My local photo shop have offered me a 30 day trail on a digital camera.They have recommended either the Leica or Fujifilm Finepix 601 zoom.My wife thinks digital is wonderful and anyone who has read my posts know what i think.What should i give a try you all know lots more than me.How us married men are made to suffer.

-- Allen Herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), June 01, 2002

Answers

Take your pick: Fuji, new wife, film scanner.

Personally, I'd go for the film scanner...

Early reports are the Digilix is having problems. Maybe wait a while for those to be ironed out.

-- Charles (cbarcellona@telocity.com), June 01, 2002.

Allen, also try the Canon G2. I'm a picky SOB and I really like this camera. The shutter lag is tolerable if you understand it's the autofocus locking on that is really the delay. The images are truly wonderful and the depth of field you get even nearly wide open is hard to understand and explain, but it sure makes my editor happy, so maybe it will make your wife happy too. Another picky rangefinder friend of mine just bought one too and he is in awe.

-- Dayton P. Strickland (daytonst@bellsouth.net), June 01, 2002.

Scanner really good idea would be my choice.......... alas!not my decision.

-- Allen Herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), June 01, 2002.

Fujifilm Finepix 601 zoom any comments on this camera i am seriously out of my depth here and she likes it because it is small.

-- Allen Herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), June 01, 2002.

After a week or so with it, the Leica doesn't seem to be as bad as people make it out to be. And in fact, there is lots to like about the camera. But overall, it seems to be a medoicre effort at best. Something that might be fine for a mid level camera company. But is somewhat disappointing when the Leica name is on it.

The Canon G2 is a good suggestion. Canon seems to really have it's head together in the digital camera game. The S40 would be a more pocketable choice that would still have full manual controls. Don't know anything about the Fuji 601. Only that it takes smart media caards. Ana I really have a hard time suggesting anything that doesn't take CF cards (which you can get in much bigger storage capacity).

-- Josh Root (rootj@att.net), June 01, 2002.

The Fuji with its ccd 111 is equilivant to 6 megapixal equal to the best high end digitals.How important is that,the quality of the photograph is all important to me thats why i am a m6 user.

-- Allen Herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), June 01, 2002.

it seems to be a medoicre effort at best

Sorry to pick up on every post but i am about to have to spend real money,Is the Leica medoice compared to the rest or just compared to the Leica standard.

-- Allen Herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), June 01, 2002.

Not being an owner, but someone who like most likely you have handled the digilux it just doesn't have the build quality we're used to as M users nor as good as some other digicams I've handled. IMHO I preferred the Digilux 4.3 that preceeded this current model which was a joint effort with Fuji.

-- john bosso (jbee193@aol.com), June 01, 2002.

as good as some other digicams

Well it would seem from these posts(honest people on this forum)the Leica digital is not really much good and the Fuji would be the better option bit sad really for a Leica man.Oh well.

-- Allen Herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), June 01, 2002.

I have used the Canon G1 and G2 and they were surprisingly good. I have not decided to buy a digital camera, but if I had to buy one I would buy the G2. IMO, no other digital camera in that price range offers as much for my needs.

-- Jim Lennon (jim@jmlennon.com), June 01, 2002.

Canon G2 thats what i am going with...thanks

-- Allen Herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), June 01, 2002.

On Friday I bought the Canon PowerShot A40. Not in the same league as the Panasonic/Leica, but it will be fun. I would absolutely dread owning a $900 camera and be afraid to go out in the rain with it.

-- John H Osterholm (Barjo4@attbi.com), June 01, 2002.

I had a Fuji S1 (Nikon-mount SLR) with the "super CCD" which supposedly makes it a 6 megapixel. BS. It's interpolation, the same smoke and mirrors you can do in the computer.

Outside of the SLR's, there's only one digicam I'd buy today: the Nikon Coolpix 5000. 5 megapixels and a lens that goes to (35mm equiv.) 28mm without any add-ons.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), June 01, 2002.

The Nikon 5000 has it's own pile of problems. There's still no free lunch in the digital world.

-- Josh Root (rootj@att.net), June 02, 2002.

Canon G2 is great. But... "noisy" at higher ISO, some chromatic aberration, white balance so, so. But still better than Coolpix 5000, I think. Leica Digilux? I wouldn't touch that. I believe they don't even have the usual Compactflash or Smart media. As for a scanner, as far as a wife is concerned, the initial money is not the only issue. The time you have to spent after buying just to learn scanning and then do it is enormous.

-- Olivier (olreiche@videotron.ca), June 02, 2002.

My wife is also keen on digital - things important to her are not the things that I buy cameras by - important point ! Try the Canon Ixus (Pixi in the US ?) digital. Its only 2.2 mp but its tiny (fits in the smallest handbag), a beautiful object and sexy (IHO), up to A4 is very very good and most importantly my wife loves it to bits - better than diamonds in her opinion. The quality from such a tiny package bowled me over.

Dave

-- David Tolcher (davidjt@btinternet.com), June 02, 2002.

The "perfect" digital camera is still a few years away. If you don't "need" one, wait. The Leica digital camera you are referring to has little or no Leica in it except the name badge.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), June 02, 2002.

....but will you call it your friend?

-- Steve Wiley (wiley@accesshub.net), June 02, 2002.

....but will you call it your friend?

No, but seeing how i will have to look at the photos my wife takes i will try to make the suffering as minimal as possible.Digital is creeping everywhere oh well!such is life.

-- allen herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), June 05, 2002.