john_billings1 Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 I'm wondering if any digital compact has improved the low light capability ofthe Fuji F30? Does anyone have much experience with the Samsung NV8, espciallyas compared to the Fuji F30? Also, does anyone know of online reseller thatgets the F30 in on a regular basis......used or new? These seem to be fairlyhard to obtain now, and newer compacts don't seem to measure up to thesensitivity and lack of noise of the F30(that I can find from reviews). Ican't find much for reviews on the NV8. Thanks....John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_tuthill Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Why do you mention the NV8? I can't find it in any camera databases, only the NV7 OPS, and that seems mediocre at best. Anyway, the F31fd is still available on Amazon, which often has models still for sale that have already disappeared from the more-savvy NYC retailers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_billings1 Posted October 17, 2007 Author Share Posted October 17, 2007 Bill- Maybe the NV8 is too new to be reviewed.....I didn't check the release date. I should have checked for previous releases of the NV series for reviews.....I wasn't aware previous models came out mediocre. The NV was just in the mix of what I was comparing, and couldn't find any reviews for it.....and it looked interesting. So, you probably answered my question. Right now Amazon only has one 31fd available used for over $700.......but I will keep checking them. You are right, they are probably one of the best resources. Thanks for the assist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickwhite Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 John, In the UK you can now get the (discontinued) F31fd for as little as 126 Pounds - about $255 (amazon = 285 Pounds) http://www.offeroftheday.co.uk/search.asp?order=price+ASC;&h=1&search=F31-FD+-case&ref=41557E1393&gclid=CLCB5PPMlo8CFQkvlAodFkKVVw I'm sure there must be similar deals in US, you probably just need to search around to find a dealer disposing of old stock. I would be surprised if you could find a new F30 now, since it has been through two updates now. I have an F31 and the low light capability certainly is good - the new replacements for it are far less so I have read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_tuthill Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Oh, I see: announced two months ago but still not available, the NV8 goes up to ISO 3200. Worth mentioning: the F40fd takes SD cards, which have become the industry standard for sub-CF size. Whereas xD is a dead-end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_powell1 Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Hi John, For what it's worth, I tested a more recent Samsung NV model, and the low-light noise was pretty extensive. I just purchased a wonderful Fuji FinePix f31fd on Amazon, shot 1500 images with it in Ireland, and am amazed at its quality (including at ISO 1600 and even 3200, in extremely low-light conditions). I'm currently weeding through all my Ireland photos...and should post a couple low-light examples when I get to them! One was of a bulb-illuminated waterfall in a cave beneath the Burren, and the other was a night-harbor scene in Portmagee. I've read that the Fuji fXX series (up to the f31fd, but not after) enjoys this great low-light performance because they have both a fairly large sensor and a fairly low MP rating (the f31fd is about 6MP). It's also been said occasionally that they use slight blurring to reduce noise. My images looked pretty darned sharp, though. But I did notice another possible explanation. When I viewed my images in PhotoShop, the histograms for the ones shot at ISO 1600 and 3200 appear to be shifted toward the right. This would move them away from the usual "home of digital noise" on the left. And when I tweak the histogram back toward the left...a lot of blue blotchy noise does appear. But to paraphrase the old doctor joke: "If shifting the histogram to the left looks worse...then DON't DO IT! The ISO 1600 and 3200 images straight from the f31fd camera have proven to be amazing. Sincerely, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_billings1 Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Bill/Nick Thank you very much for your input and direction. It is greatly appreciated. Dave, I went to Ireland about 10 years ago, and have been yearning to go back to do some more in depth photography. I would love to see some of those photos. I really appreciate the insights you shared. Thanks again to all of you for the feedback. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_powell1 Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Thanks John! I'll be working on them again this weekend, and will post some as soon as possible! Sincerely, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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