Hi,

This forum wasa great help- thank you!-in helping me decide on purchasing the A2, which will be the camera I carry around on days when I know I'm going to be taking shots.

But it's too big to carry in my handbag! So I'm hoping you will be able to help mechoose a smaller camera? Doesn't have to be ultra compact.

I take photos of architecture and wildlife, and would like something that's capable of doing indoor shots that aren't ghastly.

I'm looking for wide angle and OIS, and a nice zoom. 5 megapixels or thereabout will be fine.I'm based in the UK, and for the right camera I'm prepared to go up to £350.

There are quite a few out there ....I've handled the Canon S80 and liked that a lot, I really prefer a decent hard cover over the lens, not these naff little plastic spiralling 'leaves'. The Ricoh R4 with the 28 - 200 lens sounds nice - shame about the noise issues-, and then there's all those Panasonics with OIS as standard.....and the waterproof ones add an extra dimension of interest...!

Any sugestions or comments greatfully received

WM

Wibblemore wrote:
Now that's something which isn't available in pocket cams.

Also good wide angle is really rare, Pana has only one model which has it, LX1... That and Ricoh R3 are only ones with 28mm and image stabilization.

Then Kodak V570 has separate 23mm fixed focal length lens, but costs of dual CCD/lens designs seems to have forced them to cut somewhat in corners of other things, neither it has stabilization. (and range of zoom lens starts from very unwide 39mm)

And generally all compacts have 3 or 4x zoom, those few Ricohs are rare exceptions. (Pana has few others but those have standard unwide angle)


For camera without stabilization discontinued Canon S60 would be good candidate, it uses CF cards so you wouldn't have to have two card types.



You'll also want to check prices from here. (350£~ 500€)
http://www.geizhals.at/eu/?cat=dcam

Hi,

Yes, not keen on these flimsy covers they're putting on all the compact cameras these days. That's one of the things I liked about the Canon S series - that solid, sliding front. Shame no IS, but I like the optical viewfinder - I tried a load of cameras out in Jessops and kept wacking them up to my eye automatically, even the ones without a viewfinder!:?

I like the idea of that Kodak, but I don't think it's going to take off somehow...the in camera panoramic stitch facility is tempting tho'...

It looks like it's going to be a choice between the Ricoh R3 / R4, the Panasonic LZ1 / FX01, or the Canon S series. Is the S70 any better than the S60? Do they take the same card? Shame the S80 went to SD...

Does anybody else own any of the above?Any comments?

(Just missed a second chance offer on an Oly A200 lens for the A2 on Ebay - d*mn!)

S70 seems to be use CF... wonder why Dpreview's camera search didn't list it.
Biggest difference between them is 5 vs 7 megapixels, otherwise those are very similar.

Actually optical viewfinder is really good thing if camera doesn't have IS, using it gives much more stable photographing position than using LCD...

Pana LZ1's lack is standard unwide angle.

Kodak apparently has worst battery life.


Here's nice feature comparison:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/comp..._v570&show=all