> What's a good make/model to look for? I'm not looking for professional
> quality, just something that will take good photos with a minimum of set 
> up
> indoors or outdoors. Some amount of optical zoom is essential

I've always gone for Canon myself, both for cheaper point&shoot and dSLRs. 
I currently have the PowerShot G7 both at work and at home and am extremely 
pleased with it.  It has 6x optical zoom plus an image stabiliser so that 
you can use the 6x zoom even with dim lighting and still get sharp photos. 
It does nice 640x480x30fps videos too.  It's about 400 euro here.

Post a reply to this message

And lo on Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:13:01 +0100, Gail Shaw sa dot com>  
<"<initialsurname"@sentech> did spake, saying:

> Another year, another conference.
>
> I'm off to Denver on friday for just over a week for a SQL conference.
> Baring in mind that I only have 2 days free (sat and sun) is there  
> anything
> that I have to see/visit in Denver? Anyone know of any good  
> resteraurants?
>
> I'm contemplating picking up a digital camera while I'm there. I'll be  
> able
> to get far better for far less there than here, even with customs duty.  
> I've
> never owned a digital camera, still using my mother's old film one.
>
> What's a good make/model to look for? I'm not looking for professional
> quality, just something that will take good photos with a minimum of set  
> up
> indoors or outdoors. Some amount of optical zoom is essential

Make that the third vote for Canon; one of the Powershot A series should  
do fine for a point'n'shooter. Reasonable size lens, with a nice big chip  
behind it; 4x optical zoom; runs off standard AA batteries, saves dragging  
a recharger around or coughing up for specialist batteries; good Auto  
features with enough specialist settings if you want to tinker; and the  
A5xx's aren't too bulky or heavy, but you can run up to the A6xx's or  
A7xx's if that's not a problem.

Oh and a lensfinder as well as the LCD screen, though the view through it  
isn't exactly what you'll get a picture of, say 80%, but it really saves  
the juice. With my A620 I managed all 700ish carnival shots off one set of  
4 rechargables including using the souped-up flash of the night-time river  
parade and the heavy processing of the fireworks settings.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

Post a reply to this message

Phil Cook wrote:
> And lo on Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:13:01 +0100, Gail Shaw sa dot com> 
> <"<initialsurname"@sentech> did spake, saying:
> 
>> Another year, another conference.
>>
>> I'm off to Denver on friday for just over a week for a SQL conference.
>> Baring in mind that I only have 2 days free (sat and sun) is there 
>> anything
>> that I have to see/visit in Denver? Anyone know of any good 
>> resteraurants?
>>
>> I'm contemplating picking up a digital camera while I'm there. I'll be 
>> able
>> to get far better for far less there than here, even with customs 
>> duty. I've
>> never owned a digital camera, still using my mother's old film one.
>>
>> What's a good make/model to look for? I'm not looking for professional
>> quality, just something that will take good photos with a minimum of 
>> set up
>> indoors or outdoors. Some amount of optical zoom is essential
> 
> Make that the third vote for Canon; 

And a fourth - I have a PowerShot A710 and it's a wonderful wee beastie. 
  6x optical zoom, good battery life, optical viewfinder (as Phil says, 
saves the juice), pretty good manual settings for a compact and the auto 
mode is also very intelligent. And it even claims to take a standard 
Canon lens via a neat little adaptor, although I haven't tried this yet...

Post a reply to this message

And lo on Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:54:00 +0100, Bill Pragnell  
<bil### [at] hotmailcom> did spake, saying:

> Phil Cook wrote:

> And a fourth - I have a PowerShot A710 and it's a wonderful wee beastie.  
>   6x optical zoom, good battery life, optical viewfinder (as Phil says,  
> saves the juice), pretty good manual settings for a compact and the auto  
> mode is also very intelligent. And it even claims to take a standard  
> Canon lens via a neat little adaptor, although I haven't tried this  
> yet...

That's something I've been wanting to try too, that and the underwater  
case; I don't think they're on the A5xx's though (without checking). OOC  
what's the input flap like on the A710, the A620's is a little finicky and  
I've no idea why they didn't make it the same slide and flip as the memory  
card slot. I also wish it would save drive mode for the Program settings,  
I like my continous drive it's damn handy when you lack image  
stabilisation.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

Post a reply to this message

scott wrote:
>> What's a good make/model to look for? I'm not looking for professional
>> quality, just something that will take good photos with a minimum of
>> set up
>> indoors or outdoors. Some amount of optical zoom is essential
> 
> I've always gone for Canon myself, both for cheaper point&shoot and
> dSLRs. I currently have the PowerShot G7 both at work and at home and am
> extremely pleased with it.  It has 6x optical zoom plus an image
> stabiliser so that you can use the 6x zoom even with dim lighting and
> still get sharp photos. It does nice 640x480x30fps videos too.  It's
> about 400 euro here.

I have a Canon G7 too. Best camera I've ever had !

-- 
Tor Olav
http://subcube.com

Post a reply to this message

Gail Shaw wrote:
> Another year, another conference.
> 
> I'm off to Denver on friday for just over a week for a SQL conference.
> Baring in mind that I only have 2 days free (sat and sun) is there anything
> that I have to see/visit in Denver? 
> 


A weekend in Denver?  Umm, do you like the outdoors?  Rent a car and go 
up in the Rockies.  Try your hand at panning for gold, hike a peak, 
visit a ghost town...

As for eats

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g33388-Denver_Colorado.html

Post a reply to this message

Phil Cook wrote:
> case; I don't think they're on the A5xx's though (without checking). OOC 
> what's the input flap like on the A710, the A620's is a little finicky 
> and I've no idea why they didn't make it the same slide and flip as the 
> memory card slot.

It's small, and rubber, and a little fiddly; I'm not sure what to 
compare it too though!

> I also wish it would save drive mode for the Program 
> settings, I like my continous drive it's damn handy when you lack image 
> stabilisation.

Do you mean how you have to go and select it again every time you switch 
to a Program mode? I've noticed that. The 2-second delay is very handy 
for slightly longer exposures. Although I also have image stabilisation 
in the A710 so it's probably less annoying for me.

This camera is also the first device I've ever owned that had 
tilt-meters for rotating images automatically. I laughed out loud the 
first time I saw it in action... :)

Post a reply to this message

And lo on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:43:40 +0100, Bill Pragnell  
<bil### [at] hotmailcom> did spake, saying:

> Phil Cook wrote:
>> case; I don't think they're on the A5xx's though (without checking).  
>> OOC what's the input flap like on the A710, the A620's is a little  
>> finicky and I've no idea why they didn't make it the same slide and  
>> flip as the memory card slot.
>
> It's small, and rubber, and a little fiddly; I'm not sure what to  
> compare it too though!

It's annoying, everything else is a solid click-clunk then you get this  
bit of windscreen wiper rubber on the one set of slots you're likely to be  
most using. I don't get it I really don't.

>> I also wish it would save drive mode for the Program settings, I like  
>> my continous drive it's damn handy when you lack image stabilisation.
>
> Do you mean how you have to go and select it again every time you switch  
> to a Program mode? I've noticed that.

Yes to an extent, more along the lines of what's the point of it  
remembering the last settings you used except the drive mode. I tend to  
flick between the Children, and Foliage Scene modes and it keeps the drive  
setting, I'd just like a programmable 'middle-ground' setting I can swing  
the dial to and just keep my finger on the shutter, without having to turn  
on the screen and set the drive-mode every time.

> The 2-second delay is very handy for slightly longer exposures.

As I found out on my makeshift tripod :-)

> Although I also have image stabilisation in the A710 so it's probably  
> less annoying for me.

I don't think the A710 was out when I picked up mine, otherwise I'd have  
probably gone for that instead; mostly for the 6x op-zoom, but also for  
the image stabilisation. Then again if I get it now I'd miss the flip  
screen, I really wouldn't have got some shots without it.

> This camera is also the first device I've ever owned that had  
> tilt-meters for rotating images automatically. I laughed out loud the  
> first time I saw it in action... :)

Oh you mean on playback auto-rotating portrait shots on the screen? It can  
get a bit confused when you point it straight up though  
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65496354@N00/1113674091/ this was actually  
taken landscape with the plane flying towards the bottom left from my  
viewpoint. The camera switched it around and I kind of prefered it that  
way and so just left it.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

Post a reply to this message

Phil Cook wrote:
>> Do you mean how you have to go and select it again every time you 
>> switch to a Program mode? I've noticed that.
> 
> Yes to an extent, more along the lines of what's the point of it 
> remembering the last settings you used except the drive mode. I tend to 
> flick between the Children, and Foliage Scene modes and it keeps the 
> drive setting, I'd just like a programmable 'middle-ground' setting I 
> can swing the dial to and just keep my finger on the shutter, without 
> having to turn on the screen and set the drive-mode every time.
Ah yes, "hold it right there!" - everyone freezes - "er, hang on," - you 
tit around with the camera for 12 seconds - "right then!" - too late, 
everyone's got bored / fallen over.

> Oh you mean on playback auto-rotating portrait shots on the screen?
Yep. I guess they're mainly there to make sure the image orientation is 
correct when the picture is taken, but it's quite nice that it flips 
them round in playback too.

> can get a bit confused when you point it straight up though 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/65496354@N00/1113674091/ this was actually 
Nice pic. Ditto straight down...

Post a reply to this message

"Gail Shaw" <initialsurname@sentech sa dot com> wrote in message
news:46e2ad9c@news.povray.org...

> I'm contemplating picking up a digital camera while I'm there. I'll be
able
> to get far better for far less there than here, even with customs duty.
I've
> never owned a digital camera, still using my mother's old film one.
>

Looks like a Canon powershot it is. What's a good store to buy a camera that
I'm not going to be ripped off at?

Post a reply to this message