Newbie asks for help : )

[inuakamori]

Hi everyone,


I'm looking to upgrade my camera from an older digital olympus camera with a 4x optical zoom to an extended zoom camera... I've done quite a bit of research, namely at dpreview[dot]com... but I'm still so confused with all the information out there!
I was wondering if someone would be so kind as to give me a hand to choose a camera.
I'm looking to spend about $400 before tax... can be higher can be lower but about that price would be great
I want one with at least 15 optical zoom but I'm willing to look at others
Lithium battery would be perfered
Automatic and Manual Zoom/Focus would be cool, but not necsasary
another feature that would be cool would be SOME form of burst mode...

I'm using this camera for traveling, (4 month hike) I realize an extended zoom is bigger than a regular point and shoot... but it (or so i've been told) has better photo quality and I don't have the space to carry an extra bag for filters and lenses.


PLEASE HELP!! Any Help would be MOST appreciated!!!

Cheers,

I

[ret]

Oly has a nice line up of superzooms (http://www.olympuscanada.com/cpg_section/cpg_digital_cseries.asp) but you will have to chk them to see whether they have lithum battery

Fuji's superzooms have probably lithum battery but am not sure about the 15x optical zoom that you are looking for

hope that helps

[tegan]

The issue with superzooms is noise, how much, and at what ISOs. At the moment the latest Panasonics have the best reputation but compare the tested noise numbers of any makes that you are interested in.

Some makes trade resolution for noise which can make comparisons difficult. Others may use too much in camera noise reduction which degrades resolution.

Tegan

[mindforge]

I had a Canon S5 and it took great pictures.... until I tried to print them. The noise with this bridge/superzoom camera was horrible. I did research and found that none of them operate well... or even close to the dSLR. You could look into spending a little more, not a lot though and getting one of the entry dSLR's.

If you are shooting for only digital the S5 is incredible. If you want to print them get a dSLR.

[inuakamori]

Hiya, Do entry level dslrs have extended zoom erm... features? I really would like the extended zoom but I'm going on a 4-5 month hike in east asia and i'm living out of a 45 liter travel bag and don't really have the room for any extra lenses...... which is the main reason for looking into the extended zoom ...
I was curious about this camera:
http://www.olympuscanada.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1367
it is a Olympus SP-570 UZ
I was also looking into the Sony H50... but people told me to stay away from sony...
and i've heard mixed reactions over lumix.....
As for cannon, everyone has said something good about cannon but they don't seem to have many of the features i'd LIKE (not nessacary) to have in mine :P

I appreciate your help very much
: )
and any futher help would also be appreciated
Cheers ^_^



I had a Canon S5 and it took great pictures.... until I tried to print them. The noise with this bridge/superzoom camera was horrible. I did research and found that none of them operate well... or even close to the dSLR. You could look into spending a little more, not a lot though and getting one of the entry dSLR's.

If you are shooting for only digital the S5 is incredible. If you want to print them get a dSLR.

[tirediron]

Hiya, Do entry level dslrs have extended zoom erm... features? I really would like the extended zoom but I'm going on a 4-5 month hike in east asia and i'm living out of a 45 liter travel bag and don't really have the room for any extra lenses...... which is the main reason for looking into the extended zoom ...
I was curious about this camera:
http://www.olympuscanada.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1367
it is a Olympus SP-570 UZ
I was also looking into the Sony H50... but people told me to stay away from sony...
and i've heard mixed reactions over lumix.....
As for cannon, everyone has said something good about cannon but they don't seem to have many of the features i'd LIKE (not nessacary) to have in mine :P

I appreciate your help very much
: )
and any futher help would also be appreciated
Cheers ^_^

A nikon D40x and 18-200mm zoom would be a fairly compact package and give you a lot of flexibility as well as better image quality than most 'super zooms'.

[Travis]

check out the panasonic lumix fz18

[ret]

I really would like the extended zoom but I'm going on a 4-5 month hike in east asia and i'm living out of a 45 liter travel bag and don't really have the room for any extra lenses...... which is the main reason for looking into the extended zoom ...
I was curious about this camera:
http://www.olympuscanada.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1367
it is a Olympus SP-570 UZ

I appreciate your help very much
: )
and any futher help would also be appreciated
Cheers ^_^

The Olympus looks pretty good and I would probably pick that if I were in the market for a superzoom. And I m saying that from my experience of using the Olympus E520 SLR

I would recommend the SP-565 UZ (http://www.olympuscanada.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1393) as it looks like a newer model and has a better battery life of 410 shots vs 570UZ's 390



Battery Life (CIPA DC-002) 410 shots (4 AA)
590 shots (Ni-MH 2500mAh)

and since it takes AA / Ni-MH batteries, carry spares and you wont have to bother too much abt charging the batteries when on a hike ;)

[inuakamori]

Thank you very much : )



The Olympus looks pretty good and I would probably pick that if I were in the market for a superzoom. And I m saying that from my experience of using the Olympus E520 SLR

I would recommend the SP-565 UZ (http://www.olympuscanada.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1393) as it looks like a newer model and has a better battery life of 410 shots vs 570UZ's 390



and since it takes AA / Ni-MH batteries, carry spares and you wont have to bother too much abt charging the batteries when on a hike ;)

[Gatepc]

I would recomend a DSLR sony sells the A200 camera with a 18-70mm kit lens for only $500 and will produce much better quility then a point and shot camera will its worth the $100 as far as i know also it has best in class batterie life ( 750 shots on one batt)