Opinions on this Digital Camera

[Evil Cheese]

I'm in the market for a new digital camera. I have about a $200 budget and I was looking for something that is capable of taking 12 megapixel photos, has > 3X zoom, fairly slim, and a decent amount of control if I feel like I want to start experimenting with things. So far I have come across the Olympus FE-5010 and it seems to fit the bill. Does anybody with some photography experience have any opinions?

[Surf314]

How serious about taking photos are you?  If you don't mind the bulk I'd always go with a SLR.  The viewfinder and the sensor use the same lense so what you take a photo of is exactly what you are seeing.  You can also do other really cool shit like change out your lenses and get useful things like macro lenses and zoom lenses.  As far as make and model you really have to get one to suit you and there really isn't anything really awful.  I bought mine based on the deal they had with the lense (an amazing Tamron) and I love it.

Whether you get SLR or not though you need to make sure you get one with a good sensor.  And I'm not talking about megapixels, some makes have better quality of light sensors than others.  It won't make a huge difference except if you are going up to 12 megapixels you could be wasting your money as some makes will give you 12 shitty megapixels versus another one that would have 6 high quality megapixels.

And lastly you should never really need 12 megapixels unless you want to blow up the pictures really large or you are shooting professionally.  Plus the file sizes are huge.  It's definitely better to go with 6 and use the highest quality than to go up to 12.  When I used to go to my camera shop all the time they'd show me pictures taken with different cameras they had and they had a 4 megapixel camera that made beautiful photos they blew up to 8x10 with no pixelation.

[HeK]

SLRs are nice, but they are hardly easy to travel with. Not small and WAY out of the requested price range.

Now, while Olympus is taking over the lower price market, they do have some limitations. Their choice of memory cards; you either have to use the size limited (max 2gb) xD (and over priced Olympus branded xD cards if you want the panoramic feature) or slower microSD cards. Personally, I'd suggest looking at models that support SD cards, mainly SDHC class 6. Since you are looking at a 12mpixel camera (You do not need this much, but that is besides the point) you will be producing large files. This enforces the need for larger storage cards with faster transfer rates.

While the FE-5010 is a nice size with a good zoom (5x is better then the average 3x), you loose on the 'speed' of the lens. The lens on this camera is f3.5-5.6. This range is basically a measurement of how much light the lens can gather. The lower the number, the better. f1.0 is the lowest. The standard range for a compact is f2.8-5.6, and since the value is practically exponential this Olympus gathers roughly 1/2 as much light in best conditions as another model with a 'faster' (lower f-stop) lens.
Basically it means that his camera is more likely to blur photos in lower light. The camera does have an image stabilizer, but there is no real replacement for a good lens. The FE-5010 does come with a rechargeable lithium ion battery, which is good.


I would recommend looking at what Canon offers. They have the PowerShot A1100 IS, which is a 4x 12mp, but it requires AA batteries. They also have a SD960 IS which more in the style that you have requested. It is in the $275ish range.

In the end, I find it's up to the buyer's personal preference. I highly suggest that you find a store where you can handle and play with any contestants before you make your purchase. There are always the little things that you never can read about in reviews.

[Evil Cheese]

Thanks for the help so far.

I've decided on loosening my criteria on size a bit and I've found this  Kodak EasyShare Z1285. It's a good bit larger than the Olympus in comparison, but it's still well within "portable" range. This one has more features and allows manual control as well. As recommended, the aperture on this one is faster, hitting at f/2.8. I do realize that 12 megapixels is a lot, but 10-12 seems to be the standard most point-and-shoot cameras in the $100-$200 price range are aiming for these days. 

[HeK]

Not a bad choice. That specific model also uses a Schneider designed lens, I noticed a difference between them and Kodaks' generic lenses.
Personally I'm not a fan of Kodaks' menu system, but that is simply preference.