Canon A95 vs. Fujifilm FinePix E550?

Paul

Comparison

Which would you guys choose? The Canon A95 is the same price, but the Fuji has 1.2 more megapixels.

I'm kind of wanting to get into photography that is more than "point-and-shoot" (Kind of like those 35mm SLR Cameras), so I was wanting to upgrade my old digicam. The Canon seems like it has more features for that, but I'm not a photography buff so I need some opinions....

Thanks guys

Straight_Man

More megapixels means better number of pixels to print with, so let's say a 2.4 MP camera can gen decent 4x6 photos, a decent 3.2 can gen FAIR 5x7s and a decent 4 MP can gen very good 5x7's and decent 6x8's and not too bad 8x10's. For real good 8x10 photos figure a 6 MP or better, preferably an 8 MP with very good lenses.

That is easiest illustration on MPs themselves thta I can think of.

Now, look at other things:

How big and how bright is the LCD display in camera, and how expensive is memory for it, and how much optical zoom does it have.


I'll explain how my mother went to Circuit City tonight and quickly what I looked for, and why I bought a certain camera. What I wanted was a Fuji E550. They had a FujiE540 Label on rack, but were sold out of those. Fuji's have good lenses, not GREATEST, like Zeiss or Bausch and Lomb, but quite decent. I wanted my brother to get a camera which could opptically zoom at least 3.2 X (not digitally zoom, optically zoom). so, we looked a at Canons, three Sony's, a Kodak, and finally settled on a Fuji 3000. Why??? 3.2 MP, 6X Optical zoom as brother steve has two sons into football and his older camera fuzzed when he tried to digitally zoom and was also disappointed at how bad 1.2 MP yielded for anything bigger than pocket wallet photos (about 2"x3"). He had seen my Olympus 4000Z camera's output, and really did not like what his camera did anymore. My Olympus can zoom 3+X Optically, and is a 4 MP camera, so I used that and knowledge of what it could do to judge roughly what Steve and his family wanted.

The Fuji 3000 has a Fujinor lense capable of 6X magnification, and an unusually big LCD display that is also quite bright and can be seen outside. The menuing is fairly simple. It can take memory cards, of xD type. It is heavy enough that it is hard to get pictures that looked like jitterbugs got in camera or else someone shook it as pictures were being taken (yes, you definitely want a camera that is NOT a total featherweight unless you always use a tripod or have REAL steady hands and arms). OH, it can use NiMH or Lithium-ION batteries also, and I tend to like Kodak MAX3 NiMH batteries in my Olympus as they last longest of any battery I have found (they are 2100 mAH cells).

The more distance and outdoor work and group pictures you do, the more MP and optical zoom you need in your camera. For indoor portraits and some basic fairly close outdoor work only, figure a 4 MP Olympus is good enough.

primesuspect

If you really want to get into something more than point-n-shoot, you should really bank the money towards getting a true digital SLR. Otherwise, you will become quickly frustrated at the limitations of a point-n-shoot.

Here's a thread about this on icrontic.

Here's some samples of pictures I've taken on my Canon EOS 300D: at totalgeekmedia.

Trust me man. If you can wait until you can save up the money, the digital SLR will put you in a whole new league. You'll really grow as a photographer with the right tools.

Straight_Man

That is true prime, but a decent Point-And-Shoot can be a good STARTING PLACE or intermediate place to get into digital photography with and a quick way to take informal pics when you do not want to set up your SLR. Wish I could affort an EOS, but for me I'll stick with my Olympus (which is not an SLR).

Most pro photographers actually end up with more than one digital camera, eh?? Yes?? Same as most pros who in fact do not use digital cameras tend to have more than one, even if only one to carry preloaded with B&W and one with color film....

In the long run, you are right, a digital SLR at about 8-9 MP is the best way to go, but most folks who are not yet pros cannot afford them yet at $1,300.00 and up for a decent set of digital SLR camera and lenses. As and when we see greater than 10 MP digital cameras, the 8 MP cameras will also drop in price.

Paul

Sorry guys, I can't really afford to go Digital SLR, just want something that's a lot closer to it than my current camera. I'm pretty sure you can get the same features in a point-and-shoot digital camera for under $500 that a 35mm SLR camera has. It all comes down to this boys, that's around my price range and Christmas is coming up.

BTW thanks for the advice guys, great reading.