Re: Canon SD600?
Time for only quick impressions of the Cannon SD 800 Vs Fuji F30.
I am a non-trained user who has never before really messed with the Digital’s.
And some of these impressions will definitely fall into the realm of personal tastes.
Fit & Finish: Cannon
Side by Side, the Cannon’s darker gunmetal silver is more beautiful, held in the hand it has a more luxurious feel.
The Zoom is smoother, the shooting mode dial has strong (and wanted) definitive ‘clicks’ into position.
(I think I already accidentally brushed the Fuji mode position from one stop to the next by brushing with a finger)
Prefer the Cannon’s location of “mode” on the top right back of the body so that at a glance (where your eyes already are – without tilting the top of the camera over) you can verify the choice.
The Fuji’s zoom is a more old-fashioned toggle bar at top right back, the Cannon has a modern feel with the circular tab around the shutter release.
I think I like the top position of the zoom better on the Cannon, but I have had some slippage of fingers on the control when using the tab.
Low Light – NO flash: Fuji!
Wow. The Cannon is waving at a train that already left the station, but Fuji’s killer edge (for me) comes at a price. I think Fuji tweaked the F30 too hot, to attain consistent low light capability in every mode, for the ‘Auto” shooter. Which slant washes out daylight and even indoors flash shots. The Fuji is capable of astonishing (for a pocket rocket) performance in low light, but Fuji should not have tweaked standard default behavior, so “LIGHT” (I'm not sure what it would take...improving the metering, or a flash which is capable of nimble powerdown to just a 'fill' capability?) If Fuji could fix this!
Low Light – flash: Tie depending on ‘which’ you’re doing:
At greater distances to subject outdoors/dusk, or indoors the Fuji will capture a subject father away with its more powerful flash.
At tighter quarter’s outdoors/indoors, the Fuji blows the shot, overpowering the scene with overexposure, the Cannon in Auto produces the better product. (so far changing EV on the Fuji to –2 has not alleviated this issue, I’ve only found the proper range of light/ color, if I used Aperture priority to stop the lens down.
Features and Ease of use: Probably the Cannon (but both menu’s and camera’s have not been fully explored)
I miss the nifty (will you ever use it?) stitch together panoramic mode assist on-board the Cannon.
I think I prefer the “Playback” mode of the Cannon, which feels a little more intuitive once gotten used to.
Once in “Playback”, one push “down” surrounding “Menu” The menu comes up with “erase?” lit by default. One more push, and its gone.
The Fuji feels a little more laborious (if safer) once in “Playback” you hit the ‘Up” surrounding “Menu” and the menu comes up with “cancel?” lit, so you have one more step, a toggle with a “Left” to get to “erase?” before its gone.
Fuji: no viewfinder, I think they all
have to keep this feature it is too difficult in Outdoor glare to compose the shot.
I think Fuji's smart to go to a dual card slot in future models (F40) and get away from the propitoral issue.
I hear Fuji's customer service and warranty resolution has heavy complaints at time, (worrisome.) However Cannon did void my warrently on a 50mm lens, sending it back as 'user abused' dropped. (absolutly NOT, I was the only user of that lens before failure, never dropped it, and was sitting in a chair when I heard the ominous 'clink') I let my husband open it when it came back - it was a
cheap plastic ridge internal to fine focus which had snapped.
Tonight and at first look at a Fuji shot in the living room in “Natural – no flash” I said, “Fuji all the way!”
But the husbands going to have main use, and the P&S middle road on the Cannon, will get shots with flash, more pleasing. He can toggle & understand menu’s faster than I can, so its a question of if he’ll bother to learn which modes (not Auto) he needs to shoot in and at what Aperture to get the everyday results the Cannon will produce in “Auto”. (the Fuji is
not truly manual)
But ...if he will, there is no way the Cannon can compete with the extra range the Fuji gives in lack of noise at any given ISO, and it’s catlike command of the dark.
Have lots to do tomorrow but hope to have time to sort it out. It is
fun to have them side by side!
....just realized, do not mean to be dishing the SD800 during comparisons! These tiny P&S’s with fixed lens and tradeoffs to all DSLR’s are almost schizoid across the categories when evaluating performance across the spectrum for any one model. They all have weaknesses. My usage would be different from yours with that 50% avec flash situation.
You can always find some perceived flaw or something you might like done better in any camera once you've spent enough time w/ it.
