Steve'sDigicams

joemroden · Feb 2, 2004, 4:42 PM

I have only three requirements for a new camera:
1. uses Compact Flash (i'm already vested)
2. creates MPEG video files and JPEG images
3. at least 2 Megapixel

All I found were the Sonys that make MPEGs, and Sony has their own memory stick (so no CF)
I don't know what Q2VGA, motion JPEG, etc., etc., means.
Anyone have any camera recommendations?

bradg · Feb 2, 2004, 4:53 PM

what do you want it for?

wpla · Feb 3, 2004, 1:46 PM

I used ot own a Nikon Coolpix 5400. It satisfied every requirement in your list.

1. Compact Flash
2a. MPEG video with sound
2b. JPEGS + TIFF
2. 5 Megapixels

As a unsolicited point of information, it also took phenominal pictures!

Quote:

Originally Posted by joemroden

I have only three requirements for a new camera:
1. uses Compact Flash (i'm already vested)
2. creates MPEG video files and JPEG images
3. at least 2 Megapixel

All I found were the Sonys that make MPEGs, and Sony has their own memory stick (so no CF)
I don't know what Q2VGA, motion JPEG, etc., etc., means.
Anyone have any camera recommendations?

joemroden · Feb 3, 2004, 2:54 PM

Thanks WPLA, I had looked at the Nikon site and their smaller cameras used SD memory. I'll have to go with a larger one. Guess QuickTime Motion JPEG means .MPG files. I would asume Quicktime meant .MOV files. I want MPEGs to burn to CD to view with DVD players. Don't have much luck with converting .AVI to .MPG and haven't tried converting .MOV to .MPG

Just looking for a general use camera for family and vacation pictures. Hiking, snow skiing, holidays that kind of thing. Burning JPEGs and MPEGs to CD for DVD player slide shows/viewing is what I'm looking for. Have a 512M and 128M Compact Flash and card reader already. I'm just having trouble finding a camera with the combination of CF and MPEG.

slipe · Feb 3, 2004, 3:27 PM

The movies from the 5400 are 640 X 480 instead of the standard 320 X 280. The smaller movies are near useless. The 15 frames/sec on the 5400 are a little jerky but resolution and size are nice.

Fuji has a couple of cameras that take 640 X 480 movies at 30 frames/sec but I don’t think they are MPEG. I would imagine they can be converted but I have no experience with that. Takes a lot of memory. The S7000 uses CF.

I don’t like the extreme JPG compression on the Fuji S7000 though. You have to extract enormous 12Mp interpolated files to get raw. The Nikon specs don’t specifically mention MPEG but I’m sure wpla would know.

I don’t find TIFF to be a practical mode in a digital camera. 14.4Mb for a single image is going to fill the card quickly and challenge the buffer – and the 5400 has a poor buffer and slow processing. 25 seconds wait between pictures and 32 on a 512Mb card would be a real hindrance. Even the 7 seconds between shots with fine JPG is excessive IMO. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikoncp5400/

You might want to consider eating the CF cards and looking at the Sony V1.

Feb 2, 2004, 4:42 PM	#1
joemroden Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2	tired of searching... I have only three requirements for a new camera: 1. uses Compact Flash (i'm already vested) 2. creates MPEG video files and JPEG images 3. at least 2 Megapixel All I found were the Sonys that make MPEGs, and Sony has their own memory stick (so no CF) I don't know what Q2VGA, motion JPEG, etc., etc., means. Anyone have any camera recommendations?

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Feb 2, 2004, 4:53 PM	#2
bradg Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 819	what do you want it for?

Feb 3, 2004, 2:54 PM	#4
joemroden Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2	Thanks WPLA, I had looked at the Nikon site and their smaller cameras used SD memory. I'll have to go with a larger one. Guess QuickTime Motion JPEG means .MPG files. I would asume Quicktime meant .MOV files. I want MPEGs to burn to CD to view with DVD players. Don't have much luck with converting .AVI to .MPG and haven't tried converting .MOV to .MPG Just looking for a general use camera for family and vacation pictures. Hiking, snow skiing, holidays that kind of thing. Burning JPEGs and MPEGs to CD for DVD player slide shows/viewing is what I'm looking for. Have a 512M and 128M Compact Flash and card reader already. I'm just having trouble finding a camera with the combination of CF and MPEG.

Feb 3, 2004, 3:27 PM	#5
slipe Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Indian Rocks Beach, FL Posts: 4,036	The movies from the 5400 are 640 X 480 instead of the standard 320 X 280. The smaller movies are near useless. The 15 frames/sec on the 5400 are a little jerky but resolution and size are nice. Fuji has a couple of cameras that take 640 X 480 movies at 30 frames/sec but I don’t think they are MPEG. I would imagine they can be converted but I have no experience with that. Takes a lot of memory. The S7000 uses CF. I don’t like the extreme JPG compression on the Fuji S7000 though. You have to extract enormous 12Mp interpolated files to get raw. The Nikon specs don’t specifically mention MPEG but I’m sure wpla would know. I don’t find TIFF to be a practical mode in a digital camera. 14.4Mb for a single image is going to fill the card quickly and challenge the buffer – and the 5400 has a poor buffer and slow processing. 25 seconds wait between pictures and 32 on a 512Mb card would be a real hindrance. Even the 7 seconds between shots with fine JPG is excessive IMO. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikoncp5400/ You might want to consider eating the CF cards and looking at the Sony V1.