Digital Cameras - Did I make the right choice?

[Argee]

Okay all you digital camera gurus and techno geeks, I'd like your input. After a month of major internet research and countless miles on the pickup to various camera outlets I just ordered a new Sony DSC S-75 camera. I feel I made the right choice for me but would like some of your opinions (pro or con). The majority of my use will be landscape and close-up.

 

[BobT]

Argee,

It's going to be hard disliking that Sony. An excellent choice, specially if you paid $420 or so (full retail is $699.00), the low price on shopper.com.

Here's the skinney on that camera from CNet:

"Sony Cyber Shot DSC-S75

CNET Rating: 8 out of 10

The good: Full range of photographic features; well-designed interface; solidly built camera; sharp, saturated, virtually noise-free images; excellent price.

The bad: Camera ships with an inadequate 8MB Memory Stick; four-way rocker button can be maddening; autoexposure isn't great in low light; automatic white balance isn't the best.

The bottom line: Sony's value-priced follow-up to the DSC-S70 is an impressive device that merits serious consideration from anyone shopping for a 3-megapixel camera."

En-joy it, and let's see some of your handiwork soon!

 

[rf33]

I like the Sony cameras, but did not buy one myself for the same reasons CNET mentioned. Namely the proprietary memory card format. I prefer to have the memory cards be a standard such as CompactFlash or SmartMedia. Sony's memory stick technology reminds me alot of BetaMax... All in all, I am sure that it is a great camera, and I am sure that you will be happy with it.

 

[budman72]

I have the cyber-shot P5 and really like it. When I bought it Sony had a rebate on the 64 MB stick, so it didn't cost too much extra.

Bud

 

[Argee]

My daughter ordered through one of her suppliers where she works. She's getting one also. It includes a 64 MB memory stick with it. I think the price comes in at about $500.00 delivered. I thought that was a pretty good deal. I looked around out on the net, there were better deals to be had, but there was also a "buyer beware" flag on some of the mail order houses. I checked in at (epinions.com)where they rate the stores also. Made me wary of buying it mail order.

 

[patrickg]

Ron, So what's to not like about BetaMax. I was thinking of trading in my Lear 4 track automotive tape player on an 8 track. Am I taking too much technical risk? Do you suppose the 8 track will really replace the 4 track and be around a while?

But really, I like that camera EXCEPT for the memory thingie. For a while at least, buyers/users of compact flash can share media and or upgrade/change cameras and use the same mem cards until there is yet another revolultion in memory formats but that won't happen for a good long time, possible several weeks.

Patrick

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I've been shooting a Sony FD-91 for a couple years now, and have found a couple things I am not in love with.
1, no way to use a high power flash with it, either hot shoe or plug in.
2, definitely need a second battery, or ac adaptor.
3, the zoom left a bit to be desired when reaching way out, easily solved with a $35 range doubler lens.
4, with the range doubler, manual focus is necessary

Other than that, I love the camera!!

 

[rmorgan]

Argee,

I've had a DSC-S70 for about 2 years and it's been fine; the pictures are excellent (Zeiss lense, after all), the zoom is good, the exposure control is great. Biggest gripe is that there is a long delay between pushing the shutter and grabbing the image. Memory sticks are coming down in price--think about the cost of film, developing, and reprints and it makes sense to have an extra couple of them. Oh, yeah--about a month ago, the camera sat out all night in a driving rain. We dried it out for a day, put it in a 150-deg. oven for about an hour, and have taken a couple hundred shots since then--no damage at all.

 

[rf33]

Patrick,

It is not just a problem of a single technology, it is more a problem of only a single vendor for a technology, and how that effects the pricing of the items. If I can only get a memory stick made by Sony because they are a patented technology, it seems that Sony can charge whatever they want for these things, and short of buying a different camera, I have little to say about it. Sorry, I'll get off the soap box now. BTW here is a list of some compact flash prices to show where the "Market" price for flash memory (of whatever form factor) is right now. These are taken from www.digitalfilm.com.

CF High Speed Series 12x
64 MB $57.99
128 MB $99.99
192 MB $132.99
256 MB $179.99

BTW these 12x cards should dramatically improve the time taken to write the image to the card, and thus improve the shot to shot wait time. Here are some really high end cards which are even faster (16 and 24x)

16x Speed 1 GB CompactFlash (Type II)
1000 MB $999.00
24X Speed CompactFlash
512 MB $699.99
256 MB $249.99

 

[ByuBill]

I have a Sony mvc-cd1000. I've used it for 1 1/2 years now. /w3tcompact/icons/love.gif Taken thousands of photos. It goes where I go. It doesn't use a memory stick, but a 3" CD. At 640x480 res. it holds approx 1080 photos. Ofcourse you can shoot at up to 1600x1200. It takes 60sec clips and has sound. Paid 999.95 Dec of 2000. See for yourself here. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_techspecs.php?masterid=326758&ut=98a3cd4f3f8e3619&tab_id=1&description_link=1#description/>MVC-CD1000</A>