Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.

On Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:44:51 GMT, T i m mused:

Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

A mate of mine has a ruggedised camera that is reasonably pocketable,
a Panasonic one of some variety I believe. Not sure of the price or
model, but it does seem to have resisted a fair few knocks, scrapes,
splashes and bumps. It's black, with the screen pretty much filing the
rear. http://www.panasonic.co.uk/ may find it.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.

We have a Kodak Easy Share LS420 which seems good to me.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

On 2007-07-15 22:44:51 +0100, T i m said:

Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.

Sony DSC-N2. This is a very good camera for its purpose - typical
of what you describe. Unfortunately,like a lot of things, the price
is heavily marked up in the UK. I bought mine for the equivalent of
about £130 duty and VAT free outside the UK.

T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.


Nikon coolpix 775 here. Its probly obsolete these days, but ebay price
would be good.

T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.

I have a Fuji F20 that I use when I don't take out the DSLR:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...Fujifilm.ht m

http://tinyurl.com/yptflv

For a cheap camera it feels quite 'solid' and well made.

Example:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...1523908&size=l

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 07:50:47 +0100, " cupra"
wrote:

T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.

I have a Fuji F20 that I use when I don't take out the DSLR:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...Fujifilm.ht m

http://tinyurl.com/yptflv

For a cheap camera it feels quite 'solid' and well made.

Example:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...1523908&size=l


Thanks to all who have answered so far. I will have a closer Google on
each when I get a mo.

To Cupra, thanks for the links etc and I have some Q's re the F20 LE
if I may. Argos show it as the F20 LE and seem to be the only supplier
of it in that form. Any idea what the differences (apart from colour)
between the F20 and F20LE models please?

Something I spotted on a spec somewhere was an ability to take two
shots, one with and one without flash and display both side-by-side.
Does the LE do that do you know?

Also, what sort of real world battery life have you got out of it
(both in intense use plus when just 'left' unused / uncharged for a
few weeks).

A Fuji would be handy because we have had them in the past so have
some xD cards already.

All the best ..

T i m

cupra wrote:
T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.

I have a Fuji F20 that I use when I don't take out the DSLR:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...Fujifilm.ht m

http://tinyurl.com/yptflv

For a cheap camera it feels quite 'solid' and well made.

Example:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...1523908&size=l




I carry a Minolta XG everywhere. It's the right shape for my pockets
i.e. flat with no protruding lens to play up, and the battery goes on
forever. £30 ish on EBay

T i m wrote:
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 07:50:47 +0100, " cupra"
wrote:

T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life
(ideally replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and
not a fortune (so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.

I have a Fuji F20 that I use when I don't take out the DSLR:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...Fujifilm.ht m

http://tinyurl.com/yptflv

For a cheap camera it feels quite 'solid' and well made.

Example:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...1523908&size=l


Thanks to all who have answered so far. I will have a closer Google on
each when I get a mo.

To Cupra, thanks for the links etc and I have some Q's re the F20 LE
if I may. Argos show it as the F20 LE and seem to be the only supplier
of it in that form. Any idea what the differences (apart from colour)
between the F20 and F20LE models please?

To be brutally honest.... I'm not sure either! A quick Google seems to
indicate that it is a 'limited edition' and hence the colour difference -
others may know!


Something I spotted on a spec somewhere was an ability to take two
shots, one with and one without flash and display both side-by-side.
Does the LE do that do you know?


I'd have to check when I get back home....

Also, what sort of real world battery life have you got out of it
(both in intense use plus when just 'left' unused / uncharged for a
few weeks).

I've taken about 100 pics without hitting battery low (they quote 300 per
charge), not left it unattended as I've only had it for a month but the last
Fuji I had (with a Lithium battery) seemed to hold the charge quite well
over a longish period.


A Fuji would be handy because we have had them in the past so have
some xD cards already.

T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~?100 etc) please?

[snip]


For 1/10th of your budget: I have a Fuji FinePix A204 (it was ~130GBP in
2002), you can buy on ebay for around 10 pounds these days. I got it as
a gift and it has been my only digital camera apart from a Nikon D70.

It takes xD cards (5 pounds for a 128Mb) and 2xAA batteries (I use
rechargeable and they last for a few hundreds pictures).
It's a 2 MP but it has a great white balance almost in every condition.
I use it in the kitchen (full of flour etc), and when taking pictures of
DIY achievements with my hands too dirty to use my other DSLR.
You can print up to 13x18cm (7x5), no problems.
An italian cake:
http://www.ibalossi.it/fotopublic/pa...iafiles/l1.jpg
Plastering:
http://i13.tinypic.com/4vgz96t.jpg
SWMBO waiting for dinner:
http://i12.tinypic.com/62x9990.jpg

I also take it with me when I don't want to carry heavy gear.
I put some examples here in various conditions of light indoor and outdoor
(as you can see there is no editing):
http://www.ibalossi.it/fotopublic/tmp/

This camera fell a number of times, it's dirty, full of dust, stains, etc,
and I am tempted to buy another one as a backup...

I've used also a Canon Ixus 400 (not mine), I like the way it "feels": it's
quite compact and it seems of solid built, but I prefer the Fuji for the
pictures.
Just one thing: don't play the megapixel game! MP is just one measure,
but it's much better to have a 6MP camera like the Nikon D70 than a 10MP
camera with a small sensor.
Forget about mobile phone cameras, even if they are 5MP, the sensor is too
small and too noisy unless you have plenty of light (and I mean *plenty*,
clear sky at 3000m is just about the minimum). This is probably the best you
can get with a 3MP Nokia N80, compare with the 2MP above...
http://www.ibalossi.it/fotopublic/panorama.jpg
(click to enlarge).

F

--
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."
(Virginia Woolf)

T i m wrote:
I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?


Rollei dr5100 (which is a rebadged Ricoh GR?)
How pocketable v real camera? My real camera is an EOS1 so this one that
fits in a CCS belt pouch is good enough for me. Uses two AA cells, which
I find is good enough for a couple of days walking using NiMh 2600 mAh
provided I don't use the built in flash much.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djclark/tags/ViaFlaminia/

--
djc

On 16 Jul 2007 12:34:34 +0200, Galet wrote:

T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~?100 etc) please?

[snip]


For 1/10th of your budget: I have a Fuji FinePix A204 (it was ~130GBP in
2002), you can buy on ebay for around 10 pounds these days. I got it as
a gift and it has been my only digital camera apart from a Nikon D70.

Yes I've one of these too and mine too has had a hard life for three
years and is still going strong

Its USP was that it is equally good at taking view shots and closeups,
which is important for me. Most cheap cameras are better at one or the
other I'm told

Anna

T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.



Canon Powershot A85 bought as a refurb from the Canon outlet on eBay.
It has been superseded but I strongly recommend that you take a peek at
their site to see what is available if you want a perfectly effective
camera that you can treat as disposable.

Don't know if this link will work, but search eBay for 'Canon Outlet' if
it doesn't:

http://search.stores.ebay.co.uk/Cano...950978QQsofpZ0

You buy at auction but they trickle about 5 or 6 out each day. My first
one was dud - focus didn't work - but they refunded the money instantly.

I would suggest Snipeing for what you want.

Richard

Richard wrote:

T i m wrote:

Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.



Canon Powershot A85 bought as a refurb from the Canon outlet on eBay. It
has been superseded but I strongly recommend that you take a peek at
their site to see what is available if you want a perfectly effective
camera that you can treat as disposable.

Don't know if this link will work, but search eBay for 'Canon Outlet' if
it doesn't:

http://search.stores.ebay.co.uk/Cano...950978QQsofpZ0


You buy at auction but they trickle about 5 or 6 out each day. My first
one was dud - focus didn't work - but they refunded the money instantly.

I would suggest Snipeing for what you want.

Richard

Further to my previous posting; I wouldn't consider buying any digicam
that would not focus in low or no light. I dissmissed a Fuji Fine Pix
solely for this reason. It must, IMO, have a focus illuminator to be
properly useful.

Richard

Richard wrote:
Richard wrote:

T i m wrote:

Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life
(ideally replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and
not a fortune (so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.



Canon Powershot A85 bought as a refurb from the Canon outlet on
eBay. It has been superseded but I strongly recommend that you take
a peek at their site to see what is available if you want a
perfectly effective camera that you can treat as disposable.

Don't know if this link will work, but search eBay for 'Canon
Outlet' if it doesn't:

http://search.stores.ebay.co.uk/Cano...950978QQsofpZ0


You buy at auction but they trickle about 5 or 6 out each day. My
first one was dud - focus didn't work - but they refunded the money
instantly. I would suggest Snipeing for what you want.

Richard

Further to my previous posting; I wouldn't consider buying any digicam
that would not focus in low or no light. I dissmissed a Fuji Fine Pix
solely for this reason. It must, IMO, have a focus illuminator to be
properly useful.

The F20 has this.

On Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:44:51 +0000, T i m wrote:

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

A (now rather ancient) Canon Powershot A510 which takes 2 AAs (lasts well
on NiMHs) and SD cards (zillions of pix on a 1G card). 3x optical zoom and
30seconds VGA-quality movies (good for kids etc).

--
John Stumbles

Testiculate [v.t]
To wave one's arms around while talking ********.

T i m wrote:
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 07:50:47 +0100, " cupra"
wrote:

T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life
(ideally replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and
not a fortune (so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.

I have a Fuji F20 that I use when I don't take out the DSLR:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...Fujifilm.ht m

http://tinyurl.com/yptflv

For a cheap camera it feels quite 'solid' and well made.

Example:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...1523908&size=l


Thanks to all who have answered so far. I will have a closer Google on
each when I get a mo.

To Cupra, thanks for the links etc and I have some Q's re the F20 LE
if I may. Argos show it as the F20 LE and seem to be the only supplier
of it in that form. Any idea what the differences (apart from colour)
between the F20 and F20LE models please?

Something I spotted on a spec somewhere was an ability to take two
shots, one with and one without flash and display both side-by-side.
Does the LE do that do you know?

You can display the last 3 shots alongside the current 'viewfinder' image,
but it won't take two photos with and without flash automatically.

T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.



It would also be good to know what the latency is like on the various
cameras being suggested. I've used a couple of digital cameras which
produce superb pictures of static scenes but have too much delay from
pressing the "shutter release" to "taking the picture" for anything
that's moving (kids diving into pools, etc)

D

NoSpam wrote:
T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.



It would also be good to know what the latency is like on the various
cameras being suggested. I've used a couple of digital cameras which
produce superb pictures of static scenes but have too much delay from
pressing the "shutter release" to "taking the picture" for anything
that's moving (kids diving into pools, etc)

D

Have a browse at

http://www.dpreview.com/

but fast response times cost money

In message , cupra
writes
T i m wrote:
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 07:50:47 +0100, " cupra"
wrote:

T i m wrote:
Hi All,

I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life
(ideally replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and
not a fortune (so ~£100 etc) please?

Better pictures than yer typical camera-phone[1] and not as bulky as
what you might take out for real 'photography'?

It doesn't need to be truly rugged or waterproof as such (but it
would be nice if it still fits the remit above), the sorta thing you
might carry with you to record those before and after d-i-y / work
shots and not need to really mollycoddle (but not meaningfully abuse
ether of course).

What is in *your* pocket? ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] I know some phones have pretty good cameras on them now days but
we don't have / want such a phone ta.

I have a Fuji F20 that I use when I don't take out the DSLR:


http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc.../Trail/C%24cip
%3D50489.Photography%3EC%24cip%3D50498.Digital% 2Bcameras%3EFC%24Brands
%3DFujifilm.Fujifilm.htm

http://tinyurl.com/yptflv

For a cheap camera it feels quite 'solid' and well made.

Example:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...1523908&size=l


Thanks to all who have answered so far. I will have a closer Google on
each when I get a mo.

To Cupra, thanks for the links etc and I have some Q's re the F20 LE
if I may. Argos show it as the F20 LE and seem to be the only supplier
of it in that form. Any idea what the differences (apart from colour)
between the F20 and F20LE models please?

To be brutally honest.... I'm not sure either! A quick Google seems to
indicate that it is a 'limited edition' and hence the colour difference -
others may know!


Something I spotted on a spec somewhere was an ability to take two
shots, one with and one without flash and display both side-by-side.
Does the LE do that do you know?


I'd have to check when I get back home....

Also, what sort of real world battery life have you got out of it
(both in intense use plus when just 'left' unused / uncharged for a
few weeks).

I've taken about 100 pics without hitting battery low (they quote 300 per
charge), not left it unattended as I've only had it for a month but the last
Fuji I had (with a Lithium battery) seemed to hold the charge quite well
over a longish period.


A Fuji would be handy because we have had them in the past so have
some xD cards already.




I have one of these for work

http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/29_mju_700.htm

It gets quite a lot of use at work and the battery is good for 400-500
pix

With a 2 gig memory card in, it lasts forever


--
geoff

Stuart Noble wrote:
NoSpam wrote:

It would also be good to know what the latency is like on the various
cameras being suggested. I've used a couple of digital cameras which
produce superb pictures of static scenes but have too much delay from
pressing the "shutter release" to "taking the picture" for anything
that's moving (kids diving into pools, etc)

D

Have a browse at

http://www.dpreview.com/

but fast response times cost money

Latency is a common problem for all compact digital cameras, even the most
expensive ones. They are good for walls, cakes, still nature. For kids and
anything else moving (weddings, animals, etc) I'd go for a (D)SLR, no doubts.

F

--
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."
(Virginia Woolf)

In article ,
T i m wrote:
I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

I recently bought a 'refurbished' Olympus 600 from dabs.com for well
under 100 quid. Nice little camera about the size of a packet of fags.
Think they still do similar. Takes the rather pricey XD cards, though.

--
*(over a sketch of the titanic) "The boat sank - get over it

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 2007-07-17 09:51:02 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
said:

In article ,
T i m wrote:
I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

I recently bought a 'refurbished' Olympus 600 from dabs.com for well
under 100 quid. Nice little camera about the size of a packet of fags.
Think they still do similar.

What, give you a nicotine rush? ;-)

On 17 Jul 2007 10:40:32 +0200, Galet wrote:

Stuart Noble wrote:
NoSpam wrote:

It would also be good to know what the latency is like on the various
cameras being suggested. I've used a couple of digital cameras which
produce superb pictures of static scenes but have too much delay from
pressing the "shutter release" to "taking the picture" for anything
that's moving (kids diving into pools, etc)

D

Have a browse at

http://www.dpreview.com/

but fast response times cost money

Latency is a common problem for all compact digital cameras, even the most
expensive ones. They are good for walls, cakes, still nature. For kids and
anything else moving (weddings, animals, etc) I'd go for a (D)SLR, no doubts.

F
My (16 yr old) daughter managed to catch the 'crossing pair' (and at
quite a zoom / half frame) during a Red Arrows air display with her
Fuji S7000 (non SLR). Not bad considering the lag and the closing
speed of over 400+ mph! ;-)

I guess like most things there is a bit of 'getting used to it' and I
think for 'action' shots an optical viewfinder helps quite a bit.

All the best ..

T i m

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:51:02 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
T i m wrote:
I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?

I recently bought a 'refurbished' Olympus 600 from dabs.com for well
under 100 quid. Nice little camera about the size of a packet of fags.
Think they still do similar. Takes the rather pricey XD cards, though.

Thanks again to all who have replied so far and all the links to items
/ sample photos etc (I have looked / checked out all of them).

I think I'm more confused than ever .... I know 'you get's what you
pays for' (in general .. sometimes you don't 'get' even if you 'pay
well') but as mentioned some things (like cameras) can be very
personal re fit / feel etc. ie Our daughter preferred the 'feel' of
the Fuji S7000 (in comparison with later models) because it felt 'more
solid' and seemed to fit her hands nicely. When she uses it now it
looks very 'natural' and she seems to use the controls instinctively
(those that she actually needs anyway) and extension of herself so to
speak.

I'm trying to not get side tracked and the basic requirement was
compactness so that it would be taken out not left behind because it
was too bulky.

Then it was roughly in the order:

b: photographic results (under typical perceived use, so no very dark,
fast moving, very distant or macro close type shots)

c: price (I don't mind spending 'a bit' if I can really tick all of
the boxes).

d: battery life (in use and between uses. Some cameras seem to go flat
'on-their-own' and faster than the self discharge of cell types used
etc (probably onboard clock?).

e: ease of purchase / return (I would prefer not to risk buying
something 'online' if I haven't had the chance to play with it first.
If it went wrong and wasn't a 'chuck away price' I'd like to be able
to return it easily and be dealt with efficiently.[1]

f: Weather / dust proofedness.

The Argos F20 LE seems to be winning at the moment (Argos at the top
of the road), seems to be about the right size, price, quality and
does *most* of the things we would expect of it (and we have xD cards
already).

Still not decided though but where does that 'but what about the next
model up' syndrome stop!

All the best ..

T i m

[1] My first digicam was the Fuji DX5 and in spite of being very cheap
(compared with the alternatives at the time) produced very good
pictures. That got dropped, repaired but was never the same and Fuji
offered us a 'recon' DX7 foc. That worked well for a year or so but
then seemed to develop a weird rom type fault and they then replaced
that with a refurb DX10 (foc). A couple of years later that failed (a
screw worked loose internally) and as they couldn't repair or replace
that they offered me whatever I wanted at half price. The turn round
in every case was very fast and they really seem to care.

There are some makes my local camera shop simply wouldn't sell *me* (I
know them pretty well) because the after sales service they get from
the manufacturer is so dire.

T i m wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:51:02 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
T i m wrote:
I am interested in a 'pocketable' digi-cam with reasonable quality
(for typical indoor / outdoor 'snapshots'), good battery life (ideally
replaceable if not std cells) with expandable memory and not a fortune
(so ~£100 etc) please?
I recently bought a 'refurbished' Olympus 600 from dabs.com for well
under 100 quid. Nice little camera about the size of a packet of fags.
Think they still do similar. Takes the rather pricey XD cards, though.

Thanks again to all who have replied so far and all the links to items
/ sample photos etc (I have looked / checked out all of them).

I think I'm more confused than ever .... I know 'you get's what you
pays for' (in general .. sometimes you don't 'get' even if you 'pay
well') but as mentioned some things (like cameras) can be very
personal re fit / feel etc. ie Our daughter preferred the 'feel' of
the Fuji S7000 (in comparison with later models) because it felt 'more
solid' and seemed to fit her hands nicely. When she uses it now it
looks very 'natural' and she seems to use the controls instinctively
(those that she actually needs anyway) and extension of herself so to
speak.

I'm trying to not get side tracked and the basic requirement was
compactness so that it would be taken out not left behind because it
was too bulky.

Then it was roughly in the order:

b: photographic results (under typical perceived use, so no very dark,
fast moving, very distant or macro close type shots)

c: price (I don't mind spending 'a bit' if I can really tick all of
the boxes).

d: battery life (in use and between uses. Some cameras seem to go flat
'on-their-own' and faster than the self discharge of cell types used
etc (probably onboard clock?).

e: ease of purchase / return (I would prefer not to risk buying
something 'online' if I haven't had the chance to play with it first.
If it went wrong and wasn't a 'chuck away price' I'd like to be able
to return it easily and be dealt with efficiently.[1]

f: Weather / dust proofedness.

The Argos F20 LE seems to be winning at the moment (Argos at the top
of the road), seems to be about the right size, price, quality and
does *most* of the things we would expect of it (and we have xD cards
already).

Still not decided though but where does that 'but what about the next
model up' syndrome stop!

All the best ..

T i m

[1] My first digicam was the Fuji DX5 and in spite of being very cheap
(compared with the alternatives at the time) produced very good
pictures. That got dropped, repaired but was never the same and Fuji
offered us a 'recon' DX7 foc. That worked well for a year or so but
then seemed to develop a weird rom type fault and they then replaced
that with a refurb DX10 (foc). A couple of years later that failed (a
screw worked loose internally) and as they couldn't repair or replace
that they offered me whatever I wanted at half price. The turn round
in every case was very fast and they really seem to care.

There are some makes my local camera shop simply wouldn't sell *me* (I
know them pretty well) because the after sales service they get from
the manufacturer is so dire.





They all take good pictures in ideal conditions. IMO the ability to slip
it in your pocket is the main thing, and that is very different to
slipping it in your handbag. I don't like small, chunky cameras but
rather flat (pocket shaped) ones.
EBay is great for this stuff because most of the cameras have been used
a couple of times and then kept in a drawer. Buying new is a mug's game
in this field.

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:19:28 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:



They all take good pictures in ideal conditions.

Well I've seen some pretty dire results from what looked like it
should be a good camera but that wasn't recently.

IMO the ability to slip
it in your pocket is the main thing, and that is very different to
slipping it in your handbag.

Agreed.

I don't like small, chunky cameras but
rather flat (pocket shaped) ones.

Understood. I think one of the restrictions to this though might be
the ability to get a good / reliable zoom in such a thin package. Make
it a few mm thicker and this becomes easier but at the risk of
becoming 'chunky'.

EBay is great for this stuff because most of the cameras have been used
a couple of times and then kept in a drawer.

Or used a couple of times before they reaslised it wasn't any good?

Buying new is a mug's game
in this field.

I'm not so sure. Of all the things I might buy 'cameras' are one of
the things I'd like ..

... to know the history of .. (has it been dropped or got wet or
repaired)

... the ability to return it if it fails ...

... the ability to get some 'support' on should I need ..

I find eBay (for example) getting more and more expensive, many things
often going for a similar price I (or 'one') might be able to get them
for brand new, or at least with sufficiently low differential not to
make it worth the risk (to me anyway).

Of course there are bargains to be had out there but if you don't have
a lot of disposable cash you have to up the odds in yer favour?

I bought a cable router from eBay and found it fails to respond
correctly to DHCP requests *sometimes* and am stuck with it. I bought
a new router from PCW that dropped the link every so often so took it
back for and got a full refund.

I could have afforded to have carried the cost on either but it was
nice to have the choice. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. I would (and have) bought loads of stuff off mates (after they
have upgraded etc) but I often get the 'try before you buy' option.

cupra wrote:


Further to my previous posting; I wouldn't consider buying any digicam
that would not focus in low or no light. I dissmissed a Fuji Fine Pix
solely for this reason. It must, IMO, have a focus illuminator to be
properly useful.


The F20 has this.



Excellent.

T i m wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:19:28 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:


They all take good pictures in ideal conditions.

Well I've seen some pretty dire results from what looked like it
should be a good camera but that wasn't recently.

IMO the ability to slip
it in your pocket is the main thing, and that is very different to
slipping it in your handbag.

Agreed.

I don't like small, chunky cameras but
rather flat (pocket shaped) ones.

Understood. I think one of the restrictions to this though might be
the ability to get a good / reliable zoom in such a thin package. Make
it a few mm thicker and this becomes easier but at the risk of
becoming 'chunky'.


Hence my earlier suggestion of the Minolta X series with a x3 zoom that
operates internally

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 11:08:05 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:


I don't like small, chunky cameras but
rather flat (pocket shaped) ones.

Understood. I think one of the restrictions to this though might be
the ability to get a good / reliable zoom in such a thin package. Make
it a few mm thicker and this becomes easier but at the risk of
becoming 'chunky'.


Hence my earlier suggestion of the Minolta X series with a x3 zoom that
operates internally

quick Google / eBay I agree, it's a nice compact beasty, and with
it's internal zoom less things to get caught up / damaged etc.

There are a couple of new ones on eBay for £87.59 + ~£10 p&p and a
clean second hand one already at £23 +£5.

Just for comparison the Minolta XG (3.2Mp) is: (W, H, D)
85.5 x 67 x 20 mm

The Fuji F20 LE (6.3 Mp) is:
93.5 x 56.7 x 26.6 mm

My current camera (Fuji F420 / 3.1Mp) is:
77 x 69 x 26.4 mm
(but suffers from poor battery life)

So the XG is thinner by 6+ mm and I agree that is not an insignificant
amount.

I might keep an eye on some on eBay but I don't see myself spending
100 quid for an obsolete model (or much above £30 for a second hand
one really).

All the best ..

T i m

T i m wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 11:08:05 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:


I don't like small, chunky cameras but
rather flat (pocket shaped) ones.
Understood. I think one of the restrictions to this though might be
the ability to get a good / reliable zoom in such a thin package. Make
it a few mm thicker and this becomes easier but at the risk of
becoming 'chunky'.

Hence my earlier suggestion of the Minolta X series with a x3 zoom that
operates internally

quick Google / eBay I agree, it's a nice compact beasty, and with
it's internal zoom less things to get caught up / damaged etc.

There are a couple of new ones on eBay for £87.59 + ~£10 p&p and a
clean second hand one already at £23 +£5.

Just for comparison the Minolta XG (3.2Mp) is: (W, H, D)
85.5 x 67 x 20 mm

The Fuji F20 LE (6.3 Mp) is:
93.5 x 56.7 x 26.6 mm

My current camera (Fuji F420 / 3.1Mp) is:
77 x 69 x 26.4 mm
(but suffers from poor battery life)

So the XG is thinner by 6+ mm and I agree that is not an insignificant
amount.

I might keep an eye on some on eBay but I don't see myself spending
100 quid for an obsolete model (or much above £30 for a second hand
one really).

All the best ..

T i m


The XT is the same design IIRC, but both are so similar to your existing
camera that I might try a new battery instead. I guess it's the zoom
that takes the power?

On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:34:01 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:



My current camera (Fuji F420 / 3.1Mp) is:
77 x 69 x 26.4 mm
(but suffers from poor battery life)



The XT is the same design IIRC, but both are so similar to your existing
camera that I might try a new battery instead. I guess it's the zoom
that takes the power?

It may be Stuart but basically I think it's just trying to do too much
on too small a battery. ;-(

The F420 is quite clever in that it can take a NH-20 'special' (700mA)
battery which is actually no more than 2 x AAA NiMH cells fixed
together with a special moulding which interacts with the camera,
telling it it's own rechargeable battery is onboard. Or it can take 2
x AAA std alkaline cells (or other rechargeable's).

When docked it will charge the 'special' pack but not 'loose'
rechargeable's (as they could equally be primary cells).

I might try duplicating the NH-20 pack with some 1000mA NiMH cells but
there is also the issue of them being discharged between uses (camera
clock maybe)?

All the best ..

T i m

Stuart Noble wrote:
T i m wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:19:28 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:


They all take good pictures in ideal conditions.

Well I've seen some pretty dire results from what looked like it
should be a good camera but that wasn't recently.

IMO the ability to slip it in your pocket is the main thing, and that
is very different to slipping it in your handbag.

Agreed.

I don't like small, chunky cameras but rather flat (pocket shaped) ones.

Understood. I think one of the restrictions to this though might be
the ability to get a good / reliable zoom in such a thin package. Make
it a few mm thicker and this becomes easier but at the risk of
becoming 'chunky'.

Hence my earlier suggestion of the Minolta X series with a x3 zoom that
operates internally

The XG looks good but it's a shame that it takes a special battery - a
pain when travelling. Is there anything with similar size/features that
will accept standard batteries?

D

NoSpam wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
T i m wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:19:28 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:


They all take good pictures in ideal conditions.

Well I've seen some pretty dire results from what looked like it
should be a good camera but that wasn't recently.

IMO the ability to slip it in your pocket is the main thing, and
that is very different to slipping it in your handbag.

Agreed.

I don't like small, chunky cameras but rather flat (pocket shaped)
ones.

Understood. I think one of the restrictions to this though might be
the ability to get a good / reliable zoom in such a thin package. Make
it a few mm thicker and this becomes easier but at the risk of
becoming 'chunky'.

Hence my earlier suggestion of the Minolta X series with a x3 zoom
that operates internally

The XG looks good but it's a shame that it takes a special battery - a
pain when travelling. Is there anything with similar size/features that
will accept standard batteries?

D

The Fuji the OP was looking to replace might fit the bill :-)

On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:47:43 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:


The XG looks good but it's a shame that it takes a special battery - a
pain when travelling. Is there anything with similar size/features that
will accept standard batteries?

D

The Fuji the OP was looking to replace might fit the bill :-)

And that's near where we have gone (after bidding on an XG and it
going too high) in a Fuji F31fd.

Although it's for all our use, the immediate role will be for our
daughter to take on a short holiday soon. It's not as slim as I was
hoping but she seems to be happy to put any p&s camera in her bag or
jacket pocket (rather than tight jeans).

Although the battery isn't 'std' it is supposedly good for over 500
shots and married to a 2G xD card and on 6Mp gives it over 500 shots
also. This is a 'snapshot' camera so she can fill her boots doing just
that! ;-)

It also has a very high ISO equiv (3200 or summat) and the 'face
detection' feature which is supposedly not *just* a gimmick.

3x zoom and fairly good Fuji optics should make for a reasonable tool,
especially at £135 (bought locally from a real camera shop and highly
recommended by them).

No optical viewfinder but she rarely used the one on the F420 (she
says and isn't bothered by the loss so far) and she has figured out
how most of it works and transferred pictures to her PC without
reading the manual (I note it's still sealed in the bag) or any input
from me.

She's got a 'family' day today so I dare say she'll give it a good run
(pre holiday) and wee will really see how it performs.

Thanks to all who responded ..

T i m

T i m wrote:
On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:47:43 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:


The XG looks good but it's a shame that it takes a special battery - a
pain when travelling. Is there anything with similar size/features that
will accept standard batteries?

D
The Fuji the OP was looking to replace might fit the bill :-)

And that's near where we have gone (after bidding on an XG and it
going too high) in a Fuji F31fd.

Although it's for all our use, the immediate role will be for our
daughter to take on a short holiday soon. It's not as slim as I was
hoping but she seems to be happy to put any p&s camera in her bag or
jacket pocket (rather than tight jeans).

Although the battery isn't 'std' it is supposedly good for over 500
shots and married to a 2G xD card and on 6Mp gives it over 500 shots
also. This is a 'snapshot' camera so she can fill her boots doing just
that! ;-)

It also has a very high ISO equiv (3200 or summat) and the 'face
detection' feature which is supposedly not *just* a gimmick.

3x zoom and fairly good Fuji optics should make for a reasonable tool,
especially at £135 (bought locally from a real camera shop and highly
recommended by them).

No optical viewfinder but she rarely used the one on the F420 (she
says and isn't bothered by the loss so far) and she has figured out
how most of it works and transferred pictures to her PC without
reading the manual (I note it's still sealed in the bag) or any input
from me.

She's got a 'family' day today so I dare say she'll give it a good run
(pre holiday) and wee will really see how it performs.

Thanks to all who responded ..

T i m


Any feedback on it yet?