Very dissapointed in a Fuji

Katsura · 09-18-2007, 11:10 AM

A note, I'm not sure this thread is in the right forum, but I got no idea where else to put it.

I've been holding out to buy a digital compact as a back up for a while now. Actually I REALLY wanted the Fuji F30/31Fd because of the superior IQ, but it's got a fatal flaw of using xD cards and I'm a firm beliver sticking to a single card format.

So I waited as there are new of Fuji supporting SD in their new line up, finally they've announced the F50Fd, with SD card AND CCD shift stabilisation. Great i thought, finally the DC I want - I expected them to maybe up the pixel count from 6M to say, 8Mb and not loosing too much IQ in the process.

It turned out to be 12M. and the samples don't look good.

WHY OH WHY can't camera makers resist putting in more and more pixels? Okay the DC market is geared for general users, but the general population can't all be that gulliable about pixel counts. Or do they? If so, the genral population really needs some good slapping to the face and wake up. Are we going to have 24M pixel count DCs with usable ISO of 25 next year?

I'm quite distressed, why can't camera makers's marketing study the market and SEE there is a demand from serious hobbist for a high IQ DC?

Int he mean time, there's news F31Fd is phasing out, maybe I just have to suck up and get those xD cards after all.

DigiNoob · 09-18-2007, 11:26 AM

I must admit, I almost fell prey to the "more mp is better" syndrome, myself. I originally ordered the K10D 10mp SLR but that order went awry. As I was still investigating the pros and cons of various DSLRs, I stumbled onto the fact that the K100D 6mp could go up to ISO 3200, as opposed to 1600 with the 10mp model. Since I was looking for a good DSLR that could photograph in dimly lit conference rooms, and not enlarge past a standard photograph, the 6mp with 3200 ISO is actually a better camera for my purpose.

I imagine for every educated photographer out there, there are probably 10 or more ignorant ones, myself included, that are driving the market to go "more pixel"!

attack11 · 09-18-2007, 11:44 AM

the sr on the k10d is better than the k100d, by over a stop. the k10d would've been the better choice. from a practical pov, either is great with a fast lens.

*touchmyichi* · 09-18-2007, 12:34 PM

Yeah, Fuji really screwed this one up. All they had to do was put some form of IS on it and the few extra stops from it along with the same 6mp sensor would have made it a godlike compact for low light photography.

But still, go for the F31/30. Using XD isn't that big of a deal, all you really need is 1 gig which isn't that big of an expense at all.

simonkit · 09-18-2007, 12:48 PM

Don't let the type of memory card limit your choice, they cost next to nothing now anyway - I have the Fuji F10 as a "throw in a pocket" camera & it's great at what it does. Intend to replace it with the F30/F31 soon though for the extra control

simon

stewart_photo · 09-18-2007, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by Katsura

(snip) WHY OH WHY can't camera makers resist putting in more and more pixels? Okay the DC market is geared for general users, but the general population can't all be that gulliable about pixel counts. (snip)

I'm quite distressed, (snip)

I realize owners of lower-resolution cameras may be distressed by the ongoing march towards higher resolution. I might be just as distressed if I owned one of those cameras. However, the march will continue in spite of objections. Regardless, your efforts to dismiss the ligitimate reasons for owning a higher-resolution camera by painting those users as simply "gullible" instead is insulting. At this point, for valid reasons, I will not consider any camera under ten (10) megapixels. This resolution allows room for cropping while still maintaining the quality results expected for the slightly large sized, and often higher print resolutions, of many European magazines. It also allows me to use produce acceptable images for the even larger-sized calendars (part of my business). It's also quickly becoming the minimum resolution sought by some stock photo agencies here (also part of my business). So, while there may indeed be a market for 6-megapixel cameras, there is also a strong market for higher-resolution cameras - even if that market is just driven by "gullible" users.

stewart

Mikhail · 09-18-2007, 04:13 PM

Just a suggestion but how about looking at the Canon S* Series?? Okay the new S5 has 8MP compared to the S3 which has 6... They both have a dSLR like design, 12x "optical zoom", IS.. only downside is they only go up to ISO800 which is very noisey aswell I must add! But I find IQ to be quite good for a compact [ coming from a user ]. Just anouther alternative..

Thanks

PS. oh and they also use SD/SDHC cards and AA batteries!

lapeen · 09-18-2007, 05:58 PM

I think by gullible he just meant that when looking at cameras... many only care about how many megapixels it has.

Example.... at a party someone says... about a k100...d40...or equivalient "Hey.. nice camera! How many megapixels does it have?" you reply "6" and they say... "Oh. So it's not any better than mine then." ...referring to their point n' shoot.

**Adam** · 09-18-2007, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by Katsura

A note, I'm not sure this thread is in the right forum, but I got no idea where else to put it.

The general talk forum, of course! All off-topic threads go in there. If you have a Pentax-related thread that doesn't seem to fit anywhere either, use the "Everything Else" instead.

Thread moved

stewart_photo · 09-19-2007, 04:20 AM

Are you playing message hide & seek, Adam? I respond to a message in one forum, only to find the entire thread missing when I return. After some seeking, I finally find the thread here instead. Entertaining perhaps, but certainly confusing when one's in a hurry.

stewart

little laker · 09-19-2007, 09:56 AM

Just my opinion here.

The stores have as much to do with the MP count as the manufacturers.

A couple of years ago when my Sony P&S stopped working they tried selling me a camera with 8mp (my sony was 3) saying that the images would be so much better.
They wouldn't even look at the lens quality, where the Sony was easily the winner

After I convinced them that fixing my camera was a better choice it didn't take long to prove that I was right.

*raz-0* · 09-19-2007, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by stewart_photo

Regardless, your efforts to dismiss the ligitimate reasons for owning a higher-resolution camera by painting those users as simply "gullible" instead is insulting.
stewart

I think he was primarily referring to the P&S world where cramming 12MP onto a chip a quarter the size of my thmbmnail just makes it a random noise generator.

Unfortunately I think to the average camera buyer, more megapizels = better just like more megahertz = faster to them with computers. to compound the issue, they only tend to copare them, if at all, at the store on the lcds of the cameras. Then they likely only own one at a time. So they really don't know what they are missing.

With DSLRs, it's a whole different story.

Katsura · 09-21-2007, 04:28 AM

I cracked and bought a couple of F31fd in the end

When the price of a product is going up rather than down it's a sign it's a good classic product.

*Igilligan* · 09-21-2007, 10:43 PM

Good choice... I have the F30 and still really enjoy that camera... The 1gig xd were 19.95 last week so...... it is what it is.
Post some pics in the FTF when you get it.

Gus