

Hi -
Don't know if this is way too late. I was in a similar position and sympathize. I'm no expert, but know something from looking and experience w/ my Kodak DX 6440 (4MP), which I'd highly recommend, along with DX 7630 and DX 7440 (I think that's the 6MP one). You only need 4MP in my opinion. The only drawback I know of for more, is that if you don't use the 'restricted' setting, you'll need a large memory card, or several.

Hope that's helpful,

Mark.

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