Digital Cameras

[perseus]

How are people getting on with digital cameras? My Pentax 330GS broke down after a year and 10 days.

I find that in the UK the guarantee is for a year and for two years in other parts of Europe (at least that it is what I have been told).

Digital cameras are great, but expensive and fragile or did I buy the wrong one?

 

[El Presidente]

I would recommend you replace it with a Pende 550SXi

 

[REDLAND]

Thats what I have Perseus, and have now for about 2 years, its been to Thailand, Oz and Canada not to mention Europe as well and its been excellent, whats up with yours ??

 

[perseus]

The lens is stuck. When I press the On button the lens does not come out. This is a £300 model with all the gubbins. I would expect 3 years out of it.

This has happened to at least one other person I know with this model.

I bought a Pentax because their old SLR cameras were more reliable than the Olympus. Still I managed more than three years out of the SLR camers before things started wrong with them: Olympus in this case.

 

[Soton Seagull]

Paid £100 for my Kodak Easyshare a couple of months back. No probs so far.

 

[swindonseagull]

Ive had 2 olympus cameras now 1st one is over 4 years old (1.2 mil pix) and has never gone wrong. the second is over 1 year old (5 mill) and has never gone wrone either..
Im not trying to teach you to suck eggs but try a brand new set of batteries or else a decent shop will clean it for £30..it might just be a contact problem or even as simple as the on board software dont throw it just yet..
try http://www.digitaldepot.co.uk/

 

[perseus]

It may well be a design fault with the Pentax. It did occur to me that all the cheaper compact cameras and digital cameras were made to a naff design and they were all liable to break down, like the cheap SLR lens?

Going into the shop where I bought in a few minutes to see what they have to say about it.

As I might have to buy a new digital camera, what are the recommended ones on sale now? In the medium price range and ones that fit in the pocket.

 

[Raphael Meade]

i'd always stick with canon.

they've just announced a whole new line (as have everyone at the recent PMA) so it might be worth waiting a short while if you're buying again...

 

[swindonseagull]

olympus mju300 fits in the pocket, nice metal case and all round good camera with a decent olympus lens (some cheaper cameras have crap lenses) about £195 on line

 

[London Calling]

What's your price range?

I bought a digital camera Canon G5 a few months ago after reviewing loads and picked up loads of recommendations.

Just also picked a Sony P10 for the missus. Its very small, 5 mega pixels at £266 from Amazon. With a 256 mg memory card (£77)we can also get 44 mins of video.

LC

 

[sullyupthewing]

My digital camera lasted 6 months I got so pissed off with it, I binned it, gone back to 35mm.

 

[perseus]

The pictures produced on my digital camera were better than the ones on my SLR.

Except for the flash pictures which had a colour cast, all looking more orangey. Is this the Pentax or are all digital cameras like this?

All digital cameras seem to be not so good on the landscape shots.

 

[Raphael Meade]

oops looks like i missed off half my post...

i was just gonna add that i've had my canon for about 7 months, taken 4500 pics and havent had a hint of a problem.

like i said, you cant go wrong with a canon.

 

[perseus]

With the Canons (I would like the SLR) do you get a colour cast when the flashgun fires?

I was warned off the Canon Sureshot (I am not sure if this was its exact name), which I actually ordered, until I was told that I would be disappointed with its performance.

I expect I would like one with a flash memory card so I can save the 64 Mb card from the existing camera. Not really big enough. 256 Mb is best. I had not planned getting a new digital camera for at least another full year. So it is nearly the cost of a season ticket. (Well nearly if I watched Bolton, quite a bit less than a season ticket at Withdean. *)

I might just rather take photographs in the sun than freeze my feet at Withdean after last night.

The best thing about the Pentax is the ACDSee software, but seeing I now have this, it doesn't matter with the new camera.

(* The fall in the crowds can be blamed upon faulty digital cameras )

 

[JAMC]

This is the dogs when it comes to digital cameras. Guess the price.

 

[perseus]

You have just reminded me to buy a lottery ticket.

The Canon external flashgun lead costs £32 or so. It is just a bloody wire.

 

[Raphael Meade]

With the Canons (I would like the SLR) do you get a colour cast when the flashgun fires?

I was warned off the Canon Sureshot (I am not sure if this was its exact name), which I actually ordered, until I was told that I would be disappointed with its performance.

I expect I would like one with a flash memory card so I can save the 64 Mb card from the existing camera. Not really big enough. 256 Mb is best. I had not planned getting a new digital camera for at least another full year. So it is nearly the cost of a season ticket. (Well nearly if I watched Bolton, quite a bit less than a season ticket at Withdean. *)

i have read a lot of review that give the 'g' series a purple colour cast on a lot of shots, but london calling sounds well happy with his so maybe he'l be able to help their.

my main experience is with my 10d which i wouldnt trade for NUFFINK (except perhaps the new 1d mark 2!!) and i am incredibly happy with.

with regards to colour cast when the flash gun fires on the slrs there is none, and as far as i have read this isn't neccessarily a problem with the flash as a general one..

have you used www.dpreview.com and www.dcresource.com both VERY good sites when looking into buying digital...

 

[Raphael Meade]

You have just reminded me to buy a lottery ticket.

The Canon external flashgun lead costs £32 or so. It is just a bloody wire.

depending on the model the flashgun can set you back a bob or two as well!!!!

 

[Northstander]

My DIDGIE....

I got one of my missus for xmas, it's only 2 mil. pixuls and isn't the best camera I have ever had but don't have the heart to get a better one.

 

[perseus]

The Pentax 330GS camera cost £280 which actually included negotiated extras like a case.

The shop will send it back to the manufacturer which will take at least a month and then send me the bill as it is out of guarantee by ten days.

I said "along the lines of, is that how long these cameras last, just one year and then I have to buy another one?"

They replied "that they are expected cameras to last longer than this and volunteered to ask the manufacturer to waive the bill"

The shop said "they had never had this problem on the digital cameras before and he thought this was because they had no moving parts"

I replied "it certainly doesn't now but I bought it on the understanding that when I pressed the button marked On the lens will move out, as in 'moving' ".

From previous experience of camera manufacturers, I do not expect any joy. All cameras I have purchased have developed faults just after the guarantee has run out. All three were not cheap and the peripherals like extra lens and flashguns had a medium to poor record as well. Flashgun leads were notorious.