[Zappo]

Originally Posted by SRShrikanth

i remember my younger days when folks at home drolled over a Yashica & an Olympus. Are they still as good a brand as they were made out to be then..or has technology got the better of these old-time Champions??

Aah! Now there you have touched a raw nerve. Oly... of course its good. But then just picking one cam up and projecting as the holy grail of cameras is never going to prove any case. All the big names have their pros and cons.

If Olympus is what you wish for check out the Evolt E510. Its a DSLR and will come well within your budget. Its a fantastic camera inspite of everything. If you are not foreseeing yourself looking out for lot of extra lenses this one DSLR is worth taking a look at. Oly lenses are costly things to buy and also the service part may still not be to the class of Canon in this country. Otherwise it is a fabulous piece of design that puts in a lot many features that none earlier thought possible in a DSLR.

In the Nikon range a good low cost entry level DSLR with superb performance is the D40x. At a slightly higher cost you can procure the D60. It bridges the gaps that D40x had to some good extent and is a camera worth looking at. Again the landing cost should be around 40k for this one, provided you can get it directly from US.

If the Canon range is what you wish for then of course the EOS 400D is the camera for you. And of course if you can wait a few days the EOS 450D (XSi) will blow away the competition.

All the above are good cameras to buy. The Canikon range has the added advantage of having a lot of comparatively inexpensive lenses available for their cams. Canons are better represented (and serviced) in India than Nikons.

Of course if you are in for a non DSLR then one of the best options today is probably the Canon S5 IS. Its a jack of all trades and a pretty smart, handy jack at that. If you want a really cheaper alternative and yet want to get the most of the features do take a look at the Fuji S6500fd. For its price it is a marvellously designed thing.

[SRShrikanth]

@ Zappo,

1stly - Thank you for this descriptive break-down.cheers:

2ndly - The 450D (xsi) - are we referring to an Indian product release and any idea on it's price package please.

3rdly - Will a standard 4GB Pro duo memory card work outside of Sony.?? ( Pls help here, am really a novice at this )

4th - I possess a Kingston 4gb Mini memory chip. Any of the choices mentioned here can use this mini card.?

If you had to choose one of the stated units, which one would it be for INR 40K.

Most appreciated and am already seeing myself maybe run upto Croma this weekend and get this going.

Looking forward.

[tsk1979]

450D may not be the holy grail. There are no samples out till now, and the only thing which has definitely improved is Mega pixels.
Anything above 6MP is more of a bragging right unless you are printing posters.
I would not bet in the IQ. For all we know the image quality may be worse than 400D due to cramming more pixels in the same area. This becomes more pronounced at high ISO.

Othe major improvement is supposed to be in AF, but is it really going to as good as 40D? That time will tell.

[SRShrikanth]

[And of course if you can wait a few days the EOS 450D (XSi) will blow away the competition.]

Just to be on the safe side, is this what we are referring to as the EOS 450D isnt it...

Canon EOS 450D / Rebel XSi: what's changed: Digital Photography Review

Just seeking conformation.

[jayguar]

Here goes my list. I am planning on buying a Canon EOS 400D

Still cameras
Sony DSC-W70, 8 MP (my wedding gift)
Canon EOS Rebel (SLR) Lens - Canon Zoom lens EF 28-90 mm
Canon EOS 3000V (SLR) Lens - Canon Zoom lens EF 28-90 mm

Handycams
Sony DCR TRV-16E
Sony DCR HC96E

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by SRShrikanth

If you had to choose one of the stated units, which one would it be for INR 40K.

Do you really need a dSLR? You can't take videos, it will be bulky, you will have to change lenses and it will be expensive. Unless you have really moved past P&S, you shouldn't consider the dSLR.

[SRShrikanth]

Hi Samurai,

Dont really need a dSLR right away, but if it's gonna help me in some time to come, then am not going to keep it away either.

But having said so, most of my experiments ( 90 - 95 % usage ) will remain in the still category only.

P&S - ooops am lost here.

Any recomendations from your end,please.

Regards,

[yogi1771]

Between these two Canon S5IS & Fuji FinePix S8000fd which is better

[Zappo]

Originally Posted by SRShrikanth

[And of course if you can wait a few days the EOS 450D (XSi) will blow away the competition.]

Just to be on the safe side, is this what we are referring to as the EOS 450D isnt it...

Canon EOS 450D / Rebel XSi: what's changed: Digital Photography Review

Just seeking conformation.

Correct. This is what I was referring to. However, do consider what Samurai said. If you are not really very passionate about photography and just need a camera so that once in a blue moon you can take some snaps in a birthday party or cousin's marriage then a cheaper point and shoot may really be what you need. A 40k budget is an overkill for that. If that is how it is I would say give a close look to the S5 IS or Fuji S6500fd.

A DSLR is for those who love to lug their camera around and take something more than just the shots of people (relatives, wife, kids etc). Although with the current gen DSLRs you can very easily do that as well but you will miss out on taking small videos when you so wish or the live preview that you probably take for granted. But if you think you love to get adventurous with photography... welll... you know what to buy.

EDIT: Just saw your reply to Samurai. Well, P&S is point and shoot. They are basically fixed lens cams which try to be everything to everyone. I suggested two P&S to you (S5 IS and S6500fd)

[SRShrikanth]

Zappo, that really helps.

Fortunately, my prime rationale for this camera is to play around with my passion for photography.

Luckily i have folks at home who do not bother me with wedding & party pics.

For now, am focussed on Canon as a brand.

Plan to go over to one of their outlets, catch up some discussion with them and then take it forward accordingly.

The 400D is currently priced at INR25K plus some accesories here with a Canon dealer in Bbay. So maybe i will check it out myself as well.

Regards

[Zappo]

Originally Posted by yogi1771

Between these two Canon S5IS & Fuji FinePix S8000fd which is better

S5IS is the big bro. Has a big reputation, works nice, has a lot of features and of course costs little more as well. S6500fd is a relatively small fry. Costs much less and yet has that superb fuji CCD that made waves around the world. It gives a pretty good result as well, particularly in high ISO situations. S5IS though will take much better video than the Fuji.

Make your choice.

[yogi1771]

Hi Zappo what about S8000fd and to add to the confusion how is this cam Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ18

[tsk1979]

I doubt anybody can come close to Fuji quality in P&S. Even Canon lags behind.

That sensor of theirs is crazy stuff!
Few years back when the powershot range(as well as Nikon/sony etc.,) were struggling to get clean ISO400 or even decent ISO 200, the tiny Fuji F10 could get amazing pictures at ISO 800 also)

[kvish]

Fujifilm F30 is probably the only camera in the world which sells at a premium after being discontinued. When it was available, stores were selling it at around $130, recently I found people selling it on ebay for around 280-300!

[Xehaust]

Hey Navin,
I know that camera phones dont even compare to a basic digicam and that MP is not quality like general folks think.
But like i said, am looking for a very basic camera and yes, having a cam-phone will eliminate the need to carry both as i am sure that if i have a seperate camera, i will only carry it once in a while whereas a cam-phone will always be there.

Lastly, i have seen pictures from the two phones i mentioned and i think it is quite satisfactory given that dark places will be a hindrance but am willing to forego that for the convenience of not having to carry around a seperate camera :P

So here is my dilemma. Given my needs, what are the suggestions of the people here?
I will decide after seeing the majority recommendation. Also, if agree with the cam-phone bit, then which one should i buy? Can stretch my budget a little but not too much. Help is much appreciated.