Topic change: Purchased Kodak Z812 IS Look at photos

[EQTitan]

Update bought Kodak Z812 IS for $209.99 at Sam's Club here are the results...

Pic1

 

[xanis]

You may want to check out some models in the Panasonic Lumix family. I personally own one (DMC-FX3, an older model) and it's a fantastic camera.

 

[996GT2]

Panasionic Lumix FZ8

Optical IS, 12x (36 to 432mm) zoom, great Leica lens, usable images up to ISO 400. Also has full manual exposure mode, RAW shooting, plus 2.5 FPS full resolution burst mode should you ever want those more advanced features.

There is also the FZ18, which is almost identical except for having 1 more megapixel (8) and a wider 18x 28mm to 506mm zoom range.

Before I got my DSLR I used my Lumix extensively for all kinds of shooting. It's a great camera.

I can email you some sample pics if you want

 

[EQTitan]

Thanks for the input, anyone else?

 

[alexruiz]

I have the Kodak Z712 IS as supplement camera to the Pentax K100D DSLR. The Z712 is a very good camera.

I wrote this in another thread:


" The Z1012IS takes 10 MP stills, takes HD video, image stabilized 12x optical zoom, and what is arguably the best lens in a P&S, the 36-432 eq Schneider-Kreusnach. As a disclaimer, I don't own the Z1012 Is, but I own it's older sibling the Z712 IS. If the Z1012 has the same shortcomings, there is not custom white balance, buffer flush speed is slow, noise reduction is very aggressive at ISO400 and higher, macro mode is mediocre and file size is small (high JPEG compression)

Again, if the Z1012 retains the Z712 strengths, on the upside the lens is superb, zooming is very fast, AF is very fast, color reproduction is very rich and shines specially in the outdoors, image quality is great at ISO200 or lower, has AF assist lamp, performance is fast with very little shutter lag, recycling times are fast, buffer is big enough to let you keep shooting even if the card is writing, has full PASM mode, video is good and allows zoom, white balance presets excellent and auto white balance is very good,, scene modes cover a lot of situations and work really nice, has several picture sizes and allows 3:2 ratio. Use the flash for indoors and don't worry about noise in high ISO situations.

If you can get a Z812, it is the same as the Z1012, just 8 mpixels for pictures. If you pick the Z812 / Z1012 / Z712 I strongly suggest getting a KLIC-8000 battery. The Z712 hates AA NiMH, allowing only like 20 shots with them (voltage, not charge is the culprit here) and chews on AA alkalines like a.... never mind, you got the idea. Generic equivalents of the KLIC800 with charger are like $15 shipped on feebay."


It is very easy for the novice and has enough options for the advanced user. I personally recommend shooting SCN modes as AUTO sometimes picks wrong shutter speeds or goes too high no the ISO. The scene modes are very well customized in focusing, shutter speed and exposure. I am able to take macro shots using the "flower" setting that I am not able to do with AUTO or P. Image quality is excellent IF you can keep the ISO lower than 400 (it has ISO 64, 100, 125, 150 and 200). ISO 400 is mediocre. Kodak went trigger happy with the noise reduction, ISO 800 is barely usable. In fact, being the dumb shooter I am, in some situations I am able to take better pics with the Z712 than with the K100D, and that is thanks to SCN modes.

 

[EQTitan]

My local Sam's Club has a Z812 IS for $209 and targets price for the Z712 IS is $199.99

 

[brzgeek]

My particular experience with compacts(I've tried lots of brands, resolutions, etc) has borne out that in terms of general use (including low-light conditions) and image quality the Fuji F31 and F40 are hard to beat. However, the F31 uses the thrice-plagued XD cards (I still use it,though... the image quality makes it worth it.). The F40 already accepts SD cards, but in terms of your requirements it lacks the 6X zoom, having only 3X. Still, considering its beautiful images and ease of use, at $180 it might be worth a look. The only way you get high-ISO performance better than this is with a DSLR. The other compacts are simply clobbered by these in low-light conditions (including Fuji's own F50... Ironic!)

 

[brzgeek]

Oh, one more drawback (as per your specifications): The F40 has no IS. However...
It is one of the few compacts that allow you to increase shutter speed by raising the ISO without as many detrimental effects to the image (you can get large prints up to ISO 800, which is nothing short of amazing with a compact). I have an image-stabilized Canon (the S3IS) which has lagged behind the Fuji in many a low-light situation even with IS - simply because I was able to raise shutter speed to the point IS was unnecessary.
As always, I suggest you actually get some hands-on time with whatever you intend to buy before you commit. On-paper specs might look great, until real-life experience impolitely butts in and tramples over the claims of marketing departments...

 

[fritzfield]

I just bought a Canon A590 IS for USD134.95 at Dell.com. It came bundled w/ a 2.0G SD card.For some reason, the regular, unbundled A590 IS is like USD159.99.You have to look for this deal. But you can't argue with the bang for the buck. I checked out my local WallyWorld and they wanted USD179.

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: brzgeek
Oh, one more drawback (as per your specifications): The F40 has no IS. However...
It is one of the few compacts that allow you to increase shutter speed by raising the ISO without as many detrimental effects to the image (you can get large prints up to ISO 800, which is nothing short of amazing with a compact). I have an image-stabilized Canon (the S3IS) which has lagged behind the Fuji in many a low-light situation even with IS - simply because I was able to raise shutter speed to the point IS was unnecessary.
As always, I suggest you actually get some hands-on time with whatever you intend to buy before you commit. On-paper specs might look great, until real-life experience impolitely butts in and tramples over the claims of marketing departments...

Yes, the F40 does have decent higher ISO peformance...but for that you're giving up all of the following that you would be getting in a superzoom:

1) not much zoom range (only 3x), so-so wide angle coverage (starts at 36mm)
2) no optical image stabilization
3) no manual controls (so it can't really grow with your photography skills)
4) so-so battery life (tested at just 300 shots)
5) poor burst mode


If you want something more advanced and versatile, then there really isn't much better you can do than the Panasonic and Kodak (less expensive) superzooms.

 

[brzgeek]

Right on the nose. That's why I got a super-zoom (Canon S3IS- bought it secondhand, not being quite as deep-pocketed as I'd like...) and my Fujis.
In the end, they complement each other, and the Canon takes shots impossible to be had on the compacts, and the compacts take shots where a larger super-zoom would be inconvenient to take (hard to pocket them... same goes for DSLR's and their lenses)
One just has to try and select what will probably be most useful most of the time, accepting that every camera is a compromise of some sort - or many compromises. Over time, that usualy leads to having several cameras (or, in the case of DSLR's, several lenses), and carting specific ones to different situations.