Contrary to the advertising claims, I think we are years away from
affordable digital cameras being able to produce results comparable to even
low to medium priced conventional 35mm ones. A computer magazine here (UK)
put their test results from a range of them on their cover CD and all were
unimpressive.
I've owned a Ricoh RDC 2E with a resolution of just under 800 x 600 for over
a year and I thoroughly enjoy using it, but only for fun and for what it's
suitable - I think of it more as a rapid visual "notebook". It has no flash
gun or synch socket but it works well in surprisingly low light, though it
doesn't quite cope outdoors at night under streetlights. Its autofocus works
right down to ONE centimetre and if you can achieve even illumination, it
can do lo-res 'scans' of negatives or slides, the thickness of the
slide-holding springs being just enough to achieve that 1 cm distance from
the lens.
It has an optical viewfinder AND a removable LCD monitor so it's easily
converted to a tiny p&s camera - a facility that later models have lost. I
would not buy a digital camera without an optical viewfinder as it's the
monitor that gobbles up the batteries and I only use it with the AC adapter,
though if I'm near the computer I monitor on its screen via a ZipShot. (US
users can also monitor via an NTSC TV.) There is no manual exposure but it
can be adjusted by 1.5 EV steps up or down. There is a manual override on
the focussing too but it's not very practical - I prefer to press the RA
(re-assess?) button until it looks right.
Because of the low resolution I tend to think in terms of a spread of four
or more pictures at a time instead of single frames, and getting in close
because distant detail is not well recorded. Software such as Paint Shop Pro
5 is essential.
As much as I like the RDC 2E I don't see it as a film replacement (what you
save in film & processing costs you spend on batteries) and in the time I've
had it I have bought two conventional 35mm cameras. I'd go along with the
suggestion to buy a film scanner if you want good digital picture quality.
If only I could decide which one.
Regards,
Keith
keith_r.k.berry@xxxxxxxxxx
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