# Digital Camera : Sony or Panasonic



## royal (Jan 14, 2007)

Hi All,

I plan to buy a 12X Digital camera (mostly for outdoor shooting while travelling). My choice is restricted between these two ...

Sony DSC H5

Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ30

Which do you think will be better ?  

It would be helpful if you can quote approx. international prices (since I will be getting it from UK). Also feel free to suggest any other brands/models which you think is better than these.


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## ajayashish (Jan 14, 2007)

i have used H5 and it is simply awesome... i prefer that as i have also planned to get it from US next month...


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## royal (Jan 14, 2007)

What about Canon PowerShot S3 IS ?


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## anniyan (Jan 14, 2007)

royal said:
			
		

> What about Canon PowerShot S3 IS ?



i own it and its a beauty. It costs about Rs 20000


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## royal (Jan 14, 2007)

anniyan said:
			
		

> i own it and its a beauty. It costs about Rs 20000



What are the pros and cons? And when did you buy it and from where?


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## janitha (Jan 14, 2007)

royal said:
			
		

> What are the pros and cons? And when did you buy it and from where?


It is 6Mp with 12 X optical zoom and with image stabilization ( to prevent blurred pictures due to hand shake, especially at tele settings) from a more reputed brand. You can see the specifications here
*www.jjmehta.com/products/canons3is.html


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## koolbluez (Jan 14, 2007)

H5 is a 7.2 megapix, 12x optical zoom, image-stabilized, with almost no dust upto iso 400, has a 3inch screen & a strong flash.

The only place where the Canon leads is swivelling lcd & slightly lesser purple fringing.


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## royal (Jan 14, 2007)

Anyone owning a Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ50 ? And first hand experience will be preferred over tech specs ...

BTW, neither H5 nor S3IS has options for fitting an external flash


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## jal_desai (Jan 16, 2007)

go for *SONY* no doubt abt it...


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## ajayashish (Jan 16, 2007)

royal said:
			
		

> Anyone owning a Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ50 ? And first hand experience will be preferred over tech specs ...
> 
> BTW, neither H5 nor S3IS has options for fitting an external flash


 
I don;t think an external flash is needed for personal use...


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## royal (Jan 16, 2007)

ajayashish said:
			
		

> I don;t think an external flash is needed for personal use...



You never know when it might come in handy 

BTW, you seem to be a Nikon fan...can you suggest any suitable model for me?


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## 24online (Jan 16, 2007)

sony... cyber shot...ultimate


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## royal (Jan 16, 2007)

I would have loved to hear from a Lumix owner ...  

I read gr8 review of it...at par with H5 and S3IS


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## shantanu (Jan 16, 2007)

I UsED SONY SO sonY I THIN I VERY GOOD


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## drgrudge (Jan 16, 2007)

Even I'm planning to buy a cam in the same category. 

Check these 2 links:
*www.tech2.com/india/topstuff/prosumer/the-best-superzoom-camera-of-2006/3529/0 ---> "The Best Superzoom Camera of 2006"
and
*www.digitalcamera-hq.com/digital-cameras/panasonic-lumix-fz50_reviews.html  --> "Most Powerful Extended Zoom Camera"

They're telling that F Z50 is better than H5 and S3. 

Remember that whatever review that I read they say that F Z50 has the best image stabilization. For shots at 12X, this IS thing will play a huge role. 

Myself and koolbluez had a talk abt this things and I noted:
H5 has these advantages :
1. 3" LCD
2. Battery charger but bundled battery charger is super slow. 
3. ISO 1000 (S3 has upto ISO 800)
4. 1 MP more
5. like you said runs on 2 batteries only. 
6. Shots on low light is better in H5, even in the same ISO ratings. DCRP says:"The DSC-H5 is definitely cleaner than the PowerShot S3 at ISO 40." 
7. 32 mb Internal memory compared to 16mb memory card. 


Where as S3 scored in
1. Less purple fringing
2. In the end of the day, it's boils to the cost. It's around 2k cheaper! 
3. Swivel LCD --> once if you get spoiled by it you'll never buy any other cam without this feature. 

FZ50 scores in:
1. 10 Mega cam
2. Good IS
3. Swivel LCD
4. High ISO ratings (upto 3200)
5. Rechargable batteries (Sony's charing is very slow --> read in reviews, same as in Nikon L2)

Only thing is FZ50 is expensive and maybe it's out of my focus.  Plus it's weiging more than 725 grams!

I'm too confused now. I even thought of buying W 500, then A710/A640 and now again back to this 12X dilema. Will the wieght be a factor?


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## ajayashish (Jan 17, 2007)

royal said:
			
		

> You never know when it might come in handy
> 
> BTW, you seem to be a Nikon fan...can you suggest any suitable model for me?


 
I am not a Nikon fan as such... i am a Graphic designer and i like taking pics... I have used Sony and nikon both but Sony dosn't gives a natural look (my personal thoughts) as the pics are more bright in it... Nikon has given me the best results and i am using P1 for now... just now i have thought of switching to Sony H5 as it has a amazing 12X zoom and 6mp cam... 

and for ur cam just give me a range u are looking for and the purpose u want it for


and for external flash ... no one in personal use carry one... atleast i have never seen anyone yet neither do i carry one as all the personal click and soot cams have no place for them


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## shantanu (Jan 17, 2007)

Nikon Is Good But Sony Is Great.. Even Canon Takes Many Places In Clarity


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## ajayashish (Jan 17, 2007)

i have a pesonal opinion here as i have played around with many digi cams... Sony is best for personal Click and Shoot ... but Nikon comes for professinals and photographers...


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## shantanu (Jan 17, 2007)

Agreeddd


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## royal (Jan 17, 2007)

ajayashish my budget is from 20000-25000. Maybe I can extend it by 5000 if I get a good deal.

drgrudge FZ50 lags in the fact that it has more noise at higher ISO ...


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## koolbluez (Jan 17, 2007)

*4fxearth.net/phpBB2/smilies_mod/upload/d6954bbe44b0aa08f2efed9c7284ce9f.gif Eh.... Dr.Grudge is still thinkin...

Come on maan... H5 is the best right now, Second only the S3. FZ50 is costly maan... I'ld go for a pro cam then, like that Sony Alpha or Olympus models.

I'ld suggest anyone & everyone to have a look @ Digital Camera Resource first. They give detailed, easy-to-understand reviews on all models.
__________
And about Sony's slow charging speeds, we can get a faster charger for a couple of 1k bucks more.
__________
And what about customer support, in case a camera fails... Sony rocks here.

Panasonic, Fuji and even Olympus r not that many in no. Sony, u can get a showroom everywhere, forget about service centres!!!


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## ajayashish (Jan 17, 2007)

with ur bedget i will always suggest h5 or if u need u can also have a look at H2... H2 has a smaller LCD and is 6MP cam... otherwise it is almost the same as H5


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## drgrudge (Jan 17, 2007)

koolbluez - 
I'm buying within 20 days for sure. FZ50 is out of my focus. Expensive and the weight is a another factor. 

What's the point in buying the H5 if the charger is slow and not upto the mark? I can buy charger for my S3 even if it doesn't comes with the box. chargers + rechargeble batteries hardly cost much. IS is better in S3 than in H5. 


One more thing that I have read in 2-3 reviews is: if you just like that start taking shots with S3 it will be sh!t. You have to go thro the manual. 

I'm inclined on the S3 only.. why want to waste 2-3k more on the similar competitor? Plus I'm planning a Flickr Pro account once I get my cam, so I'll use the extra $$ on that!


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## koolbluez (Jan 17, 2007)

ok... good 4 u... my prob with the S3 is that it is lower on megapix, performs slow & badder in low-light, has lithium batteries (i can use xtra rechargable AA batteries for H5 which can be independently charged in the _battery_ charger provided, do u have _battery_ chargers for S3!!!), cannot be expanded (like attaching other special lens (like morezoom, telephoto lens) l8r as in H5), less powerful flash, lesser service centres,  smaller display...

Me too am buying the H5 in a week or so. We'll compare pics then *img115.exs.cx/img115/9916/z4dwink.gif


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## janitha (Jan 17, 2007)

@royal 
If your budget is upto 30K, I think you have the option to buy a Nikon DSLR D50 with Nikon 18-55 Zoom lens, though perhaps from gray market between 25-30K. But still a SLR will make great difference.


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## Kiran.dks (Jan 17, 2007)

I recommend Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 7.2MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical zoom and Image Stabilization. Good value for money.


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## drgrudge (Jan 17, 2007)

koolbluez said:
			
		

> has lithium batteries (i can use xtra rechargable AA batteries for H5 which can be independently charged in the _battery_ charger provided, do u have _battery_ chargers for S3!!!), cannot be expanded (like attaching other special lens (like morezoom, telephoto lens) l8r as in H5), less powerful flash, lesser service centres,  smaller display..


Now.. we'll clear this battery issue. S3 uses 4 battery. H5 uses 2. Whatever be the type of the battery, you can use rechargable battery. Only difference is that you get that charger with the box in H5 whereas you need to buy for S3 separately. H5 Charger seems to be slow from what I have read in 2-3 reviews. 

This smaller display is complimented with Swivel type LCD. The viewfinder in H5 is of no use (atleast for me). This is a major plus point that I looked and made me inclined towards S3.  

The rest of the things like lesser MP (r u gonna put up hoardings somewhere?), special lens (I'm not a pro and when I want I can buy a dSLR anytime), lesser service centres (No problems as I'll use in Dubai/Chennai only) is not a factor to be considered. 


 I'm just thinking of S3 more than H5, but I dunno which I'll buy until I get some good offers and actually try out the cams in the store. Anyways in the end, it's your creativity tht matters most not the camera/make/lens/etc.


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## koolbluez (Jan 17, 2007)

@ royal, If u r ready for the price, FZ50 might be ok. But still, I'ld advice u to go for the H5. Almost same megapix, around 10k cheaper, good even for night shots and good enuf stabilization. Only prob... purple fringing.


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## royal (Jan 17, 2007)

koolbluez said:
			
		

> Almost same megapix



well 7.2 and 10 ain't exactly the same   Though for small prints anything above 5MP is acceptable 



			
				koolbluez said:
			
		

> around 10k cheaper



Now thats a major deciding factor   I could have a 7600GT for that amount


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## koolbluez (Jan 17, 2007)

@ royal 





> well 7.2 and 10 ain't exactly the same Though for small prints anything above 5MP is acceptable


Oopsie... I was talkin of Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30, the one u mentioned. Galti se mistake ho gaya... Maaf karo sarkaar...


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## ajayashish (Jan 18, 2007)

well y is it that u are saying that VIEWFINDER is not useful.... this is not clear to me... 

megapixels of that high range only matters if u are making a big poster otherwise u will always take pics at 5MP.. otherwise u need to buy new HDD to store pics very soon... 

H5 is definately a better option ... SLR as suggested by someone is a totally professional thing not recommended for personal use... i have used NIKON D80 and D70 both awesome cams but not for a personal use... i used them once when i needed a specific image for a artwork of mine... 

D5 will be my next  but after a month or so as the price will fall .... and i have already tested it 5-6 times and i liked that


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## royal (Jan 18, 2007)

Well, if only the H5 had swivel LCD and manual zoom rings


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## janitha (Jan 18, 2007)

By using viewfinder instead of the LCD, the battery will last much longer.


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## ajayashish (Jan 18, 2007)

viewfinder is not just for saving battery... VIEWFINDER is what is always used for best pics... it is easier to keep ur hand steady and take quality pics using viewfinder... u cannot take a prominent closeup using the lcd..


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## janitha (Jan 18, 2007)

ajayashish said:
			
		

> viewfinder is not just for saving battery... VIEWFINDER is what is always used for best pics...* it is easier to keep ur hand steady and take quality pics using viewfinder...* u cannot take a prominent closeup using the lcd..


It is correct that it helps in steadying hands and thus avoiding shakes.
But closeups / macros are better taken using a tripod and then it is better/convenient to use LCD.


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## ajayashish (Jan 18, 2007)

i disagree... as i have taken huge amounts of closeup shots with VIWEFINDERS... might be a personal capability... i like LCDs for long range shots


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## janitha (Jan 18, 2007)

But everybody knows long shots (larger focal lengths) are more prone to shakes.


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## royal (Jan 19, 2007)

For long shots I think using tripod is necessity


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## PCWORM (Jan 19, 2007)

go 4 the h5........
   sony leads the dsc segment 4 now....


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## janitha (Jan 19, 2007)

royal said:
			
		

> For long shots I think using tripod is necessity



Definitely, whenever possible. For Macro/Closeup also it will be ideal.


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## royal (Jan 19, 2007)

Is it true that H5 prices are going to fall ?


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## koolbluez (Jan 20, 2007)

is it true? anyone verify, phulease... H5's becomin cheaper?


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## ajayashish (Jan 20, 2007)

wait for 2 mnths the price will falll... wait for another 2 months and the price will fall more... this is fong on always.... now that time is gone when we waited for months fr the price to  comedown. U need it but iut when it is new..


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## hailgautam (Jan 25, 2007)

A good comparison of S3 IS and H5

@DC Views

By the way, any idea where to buy the S3IS in Chennai??


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## royal (Jan 25, 2007)

hailgautam said:
			
		

> A good comparison of S3 IS and H5
> 
> @DC Views
> 
> By the way, any idea where to buy the S3IS in Chennai??



Thanks man...really appreciate your help.


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## phanibhushan (Jan 25, 2007)

sony rocks man.. done think beyond!!!!


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## hailgautam (Jan 31, 2007)

Today I bought the S3 IS. I got it for 19K + 2GB Maxell SD Card+4 NiMH Batteries + Charger+ Camera Bag 3K all for 22K. 

Nice deal I think, as I was thought the camera will cost me the MRP of nearly 26-27K + all the accessories. If I were to buy a Sony I would have got it at the Sony World at 30K+ accessories. so saved 10K

-------------------------------

And this is the first picture I took:

*lh5.google.com/_b_nHz7732To/RcF-7u791FI/AAAAAAAAAME/hK77NkQnYfU/s1600/IMG_0025.JPG


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## royal (Feb 2, 2007)

hailgautam said:
			
		

> Today I bought the S3 IS. I got it for 19K + 2GB Maxell SD Card+4 NiMH Batteries + Charger+ Camera Bag 3K all for 22K.
> 
> Nice deal I think, as I was thought the camera will cost me the MRP of nearly 26-27K + all the accessories. If I were to buy a Sony I would have got it at the Sony World at 30K+ accessories. so saved 10K



Congrats on your purchase... 

I am really looking forward to some first hand review from you.  Do keep us posted how it works.


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## drgrudge (Feb 2, 2007)

I'm still open to S3 or H5! After this thread one has got H5 n the other has got S3. Want to see the quality of the photos and what the owners think abt their cams.


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## koolbluez (Feb 2, 2007)

The color reproduction is WOW & the dust in pics minimal in the H5.
And the users feel that the camera actually beautifies the actual photo. People look much better in this camera as compared to other cameras!!! Other user opinions... not mine.

The camera's a little bulkier than other point&shooters... but hey... it's not a point&shooter.. it's prosumer, and a curvy one too. It feels like it is made to be held caressingly. Fits perfectly in the hand.

Unedited pics.. xcept for the watermark I added.
_Details of camera make, ISO... on _*right-click->Properties->Advanced* of the _downloaded_ file

Still learning the basics... so all photos in automatic mode.. not pro/manual-mode. NO TRIPOD USED.

@ Max zoom... incl. smart zoom.
*img295.imageshack.us/img295/3104/dsc00259newzv2.th.jpg *img170.imageshack.us/img170/3590/dsc00347newzq4.th.jpg *img295.imageshack.us/img295/7928/dsc00361ny3.th.jpg
The moon has never come this close to me *img116.exs.cx/img116/6469/g5cgrin.gif

Good red-eye removal... in fact none.
*img170.imageshack.us/img170/7338/dsc00160eg5.th.jpg

This is a impromptu shot... fast reaction... just when I saw a squirrel running on a wire. Done @ zoom around 6-8x. Check out the detail in the squirrel tail hairs.
*img170.imageshack.us/img170/5847/dsc00210newvd2.th.jpg

Slight purple fringing in some high-contrast pics... But can be resolved in photoshop. See here.
Fast startup... fast focussing & capturing. A little lag in low-light focussing, but the results r excellent.

One more useful feature.. smart zoom... as in other Sony Digicams... meaning supposing u r takin pics lower than ur highest resolution... like I'm takin 3-5Megapix pics on my 7.2megapix cam... I can actually _zoom_ more than 12x... i.e. camera takes 7.2megapix picture while cropping the pic during the xtra zoom... realtime... Meanin u get actual picture without loss of quality.. because no extrapolation is done... same highest-resolution pic.. cropped.

More on smart zoom: 1, 2.

___________________________________

Conclusion... I felt a little dejected @ the quality in the begin.. when I tried xperimenting the manual modes... it was my fault... i had half-knowledge on photography... so i decided to stay in _auto_mode till I learn the other half . The results.. fabulous. The camera rocks. I luv my cherished one. My prrreeeciousssssss.


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## drgrudge (Feb 2, 2007)

^^ 
Great photos dude! This post made me think to buy H5 only. 


In the UAE, there's not much difference between the S3 and H5. It's only Dhs 100 (Rs 1,200) and we need to buy charger/batteries for S3 which comes at Dhs 50 or so. So if I'm buying S3, then it's beacuse it made me feel it's a better cam than H5 and not beacause of the price difference. 

Now waiting for hailgautam post.


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## go4saket (Feb 3, 2007)

Sony anyday...


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## hailgautam (Feb 3, 2007)

Ok, this might seem funny. 

*lh6.google.com/_b_nHz7732To/RcQ2KVjYdJI/AAAAAAAAAP0/cugcww7cU8c/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG

*lh3.google.com/_b_nHz7732To/RcQ2KljYdKI/AAAAAAAAAP8/5ofAXXGEsnE/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG

Wait!! it is funny. Could not take any serious pictures yet, except for these 2 that I took for the blog. and a just a few others.

*Review:*
*Build:*
1. at 410g it is heavier than my previous Sony DSC 5W, but feels handy, not to large or small and also feels quite solid.
2. Every time i switch on the camera lens cap falls down. I always forget to remove before switching on.
3. The buttons seemed to be pretty well lay out; the Manual Focus and Macro button are on the left side of lens.
4. It got a plastic tripod mount !!
5. It got a rotating LCD display which addictive.
6. It has stereo microphone and speaker. 
7. takes 4 batteries so on a single charge maximum number of pictures can be taken compared to any other roughly @ 500 pix.

*Oparation*
1. The camera supports the following modes:a. Auto 
b. Portrait
c. Landscape
d. Night Scene
e. Sports
f. Special Scene: it further includes the followingi Fire Works
ii. Color Accent - only one color can be seen rest b/w
iii. Color Swap- changes one color for another
iv. Night Snap Shot
v. Indoor
vi. Foliage
vii. Snow
vii.Beach​g. Stitch Assist
h.Movie
i. Program AE
g. Shutter Speed Priority AE - It is similar to Program AE - however you the camera takes 2 more picture 1 above the shutter speed specified by you and one below. (this does not work on the best quality, largest size mode)
h. Aperture-priority AE - same as above here the aperture changed. These 2 modes are very good for amatures as it lets them know what are the effect of light and timing on the picute one takes.
i. Manual​2. Most of the variable can be adjusted through the Function button on the back, except for in Auto mode - ofcourse why else it would be Auto Mode  . There is also custom White balance if you wantand 11 color modes incl vivid, natural, sepia, b/w et al.

3. The file size in the Superfine Mode at the Largest Resolution the file size is approx 2.7MB and up (the above broken glass 1st pix 2.8 and 2nd 3.1 in the native resolution)

4. The camera supports themes but they are only to hear. the startup screen is hardly visible as it *starts up pretty quick*.

5. no red-eye, as you can see.
*gomzyonline.googlepages.com/IMG_0004.JPG/IMG_0004-full.jpg


6. It allows upto 48X Zoom when used the Digital Zoom. And there is a Super Macro that lets you take a picture from 0"

7. Fast continuous shoot at 2.3 shots/second - does not work in the Sports mode - only 1.5 shot/second

8. There is a custom button on the back which can be used for setting the following functions"a. Shooting mode
b. Record Menu settings
c.zoom location and
d. Manual focus location​9. It has Auto rotate function which changes the oriantation of the camera, so that you don't have to rotate the picute on your computer, However the Function Menu does not change. It would have been useful if the "Function" menu could also get rotated.

10. There are 4 view modes 2 on LCD and 2 on View finder - 1 each showing only picture and 1 each showing full details. The view can be configured.

11. It has 3 View Modes in the Playback mode - 1. Only Picture, 2. with basic details like date, number, resolution and size 3. Complete details including the Histogram.

12. You can zoom upto 10x on the LCD and 9 picture can be seen at most on the LCD for review in the index playback mode. The Zoom button is used to magnify pictures.

*Software*
the following software are given with the camera:
1. ArcSoft PhotoStudio - junior  photoshop  that too trimed down.
2.Zoom Browser - for downloading images from a camera, and then viewing, editing, and printing them. Movie Edit for editing movies, PhotoStitch for creating panaroma. It also has remote capture - when connected to the computer you can take a picture from PC. Quality not so good as it looks a bit grainy. Or may be i could not take a good one see here:
*lh6.google.com/_b_nHz7732To/RcGDJ-791MI/AAAAAAAAANU/Fh7rxlDdFhg/s1600/Capture_00002.JPG


Conclusion:
No conclusion because I am just an armature - who would blindly say I love my camera - just because I own it. Having said that I must say that the photo quality is very good, it starts up super quick and has a better continuous mode; I liked the color reproduction as well, see the previous post.

Ya! by the way it is my first review ever.


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## royal (Feb 3, 2007)

hailgautam said:
			
		

> I am just an armature



You sure ?  

Just joking...Congrats on your first review. Anyway it would have been helpful to have a few more pics.

BTW, koolbluez...how much did the H5 cost you ? Did you buy it from SonyWorld or the gray market ?


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## royal (Feb 5, 2007)

Can anybody quote price of Sony H5 in Kolkata ? 

Is it advisable to buy it from gray market ?  

Please reply ASAP


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## sysfilez (Feb 6, 2007)

royal said:
			
		

> Hi All,
> 
> I plan to buy a 12X Digital camera (mostly for outdoor shooting while travelling). My choice is restricted between these two ...
> 
> ...



can u tell me the price of lumix dmc fz50, i was looking for the same last 10days ago in kolkata market didn't find any shop selling it. i was very impressed with fz50's review. pls lemme know.
__________
anyone knowing where i can get lumix and fujifilm models in kolkata pls lemme know.
btw y dont we all post our photographs @ a particular place so that others can c and comment.


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## royal (Feb 6, 2007)

sysfilez said:
			
		

> can u tell me the price of lumix dmc fz50, i was looking for the same last 10days ago in kolkata market didn't find any shop selling it. i was very impressed with fz50's review. pls lemme know.
> __________
> anyone knowing where i can get lumix and fujifilm models in kolkata pls lemme know.
> btw y dont we all post our photographs @ a particular place so that others can c and comment.



Even I didn't find one.Search in eBay for FZ50 in Calcutta and you can find it for approx. 27500/-.You can also look here.

However I am not too comfortable buying Digital camera from there. Do you people think it is okay? I can get H5 for 20000/- in eBay   whereas in SonyWorld it's gonna cost me 30000/-  

So others please comment how advisable is it to buy from eBay.


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## koolbluez (Feb 6, 2007)

@royal... bought it from SonyWorld itself... costed me a huge 29k.
The price is 29990/-. But I _bargained_ with the showroom guyz & got it for 100/- less!!!
Also I exchanged with them my old Sony camera and got some more reduction.

I won't advice u to buy in gray, although it'll b a lot cheaper...(@ my place it comes for 20.5k)... as there won't be any warranty/guarantee.
When I pay 30k of my hard-earned money for an item... I want it to b within some sorta warranty.
Also Sony's service is always top-notch.


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## sysfilez (Feb 7, 2007)

wel i have never purchased any stuff online, cant comment on the same. Sony World prices are very high, they charge u catalogue price maximum MRP. u can get the same stuff from other shop at much cheap rate. I have no problem buying from gray market if the price diff is too much.


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## royal (Feb 7, 2007)

sysfilez said:
			
		

> wel i have never purchased any stuff online, cant comment on the same. Sony World prices are very high, they charge u catalogue price maximum MRP. u can get the same stuff from other shop at much cheap rate. I have no problem buying from gray market if the price diff is too much.



I agree, 10K difference is too much for an _aam janta_ like me  

In gray I won't get bill/warranty and in eBay , I'll get 1 year warranty. Price will be more or less same. So I ask again , do you people think it is safe to buy from ebay ?  

P.S. I shall be travelling to UK next week so probably I'll get it from there. 

It seems I can get it from UK at Rs.21000...seems a fair deal


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## royal (Feb 18, 2007)

got H5 today for £260  

Now let's try it out


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## hailgautam (Feb 18, 2007)

congratulations royal, post some pix from London


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## royal (Feb 19, 2007)

hailgautam said:
			
		

> congratulations royal, post some pix from London


 
Yeah let me just put them in my laptop...


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## hailgautam (Feb 24, 2007)

Hey guys i went to Pondichery recently, took some snaps there, hope you like them.

*bp3.blogger.com/_b_nHz7732To/RdnvheYHoMI/AAAAAAAAAW8/Kl39es8BC2g/s400/IMG_0119.JPG

*bp2.blogger.com/_b_nHz7732To/Rdnw3OYHobI/AAAAAAAAAY0/GgMo0Ruo7vg/s400/IMG_0138.JPG

*bp1.blogger.com/_b_nHz7732To/Rdnw2-YHoZI/AAAAAAAAAYk/zyC3aZIlStk/s400/IMG_0136.JPG

*bp3.blogger.com/_b_nHz7732To/RdnyFeYHowI/AAAAAAAAAbc/10UHRL5Thpw/s400/IMG_0170.JPG

More at Pondichery in 2hrs


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## royal (Feb 26, 2007)

Hello can anybody suggest what is the best battery for DSC i.e. NiMH/AA/NiLi etc?   and what are the respective prices (along with charger for rechargable ones)?

Also give the price of DSC CarryBag


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## hailgautam (Feb 26, 2007)

nimh are the better battery type because they provide more power, for longer duration. also the life of these batteries are longer compared to any other.
__________
but you have received nimh battery pack with you cam, have not you?


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## janitha (Feb 26, 2007)

Yes, NiMH will be better and it will last hundreds of charges. Price will depend on brand, mah rating etc. Get a brand like Sony, Sanyo, Uniross etc with > 2000 mah. It will cost Rs.125-150. Charger also will cost depending on brand and whether normal, fast or ultra fast. A good fast charger should cost aroud 1K and a normal (which takes about 6 hours to charge 4 AA cells) one about Rs.250.


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## koolbluez (Feb 26, 2007)

Can i use my normal rechargable AA batteries instead of the costlier NiMh batteries in my Sony H5 camera? Any probs.. risks... anyone please detail....

and whats the diff in these 2000/2700... mah


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## janitha (Feb 26, 2007)

koolbluez said:
			
		

> Can i use my normal rechargable AA batteries instead of the costlier NiMh batteries in my Sony H5 camera? Any probs.. risks... anyone please detail....
> 
> and whats the diff in these 2000/2700... mah


Do you mean the common NiCd rechargeable ones?  NiMh is better since they will give more pictures per charge and have less memory effect and so will last longer.
mah means milli ampere hour and more means more charge and more shots.
As per the following link, NiMH is supplied and recommended.
*www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonyh5/page2.asp


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## koolbluez (Feb 26, 2007)

Preman... what i wanted to know is... is there any risk to the cam if I use my normal rechargable batteries/normal AA Eveready  batteries.. any risk @ all...
Life expectancy.. component safety....


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## janitha (Feb 26, 2007)

koolbluez said:
			
		

> Preman... what i wanted to know is... is there any risk to the cam if I use my normal rechargable batteries/normal AA Eveready  batteries.. any risk @ all...
> Life expectancy.. component safety....


Nothing other than shorter life of the battery. Ordinary cells may not even give enough charge for the camera to work, but in some cameras it may.

BTW how did you know how I am addressed by my parents and close friends?


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## koolbluez (Feb 26, 2007)

Thnx 4 the reply.
I'm havin a 30k/- Sony H5 & didn't want to spoil it... so asked this sorta doubt... I was worried of higher current on delicate parts.... electronic stuff(which I'm weak @)... So wanted to clarify.



> BTW how did you know how I am addressed by my parents and close friends?


 I'm ṠupərmΔn.. I'm the Almighty... Who knows almost everyone 

Jokes apart... u r Prem Kumar from Kerala... So... very high chances that u'll b called _Preman_ by ur close guyz. Kerala lingo based analysis. I'm good @ guessing right 

Elementary, dear Watson...

And.. who.. may i ask... is Anitha?


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## janitha (Feb 26, 2007)

koolbluez said:
			
		

> Thnx 4 the reply.
> I'm havin a 30k/- Sony H5 & didn't want to spoil it... so asked this sorta doubt... I was worried of higher current on delicate parts.... electronic stuff(which I'm weak @)... So wanted to clarify.
> 
> I'm ṠupərmΔn.. I'm the Almighty... Who knows almost everyone
> ...


In fact higher current is supplied by NiMh and NiCd etc. and ordinary cells are not capable of that. In fact, long back when I used NiCd with my dedicated Canon flash of my film SLR, the flash (as well as the cells) used to get very hot due to the higher current.
Congrats for your Sherlock style guess and Janitha is my wife.


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## koolbluez (Feb 26, 2007)

yes... guess it right again... It's Janitha? small mistake.. not anitha.. janitha(rare name... never heard... meaning?)...
I didn't want to hurt ur feelins... I'ld have guessed & said so earlier... but if it turned out to b a sis.. I'ld have made u uncomfortable... so didn't say... also knew it was wife... u r pretty old enuf... from my guess 

Anyway.. thnx..
So u say I can use other AA alkaline batteries (like DuracellAA) in my H5, whenever emergency.. without any risks... hmmm...?


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## royal (Feb 27, 2007)

hailgautam said:
			
		

> but you have received nimh battery pack with you cam, have not you?


 
Surely I have but as everyone knows it takes 6 hours to charge the batteries  

So I was looking for a faster charger.

And janitha thanks for the price info  

BTW, anyone has any idea about any cheap alternative for SONY camera pouch ?  Dont want to spend 2k on a carry bag


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## janitha (Feb 27, 2007)

There are  chargers which charge 4 AA cells in two hours. I have read about chargers which does the job in minutes but don't know if it is available here. Square shaped indian camera bags are available for about Rs.250/- which will hold the digicam and a few accessories.

@coolbluez
You can surely use alkaline but it will no last much,but surely better than zinc-manganese (ordinary cells).


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## koolbluez (Feb 27, 2007)

Prema... it's *k*oolblue*z*... it starts wrong & ends wrong 

I tried with normal Everready rechargables. They didn't even take a single shot!!! Bad try.. now I'm gonna try a Duracell 

The speed of charging depends on charger. There r 15min chargers by Sanyo!!! Of course.. they would cost a minibomb. Sony too has a 2hr charger.. around 2.5k... Better buy spare batteries... cheaper alternative.
BTW.. I got a kool-looking Sony pouch fake leather replacement for 550/-. My H5, and all it's spares... everything fit perfectly. Nice one.
*img138.imageshack.us/img138/2711/dsc01013xu0.th.jpg​


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## hailgautam (Feb 27, 2007)

@ royal, you can go for the case-logic bags available in the malls etc. but even sony should be good. my case in point is after you have spent 30k in the cam, flaunt it with a good looking bag also. it would be penny wise pound foolish to do kanjushi in a bag.


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## royal (Feb 28, 2007)

hailgautam said:
			
		

> @ royal, you can go for the case-logic bags available in the malls etc. but even sony should be good. my case in point is after you have spent 30k in the cam, flaunt it with a good looking bag also. it would be penny wise pound foolish to do kanjushi in a bag.


 
Actually I spent around INR 23,000 and that included 1GB high speed memory  

Also cheaper alternatives are not always bad. It just does not make sense to me to go for a carry bag for over 3000 bucks.

Did I forget to mention I got a nice tripod (very similar to the short one provided by SONY) for £1 ? 

And koolbluez where did you get this pouch from ? I hope the quality is good.


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## koolbluez (Feb 28, 2007)

yes.. the quality is superb for the cost. Extra padding for the safety of my prreccioussss. I did extensive search (not online ) for it. All i got was 200-300/- cloth sorta pouches. But... after around 2 dayz! of search I got what I needed, an good-lookin one, shown here. With the SONY logo! Of course.. I had to shell out another 300/- but it's worth the money. Well, i got it from an imported goods shop. Try the same there. Also try out leather shops


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## royal (Mar 1, 2007)

I heard case logic pouches are good. Any idea ?


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## janitha (Mar 1, 2007)

royal said:
			
		

> I heard case logic pouches are good. Any idea ?


It was what "hailgautam" suggested.


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## hailgautam (Mar 1, 2007)

ya they are good, and a bit expensive also....generally you will find them in Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Central type malls (well in hyderabad at leaset) the pouch you would want would set you down by around Rs. 1500/-

and preman, you can call me gautam


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## royal (Mar 2, 2007)

hailgautam said:
			
		

> ya they are good, and a bit expensive also....generally you will find them in Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Central type malls (well in hyderabad at leaset) the pouch you would want would set you down by around Rs. 1500/-


 
Oh Man, if only I could lay my hands on koolbluez pouch  .

BTW,koolbluez are you sure you dont have a spare pouch to gift me ?


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## royal (Mar 3, 2007)

Here are some pics ...

*img341.imageshack.us/img341/5342/dsc00208qk0.th.jpg
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/6645/picture067fa3.th.jpg
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/3497/picture079ey7.th.jpg
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/8538/picture101tr7.th.jpg
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/9347/picture177xl8.th.jpg
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/226/picture188th4.th.jpg
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/3931/picture160ph0.th.jpg
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/3289/picture121em1.th.jpg
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/366/picture032aw8.th.jpg
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/6337/dsc00236ia8.th.jpg
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/3995/dsc00230ul4.th.jpg

hope you like them


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## hailgautam (Mar 3, 2007)

nice pix.. royal...


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## royal (Mar 5, 2007)

2day I got a deal of 20£ for a tripod...was of German make and it felt real sturdy. Do you people think I should go for it ?   Similar ones from SONY cost over Rs. 3000.


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## hailgautam (Mar 5, 2007)

ya go for it, since it is cheaper.


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## janitha (Mar 5, 2007)

hailgautam said:
			
		

> ya go for it, since it is cheaper.


Further, being German make, it should be of good quality and the price also seems very reasonable.


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## royal (Mar 12, 2007)

Well, today I got HAMA tripod for £9.9. *www.hama.co.uk/bilder/00004/abb/00004142abb.jpg

Actual price was £20 but it was a clearance sale. The model is Tripod Star 42 . I also had a quote of £20 for Tripod Star 61 . I am a casual photographer and I opted for the former. What I missed are tripod carry bag/Crank for middle leg/Spirit level. However other than the carry case, others are not important to me as of now. I have tried the thing and it works like a charm. Feels sturdy, too. Lets hope this is going to come handy in my trips. 

I also had a quote of £10 for a camera carry bag similar to that of koolbluez...however I decided to wait and see if I get a better deal in future.


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## alienspiesu (Mar 13, 2007)

Sony DSC-H5 definitely dude.. dnt even think abt nethng else.. im much impressed wid the quality of images wid my DSC-500 .. so i trust sony.. wel go for the H5..


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## royal (Mar 14, 2007)

alienspiesu said:
			
		

> Sony DSC-H5 definitely dude.. dnt even think abt nethng else.. im much impressed wid the quality of images wid my DSC-500 .. so i trust sony.. wel go for the H5..


 
Well I already went for it  

In US I could have got DSC-H9 for $400  now thats a shame.

BTW, I want to buy another pair of NI-MH batteries (for backup). A pair of Sony comes around Rs. 500 so is it better to go for it or is there any other alternative?


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## koolbluez (Mar 14, 2007)

Sanyo's good... go for 2700/2900mAH

Can any1 tell me whether this is fake? It might not... but still a confirmation 
*img137.imageshack.us/img137/7239/dsc01167oq0.th.jpg

@ royal... me too now a little disheartened by the entry of H9 
I luved the swivel LCD of Canon S3 IS, but opted for a bigger 3.0 " screen in H5. Now H9 comes with a 3" swivel LCD :O


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## royal (Mar 15, 2007)

koolbluez said:
			
		

> Now H9 comes with a 3" swivel LCD :O


 
And with "night vision"


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## hailgautam (Mar 15, 2007)

royal said:
			
		

> And with "night vision"


I think Night vision would be practically useless. 

I have a Sony H 42 Video Camera, it too have a night vision, what it does is to use the Infra Red Light to show the in the dark. The range is very near and when you shoot it the frames per second drop a lot, giving a cellphone Video like look. Plus the colors are also not at all natural. having said all this, it makes a sense to have a night vision coz most of the video cameras don't come with a flash, and with the help of night vision you can take good picture in the near range.

What you going to do with a night vision of Still Camera where you got the flash to augment the low light condition in near range


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## koolbluez (Mar 15, 2007)

NV!?!?! No... it's not NightVision.. it's NightShot.


> The H9 camera is the only Cyber-shot model in this year’s line to feature NightShot technology. This feature allows you to take photographs in environments with virtually no light so you won’t miss the action, even at a late night game.
> Both cameras’ high sensitivity (up to ISO 3200) will also help preserve the mood of your pictures by capturing well-exposed, natural-looking photos, even in challenging low-light conditions. You can shoot at higher shutter speeds to take in the maximum amount of light without using the flash. Picture noise, common to pictures shot at high ISO levels, is minimized by Sony's Clear RAW noise reduction technology.


NightVision is done [SIZE=-1]by detecting infrared radiation, which is a form of energy emitted by all objects regardless of the ambient light conditions. It could b [/SIZE]enhanced spectral range and/or enhanced intensity range.

*upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/52/Nightvision.jpg/180px-Nightvision.jpg​


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## drgrudge (Mar 15, 2007)

DSC-H9 for only $400? Thats a good deal!


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## royal (Mar 16, 2007)

hailgautam said:
			
		

> What you going to do with a night vision of Still Camera where you got the flash to augment the low light condition in near range


 
Maybe I dont want the subject to know I am taking a pic  

drgrudge what did you finally settle for ? 

koolbluez did you get that pair of SANYO ? Is it reliable ???


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## koolbluez (Mar 16, 2007)

As they mentioned it, NightShot's actually _high iso, lower dust_ picture taking. So, it's useful anyway.

I bought a 2-pack. Costed me around 300/-INR. It's original, i suppose. And by the talk, it's one of the most reliable rechargable AA battery companies ever, more than the original Sony! Had no prob till now. My 2500 Sony (which came default with the camera) gave me around 150 shots (low no. because i always use zoom & run the camera continuous ). The 2700 Sanyo gives me @least 250 shots


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## drgrudge (Mar 16, 2007)

royal - 
Not yet. I was confused and later thought I will go for newer models.


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## royal (Mar 17, 2007)

koolbluez said:
			
		

> My 2500 Sony (which came default with the camera) gave me around 150 shots (low no. because i always use zoom & run the camera continuous ).


 
I also do the same but I get around 250 with mine  

BTW, are you charging Sanyo batteries with the default SONY charger ? Let me know the cost of a faster charger , if possible. 
__________


			
				drgrudge said:
			
		

> royal -
> Not yet. I was confused and later thought I will go for newer models.


 
Now that's called cheating ... 

Just joking   hope you can get a DSC H9


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## koolbluez (Mar 17, 2007)

yup... default charger, if u want quick chargers, there is Sony's 2hr charger & the latest Sanyo charger can recharge in 15min! No idea of the costs though.


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## sysfilez (Mar 17, 2007)

hey i am planning t buy a DSLR camera i have selected two models
Canon EOS 350D Digital XT   and    Nikon D50
Pls suggest out of these two which one is better. 
and wat price its available. 
sud i buy it from grey market?

tnx in adv.


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## janitha (Mar 17, 2007)

sysfilez said:
			
		

> hey i am planning t buy a DSLR camera i have selected two models
> Canon EOS 350D Digital XT   and    Nikon D50
> Pls suggest out of these two which one is better.
> and wat price its available.
> ...



 Better buy 400D for a few Ks more. I plan to buy one. It has dust resistant internal parts, ultrasonic dust removing function for CMOS sensor and 2 MP more than 350 D.
But whichever one you buy, never buy from gray market. (at least in case of digicams and handycams)


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## sysfilez (Mar 19, 2007)

@ janitha
i read in diferent forums that the stock lens that comes with XT and XTi version is not that good. Wat lens do u suggest i sud buy if i buy only the body of canon eos?


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## janitha (Mar 19, 2007)

sysfilez said:
			
		

> @ janitha
> i read in diferent forums that the stock lens that comes with XT and XTi version is not that good. Wat lens do u suggest i sud buy if i buy only the body of canon eos?



In my case, I am having different EF lenses which I have been using with the film SLR over the years. Of course they are not optimal for this particular SLR since the CMOS is not 24x36 mm. Still I think they will do for the time being. Same with the 18-55 mm standard that comes with the camera. And the cost of the standard lens is only around 6K.
If you are very particular about quality, you can consider the Canon EF 17-85mm IS which jjmehta.com offers for Rs.26995/- (it has built in image stabilization)


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## sysfilez (Mar 20, 2007)

@janitha
last eve i went to market, the cost of 350D with bill is around 42,000/- in kolkata market. i kept wondering why is the price so high out here in comparision to rest of india. then i approached a grey market dealer and u will b amazed to hear wat he quoted. he said he will give it to me @ 28,000/- with stock lens, without stock lens rs. 2000/- less. and a 50mm canon lens wil cost rs. 5,000/- from him. 
i can't make up my mind wat to do.


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## janitha (Mar 20, 2007)

sysfilez said:
			
		

> @janitha
> last eve i went to market, the cost of 350D with bill is around 42,000/- in kolkata market. i kept wondering why is the price so high out here in comparision to rest of india. then i approached a grey market dealer and u will b amazed to hear wat he quoted. he said he will give it to me @ 28,000/- with stock lens, without stock lens rs. 2000/- less. and a 50mm canon lens wil cost rs. 5,000/- from him.
> i can't make up my mind wat to do.



Just see the following link (body with 18-55 Canon and bill and 2 year Canon warranty for Rs.33995/-)
*www.jjmehta.com/pricelist/canon_digial_pricing.htm
I wont suggest buying from them and my friends who bought them say the price is little high. Still, see the huge difference. 
And you can even try bargaining with them online.


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## royal (Mar 21, 2007)

janitha said:
			
		

> *www.jjmehta.com/pricelist/canon_digial_pricing.htm
> I wont suggest buying from them


 
Why is that so ???


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## janitha (Mar 21, 2007)

royal said:
			
		

> Why is that so ???


Only because my friends who bought from them say that the prices are on the higher side. But they bought online and got the articles well packed and in mint condition.


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## sysfilez (Mar 22, 2007)

@janitha
wat do u suggest, and 1 more thing is the warranty valid. i have faced a prob like this b4, the service center not accepting stuffs bought from other states and such.


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## janitha (Mar 22, 2007)

sysfilez said:
			
		

> @janitha
> wat do u suggest, and 1 more thing is the warranty valid. i have faced a prob like this b4, the service center not accepting stuffs bought from other states and such.


That is another reason why I didn't recommend them but I think the warranty card issued by them should be one of Canon India and so valid everywhere. and JJmehta is a very popular dealer. Few months back when I compared the their prices for 350D with a local authorized dealer, there was little difference. But then I was waiting for the release of 400D. Once 400 became available price of the other one dropped by about 10K.


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