My Olympus 5060 needs replacing - what next

Had this camera a number of years and been very pleased with it and looking
to find replacement but wonder what to look at next?
I looked on DP Review but wonder if anyone has any tips based on my actual
needs. Looking for: more than 4 times optical zoom, anti shake, not SLR &
must have 28 mm lens - definitely no wider (don't want have to use wide
angle converters).
I use the camera almost exclusively for interior room shots, buildings &
landscapes in my work closely related to Estate Agency/Real Estate.

Help would be useful.

Ken

 

If you use it 'almost exclusively for interior room shots, buildings &

 

I need a better than 4 x optical zoom because sometimes I have to take a
shot, of a property from the other side of the river, or such because it is
the only way I can get a full frontal shot. The area where I operate has
lots of hills and if I get closer, on a narrow lane or the land is dropping
I just can't get the right shot. Have tried with digital zoom but extremely
disappointed with end results.

I used to have a Kodak but nothing in their current line up matches my spec.

Ken

 

The TZ3 looks promising but I am not sure about relying only on the LCD with
a viewfinder unless the LCD screen has improved dramatically, from a few
years ago, where they don't work well in the sun. But good suggestions as
quite compact!!

Ken

 

I suggest try out a Fujifilm s6000fd, which has super low noise at high ISO settings,
this will provide faster shutter speeds inside of places you shoot, giving print-worthy
shots at 1600 speed.

It also has a powerful built in iflash, guide # of 28 feet at ISO 100. The higher the
ISO the higher the guide # goes. You cannot attach a flash, no hot shoe or flash
dedication, but you could use a bracket/handle (in the tripod mount) that has a shoe
or two and use a "slave flash" (sometimes called a "digital flash"), which would fire
off the camera's flash.

It's lens does start at 28mm (35mm equivelent) and since the lens has filter threads
on the front (58mm) you can attach a wide auxilliary lens and get wider. The lens is
a 10.7X. This camera (I think) would do much better than the old 5060, for the
reasons I've given.

Check out the Simon Joinson review:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilms6000fd/ He says the low noise qualities
of this cameras are the best you can find (no doubt meaning: in a P/S).
product page:
http://www.fujifilmusa.com/digitalc...dbid=856004&urltype=overview&NavBarId=I856004

I use this camera myself, and it DOES produce really high quality images! And I paid
1/2 price for an Xd picture card on ebay.

Good luck,

 

I see on dpreview it is highly recommended.

No that s8000 is very different, the lens starts it's wide end at a longer focal length
(like 36mm or so), AND since the s8000 CCD is smaller (not good), the zoom lens
is a much longer focal length which is not needed for me or your needs either, per
your ststements. The bigger the taking element, whether film or CCD/CMOS, the
bigger the lens will be and vice-versa. And you might consider the s9100 for it's 9
megapixels. The s6000 makes as big as a 6 mp file, though the files can be interpolated
up 300% at the most (Genuine Fractals, a plug-in software for Photoshop).

 

No. It reverted to using a small sensor, so it doesn't have the
S6000's high ISO advantage.

 

Getting a bit technical for me but I appreciate your help.
On the Dpreview site it say the wide angle is 27mm?

Ken

 

OOPS! You're RIGHT! I forgot. I still wouldn't buy it myself. They still blew it IMO.
AAvK

 

After reading your replies I have been taking a very very close look at the
Fuji S6000fd/S6500fd as well as the Fuji S9100/S9600 and feel I will
definitely be buying one of them -- but can't make my mind up which one. The
S9600 is dearer but has a tilt on the LCD which for my use is a benefit but
I wondered if the LCD on the S6000fd/S65000fd. was viewable, at an angle,
and how much of an angle. This will be the deciding factor - so no
pressure!!!

Ken

 

I use the s6000fd and it does not have an articulating lcd, solid in there. On the s9100
the display flips up to a couple positions, you can waist-level shoot nicely but it doesn't
twist out to the side or flip 180º the other way or anything like that.

An aside set of notes, the CCD in the s9100 (1/1.6) is larger than the one in the s6000fd
(1/1.7), but only by a fraction. I think think the lens/ccd combo in the s6000fd is better
balanced for sharpness than the s9100, related to "rear of the lens circle projection" to
different sized CCDs, as far as all I have seen in image samples, I suspect the s9100 is not
as sharp because of those difference factors and producing 9 megapixels instead of 6.3...
not quite as sharp (IMO only!).

BUT on those OS's you set the sharpness to low-normal-high, I strictly keep mine on
high no matter what. The lens superb, but AF is a too sluggish, very basic. You probably
be better off with a Nikon d40/ that has an APS sized CCD (much larger) and much faster
at focussing.

 

Hi

Many thanks for your taking the trouble to help but I found out a friend of
mine has a Fuji 6500fd and I never knew. It is rarely used as he has pocket
sized camera he carries around all the time but he wants to hang on to the
6500. However he lent it me over the past few days which has proven a really
big help. I have now dropped my requirement for the tilting LCD but have
also realised I need to up my budget and have now ordered an Olympus 410
digital SLR which I feel will be dearer but better longer term option.

Ken

 

Yeah that one has a 4/3 CCD in it, of a recent few years a "new standard" created by Olympus,
about half the size of APS-C sized CCDs. It is an interchangeable lens point and shoot with a
larger CCD than a point and shoot, larger than the Fuji's as well, so, pretty good choice.

Suggestion: always use the Adobe RGB space for deeper color than sRGB. The latter was
designed for internet JPG color qualities, and is more limited.

Did you get the two lens outfit?

 

It includes a 14-42mm Lens which will be fine for my day to day needs and I
can add to in due course. I came to the decision after spending a great deal
of time looking at all the review sites and looking in dealers which, where
I live, in the UK are very very thin on the ground! I feel very confident
( I hope) that both internal and external shots will be to a high quality.
I can use all my memory cards which is a bonus but never part of the
decision making process and I can use my Olympus flash unit only bought a
few months ago and which I have never really mastered. It also fits in my
bag where the 6000 meant buying a new one. Lastly on downloading shots taken
with the camera I found the Olympus ones were easier to manipulate than some
of the others.

So for £275 after Olympus £50 rebate offer, even only one lens it is a
really good buy in the UK. The camera dealers tell me most buyers are
looking at the super zooms up to 18.5x and which I felt were very good for
day to day family needs but mine is for my work!!

Ken

 

I must admit it was an extremely helpful young girl, in my local Dixons,
that persuaded me over to looking at SLR. She was suggesting the Nikon D40
which I was hovering over. But made my decision and hoping it will be OK!
The live preview was definitely the deciding factor between the two. I am in
Devon and dealers really are in short supply - some shops even have no
batteries in many of the cameras s it has been hard work going fro shop to
shop and often only seeing one camera. But always phoning first to see what
they had.

Ken