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Is there any camera on earth meeting 4 simple requirements (AA,CF,7x)



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 10th 05, 08:25 AM
Susan (Graphic Artist)
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Default Is there any camera on earth meeting 4 simple requirements (AA,CF,7x)

MY QUESTION:
Can there not be a camera on earth that meets these 4 simple goals?
- AA batteries
- Good photo quality
- 7x to 10x optical zoom
- CF media

I ask for your help in that I've only found ONE camera which comes
close to meeting these 4 simple (and, I'd bet, pretty univerally held)
requirements:
- AA batteries (never again will I buy electronics with battery packs!)
- Excellent picture quality (I trust in Consumer Reports measurements)
- 7x - 10x optical zoom (equivalent to about 200 mm or more)
- Compact Flash media (I already have many CF cards & PCMCIA readers)

Searching endlessly, I can only find one camera coming close:
- Canon Powershot S1 IS (3.2 MP)
But I'd like a 5 megapixel or larger (for enlargements if needed).

Also this digital camera doesn't have a macro capability.
(Ad copy says it can focus at 4 inches so that seems like a built-in
macro non-macro to me ... what do you think)?

Is there any AA,CF,7x, camera with good photo quality on earth?

Susan Henderson

  #2  
Old June 10th 05, 09:44 AM
Rod Speed
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Default

Its terminally stupid to be limiting your choices with
that silly requirement that it must use AA batterys.

"Susan (Graphic Artist)" wrote in message
oups.com...
MY QUESTION:
Can there not be a camera on earth that meets these 4 simple goals?
- AA batteries
- Good photo quality
- 7x to 10x optical zoom
- CF media

I ask for your help in that I've only found ONE camera which comes
close to meeting these 4 simple (and, I'd bet, pretty univerally held)
requirements:
- AA batteries (never again will I buy electronics with battery packs!)


More fool you.

- Excellent picture quality (I trust in Consumer Reports measurements)
- 7x - 10x optical zoom (equivalent to about 200 mm or more)
- Compact Flash media (I already have many CF cards & PCMCIA readers)

Searching endlessly, I can only find one camera coming close:
- Canon Powershot S1 IS (3.2 MP)
But I'd like a 5 megapixel or larger (for enlargements if needed).

Also this digital camera doesn't have a macro capability.
(Ad copy says it can focus at 4 inches so that seems like a built-in
macro non-macro to me ... what do you think)?

Is there any AA,CF,7x, camera with good photo quality on earth?

Susan Henderson



  #3  
Old June 10th 05, 10:06 AM
Susan (Graphic Artist)
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Posts: n/a
Default

Rod Speed wrote:
Its terminally stupid to be limiting your choices with
that silly requirement that it must use AA batterys.


I think I understand your point about AA batteries.
One the one hand, the battery has nothing to do with the pictures.
So, you are correct. I am an idiot for making AA a requirement.

On the other hand, when I vacation, I carry with me:
- a Nikon CoolPix 5700 (which needs at least 2 proprietary batteries)
- a JVC video camera (which needs at least 2 proprietary batteries)
- a Garmin GPS unit (which takes AA batteries)
- a Maglight flashlight (which takes AA batteries)
etc.

That means I have to carry additional batteries (one or two are never
enough as you well know) and of course I need to carry separate
additional battery chargers and I can't substitute one for the other
and (much worse) I can't stop at the local A&P to pick up an emergency
battery if I need to.

Add the fact that battery packs (by their electrical nature of
positive-minus butt-to-nose abutment) ALWAYS go bad (one cell reverse
polarizes) and, therefore, need to be constantly replaced at an
exhorbitant cost (NiMH cost about two bucks ... try to get a battery
pack for a camera for two bucks).

Add to that the waste to the earth's resources (personally I think the
government should mandate single-cell batteries in all electronics in a
save-the-landfill effort like they mandate the 5 cents per soda
waste-return program).

And the horrid cost!
Recently I paid over $75 dollars retail for the JVC replacement battery
(the only one in the store was the Everready Energizer ERC620 camcorder
battery).

Now for paying $75 for a stinkin' battery, you _can_ call me a
terminally stupid idiot!

I could have purchased a fifty pound car battery for that much.

End result:
I am never again buying any electronics that does not take single-cell
rechargable batteries! I'm sure I'm not the only one so please come to
my defence if you agree, so we can get back to the photographic
equipment question at hand.

Are these really the only three digital cameras on earth that take
single-cell batteries and have decent picture quality, zoom, and
compact flash cards?

- $350, 3MP, 10x zoom, Canon PowerShot S1IS I takes AA batteries native
- $550, 5MP, 8x zoom, Nikon CoolPix 5700 is $150 more for AA batteries
- $800, 8MP, 7x zoom, DiMAGE Minolta A2 is maybe $100 more for AA?

Susan Henderson

  #4  
Old June 10th 05, 11:11 AM
Ron Hunter
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Posts: n/a
Default

Susan (Graphic Artist) wrote:
Rod Speed wrote:

Its terminally stupid to be limiting your choices with
that silly requirement that it must use AA batterys.



I think I understand your point about AA batteries.
One the one hand, the battery has nothing to do with the pictures.
So, you are correct. I am an idiot for making AA a requirement.

On the other hand, when I vacation, I carry with me:
- a Nikon CoolPix 5700 (which needs at least 2 proprietary batteries)
- a JVC video camera (which needs at least 2 proprietary batteries)
- a Garmin GPS unit (which takes AA batteries)
- a Maglight flashlight (which takes AA batteries)
etc.

That means I have to carry additional batteries (one or two are never
enough as you well know) and of course I need to carry separate
additional battery chargers and I can't substitute one for the other
and (much worse) I can't stop at the local A&P to pick up an emergency
battery if I need to.

Add the fact that battery packs (by their electrical nature of
positive-minus butt-to-nose abutment) ALWAYS go bad (one cell reverse
polarizes) and, therefore, need to be constantly replaced at an
exhorbitant cost (NiMH cost about two bucks ... try to get a battery
pack for a camera for two bucks).

Add to that the waste to the earth's resources (personally I think the
government should mandate single-cell batteries in all electronics in a
save-the-landfill effort like they mandate the 5 cents per soda
waste-return program).

And the horrid cost!
Recently I paid over $75 dollars retail for the JVC replacement battery
(the only one in the store was the Everready Energizer ERC620 camcorder
battery).

Now for paying $75 for a stinkin' battery, you _can_ call me a
terminally stupid idiot!

I could have purchased a fifty pound car battery for that much.

End result:
I am never again buying any electronics that does not take single-cell
rechargable batteries! I'm sure I'm not the only one so please come to
my defence if you agree, so we can get back to the photographic
equipment question at hand.

Are these really the only three digital cameras on earth that take
single-cell batteries and have decent picture quality, zoom, and
compact flash cards?

- $350, 3MP, 10x zoom, Canon PowerShot S1IS I takes AA batteries native
- $550, 5MP, 8x zoom, Nikon CoolPix 5700 is $150 more for AA batteries
- $800, 8MP, 7x zoom, DiMAGE Minolta A2 is maybe $100 more for AA?

Susan Henderson

It would seem that way. Camera manufacturers are much more concerned
with profits than user convenience. They see the lithium ion batteries
as a profit opportunity, and a design convenience. CF cards aren't all
that big, so I see little advantage to the other types of cards unless
the camera is REALLY small, but the smaller components are another
design convenience, and smaller usually means cheaper. It seems you
will be forced to compromise, as I did, and buy something with AA
batteries and SD cards... Lots of options when you make the CF/SD card
compromise.


--
Ron Hunter
  #5  
Old June 10th 05, 07:39 PM
Out There
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Posts: n/a
Default

"Susan (Graphic Artist)" wrote:

On the other hand, when I vacation, I carry with me:
- a Nikon CoolPix 5700 (which needs at least 2 proprietary batteries)
- a JVC video camera (which needs at least 2 proprietary batteries)
- a Garmin GPS unit (which takes AA batteries)
- a Maglight flashlight (which takes AA batteries)


You can save more space than the extra batteries if you leave the video
camera at home, and replace the GPS unit with a map, a compass, and a
willingness to ask locals for directions.

As far as your 4 requirements for a camera, you can go even simpler by
selecting a camera that does not use batteries, and uses the most common
type of media there is: film. Going to this lower common denominator
means that you can buy lenses with excellent optics, fulfilling your the
other two requirements easily and at a lower cost.
  #6  
Old June 10th 05, 08:40 PM
Rod Speed
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Posts: n/a
Default


Susan (Graphic Artist) wrote in message
oups.com...
Rod Speed wrote


Its terminally stupid to be limiting your choices with
that silly requirement that it must use AA batterys.


I think I understand your point about AA batteries.
One the one hand, the battery has nothing to do with the pictures.
So, you are correct. I am an idiot for making AA a requirement.


Basically because it limits your choice of camera so drastically.

On the other hand, when I vacation, I carry with me:
- a Nikon CoolPix 5700 (which needs at least 2 proprietary batteries)
- a JVC video camera (which needs at least 2 proprietary batteries)
- a Garmin GPS unit (which takes AA batteries)
- a Maglight flashlight (which takes AA batteries)
etc.


That means I have to carry additional batteries (one or two
are never enough as you well know) and of course I need
to carry separate additional battery chargers and I can't
substitute one for the other and (much worse) I can't stop
at the local A&P to pick up an emergency battery if I need to.


Add the fact that battery packs (by their electrical nature
of positive-minus butt-to-nose abutment) ALWAYS go bad
(one cell reverse polarizes) and, therefore, need to be
constantly replaced at an exhorbitant cost (NiMH cost about
two bucks ... try to get a battery pack for a camera for two bucks).


Sure, its certainly desirable to use standard batterys,
AA or AAA, and I do that when I can, but not when it
limits your choice of model so drastically.

Add to that the waste to the earth's resources (personally
I think the government should mandate single-cell batteries
in all electronics in a save-the-landfill effort like they
mandate the 5 cents per soda waste-return program).


That approach has its own environmental downsides.

And the horrid cost!
Recently I paid over $75 dollars retail for the JVC
replacement battery (the only one in the store was
the Everready Energizer ERC620 camcorder battery).


Now for paying $75 for a stinkin' battery,
you _can_ call me a terminally stupid idiot!


You're likely to be paying at least that much extra when you demand a
camera that takes take single-cell rechargable standard format batteries.

I could have purchased a fifty pound car battery for that much.


Irrelevant.

End result:
I am never again buying any electronics that
does not take single-cell rechargable batteries!


Then you will drastically limit the your
choice with some items like cameras.

I'm sure I'm not the only one so please
come to my defence if you agree,


I dont.

so we can get back to the photographic equipment question at hand.


It makes a lot more sense to just accept
that there are few cameras available that take
single-cell rechargable standard format batteries

Are these really the only three digital cameras on
earth that take single-cell batteries and have decent
picture quality, zoom, and compact flash cards?


Who knows ? Who cares ?

- $350, 3MP, 10x zoom, Canon PowerShot S1IS I takes AA batteries native
- $550, 5MP, 8x zoom, Nikon CoolPix 5700 is $150 more for AA batteries
- $800, 8MP, 7x zoom, DiMAGE Minolta A2 is maybe $100 more for AA?


Surely even you can see that demanding AA batterys would be
costing you more than a spare battery pack with the last two ?


  #7  
Old June 10th 05, 12:41 PM
George
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Rod Speed wrote:
Its terminally stupid to be limiting your choices with
that silly requirement that it must use AA batterys.

"Susan (Graphic Artist)" wrote in message
oups.com...

MY QUESTION:
Can there not be a camera on earth that meets these 4 simple goals?
- AA batteries
- Good photo quality
- 7x to 10x optical zoom
- CF media

I ask for your help in that I've only found ONE camera which comes
close to meeting these 4 simple (and, I'd bet, pretty univerally held)
requirements:
- AA batteries (never again will I buy electronics with battery packs!)



More fool you.



Actually extremely sensible. There is a lot to be said for standard form
factor equipment. If the camera uses a standard form factor battery such
as AA you can use NiMh rechargeables and if you should get in a
situation where you deplete the rechargeables and charging is not
available you can easily pop in a set of akaline batterys which even if
you weren't carrying them as a spare can be purchased most anywhere.






- Excellent picture quality (I trust in Consumer Reports measurements)
- 7x - 10x optical zoom (equivalent to about 200 mm or more)
- Compact Flash media (I already have many CF cards & PCMCIA readers)

Searching endlessly, I can only find one camera coming close:
- Canon Powershot S1 IS (3.2 MP)
But I'd like a 5 megapixel or larger (for enlargements if needed).

Also this digital camera doesn't have a macro capability.
(Ad copy says it can focus at 4 inches so that seems like a built-in
macro non-macro to me ... what do you think)?

Is there any AA,CF,7x, camera with good photo quality on earth?

Susan Henderson




  #8  
Old June 10th 05, 03:14 PM
Bill 2
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"George" wrote in message
...
Rod Speed wrote:
Its terminally stupid to be limiting your choices with
that silly requirement that it must use AA batterys.

"Susan (Graphic Artist)" wrote in message
oups.com...

MY QUESTION:
Can there not be a camera on earth that meets these 4 simple goals?
- AA batteries
- Good photo quality
- 7x to 10x optical zoom
- CF media

I ask for your help in that I've only found ONE camera which comes
close to meeting these 4 simple (and, I'd bet, pretty univerally held)
requirements:
- AA batteries (never again will I buy electronics with battery packs!)



More fool you.



Actually extremely sensible. There is a lot to be said for standard form
factor equipment. If the camera uses a standard form factor battery such
as AA you can use NiMh rechargeables and if you should get in a situation
where you deplete the rechargeables and charging is not available you can
easily pop in a set of akaline batterys which even if you weren't carrying
them as a spare can be purchased most anywhere.


I wouldn't pop in alkalines, camera would kill them in short order. I'd at
least try to find one time use lithium batteries.


  #9  
Old June 10th 05, 04:50 PM
The Real Bev
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Bill 2 wrote:

"George" wrote:

Actually extremely sensible. There is a lot to be said for standard form
factor equipment. If the camera uses a standard form factor battery such
as AA you can use NiMh rechargeables and if you should get in a situation
where you deplete the rechargeables and charging is not available you can
easily pop in a set of akaline batterys which even if you weren't carrying
them as a spare can be purchased most anywhere.


I wouldn't pop in alkalines, camera would kill them in short order. I'd at
least try to find one time use lithium batteries.


They're not dead, just no longer useful for high-drain applications. They'll
do fine in radios etc.

Useful URLs that nobody has mentioned so far:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.thomas-distributing.com
http://www.thomas-distributing.com/m...-batteries.htm

--
Cheers,
Bev
---------------------------------------------
"The primary purpose of any government entity
is to employ the unemployable."
  #10  
Old June 10th 05, 08:44 PM
Rod Speed
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


George wrote in message
...
Rod Speed wrote


Its terminally stupid to be limiting your choices with
that silly requirement that it must use AA batterys.


Susan (Graphic Artist) wrote


MY QUESTION:
Can there not be a camera on earth that meets these 4 simple goals?
- AA batteries
- Good photo quality
- 7x to 10x optical zoom
- CF media


I ask for your help in that I've only found ONE camera which comes
close to meeting these 4 simple (and, I'd bet, pretty univerally held)
requirements:
- AA batteries (never again will I buy electronics with battery packs!)


More fool you.


Actually extremely sensible.


Nope, not when it limits the choice of camera to just one camera it isnt.

There is a lot to be said for standard form factor equipment. If the camera
uses a standard form factor battery such as AA you can use NiMh rechargeables
and if you should get in a situation where you deplete the rechargeables and
charging is not available you can easily pop in a set of akaline batterys
which even if you weren't carrying them as a spare can be purchased most
anywhere.


Pity about the dismal choice of camera if you require
it uses AA batterys and that particular media card.

- Excellent picture quality (I trust in Consumer Reports measurements)
- 7x - 10x optical zoom (equivalent to about 200 mm or more)
- Compact Flash media (I already have many CF cards & PCMCIA readers)

Searching endlessly, I can only find one camera coming close:
- Canon Powershot S1 IS (3.2 MP)
But I'd like a 5 megapixel or larger (for enlargements if needed).

Also this digital camera doesn't have a macro capability.
(Ad copy says it can focus at 4 inches so that seems like a built-in
macro non-macro to me ... what do you think)?

Is there any AA,CF,7x, camera with good photo quality on earth?



 




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