Need help on wheather i should buy a digital camera or wait

[kendogg]

A friend of mine just recently purchased an Olympus D460z. Aside from the features it provides the picture quality is pretty nice. Now i feel like buying a digital camera. I was looking into the Fuji Mx-2700

Product Specifications: MX-2700

• CCD: 2.3 Million Pixel, 0.58" CCD
  Resolution: 1,800 X 1,200
  File Format: JPEG (Exif)
  Storage Media: 3.3 Volt SmartMedia (4/8/16/32Mb)
  Number of Images: Mode 8Mb Card 16Mb Card 32Mb Card
  Fine 8 18 36
  Normal 17 35 71
  Basic 35 70 142
  Lens: 35mm Fujinon
  Digital Zoom: 2.5X
  Aperture: 2 steps, f3.2 / 8
  Exposure Control: Programmed AE
  White Balance: Automatic, Manual (5 modes)
  Flash: Built-in
  LCD Monitor: 2 inch LCD TFT color monitor
  Digital Interface: RS-232C serial
  Video Output: NTSC, PAL
  Power: Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery
  Dimensions: 3.1 x 3.8 x 1.3 inches (80 x 97.6 x 33 mm)
  Weight: 8.5 oz (240 g)

I was looking around and kinda forced myself into wanting this even tho i wasnt satisfied with some of the features, i really like its compact size and apperance. The 2 things that really bug me about this camera is the serial connection and the digital zoom.

Well i was wonderin if this would be a good purchase right now? or is there going to be a new generation of digital cameras comming out soon...? should i wait?

 

[RaDragon]

Hey KeNDoGG, I actually have the Fuji MX-1200 and it works great. I did spend an extra $40 bucks to get a SmartMedia card reader (USB). That "solved" my Serial port problem. The digital zoom was kewl too. What's great about this camera, is -- you can select from 3 "sharpness" resolutions (fine, normal, and something -- i forget!), and you can also choose whether you want to go with the '1024 x 768' or '800 x 600' photo res. It's a 1.3 MP camera, great for web apps, and an occasional print here and there. The image clarity is superb for a 1.3MP.

In any case, I got it at Amazon.com at a very rare price-- the camera was sold for at least 50 bucks less than retail. It has an LCD screen, and other neat features. And my fave feature was it takes SmartMedia cards (hence my purchase of a USB reader.)

Send me a PM if you've more questions. I know another member on these boards who got that camera the same time as I did.

Cheers,

RaDragon

(edit: grammar! )

 

[DAM]

im also interested in buying one, and so is LOB (he is away for a week or so)

well, regardless please post any information, im a poor college student and would like a nice deal and would like to know what the best pick for my hard earned money would be.





dam(if i dont buy a camera, then i would probably just buy beer)

 

[pmark]

When looking at zooms, don't pay attention to digital zoom. You can do the same thing with a program like photoshop(In other words photoshop does the same thing). Instead pay attention to optical zoom.

 

[kendogg]

thanks for the info guys...
Basically these are the features i am looking for:

price range 300-400$
2 Megapixels atleast
USB connection
Optical zoom
Lithium battery w/ charger
Utilizes Smartmedia cards (since i already have a 8 meg)
Aluminum alloy body (no plastic BS)
Resolution equal too or higher than 1024x768 (with nice pic quality)


but it seems not one camera provides all these features put into one!! maybe a few but probably ridiculously priced!!

Well i just wanna know if the Fuji mx-2700 is worth getting right now?? or should i wait for prices to drop when the next line of digital cameras come out?

 

[Zucchini]

"300-400" ok, that pretty much says you'll have to wait a couple years. right now a decent camera with all the features and quality i want is way out of that price range, and doesn't really exist. Need advances to increase memory and resolution a bit more...


my reqs:
3mil pixels
32+mb cheapo mem
zoom
300-400bux
all the features of a normal cam of same price range
firewire or usb
rechargable lithium ion batt.
small size/weight
nice looking

 

[kendogg]

need some more opinions

 

[Zucchini]

Ok, well if you have some money to blow for fun and can't do without the cam, go for it and just buy a better one later. Just know that the current product is still evolving rapidly so it will be obsolete very very fast.

 

[ultravox]

I know prices are cheaper in the US than here in Canada, and I don't know what this camera sells for in the states, but I would suggest the fuji 4700. it is 2.1m with interpolation to 4.3. You really dont need the higher resolutions unless you plan on printing 18x24. At 1280x960 the pic fills up the whole screen to the point of scrolling to see it all. I can't imagine wanting bigger than that. Reducing a pic in photoshop actually deteriorates the quality What I would be interested in is the accessories that come with it and its construction. Plastic is alright but metal will wear better and probably be more resistant. Some cameras have to have the batteries installed to charge them, thereby rendering them useless if you don't have extra batteries. If you have to go out anfd buy all kinds of other gadgets to accomodate the camera, you are defeating the purpose of buying an economic model (read cheap).You still wind up with a cheap camera albeit a well equiped one. Your better off spending another $200 on a high-zoot
model with all the bells and whistles included. USB is a must!
and a hotshoe for external flash is nice too.I like the fuji for a number of reasons one being the colour quality. It reminds me of a trinitron tube for colour saturation....not all that hard to like.

edit. The memory card included is also important..a 16 meg card is a minimum for any serious photo sessions. You'll find that the right choice is hard because it will have to be a compromise as I've yet to see a camera that has everything I wanted at a price I was willing to pay.

 

[Zucchini]

"At 1280x960 the pic fills up the whole screen to the point of scrolling to see it all. I can't imagine wanting bigger than that. "

hey hey, u never know when you'll need the high resolution I run my desktop at 1600x1200 and some laptops already have screens at that res.

 

[frail]

Hey, can't give you any advice about when you should buy, but...check out the canon s10 if haven't already. IMO, one of the top 2.x cameras there is.

 

[billandopus]

The IBM MicroDrive technology is coming out en masse for the next generation of Digital Cameras, among other things. You won't have to waste your time with 16 meg cards when you can have a 1 Gig plus MicroDrive at your disposal. All you need are a crapload of batteries.

I think that it's a good idea to wait.

 

[gtbuzz]

nonononononooo!!!! sorry if you have one of those cameras ultravox, but do not get any of the fuji cameras that have that superccd bullsh!t!!!!!

the pictures look terrible. they have a big problem with ccd noise. they pictures will look like they've been oversharpened, yet they still lack definition. if you see any of the pictures from these cameras taken at iso 200 or higher, there is just so much noise in the picture you want to retch!! interpolation is suck too.

that said, the 2700 that you are asking about doesn't use the superccd and actually produces pictures that aren't half bad.

i still wouldn't recommend it. given the fact that you're interested in that camera, i'm guessing you're not too interested in manual features. i would rather see you get a canon camera. they use excellent ccd/lens cominations in their cameras, and have 2x zoom lenses. the powershot s10 is the 2mp model and the powershot s20 is the 3mp model. if you're going to spend the money on a 3mp model, you might also want to look at the sony dsc-f70. it's a little pricer than the canon offering (about $100 or so last i checked), but the pictures are a little nicer (less color fringing, better colors).

now is actually a pretty decent time to buy a digicam. there's sort of a lull in the market right now. it's been a while since the 3mp digicams have been released, and it probably won't be until next feb/march or so until we see the next generation. sure prices around christmas will be a little lower, but you'll be buying something that's set to be replaced in about a month or two.

if you really want something you'll be happy with, take a look at the nikon d1

 

[kru]

i've got the same camera as RaDragon and i have to say i love it. i've got a 64 meg Smartmedia card in there that lets me take 200 pictures at max. resolution. (1280 x 960 or something like that). Got a USB reader myself so transferring the pics is a breeze. Image quality is fantastic. Never thought I'd give up having a regular film camera until I got my Fuji MX-1200. Now I'm no hardcore shutterbug, but it suits my purposes just fine for what I use my camera for.

Sadly enough, Amazon.com bumped up the price on that bad boy an additional $100 since RaD and I bought ours from them...