Point & Shoot Camera

7/26/2019 Point & Shoot Camera

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Buying a Point & Shoot Camera

A guide for the perplexed, by Philip Greenspun for photo.net.

Guide Contents:

1.op

!."s a point and shoot #amera the right tool for the $ob%

.'igital (ersus )ilm

*.+hy you might not ant that fan#y -oom P&S

.But " ant the -oom to ta/e portraits

0.But " ant the -oom to ta/e artisti# pi#tures

.+hy you might ant that fan#y -oom P&S

2.he 3ashi#a *: a sensible #hoi#e

4.5ore

6eader7s Comments

If you already own a P&S camera, you probably should read my guide to taking good pictureswith a P&S camera.

Pricing and Member Reviews

iew and price all !"mm point and shoot cameras, digital point and shoot cameras and #PS pointand shoot cameras in one place with photo.net e$shop.



"s a point and shoot #amera the right tool for the $ob%

#s I discuss in %hoosing a amera for a 'ong (rip%, you have to decide whether the purpose of an outing is primarily photographic. #re you trying to e)perience Paris or photograph Paris* If you+re going to be spending - of your time e)posing film or thinking about pictures, then a

larger camera is a better tool. # standard !"mm S'R camera has larger and more convenientcontrols than a point and shoot. # medium/ or large/format camera will give significantly better image 0uality 1see %2hat amera Should I 3uy% for a discussion of these cameras4. # tripod will

be a tremendous help. 3ut if you+re only carrying the camera on the off chance that somethingcatches your eye, it is rather unpleasant to lug around "- lbs. of e0uipment.

'igital (ersus )ilm8based Cameras

(here are pocket/si5ed digital cameras that function 0uitenicely as point and shoot cameras, for e)ample, the anonS6--. (he advantage of the digital camera is that the photos

are available for instant sharing via the Internet and you don+thave to spend money on film or processing. (he maindisadvantage of digital cameras circa 7--6 is that they dependso heavily on personal computers circa 7--6. 2ith afilm/based camera, you press the button !8 times then removethe film and take it to a lab. 9or long/term archival storage, a metal file cabinet serves nicely. 2itha digital camera, you need to transfer the images to a computer and learn how to use a high/0uality

printer or produce 2eb pages. 9or long/term storage and retrieval you need to get a big harddrive, a big tape drive, backup software, and the discipline to make backups regularly.

2hat if you don+t use your camera regularly* Suppose that two years ago you loaded up afilm/based camera with a roll of IS: ;-- film and lithium battery. <ou took two photos of your dog+s birthday party and put the camera on the shelf until the ne)t birthday whereupon yousnapped four more photos. <our dog+s birthday is today. <ou grab the camera off the shelf andsnap a few more photos then take the roll down to the local minilab. Most digital cameras rely onrechargeable batteries. If you tried the same scenario with a digital camera you+d have missed two

birthday parties.

+hy you might not ant that fan#y -oom P&S

$oom lenses have more elements 1pieces of glass4 than fi)ed focal/length lenses. More elements

means more ways for light to bounce around inside the lens. Stray light 1flare4 fills in areas of the picture that are supposed to be black, thus reducing contrast. (hat+s why pictures taken with most5oom lenses are flat. If your sub=ect is a stand of trees on a foggy day, you might not mind, butmost of the time photographs taken with a 5oom lens will lack snap.

<ou can forget about shooting into the sun with most cheap 5oom lenses> all you will get is flare.

(he 5oom lens adds weight, cost, and si5e. <ou might not have the camera with you when youneed it and that+s the whole point of getting a P&S instead of an S'R.

3ut I want the 5oom to take portraits # longer focal length makes for better portraits,

but you will generally want a fast aperture 1e.g., f?7. or f?;4 to



throw the background out of focus and concentrate the viewer+s attention on the sub=ect. # @ikon -/7--?7. lens 1A6---4 makes a beautiful portrait lens, but the 5ooms on P&S cameras are usually around f? or f?66 when racked out and therefore will render the B))on station behind your sub=ect perfectly sharp.

(he photo at right was taken on the street in 2hitehorse, <ukon 1part of (ravels with Samantha4 with a !--?7. at f?;. 2hitehorse, <ukon is not such an attractive town that you+d want it rendered perfectly sharp in the background.

3ut I want the 5oom to take artistic picturesMost artistic pictures are taken in fairly low light 1see my techni0ue guide4. Bven with IS:

;-- film, a point and shoot 5oom lens is so slow at longer focal lengths that you+ll never get anything without a tripod. #nd a tripod kind of spoils the whole idea, doesn+t it* 1(hough not as badly as on/camera flash, which spoils nearly every photo.4

# <ashica (; with its !"?!." lens will let you do creative things with IS: ;-- print film and even IS: 6-- slide film, without having to turn on the flash all the time.

+hy you might ant that fan#y -oom P&S

(echnology changes fast. Some of the very latest 5oom P&S cameras can fit in a shirt pocket anddon+t have much flare. Cow do they do this* 2ith aspherics. Most e)pensive camera lenses arestill made with only glass elements that are sections of spheres. If you are willing to mold a lens outof plastic you have much more freedom of shape and can correct more optical problems with asingle element.

Minolta sells a 7/D-mm shirt/pocket 5oom camera that uses four elements, two of them aspheric 19reedom $oom B)plorer, about A6;" at #dorama4. (he e)posure system is great with slide film and the contrast seems =ust as good as with the (;. Ender a Schneider ;F loupe, the images from mine were sharp enough for the photo editors at Cearst maga5ines. (he fill flash doesn+t suit me very well on overcast days, however. (he

sub=ect is usually brighter than the background and that looksunnatural. I+m not sure if the (; was any better or if I =ust tended to use it more with IS: "- filmwhere the flash didn+t have much reach.

I carried mine in my front left pants pocket for a few months and the viewfinder filled up with dust1lint*4 then the camera =ammed and prematurely rewound its 6-th roll of film. (his was the samefailure mode as my old (;. I sent it back to Minolta and they cleaned it for me and claimed that itworks perfectly now. It would seem that I+ve demonstrated the inability of these cameras tosurvive the pants pocket environment. G@oteH the camera broke again a couple of months later. Isent it back to Minolta for warranty service. (hey held it for two months. It came back vaguelyrepaired but still not behaving reliably.



he 3ashi#a *: a sensible #hoi#e

(housands of pros have <ashica (; point & shoots. (hese have a fi)ed !"?!." lens that is as sharp and contrasty as most S'R optics, an e)posure metering system accurate enough for

slide film, and a true shirt/pocket si5e. Bven onsumer Reports top/rated this camera. It is about A6"- in @ew <ork. (he latest %(; Super% 1known as the (" in Burope and #sia4 has the same optics and film transport but adds a right/angle %waist/level% finder 1good for low/angle and?or sneak shots4

plus weatherproof construction. (he latter is very important if you like to carry your camera in a pants pocket, where the high humidity from, dare I say it, sweat tends to fog the viewfinder.

My (;s have proven to have e)posure metering that is sufficiently accurate for slide film thoughthese days I never use anything other than IS: ;-- color negative film in a point and shoot 1or sometimes Jodak (M#F ;-- @ black and white film, which is more or less the same idea4.

Kon+t e)pect miracles from the (;, though. (he plastic construction doesn+t feel any better than theother P&S cameras> it is the beautiful $eiss (essar ;/element lens 1with (L coating4 that makesthe (; special.

Cere+s something I found in the rec.photo newsgroups about a erman maga5ine+s test of a (;versus e)pensive 1A8--4 onta) and absurdly e)pensive 1AN--4 @ikon P&S cameras 1yuppieclass4H

%(he following is a side by side comparison of <ashica (; vs @ikon !"(i and onta) (7+s optical performance according to foto Maga5in test charts.

<ashica (; (7 @ikon !"(i 'ensH (essar !"mm?!." Sonnar !?7. !"mm?7. Resolution 1smaller better4 enterH -.-6Dmm -.-6" -.-6"mm BdgeH -.-6D -.-68 -.-6 ontrast 1higher better4 enter N7 D D7

Bdge " "- ;" :ptical Performance N. N.; N.7 Rating LLLLL LLLL LLL

(7 slightly better than !"(i, but very close.

(;+s resolution O (7 at center and edge O !"(i at center !" (i at edge



(; contrast, better than (7 and !"(i center?edge by subtantial margin.%

2here to 3uyH (he <ashica (" 1the european edition of the (; Super carrying the

manufacturer+s E.S. warranty4 is available in black and silver at #dorama, a retailer that pays photo.net a referral fee for each customer, which helps keep this site in operation. 9or additionalretailer information, see our recommended retailers page and the user recommendations section.

Cere are a few other cameras worth consideringH

:lympus Stylus Bpic 1available at #dorama4. It has a four/element !"?7. lens 17?!rds of an f/stop faster than the (;4, is weatherproof, and can be triggered with an optional infrared remote control.

Ricoh R6.

More

the comment section for this page 1contains many reviews4 and maybe my @eighbor to @eighbor service 1product?manufacturer section4

the archived point and shoot threads in the photo.net Q&# foruma list of recommended camera shopsonce you+ve got a camera, read our techni0ue guide for P&S photography

if you+re interested in going digital, read %hoosing a Kigital amera%

6eader7s Comments

I agree strongly with the (/; assessment. I carry one in my briefcase, my wife carries one in her purse and each of my children have one for their bookbags or backpacks. reat little camera, with a definite cult following. heap too.

// Jimball orson, Kecember 6", 6NN8

I+ve got a Penta) IQ5oom !/N- 2R, which has been on the market about ; years now. I+ve never been particularly happy with its autofocus, and the poor paralla) compensation on Macro mode> its always cutting off tops and bottoms. Pictures are acceptably sharp. 'ast but not least, (he rubber shutter release cover fell off, rendering the 2ater resi/ stance feature useless. Repair cost ES66-.--, because of the way it+s designed the whole front case needs replacement.

My Kad+s got a Ricoh P&S, fits in his pocket and takes great pictures. heck it out.



// Isaac '. Japlan, Kecember 7D, 6NN8

@ikon 'ite (ouchH Made in Indonesia. Kelivers e)cellent sharpness and contrast, widest lens on a micro p&s 17mm4 1ignoring the 7;mm panorama option on the

Ricoh R6.4 'owest price, you can pick up a 'ite (ouch for under A6-- in many camera stores. ShortcomingsH limited e)posure range, 6?; sec to 6?7"- sec. Poor flash coverage, can+t really e)pect that tiny flash to cover 7mm indoors in places with high ceilings and few reflecting surfaces. I never use the flash e)cept for outdoor fill. (wo shot self timer a uni0ue, but to me, a 0uite pointless feature. I seldom use the self timer. Panorama feature nice, but better on the Ricoh R6. I don+t have to remember if it+s on or off, the viewfinder tells me. I use the Ricoh when I want panorama, as I can go to either !-mm or 7;mm with it.

Jonica 3ig Mini C. Made in apan. 3eautiful camera with metallic grey finish. B)cellent flash coverage, sharp lens 1!"mm4, e)posure compensation ?/6."B.

Shutter speeds from D." 1T4 to 6?!8- sec. ariable power flash. 'ove this camera, wish it had a 7mm lens. (hat+d take the 'ite (ouch off of this list altogether and very likely cause me to offer the other two for sale on rec.photo.marketplace. ShortcomingsH no lens cap, smudges and fingerprints inevitable, keep lots of lens tissue handy. #lso keep a paper clip or ball point pen handy, as you may have trouble, as I do, with control buttons too small for normal fingers.

Ricoh R6H Made in (aiwan. (he most feature/laden, the most compact of the lot. (hinner than the 'ite (ouch. I have the QK model. (hey have put the controls for the QK on the side of the cameraH cleverT Provides spot metering as well as average metering, two focal lengths 1!-mm / normal, panorama> 7;mm / panorama only4. <ielded surprisingly sharp indoor group shots on recent trip. Probably the most versatile of the lot. ShortcomingH Passive autofocus, although I haven+t found this to be a limitation yet. 2orked fine inside the leveland Metro Parks rain forest, which is pretty dark in places. G@oteH If you like erman/designed 1or at least labeled4 optics, check out the much pricier Rollei Prego Micron> it is identical to the Ricoh R6, e)cept for its Schneider #9/ourtagon lens.

In my opinion, the Jonica 3ig Mini C and the Ricoh R6 must both be seriously considered by anyone looking for a truly compact package with an impressive array of features.

3ottom lineH If owning erman optics is important to you, buy the <ashica (/;. If you+d like to be able to occasionally override the normal e)posure 1backlighting, snow, dark sub=ects, etc.4 choose the Jonica 3ig Mini C. 9or ma)imum versatility in a tiny package, go for the Ricoh R6. 9or a low priced camera capable of overall good performance in mainly outdoor use for scenics, pick up the @ikon 'ite (ouch.

// v)rUpo.cwru.edu //, anuary 7, 6NND

# short comment about the features of the Ricoh R6H It does not have a spot meter, as is stated above. (he feature asu Ramanu=am seems to be referring to is the spot

auto/ focus, forcing the camera to use the center autofocus point, instead of the wide



auto/ focus 1there are three autofocus 5ones, selected automatically4. I tested the camera as followsH I photographed a greycard with a small white area in the middle, using slide film, once with spot autofocus, once without. (here was no difference.

// an 2arnking, anuary 7;, 6NND

(here is a lot of great information here. (he P&S sections are probably among the most visited. ertainly, this is where the market is.

I thought I would add a few comments on the 0uestion of carrying a camera with you all the time, everywhere.

(his seems like a great idea if you are obsessed with photography. My Kad subscribed to this philosophy. Ce carried movie camera, poloroid, !"mm, and the latest Jodak consumer format around all the time. 2e always =oked that he was missing his life. Ce never knew what he+d done, until he got home and could look at

the pictures.

It worked for him. 2hen he passed away a few years ago, he had disc cameras, several polaroids, movie cameras, video cassette recorders, point & shoots, ad nauseum. Ce loved taking pictures. 9or him, the picture was even more important than the event.

I got my first camera when I was in the second grade. I+ve still got pictures that I took with that camera. I even won my first photo contest with a vacation photo taken at Plymouth Planatation with that camera.

I got that camera, in part, to mimic my Kad, and in part to defend myself against always being photographed. 2ith my own camera in hand, I could roam around and take pictures, and use this as an e)cuse for not posing. I was e)posing kodachrome mm movie film without a meter by the age of 67.

2hen my own kids were small, I remembered how I+d thought my Kad had missed a lot by being so obsessed with taking pictures at every event, and I started to be very selective about when I would get a camera out. I sure didn+t take it everywhere. In many cases I wanted to en=oy the moment, unencumbered by photo e0uipment.

I don+t regret this decision. (he memory of the activity is still valuable, even without a photo to help set it off. (here are some places for pictures, and there are other places where pictures can intrude. <ou may have a more en=oyable life if you can figure out how to properly balance your hobby against the other important issues and people in your orbit.

// len ohnson, 9ebruary 67, 6NND

I have a Ricoh R6 as my %ski trip% camera. 2orks great. an even operate it with my ski gloves on. lips nicely to my ski pants. I+ve got pictures that no one else in our group has. My only complaint is the lack of even a little 5oom lens capability. I+m

considering a anon B'PC as a small, easy to carry, R6 alturnitive. I am concerned



about the new technology that the B'PC uses.

// Mike Schermer, March N, 6NND

I+ve long felt the need for a compact camera that would fit in my pocket, but I+ve

been put off by the classic point & shoots with their plastic construction, lack of controls, and primitive meters. I+ve read the high marks that have been posted for the <ashica (/;?(/; Super, and I+ve been tempted / but I always come back to my unwillingness to buy a camera for my own use that won+t at least allow me to shift the program and apply some e)posure compensation.

I+ve toyed with the idea of a Ce)ar, but the Ce)ar really isn+t a pocket camera , so I+ve never followed through and bought one.

I know that 9oto Maga5in says that the <ashica (/; beats the onta) (7 and the @ikon !" (i in their resolution and contrast tests. I happen to be one of the folks

who believes that this kind of testing presents an over simplification of the comple) issues associated with evaluating camera performance. (he (/; may be very capable, but it isn+t something that I want for my style of use.

Recently I+ve engaged in e)tensive correspondence with 3arry Pehlman, another neti5en. 3arry+s positive e)periences with the Ce)ar and with his @ikon 7 (i, coupled with the fact that the price of the @ikon !" (i has recently dropped to A8;N.N" 1with ES 2arranty, leather case, and battery4 at both 3&C, and a local store here in Kayton, pushed me to purchase a @ikon !" (i.

(his is a neat camera. It does not have a true manual capability 1like the Ce)ar4, but it does allow program shift in many lighting situations, and it allows compensation in 6?! stop increments up to ?/ 7 stops in all lighting situations. It has aperture priority and time e)posure, in addition to program and fle)ible program 1the term @ikon uses for the program shift feature on this camera4. #perture priority allows you to set the aperture in half stop increments between f?7. and f?77.

It has a 8 5one !K matri) meter, and it uses the meter and the distance information in its flash algorithm. (he manual touts the fact that this technology was brought in from the high end S'R product line. 19rankly, my tests indicate that it really isn+t any smarter than the on camera flash in an #7B. If you want decent flash pictures, you

have to think about what you+re doing / whether you+re using a @ikon, a anon, or a <ashica (/;. H/44

(here are three words to describe my feeling about this camera. I ':B I(TT It fits in my pocket. I can take it with me anywhere, even where cameras aren+t welcomed. People aren+t intimidated when I bring it up and shoot. I get more smiles. If I+d known it would be this much fun to have this sort of camera along, I would have bought one a long time ago.

(he meter is e)tremely accurate. (he lens is sharp and the slides that I get with this camera are beautiful. It is a great compliment to my e)tensive B:S system. I find

myself sticking the !" (i in my pocket and grabbing an S'R with a medium telephoto



lens when I go out for recreational shooting. It is a lot lighter than taking a second S'R and lens along / even if it is not as fle)ible.

It is tough. Enbeknownst to me, it fell out of my pocket one morning. 2hen I got out of the car, I tried to close the car door, and it woudn+t close. I tried a couple of times

before looking to see what was blocking the door. It was the !" (i in its leather case. I picked it up and checked it out immediately. @o damage. @o sign of damage. ust like nothing had happened. It functioned perfectly too. # plastic pocket camera would have been in a couple of pieces.

<ou can override the auto focus and set focus manually if you wish. :r you can set focus to infinity. #uto focus seems to be very accurate based on the slides that I+ve gotten back, even with relatively small sub=ects. It will focus as close as 6.! feet.

(he viewfinder tends to be forgiving. I would actually prefer a more accurate viewfinder. (he frame in the viewfinder changes with the focus setting to try to offset

paralla).

Bvery person who saw this camera up close during some recent social shooting commented on what a neat anti0ue camera the !" (i was. (his impression was conveyed because of the wierd mechanical chronometers that @ikon chose to use instead of a detailed 'K panel. :n the bright side, these chronometers aren+t going to die after " years 1as will reportedly occur with most 'K panels4. I didn+t care for the chronometers at first, but they+ve grown on me and I like them now. (here is one for distance, one for aperture, one for compensation, and one to indicate the number of frames you+ve shot. (he mechanical display is also used when you activate the self timer, and when the film is being rewound.

<ou can illuminate the viewfinder and the chronometers if you want to. (he viewfinder is automatically illuminated in low light.

(he camera has several custom functions that allow you to customi5e the camera for your own habits. <ou can switch from !K matri) meter to center weighted average meter, for e)ample. <ou can turn off the flash permanently if you wish. <ou can change the display in the view finder so that aperture is displayed there instead of shutter speed. (here are a few others that I don+t remember right now as I write this in real time on the comment page.

(he camera has a frame mask for panorama shots. (his seems kind of silly to me, since you can crop a full frame !"mm negative for panorama if you want to. (here is a tripod mount. (here is no provision for off camera flash.

My only gripe about this camera has to do with the control of the on camera flash. If you are in program mode and the camera decides that flash should be used, but you disagree, you either have to cancel it with a custom function 1which is a pain4, or you have to cancel it by holding a little button down 1also a pain4. If you want to do slow synch flash, the manual recommends that you hold the %anytime% flash button down and that this will allow shutter speeds to e)tend to as long as 6?; second. It is stupid

to recommend that someone press a button down on the camera body during a 6?;



second e)posure, in my view. It will also slow synch in aperture priority, so this is a better option if you want to try to balance your flash and ambient light. In the 7 (i they fi)ed this problem by putting in a little sliding three position switch that you don+t have to hold down. Much smarter idea.

(his is a great little camera. ery rugged. beautifully manufactured. Sharp lens and smart meter that can produce very high 0uality images. (he lens is a !"mm f?7. @ikkor. @ikon doesn+t use the @ikkor name on their lower 0uality models. (his lens is a gem.

If you want a high 0uality, metal bodied, pocket si5ed, point & shoot style camera, with a very smart meter, sharp lens, and the capability to shift program and compensate e)posure, this camera will be a very satisfying choice, and represents an e)cellent value at its present price. My thanks to 3arry for pushing me along in this direction and for his help in comparing the various models.

// len ohnson, March 7;, 6NND

<ashika (; glass is great, but the absence of automation overrides makes the camera hit or miss for anything other that snapshot photography.

Ce)ar is truly e)cellent, but hardly a compact.

I+d add a used Rollei !"S to the list of compacts to consider. Singapore models can be found for A7"-ish and the results from this fully manual compact are impressive.

// Bric oldstein, March 7, 6NND

I had been reading about the <ashica ( series of cameras for years and finally decided to buy one to take to the :lympics last une instead of my B:S+. I purchased a (/; Super (he camera is light and pocketable, shirt pockets included. My only problem has been with backlighting and side lighting, which both seem to fool the autoe)posure mechanism. I suspect that using fill/flash would solve this, but in a 0uick moment cycling through the options would mean losing the shot. (he lens is sharp, but there is a soft side> mine has a soft right side. (he (/; has become my everyday, take/it/along on a buisness trip camera. (he anon and Rollei 7 6?; remain hiome.

// Steven oldberg, #pril ", 6NND

(he foto/maga5in data which seems to imply the <ashica is superior to its far more e)pensive counterparts is interesting, but I wouldn+t lose too much sleep over it. (here is =ust no doubt that the onta) (7 is better than the <ashica. I have owned both in the last si) months, having been a little disappointed with the (; 1(" in the EJ4. I finally dug deeper into my pocket and bought a (7. I can+t refer to lens charts, or all the other paraphrenalia of maga5ine reviews, but simple side by side comparisons show me, that the (7 is a fantastic camera. I use it alongside a 'eica R" without batting an eyelid, and happily mi) slides from both cameras when assemling a

slide/show, with wonderful consistency of results. (his seems to me the point for



having a P&S // as a supplement for bigger?better?heavier S'R+s, but able to replicate, or at least appro)imate, S'R 0uality. lenn mentions the Rollei !"S> I also have one of these. #lthough awkward to use, particularly in focusing 1which is done entirely by guesstimating the distance4, and the eccentricity of having the flash shoe on the underside of the body, its Sonnar lens is e)ceptionally sharp 1as it is on the

(74. #nother thing about P&S+s is that you dont need to restrict yourself to having =ust one. I find there are times when I need their compactness, but en=oy having two of them to allow mi)ing film types, slides and b?w in my case. (wo of them can still be carried in average pocket space. I have so much faith in the (7, I now use it often simply as another lens, no longer carrying a !"mm, but instead using its !mm when 7 is too wide, and "-, too long. #ll the other P&S virtues remain undiminished. 9lash grabs 1baby doing his once in a lifetime things, first steps, tearing up newspapers, grinning like a clown // #@K, for my partner to take pics with MB in it. She has @: interest in cameras whatsoever, but likes the pics the P&S takes without having to give a pico/second+s thought to e)posure, focus etc. @ot to be snee5ed at. 1Koes this count as a %persistent% point* 2hy are these comments

%persistent% anyway*

// Martin Kavidson, #pril N, 6NND

Several years ago I purchased a Rollei Prego Micron to take with me to Mardi ras//I didn+t want the burden of one one of my S'R+s. 9actors influencing my purchase decision included the panoramic lense, which proved to be =ust the ticket for photographing the parades, but hasn+t proved very useful since, and the small si5e. #ll told, I+m very happy with this camera and the images it produces. I even sold some photographs taken with the Rollei to an Bnglish 'and/Rover maga5ine. I submitted the transparencies from the Rollei along with the rest to see what would happen. (o my delight, half of the si) photos the maga5ine chose to publish had come from my P&S. Proof to me that it+s not so much the gear as your ability to capture the image. (he Rollei has all but replaced my !"mm anon #/6, #B/6program and the accompanying brace of lenses, filters and accessories for most of my shooting.

(hat being said, I have one ma=or complaint about the camera, and once caution, which should probably be added to the %using your P&S% section. (he complaint is that the Rollei, or at least mine, doesn+t actually give a low battery warning. 1(he manual says it will, but it lies %and we must be merciful to those who lie.%4 In practice,

you learn that your battery is gone when the film fails to advance completely and the camera goes %dead% for all practical purposes. Replacing the battery is simple and I always carry a spare. 3ut once you+ve replaced the battery you have to rewind the roll of film that+s in the camera and replace it//unless you have the ability to fish the leader out in the field, this means %wasting% a roll of film. 9or some reason the camera employs artificial intelligence that only allows it to go dead three shots into a !8 e)posure roll of film. 1#nd I usually forget to mark the roll so I end up sending it off for processing not %recycling% it.4

My caution seems will probably seem like common sense to most people//Remember to keep the lense cleanT It+s arguably more important than with

your S'R 1or other fancy4 optics because the element is so much smaller. I =ust got a



roll of film back from the lab//another 'and/Rover rally and was real disappointed with the results. Poor %focus%, lousy e)posures and a noticeable vignetting on panoramic shots. I+d never shot such a consistently bad roll of film with this %idiot proof% camera before. # close e)amination showed the 1most likely4 culprit//a dirty lense, especially a %ring% around the outer edges. I took a lense tissue wrapped Q/tip

to it, and trust the problem is solved, though I haven+t shot a test roll yet.

I+d highly recommend the Rollei Prego Micron to anyone looking for a %daily driver% as long as the above is kept in mind. I confess, I+m probably going to try to borrow a (; though//=ust to see what all the fuss is about.

// eff 3erg, #pril 6, 6NND

(his review is somewhat of a counterpoint to len+s review of the !"ti above. I too decided that I wanted a camera that I could put in a pocket and take with me most of the time. Bveryone says how great the (;+s lens is but I+ve also heard they+re not

very reliable and there+s no e)posure control. (he !"ti looked nice but I always thought the price was too high.

If you want the short version, I think the R6 is great. If you want more info, read on.

Ricoh introduced the R6 at the beginning of the year to compete with the !"ti, (7, etc. e)cept the price is 0uite a bit cheaper. (he !"ti seems to be selling for about A8-- these days and the R6 sells at 3&C for about A;7-. www.netmarket.com has the R6 for about A!7- but they try to suck you in to a membership1(his can be avoided if you read the site4. #ll the rest of the so/called lu)o P&S+s cost around A--.

(he 7?7. lens is e)cellent, sharp and contrasty. Ricoh has even released the lens alone in a 'eica M mount. (he ergonomics are also e)cellent. (he aperture dial is on the right side. It has an +#+ for auto and has detents for f7. to f77 in half stop increments. (here is also an e)posure compensation dial on the left that allows ?/ 7 stops of compensation in half stop increments.

:ther features of the R6 include time e)posures, focus distance lock1which allows the user to set hyperfocal distance, a nice feature4 and wide area and spot passive

#9. (he two #9 areas are similar to my @N-s which facilitates switching between the two. (he one area where it falls a little short #9 wise is sensitivity. It is definately not as good in this area as my @N-s which shouldn+t be surprising. It has problems with low contrast sub=ects and is only sensitive to vertical lines. It does prefocus and hold focus when the shutter release is pressed halfway though. :ther features include parala) correction and shutter speeds16sec to 6?"--4 in the finder. (he R6 will even leave the leader out on a mid/roll rewind if the rewind button is pressed twice. I had to have my @N-s reprogrammed to do that.

(he flash allows the user to set normal flash, fill/flash and no flash. (he fill flash seems to work reasonably well though normal flash shots suffer because the flash can leave

the corners dark. ood flash shots are pretty much impossible when a tiny tube is



place 7 inches from the lens anyway. My only other gripe is that the finder is pretty small and the rough surface of the magnesium shell seems like it could scratch glasses.

#s far as build 0uality goes, I don+t think it+s 0uite as good as the !"ti but it is very

good. Much better than a (; and the like. (he R6 is also one of, if not the smallest !"mm camera available. It+s dimensions are very similar to a anon B'PC but it+s about !?;% longer.

// Paul 2ilson, une 67, 6NND

# childhood marred by hundreds of terrible photos taken with P&S cameras so scarred me that I didn+t bother with cameras for almost ten years, and pursued other arts and other past/times. I suppose a %real% camera would have satisfied my longing, but I don+t have the time or inclination to learn how to use it. #nyway, after reading these pages I was inspired to give it another shot, and on these recommendations, I

purchased a <ashica (; Super from #dorama. 9ortunately, they didn+t screw me, and I love the camera. It is light, but e)udes 0uality, and the results are fantastic. I love the ability to control the flash and lock focus while composing a shot. I understand these features are not uni0ue to the <ashica, but they are new to me, and are 0uite e)citing. I+ve been e)perimenting with light and composition and have come to the conclusion that a good lense and skill beats a telephoto most of the time. I paid around A6"-ES for the camera. B)penses are going up though, as I e)periment with different types of film and different developers. I can easily burn through a roll of !8 in ten minutes. #nyway...go for the <ashica and work on your skills and I think you+ll be happy. (hanks for a great resource, PhilT

// ustin 'oeber, :ctober , 6NND

I have gravitated away from using my S'R systems e)cept on rare occasion. @owadays, compact !"mm cameras are my most used tools. # few comments on different cameras I+ve had e)perience withH

:lympus Infinity Stylus Simple, cheap, good 0uality. 3een bashed around for 8 years and still working well. # bit too much red/eye. Quite acceptable for prints up to ")D, occasional )67s. Kecent focus, somewhat cruder e)posure. ood buy.

<ashica (; Super (ook three rolls of film with a borrowed one. (he lens seems e)cellent, but the e)posure and focus system only seemed so/so. It+s a notch above the :lympus Stylus due to the e)cellent optic but not much more.

'eica Mini5oom <es, the lens is slow. :ther than that, the optics are absolutely top notch, the e)posure and focus are e)cellent, and there+s =ust enough controllability to make it really useful. 3ulb for time e)posures is a great asset. Sleeper, worth every penny.

@ikon !"(i I used one of these for two years. I ultimately found it a very frustrating camera to use its e)tensive features, although the lens and controlability with

overrides are great. (he controls are fiddly, the focus is finicky. B)posure is right on



the money nearly 6-- of the time. Mine =ammed twice and needed a fairly e)pensive repair.

onta) (S Serious bu) for a camera with a very slow lens, but the imaging 0uality of the $eiss lens is lovely and this is one point and shoot with all the bells and

whistles, and they are actually usable. It takes filters, a lens hood, has e)cellent e)posure control, manual focus with focus aids, plenty of e)posure override range, optional databack, etc etc. I+ve taken some wonderful pictures with it. (he manual 5oom is great because you can set LpreciselyL what you want, as well as the aperture. (he viewfinder is a little dim. # wonderful does everything camera. I had a =am in the 5oom control which onta) fi)ed on warranty.

Ricoh R6 Simply superb. ery tiny with an e)tremely sharp, fast f?7. 7mm lens. ontrols are e)actly what you would want to do real photographyH e)posure overrides, focus locking, aperture priority or program automation. Stark and business like 1mine is black4, the all magnesium body is light and rigid, very nice to

the touch. ust a hair larger than my wallet, fits 1inside its leather slip case4 in my pocket with ease. If you like the wide angle format, this is one of the best cameras in the genre.

Rollei !" My old standby favorites. @ot a point and shoot but a 6-- manual, mechanical camera with a simple coupled meter, scale focusing. Real shutter speeds from a real Synchro/ompur shutter. # $eiss lens 1either ;-?7. Sonnar or ;-?!." (essar4 which is as good as any I+ve every seen on anything. ompact, made of metal, a trifle blocky but very good to the touch. Superb photographs. I end up carrying one of these 1a Rollei !"S or lassic4 and the Ricoh R6 whenever I travel nowadays, leaving the S'Rs at home.

I also carry Mino) subminiatures ... nothing beats a Mino) for portability ... and unlike some people, I always keep whatever I+m carrying in a minimal leather slip case rather than =ust banging around in my pocket. (hey last a lot longer that way.

I+ve got pictures from most of the above cameras on my website at httpH??www.bayarea.net?Vramarren if you care to look in and see what can be done with a P&S camera. /godfrey

// odfrey Kiiorgi, :ctober 7D, 6NND

# little rant on the Penta) N-2RH

reat little camera, but it has a few 0uirky problemsH

//#9#IJ, there is no way to e)plicitly turn off the flash, & not have an unacceptably slow shutter speed. Idiot proofing goes both ways, ya know. LPonders the roll of film wasted, thinking that the shutter was going at a decent speedL.

// (he remote+s a little pathetic. Rather embarassing, standing there taking portrait shots, having to press the shutter relase ! times to get it to go once..



// #nd finally, the LM:S(L annoying thingH Red/Bye reductions flash. (his plain, =ust does not work. I ran about ! rolls through the camera 1you know, the %gimmie a buck, I+ll give you a ;)8% portrait thing4, thinking that the redeye flash would actually work. Bach of the seventy or so proofs I got back had red/eye in each of the sub=ects 1victim+s4 eyes. halk those up to the trash pile..

:f course, there was LP'B@(<L of light, even at 8"mm, and prolly an f that the camera didn+t need a flash, but to turn it off, I would have been photographing a bunch of kids at around 6?6" shutter speed. (here+s something wise to try, even with a tripod.

Lclimbs down off of the tableL

// hris rantham, @ovember 6, 6NND

# couple of years ago I went on a long cycling trip and couldn+t take my old !"mm

S'R, so I looked around and bought a Penta) BSPI: Mini point and shoot, with no 5oom. It took better, sharper shots than I ever had with an S'R, and because it was so tiny it could go everywhere. Enfortunately it moved out with a girlfriend a while back, so that was that and I+m back to the S'R again... so be warned, good P&S cameras are partner/friendly in a way that no manual S'R will ever beT

// ulian Melville, Kecember 6, 6NND

@eeding another P&S I =umped at 3&C+s closeout deal on a 'eica Mini II at A6-N. I ordered it on 67?7!, and it showed up the ne)t day/ all for the standard A8.N8 shipping. @ot bad.

It+s a great little camera with really sharp, contrasty optics> I love showing large prints made with this camera to friends sporting e)pensive autofocus S'Rs with cheap 5oom lenses >/4. I bought it as something to always carry with me when I didn+t want to haul an S'R, but it+s lately been my favorite camera. 2hy carry an 9! with a !"mm?f7 1my favorite combo4 when I can get similar capability in a pocket si5ed package* @eat. <es, it can+t handle difficult e)posure and so forth, but shooting elvia on a ha5y day it produced beautiful results. I think I+ll addd a small collapsable reflector for a studio/in/a/pocketT

I showed the camera and results to a friend who owns a local gallery 1and is a photographer as well4, and she showed it to her daughter to immediately phoned3&C to get one for herself. Sadly, only the date/stamp versions are left, but she ordered one anyways with the idea of taping over the 'BKs.

// Michael Bdelman, anuary ", 6NN

(wo notes on protecting P&S cameras. :ne, a beer hugger works wonders around a camera when there is physical activity involved. (he beer hugger makes a good ine)pensive case. I used to rock climb with a camera this way. (wo, 1untried4 I bet a 5ip/lock baggie would solve the pocket lint problem. :f course, the baggie would

need to be replaced every three weeks. heaper than a camera every couple of



months though.

// albert s boyers, anuary 8, 6NN

I have the 'eica Mini and my mother has the (;. I bought the (; for her since the

price was right for her> however, I would have gotten the 'eica Mini otherwise. In comparing pictures from the two cameras, I have concluded that the 'eica is sharper but the contrast is the same/spectacularT 3oth cameras have e)posed many rolls of film without a hitch, and the e)posures and focus have been right on. (he only criticism of the 'eica lense is that with contrasty slide film, I detected obvious, but not ob=ectionable, vignetting. I suspect that this performance would also be e)perienced with the (; and other P&S cameras which are designed for print film with which vignetting is not a problem. ust a further note. I have seen the cross sections of both lenses, and they appear to be the sameT oincidence* I doubt itT

// Bielrt #nders, anuary 67, 6NN

I bought an :lympus Bpic over the competition 1<ashica (; Super, Ricoh R6, etc4 when the sliding cover of my Penta) E6 broke off 1nice looking, but really wimpy cover4. (he main selling points were the robust sliding cover 1thick plastic4 and the 6?7 stop faster hybrid aspheric lens.

Candling on the Bpic is fairly good compared to the above mentioned camerasH it+s thicker than the almost uncomfortably thin E6 and R6 and my fingers don+t get in the way of the lens like with the (;. (he shutter release is very wide and large, but the mode buttons are pretty tiny 1aren+t they all*4. Sliding case works well, protecting the lens and other optics from scratches and dust, even in my pants pocket. 3iggest complaint is the location of the viewfinder is too close to where your hand ends up, a little awkward sometimes.

#s for operation, it+s okay. #s any P&S, the flash is tiny and weak and far too close to the lens. (he annoying strobe red/eye feature has never successfully eliminated red/eye in any of my pictures. (he color/balancing feature seems to =ust result in overlit sub=ects, not too useful.

I tested with Jodak PR@ 6--, Blite II 6--, Royal old ;--, old Ma) 1--4, and 9u=i Super -- 1I don+t use much fast print film, so I was goofing off4. My slides

seemed V6?7 stop overe)posed, but the metering was consistent and not a problem at all for negatives. olors seemed colder than what I+m used to with the E6 or my @ikon S'R and I found that Royal old ;-- balances that very well.

(here seems to be some truth to the rumors on the net that autofocus isn+t very good. (he Bpic seems really biased towards wide open e)posure and f7. at !"mm isn+t great for depth of field, which is part of the problem. Still, even though the Bpic has active #9 and lots of focusing steps, focus is often fu55y 1even on some tripod/mounted shots4. #lso, my earlier E6 was much better at catching off/center sub=ects. 2hen the Bpic is focused properly, sharpness is good across the field, geometry is fine, and there is little noticable drop/off at the corners despite the fast

lens.



:verall, focus seems inconsistent and the metering overe)poses slides, but handling is good, the camera is rugged, and the lens is sharp. I+ll be sending this beast back for ad=ustment to see if things improve and will report back if they do 1I+ve had it for two months, so will be sending it out to :lympus4.

// #ndrew Jim, anuary !-, 6NN

:k, ok... Cas anyone seen a review or used the new mino) cd D-*

// onathan Peterson, 9ebruary 6-, 6NN

I considered a (;, but wanted a bit more width. 2ent with the Penta) E/6. ery nice little camera. It too gets carried around in my left pants pocket, no problems to date e)cept the fake metalli5ed finish gets all sratched up, and after a while is as attractive as the bottom of an ashtray.

My other models are a anon $/6!", a pair of 6ND vintage Ricoh (9/"--+s, and a anon #/6 submersible.

Since the anon only goes to ! mm, I wanted the !7 mm in the E/6 as a companion. (hey travel together in a fanny pack with a pair of )7- binoculars. 3oth do very nicely indoors and out and both have e)cellent flash uniformity, something the Minolta B)plorer failed in my test. (he $/6!" is particularly sharp and contrasty. (he $ has an undocumented featureH If you hold down the flash it goes into an available light mode.

(he Ricoh+s are dual focal length 1!" f?7. & D- f?".84. ery sharp, high contrast, nice flah and 7 stops compensation. Metering good enough for slides. (hese are my standard of comparison. If it beats or e0uals the Ricoh it can stay.

Cave 7 comments on P & S problemsH Many models 1:'ympus !"-- is one4 that have too low a meter coupling range for IS: ;--. !"-- was optimistic at B/68. IS: 7-- is the limit. Sunny 68 rule is B 6" and that assumes 6 reflectance. Second problem is back light compensation by auto flash. 2orks at the most inopportune timesT :lympus !"-- had a fine through the finder 1((94 multi/5one meter with a 8 mm spotmeter. (he selective meter plus an overaggressive backlight

algorithm called for flash on the sunlight side of a caboose when the meter saw the dark side window as being backlight. 'ater a shot of a hillside about 6." miles away called for flash because a grove of trees was darker than the trees around it. I have a nice collection of %sunballs% reflected off tour bus windows because the stupid thing thought the sub=ect was backlighted. (he $/6!" replaced it. (he earlier $/66" has severely flawed logic for anti/redeye and some other things, too.

@either of these behaviors was reported by the maga5ines.

<ou mentioned the Stylus Bpic. # friend bought one on my recommendation. 9ortunately he loves it. Eses it for slides with e)cellent results, awesome lens. If my

E/6 succumbs to pocket lint, I,ll probably get an Bpic. I amy get one anyway. I



tend to covet neat things and I like the weatherproofing.

@ice column.

// erry rum, 9ebruary 68, 6NN

#fter lots of reading here and elsewhere I purchased a Ricoh R6. SummaryH (he more I use it the better I like itT

3ackgroundH I+m not a serious photographer and my primary criteria for the R6 was that it had to be small 1since I pack light4, capable of producing great slides 1accurate e)posure, sharp images4 and good for landscape shots while travelling. I+ve put 6" rolls of film through it so far 1mostly in @epal / an awesome place4.

9irst impressionsH

(he human engineering is e)cellent. B.g. (he viewfinder tells you when e)posure compensation is active, it differentiates +can+t e)pose correctly+ 1outside shutter speed?aperture range4 vs too slow for hand/holding 16?!-s4. (he controls are well laid out and retain their settings between shots when it makes sense to do so 1eg. locked infinity or %snap% focus modes4. (he manual aperture & e)posure compensation can be set by feel while looking through the viewfinder

the camera sometimes had trouble focusing on infinity. In bright daylight, outdoors, trying to capture a mountain vista with no ob=ects in the foreground %two heads% would illuminate in the viewfinder indicating a close focus. Sometimes simply releasing the shutter button and then half/pressing again would make it switch to %mountain% but other times I had to aim elsewhere. Mostly I would =ust put the camera in fi)ed/infinity mode 1aka %mountain% H/4 and forget about it. #t times when I would e)pect it to have problems such as through glass or poor light it usually worked perfectly. (he good news here is that a4 the viewfinder gives a clear indication of the appro)imate focus point chosen 1via symbols4, b4 it focuses 0uickly if you release and refocus, c4 focus lock is easy 1the shutter button is very predictable so I never took a picture by mistake when trying to focus and reframe4 and d4 you can lock infinity

the %s0uare brackets% in the viewfinder effectively show what was focused by

showing left, right or both brackets 1or flashing to show no focus lock4

the 7mm lens is e)cellent for landscape shots 1as you+d e)pect4. Cowever, as a wide/angle neophyte I was surprised by how hard it is to get portrait type shots 1including small animals etc4. I had to get much closer than usual which tends to upset the sub=ect, although close/ups of plants, carvings etc worked great. Kistortion at the edges was 0uite noticeable on buildings so I know to allow a reasonable width border in future if I think it will matter 1the (a= Mahal towers look strange leaning in / especially when they actually lean outT4

I was pleasantly surprised that the viewfinder framing seemed very accurate / I

didn+t have any photos with clipped people, buildings or frames as with previous



P&S cameras. (his is helped no doubt by the viewfinder framing lines that change depending on the focus distance

the ma) 7 sec automatic e)posure covered many situations automatically that other P&S cameras couldn+t. I wish it had a shorter self/timer mode 1than 6-sec4 since I

primarily used it for tripod e)posures where a 7 sec delay would be plenty. <ou also have to re/apply self/timer after each e)posure which doubtless reflects its designed use, but not my typical use. (he %(% mode e)posure 1press to open, press again to close4 works as e)pected

between the wide angle lens, its fast 7. aperture and the bright days in @epal, I soon switched from ;--asa film 1my usual P&S film4 to the 6--asa I had %=ust in case%. (he top 6?"-- shutter speed wasn+t always enough.

occaisionally the camera would turn on in its case and the lens would try to e)tend and fail against the tight case. Slipping the case off and turning the camera off?on

again reset it as e)pected and it doesn+t seemed to have harmed anything 1e)cept the case is developing a lens ring stretch mark4

the date stamp turned itself on during my first roll of film. I watched it after that and never found it on again, but its something to keep an eye on

the flash seems to work ok, but most of the time I left it switched off. I suspect this helps battery life a lot since if you leave it in %#%uto mode each time you turn the camera on a blinking led shows the flash charging. I+m still on the first battery after 6" rolls of !8 with maybe ;- flash photos total 1mostly fill/in flash triggered by forcing it on4

I consistently got !D photos on a roll of !8. 3ecause the camera spools the film off on loading and then winds it back into the canister after each photo, the count is always accurate and it shows photos remaining rather than photos taken 1which makes it a little confusing when switching between cameras4. #uto film loading always worked first time.

the camera feels solid and has held up well 1so far / its early days yet I reali5e4. I kept it in my pants pocket in its slip case most of the time and despite banging into things and the occaisional fall from a shirt pocket it doesn+t show any signs of

damage. (he slip case is great because it doesn+t add to the camera si5e significantly.

I+ve purposefully avoided attempting to evaluate lens and e)posure 0uality since I don+t feel 0ualified to do so and don+t have any enlargements yet. (hey look clear to me and usually the default e)posure setting produced the best slide in the bracketed sets I did.

In summary, it was e)pensive compared to other P&S cameras, but I think I+ll be using it for a longer time and taking much better photos with it.

// Michael Mee, 9ebruary 6D, 6NN



omments on the onta) (S

#bout 7 years ago I decided to move into M9 photography. I sold all my !"mm gear and bought a Penta) 8;". I soon reali5ed that I was missed having a light portable !"mm around to take snap shots. #fter checking through the various

options 1(;, (7, etc.4 I decided on a onta) (S.

PositivesH 64 (he lens produces beautiful, saturated, contrasty images. (he manual 5oom range is =ust about ideal for most of my needs 1continuously variable 7/"8mm4. 74 @ice, precise autofocus. Entil you get the hang of it, you will produce some out/of/focus shots. !4 It takes a full range of filters, hoods and lens caps available from onta) or 32. ;4 (he automation is well thought out. B)posure control can be fully program driven or aperture driven. 9ocusing can also be handled manually with a built/in assist. "4 (he body is beautifully finished and 0uite durable. Mine has been dropped and banged about 0uite a bit without leaving a mark on the body. 84 onta) has provided e)cellent service for the camera. # few months ago I

was having a problem with infinity focus on the (S and sent if back for ad=ustment. onta) '#+ed the camera but didn+t correct the problem. (he camera was sent back again and onta) sent a note apologi5ing for the problem and replaced the lens and internal assembly at no cost to me. @eedless to say, the camera works beautifully now.

@egativesH 64 (he viewfinder is more dim than I would like. 74 9ilm speed can+t be manually set 1recogni5es KF coding from 7"/"---4. If you want to change the film speed, you need to either set e)posure compensation 1?/" in 6?! stop increments4 or order KF labels from Porter+s and re/label the film canister with the appropriate speed KF label before loading it into the camera. !. #lthough I love the lens, I wish it were a little faster 17. vs. !."4. ;. (he (S is fairly e)pensive. I bought mine used for about A"-. I e)pect it will last me a lifetime, but you could buy and lose 0uite a few (; or ("s for that money.

// Sven Sampson, 9ebruary 6N, 6NN

omments on the <ashica (; Super....Caving read generally good things here, I bought one and tested it using #S# 6-- slide film in a side/by/side comparion with my other cameras 1anon Blan IIe w? 7/- ESM I, Penta) MB super, and a 6" year old Minolta #974. 2hile the e)posures were very good, within 6?! stop or less,

the sharpness of the slides under a loupe were disappointing. Bven at the center of the frame with pictures taken in bright light 1small aperture4 the results were not as good as the old Minolta.

Maybe it was that particular camera 1I+ver read they might not be made in the same place as the older ones4, or perhaps the autofocus wasn+t up to snuff, but I reluctantly ended up returning it and will look for another. I really thought that $eiss lens would do wonders, but considering the 1ine)pensive4 cameras I compared it to 1e)cept the anon4, I could see no reason to keep it. (oo bad, because otherwise I liked the layout, si5e and simplicity of the camera.

PSH I also noticed the delay in autofocus that others reported as well as the



vignetting, even in full sun.

// (homas Smith, 9ebruary 78, 6NN

#bout eight years ago I bought one of the original @ikon (ele/(ouch cameras. It had

good film handling, a !"/D- 1or so4 lens, took nice pictures, and had a pop/up flash that my fingers wouldn+t block. It was one of the most usable P&S cameras I+ve ever used.

@eedless to say, it broke at the worst possible time 1I had =ust gotten off the plane in St. Petersburg4. (hat was about four years ago, and I didn+t risk a P&S again until last year, when I bought a 9u=i Bndeavour 6-- #PS camera, no 5oom. I+ve been very happy with it so far//the pictures, especially closeups, have been very sharp and have e)cellent contrast. (he whole camera is very small, and seems to have good pants/pocket survivability. I+ve taken to carrying it around along with my bigger @ikon system when traveling, so I can keep slide of (/Ma) in the S'R and still have

some color prints to show everybody at home.

// 2ill rawford, 9ebruary 7, 6NN

#fter reading photo.net about si) months ago, I bought a (; 1non/super4 in Penn Station on a whim. I+m typically using it with Jodak (M< rated at !7-- and Iford Kelta 6--. (he results in both cases are really 0uite stunning. Side/by/side comparisons with similar handheld shots in ordinary light with a @ikon 7-/!" 7. 5oom did not embarass the little $eiss !"mm on the (;. I used the @ikon and my wife used the (; at the wedding, and most people can+t tell the 0uality of the photos apart at )6- enlargements. I+ve even enlarged the (M< to !7-- with e)cellent contrasty results // it provides an e)cellent reportage look that I got on about ten rolls on a recent trip to India. (he meter is great and the negs are sharp corner to corner under a loupe // elvia slides are 0uite spectacular.

2hat+s not to like* (he most annoying things for me are 164 the lag time to rack out the little lens for autofocus // there+s no way to focus ahead of time and use it to capture the moment like a good rangefinder> this alone is going to cause me to replace the camera, 174 no e)posure ad=ustment // this is somewhat mitigaged by e)posure lock, but the problem is that it+s coupled to the focus lock, and 1!4 the flash is totally lame Gdon+t even think about comparing this to the @ikon 9" S378 H/4 //

in full and fill modes. (hat+s why I use it in with Kelta 6-- in the sun and with (M< at !7-- with no flash otherwise.

// 3ob arpenter, March 8, 6NN

I have resisted the entire #PS scene until two months ago when I purchased anon+s original Blph. (he photographs of outdoor scenery ama5ed me and compared favorably with my best !"mm P&S 1Ricoh r/6, <ashica (/;, :lymp. Stylus Bpic4 and S'Rs 1anon Blan II & Penta) P$6p4. I have now purchased the anon IF #PS, and am 0uite taken with this e)perience. I am not going to toss my P&S or S'R cameras, but the #PS scene is worth investigating if someone is still dubious. I

would welcome anyone+s opinion and?or enlightenment as to where I am going to %hit



the wall% and discover the problems with the #PS option.

// Maurice 2eed, March 7!, 6NN

i recently had slides, taken by my yashica t;, transferred to negative film 1

!"mm4.(he shots were of sunsets at the end of our lake, low cloud cover, ama5ing sharp slides. (he negs, when enlarged to )6- prints were all crisp and the colour saturation was spot on. very good results from a !" mm point and shoot camera. My other sytem is all canon eos, with ', usm lenses, the yashica t; compares favouribly with the canon lenses. (his tiny camera is my constant companion,

// maclolm lowe, #pril 77, 6NN

Epdate on the BpicH returned mine, was given a new one by the shop 1nice guys at the local Rit5 amera4. Ran through a roll of PR@ on a tripod, it seems to be more consistent at focusing, but not too sharp overall compared to the <ashica (; Super I

bought in frustration. #nother roll of slides confirmed it wasn+t =ust the printing, my sample of the (; was noticably sharper than my second sample of the Bpic.

#nyways, at ANN now for the Bpic, I decided to keep both.

// #ndrew Jim, May 6, 6NN

I =ust purchased an :lympus Stylus Bpic for ANN. I ran a few rolls through it. I haven+t received the results yet, but am e)cited about it. I would also like to purchase the <ashica (; Super at some later date, but need to save for it. I have an old :lympus F# which I love. Enfortunately, it is stuck in perpetual time release mode, and needs to go into the shop to be fi)ed. I do believe it is the best little point and shoot, and it is a collector+s item. I like the rangefinder focusing.

// Blaine Kud5inski, May D, 6NN

Recently when looking for a P& S camera a dealer showed me a new model from Mino) a K/7". I was impressed by its styling but found it was too limited. I checked out the wonderful MI@:F website and found a whole line of !" and #PS cameras with detailed technical information. I decided that the features of the K/D- was =ust what I wanted. (he best pricing was found at amera 2orld of :regon,

again by checking their web/site. I was promised delivery in a week or so but found much to my surprise it was delivered a couple of days later. 2ell let me tell you this is an ergonomically well designed camera and as importantly it takes great pictures. 'arge illuminated finder, readable lcd readout on the back of the camera and options to control flash and other aspects were important consideration for me. B)tended shutter speeds was also essential. I have a stunning night photo of rand entral Station that is =ust about maga5ine 0uality...I would love Mino) to make a metal version with perhaps larger buttons for options. Right now I am very, very pleased with this camera and recommend it highly.

// giom grech, May N, 6NN



#fter reading this article I decided to buy myself the (". I think it works great. I will give the first roll of film to processing today. (here+s =ust one thing I dislike up to now. Bvery time I turn the camera on. I starts in auto/flash/mode. 9rom my S'R i am used to have the camera where I left it after switching it on again. It is pretty annoying, if you take a picture, assuming the flash is still off, but it+s in automatic

mode again.

// @ils Kecker, May 67, 6NN

MI@I P&S B#'E#(I:@ amerasH Stylus Bpic, Stylus $oom, Penta) N7, <ashica (L 9ilmH 9u=i 6-- color negative ShotsH Same picture of my home in bright sunlight. #ll cameras tripod mounted for test. PrintsH ; F 8 processed at a high 0uality 6 hour lab. Bvaluation riteriaH Sharpness in the center as well as at the edges of the negative and print. ignetting. #ccurate framing of viewfinder and final negative / centered and N- or better. ood registration of frames on negative / even spacing. Reliable functioning of camera.

ResultsH

S(<'ES BPIH !"mm fi)ed lens is very sharp across the picture. Card to distinguish between this and other cameras tested. Really good lens. #ll other criteria met. ANN camera.

S(<'ES $::MH Pictures at !", "-, and D"mm were tack sharp across the frame on all pictures. #ll other criteria met. I was surprised at the consistent performance of this 5oom. #ll other criteria met. A6"- camera.

Penta) N7H B)cellent performance at 7mm and N- mm with good framing accuracy. My daily carry camera. #ll other criteria met. A7-- camera.

<ashica (LH 9irst <ashica P&S with (essar / 6N- something vintage. Standard e)cellent !"mm !." (essar performance in this used camera that I got for A7D. (ack sharp everywhere. I can see why people really like this lens. (his camera is so old that it still uses ## batteries and no KF. #ll other criteria met.

SEMM#R<H In a way, this evaluation is a big nothing / so what, everything seemed to be perfect. (hat+s rightT I was looking for standard bottom line picture

performance, and these cameras blew me away. I have a couple @ikon bodies and a few @ikkor lenses, so I know what 0uality looks like. (hese cameras have what it takes to deliver good pictures. (ripod mounting helped a lot to achieve the 0uality I saw. #lthough I did the evaluation with 6-- speed film, I carry ;-- color negative 1ostco?#gfa ;--4 and Jodak ;--@ 3&2 on a daily basis, and am very happy with the results of these films. Point and shoot cameras deliverT

// ohn Shuster, une 6D, 6NN

MI@I P&S Bvaluation corrections?clarifications

@one of the cameras showed any vignetting, especially the Penta) N7 at 7mm.



(he Stylus $oom is a !" / D-, not D" at the far end.

P&S cameras have been a delightful discovery and have added a new dimension to my en=oyment of photography.

// ohn Shuster, une 6D, 6NN

<ashica (;/super in the ES 1A6"-/A68-4, (" in Burope, Jyocera (/proof in apan 1A7--4 is a wonderful camera due to its arl/$eiss lens.

3e aware, however, that it is not actually a P&S 1Point and Shoot4 camera. It belongs to a new class of compact cameras developed by Jyocera+s engineersH so/called

PS&SP cameras / Point, Shoot and Still Point cameras.

(hese cameras are so intelligent that, after you press the shutter release button, they will wait and decide themselves when to shoot. #s a result, you can also call this type of compact camerasH

S&(P cameras / Space and (ime Paralla) cameras.

Jeep it in mind if you are going to shoot action.

H4

// Bugene P#PBR@:, une 77, 6NN

# camera no one has mentioned yet is the Rollei Prego $oom !"/D-. #fter considering the Stylus Bpic 1mainly for its si5e4 and the Minolta 9reedom $oom B)plorer 1for the e)tra fun in 5ooming4, I ended up with the Rollei. My main reason was the fact that my roommate is a photographer who has both the Rollei and the <ashica, but he never uses his <ashica while he often uses his Rollei. I+ve taken a few rolls with it even testing the lens for sharpness, and it looks great. (he lens is a little faster than the Minolta and about the same price / A6"- with battery and case at amera 2orld of :regon. # nice bonus is the ! year warranty.

// Robert #biad, uly 6, 6NN

If you can find one, I recommend the 9u=ifilm K' Super Mini, w?7mm f!." lens. I have a Jonica (! w?several lenses and Penta) $F/" w?"-mm and 7/ 6-"mm f7. 5oom plus a anon Blph, r 1for which I traded the remains of a Minolta FJ 2?several fungus/eaten lenses4. #ll of these I en=oy & use to shoot U "-/D" pictures a week 1it+s a hobby, not my business4. I find myself using the 9u=i more & more> it is very compact, has an e)cellent lens, 0uick focus 1and manual focus when needed4, a decent flash, all/aluminum body w?sliding cover, shutter speed up to 6?--th, si5e smaller than any !"mm I+ve seen other than the Minolta (/ 6, and

again, an e)cellent lens. My only complaint is that it is too automatic. B)cept for the



manual focus and flash variations 1on, off, night and 7ev backlight compensation4, you can+t alter any setting and it+s program only, of course. 3E(, it fits any pocket, seems lint/ resistant, is very 0uick and easy to use. I recommend it, if you can find one. I found mine in a pawn shop for A!", including ta) and I love it.

// Bd @icholson, uly 6;, 6NN

I went into the store with every intention of buying the <ashica Microtec $oom D- 1which received e)cellent reviews in multiple maga5ines4. I would have never thought that being %left/eyed% would make such a difference. (he controls are so inconveniently positioned, that my eyeglasses were smeared with fingerprints. It+s less of a problem with the Minolta 9reedom B)plorer, but still inconvenient.

// Isabel 3auer, #ugust 6", 6NN

i have three of the more popular compact cameras often reviewed on this forum in

individual fashion> i thought someone might be interested in my e)periences. i will be brief. the cameras in my possession areH a yashica t7 with a !"?!." 5eiss tessar lens> a olympus stylus epic with a !"?7. 5uiko> and a ricoh gr/6, 7?7.. 0uite frankly, i don+t think the yashica measures up to the other two cameras. the metering is more easily confused, often delivering undere)posed images. furthermore, the sharpness of the lens is not the e0ual of the others, especially at ")D. in fairness, i have not had the body serviced since purchase, which was several years ago. the olympus is wonderfully light, well/protected, and sublimely easy to use under most circumstances. it is by far the best choice for hiking, fishing, family photos at the beach> anywhere that 0uick handling and a need for camera protection converge. however, to match the ricoh in metering accuracy, it is necessary to utili5e the %spot% feature, which re0uires repeated double button activation, and some uncertainty about the actual area covered by the %spot% effect. assuming correct metering, the lens delivers crisp, beautiful e)posures. however, the clear winner when the goal is e)cellent image making, or what i call %serious photography%, is the ricoh gr/6. it has terrific ergonomics> a tiny body, but with controls that are si5ed fine for my larger than average hands. the %program% mode is productive of perfect images in family snapshots, or even lighting conditions. the ability to lock focus and e)posure in the %spot% mode places you on e0ual footing with your friend and his conta) aria 1well, almost...4, and the lens is the e0ual of any nikkor in my collection. the ability to lock in hyperfocal distance 1%snap% mode4 is something all cameras should have. i take

most of my shots with this feature. of course, the provision for total manual control is the icing on this very fine cake. anyone who ever worked with a manual nikon, penta), or minolta, will feel right at home. if this camera had the ability to interchange lens, i would do anything necessary to switch to that system. i =ust don+t understand why ricoh, a company that is not e)actly burning up the market place with its current slr offerings, doesn+t use this body as the starting point for a %leica for the masses%. my bet is that it would blow the conta) g series in the weeds, from a popularity standpoint.

// wayne harrison, #ugust !-, 6NN

I would like to contribute an %#men% to 2ayne+s evaluations of the <ashica %(/7%



1(/;*4, :lympus Stylus Bpic, and the Ricoh R/6. I have shot film and compared photos with all ! cameras as well.

(he (/; is nice, but has no definite advantage over the cheaper, faster 1f!." vs f7.4, and smaller Bpic. (he Bpic also has a ma)imum shutter speed of 6?6--- compared

to the 6?D-- of the (/;.

In short, the Bpic produces stunning photos. I compared pi) made with my @ikon ;--; S'R and @ikkor "-mm lens and could detect no perceptible diffence in color, clarity or contrast. I love the waterproofing also, for shooting around the pool, at the beach, at the water park, etc. (he camera is rugged and reliable. ood ergonomics, although the R/6 can+t be beat in this department.

oncerning the Ricoh R/6H @othing short of ama5ing in all areas e)cept one, i.e. the flash. It consistently imparted a yellowish discoloration and almost blurriness to sub=ects photographed with flash at close range. (his rendered the photos un/usable.

I absolutely love the ergonomics, ease of use, sharpness, and BBR<(CI@ else about the camera. (he 7mm lens is great for small group photos, but is only okay for head and shoulders due to the typical 7mm distortion. I particularly like the %hard switch% for turning off the flash, which allows 0uick access to flash on?off versus having to toggle through options and miss the shot. (he other cool feature is the %memory% function when you turn the power offH it remembers the last mode used when you turn the camera back on.

So, in summary, I can CIC'< recommend all ! of the above cameras. I returned the (/; to 2olf amera 1who is most delightful to deal with, although not the best prices4 when I purchased my Bpic, for the reasons listed above. I will also be sending back my R/6 to amera 2orld of :regon for a replacement. Since no one else has complained of the yellow tinting on close/up flash, I assume that it is a problem with the particular lens. If my replacement is bogus also, I+ll inform the newsgroup. Regarding :H an e)cellent organi5ation to deal with> let+s see how they handle e)changes?refunds H/4 (hanks to Phil for a RB#( websiteTTTTTT

// Randy 3eecham, September 7, 6NN

9or the casual spelunker 1yep, cave wanderer4 there is no better travelling companion, aside from a good headlamp, than the <ashica (;. I recently ran three

rolls of (ri/F through my brand new (; and I have to say, the images are marvelousH sharp and contrasty. 'ighting*, you ask. Bvery year or so, I paint a few layers of clear nail varnish on the lens of my headlamp so as to soften the otherwise harsh light the beast emits. I do this because the resulting light is soft 1a bit yellow4 and can be used imaginatively with the headlamp+s beam focussing ring while probing the recesses of dark, misty caves. I bought 1and brought4 the (; a4 because of various opinions registered here and b4 because I wanted something weatherproof without having to shell out for a @ikkonos. I am one happy caveman. (he (;?headlamp combination performed as well as anything else I+ve tried and//as a bonus//the (; is small enough to fit into the little fannypack I bring along 1other occupantsH fig newtons, space blanket, whistle4. aving is only one use I put my various 1si) and

counting4 cameras to. Cowever, based on this limited trial, I plan to shelve my tough



old Rollei !"s and use the (; for all my P&S needs. :nly in cold weather, where the Rollei @BBR dies and where I suspect the (; will poop out, will the former displace the new kid on the block.

// Cugh Macaulay, September , 6NN

I own a 9u=i K' Mini super5oom, which is my wife+s compact camera. 2e both love it, a great design, good ergonmics, nice spec and takes great photos. My wife uses it to chronicle her version of the development of our baby daughter. Must say that sharpness, colour and contrast of the photos are consistently very good. (he only problem now and then is a touch of vignetting on flash photography, but that is too be e)pected of a P&S compact. (he other thing that really bugs me is the noisy 5oom mechanism> it really drives me up the wall when u r trying to be subtle about images. (here have been 0uite a few times my baby angel has been woken up by the grinding ratcheting of the 9u=i lens e)tending and retracting.

ust bot an :lympus M=uII?Stylus Bpic last week for a trip to CJ. It+s a pretty ama5ing design, with a top class spec and good handling. #nd it was small enuff for me to carry it around in my =eans pocket.

ot my shots back a couple of days ago> I ran 8 rolls of film thru it in ; days. #ll but a handful of the shots were pretty much bang on. (here was one shot where the backlight fooled the metering, one where the focus point was wrong 1more human error than anything4, one where image was soft 1may be due to camera shake, and a couple where the flash colour compensation for internal lighting caused fluorescent lighting to be overe)posed.

:verall, I must say I am 0uite impressed with the little thing. Bven more so than the 9u=i. I also use onta) and Minolta for my S'R outfits, and confess that for prints, the differences in 0uality were not immediately noticeablem even when blown up. #m now beginning to be converted to the school of thought that P&S cameras may really become the best cameras in the world in the ne)t few years> especially for the ones with prime lenses.

Caven+t really tried the (; yet> there is a chance I may be able to get my hands on one this week. If so, will give my feedback on how it performs.

// ( Jhoo, September 6;, 6NN

ust ran some film thru the <ashica (; 1non/super4 and got the shots back. Cere are my commentsH

6. 'ens is indeed tack sharp. Ketail, contrast and colour is better than :lympus Stylus Bpic, even without enlargements and loupe. omparison is test roll of :lympus> same range of sub=ects under same conditions.

7. 9lash is pretty awful...worse than the Stylus epic. 'ots of shadowing, and not as subtle. (his auto colour correction feature of the Stylus may have something to it

after all.



!. Metering is about the same. 3oth got fooled by same backlit sub=ect, though the (; image was slightly less undere)posed, with more shadow detail. ould be due to the (essar lens.

;. Candling and ergonomics...mi)ed bag. <ashica has easily accesible controls, while Stylus controls are smaller, with a shutter release which does get mistaken for the lens cover when it comes to shooting. Cowever, (; makes the most awful grinding noises on shutter release and frame advance, with a tangible delay between depressing and release. Stylus is much crisper and more definite in its shutter and film advance mechanism. Caving said that, I know the ("?(; super is 0uieter and smoother on all fronts than the old (;, but still maybe not up to the Stylus standard.

:verall, in my opinion, there is little to choose. If u do a lot of flash shooting, the little :lympus may be a better bet. If conversely, u do a lot of outdoor picture taking, then the (; is the one to go for. Candling is split and entirely a personal choice. (he

(; Super?(" is probably a smoother handler and operator than my old (;, but the (" to me is a better design and handler overall. (hen again, I have small hands and have no problems activating the spot function, which, by the way, the (;?(" does not possess, and which I find 0uite useful.

So,the bottom line, in my opinion, the Stylus gets my vote, for design, for the spotmetering, and the fact that I do 1unfortunately4 take a lot of flash photos :f course, if only they could fit that (essar lens over, I can live with the 6?!?6?7 stop drop in speed.

#ny one have e)perience with a Ricoh R6?Rollei Prego Micron* Cave seen a lot about the R6, but not the lesser brethren. #nyone know of detailed reviews I can access. :nce again, I may be able to borrow one soon to try out. 2ill let u guys?gals know soonest.

// ( Jhoo, September 6", 6NN

#pologies, in previous comment, in !rd paragraph from bottom, ;th line should read Stylus rather than (" as the better handler to me.

// ( Jhoo, September 6", 6NN

Cv tried the Rollei Prego Micron, the Shneider lens version of the Ricoh R6. Cere are my thoughtsH

6. 'ens / 9irstly, =ust to refresh, the Rollei has 7 lenses, a !-MM?!." and a 7;MM?, while the Stylus and (; have !"MMs,so direct comparisons are a little tricky. 2ith that in mindH Sharpness, better than :lumpus, =ust behind the $ (essar of (;. olour, contrast, right up there with the $eiss.

7. 9lash / ontrary to popular belief, the Rollei fared best here. Bven illumination edge to edge, natural colours, well balanced, little shadowing. 3lows the other 7

away.



!. Metering / about the same across the board. @o surprises.

;. Candling?Brgonomics / 2ow, and I say again, 2ow. (he R6?Rollei Prego Micron is peerless. (he overall design, placement, si5e and operation of the controls

are the best I+ve seen on a compact P&S.

(o close, given the abovementioned, the Rollei Prego Micron gets my vote cos of the flash, design, handling and also the specs. #lthough the shutter speed range is narrower than the (; and Stylus, and it lacks a spot mode,it does have the 7 lenses 1and very good ones they are too4 which allow you to change your perspectiven and have true panorama 17;MM4. (he focal lengths are ideal if u want to have a P&S primarily as a chronicler of your holiday travels, or even ordinary street life. If u want to get even more value for money, stick with the Ricoh R6, which is the original design.

heers, (

// ( Jhoo, September 6D, 6NN

I carry ! P?S+s 1coat pockets4, all w? slide filmH

/ (;?originalH ;--/speed Blite. Mostly night, no/flash work. @ice as described, but hate that the infinity focus unsets after each shot 1fren5ied pi) thru airplane windows4. 9ocus delay sucks the most, a big reason why I use it as I do now. 'ove it all the same H/4

/ :lympus Stylus $oom 6-"H #stia 6-- for people photos. C#(B the long time it takes to get the lens out?in when turned on?off. C#(B that it has no infinity focus. @ice feel in the hand, solid feel too. 2as forced to buy it when previous 5oom camera was lost en route to 3urning Man / do not shop P?S cameras in Reno. #gain, now that it has its niche, I+m happy with it overall.

/ Ricoh Shotmaster 6!-H elvia. (his is the workhorse that lets the others off the hook. C#(B that it has a single cheap plastic catch that breaks =ust from dropping from slightly higher than toilet seat 1about A6-- to fi)4, 2ISC it would focus a lot closer, ':B the matri) indicator of where the focus has been chosen O/repeat !

timesL, IMPRBSSBK 3E( 3#99'BK by the range of programming options. I C#K to get this because my :lympus was in the shop when I left for Moscow, and there it began to get +hung+ like a computer until I rewound the film, and it took 7 trips to the shop when I returned to iron it out. ':B)! the fast readiness 1thanks to 7 batteries4. (he aspheric lens may account for a +deepness+ in the pi), too. :C / and ':B that for such a big 5oom, it can still be crammed into a shirt pocket.

/ @e)t, I+d like to get a digital, if the res would only get up to say "---)!---, but maybe I+ll get something current in the meantime =ust to get my feet wet. :pinions on digitals very welcome.

// 3ill Ross httpH??www.amber.ucsf.edu?Vross?



// 3ill Ross, September 7!, 6NN

I purchased the :lympus Stylus Bpic or M=u/7 as it is known here in :5. Its not the perfect camera and when the <ashica (;?<ashica (; Super costs almost twice as

much in this country the decision was very easy to make.

(he optics are great. My friend had the earlier version 1m=u/64 and I was impressed with it a few years ago. (he earlier version cost him more than mine now and the newer optics are much better. alue for money has certainly increased. (he faster lens certainly comes in handy for low light snaps indoors and outdoors as well. It+s ama5ing what you can do with a lens that is a little bit faster and sharper than the crowd.

(he robustness of the camera is a big plus when travelling. 'ens cover fits snugly keeping the lens clean and out of danger. :/ring seals are good and I have had no

problems over the N months I have had it. I+ve taken it hiking in hot dusty conditions as well as humid conditions. (two friends that have them are full of praise for the compactness, sharpness and versatility of the camera.

@iggling points are you have no control over the lens aperture unlike some which allow you to stopdown the lens to +infinity+. (he buttons which control the settings 1flash, noflash, autoflash, redeye reduction, partial flash, spotmeter and timer4 are a little fiddly. (hough fiddly these buttons help with the weather proofing I guess. If its an all purpose all weather point and shoot camera that is very affordable you cannot go past it.

I read lots of the Q&# forums before buying the camera. #dmittedly there are sharper point and shoot cameras out there but they will cost an arm and a leg. #nyhow, if you are going to spend big dollars and obsessed with sharpness you may as well get a cheap S'R body and a basic "- mm lens instead. It will certainly give you more bang for your buck than an e)pensive priced point and shoot. 9or value for money you can+t go past the m=u/7.

// uy ersbach, September 7, 6NN

#s time moves on, my stylus has started to act up on me, e)hibiting signs of the %I+ll focus where and when I want to % syndrome that some people have raised. 2hen it works, it is wonderful, when it doesn+t it drives me cra5y. Purely random, no pattern, ok for 8 rolls, then 6 roll where 7- of shots go haywire. #m considering sending it in under warranty.

(he (; is with my in/laws, compared with my Stylus, it has been a model of consistency and reliability. Pictures of my daughter under a wide variety of conditions have come out e)ceedingly sharp, with high contrast and very rich colours. Many enlargements have been made, bringing us great =oy.



Cv also been fooling around with a new Jonica 3ig Mini 9 with the !"?7.. 3eautifully designed, well constructed, sharp lens, a bit flare prone, not as contrasty as the (;+s $eiss, but still good, tiny 1irritating controls4, very smooth operation, 0uiet, fast #9, good metering,little shutter lag, and no lens cover. #lso got good specs, with e)posure comp, powerful flash and good range of modes.

Recently thought about going a little wider. onsidered going for a wide 5oom, but am very hesitant cos of 0uality?speed of lens at the long end. 2ith 7+s in my price range, selection is limited. (he R6 is lovely, but a little costly, so the other option is the 9u=i K' Mini?ardia Mini (iara II. Initial impressions have been nothing short of ama5ing. (iny aluminium bodied clamshell design 1smaller than Stylus*4, a wonderful 7?!." 9u=inon B3 lens, truly sharp, contrasty and with vivid colours, possibly even sharper than the (;, bang on metering, mi)es ambient and artificial light well, and good range of modes, apart from usual flash modes, also has infinity, snap, manual focus, backlight compensation and mid roll panorama. urious though, there does not seem to be any fill flash function, and it appears that the flash fires almost all the

time in the autoflash mode. @eed to en0uire about the programme. Shutter lag is also 0uite prominent, rather (;/es0ue. #part from that, it is 0uite a =ewel at the price. If u don+t need the manual control of the R6, I daresay the 9u=i is 0uite possibly the best fi)ed focal compact P&S below ESK7-- around.

// ( Jhoo, :ctober 6", 6NN

#s an RI( photo student, I+ve had the pleasure of using some of the best photo e0uipment on the planet. 9rom the venerable @ikon 9", to the Sinar P7 to the Mamiya R$ 8D, it ama5es me how people e)pect S'R or higher results from P&S. (he sole reason I buy a P&S is too =ust take candid shots. If you want S'R results, go buy an S'R. I however do en=oy people+s comments on these cameras, which is also important. 3ut at the same time, please try to lighten up and not let the sub=ect flee from you. ood shootingT W4

// Jen 'ee, :ctober 6D, 6NN

#bout 6 years ago I bought my wife a new A6;- %no/think, do/everything,% plastic bodied anon M' Super SureShot with a fi)ed autofocus f6.N lens. I, of course, would use a real !"mm with lots of bells and whistles, a fancy interchangeable lens, and controls I could play with. ResultH she has consistantly blown me away even

though she knows only enough about cameras to find the shutter button. Cer trusty anon P&S has seen heavy use and has been trouble free these 6 years.

2hile I was taking light meter readings and carefully focusing she was busy firing properly e)posed and focused shots like a machinegun.

I now also have a anon M' Super SureShot and my %serious% !"mm+s and Cassy M?' stay in their cases.

Show me another mass market 1ine)pensive4 P&S with a 6.N lens as good as the anon and I+ll buy it. Entil then I can get a sharp picture in light that the f!." and f7.

point/and/shoot @ikons, Rolleis, etc. can+t handle. I fail to understand why the f6.N



P&S anon wasn+t more popular.

// #l (hompson, :ctober 7!, 6NN

I know lots of people like the Stylus Bpic, but my e)perience with the camera has

not been good. Cere+s what happenedH / :ne month after I bought it earlier this year, the camera developed a light leak. I returned it to the store, which had the light seals replaced. it worked fine for e)actly one roll, then started leaking light again. / I returned it again to the store which this time replaced it with a brand new Stylus Bpic. 9irst few rolls through the camera were fine, then guess whatH it started leaking light. /I took it back to the store which replaced it again with another brand new one. 3elieve it or not, this one leaked light on the second roll. I returned this camera yesterday, got a credit note from the store and will take my time deciding what camera to buy now.

I guess I was e)tremely unlucky with this camera. @evertheless, from my e)perience,

I can hardly recommend it.

// Michael 9uhrmann, :ctober !-, 6NN

I used an :lympic Stylis for years. 2hen they came out with the !"/D- 5oom model, I bought one and gave the original to my daughter who is still using it. I never liked the pop up flash on the 5oom. It seemed that my finger would often be covering it when it needed to come up. @o problem now, the retracting system is broken and the flash stays up. @eed a piece of Scotch (ape to keep it down for putting in pocket. 'ove the original, hate the 5oom.

// ene enkins, @ovember 6N, 6NN

P&S cameras are attractive in a variety of applications> for me the important uses are as an affordable, very light weight camera that slips into a pocket as a back/up to my full si5e S'R, or as a camera to take on summit climbs, where every ounce becomes e)cruciating. I have tried a number of models, none of which is perfect, but all of which have their good points.

I began with a Penta) N7. :n the up side, it has a great 5oom range 17/N-4 and a user friendly design. :n the down side, it lacks the sharpness for work which will be

blown up to 68)7-, it is very susceptible to flare, and I suspect some distortion around the edges 1although I+ve never conducted real tests4. It got handed down to my wife, who uses cameras almost e)clusively for candid snaps, and she loves it.

I decided to move upmarket, and tried the @ikon 7ti. (his is a wonderful piece of engineering which is sharp, rugged, and has e)cellent electronics supporting autofocus and autoe)posure. 2ith a 7. aperture it+s one of the faster 0uality P&S lenses on the market. Prices have dropped and these are now available around AD--. Eltimately I had two serious problemsH I do a great deal of landscape and architecture, and the lack of a polari5ing lens capability proved to be a critical flaw. I also confess that I+m basically a %5oom guy%, who has never felt comfortable carrying

a bunch of primes, and the fi)ed length lens seemed a little constraining. So the 7ti



was sold, and replaced by ...

(he onta) (S, which seemed to solve both problems. It has a screw in filter adapter and a 7/;" 5oom range. It also comes blessed with a wonderfully sharp, reasonably fast lens. 3ut the promise proved better than the reality. I always had

problems with both focus and e)posure. #nother reviewer commented that this is part of the learning curve, and that after a few rolls you start to get the hang of it, but I was able to get the camera to perform well only without a filter. (he moment I screwed my 3&2 circular polari5er in, the electronics on the camera got very confused. Perhaps I have a very long learning curve. 3ut after a full year I threw in the towel and sold the onta) as well.

I+ve stopped trying to find a pocket camera which can be all things to one person. I+ve settled for high 0uality optics in a small easy package. I learned my lesson from the senior guide at an #lpine climbing center, who smirked every time I tried to unpack my gear while dangling on a rope. Ce would reach into his shirt pocket and

take a one/handed snap. 2hen we got back to hamoni) I went over to his house, and was astounded by the 0uality of some of his shots, even in moderately large blow/ups. Cis camera was a tiny !"mm Mino), which is smaller than most #PS cameras, but includes fine erman optics and a !"mm format at an affordable price 1A7--/!--, depending on model4. I went home and ordered the (/F, which has full manual controls as well as a P&S mode. @o filter capability, not many bells and whistles, but a great !"?7. lens and controls which e)plain themselves. It+s not the P&S for everyone, but it you have similiar needs, it may well fill the bill.

// ulian Svedosh, @ovember 7, 6NN

Regarding the new onta) (SII and comments about using the (S and (SIIH

I have =ust bought the (SII, onta)+s new version of the (S.

2hat changed*

64 the viewfinder is now much brighter//the 'K masks are gone and are replaced by the simpler and more standard cropping marks at the frame edge to indicate paralla) at close focus. (his is the single most important change, and a welcome one.

74 the panorama mode is gone//I rate this an improvement since the same result can be had by cropping a negative that wasn+t masked in the camera and since the panorama switch could be partially engaged, accidentally cropping edges on normal photos

!4 the 5oom mechanism is simplified//I+m not sure that this either adds or detracts, but the lever on the lens has been removed and 5ooming is now accomplished by a wider knurled ring around the front of the lens

;4 a built in lens cap has been added//this is the standard PS type 1although it+s made of metal and not plastic4. I feel better with the A67 onta) lens cap in place

over the built/in one since a real cap offers much more protection from dust and



impact. I do like the fact that the built/in cap is there as back/up, however.

Bverything else is the sameH truly e)cellent 7/"8 $eiss (L lens, titanium body, " B ?/6?! e)posure compensation, synthetic saphire windows and shutter release, ceramic film plate, etc.

My impressions after shooting ; rolls of print film* (he lens takes some of the most beautiful photos I+ve seen in !"mm//not only sharp, contrasty, and saturated but with e)cellent tonal gradation as well. (he photos are comparable with results from my 'eica M8 outfit and far better than results from other point and shoots I+ve used, including my two <ashica (;s. 1So why keep the M8* Many reasons includingH much faster lenses 1f?7 and better4, the potential for making much bigger enlargements, and allows a much different approach to photography4.

Responses to other (S comments I+ve seen hereH

64 (he dim viewfinder is no longer a drawback to this camera.

74 :ne post noted e)posure errors with filters in place. (he camera does not meter through the lens and so the e)posure compensation must be used to dial in more e)posure according to the filter factor. :nce you do this everything works great. (he passive autofocus 1with low/light IR assist4 is also e)ternal, so filters do not effect focussing.

!4 Someone also suggested a learning curve in getting used to the camera+s focussing and e)posure. I don+t notice that there+s a problem here. My first three rolls were fine. 9or flash work inside, ;-- #S# film would be best 1as with any small on/camera flash4.

;4 # final comment on the #9 and flash. (he behavior of both can be modified. (he #9 can be set to move the lens into position with a half/press of the shutter release, eliminating the delay in taking a picture. (he default flash mode can also be set to any of the flash modes available. I leave it set to flash off usually, since I don+t like the flash going off without my permission.

I am very happy with this camera. It is, of course, one of the most e)pensive point and shoots, but the results are

// harles Kunlap, Kecember 6, 6NN

# brief commment on #PSH I recently bought a anon $N- for its 77."/N-mm #PS 5oom range 1e0uivalent to about 7/667mm on !"mm film4. Enfortunately, I have to report that I+ll be changing this camera, not because of any fault of the camera / I really rather like its styling and features / but because #PS =ust doesn+t produce good enough results. I own a anon #6 S'R based system and a Mino) ( which I love, although the first is bulky and the second suffers from having a non/interchangeable fi)ed focal length !"mm lens. I had hoped that the anon $N- would solve these problems, but instead I got the #PS film resolution problem. (he

#PS film format offers several advantages with the different picture si5es available



from standard processing houses, but the image 0uality lets it down. I long for the day when a manufacturer like anon produces a P&S compact as well featured and egineered as the $N-, but designed around the standard !"mm film format.

// onathan M Rackowe, Kecember 6!, 6NN

ust purchased an B Ricoh R6 from JBC in #tlanta for A7NN. and it is superT reat sharpness, color and contrast with 9u=i ;-- film. #s I+ve stated before, JBC is my favorite used camera mail order store..never gotten anything that wasn+t better than their rating compared to other places. I really love this cameraT

// im emmill, Kecember 6!, 6NN

Someone else mentioned having problems with light leaks in the Stylus. My mom has a Stylus and it has the same problem. @ormally it isn+t noticable, but in bright conditions there is a bright spot near the top of the frame. I think this may have

started when I yard/saled skiing with the camera in my pocketT

#nyway, otherwise it is a great camera. Cow many !"mm cameras can you conveniently fit in your pocket* @ot many.

// Jirk @elson, Kecember 6", 6NN

(eng heong Jhoo wrote on :ctober 6", 6NNH %#s an RI( photo student, I+ve had the pleasure of using some of the best photo e0uipment on the planet. 9rom the venerable @ikon 9", to the Sinar P7 to the Mamiya R$ 8D, it ama5es me how people e)pect S'R or higher results from P&S.%

<es, it is ama5ing. It is ama5ing and true that P&S cameras are now in some cases SEPBRI:R in image 0uality to S'R e0uivalents. (he lens on the Ricoh R/6 is at least e0ual, and arguably superior, to the e0uivalent @ikkor prime. (he R/6 vibrates 9#R less, due to the absence of a mirror and 9P shutter. It is 6-) lighter, occupies 6?6- the volume, and costs 6?6- as much as an 9". 3ut in most photographic situations it will perform as well as or better than the 9". #nd if one wishes to be at all discrete, a R/6 is immeasurably better.

%(he sole reason I buy a P&S is too =ust take candid shots. If you want S'R results,

go buy an S'R.%

2hatever +S'R results+ are. I+d guess that you couldn+t tell a portrait taken with a Rolleifle) from one taken with a Casselblad. :r a landscape taken with a Penta) 8)D from one taken with a Mamiya D. Enless the S'R pictures were less sharp due to vibration...

(he truth is that the S'R is a superbly versatile tool, but in LaverageL photographic situations, that means that the S'R is carrying many features that are not used. #nd the first principle of good design is that anything that does not add, detracts.

(he RB#' 0uestion is why so many people use an S'R to do a P&S+s =ob...



// #le)ey Mer5, Kecember 7N, 6NN

2hoops. I meant to write %discreet%.

// #le)ey Mer5, Kecember 7N, 6NN

I confess I haven+t tried any of the current generation of 1mini4 point and shoot cameras that are generally being discussed but apart from S'Rs and a M9 system that I use for work, I have three old @ikon '!"#9+s, kept handy here and there. 9i)ed !"?7., very, very sharp, defeatable autoflash, backlight compensation lever, self timer, takes filters 1;8mm4, film rewind leaves a little leader out of cassette, #S# setting is manual 7"/;--#S# on two of them, "-/6--- on the other /very handy for e)posure compensation., runs on two ##s...last but not least...the most recent one, in e)cellent condition, I picked up in a pawnshop for A#6-. (he camera that meters to 6---#S# makes a great little infrared 1point & shooter4 with Jodak CS infrared

and a 7"# filter 1film rating and dev. details if anyone+s interested4 p.s. @o way of knowing but I wouldn+t be at all surprised if the !"?7. lens on the @ikon !"(i is none other than what+s on my old friend from circa 6N!...anyway, en=oy taking pictures, whatever you shoot with.

// Michael 2earne, anuary ", 6NNN

I+m a community college photo=ournalist for a campus newspaper, and I recently bought an :lympus Stylus Bpic... 3est camera in the world, it =ust earned me a pri5e in a newspaper competition... best +grab/shot+ photo. My Jonica Ce)anon#R and my anon B:S rigs do @:( have the same results as the e)cellent f7. lens on the :lympus. H4 I can also carry it concealed in a pocket, and people won+t look at me as strangely as if I was carring my big arsed Komke bag full of lenses around. H4 I+m not going to try shooting sports photos with it anytime soon, but for normal shots, the ANN is so worth it. 3(2, I also want to thank people for all the nice comments about Rit5 ameras. I am an employee at one of their Jit+s ameras stores in :regon, and I do appreciate hearing that the company I+m part of is doing a good =ob. (hank youT

// Jarl Jat5ke, anuary 6N, 6NNN

I went thru all the comments about Styluses 1Styli *4, (;s?("s, 7?!" (is, Rivas, E/6s, etc.....and found them very interesting. I+m surprised no one mentioned the once/popular/but/not/so/much/now :lympus F# and F#;.

I had a couple of F#s, one for print, one for slide, but found that although the camera was very functional and innovative, the lens was so/so until about . So I got rid of one and picked up a nice used F#;. (he lens on this is a real beauty, rivalling some of my S'R+s prime 7s. Maybe I got lucky but I think most reviews of the F#;+s lens were very good.

(hese little beauties are the grand/daddies of the current day Stylus?m=u?m=u II with

the world+s first sliding clam/shell cover, and they were a very convenient si5e for



trekking, skiing, mountaineering.

9or the uninitiated, here+s a brief run/down of their featuresH

ommon featuresH takes 'R;;?#D8 cells, 6." backlight compensation, battery

check, 6- sec self/timer.

F# H !"?7., range/finder focusing, aperture priority f7./77,6?"-- to 7- sec 1on mine4, shutter speeds in finder.

F#; H 7?!.", scale focusing with close up to !-cm, strap measures to !- and "- cm for accurate closeups, KF coding, fully programmed 6?D-- to 7 secs, close/up correction marks in finder.

// Raymond #ng, anuary 77, 6NNN

I stumbled on to some of Phils stuff awhile back and at the time he was rating the Minolta e)plorer I think. I was in the market so I bought one. (ook it with me last fall to <ellowstone and called it my %tourist cam % . cord around my neck and camera in my pocket, I could get it out in a flash. Most of my photos from (he 3eartooth pass were shot out the window without much composition. (he results were great not up to my S'R+s 1@ikon4 but not e)pected to be. 2ell I carried it everywhere in my breifcase, which like most of you, isn+t far away.Stopped at 3arnes and @oble , and while looking through some mags, saw an article on the 7" best cameras in the world. Karned if a Infinity Stylus Bpic I had =ust bought wasn+t listed. It was in the car and didn+t even have film in it yet. (he ne)t day a test roll was shot and results were great. #bout 6- days ago while reading the RPM @, a saw a (; pop up so I shot of a re0uest and darned if I didn+t get there first. # week later the (; got here and off I went to the canal park area here in Kuluth, M@. I found lots of sub=ect, but particular were a couple buildings, and a tug fro5en in the ice. #fter the shots were developed I scanned the negative of the tug with my CP Photsmart, and printed it. @ot one soul here at the office identified it as a computer shot, and why * I owe it to the optics on the (;. (he original print was really sharp, e)cellent color and e)posure. @ow I have shall we say, several P&S cameras. In trying to decide how to cut inventory 1 heard that lately *4 I really don+t see the need to get rid of any of

them T 2orst case scenerio, the wife gets the Minolta 5oom. (hanks for reading..

// im hristensen, anuary 78, 6NNN

#s an engineer concerned with documenting e)isting conditions, before?after, problems, etc., I am less concerned with %creative e)pression% than with making a lot of %pretty/good% pictures 0uickly. I had been using the office+s Polaroid Spectra 7 / it is nice to have the result in hand immediately / but the picture is too small, the colors are muddy, and the surface tends to deteriorate from handling. #t home, an :lympus Stylus $oom !"/D-mm 2eatherproof 1A6N-.4 has been :.J. for a couple of years, but with a few problems / flash tends to overe)pose people up close, bad red/eye

indoors, and I keep bumping the pop/up flash. Recently, the need to document a



contractor+s paint/overspray problem was simply too much to ask of the Polaroid, so I bought an :lympus Stylus !"mm f?!." Quart5date 1ANN.4 strictly to use at the office. :bviously, price was of the essence, but the A8N. alternative was about twice the volume & weight. I have now taken about 7-)7; photos with the new camera, using Jodak old 6-- color print film and getting one ;%)8% print of each from the

local 7;/hour developer. 1#ctually, I got a few "%)D% prints, but they take up more room in the file without giving noticeably more information.4 I find the results are as good as I could ask for. old 7-- would in principal permit faster shutter for more sharpness, but I think the limiting factor at present is camera shake, and I+m not about to start carrying around a tripod. (he flash seems to be more trouble than it is worth, so I turn it off e)cept for the dimmest venues / e.g., a boiler room. I haven+t missed the 5oom feature at all / I simply move in until the 5one of interest fills the finder. 9or my purposes, the date imprint is e)cellent documentation. @ow my boss wants to start documenting before?after with slides, the better to show management how much nicer we are making our employees+ work environment. I am thinking of getting another :lympus Stylus !"mm 1without Quart5date4 to keep loaded with,

say, Jodak Blite hrome 7-- color slide film. (wo possible problems threaten / 164 slide film is said to be more sensitive to e)posure error than print film, and 174 camera shake may be more of a problem when the results are pro=ected onto a "+)D+ screen. I dread the thought of having to use a tripodT Suggestions are welcome / eMail to gregory.=osephsUphila.gov.

// regory osephs, 9ebruary !, 6NNN

Cere are some of my e)periences with several P&S camerasH

64 :lympus m=u II 1W Stylus Bpic4H 'ens flares badly when shooting against the light 1e)posure can be made correct by using the spot metering, however4. #utofocus is not very reliable> in particular it doesn+t recogni5e thin or round ob=ects. (he problems with round ob=ects 1pillars, sometimes sculptures, gargoyles etc.4 seem to be hardly ever mentioned as a serious drawback of the active infrared autofocus systemT 9urther I+ve made the e)perience that at full aperture 1in low light conditions4 the right side of the picture area isn+t very sharp. I don+t know what the reason is, and I don+t know, either, if this is =ust a problem with my particular m=u II or a general problem of the camera. #nyone who can tell me* # further problem with the camera seems to be accurate e)posure with slide film. Results were unsatisfactory both with 9u=i elvia and Bktachrome Blite II "- films> with Blite II 6-- a bit better. Cowever,

with ;-- #S# color or 3&2 print films nice results can be e)pected> definite advantages of the camera are its BR< compactness and the weatherproofing> it+s also fine that it admits comparatively long e)posure times at turned/off flash. So I+ll keep the camera, but I won+t do much serious photography with it.

74 Minolta RI# $oom 6;- BF 19reedom B)plorer in the ES# ***4H ery slow lens, of course, but still one of the fastest ones in this class of real telephoto 5oom P&S+s. ery sharp at any focal length 1T4, but heavy distortion at the edges at ! mm. (his distortion seems to get better with increasing length of the lens, however. B)posure metering BR< accurate even with slide films 1although I haven+t used "- #S# slide film with this camera for obvious reasons4 and even in partially backlit

situationsT I guess this is due to ((9 1through the finder4 dual/segment metering. (he



passive autofocus is very reliable in general, but causing problems in low/light and backlight situations.

!4 onta) (SH 3ought this camera second/hand a few weeks ago. Shot some rolls of 7-- #S# and 6-- #S# color print film and one roll of Ilford FP7 black and

white film. (he results are simply overwhelming. @o problems with shooting directly against the light 1if you can guess the correct amount of e)posure compensation, of course4H there is practically no flare at all. # slight distortion is noticeable at 7 mm, but really so slight that it doesn+t matter at all. oncerning sharpness, contrast, tonal value etc. I can simply tell that I+ve never seen results comparing to this e)cept from medium format. I haven+t tried slide film in this camera yet, but e)posure compensation in -.! stops will do anything, I guess. It also runs from /" to " so that deliberate over/ and undere)posures 1for XXhold++ and XXpush++ processings, resp.4 are included 1as a substitute for manual IS: setting4. (here are only two features the camera definitely lacksH (he first one is the absence of spot metering, and the second one is that no cable release or infrared remote control can be used with this camera.

:.J., the self timer will do it in most situations 1as it replaces the mirror lock up in my SR'T4, but when working with a tripod in e)tremely low light, so low, that the XX3++ feature must be employed, pressing the button all the time during, say, 7 minutes will not only feel and look silly, but will inevitably result in some severe camera shake, I guessT

;4 9u=i # 8;"H (his a medium format camera, but it can be considered a P&S, too, because its features are nearly identical to those of the onta) (7, the XX5oomless sister++ of the aforementioned (s. (he #, however, owns a hybrid 1combined active and passive4 autofocus, shows also the distance in the viewfinder 1this is a fantastic toolT4, can take a cable release and has ((9 metering. :ptics is simply flawlessH no distortion at all, the image remains sharp to the very edgesT # fantastic camera, the best one I own, and highly recommended. If there weren+t the very high price 1around ;.--- KM, some A7."--, I guess4, I+d instantly buy another one, the # 8;"2 1with he wide/angle lensT4. 'ook for good second/hand/offers, as I did.

"4 @o fifth camera, but some concluding remarks. Someone on this page once wrote that you couldn+t e)pect S'R 0uality from a point and shoot. Kue to my own e)perience, I wonder if the 0uestion shouldn+t be asked the other way roundH XXan a S'R provide the same 0uality as a good P&S*++ :f course it can, but it will be ten times as e)pensive as the P&S, and you wouldn+t be able to carry it with you all the

timeT So why keep my S'R 1a @ikon 94* :f course, since there is the possiblity of interchanging lensesT <ou can use e)tremely short and long lenses and, above all, e)tremely fast ones. I+m doing a lot of available light photography and I almost wish that flash would have never been inventedT

Jlaus $iegler, Munich, ermany 15ieglerUr5.mathematik.uni/muenchen.de4

// Jlaus $iegler, 9ebruary ", 6NNN

I read about the <ashica (; Super on photo.net and bought one =ust about a year ago. I+ve had a year of wonderful results. I am comparing the results to my own

photos taken previously with older :lympus :M6- and :M;- models, not to other



modern cameras.

#nyway, about 8 months ago I decided to again take the advice offered on the site and picked up A"- worth of anon B:S e0uipment 1Blan IIB 7/6-" 5oom4. #fter si) months using both I have to admit, I think the pictures from the (; are

better in terms of raw image 0uality. :f course the S'R is more comple) and I+m still learning, and it+s a 5oom which is always a compromise, but still, I wouldn+t have believed it until I was forced to. (he (; produces lovely picturesT (o give the anon a chance I think I+ll buy a non/5oom and see how that works.

// hris Morgan, 9ebruary 6N, 6NNN

I+ve been looking for a point and shoot camera and have found little information on e)posure lock. Bven when I have found cameras with #B lock, camera sales people or the liturature on the camera often neglect to mention it. (he above article seems to assume that most point and shoots have #B lock with focus lock, but I don+t think

so. It is critical that I have it to avoid undere)posed photographs. #ll S'R cameras I+ve used have this feature separately and I use it all the time. I never get undere)posed photographs, as I notice a lot of people with P&S cameras do, about 6- of all shots. 3y simply finding something that you want to be mid contrast, such as green foliage, tree bark, cloths etc. lock this in centre of viewfinder and then recompose. #ll the P&S cameras I+ve looked at in the lower price range combine this with focus lock when the shutter is half down. So I guess I+d need to lock at the distance I want to be in focus. It is probably more critical with centre wieghted e)posure compared to a matri) system. 3ut I+d prefer the control of centre weighted. # lot of cameras don+t even tell you what metering system they use in their specifications.

(he only cameras I+ve found with e)posure lock are the (; super or (", 'eica $7F, :lympus Stylus Bpic, Rollei Prego 66"1now seems discontinued and not on new model $66"4, and annon Sure Shot 6-". I assume the e)pensive onta), 'eica and @ikons have e)posure lock.

// gordon forster, March D, 6NNN

I =ust purchased a Ricoh R6 and have discovered a problem which may be inherent in the design. #fter e)amining 7 test rolls of ektachrome that I =ust shot, I noticed scratching down the length of the film. It is particullarly noticable on images which are even/toned, like the blue sky. (he scratching is on the base side of the film. It was processed in our dip and dunk B/8 machine 1@:( a roller transport machine4, so I didn+t think they were processing scratches. I took a fresh roll and put it in the camera, let it reverse wind to the last frame, and then immediately rewound it. I removed the roll, opened the cassette, and e)amined the film for scratches. Sure enough, the base side was scratched all across the width of the film with lines running down the length of the film.

(he only thing that touches the back of the film is the pressure plate, and the R6



pressure plate has a regular pattern of tiny s0uare indentations. <ou can feel the %roughness% on the leading and trailing edges of the plate. I think this is where the scratching is coming from.

My anon B:S has a completely smooth pressure plate, and when I repeated the

above test with it, the back of the film was completely untouched?unscratched.

Enfortunately, I+m going to have to return this R6, as scratched film is no good to me. Cas any one else had this problem* Kid I =ust get a defective e)ample* Is it worth my trying another one* I love the camera otherwise.

I also noticed 0uite a bit of light fall/off from the center out, on evenly lit flat surfaces. 1#nd this is 2I(C:E( the flash.4 'ooks like around a 6?7 stop or more from center to edge. (hat+s a lot. I could live with that, but not the scratching. 2hy didn+t they =ust use a smooth pressure plate*

// (om reen, March 67, 6NNN

I have been using the fi)ed 9' 'eica Mini ! w? Summar !7mm f !.7 for over a year and I find this apanese made plastic camera surprisingly impressive for si5e and cost. (he price at and R Music 2orld / a reliable outfit by the way/was 6-.-- plus shipping, with an alleged !- day money back trial. I really like the 0uality of the images, although the !7mm 9' lens is not so kind to a prominent nose, but noone else seems to notice >4. 3est feature of the 'eica is the apparent pre/focus of the lens when you depress shutter, cutting that bugaboo lag time. (his is a four element glass lens that is no slouch. @ot an aspheric surface in sight, which goes to say something about spherical lens design at its best. 2orst feature is the searchlight intensity green focus confirmation 'BK that blinds my eye, almost covering the top 0uarter of the visible finder image. :nly bad design thing I find. (he flash works very nicely for its postage stamp si5e, and there is a plus 7 B backlight e)posure compensation option. (he icons are straightforward and intuitive,and easy to read in dim light. (he lens has no clamshell cover,=ust a piece of optical glass on top, so this is not a camera to toss into a pocket with keys and Rice Jrispy treats. Still, a nice touch I noticed is that there is a removable bushing around the plastic tripod threads.1 'eica apparently anticipates this is a keeper camera4. #s a postscript, I hardly ever use slide film and 'eica I3 says it did not intend this camera for slides. (he only other 0uibble, which you may find to be a plus feature is that the camera is really tiny 1 a

s0ueek larger than the Bpic4 and slick for big fingers. #nd another thing I discovered is that people I hand it to have to be told to get used to the similar sound of pre/focus motor and the actual shutter release. 'ost some shots once because of that.:verall, hard to imagine anyone failing to en=oy using the 'eica Mini, especially at its reduced selling price of about A68-.-- with date back as of March 6NNN.

// erry Siegel, March 78, 6NNN

I =ust purchased a new :lympus Stylus Bpic 'imited Bdition to complement my B:S system. (he 'imited Bdition seems like the delu)e edition of the BpicH it adds a 0uart5 date back and a panoramic mode to the basic Bpic. It is black with gold writing

rather than the delu)e edition+s champagne color, however. (he 'imited Bd. also



comes with a case, battery, and 7 straps.

I ran some print film through the camera to test its metering and focus in various situations, includingH

indoors with and w?o flashnight city scenedaylight city sceneoutdoors with fill flash, outdoors w?o fill flashindoors with sub=ect off/center and strong backlighting, using flash 1testing

spot meter4

In all cases, the epic performed 0uite well. 9lash was nicely balanced when I used it, and e)posure seemed accurate. (he lens is sharp, but not nearly as sharp as my 7/D- f?7.' lens//I could see a difference even on ;)8 prints. I didn+t encounter any auto/focus problems. I did have a bit of red/eye in some pictures where I

flashed indoors without the red/eye reduction. Esing the red/eye reduction mode, however, eliminated this problem.

# couple 0uibbles with the epicH

(he camera+s viewfinder is pretty small, and I find myself having to take a couple seconds to put my eye up to it properly.

(he camera always defaults to auto/flash or red/eye?auto/flash mode once it+s turned off. I wish it would =ust stay on the mode I last used.

:verall, I am 0uite pleased with this camera. It is e)tremely easy to carry around//I have already been able to take pictures I would have otherwise missed because I wasn+t carrying my S'R with me. :ne final noteH I purchased my Bpic 'imited Bd. at Rit5 amera for A66-. 3&C currently sells the same camera for A6"-.

// 3ryan he, #pril N, 6NNN

3esides thanking the authors and contributors to this page for an e)ceptionally informative resource on P&S cameras I would like to add some comments about the Rollei Prego Micron the more e)pensive erman cousin of the much lauded Ricoh R6. 64 #n earlier post mentions losing battery power and having to rewind the roll

resulting in having to fish the leader out %in the field%. # recent model I have =ust ac0uired does have a low battery indicator, but they have thoughtfully included a function that leaves the leader hanging out if you press the %mid/role rewind button% a second time while the film is rewinding. Cowever, I haven+t tried this as yet. 74 <es the Prego Micron has two Schneider lenses, a 7;mm and a !-mm lens. Cowever, while the !-mm setting is fine, shifting to the 7;mm lens, referred to as %superwide panorama mode%, also results in a cropping of the top and bottom of the frame 1similar to what #PS does I gather4. (his occurs courtesy of two panels that slide down between the lens and the film. (he assumption is that when the film is processed if they have the facilities you can tell them to enlarge the cropped negative and print it as a %panorama% shot. 2hat you can+t get is the full use of your 7;mm

lens. I have toyed with the idea of somehow removing the cropping blinds but am



reluctant to do so. If anyone has any suggestions I would be very grateful to hear them.

// 'ucas Sorbara, #pril 6-, 6NNN

(hree years ago I decided to buy a <ashica (; after I lost my Jonica 3ig Mini . It din+t survive an amount of water. ood reports about the arl $eiss optic made me do that. Indeed the lens is perfect. 3etter than any other P&S. I only shoot in 3&2 so I don+t know nothing about colour, but contrast and sharpness is brilliant. 3ut, the rest of the camera isn+t. :ne and a half year ago the trouble started. :n a trip to iet@am I decided to leave my good old anon #6 at home and =ust packed the (; in the little backsack I had. Right in the middle of a !8 roll it made a strange noise and the whole roll was transported into the casette. (hat happened =ust one time strangely enough, so I forgot it. 3ack in #msterdam suddenly the lensprotector didn+t opened completely anymore so the lens couldn+t come out completely. (his error didn+t =ust disapeared and I had to let it repaired for 6"- guilders1D" dollar or so4.

#ll went fine for a year or so till an old problem started again> the film rewinding after 6D or 6 pictures. @o matter what films I used1mostly (/ma) ;--4, this time it didn+t went over.Candy about the (; is the si5e,you can carry it always with you. 3ut not a bag of films. <esterday I bought a second hand Jonica Ce)ar for !"- dollar. It+s much bigger and I haven+t seen the results already but the first feel to me is that of a much more relyable camera. I hope, we will see.

// 9loris 'ok #msterdam, #pril 6D, 6NNN

ust thought I+d thrown in my D year+s of e)perience with the onta) (7. 2e+ve got two 1my wife and I4, hers in silver and mine in black 1much more machoT4. (hey were e)pensive, bit not scary//I bought them both very slightly used at Jenmore amera in ambridge, M# for A"-.-- for the pair. I was a regular there at the time and could always beat 'enny down to his bottom line.

(he e)perienceH wonnerful, 2onnerful, 2:@@BR9E'TTT

(his is the best, small take anywhere, camera I+ve ever owned//any poor images have been traced to something I did wrong> focus and e)posure are dead/on. (he ability to select aperture permits selective focus techni0ues, and some of the %fill/flash% photos we+ve taken are spectacular. 3attery life 1R67!4 is e)cellent at

7-/!- 7; e)posure rolls, even with the flash always on 1wife4.

B)posure and focus can be locked in with a 6?7 way press of the shutter release> and with the %electronic rangefinder% mode you can lock the focus independently of e)posure.

ProblemsH My wife sometimes has trouble loading the film//she pulls the leader over too far into the take/up reel cavity. Sometimes the e)poosure compensation control will be bumped off the %-% setting, but usually not more than 6?7 stop which with print film does generally mess anything up real bad.

#lso, wife 1is there a theme here*4 dropped hers once, from !-% or so, onto a vinyl



flooring over concrete floor. (he mode dial got real stiff 1camera still worked4 and we thought it was due for a trip to onta). Cowever closer e)amination revealed that the control knob appeared to canted on its shaft//so, I pried it away from the body, gently, with the blade of a pocket knife until it looked straight again> guess what* 3een fine ever since 1some ; years4.

#uto lens cap, titanium case, alloy body, $eiss (L lens, synthetic sapphire viewfinder?rangefinder ports, ceramic pressure plate and even a synthetic ruby shutter release. (his sucka+ rules...

// liff Jnight, #pril 76, 6NNN

(his is =ust to offer some recommendations on a compact camera that I have bought recently. It is the new 'eica Minilu) 5oom. (hough e)pensive, it is a =oy to use, and it delivers e)tremely good results. It features a ario Blmar !"/D- !."/8." lens, e)posure compensation, and both auto and manual focus. It+s solidly built, with

titanium body 1not look/alike titanium finish, but the real stuff4, and all the important flash e)posure modes. #lso has a ( setting, with elapsed time countdown in seconds, and also an illuminated 'K 1illumination comes up automatically in low light4, both very useful for night photography.

#ll I can say is that I have used the camera for instance in a trip to Paris, where I had a weekend available to tour the city. I was using Jchrome 7--, and the slides are =ust beautiful.

I can only recommend this wonderful camera.

// Paulo 3i5arro, #pril 7!, 6NNN

(here are ! things that I admire most about my new <ashica ("KH its $eiss lens, its weatherproofing, and the superscope on its top panel. I really think these features are pretty cool and fle)ible. #s far as these factors are concerned, there should be no other P&S more suitable for my outdoor and travel photography hobby. (he ("K is indeed a great companion.

// <u Ming Cung, #pril 7, 6NNN

I too am looking for a P&S that would take great pictures and not have to think about it. I haven+t seen a anon Sureshot M in a long time but saw one on clearance lately 1only one left4. (hese must have been discontinued years ago. It has a !"mm lens with a f!." lens, and offers slow sync, and red eye reduction as it+s features. Cas anybody had e)perience with this camera*

I+ve recently gotten a Stylus Bpic for it+s compact si5e, and weight. In my recent e)perience, I didn+t have the out of focus problems other people did in some of the photo.net comments. #lthough, sharpness and contrast can definitely be improved upon. #m I right or wrong* Perhaps, I should return it and get a (; SuperT #nyone with helpful comments can email me at ash0elonUearthlink.net H4



// ulian //, #pril !-, 6NNN

I agree that a P&S is a great tool if you actually use it. I carry mine in my pocket on lunch breaks, into meetings, the bar and basically everywhere me and my Palm Pilot go. (he :lypmus Stylus Bpic has served me well as its+ compact si5e makes for ease

of carrying around and the little niceties like spot/metering and fill/in flash help with getting the artistic e)pression, well, e)pressed. (ake the time to compose, focus, and think about available light> the environment provides many things> inspiration, sub=ects and e)posure incidentals. Peace.

// im :wens, May 66, 6NNN

I+m in the market for a camera for a long european vacation. 9rom the research I+ve done I can see that the :lympus Stylus Bpic or (he <ashica (; are very highly recommended. I am, however, interested in a 5oom camera. @o one seems to have mentioned any 5oom cameras that these companies make. (he :lympus Stylus Bpic

has some 5oom versions, namely Stylus Bpic $oom - and (he Stylus Bpic $oom - 9. <ashica also has the Microtec Series. I was wondering if any of these were as good as the non/5oom ones. If anyone has any e)perience with these I+d sure appreciate a post or an e/mail. (han) in advance.

// Mike J., May 67, 6NNN

ambridge amera B)change in @ew <ork is a =ipTTT @ot only are the prices false but the staff is incompitent and rude.

// luis villasana, une 7, 6NNN

I have a :lympus Stylus Bpic. I bought it due to the raves from Pop Photo 1<eah they like anything. I wouldn+t be surprise if it was owned by manufacters and camera stores4. I have to say the camera is great. I+ve taken a lot of nice pictures with ;-- speed negative film. My problem with the camera is it+s durability. I+ve pushed the film cassette window in (CRBB times. I don+t think they glue that part to the camera. (he second time I pushed it in, I tried super gluing it back. Instead I damage it. I had to pay A6--1dn4Gosts A7-- for the camera to replace the whole back. 2ith the brutal service of the anadian (oronto/based importer the arsen roup. It only took :@B and C#'9 months to get it back. #void buying Sekonic and :lympus

products in (oronto. If you want to avoid the worst customer service in the amera world. @ow for the third time my window has been pushed in. If you don+t think that enough problems I have another one. (he shutter release button has changed it standard operating method. Instead of feeling resistance while pressing the button half way. I have to skillfully applying =ust enough pressure to activate the auto e)posure and auto focus. (hat resistance I use to feel is gone. I screw up too many pictures because of that problem. @ow I have to practise saying, %an I take another picture%, because my flash probably went off prematurely. Sometimes I take a candid picture and it goes off without have focused. Maybe I clumsy but I like to use cameras not collect them. (hese are not the type of camera you can pass along to your kids. (hanks Phil, now the world will know my pain.



// Kavid Payumo, une ;, 6NNN

Ricoh R6/ I have used it for a year and it gives outstanding results, particularly when using fill flash with daytime e)posure, portraits and candids are well lit and perfectly e)posed. <ou have to take care when the light fades as this can result in long

e)posures and blurring of figures, the night mode is a great function though you need a tripod or a top of a fence to use on self timerT I love the 7;mm wideangle perspective, and wonder if I could remove the shutters and have a full frame 7;mm point and shoot* If I buy a R6 I might =ust attempt it with the R6T I take it with me wherever I go, unlike my @ikon 9B 7-?7?"-?6-"mm setup.

paul grahamUsunderland.ac.uk

// paul graham, une 68, 6NNN

I recently bought the Stylus Bpic 'imited 1celebrates 6- million units sold4. It is a

beautiful camera, finished in metallic black that almost makes it look like a dark copper, and includes a leather case, battery, and strap in a nice gold bo). I ran 7 roles of film thru it to record a Stanford graduation. I am pleased with the results. In addition, I carried a @ikon 9M7 with 6!"mm?f!." lens and took 6 role. (he pictures from the !"mm?7. Bpic look =ust as good as those from the @ikkorTTT @ice, bold colors and sharp image. My photos 1all ;)8+s4 from both the Bpic and @ikon were mi)ed in the same stack. I could not tell which camera took which photo =ust by looking at image 0uality 1:f course, I could tell by noticing the focal length used in the shot4. #nyway, for ;)8 prints, the Bpic will match even a @ikkor. I+m sure the @ikkor will win if I enlarged the photos though. :f course, the Bpic 1like all P&S4 has its limitations. (he auto focus on the Bpic can be unpredictable. I have had some fu55y photos even when my sub=ect was in the center of the frame. 9or critical shots, stick with a 0uality S'R and manually focus. 3ut the Bpic is great for parties, or when you don+t want to lug around a heavy S'R. (he flash is useful, but not perfect. It seems to lack enough power to do a good =ob at fill/flash. ust my opinion.

// Jen @guyen, une 6D, 6NNN

#lthough I love my yashica t/; camera. I would say that it is hardly weather resistant. In the past two years I have gone through three of these cameras. <et, the optics on these on this ine)pensive camera are e)cellent.

// Jeith #llen willits, uly 6, 6NNN

I recently purchased a <ashica (/; Super as a compliment to my S'R. #fter shooting a couple of rolls through it, a friend who was going to the Phillipines and needed a camera, noticed the image 0uality and offered to order me a new one 1he didn+t have time to wait for it to ship4 and take mine along to the islands. 2hen he returned, he showed me the photos 1from some 6- rolls4 that were taken with the camera. Some of the shots were made through scratched and ha5y airplane windows but are still magnificent 1minus the occassional turbofan4T Ce said the camera was great to take along, easy to use, and because of the inconvenient, obtrusive bulk of

the video camera he had packed in his lugguage, the !"mm photos are virtually the



only record he has of the trip. So folks, take those point and shoots everywhereT

// Cunsperger ason, uly ;, 6NNN

9or the past few years I have been using a anon Rebel S, <ashica (; and a Penta)

N7. @o 0uestion that the <ashica has a great lens, but its lack of 5oom makes it less than the perfect choice for close up candid shots. (he anon has been a ma=or disappointment//I feel that the results from the <ashica and the Penta) are better. (he Penta) is presently my camera of choice 1although I am thinking of a new S'R4//the 5oom is ade0uate, the pictures are sharp, the remote is fun and it is e)tremely versatile.

// =ames leopold, uly 77, 6NNN

Recently added a Rollei Prego N- to my ensemble of P?S cameras. (he Schneider lens is sharp, and I like the B ?/ ad=ustability. Ran Jodak old Select ;--

through it fine, then switched to Select b?w ;-- %plus% for something different. Results were overall satisfying, especially when using the 7 mm lens length. I was a little disappointed, though, that the dark foregrounds in the 3?2 images lacked detail 1shot them on an overcast day with only a white lighthouse as the sub=ect. Must remember to use that B ad=ustment more often.4 #lso, the panoramic results in 5oom mode are not superb. In retrospect, the picture would have been fine without the added crop and enlargement created by the panoramic mode.

(he worst part about this camera is its manual. (he e)amples and figures described in its te)t are all lumped together in the back of the booklet, and they are too small 1or badly retouched4, making referencing back to the te)t more of a chore than it ought to be.

If anyone has any insights or tips on using the %snap% mode on this type of P?S camera, I+d welcome your thoughts.

// Kave Jassnoff, uly !-, 6NNN

Caving read this page, I took the recommendation and plunked down the ducats for a (; in midtown Manhattan two yrs ago. I used to have a @ikon 97 and " lenses//

//sold+em. I+ve never looked back.

My (; generates superior slides 1that+s all I take4.

reat advice. (;H like a rockT

// #rnie (racey, #ugust 6, 6NNN

3efore you buy any camera for serious picture taking 1the ones you want to save forever because they are so good4 try a few rolls of film in a Jonica Ce)arT #ll things considered, this is the only logical step up from the e)cellent (; Super and

very very close to the 'eica+s !"mm f7.- Summicron in it+s results. I love mine and



take it everywhere. It+s a street shooters delightT

Bllard ann

// Bllard ann, #ugust ", 6NNN

Point and Shoot cameras were always taboo in my book, until a recent trip to Me)ico ity about 7 years ago changed my beliefs. I was sent to Me)ico ity on a business contract and did not want to go around the big city lugging my camera bag of goodies. I do not know what made me keep my @ikon pro e0uipment home for this trip, it could have been due to the fact that I was only supposed to be there for a month. #lso, I heard horror stories about stolen camera e0uipment, also I didn+t see myself wondering around the big city in my spare time with the e)tra si5e and weight. So I decided to invest in a good Point and Shoot 1 I wasn+t sure that there was such a thing 4. #fter reading many articles and looking over every P&S camera option, I opted for the Rollei Prego N-. I am glad I did and swear by it ever sinceT It+s

compact si5e proved to be one of the most important factors in my trip. Sure, there were times where I kicked myself for not having my @ikons wrapped around me, but then again I would+ve been kicking myself more times to carry all that e0uipment around also.

(he results were outstanding 1I am working on my future website, that features these pics, so that you can see for yourself4T (he Prego N- spots a sharp C9(/coated Schneider 7/N-mm lens which proved to be perfect. Since I knew most of my photography would be taken in the sunny days, I was not worried too much about the slow lens. I used mostly Jodak Royal 6-- & ;-- #S# plus #gfa CK ;-- #S# films. 2hen I got my pictures back from a good lab in Me)ico ity, I could not believe what this little camera was producing for me.

I ended up staying in Me)ico for months and as the time went by, I did not miss my pro e0uipment at all, in fact I started feeling good about not having it with me. #t first I was inspired to challenge my creativity with a limited piece of e0uipment. (o push myself in a situation where e)pression is not limited by any factor. Roll after roll my confidence level kept going up with this little camera. I was never disappointed and found myself using the e)posure compensation, flash cancellation, focus lock options for more versatility and again, ecstatic with the results.

I never thought that I would recommend a P&S to any serious photographers, but this time I will. If you have the slighest interest of having a compact camera for the occasions of not wanting to carry professional e0uipment around, you can have faith that there are some Point and Shoots that can do the trick.

2hat really did it for me, a resident co/worker of mine took his Pro anon #7 e0uipment with him on some of our trips. 2hen I would take my shots he would look over and wear this wicked smile like taunting the little e0uipment I was using versus his stuff. 3ut I got the last laugh when we picked up the picturesT My rolls were sharper and the colors more vivid, I made sure I got the last scowl and laughT (he pictures definitly speak for themselves and I can highly recommend this camera

for anyone who has doubts about P&S cameras. #gain, I don+t think I would



recommend all of them out there, I can sure speak highly of the Rollei Prego N- and this little thing is worth every pennyT

# pic I took with this camera is onH www.photocriti0ue.net, under (ravel?Scenic, titleH San #ngel, Me)ico ity

// byron medina, #ugust 6!, 6NNN

(he canon B'PC and B'PC 7 generate some of the best photo+s I have taken to date with a PnS. Small, and especially durable, they take RB#( pics, especially considering the #PS system. I prefer larger formats, but to be able to tuck it in my briefcase, ski =acket, or my wife+s purse, it is fantastic. @o mentions are made of the Minolta+s or most @ikons here. @ikon+s newest one does look promising..

=

// = wagner, September 7, 6NNN

I heard of so many but my travel camera is a cheap canon sure shot #6, picture is still :J in )6-,don,t have to taeke care of it so I can en=oy my day.

// =ames lam, September ", 6NNN

I randomly ac0uired an issue of #merican Photographer in which I saw an interesting ad for the oku Macroma) !"mm camera. I finally tracked one down at the great price of AN".ND. It has three focusing 5onesH three feet to infinity, one foot to three feet and, strap yerselves in, kids, four inches to one footT It even has a cool bracket for framing your photographs that swings up from the bottom. It has a !6mm lens and is very small. I bought it especially for its macro capabilities. It even has a databack on it which I will never ever use. I got two rolls of film back and I am very, very pleased. (hey also make an #PS version and a !"mm version w?a 5oom lens. <ou can do much worse that this camera, believe me. ood luck.

// #ngelo Pastormerlo, September 7-, 6NNN

Cello, 6 month ago, after e)tensive consulting on the web and at my local retailers, I bought a <ashica (" 1(;S in the ES4. #nd after more than "- rolls, I must say I am

a little disappointed H 64 the button is too sensible H one shot out of three, the shot is made while I am =ust setting the #9 and the centering of the image isn+t correct. 74 (he #9 is too slow H when you try to si5e a friend+s transient e)pression, you don+t get it. !4 I do a lot of mountaineering, and shots made on the snow are almost always overe)posed. ;4 the #9 system seems tricky to me, my picture are very often blurred. I wonder if I am unable to learn how to use the camera. I even suspect sometimes that the #9 spot is not where the viewfinder displays it 1manufacturing problem *4. "4 I am perhaps very demanding, but the sharpness is disappointing. I had hoped more for a camera with that price. I have the feeling to have lost since my A6-- simple chinon and the sharpness is still far from the one of my <ashica !, a 7" years old S'R with fi)ed lenses 1a grant aunt+s legacy, however weighting 6.7 Jg,

not really suited for climbing.4 I tested different films, paper, slides, laboratory and



my opinion is firm. I had read some hints about this, and I concur. @ow I am considering giving it a relative which demands less in 0uality. I have resumed intensive web research to buy another P&S camera.

// Raphael Mitteau, September 7;, 6NNN

I understand the problems with the cheap 5oom lenses, but in certain speciali5ed circumstances they are necessary. My hobby is wandering around 'os #ngeles taking point/and/shoot pictures of murals, which I put on my 2eb page. I started with an :lympus Stylus BpicH a great camera for my purposes and none)istent skill level. 3ut then I noticed that I was risking getting run over. (o get the right distance away from the murals, I+d often have to stand in the street // that is dangerous in '.#.T So now I use a Minolta B)plorer most of the time, and its cheap 5oom may not take better pictures but does increase my life e)pectancy.

// Rich Puchalsky, September 7;, 6NNN

#fter e)tensive reading on this page and others I bought a <ashica (; Super GW(" for a backpacking trip in @orway where my S'R =ust would not make it. I had high hopes but was disappointed to find very serious vignetting under most lighting conditions with a marked drop/off in e)posure at the edges. Snow that was white in the center looked like a neutral gray card at the edges, light green grass in the center was dark green at the edge etc. 1using Jodak Royal old ;--4. (his is a problem I have not seen mentioned in the many comments about the camera on this site. Maybe I =ust got a bad sample. Sharpness seemed good, however.

// Sten 'ofgren, September 7D, 6NNN

It seems that this thread has degenerated into whether people like the <ashica (;1"4 or not. I know we are talking about %point and shoots%, but people are bound to be disappointed in a camera with no ability to shoot people without being 7 feet near them 1limited by the !" mm fi)ed focal length4. # human sub=ect shot closeup with that lens will appear disorted unless the entire sub=ect is on the same plane. (here is also no e)posure compensation. # sharp lens is not enough. I have owned a (; but much prefer my 'eica Minilu) $oom. (he lens is very sharp and contrasty, and I much prefer having a !"/D- 5oom which much better allows people pictures. It also has ?/ 7 B e)posure compensation, which I think is indispensable, %point and

shoot% designation notwithstanding

Paul Sheffner, September 7N, 6NNN

// Paul Sheffner, September !-, 6NNN

(oo much time on this page has led me to ac0uire and try a number of cameras described here. #fter about 7" rolls+ worth of random e)perimentation, here are my observationsH

L Rollei Prego N-H does superbly with all daylight photos, less well with indoor 5oom

lens photos 1it somehow undere)posed --/speed print film4. More functions than



I+ll ever use, but if I get a creative opportunity, I have them at hand.

L <ashica (;H ever dependable, gets me N- percent of what I e)pect. redit the $eiss lens and ;--/speed Royal old film. I like the vignetting. ery sensitive shutter button.

L :lympus Stylus BpicH reat camera, but I+ve lost mine to a light/fingered maintenance worker. I like the e)tra flash modes, and the spot metering. 9aster lens than the (;, with longer and shorter e)posure times. I+m hunting for another, because it+s so versatile.

L :lympus Stylus '( 6-" 5oomH (he leather/clad, fau) retro look dresses up an :J 5oom length camera. ets the =ob done, feels like a glove. 2ish it had a faster lens than f?;." at the short end.

L Ricoh R6H ot good, sharp photos // then the shutter button failed. It+s in the

shop for repairs. I+m hopeful for better performance.

#re these an improvement over my 7"/year/old :lympus F# rangefinder* In si5e, I guess. 3ut not in 0uality.

/KJ

// Kave Jassnoff, September !-, 6NNN

I would like to comment on my favorite Point & Shoot, the onta) (7. <es, it is pricey, and it is less compact than some other good P&Ss. Still, it is a magnificent cameraT Photo 0uality is nothing short of stunning//ra5or sharp, well e)posed images with vibrant colors. amera operation could hardly be simpler. #perture control, e)posure compensation and manual focus are available. (he viewfinder is bigger and brighter than in almost any other P&S, especially the Minilu), to which the (7 is often compared. I also like the fact that the flash does not come on automatically, as in many other P&Ss, re0uiring the user to be constantly turning it off. Rather, it comes on only when it is actively turned on.

2hen I originally purchased the (7, I agoni5ed over paying AD7- for a compact camera. @ow, I consider it money well spent. If you can afford it, buy it and don+t

look back.

// Rob oldstein, :ctober 7, 6NNN

I purchased an :lympus 1infinity symbol4 stylus QK for my sons graduation. I wanted a camera that responded faster than my old Penta) MF.

I guess I should have practiced with the camera a bit. 2hen my son got to the stage to get his diploma and shake hands, I pressed the shutter. (he camera fired about " seconds later, after my son had left the stage. I missed him entirely. I also missed him during the march in and the march out ceremony.



<es I fully charged the flash before he got to the stage. <es I pressed the auto focus lock before he got to the stage. (he delay was some digital thinking after the camera was fully set. In these days of !-- MC5 computers, a camera that thinks for " seconds must be doing something big.

In any case I+m using cameras that do not delay after the shutter is pressed.

// Kennis #n=o, :ctober ", 6NNN

2hy is there a delay of at least ! seconds between pressing the button and the shutter with p&s cameras* dan=oUcsulb.edu

// Kennis #n=o, :ctober ", 6NNN

I =ust bought a Rollei Prego Micron from amera 2orld of :regon. I+m very satisfied with the design of this camera and amera 2orld of :regon was by far the

best A and service. ust a couple of concerns. 64 (he 9lash and Mode settings are lost when power is turned off. 74 (he three 5one focus is a bit confusing. #s the passive #9 takes the closest of the three 5ones, it+s sometimes difficult to pre/focus.

// Steve Echida, :ctober 66, 6NNN

another person mentioned the followingH %:lympus Stylus '( 6-" 5oomH (he leather/clad, fau) retro look dresses up an :J 5oom length camera. ets the =ob done, feels like a glove. 2ish it had a faster lens than f?;." at the short end.% I =ust bought this camera. Koes neg film great, haven+t tried tranny in it yet. (here is another model that seems to cover teh same range in 5oom etc but without the se)y look to it. If you want a stylish camera that stands out a bit then get this one. Bverytime I use it , people try their best #ustin Powers %:h 3ehaveT%H/4

#fter following this P&S thread for,what, a year now* I have to say that P&S camera+s have come aloooong way from back in the days when I used to sell them, !/8. (hey all seem to do the basics well, with most differences being style and operation rather than 0uality. I have to agree with the person who keeps their e)pectations in check. If you want to make sure you get high end results and have total control, then shoot with an S'R. <ou can+t automate things and not e)pect something to go wrong once in awhile. Ian Mcausland httpH??www.ian.mb.ca

// Ian mcc, :ctober 6;, 6NNN

<ou can add me to the list of the :lympus '( 6-" fans. (his little gem hasn+t gotten much attention around these parts, but for pure and simple point and shoot pictures, it+s very good. 1#nd very good looking, too.4

2hat I like bestH it consistently takes fine flash pi), with the least amount of red eye of any point and shoot I+ve tried 1including the venerable <ashica (;.4 Bven with its slower lens, I+ve found that using ;-- film and a wall 1or table4 for support captures good shots with decent available light 1i.e., indoors, using =ust the light from the sunny

outdoors.4



// reg Jandra, :ctober 6", 6NNN

I purchased the Super (; about a year ago based on this site+s recomendation. (he resultH #2BS:MB. People look at my photographs and are ama5ed. (hey all

assume I+m using a fancy @ikon and have years of e)perience...neither being the case. I cannot more heartily recommend this camera. It+s unbelievable for daylight photos. :f course, like most P&S, the wimpy flash is good mostly for fill in.

cheers, Steve

// Stephen ingras, :ctober 78, 6NNN

3ought a anon Blph #PS camera about two years ago. 2hile showing it to a friend, he pushed down on the %pop/up% flash. 9rom then on, the flash would not

close down completely. (he problem gradually got worse until the flash would not go down at all. (hen the flash operation failed.Repair is estimated at A6--, a third of the cost of a new camera. 2atch out for pop/up flashes on small cameras.

// Kick Mach, :ctober !6, 6NNN

I have used Rollie !"+s 1( & S4, Mino) M', and now a Rollie Prego N-, on Bverest, Bl apitan, Peru, the #rctic, Mt. McJinley///and so forth. I do not want a camera to be a hindrance, yet because of the e)otic locations, and e)treme positions, want the finest optics. I now have a onta) (7/ and had D months of warranty problems getting this fi)ed/ it is now awesome. I also use a @ikon !"(i. It was awesome from the start/ and still is. I am now looking at a onta) (SII, versus a 'eica Minilu) 5oom. (he 'eica seems nicer to use, but lacks the control of the onta), and has the family/man range of !"/D-mm (he onta) approaches a (REB wide angle at 7mm/"8mm. 2hat to do/ what to do. It is clear to me, after !- years of e)treme in/the/field shooting, that P & S cameras are the future. It is easier for me to take ! tiny cameras on an e)pedition, with lens ranges of 7 through N- and select the :@B I will carry on a given day, than carry all that S'R luggage.

It is ama5ing that the Rollie Prego N- is as good as it is/ and all for under A7-- mail/order. It is only one notch below titanium units costing ") as much. ood work

Rollie. Schneider optics along with Jodak Ftra 6-- slide film, or Provia 6-- provide e)cellent results in the outdoors.

Kave Kailey

// Kavid Kailey, @ovember N, 6NNN

<ou seem to have forgotten the Minolta (6 in this forum. (his is the smallest PS with flash and #9, even smaller than a Mino) !" (, considering the Mino) is not motori5ed, has no #9 and no flash. Caving the Mino), the onta) (7 and the (6, I can tell they are all e)pensive but their 0uality is ama5ing. (he (6 7 mm lens is

e)ceptionnal though. I have made 67)68 prints from (M< ;-- and (M<6-- and it



is difficult to differentiate from my 'eica M lenses. 'ike most 7 mm lenses, there is vignetting at full aperture, but sharpness and contrast is e)cellent. (he #9 is accurate. (he flash might be a little too strong at close range. I can+t understand why no one mentionned this camera before.

It is e)pensive but there is no e0uivalent in term of si5e. (he finish is as good as the onta) (7. olor rendition is crisp. #s good as these small PS are, they cannot replace an M8. Silence, prefocus and fast lenses are precious. @o small PS has any of these 0ualities. #nd an M8 is about the si5e of a onta) (ST

2hen I travel, I always have the (6 with me. Sometimes, I take the (7 also so I have a 7 and a ! in my pockets. #s for flash with these small cameras, I only use it outdoors for fill in, never indoors. (he big drawback of either of these auto PS is the time lag when pressing the button. (hat+s where the M8 is superior.

I take other cameras, M8 or Bos 6, or @ikon 96--, according to the type of work I

intend to do and the lenses I need to use. 3ut I must say that the (6 results are totally comparable with all the other !" cameras I use. :ne =ust has to keep in mind the limitations of all PS for truly professionnal work.

// #lain 'e Jim, @ovember 67, 6NNN

I have other p&s cameras to recommend. (he Russian made %'omo% is ine)pensive and can be put inside the pocket. It is programmed and with scale focusing. I used it to take several rolls of 3&2 films in 3russels, 3rugge and #msterdam. I am satisified with the result. (he aononet Q'6D with ;-mm 96.D and Ricoh "-- with ;-mm 97., range finder cameras, provide full manul control over shutter and aperature while the user can select to use shutter priority to take picture. 3oth cameras give sharp image and details, which in my opioion, as goods as Rollei !"S or onta) ( series.

// =oseph n, @ovember 7", 6NNN

Cow come more people do not make mention of @ikon+s first point and shoot cameras. (hey were made in apan and have a strong, solid metal

frame. #lso, a sharp and contrasty fW!"mm 6H7. lensT Eser ad=ustable IS:?#S#. (hreads for use with filters. 9ill flash. (akes two ## batteries. ood old fashioned early apanese 0ualityT ery nice indeedT

// # (, Kecember 6, 6NNN

I think a digital camera is the best camera for entering photography. (he



photographic 0uality of a 7.6 megapi)el camera is far below !"mm film but that+s not important when you+re starting. Kigital cameras provide instant feedback. <ou can look in the 'K viewfinder and notice that you+re shooting a picture of a bright reflection that+s washing out the picture. <ou can review the picture you have =ust taken and reali5e that you should have 5oomed in to cut out the uninteresting

surroundings. My pictures always sucked with a !"mm camera. My digital photos are infinitely better even if the resolution is only 68-dpi at D."%)6-% and a bit noisy. (he difference is that I+m learning both composure and the technical aspects. (he nearly 5ero cost per picture means I+m not afraid to take a do5en in a row to learn how to make a particular shot come out right. I+ll consider upgrading to a film camera when I know what I+m doing. :r, maybe digitals will catch up by then.

// Jevin McMurtrie, Kecember 6", 6NNN

# street mime in front of the 'ouve in Paris.

(ook an :lympus Stylus Bpic to 9rance in @ov. +NN. It performed very, very well and I never regretted not bringing my B:S/6n kit. I highly recommend the :lympus Stylus Bpic / =ust keep your photographic/eye in !"mm wide angle mode. #nd carry an ine)pensive wire/legged pocket tripod 1A" ES4 / great at night and inside dark buildings.

// Jen 2ightman, Kecember 6, 6NNN

#fter reading this page, e)tensive and helpful no doubt, many thanks to all contributors, I thought I would allow myself one little snide comment. I noticed that in reviewing the properties of different cameras, some people refer to :':RS. B)cuse me, but am I missing something here* Since when are colors affected by the camera* Isn+t that related to the properties of the lighting and the film e)clusively* :f course, if a flash is being used, it affects the lighting, and thus could conceivably have some impact on colors. #dmittedly ignorant of flash technology, I would however dare to guess that a flash from any P&S camera will produce a neutral 1white*4 light. (hen again, I may be wrong. If so, by all means please let me knowT

// , anuary 67, 7---

#fter reading the comments on this page and talking to erry Siegel, I decided to buy the 'eica Mini ! last September. @ow I+m writing this to say that I+m very very happy with my purchase. In fact, I wrote an essay on my e)periences with this great little camera, which is found at httpH??www.bhalu.com?naveen?leica?

(he results are e)cellent. I+ve used only print film, and the pictures are sharp, contrasty, and and the lens is every bit as good as it is reputed to be. (he metering is spot on. Bven the tripod mounted night scenes that I took came out beautiful. I hardly ever use the 3 mode, because manually depressing the shutter button 1even on a tripod4 seems to cause some shake. (his may have more to do with my hands than

the camera. So whenever it says %3% 1which it does in very low light4, I =ust set it up



on the tripod, set the timer, and let it take a picture. It does a good =ob almost all the time.

:n the night of anuary 6st, I decided to take advantage of the full moon, and went out to take some pictures. (he windchill was /7- degrees, and my hands fro5e every

time I took them out of my gloves to take a picture. 'ike always, I used the tripod and the self/timer. #nd I made several important observations, such as sticking a cold hand back into the glove doesn+t warm it upT I was outside for about an hour, and the camera worked fine. 1ameras don+t feel windchills, so I should point out for the record that the temperature was about 6- degrees 9.4 (he shutter didn+t free5e or get stuck, and the shutter speeds were right on, =udging from the results. 1(he results, by the way, are found at the web site I mentioned above.4

2hich brings me to the resultsH once again, outstanding. 2ithout any filters, the moonlit night scenes have come out 0uite good. :nce picture in particular, came out so well that people who I show it to don+t believe that it was taken in moonlightT

1(here is some Manhattan skyline showing in the background, which is what finally convinces them.4 I took some more pictures on a later 1and very overcast4 night, and got some interesting effects, like a purple sky 1which is probably to be e)pected without any filters4.

In fact, I+ve begun to en=oy photography so much that now I+m thinking of getting an all/manual camera, that gives me much more control over my photosT I+m thinking along the lines of a D-s rangefinder camera. 3ut that+s still in the future...

Meanwhile, I continue to en=oy my Mini !T

// @aveen #gnihotri, anuary 6N, 7---

I( IS M< :PI@:@ (C#( P?S #MBR#S 2I'' @BBR 3B #3'B (: K: 2C#( M< S'R #@.2CI'B P?S C#S I(S P'#B (CB< K: @:( #'':2 #@< SCE(BR :@(R:'.#'S: I 'IJB (: :BR RIKB (CB 9'#SC I9 I S: C::SB. (CB S'R #'S: #':2S (IMB '#PSB PC:(:R#PC< (C#( P?S K:SB@:(.

ImageH mike ryans kc mo.=pg

// mike ryan, March !, 7---

I disagree with the comment that P & S $oom lenses are vastly inferior to fi)ed/lens P & S. :n a raft trip down Idaho+s Salmon River last summer, we took three P & S camerasH #n :lympus Stylus Bpic, a Samsung 6;" QK with the Schneider 'ens, and a <ashica (/;. (he Samsung with the Schneider 'ens was phenomenal. 'ots of photos were constantly taken back and forth between the three rafts 1#t least ten rolls of film were ran through each one4. :f course, there was no comparison when the rafts were far apart, the 5oom won hands down. 2hen one raft went through first and photographed the other two coming through the big rapids, the Schneider lens made phenomenal shots. :n close ups 1Many of which had one person shooting the photographer4 the photos were virtually indistinguisheable.



(he (/; and the :lympus were the best during the constant water fights, I+ll concede. (he Samsung went into a Pelican case. (he (W; and :lympus took marvelous photos of In/rapid, in Raft shots, better than a @ikonos I used for the purpose.

// 'arry Purviance, March 8, 7---

<ashica (/; v. @ikon !"(i. I own both cameras. (he reviews on the <ashica (/; speak for themselves, I guess. #nd the price is untouchable. I will say however that I occasionally had focusing problems with the (/;. #nd I nearly always had problems with the flash throwing too much light on my sub=ects. I have seen a huge improvement in this regard with the @ikon. #lso, it has a 7. lens and has aperature priority, which makes it worlds better than the <ashica for low light shooting. I have started doing side by side comparisons of the sharpness and so far I cannot see any difference between the two cameras. Cowever, even if the (/; is more sharp, the metering and e)posure of the @ikon has resulted in much, much better pictures. If

money is a big issue then go with the <ashica. If money is not a big issue on this purchase, then absolutely go with the @ikon. Cey, if nothing else the aesthetics of the @ikon alone make up for at least A6-- of the price differenceT #lso, the @ikon is MEC sturdier, so weigh that in for another AD-. 2ith these two weighed in the @ikon is still about A7-- more//chicken feed considering aperature control and the far superior flash performance.

// Kouglas ohnson, March D, 7---

:k, well there+s certainly a lot of different oppinions flying around about high end?good 0uality point and shoots. I+ve been shooting both as an amateur and professionally for several years and worked for one of the larger dealers of 'eica, onta), <ashica, @ikon....cameras for several years. I+ve had multiple opportunities to shoot, print and compare all of these cameras. I+ve e)haustedly compared the (;, (7, 7(i, !"(i, and Bpic and here+s my findingsH 3est cheap camera 1compact4H :lympus Bpic/cheap, fast lens, very compact 3est cheap camera 1weatherproof4H <ashica (;/cheap, very sharp lens, good :/ring 3est Point and Shoot 1overall4H hands down it+s the onta) (7/strong 1the (i+s construction is laughable in comparison4, easy to use, e)tremely sharp lens, intuitive controls, manual over/rides. (he (i+s are nice but there are far too many cheesie %bells and whistles% to distract the user from taking pictures. <ou can+t use it with gloves on 1I found out the hard

way4, the flash controls are absurd. (he @ikon+s saving grace is what I consider their sharpest lens...but who+s going to mess with the ermans here*...no one, (7.ImageH conta).=pg

// 3ryan Cughes, #pril ;, 7---

ReH (he <ashica (;. I+m a total amateur / I bought the (; because of comments on this page and advice from others. I am a serious climber though, and my (; has taken hundreds of climbing pictures in all conditions, under all lighting, and taken a beating as well / though never been dropped, always been encased in a 'owe case. @ot LthatL much of a beating, =ust been a lot of places.



My only problem with this camera is that after two years, it started with the %shoot half 10uarter4 the roll, then automatically rewind%, which is very annoying when one is trying to do a fast and light ascent and not carrying any e)tra film. Plus the ne)t roll would =ust rewind half/way through also, thus doubling the film and processing costs.

I sent it back and <ashica charged me AD" to have it fi)ed / they refused to believe that this was a persistent problem with these cameras even though I showed them several emails from other users who had the same problem, and in fact, bluntly accused me of forging these documents. It took about three months for the camera to come back.

(he camera worked fine for about a year, and now, two weeks before a big trip to 3affin Island, it+s started again. I don+t have time to get it fi)ed, don+t want to, since this effectively doubles the price of the camera. I =ust bought an @N-s, and good thing too, I guess.

So while the camera was fine while it lasted, and took e)cellent pictures, I don+t think I+ll be buying another one.

// 3rent 2are, #pril N, 7---

Cere+s a !"mm point & shoot camera that has a Panorama mode 1cropping shutters4, 3E( it can shoot in @ormal mode even at 7"mm 1=ust shy of 7;mm4H

Jodak+s recently discontinued 1over ;* years now4 Jodak ameo 7"/"-mm $oom Panoramic, it hasH 9lash #uto?:n, Kate, Self/(imer, Multi/Shots, Portrait, Infinity$oom 19arShots(hrulass4, @ormal?Panoramic iew, $ooms fully from 7" to "-mm in @:RM#' M:KBT

It+s BR< compact, stick it in your pocket without worrying about damaging the lens or lens covers, and ine)pensive at A68N, at the time I bought it> about ESA67-* It winds the film out first, then as photos are taken, the film is pulled back into the cartridge. GKownsideH I hate to have to re/number prints for record/keeping =ust because they are always numbered by photodeveloper+s according to the negative numbering se0uence, aaghhT

I+ve been waiting for it+s successor, but @:3:K<+s making itT Please everyone bug

Jodak to make oneT (he #PS cameras simply don+t give you true %7;mm% super/wide/angle GU;deg/view1in !"mm e0uivalent4. If you can find unsold cameras around from somebody get it.

It has limited e)posure control 1@:@BT4, but if you M#S(BR knowing 2CB@ to use what IS: film 1It+s designed for IS: 6--?7--?;--4 for what kind of lighting of your settings, you+re on your wayT I+ve figured out the dusk?dawn shots are fantastic even with slides using IS: -- filmsTT #las, a lot of disposable cameras can do the trick, but you =ust get no other features e)cept flash.

I remember when I bought my camera at the outlet store in Jodak anada+s head

office, the saleslady 0uipped that a lot of the Jodak technicians loved this camera as



a simple point & shoot. (oo, bad they don+t make them today> I+m still looking for it+s e0uivalent in other brand name cameras, as of #pr7---, I+ve found @:@B.

I otherwise carry an ancient anon (N- using a 7;/;mm Gold (amron, or lately a 7;/D-mm Gold ivitar wide/angle 5oom Ggeneric 5ooms> not brand name ones,

which I can+t afford costing more than most cameras. 3ut this Jodak camera successfully serves as a %0uick/&/dirty% wide/angle substitute panorama camera when my target photos are not intended to be fine tuned shots but getting the %most/from/the/least% %S@#P%/shots when I+m on the go on short trips> nothing to lug but a pocketful and film.

My personal wide/angle philosophy is to take as much scenery, or tight/0uarter large/group portraits Glike in small european?asian homes> 7mm can @BBR make these shots, I+d have to be ! feet behind most walls to take these shots, as possible. If you desperately want a %telephoto% look of something that is miles away and can+t access it physically, =ust crop it, if you want to fake being at a famous place using a

real telephoto from a distance, it can+t be beat by actually really being there up closeT #nd up close, you can include yourself in a wide panorama pic standing beside that famous thing you+re trying to take a picture ofT 2hy travel if you can+t really get there, you might as well buy a postcardT

#lso, ever try taking a shot of an e)otic item Gcar, sculpture, painting, etc. on display, but because your 7mm lens is =ust to long and you are forced to stand further back> and people are =ust walking across or standing in front, not with 7;mmT Step right up to the car and take it obstruction freeTT If time is limited, it+s in and out, voilaT 2hile everbody else is still left behind waiting for that elusive clutter/free shot.

12arningH #ttached scanned photo is a D-"kb =pg file, and is unretouched?unenhanced.4

ImageH 3ellagio Cotel Pool ' @ ES# / sdy/Sa7----67N / 6DD-)66.P

// Steve <ue, #pril 6!, 7---

S'R v P?SH

:ne thing is clearH point and shoot cameras can and do take e)cellent picturesT # few old gri55ly grinches have said the P?S will never produce %S'R 0uality pictures%,

but what does that mean* (he lens, shutter, and film produce good pictures, not the viewing system. Someone else says try a S'R with "-mm 6. lens. (o my mind this is seriously under/utilising an S'R. It is great for close/ups or wildlife or sports photography where you need specialist lenses. #n old rangefinder with a fi)ed 6. lens would be better in low light because of the absence of the mirror. I do agree slightly heavier cameras are more stable than lighter ones, but this is more noticeable at low speeds.

Si5e and weightH

Is there an ideal weight?si5e for a point and shoot* #ny comments* I think its

compact si5e, not its weight, is the main advantage of a point and shoot. 3y contrast,



S'Rs have got lighter but also bulkier and plastikier, and =ust not so easy to carry around.

PriceH

'ots of people seem to go on about price, but compare a computer or indeed any computer/related product. osts thousands and will be completely out of date in a few years. <our camera will still be going strong. Some people sneer about %posh% point and shoots, but you are paying for 0uality construction and top/class optics. #nd if you want a 0uality product, hey, why not, most products nowadays seem to have no ) factor, and inspire 5ero pride in ownership. :n the other hand, there+s still great satisfaction in coa)ing fine results from a cheaper camera.

Some camerasH

My first one, aged 67, was an :lympus !"R. reat ergonomics and results. I

recently bought one secondhand as well as a !"RK with ;-mm 6.D lens for =ust A7- / the camera shop man could not believe I would want an old camera.

:lympus :M7 with !" to D- 5oomH good for travel, very versatile, but better people pi) with the old rangefinder.

:lympus Super5oom 66- 1called something else in the States.4 Kisappointing. 9lat results compared with the old rangefinder. 9i)ed lenses still seem to produce better results.

'eica ' with M lenses. Superb 0uality on slide film. Enfortunately the shutter wasn+t working properly so I got a 'eica minilu). 3rilliant results. 3est was from a trip to Spain, where I used a picture of a patio for a front page cover of the newspaper section I edit. Si5e !D."cm by ;7cm 16"% by 68.%4 / not bad from a tiny slideT 9ilm was good old Bktachrome Blite 6--. (iny details on tiles are clearly visible. Image 0uality at least as good as our pros produce using massive @ikon 9"s and lugging around gear as heavy as my whole travel packT Most the time of course I do not need to blow up pictures so big, but nice to know I can if I want. :n the downside, the minilu) is not so good at low/light pi) without flash / probably too light. #nd I+d love a bigger viewfinder. !"/D- 5oom would be useful too. Cow does the minilu) 5oom compare* Cas anyone checked out the intriguing looking 6*

'eica M! double strokeH 3eautifully made, silky precision, great viewfinder, encourages a whole new way of taking pictures. 3ut my wife says it takes me far too long and a small point and shoot like the minilu) is better for travel.

Cer camera is a hinon Kual P with 7 and "8mm lenses. Surprisingly good results on transparency film, but image soft when blown up. So I am glad there are so manty positive comments about the Ricoh R6 and we shall probably invest in one.

Image 0uality 1again4H Minilu) beats :lympus S'R 5oom and fi)ed 7mm lens. Quality noticeable really only on big prints, but even small ones seem sparklingly

clear. #s much as like my old rangefinder :lympus, the image comes apart when



blown up really big and it is not nearly so good at large apertures. Interesting comments re erman v apanese lenses 1older ones certainly4 seem to hold trueH erman lenses have higher resolution but lower contrast. (oday+s minilu) seems to have both. 9or more, check out ameraQuest site and Brwin Puts+ 'eica lens reviews.

ust a rave* <es of course. 3ut :skar 3arnack, inventor of the 'eica, wanted to make a light, easy/to/use camera that would produce the best possible results. So I reckon the search for the ideal point and shoot is perfectly valid. @o, it isn+t as versatile as the pro+s S'R kit, but it+s much much lighter and easier to carry. I would be interested to hear of anyone else+s e)periences with any of the cameras listed above.

// Kavid Jillick, #pril 7", 7---

# few months ago I bought a <ashica (" 1aka (; Super4, this page+s

recommendations being part of the reason for the choice. 2hile I am using a @ikon S'R for most work 1and leisure4 pictures, the (" has replaced my old :lympus F# very well after mye eyes were not able to use the F#+s double/image manual focusing anymore. I use almost e)clusively slides film, the (" has performed very well 1in fact, often better than the photographer4 with elvia as well as ;-- IS: films. :ne thing that really ama5es me, is how little flare it shows in strong sun/lit scenes. I have taken pictures directly against the sun, with sunlight inside the frame and no visible flare, and still very high contrastT (hough not all frames are absolutely flare/free, this lens is clearly the best I have used under such conditions. (he very simple ;/lens construction performs much better than my @ikkor !" mm f?7. in this respect. I would love to be able to use this lens on a camera with more control.

// (oralf Sandaker, May D, 7---

2hat more can I say that hasn+t already been said by the many various e)perienced users of photonet. :n their recommendations I purchased a <ashica (", 1(; Super4, why* well my Rollei !" original passed away, also I+m a great fan of the (essar 'ens and I was in need of a good +compact+ at a good price. 2ell, all I can say is that I have fallen in love with this beauty, its not perfect, but then which camera is. Cowever, in the right hands and in the right situation it can produce some very impressive results. :ne things for sure, as a constant companion, it will take far

better pictures than any camera, 1'eica included4, that is left at home. Jeep clicking my friends.

// Mike 2ilde, May 7!, 7---

9olks,Cere+s a few resources that I used while shopping around for a P&SH

Point and Shoot omparisonEser reviews at Photographyreview.comEser reviews at epinions.com



I got the Rollei Prego N-. It isn+t clear why the older Pregos had a lens named Schneider ariogon vs. Rollei ario#pogon 1for the recent ones4. #pparently it+s the same according to these links hereH

Rollei mail list thread 6

Rollei thread 7Rollei thread !

#lso, you can download the owner+s manuals for some cameras. I think they have more information than the usual feature list found on the manufacturer+s website. 9or e)ampleH

Rollei manualsPenta) manualsMinolta manuals

ood luckT

// Petru 'auric, May 78, 7---

I+m surprised no one has mentioned the PS I finally decided to getH the :lympus Infinity Stylus $oom - 2ide Kelu)e. (his has turned out to be a great little camera. (he lens is a bit slowish at the long end and only moderatly fast at the wide end 1about f?;." to f?N.!4. 3ut the optics are surprisingly good and the 5oom range is chosen for what, IMC:, is ma)imum usability. It does have some problems with snow scenes, but has a spot metering mode which can help in difficult situations. (he fill flash is superb. (he camera also supports both standard and panoramic modes. It has built in diopter adustment for the viewfinder. It is an %all/weather% model 1although I haven+t verified this claim4. It is also insanely easy to use and gets e)cellent results in almost all of the conditions I have tried it in.

Point and shoots are great travel cameras and great to have when you don+t really feel like carrying that big ol+ honking S'R outfit. Kon+t e)pect them to supplement your S'R, but you may find that they supplement it nicely in a lot of situations.

// ohn Sully, May !-, 7---

I+ve heard of a lot of problems with Stylus Bpics not focusing properly. #s someone who does not have this problem, maybe this e)planation will help someone...

I think the focus problems with the Stylus Bpic are really a depth of field issue. <ou must use focus lock with this camera, you can+t =ust point and fire. (he Bpic strongly favors wide aperatures, and if you are focused on the wrong sub=ect the shot will be more noticably out of focus than with cameras that prefer more moderate aperatures.

(he above may seem obvious, but with a lot of other P&S cameras I+ve used it doesn+t seem to matter as much / I think the aperature?K:9 is the culprit more often than the camera not focusing correctly. My Bpic rarely focuses incorrectly, like

maybe 7 shots in about !- roles of film. I actually have a harder time faking it out



than other active autofocus cameras I+ve owned, for e)ample it seems to always focus on glass even when I use the typical tricks like getting right up to the glass or shooting at an angle.

#lso, although this camera is supposed to have ! focusing beams, always lock focus

at the center point and recompose, I+ve blown otherwise good shots by e)pecting it to pick up an off/center sub=ect.

Kon+t e)pect this camera to get the world+s sharpest pictures anyway, it is very good for N- bucks, but compared to my --si with "-?f6.D lens I can definitely see a difference in the photos. (he e)posure system in the Bpic is also 7nd rate, clearly this camera was designed with print shooters 1or maybe =ust cost4 in mind. :ther P&S+s do a better =ob 1Minoltas seem to have e)cellent light metering, IMC:4.

EpdateH I think I have to take back some of the statements I made / I+ve been using the camera 0uite a bit lately and the results have been absolutely tack sharp. Maybe

it has something to do with my wife dropping it 1hard4 while at the rand anyon 1which it survived without a scratch4* #ctually it probably has more to do with the processing 0uality we+ve gotten lately, but anyway it+s really hard to tell the difference from my S'R pics / only the different focal lengths gives it away 1with ;)8 prints anyhow4. B)posure has been perfect as well. If you want a truly pocketable, light camera with a very fast lens, get this AN- wonder.

// Rob #le)ander, uly !, 7---

I have to agree with the previous posting regarding Stylus Bpic. 9or AN- 1I bought mine for A"4 its hard to beat camera. I also own <ashica (; Super and I love this one too. I would grade (; higher than Bpic, because of better optics and accurate metering system. I shoot slides with <ashica all the time, which is really challenging to do with Bpic. 3ut, if you pay A6"- for (; instead of AN- for Bpic you would e)pect better 0uality, would you* H4

// <uriy ilin, uly !, 7---

I am a amatuer. I have read all the recommendations and still am unsure which point and shoot to buy. Please help I am considering the followingH 9u=i dl super mini / A67N <ashica (; super/ A67N Ricoh R6 / A6;N :lympus stylus epic / ADN

:lympus M=u 6!- 5oom / A7-N @ikon lite touch / A6;N

I bought a S'R but ended up returning it because it was to cumbersome to carry. (he reason I want to buy a good point and shoot is to take pictures of our 6yr old son and his activities and birthdays. I am also confused about whether to buy a basic point and shoot or one with 5oom.

#ny suggestions would be appreciated.

// Ra=esh 3hola, uly 6-, 7---



Ra=esh/

I guess it depends on what you want to do photographically. If you =ust want snapshots to remember events in your son+s life down the road you can get =ust about

any decent P&S. If you want the fle)ibility to take really neat e)isting light shots you+ll want to go for something with a faster lens, I think on your list that would mean Stylus Bpic or <ashica (; 1or maybe 9u=i K' if you+re talking about the model without 5oom4. 3ut you+d also have to give up the 5oom. 9or more info on photographing the new baby 1if your son still 0ualifies as %the baby%4 read httpH??www.photo.net?photo?what/cameraYbaby .

<ou+ll want to check out whatever you+re considering in person if at all possible, for shooting kids 1who never sit still and have an attention span of a second or so4 stuff like autofocus speed and how 0uickly the shutter actually fires when you press the button all the way are important considerations. <ou+ll get 0uite frustrated if you get

too many shots of the side of your son+s head as something else catches his eye.

Personally, I don+t see anything wrong with getting (2: point and shoots, one fast fi)ed/lens model and one 5oom. I don+t know your situation, but if you can afford an S'R you can probably swing a AN- Stylus Bpic and a A6"-/A7-- 5oom 1I+ve got my eye on a anon SureShot lassic, but there are plenty of other good choices4.

Ese the fast?fi)ed lens camera for low light without flash, and the 5oom outside in brighter light. <ou+ll appreciate not having to run around after a small child 1who will almost certainly have more energy than you4 to get him e)actly the right si5e in the picture, and there may be times when you =ust plain can+t move closer. It might also be nice if one of the cameras was weatherproof.

I hope at least something here is helpful...

// Rob #le)ander, uly 66, 7---

I purchased a <ashica (; Super after reading various reviews from this and other web sites concerning light, water resistant, !"mm point and shoot cameras. I do a lot of hiking and backpacking so this camera seemed to be =ust what I was looking for. I took a roll of film and agree that it takes good photos but with the second roll of film

in the camera I was caught in a rain storm. (he camera was in my backpack and got wet but was never submerged in water. 2hen I got home an hour later I took it out of my backpack but could see water in the focus window. I opened it up and it was wet inside. I ended up sending it to <ashica for a AD" repair bill. Bven though the camera is called %waterproof% and the manual states %the camera can be used on rainy days without worry of water leakage% <ashica wouldn+t honor the warranty. So don+t buy this camera with the idea that it can get wet because it can+t. If I had it to do over again, for my purposes, I would buy something more weatherproof.

// Kave Mathis, uly 6;, 7---

ood page, and a lively e)change of ideas. My present foray back into P&S/land



takes a rather different tack from most of what I+ve read here. 3ut first a wee bit of background. 1:kay, it+s longer than that...4

In 9all of 6NN7, I took a first/time/ever trip to 9rance for a week and a half. #t the time, I had LnoL camera gear, having sold off my serious S'R iron for a number of

reasons 1one of which was the now/0uestionable idea that, if I didn+t have anything to take more pictures with, I+d concentrate better on organi5ing the thousands of negatives and slides I+d already taken over the years4. I was desparate / I couldn+t possibly head for the ity of 'ights and beyond with no camera whatsoever*T

I remembered that I had given my mother, as a hristmas present a number of years back, a @ikon !"#9, one of their first !"mm P&S cameras. I asked if I could borrow it for my trip> she said yes. I got together a handful of rolls of color neg, b?w neg and Bktachrome, and took off. (he camera had manual film speed setting 1a good thing, since there was no other means of %official% e)posure compensation when I felt a sub=ect re0uired it4, a killer !"mm 1or was it ;-*4 f?7. lens, and a pop/up

flash I had to remember to keep pressed down with my left finger if I was setting up for an available/light shot. I must say that in that week and a half, I used and tweaked that camera to within an inch of it+s little life, falling back on skills long taken for granted while slinging a full/on S'R. (he camera+s very limitations got me having to sweat a little more than usual to get, say, @otre Kame lit up at night =ust right from my balcony window 1Cotel Bsmeralda / don+t know if it+s still up to standard, but was =ust wonderful when I stayed there4, or the te)tures of low rolling clouds over ersailles, or the lushness of Monet+s garden under rainy overcast. I came back with 1for me4 the pictures of a lifetime. MoralH sometimes, for various reasons, nothing but a good S'R will do, but I+ll never, ever dis point/and/shoots again...the good ones, at least, are as serious as you want them to be.

#t the moment, though, I+ve been in a fog about P&S stuffH once again I have a full/on S'R system 1a pair of Minolta N)i bodies, five lenses and the rest4 and a Jonica Ce)ar 1original?black4 which goes almost everywhere I go...but the %almost% is a problem. Sometimes even the Ce) is a bit more of a burden than I+d like when I want to pack ultralight. # killer P&S like a @ikon or onta) was out 1smaller than the Ce)ar but more e)pensive and less versatile4, and the likes of the (;?" were nice but a bit too big themselves. 2on+t do #PS or digital on a dare. 2hat+s left*

# used Jonica P&S. (he ##/!" to be precise. I+ve yet to pick it up from the shop,

but ne)t week I+ll likely do the deed. It has a pull/apart body that reveals lens and #B?#9 sensors, and protects them 0uite well when closed...much better than most P&S cameras I+ve seen of late. # built/in flash that seems sufficiently far away from the lens to obviate the need for any silly red/eye reduction function 1which it doesn+t have anyway4, and has it+s own on?off switch. :nly three film speed settings 16--?7--?;-- / manual, not KF4, which I can pretty much live with. #nd, what I+m told is also a killer lens, a 7;mm f?;.

(hat designation confused me for a moment, until I opened the camera back and saw what helped me make the decision to buy it...it+s a Lhalf/frameL !". I+d always fancied the idea of getting a half/frame, but the modern pickings were always slim,

and vintage numbers like the :lympus Pens are curious to play with, but they+re a



bad combination of too big LandL a bit too primitive for my taste. 1(hen again, the Pen 9( LisL an S'R...4

So, on this whim, I+ve decided that what I want, what I really, really want, is a true shirt/pocket !" that doesn+t try and outdo my Ce)ar / not a biggie, since, IM:, no

other pint/si5e P&S can, either / but has reasonable 0uality, has a built/in flash that I can actually use...and gets twice the film mileage as anything else.

I+d be interested to hear if anyone else has used this interesting oddball. Meanwhile, hello, planet point/and/shoot...I+m LbackLT

// 3arrett 3enton, uly 7", 7---

CelloT My e)perience with the P&S. #tentionTTT I shot with print films.

I tried 8 3ig Mini cameras 13M 7-7. (he first camera of the 3ig Mini series4

Metallic body.

9irst cameraH orners and side edges of the photogram 1mainly the left one4, completely fu55y.

Second cameraH "- of the completely fu55y photogramTTT

(hird cameraH idemTTT

9ourth cameraH # little fu55y side superior and wild corners of the photogram. More fu55y to f. !,"

9ifth and si)th cameraH 'ensH ery good of f.68 to f.",8. @evertheless, to f. !." one slight fall of the sharpness from 6" mm of the photogram is appraised. ignettingH ery slight. KistortionH ery sligth, in cushion. B)posureH ery good, KS center weighted meter. 9eaturesH ery goodH 9lash #uto, 9lashH 9ill/in and Slow, 1calibrated very well4 B)posure compensation 6." and /6,", SpeedH 6?"-- to !.8 seconds 1B)cellentTTT4. 7" to !.8-- #S#. I have proven the Jodak Bktar 7" #S#, brutal sharpTTT #nd also 6.8-- 9u=i #S#, contrasts very high, but good sharpTTT

iewfinderH ood and clear. 3ut does show a susceptibily to flare in e)treme

into/the/ligth... and the #9 symbols cannot be watched... 2ith less light the viewfinder is e)cellent.

I make e)tensions of my negatives up to 6 cm by 78 cm. (he result is e)cellent. My friends are surprised. (he ma)imum of e)tension has been !- cm by ;- cm. (he also very good result. 2ith my 3ig Mini 13M 7-74 I have made photos in all the possible conditions and results e)cellentsH in the high mountain, in the snow, in the beach, in the grottos and warehouses very little illuminated. ery good nocturnal photos. 1Speed !.8 seconds4

3ig Mini 13M !-74H Same problem with the optics that my four first 3ig MiniTT



I have tried " :lympus m=u II 1Stylus Bpic4 camerasH #pocalypse @owTTT (otal disasterTTTT

(he first camera 1Made in apanTTT4H e)cellent lens, but to f.7, slight but appreciable loss of sharp in the corners. #ccurately #9. #ccurately e)posure. 3ut him lack B

6." and /6.", (he camara spoiled to the !- days to use itTTTT

Second cameraH Corrible lensTTT 1Parts Made in apan, #ssembled in Conk JongTTTT4

(hird cameraH More horrible lensTTT Kefective #9. 1Parts Made in apan, #ssembled in Conk JongTTT4

9ourth cameraH 2hen I e)tracted it of the bo) and I put the battery to him, it did not work correctlyTTT Impossible to prove itTTTT 1Made Parts in apan, #ssembled in Conk JongTTT4

9ifth cameraTTTTH 1(oo Parts Made in apan, #ssembled in Conk Jong4 ood optics 1@ot as good as the first Made in apan4 3ut #9 vague. I to sell my :lympus m=u II to a person less demanding than I.

Penta) Mini Bspio 1E64. (wo proven cameras. @o found problems. iewfinderH B)traordinary, the best one of all the # & PTTT 'ensH ery good. (o f. !." light loss of clearness in the corners and edges> and also in the central inferior part 1T4. ersatilityH ood, although not as much as the Mini 3ig 13M 7-74

<ashica (;. 7- of the photogram of the straight diffuse sideTTTT

Jonica #;. 1Second/hand, but new4 I to buy by 77."A. ood optical of f.68 to f./",8 but to !," mediocre. It loses enough clearness in all the photogram. 9u55y nonproblems. ersatilityH @ormal. (he Jonica #; is a %prototype% of the 3ig Mini13M 7-74. (he Mini 3ig, is far better.

'eica Mini IIIH Impossible to prove it, the #9 did not work...

$eiss 'omo '6H (hree bought cameras. (he three spoiled in a year... Made in Bst ontryH crapTTT

:lympus, m=u /6 1Stylus ES#4 1first m=u series4. Serious problems of sharp in the edges of the photogram. !- to each side of the blurred photogramTTT

:lympus F# with unit of 9lash #66. I to buy used to "A. B)cellent, robust, very good features, in many aspects the best one of all. (he very good optics in all the diaphragms. 3ut of f.7, to f.",8, very appreciably vignetting. (he cause is the design of the ob=ectiveH invested retrofocus. :f the best thing of years + -.

I have been continuing using my old 3ig Mini 13M 7-74 for yearsTTT @o problems. #nd my brother also has a 3ig Mini 13M 7-74 and he is ama5ed.



I to be cra5y if I want to obtain the same optical 0uality with a #&P that with a good optics S'R. 1@ikkor, anon, $eiss, 'eica, etc.4 :nly good optics S'R, is worth 7 or ! times more than a Mini 3ig, or (;, or a :lympus m=u II, It is impossibleTTT If your you obtain e0ual 0uality with P & S that with a S'R 1@ikkor, anon, etc.4, you must to bomb the factory of @ikkor, anon, etc.TTT

(he manufacturers of cameras P & S, design very well their cameras of the high range. 2ith good specifications, but when they make the cameras, they forget to maintain the 0uality of his productsTTT 2e are deceived by the manufacturersTTT (he 0uality level of its products is discontinuous. If you have luck when to buy P & S, you can be very happy, but if you do not have luck when buying your P & S, you are very displeased and you have many frustrations.

I have wanted to be brief. I have more information of other simpler camerasH Super :lympus #9 6- Super, anon #9 D, Rollei Prego !"/D-...

(hank you very much and I wait for your answers. B)cuse me, my Bnglish is very much deficient.

ose M. #. '. 1Spain4 =osmailUwanadoo.es

// osZ Manuel #lvare5 '[pe5, #ugust 6, 7---

I see a fair number of Rollei !"+s mentionedT I bought two of them new =ust over 7- years ago, a !"( and a year later a !"S. 3oth of them superb. Sold the !"( last year because I wasn+t using it, but still have and use the Rollei !"S. I use the !"S as most use a P&S. <es, it+s completely manual, but a serious photographer not only doesn+t mind that, he 1she4 almost welcomes it. It allows the control a serious photographer wants.

(he lenses on them are superb, and the !"S or !"SB have a fast f?7. Sonnar C9( 1Rollei+s multi/coating4 designed by arl $eiss. (he !", !"( and !"(B have the 7?! stop slower f?!." (essar. <ou can continue shooting in available light when others are scrambling to flip up the integral flash units which aren+t strong enough for anything more than 6-/67 feet away.

I wouldn+t give my Rollei !"S up for any current P&S. (he closest I+ve seen to them

in current P&S+s are the onta) (7 and <ashica (; Super. Maybe there is something else similar on the market with the lens speed, resolution, contrast and build 0uality that allows manual control, but I haven+t seen it yet. My e)perience with current #9 Program Mode P&S+s has been frustration with things like inability to control Kepth of 9ield.

9or the serious photographer, I recommend a P&S that has a fast superb lens, and at least allows overriding any #B or #9 modes to take manual control. It doesn+t have to be a Rollei !"G(,(B,S,SB, but if it inhibits creative control of focus and e)posure, it is likely to frustrate its owner.

// ohn 'ind, #ugust !, 7---



SorryTTT #n error in my commentaries e)ists on the lenses of the Penta) Mini Bspio and the Jonica #;. (he correct commentaries areH

Penta) Mini Bspio 1E64. (wo proven cameras. @o found problems. iewfinderH

B)traordinary, the best one of all the # & PTTT 'ensH ery good. @evertheless, to f. !." one slight fall of the sharp in the corners and edges> and also in the central inferior part 1T4. ersatilityH ood, although not as much as the Mini 3ig 13M 7-74

Jonica #;. 1Second/hand, but new4 I to buy by 77."A. ood optical of f.68 to f./",8 but to !," mediocreH one slight fall of the sharp in all the photogram. 9u55y nonproblems. ersatilityH @ormal. (he Jonica #; is a %prototype% of the 3ig Mini13M 7-74. (he Mini 3ig, is far better

// osZ Manuel #lvare5 '[pe5, #ugust !, 7---

I am split between two cameras and would appreciate your opinions to help me make a decision. 9ollowing are my two choicesH

Penta) IQ $::M 6;- or 6;-m1Maybe 6;- the :lder model Penta) said it fits better in your hand than the newer 6;-m and 6;"m which are smaller4

anon Sure Shot lassic 67-

Please advice.

(hanks Ra=

// Ra=esh 3hola, #ugust 66, 7---

C:2 #3:E( (CB S#MSE@ B# DDi with SC@BIKBR 'B@S*

#fter 7 years, my 'eica Mini ! was stolen from a rented car in Sevilla, Spain. 1SighT4, the only time I leave a camera 1out of view4 in a car, and it got stolen. 'et that be a lesson to all who visits southern 'atin countries.

#nyway, I thought the 'eica was not worth the price. <ou =ust paid for the name. (he metering was awful. I had so many shots ruined by bad metering. I cannot e)pect it to be as good as the trusty Matri) metering in my @ikon 9/-6, but I+ve seen better metering on compacts. (he lens was not that great to speak of. (he shoddy plastic construction sure don+t make you feel you+re holding something speacial.

#nyway, now I have to shop around for another good compact. I am encouraged by the <ashica (". 2hat puts me off it is that there is no bulb, and the ma) e)posure is 6 sec. @ot enough for night shots in my opinion. 1I usually use IS: 6-- V 7--4.



(he Samsung ega series with Shneider lenses sound very attractive both in price and features. 3ut I could not find any reviews for them. Koes anyone here have any e)perience with them to share with me*

Cow about the Ricohs* It bothers me that www.ricoh.com doesn+t even bother to

feature !"mm cameras anymore. I am afraid it will hell for support.

Please email me OwoolyUearthling.net.

heers,

<ew/'iang

// <ew/'iang 2oo, #ugust !6, 7---

I have owned an :lympus Stylus Bpic !"mm 7. for about ; months. I love this little

beauty. My results are nothing short of ama5ing. 3ut let me start by saying I have an array of cameras, Jonica !" mm with beautiful Ce)anon lenses, Medium format, Penta) 8)D, Joni :megas and even a !8- degree panoramic camera. 3ut listen to Phil and heed his advice with point and shoots. @ever use film speed less than ;--. (urn the damn flash off, get a small tripod. @ow with the Bpic, use the controls. (he spot meter can make the difference between a good photo and a terrific photo. #lways prefocus on your sub=ect and then recompose. If you get the Bpic spend the e)tra 7- dollars and buy the remote. @ow, that can be fun. Set the camera down away from you and as people are wondering if it is lost fire away,the results are great. My Bpic goes everywhere with me. Bver tried to carry a 8 pound Penta) 8D up a 6" mile trail* #lso, my local one hour photo store =ust put in a 9u=i 9rontier !" film processing machine. 9ind a place with one. (he technician can ad=ust your photos on his computer and give you wonderful pictures. I have printed a few )67 enlargements and the final product is hanging on my wall. 9or those of you that don+t know, )67 is the ideal si5e to blow up an !"mm negative. Bnlarging to )6- actually causes you to lose about !- of you photo. If you have ever taken a group shot and wonder why #unt Mary is missing from the shot now you know. (hanks for reading and I want to thank everyone that has contributed to this site. I really en=oy reading all of your comments and Phil I have told anyone that is thinking of buying any camera to first log on to this site and become informed. (hanks again everyone. <our friend , eorge

// B:RB '#@@I@, #ugust !6, 7---

Parkside #venue 1w?Jonica ##/!"4

My fling with half/frame 1Jonica ##/!"4 is over. 1<ep, it was 0uick4. I knew I was somewhat going up against the laws of physics with this one, but I thought that for a p&s camera, it wouldn+t be such an impediment. Silly me.

I+ve had a few simple, personal rules for choosing photography gear, and I seem to



have willfully violated most of them when choosing this camera> I thought I+d share a few of them with readers of this forum for their benefit and?or amusementH

64 #ny picture you take might merit an enlargement one day. 1Kon+t choose a camera that can+t deliver in this regard4

74 #nything worth e)posing on film is worth e)posing well. 1Caving some degree of control over e)posure parameters is # ood (hing4

!4 @otwithstanding the previous two rules, smaller is always better. 1<ou+re more likely to take the thing with you more places as a result...no camera, no pi)4

(he Jonica ##/!" does indeed have a very good lens, and a decent, though non/tweakable, autoe)posure system. :nly three film speeds are available 16--?7--?;--4, and, contrary to my telling myself otherwise, this wasn+t enough. (hen there+s the matter of taking pictures you may actually want to make into )6-s

or larger / things look okay up to about ")D, but from there on I started noticing things I hadn+t seen since my ha5y Instamatic days, like gritty grain 1not too noticeable with IS: 6-- film, but not sparkling either4. My bigger !"s have spoiled me rotten, and the medium/format enthusiasts+ paraphrasing of the old Ketroit aphorism 1there+s no substitute for s0uare inches4 hit me between the eyes.

So, the little Jonica went back to the store, which geve me a generous trade/in value toward something considerably smaller, and much nicer, which I had ogled for a while, but passed over because %I =ust don+t want to spend that much for a point/and/shoot%, thusly violating rules 6 and 7...

// 3arrett 3enton, September 6N, 7---

#fternoon helsea 1w?Ricoh R64

...which is a Ricoh R6. ouldn+t be happier.

(here+s been enough said about the R6 by others, so I won+t get too long/winded here, save to say that Ricoh clearly pulled out all the proverbial stops to create what

is inarguably the best camera they+ve ever presented to the public, and arguably one of the best easily pocketable cameras ever made, which makes it all the sadder that Ricoh has bowed out of the camera market in the ES, no doubt because of brand perception by those who, when hearing the name Ricoh, might say something like %@ice copiers%, but not cameras, in spite of the fact that cameras were how the company got its start 1like Minolta, which also happens to make copiers, yet somehow managed to escape such a corporate identity crisis / mainly because their cameras sell a lot better4. I have to say I was among those who didn+t give the R6 much of a thought at first, even though I should+ve known better. I do now, and couldn+t be happier.

// 3arrett 3enton, September 6N, 7---



My point & shoot cameras are an :lympus F#, and an F#; Macro, a Stylus Bpic, and a recently/bought <ashica (". (hey all have their good points and bad points. (he F# gives you control over depth of field, and the lens is consistently sharper than the Stylus Bpic. 3ut the manual focus makes it hard to photograph restless

children.

(he F#; lens is very sharp, and I love the way it resets the manual focus to the hyperfocal !metre distance when you close the shell.

(he <ashica (" has the best lens and metering. (he (" solves the biggest complaint I had about the Stylus Bpic / infinity focus. (he Stylus Bpic is useless for shooting through a window. 3ut the Stylus Bpic has a very good flash system.

So it boils down to %horses for courses%. (he <ashica (" is now my preferred P&S, for it+s stunning lens 0uality, but I also carry the F#; for the occasional 7mm wide

angle shot. If I know a portrait opportunity is likely, I also carry my onta) 6!NQ with ;"mm (essar. (he onta) 6!NQ with ;"mm 97. (essar is a very compact S'R package, and gives stunning results, even for a head and shoulders portrait.

(he Stylus Bpic has now fallen into disuse. It+s lens is =ust not sharp enough or contrasty enough in comparison to the arl $eiss (essars on the <ashica and the onta). I am now a dedicated arl $eiss fan. I can+t settle for less.

// raig @orris, September 77, 7---

Rollei ario#pogen lens

Caving recently busted my old :lympus Bpic 5oom -, I was in the market for a new P&S. I+ve always been interested in the Rollei Prego N- because of the Schneider optics, but suddenly found that the Schneider name was no longer on the camera. I searched the web everywhere and got mounds and mounds of conflicting stories. I finally had it and decided to write Schneider and Rollei directly and ask them. I totally bypassed their ES offices and wrote directly to the erman head0uarters, writing the entire e/mail in erman =ust to make sure they didn+t misunderstand the 0uestion. 3oth companies gave me the BF#( same answers which leads me to believe this is the truth. So here it is 1translated and paraphrased4H

SC@BIKBR was the designer of the Rollei Prego lens. In the begining they were also the ones responsible for manufacturing the lens and providing it to Rollei Gthis doesn+t necessarily mean they M#KB it, they were =ust responsible for providing it... it could have been outsourced. #nyway... Recently, Schneider sold?transfered the design specs?rights of that lens to Rollei. Rollei is now using that e)act same design with the same specs to produce the lense Gagain, it may be outsourced. Rollei said the lens is =ust as good. Schneider said the lens is =ust as good.

(here you have it> the same answers from both sides of the fence 1and from two companies that aren+t really too happy with each other at the moment4. So people

can keep speculating all they want about the topic, but until I get official word



different from 3:(C Schneider and Rollei, the above is what I+m going to count as fact.

Brik 2erner San Keigo

// erik werner, September 7N, 7---

I would like to add a few comments on my ac0uiring a <ashica Blectro !" (@ rangefinder. I can only e)press my happiness by saying %2:2.% (his 7 year old beauty1mint condition4 comes with a ;"mm, 6.D <ashinon KF lens. I have shot 7 rolls of film, (he first 9u=i Superior ;-- and the second roll was Jodak ;--@ black and white. (he photos are wonderful. ery sharp and terrific contrast. I added a yellow filter while shooting the Jodak. (he lens accepts ""mm filters but I have to make an ad=ustment by one stop as the metering is not on the lens barrel. Simple enough. 3eing a rangefinder the Blectro does not 0ualify as a point and shot by any means but a terific camera to own. Kid I mention I paid a humble A;N.N" and feel

very fortunate to have found it gathering dust on a photo store shelf. If you have read my earlier posting concerning the :lympus Stylus Bpic you might be wondering if I am going to get a <ashica (;. <BS of course I am. If an old <ashica rangefinder gives me great results I can =ust imagine what that $eiss lens has waiting for me. 3ut, if you should run across an Blectro !" give it a try, I think you will be very happy too. (hanks everyone and good picture taking, Regards, eorge 'anning

// B:RB '#@@I@, September 7N, 7---

<ashica (; Super. I have had it for several months, shot about !- rolls of print film and couple rolls of 9u=i #stia 6-- 1slide film, if you want to know what it is4. I have only one word about it> this small camera is RB#(T Most of my pictures taken with (; were enlarged up to )67+. Slides were properly e)posed and very sharp. Properly used %spot% meter allows me to cope with pretty tricky light conditions 1like sunset in the mountains4. ust aim camera at something with intermediate brightness 1camera set at %infinity% mode4, hold shutter button half pressed, recompose the picture, and shoot. Esed with Jodak ;-- @ 1black & white film for ;6 process, you can develop it in any one/hour minilab4 camera shines with it+s highly detailed contrasty images, even in murky light conditions 1cloudy winter day, for instance4. I heard that people report inconsistent autofocus with (; resulting in blurry images. It never happened to me. In fact, my second camera :lympus Stylus, which was

purchased last year :@S(#@('< blurs two/three frames in each shot roll. amera was sent back to :lympus and they returned it with verdict %camera is absolutely functional%... (he superscope in (; is another great feature.

:verallH My hat is off. (; Super is waterproof, 0uiet camera with e)cellent arl $eiss optics. reat buy for A6"-.

// <uriy ilin, :ctober ;, 7---

I have read on the onta) mailing list from Cenry Posner of 3&C camera that the (; Super 1("4 will be discontinued.



Ce saidH %I had lunch with a couple of my <ashica?onta) reps today and they confirmed that the (;Super 1(" in Burope4 is being discontinued because Jyocera & $eiss couldn+t come to terms on <ashica+s continued use of the $eiss lens for this model.% Cenry Posner Kirector of Sales and (raining 3&C Photo/ideo, and Pro/#udio Inc. httpH??www.bhphotovideo.com

(his makes me wonder if it might not be a good idea to grab another one of these soon/to/be %classics%

// Meryl #rbing, @ovember ;, 7---

I have tried various point and shoot compacts over the years, and am finally happy with one/ the Rollei Prego Micron. (o me, a compact needs a good lens, should be genuinely pocketable, and fairly robust. (he Rollei produces images of real sharpness, has a useful 7 second ma)imum e)posure 1which is rare on affordable compacts4 and the panoramic modes seems to work ok 1though it seems to be a

gimmick when all the camera does is e)pose a narrow band of film and leave it to ther lab to trim off the top and bottomTT4. 2hat I really would like to find one day is a really compact !"mm camera with a manual focus option and 6 second shutter speeds?bulb e)posure/ somebody suggested a Mino) but I somehow think I would break it within a few days, that drawbridge makes me nervousTT

// Steve Cickman, anuary 78, 7--6

<ou may all be aware that the onta) (7 was discontinued some time ago along with the <ashica (;1(" Burope4.

It looked for a while as if the onta) (7 would not be replaced and that onta) were set 1like many others4 on a course of $oom lens compacts only.

2ell the good news is that onta) have finally announced the (7 replacement, the (!. It has a !"mm 97. single focal length arl $eiss Sonnar and a more compact titanium body than the (7.

#ll the tech. spec and launch dates etc can be seen on the Jyocera press release 1in Bnglish4 onH/

httpH??www.kyocera.co.=p?news?7--6?-6-7?---6/e.asp

#lso 9u=i are to launch a similar model soon called the Jlasse with a !m 97.8 lens. (here is a website but it is in apanese only 1it has a picture of the camera though.4...

httpH??www.fu=ifilm.co.=p?klasse?klasse/p-6.html

(hanks (o ohn Mcormack for this Info.

'ets hope Jyocera follow up with a similar replacement for the <ashica (;?(" as well.



// (revor Care, 9ebruary 6!, 7--6

I have been using a Minolta (/6 since September 6NN. #s a user of the 'eica M system 1for 7- years4 and a @ikon 9M7 with several @ikkors 1for 6- years4, I can certainly vouch that the (/6+s lens performance is in the same 0uality category.

Cowever, the camera is a touch fragile 1a fall of 6 metre onto a wooden floor resulted in A"--+s worth of damageT4I would like to see a camera of this cost that is rubber/armored, binocular style and weatherproofed. It is a shirt/pocket camera that is always with me, doubling as a picture notebook and as a pro/level tool. # <ashica (7/style right/angle viewfinder and hotshoe would also be nice.

Michal Kembinski, 2arsaw, Poland

// Michael Kembinski, 9ebruary 6N, 7--6

(he picture 1sic4 with digital cameras has become more favorable than it was when the page was written back in 6NND.

9irst, every current model of digital camera I+m familiar with uses flash memory 1not to be confused with the sort of flash that lights up pictures4 to save the images. 9lash memory doesn+t need power to retain its contents, so if you come back to an unused camera two years later, the pictures will still be there. 1<ou might have to install new batteries or recharge the e)isting ones before you can get them out, though.4

Second, the 0uality of digital cameras has improved. Kigital images still aren+t 0uite as detailed as !"mm film, but they+re a lot closer than they were a few years ago.

(hird, it+s no longer necessary to be a computer e)pert to get the pictures onto paper. <ou can now buy printers 1Cewlett/Packard and Bpson both make them4 with memory card slots> you take the memory card out of the camera and insert it in the printer, and you can make prints right then and there.

#nd finally, the 0uality of those ink=et printers that you use to make the paper copies has also improved considerably. (he best of them can make prints that rival 1though don+t 0uite e0ual4 photo prints, and may last as long or longer.

Still, a digital camera probably isn+t the ideal solution for taking travel pictures, unless you also travel with a computer. :therwise, you+ll need a very large memory card, or a collection of smaller ones / either way, a lot of money, even now.

// Mark Kulcey, March 6, 7--6

My (; Super is the reason I got back into photography after about 6- years ... I bought it on recommendation from onsumer Reports, took some pictures that turned out great, and suddenly I had a new S'R kit and some serious learning to do. My (; results may not happen to you....



Recently, at this site+s suggestion, I bought an :lympus Stylus Bpic, because our household needed another rainy/day camera, and I liked the Bpic+s f7. speed and spot meter, you guys didn+t have to tell LmeL how bad point/and/shoot flashes make people look.

Still, after shooting a bunch of rolls with the Bpic, I+m heading back to the (;. (he spot meter is nice and the paralla) and focus lag are much better, but the damn Bpic combines a hard shutter release with feather weight and I can+t take evening photos without a tripod. Bven if I support the camera against me or some hard surface, the press for the shutter release adds shake and messes up the shot.

@ever had shake problems with the (;, and almost never got red/eye when I did use the flash, so.

// Kavid P:2BRS, March 7, 7--6

Cello there,

Cere+s my 7cents worth of opinion about the <ashica (; 1(" in Burope4.

I began with serious photography after a trip through Bngland. (he results of my camera 1a focus free !"mm with flash, really the cheapest I could find4 were of course abysmal compared to my colleague+s onta). 9irst I bought a cheapish digital camera with 8;-);- resolution 1even this camera was better than my original oneT4 and soon bought my first S'R. @ew lenses, film scanners, more accessories and indeed, new P&S camera+s followed. 3iased by good reports and recommendations I bought a <ashica (" to ideally 1or so it was thought4 complement my S'R. 3ut I+ve sold it to the aformentioned colleague after a few months. 2hy* Ender good lighting conditions the camera really shows off the $eiss lens. I+ve made photographs at rock festivals in sunny weather that are defenitely among the best shots I+ve ever made. 3ut, far too often my photos were out of focus, especially under difficult lighting conditions. (he camera has a focus indicator but no matter how careful I tried to follow the routine 1aim at sub=ect, press shutter release halfway, wait for camera to focus4, too many shots were out of focus. 9urthermore, as I tend to scan a ':( of my negatives, I found out that for some reason, the negatives from the (" were much more grainy when scanned. #s I always use the same lab and film and the negatives from my Minolta S'R almost never show this tendency, I attribute it to incorrect

e)posure. In all honesty, I am a very demanding photographer and the (" had to perform in conditions it was never designed for. (o be frank I slightly regret selling it. 3ut nonetheless, it is simply too annoying to see undemanding P&S birthday photos out of focus. (o replace the (" I bought a 7 Megapi)el digital camera for P&S duties 1and a new set of recharable batteries >/4 4 and I now have an old Rollei !" on loan. It+s a cheap !" 'BK made in Singapore, probably the worst of all Rollei !"+s but it has a fast lens and thankfully no autofocus. @ow I can only blame myself if something goes wrong with all these manual controls H/4

// Ronald Cogenboom, #pril 6, 7--6

Ricoh has announced a Ricoh R76 coming. # R6 with a 76mm lens, more atH



OhttpH??www.ricohcamera.com?gr76eng.htm

(hat may be too wide for everyday use, but it may suit some people, and is probably worth a look as a speciality camera..

// (ristan (om, #pril 6, 7--6

2hy I like my Jodak JB/!- and other matters 3y @iJ (olentino

omments on ameras

(o start this article, let me say that I+ve been interested in photography since I was a kid. I remember when I played with the family+s :lympus compact?mechanical rangefinder camera. B)perimenting with it really taught me the basics of photography. My ne)t camera was an :lympus 1what elseT4 #9 6 camera / I think it was one of

the first model my father bought me in college 1around 6NN-, I think4. It was nice beginning camera / auto/focus, focus lock, a real point and shoot. 2hat I dislike about it was that after a few years, under good storage condition, it won+t work properly. I have the authori5ed distributor checked and they told me it was working fine. (he problems I e)perience were the followingH it will rewind automatically even though it hadn+t finished the roll yet, I got very blurry pictures, and I have to replace the batteries very often. iven that I have sent it to the authori5ed distributor for repairs and still came back damage, it does speak of the kind of after/sales service I will e)pect in the future. I guess that the electronic components =ust died a natural death, based from my observations.

So when it was time to buy a new one, I really scouted very well before buying. #fter checking shops carrying anon, Minolta, Penta), Samsung, and 9u=i, I settled for a Jodak JB/!- camera. It has the following featuresH fi)ed focus, motor driven, a ma)imum aperture of f?".8, timer, red/eye reduction, 9ill In?:ff 9lash, 6-/second timer, simple operations. ### battery powered and the uni0ue easy film loading.

2hat sets this camera different from the others is the easy film loading mechanism / I =ust insert the film leader 1straight from the film bo), no need to unwind additional film4 into the film guide rails, close the film door and then open the lens cover switch to start the film advance. (his no/brainer makes me wonder why Jodak develops

the #PS standard in the first place.

I choose a fi)ed focus because I can immediately composed the photo I+m gonna take rather pressing any more buttons. #nother advantage of fi)ed focus cameras is that there is less mechanism and electronics to worry about that may be damage due to accidental drop or bump. (he controls are user/friendly, persons with either big or small hands can use it.

9or this kind of a camera, I didn+t e)pect to see red/eye reduction and 9ill In?:ff 9lash. (he ability to accept ### batteries was also big plus because I can now use rechargeable batteries rather than throw ordinary ones away. (he camera is also

simple to operate that any body can use it immediately.



I always have a roll of film in my camera so that I can take pictures whenever there is an occasion or whenever I feel inspired. # film in my camera lasts from a month or two. Pictures were sharp and colors were vivid e)cept for a few. More about that later.

2hat I don+t like about the camera is the plastic body that I must protect with a padded bag. I once lend the camera to somebody and when it was returned, the film door was =ammed and the self/timer won+t work properly. I brought it to Jodak corporate camera repair center 1this is where all the cameras around the Philippines are diagnosed and fi)ed4. It took the repairman only !- minutes to diagnosed and fi)ed the problem of the camera. (he back of camera was loosening up so it was =amming the film door and self/timer controls. So point/and/shoot camera enthusiasts, I advised you to buy padded bags for your cameras, unless the camera body is made of alloy or titanium.

#nother problem is that the picture counter is not that accurate. I like it as it is but please make it more accurate. (he only way that I will know that if it reached the end is when the flash indicator won+t light up and shutter button won+t work anymore / it always alarm if the batteries are dead already or my camera is no longer working.

Some Pointers about 9ilm

My Jodak JB/!- camera is almost a year old. Since then, I always make sure the camera have film so I can use it in any occasion or whenever I feel creative. 3ecause of this, I have bought several brands of films. I have tested several film speeds. (he best films I have used are 9u=i Superia, Jodak Ma)?old and Jonica enturia. (hey have cheaper lines of these films 19u=i <J', Jodak B4 that produced satisfactory results as long as you know the limitations. (he films to be avoided are Imation 1by !M4, Perut5 1cheap line of #gfa4, and Solid old 1cheap line of Mitsubishi4. (hese are wastes of money since they produced unpredictable results.

9or film speeds, I think this is where point/and/shoot enthusiasts must really e)plore. Bach film speed has different functions. #S# 6-- is good for bright outdoors and flash photography. It is also good for portraits and enlargement. #S# 7-- is good choice for all purposes, specifically for the cloudy outdoors. #S# ;-- is good for action shots and very low light conditions. Since its summer here in the Philippines, I

use #S# 6-- films. 9or occasions such as graduations or sports activities, I use either #S# 7-- or ;-- films.

I always used and recommend matte?silk paper rather than glossy paper for developing. Matte paper is more color stable, does not leave marks when handling and does not react to moisture and sweat compared to glossy paper.

(ips when using Point and Shoot ameras

6. Jnow thy camera. (he purpose of the camera manual is to instruct the user 1that is you4 on how to use it and take care of it. Bven though that you+ve use a camera

before, you may be surprised that your current camera have several other features



you never knew or never used before. 3etter yet, always bring the manual with you so that you can refer to it anytime.

7. 3uy a padded bag for your camera for e)tra protection. (he bag that comes with your camera is insufficient in protecting it from drops, bumps and improper handling.

Remember that today+s cameras, even future ones, are almost made up of electronic components that are sensitive to such problems. 2hen storing your camera for a period of time, remove the batteries and place the camera inside a padded bag for safety.

!. (hink like a sniper, make every shot count. In other countries, photography is a taken/for/granted hobby since cameras, films and developing costs are very cheap. 'iving in the Philippines makes you think thrice before wasting a roll of film for =ust one shot. (o minimi5e waste, make sure that every shot is for some event or something worth taking the shot.

;. (hink like a painter, compose before shooting. 'ike a painter, you must think about the photograph that will develop before actually taking shoot. Make sure all the elements are there.

". <our best friend is the film developer?processor. In my area 1'os 3a\os, 'aguna4, there are several developers already e)isting. I tried them all, checking for prices, 0uality and staff friendliness. I settled with a particular developer because it offers good prices, always provide good service, good advice and tips, have matte?silk paper not like the others insisting on the available paper, and I trust them for making sure the pictures developed properly and in time. (his developer is run by a professional photographer and used by photography club. (his is an advantage because the developer also acts as an e)change among photographers, amateurs, semi/professionals and professionals. 3ecause of this, I only used this developer and recommend the lab to friends and colleagues.

8. (hink like a mountaineer, buy essential options only. 'ike a mountaineer, always buy add/ons and options that you will always use and appropriate for the occasion. (he first and best option you should buy is a tripod for taking group pictures that will include yourself. It is also a great help in stabili5ing the camera. #nother option I recommend is the filter holder. I remember that bought a filter holder for my point and shoot camera 1yes, there is one for usT4 and it worked wonders. It helps me give

professional results and fueled my e)perimentation. Enfortunately, when I moved to a new house, the filter holder along with the filters got lost. I tried to buy one but it was no longer available.

D. Ese rechargeable batteries. @ot only you will save money but you also will save mother earth from the heavy metals coming from the said batteries. Please use rechargeable alkaline, nickel metal hydride and rechargeable lithium batteries. 9orget about nickel cadmium batteries.

ust a comment

I =ust noticed that Jodak have spread several characteristics I like in a camera into



several ones. I hope they or some camera manufacturers =ust wake up one day and put the following features in one cameraH the easy film loading mechanism 1but of courseT4, landscape mode, mid/roll rewind, a metallic body 1alloy or titanium4, date feature 1that I can turn on and off4, 5oom capability 1not yet among the Jodak line4, self/timer, 'K indicator panel 1that will last foreverT4, and a very good aperture

1comparable to 'eica, the %Mercedes 3en5 of cameras%4.

I was planning to buy a digital camera but the prices are still very high. I might =ust buy another !" mm camera with 5oom lens. (hat will be the topic of my ne)t comment]

(ill ne)t time].

@iJ /4

// @ick (oletino, #pril ", 7--6

2hy not =ust get a B:S Rebel with a "-?6. lens, very light and compact and cheap with great optical performance. <ou could even stick a !"mm or !mm if you prefer something wider.

// #ndrew rant, #pril 7N, 7--6

<ashica (", Jodak Protra ;--

2ith all the rave about the (", I =ust simply can+t resist getting one myself to see what it is all about even though I already have the Ricoh R6s and 'eica Minilu) $oom.

2hat I like is that this lens focus from !-cm onwards, which allows me to take close up. #lso the out of focus background is nicely blurred with what the aps called the bokeh. (he superscope is also a uni0ue and nice feature. 9ocusing and e)posure is right on the spot and image is pretty sharp. (he shutter release button is rather sensitive and needs a little getting use to or else it will =ust fire off accidentally. I also notice lights falling off at the corner. I thought of selling it since I+ve already had the !"mm range covered by the Minilu) $oom. 3ut its good points 1bokeh, superscope and close focusing4 really attracted me. Since it is cheap, and now out of production, I decided to keep it as either a

spare or a collector item.

// 2ee Jeng Cor, May 6, 7--6

It is very interesting and informative to learn about the (;?(", Stylus Bpic and the R6.

I have a cheap anon Sure Shot Sleek 1Prima Mini II4 which hasn+t even got a 'K screen. !7mm 6H!.". (he lens is only ! elements but it performs very well. :ne thing I like about this camera is the 6?7"- top shutter speed. 1:bviously I don+t use this camera for fast action photography.4 3cos of the relatively slow top shutter speed,

you get great depth of field especially if you use IS: 7-- or ;-- film.



I heard the problem with the Bpic 1M=u II4 is always choosing a high speed shutter and wide aperture.

(his anon model has an easy to use dial for flash over/ride and the self timer

automatically triggers a slow/sync mode at night.

It has triple beam #9 and I think ;6" focus steps.

It has consistently given me good results. 2orth considering too.

// Michael hin, May 7!, 7--6

after reading all the positive comments about the t; i went out and got one. as a 6-/year fe7 user, i was very impressed with the 0uality of the best shots the t; produced, flash or no flash, however the worst shots were =ust as bad as you+ll find

from any point and shoot. i+ve never owned an autofocus before, so i+m still getting used to it. i+ve noticed that you have to be very diligent to secure the focus, confirmed by a green light near the viewfinder, before shooting. the secodary viewfinder, on top of the body, is very handy and cool, however it takes even more diligence to center the sub=ect for focusing, and you can+t tell if the green light is on. focusing challenges are compounded by a very light shutter release. like any camera, though, it takes getting used to. for A6N, i+m very happy, enough so that i went out and bought another after i tragically lost the first one after 6- rolls. i+ll probably buy another =ust to have around.

// peter stra55abosco, une 76, 7--6

aunes Minervois, 9rance 8?-6

I wanted to mention that I recently bought a Rollei Prego N- for A6"- from 3&C in @<. I was lucky to get a demo model with a " year service contract, since the camera is not out of production. I got it to use on my vacation in the south of 9rance and 3arcelona. I took over "-- pictures and many of them are fantastic. I used #S# 6--, ;-- & -- and had great results for all films.

I stayed with the 7 mm the ma=ority of the time and occasionally moved to longer focal lengths. I really like the lens, it is sharp and contrasty and at 7 mm with f !.8 it is reasonably fast. (he 7 mm focal length is one of the best things about this camera. I was able to get in so much more than I would with a !" to ! mm lens since I was in a lot of villages and other locations with narrow streets and other obstructions that made a wide angle very handy. Enfortunately in 3arcelona, to take good pictures of the audi buildings or the Music Palace 1from the outside4, you need a far shorter focal length 1probably a view camera as well4. Since the sun did not set until after 6- pm and we only had one gray day in 6D, light was not a problem and even N- mm shots were e)posed well. I had big pockets and was able to keep the camera in my

pocket most of the time even though it is larger than the :lympus that one of my



friends was using.

I have noticed that I need to be very careful when in macro mode to keep the image within the paralla) marks or I will loose parts of my image. 9urthermore the rangefinder only shows about " of the image. (hat is not too bad since I can crop

the image later 1I scan my images into my pc4. It is unfortunate since I have to guess how much I am missing if I want to fill the frame intentionally.

#ll in all, for the price I have nothing to complain about.

// Ivan Candler, uly 76, 7--6

#dd a comment

Related 'inks

(; Super Comepage/ (his is the official page for the <ashica (; Super 1known as the (" in Burope4 with technical specs etc. Enfortunately it seems 1@ov 7---4 that <ashica has discontinued the model, at least in Burope, deciding to focus on cheap and nasty 5ooms instead. Shame. 3uy now while stocks last. 1contributed by #llan Bngelhardt4

Ricoh R6s (est Report/ See pictures taken with Ricoh R6s. 1contributed by 2ee Jeng Cor4

'eica Minilu) $oom/ Review of the compact 5oom. 1contributed by 2ee Jeng Cor4

Photos taken with <ashica ("/ Some photos taken with (". 1contributed by 2ee Jeng Cor4

eoustics.com / ameras/ Product reviews, buying guides, and price comparisons on cameras and more. 1contributed by 3rian M4

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