Does my perfect ultra-compact camera exist?

[mnetley]

So before I commit to one of the cameras in my shortlist, have I missed a camera that fulfills all my requirements?

Requirements:
Ultra-compact
At least 4MP
At least 3x optical zoom
At least 2" LCD
At least 200k pixels LCD
USB 2.0
Optical image stabiliser
640 x 480 30fps MPEG-4
SD memory

Shortlist (and why it's not the perfect camera for me):
Kodak V530 - doesn't have optical image stabiliser
Kodak V550 - doesn't have optical image stabiliser
Panasonic DMC-FX9 - doesn't have MPEG-4 video
Casio Exilim EX-S500 - low resolution LCD, doesn't have optical image stabiliser
Panasonic DMC-FX8 - low resolution LCD, doesn't have MPEG-4 video

[big_potato]

Ask Panasonic to take over Kodak, and to develop VFX-8550

[shutterbuggy]

You may ask Fuji for providing a decent CCD.

Let's see what the S5200's tiny 1/2.5"-Super-CCD will deliver. :|

[big_potato]

Vendors won't provide you a dream DC, because every dream is diff, unless When You Wish Upon a Star, then it'll make no diff who you are

And that they have a full line of DC, they simply won't bet all their best features on a single model.

The "ultra-compact" requirement is too strict. Even full-size Prosumer or DSLR cannot meet your further requirements. Of which the most difficult I see is mpeg-4 movie. Higher-end DC usually simply neglect movies.

.

[mnetley]

big_potato wrote:

Vendors won't provide you a dream DC, because every dream is diff, unless When You Wish Upon a Star, then it'll make no diff who you are

And that they have a full line of DC, they simply won't bet all their best features on a single model.

The "ultra-compact" requirement is too strict. Even full-size Prosumer or DSLR cannot meet your further requirements. Of which the most difficult I see is mpeg-4 movie. Higher-end DC usually simply neglect movies.

.

:lol:

I'm sure for some people their dream DC exists. Of course the fussier you are, the less likely you are to find what you want. I was hoping despite all my research I'd missed that perfect little camera. I'm so close with the Panny FX9, if only it was MPEG-4.

[c0mrade]

MPEG-4 is nice certainly for size, but hell... they just released a 4G SD card at 133x. In a year or two storage space is not going to be an issue. Hell, who knows maybe they'll start implementing microdrives into ultracompacts

[PicGuy]

c0mrade wrote:

MPEG-4 is nice certainly for size, but heck... they just released a 4G SD card at 133x. In a year or two storage space is not going to be an issue. Hell, who knows maybe they'll start implementing microdrives into ultracompacts

Card capacity may go up but then camera makers will introduce 1024x768 video resolution.

[big_potato]

XGA 1024x768 movie will create a whole new range of business and render all you existing low-res, low power computing/imaging devices useless. But in fact I think the industry is moving laterally - to something wider at 16:9 so-called HDV 1280x768 ratio .

Microdrives are out, just no match for solid-state, shock-immuned flash memories in a portable environment.

I am just wondering to seriously answer the topic, would there be some semi built-to-order DC, like Dell laptops for which the customers can choose the config to some extent? Maybe we should ask Michael Dell. Because seems currently no DC would fit mnetley's requirements at this minute.

[Carskick]

shutterbuggy wrote:

You may ask Fuji for providing a decent CCD.

Let's see what the S5200's tiny 1/2.5"-Super-CCD will deliver. :|

Ain't it the truth with Fuji Superzooms. They should take the F10's 5th gen 6MP 1/1.7" SuperCCD (including ISO1600) and put it in an S5xxx series body, and give it a 10x lens with no vingetting, and a 2" high res LCD. IMO, that would be a great camera.

big_potato wrote:

XGA 1024x768 movie will create a whole new range of business and render all you existing low-res, low power computing/imaging devices useless. But in fact I think the industry is moving laterally - to something wider at 16:9 so-called HDV 1280x768 ratio . Microdrives are out, just no match for solid-state, shock-immuned flash memories in a portable environment. I am just wondering to seriously answer the topic, would there be some semi built-to-order DC, like Dell laptops for which the customers can choose the config to some extent? Maybe we should ask Michael Dell. Because seems currently no DC would fit mnetley's requirements at this minute.

They should keep the resoultion where it is and just improve the compression quality. That's basically what MPEG4 is I guess. 640x480 is good for now, since that's the best most TVs can display anyways. Stereo sound would be nice as well. Just put one mic on one side, and another on the other.

[rinniethehun]

Carskick,

You asked for it, you've got it...check out the newest Fuji S5200...the same 5th generation RPT sensor as the F10 (although toned down to ony 5.1 MP), ISO 64 through 1600, 10X zoom (I don't know about the vignetting, it hasn't been released yet), and a 1.8" LCD (well, almost 2").

Take a look...

http://www.steves-digicams.com/pr/fu..._s5200_pr.html

the Hun