better big optical zoom or big megapixels?

On Feb 27, 9:55 am, "JWBH" <blue.star....TakeThisOut@REMOOOOVEvirgin.net> wrote:
> My son just rang to ask my advice about buying a digital camera. This is
> funny since I know next to nothing.
>
> Which is the best bet, a Casio with an X3 optical zoom with 10 Megapixels;
> or the Casio with X7 optical zoom and 7.5 Megapixels?

Given the choice between a 10 megapixel compact and a 7.5 megapixel
compact that are otherwise similar, I would definitely pick the 7.5
megapixel one. Stuffing too many pixels on a tiny sensor causes all
kinds of problems and reduces image quality.

Too many pixels means pixels that are too small, which means a reduced
dynamic range, more noise, and a lower diffraction limit (which means
pictures with no detail). More megapixels is NOT a good thing in
compact cameras, no matter what camera makers' marketing departments
want you to believe.

-Gniewko
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

"Bucky" <uw_badgers.TakeThisOut@email.com> wrote in message
news:1172600463.694551.249960@j27g2000cwj.googlegroups.com...

> Without knowing the actual cameras, I'd go for the greater optical
> zoom. IMO, more than 5 mp in compact cameras doesn't make much of a
> difference.

I wonder where this megapixel madness will end with pocket sized cameras as
it's all just marketing for gullible consumers who equate megapixels with
quality! If 4.1 megapixels is enough for Nikons £2000 professional DSLR
(that gets you the body only, the lens is extra!) then I'm sure it's more
than enough for these tiny cameras!

cheers adrian www.boliston.co.uk
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

Adrian Boliston wrote:
> "Bucky" <uw_badgers.TakeThisOut@email.com> wrote in message
> news:1172600463.694551.249960@j27g2000cwj.googlegroups.com...
>
>> Without knowing the actual cameras, I'd go for the greater optical
>> zoom. IMO, more than 5 mp in compact cameras doesn't make much of a
>> difference.
>
> I wonder where this megapixel madness will end with pocket sized cameras as
> it's all just marketing for gullible consumers who equate megapixels with
> quality! If 4.1 megapixels is enough for Nikons £2000 professional DSLR
> (that gets you the body only, the lens is extra!) then I'm sure it's more
> than enough for these tiny cameras!
>
That argument makes absolutely no sense at all. It sounds like a
FutureShop droid trying to sell a P&S camera.

The Nikon D2H is not the same as a P&S 4 megapixel toy.
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

"JWBH" <blue.star777 RemoveThis @REMOOOOVEvirgin.net> wrote in message
news:_f_Eh.38022$wP3.9575@newsfe7-gui.ntli.net...
> My son just rang to ask my advice about buying a digital camera. This is
> funny since I know next to nothing.
>
> Which is the best bet, a Casio with an X3 optical zoom with 10
> Megapixels; or the Casio with X7 optical zoom and 7.5 Megapixels?
>
> If the question has not been done to death before, out of the 'latest
> crop' of pocket sized digital cameras are 'as good as any' ? thanks.

Call him back and find out if he is intending to do wildlife, sports and
things like that. He might want to look at 12X optical zoom (or more).

Megapixels have become almost meaningless unless one also looks at noise,
dynamic range and other related factors.
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

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 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

On Tue, 27 Feb 2007 17:55:06 +0000, JWBH wrote:

> My son just rang to ask my advice about buying a digital camera. This is
> funny since I know next to nothing.
>
> Which is the best bet, a Casio with an X3 optical zoom with 10 Megapixels;
> or the Casio with X7 optical zoom and 7.5 Megapixels?

I would think that whether a bigger zoom with less resolution is 'better'
would depend a lot on what he plans to use it for. IMHO 10mp is overkill
anyway - I recently bought a Kodak P850 - 5mp with 12x zoom. I plan to do
a fair amount of wildlife photos at long distances.

>
> If the question has not been done to death before, out of the 'latest crop'
> of pocket sized digital cameras are 'as good as any' ? thanks.
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

JWBH wrote:
> My son just rang to ask my advice about buying a digital camera. This
> is funny since I know next to nothing.
>
> Which is the best bet, a Casio with an X3 optical zoom with 10
> Megapixels; or the Casio with X7 optical zoom and 7.5 Megapixels?
>
> If the question has not been done to death before, out of the 'latest
> crop' of pocket sized digital cameras are 'as good as any' ? thanks.

OK what is important. Is it most important to be able to take images
from a greater distance or is the issue the quality of the final image?

First remember that 3X optical only means that the difference between
the widest setting the the longest is 3X. It may mean that the entire range
is wide angle or it may mean the entire range is very long telephoto. The
imaging capability of the sensor may also vary so one camera with a 7.5 meg
sensor may perform better than another with 10 meg sensor. Sensors also
come in different physical sizes so you also need to factor that into the
formula.

To make any kind of sense of the comparison, you need to really know
what you want the camera to do and it is best to take some actual images
with both cameras under conditions that simulate what the camera will be
used for.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

JWBH wrote:
> My son just rang to ask my advice about buying a digital camera. This is
> funny since I know next to nothing.
>
> Which is the best bet, a Casio with an X3 optical zoom with 10 Megapixels;
> or the Casio with X7 optical zoom and 7.5 Megapixels?
>
> If the question has not been done to death before, out of the 'latest crop'
> of pocket sized digital cameras are 'as good as any' ? thanks.
>
>
Go for the optical zoom over megapixels. First, given a fixed sensor
size, adding more pixels usually only makes for more noise, and second,
optical zoom (assuming a good quality lens) will give you a larger image
size on the sensor, which means more light on the sensor, and a better
picture in the end.
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

On 27 Feb, 17:55, "JWBH" <blue.star... DeleteThis @REMOOOOVEvirgin.net> wrote:
> My son just rang to ask my advice about buying a digital camera. This is
> funny since I know next to nothing.
>
> Which is the best bet, a Casio with an X3 optical zoom with 10 Megapixels;
> or the Casio with X7 optical zoom and 7.5 Megapixels?

A big zoom range means more opportunities for distortion and probably
a slower lens. Back in the days of film ( ahem ) I bought a compact
camera with a huge zoom, but the image quality at long focal lengths
was rubbish in anything but the brightest sun because of camera
shake. OTOH it might be great.
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

POHB wrote:
[]
> A big zoom range means more opportunities for distortion and probably
> a slower lens. Back in the days of film ( ahem ) I bought a compact
> camera with a huge zoom, but the image quality at long focal lengths
> was rubbish in anything but the brightest sun because of camera
> shake. OTOH it might be great.

Remember that there are cameras with f/2.8 lenses at the 432mm focal
length (e.g. Panasonic FZ20), and many cameras offer image stabilisation
(such as most Panasonics, the Canon S2/S3 IS) and others). They make the
long zoom a most usable and useful feature. The Panasonic with its Leica
lens offers excellent image quality.

David
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

I don't buy my watches from Nikon, and I don't buy my cameras from Casio.
Seems to work out so far.

Yoshi

"JWBH" <blue.star777 DeleteThis @REMOOOOVEvirgin.net> wrote in message
news:_f_Eh.38022$wP3.9575@newsfe7-gui.ntli.net...
> My son just rang to ask my advice about buying a digital camera. This is
> funny since I know next to nothing.
>
> Which is the best bet, a Casio with an X3 optical zoom with 10
> Megapixels; or the Casio with X7 optical zoom and 7.5 Megapixels?
>
> If the question has not been done to death before, out of the 'latest
> crop' of pocket sized digital cameras are 'as good as any' ? thanks.
>
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

"Yoshi" <otakudude.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:45e5e457$0$17000$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>I don't buy my watches from Nikon, and I don't buy my cameras from Casio.
>Seems to work out so far.
>
> Yoshi

But you dont know who Nikon buy there bits from.
..


>
> "JWBH" <blue.star777.DeleteThis@REMOOOOVEvirgin.net> wrote in message
> news:_f_Eh.38022$wP3.9575@newsfe7-gui.ntli.net...
>> My son just rang to ask my advice about buying a digital camera. This is
>> funny since I know next to nothing.
>>
>> Which is the best bet, a Casio with an X3 optical zoom with 10
>> Megapixels; or the Casio with X7 optical zoom and 7.5 Megapixels?
>>
>> If the question has not been done to death before, out of the 'latest
>> crop' of pocket sized digital cameras are 'as good as any' ? thanks.
>>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels? 

POHB wrote:
> On 27 Feb, 17:55, "JWBH" <blue.star....DeleteThis@REMOOOOVEvirgin.net> wrote:
>> My son just rang to ask my advice about buying a digital camera. This is
>> funny since I know next to nothing.
>>
>> Which is the best bet, a Casio with an X3 optical zoom with 10 Megapixels;
>> or the Casio with X7 optical zoom and 7.5 Megapixels?
>
> A big zoom range means more opportunities for distortion and probably
> a slower lens. Back in the days of film ( ahem ) I bought a compact
> camera with a huge zoom, but the image quality at long focal lengths
> was rubbish in anything but the brightest sun because of camera
> shake. OTOH it might be great.
>
Cameras, even P&S, with zooms above 6x often have IS as well. I
recommend IS IF you intend to use the zoom in less than ideal
conditions. Good glass is good glass, and bad is bad, regardless of
what captures the image. I would go with the better zoom as it offers a
better chance of getting a good image with more flexibility.
 >> Stay informed about: better big optical zoom or big megapixels?