Olympus, HP the big winners in digicam shootout

[Don Vito Corleone]

I found this interesting, and edifying, since I just ordered an Olympus C-5060WZ (I wanted a ~$500 prosumer camera, and felt that too many compromises were required with the G5, 5400, and DSC-V-1). This appear to have been a genuinely neutral, independent test:

From DP Review:

PMA 2004: DIMA, the Digital Imaging Marketing Association have announced the winners of the 2004 Digital Camera Shoot-Out . . . A panel of expert judges voted on the entries, based on the overall quality of the digital print and the accuracy of color as compared to samples of fabric worn by studio models. The panel of judges included some of the most well-respected names in the industry including Brian Lawler, Eddie Tapp and Daniel Grotta.


Below are the winners of the 8th Annual DIMA Digital Camera Shoot-Out:

Point-and-Shoot categories and winners

Below $100
Mustek MDC4000, Mustek Inc., Irvine, Calif. (Entry #40)

$100 to $199
HP Photosmart 735, Hewlett-Packard Company, San Diego, CA (Entry #3)

$200 to $299
Konica Minolta DiMage X20, Mahwah, NJ 07430 (Entry #24)

$300 to $399
Casio QV-R51, Casio Inc., Dover, NJ (Entry #16)

$400 to $499
HP Photosmart 945, Hewlett-Packard Company, San Diego, CA (Entry #5)

$599 to $799
Olympus C-5060, Olympus America, Inc., Melville, N.Y. (Entry #54)

Digital Video Camcorder
Sony DCR-PC330, Sony Electronics, San Diego, CA (Entry #50)

Prosumer/Professional categories and winners

$999 to $1299
Olympus C-8080, Olympus America, Inc., Melville, N.Y. (Entry #51)

$1300 to $1799
Leica Digilux 2, Leica Camera AG, Solms, Germany (Entry #1)

 

[Cuda1447]

How are those results determined?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Cuda1447
How are those results determined?

From the article:

Nine digital cameras were named winners in the 2004 DIMA Digital Camera Shoot-Out today at the PMA 2004 Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nev., USA.

Over 50 digital camera entries and 13 manufacturers participated in the 8th Annual DIMA Digital Camera Shoot-Out, which took place on Friday, Feb. 13, at the DIMA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. Participating camera manufacturers captured images in four live-model studios.

Images from the point-and-shoot cameras were printed on three different digital minilab systems including the Agfa D-Lab 2 Plus supplied by Agfa Corp., the Fuji Frontier 370 supplied by Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc., and the Noritsu 3101 supplied by Noritsu America.

Images from the Prosumer/Professional category were output through a G4 Power Mac running Adobe PhotoShop CS and printed on an Epson Photo Stylus 9600 inkjet printer, supplied by Epson America Inc. Color management support for the DIMA Digital Camera Shoot-Out was provided by GretagMacbeth, using Sony Artisan displays donated by Sony Electronics.

Professional photo equipment used at the DIMA Digital Camera Shoot-Out was supplied by Adobe Systems, Agfa Corp., Epson America Inc., Fuji Photo Film USA, Inc., GretagMacbeth, GTI Graphic Technology, Quality Mounting & Laminating, and Sony Artisan. Professional photographer Lee Varis lit the sets and ran the professional/prosumer studio. Other pro shooters including Randy Hufford, David Spellman, and Mark Williford shot all photos used in the three point-and-shoot studios.

A panel of expert judges voted on the entries, based on the overall quality of the digital print and the accuracy of color as compared to samples of fabric worn by studio models. The panel of judges included some of the most well-respected names in the industry including Brian Lawler, Eddie Tapp and Daniel Grotta.

 

[NutBucket]

You couldn't pay me to trade my S200 for a HP POS. I've yet to hear one person praise them.....until now.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
You couldn't pay me to trade my S200 for a HP POS. I've yet to hear one person praise them.....until now.

Yeah, I am a basically-satisfied digital Elph owner too (I have an S300), and would not think of owning an HP. That said, this was a blind test of nothing but image quality, and does not factor in features or ease of use or anything else, but still I find it interesting. I was a loyal Canon guy, but to me the G5 just has too many critical design flaws, and I find the C-5060 much more pleasing in the hand.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: Don_Vito

Originally posted by: NutBucket
You couldn't pay me to trade my S200 for a HP POS. I've yet to hear one person praise them.....until now.

Yeah, I am a basically-satisfied digital Elph owner too (I have an S300), and would not think of owning an HP. That said, this was a blind test of nothing but image quality, and does not factor in features or ease of use or anything else, but still I find it interesting. I was a loyal Canon guy, but to me the G5 just has too many critical design flaws, and I find the C-5060 much more pleasing in the hand.

I know the Sony F717 is being phased out now and a good deal on that camera may be too hard to pass up.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: NutBucket

I know the Sony F717 is being phased out now and a good deal on that camera may be too hard to pass up.

That is a killer camera, but I can't support the Memory Stick. The cam itself is still selling for close to $100 more than the 5060, and a 512MB Memory Stick is an expensive proposition. The 717 also lacks much in the way of manual settings, and is pretty cumbersome in size and shape (though the 5060 is no Elph either, in all fairness). The 717 does seem to rule the roost in 5 MP image quality, though.

 

[NutBucket]

Ritz has it right now for $599 I believe. That's a good deal.

 

[Bekker]

I got my kids a 735 HP for Christmas and it is great, so the POS statement sure does not apply to all. Wonder if you've actually ever used one. If not, maybe you should before labeling all a POS.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: Bekker
I got my kids a 735 HP for Christmas and it is great, so the POS statement sure does not apply to all. Wonder if you've actually ever used one. If not, maybe you should before labeling all a POS.

I have. One friend has one and the pictures don't justify the $250 price (more then my S200). Another friend of mine had theirs die in less then a year and when it did work the results were less then stellar. Finally, another friend of mine sells them. He doesn't have one good thing to say about them. First comment about them is terrible battery life.

 

[Bekker]

Maybe I would feel that way too, but mine cost only $95 and the battery life is great compared to some others I have had. No, it is not worth $250. Got mine with the printer deal. Two of us split the package, with one taking the printer and me the camera. Wally World here has the printer and the camera for $170 right now.

 

[NutBucket]

Well, for $95 it's a lot better then the POS one I picked up for that price I think my phone takes better pictures then that other camera I have