Important considerations besides megapixels?

On Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:56:26 -0500, tony cooper wrote:

> On 15 Feb 2008 03:48:11 GMT, ray <ray RemoveThis @zianet.com> wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:35:38 -0500, tony cooper wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:03:12 -0800 (PST), Doc <docsavage20 RemoveThis @yahoo.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I'm looking for a first digital still camera.
>>>
>>>>Features I *think* I want are manual focus ability
>>>
>>> I don't recall ever seeing or hearing about a digital P&S that has
>>> manual focus as an option. That feature is - as far as I know - found
>>> only on digital SLRs.
>>
>>My Kodak P850 has full manual settings. Also has ability to save jpeg,
>>tiff and raw. As far as I can tell it has nearly all the features of a
>>DSLR except the ability to swap lenses. Not claiming it is of the same
>>overall quality as a top of the line DSLR - just that it has the
>>features. It is an EVF P&S with 12x zoom lens.
>
> This page:
> http://www.pacificgeek.com/product.asp?c=222&s=965&ID=43194&P=F says
> it's a hybrid AF with 25 selectable points of focus, not "full manual".
> I'm not sure that this would be any better for photographing "large
> print" than any automatic setting. For that matter, I don't see how
> "full manual" would be any better.
>
> Basically, as I understand the OP's project, he's photographing a book
> or a sheet of paper. Flat surface.

That would appear to be a decent description of the auot-focus setting.
There is also a manual focus mode: "Focus is at center position. A
magnified image appears in the center of the screen when using the
joystick to set the focus adjustment. A graphic shows the approximate
degree of focus." - from the P850 User's Guide; pg 29.
 >> Stay informed about: Important considerations besides megapixels? 

On Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:56:04 -0800 (PST), Don Stauffer in Minnesota
<stauffer.DeleteThis@usfamily.net> wrote in
<201d60d8-cd67-4273-9659-b040cdf14f16.DeleteThis@d4g2000prg.googlegroups.com>:

>Many cameras, including reasonably priced P&S, while saving in jpeg,
>do allow you to select the amount of compression used in the
>compression. If you use the highest or finest compression setting,
>there is very little degradation.

Make that *lowest* or finest compression setting.

>Other important quality factors in addition to resolution are dynamic
>range or signal/noise, which ultimately reduce to the same thing,

Although related, actually different.

>and
>lens optical quality. High resolution is wasted by a bad lens.

Lens quality is probably the most important factor.

--
Best regards,
John Navas
Panasonic DMC-FZ8 (and several others)
 >> Stay informed about: Important considerations besides megapixels? 

ray wrote:

<heavily edited for brevity>

> The Kodak P series does jpeg, tiff and raw. They also have full manual
> mode. They do, however, use a smaller sensor. They have also been
> discontinued although I recently saw a P850 refurb at Kodak's online
> store for $225 - and you certainly would not need the 12x zoom.
>
> There are several places you can search digital cameras according to
> specific criteria - several recent posts have listed some.


Hello, Ray:

Except, unlike the P850 and P712, the P880's image sensor is somewhat
bigger than average.


Cordially,
John Turco <jtur.DeleteThis@concentric.net>
 >> Stay informed about: Important considerations besides megapixels? 

Daniel Silevitch wrote:
>
> On Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:07:14 -0800, Frank ess <frank.TakeThisOut@fshe2fs.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> > nospam wrote:
> >> In article <nit9r35agvh638it8ef7c2tmdmc6ip6c1e.TakeThisOut@4ax.com>, tony cooper
> >> <tony_cooper213.TakeThisOut@earthlink.net> wrote:
> >>
> >>> I don't recall ever seeing or hearing about a digital P&S that has
> >>> manual focus as an option. That feature is - as far as I know -
> >>> found only on digital SLRs.
> >>
> >> quite a few p/s cameras have manual focus.
> >
> > ... in the sense that there is a button or series of moves that allow
> > the user to pick a focus range or point rather than leaving it to a
> > distance sensor and servo.
> >
> > In the sense that dSLR users can grip some part of a lens and crank to
> > focus, not so often.
>
> There are a few. The Panasonic FZ30/50 comes to mind, and I think Fuji
> has some models with focus rings. There are probably others that I'm not
> thinking of.
>
> Not the most common feature in the world, but it does exist.
>
> -dms


Hello, Daniel:

Add the Kodak P880 to your list, please. <g>


Cordially,
John Turco <jtur.TakeThisOut@concentric.net>
 >> Stay informed about: Important considerations besides megapixels? 

"Floyd L. Davidson" wrote:

<heavily edited for brevity>

> Wellll... Your budget constraints were pretty tough!
> Look at used cameras on eBay. Nikon and Kodak have had
> professional models out since before 2000. While they
> may not be anything near as nice as the current crop of
> cameras, they _are_ available at very low prices.


Hello, Floyd:

Oh, really? Where have you seen >any< vintage of Kodak DSLR, "at very
low prices," might I ask?

I've been unable to find such a camera (within my meager budget), on
eBay, at least.


Cordially,
John Turco <jtur DeleteThis @concentric.net>
 >> Stay informed about: Important considerations besides megapixels? 

On Feb 15, 9:49 am, tony cooper <tony_cooper....TakeThisOut@earthlink.net> wrote:

> >> I don't know what you mean by "archiving".  Are you concerned that the
> >> data will deteriorate over time?  Or are you concerned that detail in
> >> the image will not be captured?  "Large print" is not something where
> >> large files are of much use.
>
> >Archiving - storing on optical media.
>
> Yes, I know what "archiving" means.  


I was clarifying what I meant since as noted above you asked what I
meant by archiving.


> What I was asking is what
> "archiving" means to you


Storing on optical media.


> and what you think would affect archival
> quality.   For example, there is no difference between a .jpg and a
> .tiff in the archival sense of deterioration if the image is never
> edited in any way.  


From what I've seen, there are noticeable artifacts with jpeg that
arent there with .tiff. and .bmp appear to be higher quality.

I can't say for sure whethr I'll ever edit the images. It just makes
sense to me to capture in the highest data format possible, there
doesn't seem to be a reason not to.



> The camera make and model will be almost incidental to the process.
> The key to photographing large prints is in lighting and positioning
> of the camera.  You'll need good lighting and a camera setting
> balanced to the color temperature of the light, so the one feature
> you'll be looking for in a camera is one with white balance settings.

etc.

I appreciate the great input!
 >> Stay informed about: Important considerations besides megapixels? 

On Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:26:11 -0800 (PST), Doc <docsavage20.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com>
wrote in
<27dafad5-d00a-4a7f-a011-abf3f1b6b3b1.TakeThisOut@e60g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>:

>From what I've seen, there are noticeable artifacts with jpeg that
>arent there with .tiff. and .bmp appear to be higher quality.

BMP is not higher quality than TIFF -- quality is the same.

--
Best regards,
John Navas
Panasonic DMC-FZ8 (and several others)
 >> Stay informed about: Important considerations besides megapixels?