Howdy, I want to upgrade my two-year old Nikon CoolPix 5200 point-and-shoot to something with at least a 10x optical zoom. I looked at the Nikon S4 to stay in the Nikon family, but I think the Sony Cybershot DSC-H1 takes pictures that are just as good as my Nikon, and it has image stabilization, which the Nikon lacks.

The Sony - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...oughType=search



The Nikon - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...oughType=search



Does anyone here have either of these cameras? Is there anything else I should be looking at in the $300, 5-6 megapixel range? I'm looking for something compact and easy to travel with. My 5200 I could put in a pocket, but I'm willing to go a little bigger if need be. I love the easy controls of the Nikon, but the Sony has a better feature set and a hand grip.

I also have 2.5 GB of SD cards for the Nikon, and would need to buy Sony flash memory if I go with the Cybershot....grr.

Thanks for any info,

 

sd card:
seems like i saw a 4gig sd for about $122. i really wasnt searching for one so i think newegg.com or mobileplanet.com sites is where i saw this. whatever sd card you get make sure the speed is compatable with your camera, look at the reviews on the card and or camera.

 

the nikon isnt getting great review wrt to picture quality

 

Check out www.stevesdigicams.com and www.dpreview.com for reviews and comparisons in your price range.

 

I have 3 of the Fuji's, a canon, and a Nikon & the best bang for the buck is the Fuji 5200.

Easy to use controls, great pix and MOST IMPORTANTLY it shoots at a fast enough speed that you don't need the anti-shake technology, this lets you shoot much more often in lower light situations and is much better for action shots.

After using multiple cameras I have found the biggest limiting factor to digital cameras is the ASA. Very few even go to 400 ASA. My S7000 Fuji goes to 800 ASA and the 5200 goes to 1600. I can use them in many places the others simply won't work.

We were at Disney shooting the evening parade and the 7000 and the 5200 were gewtting crystal clear pix while everyone around me finally gave up on their digital cameras.

The only one that shot as good was my son-in-law's Big Canon, but then he had several thousand dollars invested in it.

 

kodak has the best digital cameras

 

^ wtf?

Canon FTMFW

 

You want something with a high ISO. ISO = The sensor's sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO, the less light it needs to make a picture, but the more grainy it will be. The lower the ISO, the more light (and thus longer shutter) and a cleaner picture. Although with a point and shoot you shouldn't expect too much without using a flash or a tripod when shooting in low-light.

 

For low light I set my 5200 on continuous and just take 3-4 pictures. The first and last are usually fuzzy due to button pressing, but the middle shots are fine. My main concerns are speed - the 5200 will shoot fast on continuous and has only a small delay when writing to the card - and zoom - 3x optical just isn't cutting it. Plus, I'm already invested in SD cards...

 

I'll second that. Big fuji fan here.
Fuji is to other big brands (Canon, Nikon, etc) is what S2000 is to European sports cars. Cheaper because it lacks the "prestige" but kicks others asses where the brand name does not matter.

Also fuji is one of the very few companies that makes most parts (CCD & lens) of the camera itself. Other companies, even the big ones simply use CCDs from Sony.(CCD is the thingy that records the image insted of film).

All that being said, keep in mind that "Photography is 80% photographer and 20% camera" some what like racing a car.