DHi vs. CP5700 WYSIWYG and other issues

[Destro]

Hello all.

I have been reading these forums and I know this topic has been beat to death but I still have a few questions I would appreciate "unbiased" (if possible) answers too:

I am a designer and want to get a versitle camera that will allow me to impliment quality photos in my designs. I am in no way a "pro" photographer although I do have a good understanding of photography and know my way around a camera. ( I have been shooting with an FM2 for 7 years.)

I want to use this camera to do the following:

- Shoot close up product shots with a macro setting
- Take panoramic landsacpe shots
- Take action shots of sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding, bullriding etc.
-Take action shots of people in everyday life
-Portrait shots
-I want to be able to build a stock photography website to sell photos
-Shoot textures for "mapping" in 3D programs
-Take photos of buildings and cityscapes

Detail and colour accuracy are very important to me. As well as speed. I want to be able to take a shot as it is presented without a delay.

Here are a few questions of concern:

1. Does either of the two cameras LCD's display the image as WYSIWYG? And if so does it apply when settings or filters are used?

2. Which camera has a better MACRO function?

3. Which camera performs better taking action shots?

4. Is there a noticable difference in the time it takes to manually focus with the DHi's focus ring than with the manual focus buttons of the CP5700?

5. Since I will be taking a variety of photos in a variety of settings and conditions which camera in the end will give me the best image quality?

I cannot decide between the two. I have tried both briefly in the store and am impressed by both. The ONE thing really holding me back from going with the 5700 is the ability to get the 28mm wide angle shot, but i figure i can just get the wide angle adapter or splice panoramics to achieve this effect. And the WYSIWYG features with the DHi. Any opinions?

Any advice or help is greatly appreciated.

If you think there are any issues I should be considering that I have not mentioned above please let me know.

Thanks for you time.

Destro

[Klaus DK]

Hi.
Here is my opinion (I'm a fairly satisfied CP5700 owner)

1. Yes both but d7hi has bigger LCD.
2. CP5700 (no doubt about that)
3. D7hi (no doubt about that)
4. D7hi is much faster than the CP5700. It's a mess working manual focus on the CP5700.
5. CP5700 (no doubt about that)

I would go for none of these camera for your use. I's go for Nikon D100 or the similar Canon D60 but that could be a matter of economy.

Good luck on your quest!

[NHL]

Klaus

5. CP5700 (no doubt about that)

Is this more a function of the photographer than the camera?
They both have their own characteristic post-processing the pictures just like two different film brands... You may like the color of the Nikon when other might think it has a slight tendency toward the red tone?

I's go for Nikon D100 or the similar Canon D60

Sounds like you're ready for a dSLR, any particular one in mind? The 14n samples look incredibly good and might even surpass a scanned medium format!

[Klaus DK]

Hi NHL.

Actually I thought of you, when I wrote that no. 5 opinion!

About no.5 and pic quality: First of all - Nikon has NO red toning, it may be a little bit hard on highlights and contrast for someone, but the quality is no doubt the best of those two digicams. remember the noise, which is a fact for the D7 series. A thing that Minolta didnt make better. A pitty I think. It's also a fact that e.x NeatImage is too well known among you D7 folks. I saw that someone made about fifity (yes 50) presets for NeatImage to remove the noise on the D7s. I've also read a lot in this forum about peoples problems with noise. It doesn't seem to be the same huge problem for Nikon owners ( okay maybe at 800iso, but thats another discussion). For me - and maybe you too NHL - the quality also is a question about how sharp and smooth your shots are.
IMO there's is no doubt that Nikon has the best quality, but pic quality will always be subjective!


Oh yes, would I like a dSLR, but it all comes down to money for my part. I personally have a little problem buying such an expensive camera (about 3100 dollars in DK)and maybe just one or two years later sell it with a loss of about 500 - 1000 dollars because they doubbled the megapixels and made new wonderfull lenses. Just look at Nikons newly announced lenses with built-in chipsets.So unless I win the lottery, I'll wait for them to come down in price. The will sooner or later!

[NHL]

Hi Klaus

Haven't we visited this issue before? Actually it got continued on dpReview:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...essage=3762383

I think the Crayon proves it even more. There is more fine detail in the Minolta shot than the other two.

... BTW one poster ended up buying the D7hi and the other the s602!

Have you used Neat Image? I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless they want a lesson in self-inflicting pain. In fact you have a much better result using the suggested in camera NR adjustment! :lol: :lol: :lol: I rather stay away from Neat image, plus the Photoshop Lab does a much better job than any in camera noise reduction can.

But you're right pic quality will always be subjective, and reading posting doesn't really help since inexperience users will always ended up with the most postings. The numerous adjustments of the D7hi doesn't really help matter either, when people are having problem with printing one color this camera has the option to put out three different colour spaces, along with embedded .icc profile!

However; the D7Hi is probably the closest to a dSLR that money can buy at this time but ease of use is probably not its forte... May be you're right the 5700 is a better choice for some...

[Klaus DK]

when people are having problem with printing one color this camera has the option to put out three different colour spaces, along with embedded .icc profile!

Most certainly none of these colorspacing will produce the colors you just thought of.. :P

Noise or no noise...somebody must have a reason for starting such a discussion ?! (maybe it's some of the guys at Nikon, Olympus, ...etc to prevent people like me from buying D7s)

NHL! I think we all seems to forget the importance of the lens quality regarding to the noiseissue. We seems to be focusing on the chip and the algorithm which works out the - not final - but delivered photo. I think the glass is just as important for the final shot, wouldn't you agree ?

If Minolta comes up with a new D7 (prob. in a few month he he) I just hope they will make this noise discussion end by handling the problem with excellent picquality. I'll buy it if they do and put in a few more megapixels, autozoom too, flip LCD, mechanical manual focus, better viewfinder, longer zoom still with 28mm or better, 3:2 size which I like very much and then reduce the size a little bit.

What about you - are you considering a dSLR ?

Klaus

[NHL]

NHL! I think we all seems to forget the importance of the lens quality regarding to the noiseissue. We seems to be focusing on the chip and the algorithm which works out the - not final - but delivered photo. I think the glass is just as important for the final shot, wouldn't you agree ?

I agree especially with the D7's 28mm which is a GT lens part of Minolta high-end and APO series which is pretty much CA free.

Like you we need(or is it want) a higher pixels and better response, and we all know what the limitation of the EVF based cameras are, but can't just yet justified the high depreciation rate! (Although I don't mind spending if they stop coming up with a new better camera every 6 months...). The 14n is shaping up to be a keeper. It's just too bad I(we?) don't take pictures for a living otherwise there wouldn't be any second thought!

You're right... maybe a D8 or CP6000 will meet our need(want)! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[sjms]

gentlemen

are you all back to wasting bandwidth on this subject again?

it goes nowhere and in no way constructive.

[NHL]

sjms

Not really, I'm on a broadband so I have plenty of bandwidth... just a friendly discussion on cameras... Who know the squeaky wheel will get fixed first :lol: :lol: :lol: Both the D7hi and CP5700 is almost a year old an eternity in Moore's law!

What about you, still waiting for the Kodak?

[sjms]

yeah! Right! those "friendly" discussions. Ha!

yep still waiting on the big yellow mother to release the product. that and 2 spare batteries in a kit. also a Nikon SB-80 to round it out.

tooling together the new base station to back it up. i'm also wait for gigabyte to release the new MoBo that i ordered.

i'm patient though. 1 or 2 of my little field trips from work and everything is paid for without hitting the bank account

i'm happy with the 7Hi. we'll see what transpires after the camera show.