Short Talk: Whoever took STPM 2008 should read this:
The Star: Students’ online application for public varsity tampered with
If anyone had read my MSN, they should know that I intended to buy a new digital camera.
After hours of online research, I've short-listed a few cameras which I was gonna check at the shop. At the shop, I realised that most of the cameras on my list are outdated. As in, they're not in production anymore!! OMG how dumb of me...
Anyways I just tried any camera within my budget which was $200-$300. Basically I looked at the lens, the quality using zoom, image stability with shaky hands, face detection, user-friendly interface, and any other added features.
If you've noticed, I don't look at how many megapixels the camera has. I even compared a 12MP Nikon Coolpix with a 10MP Sony Cybershot and the photo quality really depends on the lens and the camera itself.
My online research was mostly based on Sony Cybershot, Canon IXUS, Canon Powershot and Nikon Coolpix as these were the brands that I had always known. But none of these cameras that were in the shop gave me a satisfactory photo. Some started to blur as I zoomed further, some had image stabilizer (IS) but was not good as the photo was blur when I tried a shaky shot.
Then I came across Panasonic Lumix FS3. I overlooked this camera due to its price which was $199. I'm the kind of person who believes in quality for every penny's worth. But I tried it out anyways. To my surprise, this camera passed every single test I threw at it!
(Click to enlarge)
It gave me sharp images even at maximum zoom, it could detect multiple faces, it was simple to use with the Intelligent Auto which does all the work for you, and it even gave me nice and sharp images with shaky hands. Even after it passed all the tests, I was still doubtful and went to another shop to get second opinions.
Unfortunately, when I reached the other shop, no one was there to service me so I looked merely at the prices and it was around $280 in that shop. So I figured the previous shop had a better deal with $25 rebate for a memory card. =)
So I head back to the previous shop and purchased the camera together with a 4GB SD flash memory card for $203. The memory card was worth $29 so I had to top up $4 but it was worth it.
Taken using my SE C702 (Click to enlarge)
Enough talk, lets see what this baby can do! =D
First, I tried to zoom with good light conditions:
This photo was taken using maximum optical zoom.
This was the actual distance between me and the switch.
(Yes I know my table is messy =p)
This photo was taken at maximum possible zoom (19.1X)
Zooming out gradually...
Zooming out a little more...
Without any zoom... See how far that was?
Okay I admit it wasn't that sharp if you enlarged the photo but it's good enough for me. =)
Next, we try the Intelligent Auto mode:
This is how the courtyard looks like from my room.
I did a little zooming and it automatically changed the scene to 'Night Scene'.
Not much of a change except the contrast levels but it should be good enough for normal use. =)
This camera is like the perfect camera for me because:
1. It's cheap (Yes money does come first)
2. Focusing and recharging the flash is fast enough for me.
3. The images are clear and sharp in most lit conditions.
4. The interface is EXTREMELY user-friendly.
5. Everything I need and ONLY what I need is in this camera.
I don't need those fancy dials with like 8 or 9 modes where I only use auto and video. This is also the best thing about this camera:
I paid for only what I use.
That is also what I always aim for when I shop for gadgets. I won't want to buy something that has 100 features in it yet I only use a few regularly. It also means that I'm not fully utilizing the gadget and therefore wasting my money.
Overall, I'm EXTREMELY satisfied with this camera.
So here I go snapping away!!
I snapped this using maximum zoom. It's a little blur because I was behind the transparent glass of the shop.
OMG Fiona is sooooo gonna kill me for this!! xD
Enjoy! =D
If anyone had read my MSN, they should know that I intended to buy a new digital camera.
After hours of online research, I've short-listed a few cameras which I was gonna check at the shop. At the shop, I realised that most of the cameras on my list are outdated. As in, they're not in production anymore!! OMG how dumb of me...
Anyways I just tried any camera within my budget which was $200-$300. Basically I looked at the lens, the quality using zoom, image stability with shaky hands, face detection, user-friendly interface, and any other added features.
If you've noticed, I don't look at how many megapixels the camera has. I even compared a 12MP Nikon Coolpix with a 10MP Sony Cybershot and the photo quality really depends on the lens and the camera itself.
My online research was mostly based on Sony Cybershot, Canon IXUS, Canon Powershot and Nikon Coolpix as these were the brands that I had always known. But none of these cameras that were in the shop gave me a satisfactory photo. Some started to blur as I zoomed further, some had image stabilizer (IS) but was not good as the photo was blur when I tried a shaky shot.
Then I came across Panasonic Lumix FS3. I overlooked this camera due to its price which was $199. I'm the kind of person who believes in quality for every penny's worth. But I tried it out anyways. To my surprise, this camera passed every single test I threw at it!
(Click to enlarge)It gave me sharp images even at maximum zoom, it could detect multiple faces, it was simple to use with the Intelligent Auto which does all the work for you, and it even gave me nice and sharp images with shaky hands. Even after it passed all the tests, I was still doubtful and went to another shop to get second opinions.
Unfortunately, when I reached the other shop, no one was there to service me so I looked merely at the prices and it was around $280 in that shop. So I figured the previous shop had a better deal with $25 rebate for a memory card. =)
So I head back to the previous shop and purchased the camera together with a 4GB SD flash memory card for $203. The memory card was worth $29 so I had to top up $4 but it was worth it.
Taken using my SE C702 (Click to enlarge)Enough talk, lets see what this baby can do! =D
First, I tried to zoom with good light conditions:
This photo was taken using maximum optical zoom.
This was the actual distance between me and the switch.(Yes I know my table is messy =p)
This photo was taken at maximum possible zoom (19.1X)
Zooming out gradually...
Zooming out a little more...
Without any zoom... See how far that was?Okay I admit it wasn't that sharp if you enlarged the photo but it's good enough for me. =)
Next, we try the Intelligent Auto mode:
This is how the courtyard looks like from my room.
I did a little zooming and it automatically changed the scene to 'Night Scene'.Not much of a change except the contrast levels but it should be good enough for normal use. =)
This camera is like the perfect camera for me because:
1. It's cheap (Yes money does come first)
2. Focusing and recharging the flash is fast enough for me.
3. The images are clear and sharp in most lit conditions.
4. The interface is EXTREMELY user-friendly.
5. Everything I need and ONLY what I need is in this camera.
I don't need those fancy dials with like 8 or 9 modes where I only use auto and video. This is also the best thing about this camera:
I paid for only what I use.
That is also what I always aim for when I shop for gadgets. I won't want to buy something that has 100 features in it yet I only use a few regularly. It also means that I'm not fully utilizing the gadget and therefore wasting my money.
Overall, I'm EXTREMELY satisfied with this camera.
So here I go snapping away!!
I snapped this using maximum zoom. It's a little blur because I was behind the transparent glass of the shop.OMG Fiona is sooooo gonna kill me for this!! xD
Enjoy! =D
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