harry_pluta3 Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 On a recent outing, my wife mislaid her favorite point and shoot film camera. I would like to replace this with a nice digital P&S but know next to nothing about them. We seldom blow up any images made with her camera above 5x7 with the odd 8x10 of really great shots. I showed her a Nikon Coolpix 5400, but she wanted something that would slip comfortably in her pocket. That said I guess it will be important to have a camera that protects the lens when turned off. FWIW the camera we are replacing was a weatherproof Pentax IQ Zoom with a pretty nice zoom range ( I think it was 28-110mm ). Finally the camera must be easy to use, but it would be nice if it had a manual mode so I can "play" when we are out without the SLRs. Thanks so much in advance,-Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majid Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 The Canon S400, SD100, SD10, Sony DSC-T1, Pentax Optio S4 (and its Casio Exilim counterpart) and the Minolta Dimage Xg fit your bill. I usually recommend the Canon S400 to people in your situation (4 referrees so far, all satisfied). Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal recommends the Minolta Xg. There are quite few more coming out all the time, so you have a lot of models to choose from. I would suggest you have a look at the reviews on <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/">DPReview.com</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugundhan_varadanarayanan Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 If ure considering a pocket camera with manual capabilities and good image quality, you can try Sony DSC-V1. It is a smaller version of the succesful DSC-F717. The reviews so far indicate that it is one of the best values for money. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klix Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 As I've recommended to more than one person in the past few months... whatever other features you may want, you & your wife will appreciate a digital p&s that uses AA batteries and takes CF cards. To that end, take a look at the Canon A80. KL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_s5 Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 Ease of use is something which is really quite subjective. I urge you to find a local camera shop which will let you spend some time experimenting with different cameras so that you can find one you enjoy using. In the ideal world, you'd bring a laptop to the shop so that you could have the full picture-taking to image transfer experience. A camera which <i>you</i> don't enjoy using will just sit in a drawer somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiew Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 well... assuming one of the reasons you get the pentax was it's weather resistance, here are two options to consider: pentax optio 43wr (just came out so not sure when in stores)http://www.dpreview.com/news/0403/04030801pentaxoptio43wr.asp Olympus Stylus 400 Weather resistant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr-mike Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 If you want something that san compete with an SLR but still fit in a coat pocket (not shirt), I like the Olympus C-750. You need to use a lens cap, but the big zoom lens (up to almost 400mm effective) is a far better substitute for more MP's when you're in normal shooting situations. I have been using one in place of my Nikon D2H and 80-400 f/2.8 whn I just can't carry it, and the images (afetr a few days) seem to be pretty sharp, and I don't suffer from frustration when I see a shot I want to grab from a typical distance. Digital zooms stink. A shortfall of both the Olympus and the Sony V1 are they use atypical media that won;t readily adapt to other cameras. I hate this BS of different media so you get stuck everyt time you change cameras, but that's what gear is for -- to help you blow your cash and help the economy grow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 I bought my wife the Canon S50. She loves it. I bought it specifically because it can slip easily into her purse. Sony also makes several cameras with that slim shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_shihanian Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Have a look at the Olympus Stylus digitals. Very good quality, ease of use, and the case slides over the lens when not in use. Nothing sticking out to snag on a pocket or purse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry_pluta3 Posted March 13, 2004 Author Share Posted March 13, 2004 Looks like the Canon S50 is the winner for her. The real problem is now this exercise has me looking at a DSLR to replace my film SLR! Thanks for all your help, -harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_cuttler Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 I own a Pentax Optio S4, and love it! Great sharp photos, more user adjustable features than you will ever want or need, and it fits into an Altoids tin. That's what I use for a case. I liked it so much, I stopped using my Leica M series cameras, and finaly sold them to folks on the Leica forum. David Cuttler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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