[Maflynn]

I've posted here a while ago about what would be a good digital camera. The consensus was the a70 or of you could swing the expense the a80.

I went to bestbuy to purchase the a70 but the manager convinced me that the p72 was faster and more features while the canon was slower and they seem to get returned the most.

Since all of the reviews compare both fairly evenly, I would like any opinions here, what do people think of the sony vs the canon.

[edit]
One more question, what's the diff between 3.2 and 4.0 megapixels (other then .8 mp). I'm a casual user who at times likes to take panoramic shots i.e., hiking MT Washington.
[/edit]

Thanks
Mike

[Maflynn]

Anyone?

[Link]

The higher the MP rating is, typically the finer the image quality.

Problem is, in some caes the lens is more important. 3.2MP camera with a good lens can better then a 5MP camera with a crap lens.

Two thoughts:
1. If one has the option of a removable/interchangable lens, that's a good cam
2. jack on top for flash (nice to have IF you do dark pics I guess)
3. higher optical zoom (this is an indicator of how good the lens is)

I guess that's all.

[Zoom]

So, you've been to DP Review, right? They have a full review of the A70 and reader comments on the other one.

There are lots of recent threads here (like this one and this one) on this topic. Even if they're not speaking specifically about the camera you're interested in, they discuss some important topics to consider when buying a camera.

[Maflynn]

Thanks for the links, but yes I already read through them.

I suppose I just want to make sure I have a good camera. I've been playing with it (P72) and the pictures seem pretty good.

Part of my questin was is 4.0mp worth it for casual use. I have not seen/read of any explanation that does a decent job of detailing the differances other then it produces larger pictures.

If I take a picture on a 3.2 & 4.0 and have a 4x7 print created would I notice a major differance between the two.

The Canon A80 looks good (quality control issues aside) but at $399 add in the rechargeable batteries that's a pretty sizable investment for a casual user. The lag times on the pictures (the bestbuy manager says) are pretty significant also - he basically steered me to the sony.

The only way is to buy it and see, but since I have the sony and it takes good pictures I'll stick with that. I'm saving $150 over the A80.

Regards
Mike

[Zoom]

Originally posted by Maflynn:
Thanks for the links, but yes I already read through them.

I suppose I just want to make sure I have a good camera. I've been playing with it (P72) and the pictures seem pretty good.

Part of my questin was is 4.0mp worth it for casual use. I have not seen/read of any explanation that does a decent job of detailing the differances other then it produces larger pictures.

If I take a picture on a 3.2 & 4.0 and have a 4x7 print created would I notice a major differance between the two.

The Canon A80 looks good (quality control issues aside) but at $399 add in the rechargeable batteries that's a pretty sizable investment for a casual user. The lag times on the pictures (the bestbuy manager says) are pretty significant also - he basically steered me to the sony.

The only way is to buy it and see, but since I have the sony and it takes good pictures I'll stick with that. I'm saving $150 over the A80.

Regards
Mike

I think I read somewhere that (roughly) a 3.2MP camera will print up to 8x10 and a 4MP camera will do an 11x14. Now, what their criteria was for that, I don't know. If you're just printed 4x7 (4x6?) or 5x7 sizes, a 3.2MP camera will be more than enough.

If price is the issue, you need to check online retailers. According to CNET, you can get an A70 for under $260. The lowest price I saw on the Sony was about the same.

If you decide to look at the 4MP A80, then you're in a different class and you can't really compare it to the P72.

With Sony, you also have the proprietary battery and memory card. The A70 uses standard AA batteries and CompactFlash, which is cheaper than MemoryStick. If you ever upgrade to a new camera, you're more likely to be able to reuse this stuff. And if you're ever in a far-away place and run out of juice, at least you can pop in some standard alkaline AA's.

It's obviously your call to make, I'm just throwing out some things to consider.