Digital Camera under 17K

If you are looking for longer tele zoom and dont mind inherent quality loos of such lenses S3IS is a good choice. If you are looking for a high quality compact digtal camera Canon G7 at about Rs 22k (Grey) is agreat buy.

Regards
Anil

I guess that you are looking at a Still picture camera ?

I would then recommend either the SONY T100 or the Sony Sony DSC-H7.

The latter is better for serious picture taking while the T100 is slick, with a Large 3 inch LCD screen, anti blurr, etc. Its key feature ( for me ) is that it fits into my shirt pocket, and no retractable lens, making it truely compact.

What are you looking at ?

Convenience or serious photography ?

My family pushed me for convenience and I now have a T100.

( P.S: I am not familiar with the Canon ones recommended by Ani, so this is not a comparative statement, just what I liked from what was easily avaialble in the Mumbai Grey market ... same budget as yours. )

If you are an amateur photographer only in to it for family reasons one factor you may want to consider is Size

buy one which fits into the shirt pocket pretty easily.

Of course on comparoson with something like the Canon S3 the first thing which will suffer will be the Image quality (BOth Lens + stabilisation) but what you will gain will be mobility.

try doing some reading on
http://reviews.cnet.com
http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/

thanks for your replies.

I am totally new into photography. but i dont want to settle with something which is basic. I have been a great fan of SLR film cameras but never got a chance to use them.

Size is not a criteria for me for deciding on a camera.

What i am looking for is something which has good optical zoom + a very good image stabilization and also offers me the various options to fiddle around with images. I want something in between a compact and DSLR.

I have heard and read positive reviews on the canon S3IS. Also have heard that canon cameras are far better than kodak/sony when it comes to image stabilization.

I was looking at the Olympus SP-550UZ as an alternate mostly due to its large optical zoom, which is 18x (i think its the highest) but its way out of my budget plus other amateurs dont recommend it.

My favourite was the EOS 350D but again way way out of my budget.

Sunilyo

Dear Sunil,
PLease get my suggestion in the right spirit.

1. You have to decide what you are going to shoot.

2. Size is a major factor, if the camera is handy you will sure use it more often. Just like LP's and CD

3. There will be compromises in design if you want all the latest features cramped into the body.

4. If you have plans to shoot wildlife/birds/action none of the compacts will serve your purpose, the shutter lag will not allow you to get the right moment captured. DSLR or similar fixed lens variants are the only option.

Regarding S3IS, it is the right camera for people who dont know what they want to shoot and after shooting if the image is there they are happy :). This model has almost all the tech features cannon offeres but the image quality is poor compared G7. In fact you can get similar quality by spending less money on a basic compact camera.

You have mentioned that you are looking for an in between camera compact - X - DSLR, I honestly feel that you will be neither here or there with such product. Mind you there are very good such cameras from Sony and olympus but all are priced higher that some of the entry level DSLRs.

Regards
Anil

Would like to share my experience in this discussion.

3 years back, I was where Sunil is today. I wanted a sci-fi looking digital SLR camera with the longest optical zoom, big bold looking lens with manual settings etc etc...
I always thought I can shoot much better photographs with these with a lot more flexibility of zooming in and out. With that in mind I bought a Olympus C-725, 3.2 mega pixel, 8X optical zoom, manual settings...full fundu SLR types. I have it even today. The point is...initially I was all blown up by the thoughts of shooting with such a rocking equipment around the town. I spent a lot of time playing around with the camera, different settings, zooming, holding styles, flash on/off, PASM etc etc...
For the first six months I was always very happy and proud that I was using the one of the most di-fi camera around and carried it wherever there was a chance of taking pictures. But as time passed on, I felt lazy carrying it around if I knew i am not taking more than 10 pics. I also realized that I had to take multiple clicks to get one prefect snap..issues like stabilization, light etc always kicked in the wrong moment.
BTW, I never had issues of it being just a 3.2 MP camera...image size it produced was far more than my requirement. But as time passsed on the use of the camera reduced further. Then I only took it along when we go on a whole day trip viz picnic etc...I realized that its due to the bulkiness and hassle-ness of use which made me avoid taking it out from my wardrobe. Thats one part of the story...
Recently a friend of mine left his Canon SD-600 (IXUS) slim 6 MP, 3X optical zoom camera with me for around 15 days. I will tell you something buddy Sunil, I have taken more snaps with this slim camera in the last 15 days than I have taken with my SLR-fi camera in the last one year!!!! Now I realized that there are so many moments that I actually wanted to capture but never did because of the pain of pulling out a bulky gadget, get it ready and shoot a picture. This slim camera is ever-ready to take pictures...it takes 1 second to start up and I can carelessly point and click...and I see wonderful pictures taken. I dont need a repeatation of click here for a perfect picture because there are no stabilization issues, no low-light issues...image quality is top notch from the first picture that I take. Even I love some amount of experimentation with photo-shooting, taking pictures of birds sitting on a far of tree does give me a different satisfaction but thats only one out of 100 pictures that I take. 99 pictures are of human beings who are next to you....A camera which is always there ready in your pocket (like your cell phone) would capture so many more precious moments with so much more clarity that you tend to use it as a everyday gadget and leaves with you many more smiles when you open the "Pics" folder in your PC

I would fully stand by ani's remarks..

If you are in for some serious photographyt and are willing to invest in time and equipment in the future then DSLRs is a good choice.
but if it is casual photography (The focus is always good photographs though) of a more occasional nature then a bridge/P&S migh make better sense.

Size is surprisingly a pretty important factor and this hits you only when you realize the problems of carrying a Camera bag with you (since you mentioned travel)

My camera + lenses, backup battery etc comes up to a small Backpack and so i do find myself carrying only my tiny P&S very often, especially for family occasions.

Also I am sure Ani, Dr saab kind of accomplished photographers mmight be carrying a whole trailer with them !


If size is not a concern then get a bridge..the S3 is one of the better ones out there (I even liked Fujis range..wonderful colours)

else there are some very good P&S from Sony/canon/Olympus/Nikon out there..jut read some reviews ..they still can shoot surprisingly good photographs once you compose them right !!

Dear Sunil,

You have touched another of my passions. You have to decide:

1. Format: Digital (CD) or Film (Vinyl)- If you are not too serious then certainly digital and if you are really very serious about learning photography then its worthwhile working on film (for some time to come).

2. Budget - Just like HiFi there's no upper limit and there are as many categories of equipment - entry, mid-end & high end, etc.

3. Subjects you want to shoot (Genre of music you like)

4. What size of prints would you like to make?

OK. In 17 K you have some great options in new Digital Compacts and used Film SLRs (even I can part with one of my two film SLRs & a great lens).

-Resolution of around 5 MP is good enough for even 8"x10" prints
-Optical zoom more than 3x means severe compromise in quality. Digital zoom is meaningless.
-Maximum lens aperture i.e. the F value (smaller the number the better e.g. F2.8)
-Lens quality is MORE important than the resolution of the CCD, etc.
-Camera from dedicated photographic companies is preferrable e.g. Nikon, Canon, etc.
-Make sure that the battery consumption is low (a big issue for digital compacts)
-What media is used for storage of images? CF, SD, etc.
-Does camera have a manual override for controls?

You must see some of my pictures at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdhawan

Let me know the answers to the questions above and I will be able to guide you further.

Hi Arjun !

When I travel, my photo-equipment is an independant luggage for me

Well, one has to choose between iPod and serious HiFi. And both have their place.

REALLY good advice from Arj & Ani.... Abhi's experiences are also typical. I had been a Hard core SLR user ( Nikon F-3 ). However an impatient family have constantly nudged me to a Point & Shoot

To the already good 2 sites mentioned by Arj, I would also recommend :

http://www.dpreview.com

TONS of detailed reviews.

Cheers

Hmmm Abhi/ani maybe correct. Maybe its this eagerness to get hold of a digicam and very less knowledge at the same time.

considering the fact that i'm a total newbie when it comes to photography, investing in a bulky gear might not be sensible.

Maybe i should keep it for a later stage when i become little more proficient in the art of clicking.

Now, the questions that come to my mind are:

1. is a 6MP cam is enough ??? as i will keeping them mostly on my computer or upload them onto the internet. the size of for eg. 2816 x 2112, how much does it size when printed on a photopaper.

2. what are the various points that i should look for while buying a digicam.

3. should i buy from a dealer or grey market.

4. what is your opinion on kodak v610. does it have IS. becoz i dont see anywhere in there spec. Apart from G7 what other models can i look out for.

regarding what will be shoot, apart from humans it will be something like landscapes and bird/animals.


regards - sunil

For a compact camera, the Canon A710 IS is an excellent choice - 6x optical zoom with Image Stabilisation. If you want more options to play around with, go for Canon S3 IS. (Or wait a month for S5 IS).
Sifymall has the best possible prices for canon digicams. And it offers one year warranty as well, hence its better than buying from grey.

http://shopping.sify.com/shopping/category.php?pid=13172461&col=3

SDhawan schrieb:

Dear Sunil, You have touched another of my passions. You have to decide: 1. Format: Digital (CD) or Film (Vinyl)- If you are not too serious then certainly digital and if you are really very serious about learning photography then its worthwhile working on film (for some time to come). 2. Budget - Just like HiFi there's no upper limit and there are as many categories of equipment - entry, mid-end & high end, etc. 3. Subjects you want to shoot (Genre of music you like) 4. What size of prints would you like to make? OK. In 17 K you have some great options in new Digital Compacts and used Film SLRs (even I can part with one of my two film SLRs & a great lens). -Resolution of around 5 MP is good enough for even 8"x10" prints -Optical zoom more than 3x means severe compromise in quality. Digital zoom is meaningless. -Maximum lens aperture i.e. the F value (smaller the number the better e.g. F2.8) -Lens quality is MORE important than the resolution of the CCD, etc. -Camera from dedicated photographic companies is preferrable e.g. Nikon, Canon, etc. -Make sure that the battery consumption is low (a big issue for digital compacts) -What media is used for storage of images? CF, SD, etc. -Does camera have a manual override for controls? You must see some of my pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdhawan Let me know the answers to the questions above and I will be able to guide you further.

Hello Dr. saab,

replies to your questions.

1. media - digital
2. budget - around 17k
3. subjects - humans, landscapes, birds/animals
4. print size - should be able to fit in my photo album. normal size (maybe 8" x 6"). but mostly they will be used for uploading or will be stored on my PC.

one question. i heard more the optical zoom the better, but u r telling me anything over 3x will severly affect image quality. is it related to image stabilization ??

regards - sunil

My Earlier 3 Mega Pixel Nikon Point & shoot gives Very Nice A-4 size photopaper print outs.

(Good A-4 size PHOTO ( not inkjet) prints are available from COLO Labs in Mumbai for Rs 16 each ! )

Dont go by the mega pixels.... its like the freq response of an amp.... does not necessarily have a practical impact !


For a Point and Shoot, priced at Rs 17K, ( Mumbai Grey Market ) I would recommend the SONY T100.

Has 8MP, Image stabilisation, Face recognition, a good zoom, a good battery life, and a Large 3 inch screen. ( No viewfinder, though ). Shutter lag is also small, and there is no protuding lens.... they often jam, sooner or later. I lost an Olympus P&S film camera due to a jammed retractable lens.

Just back from a holiday, where I got more than 300 High Res Pics on a 1 GB memory stick.

Oh yeah... also interfaces with a Hi Def Plasma / LCD TV, but have not tried that as yet.

I am a Happy user, but still miss a more serious camera

I like the nikon coolpix series. Wifey uses it and loves it.

manek.

I have tried the earlier Coolpix series viz, 4200, 5200 and they were really good. I dont have the updates of how the current Nikon P&S cameras perform.

I like the Canon IXUS series a lot. One of the best you can get from a P&S camera. They dont have higher optical zoom than 3X..I always wondered why...may be image quality issues as pointed by Doc. I have always found them taking wonderful vivid pictures. Popular models are SD-600, 700, 800..

SUNILYO schrieb:

H 1. is a 6MP cam is enough ??? as i will keeping them mostly on my computer or upload them onto the internet. the size of for eg. 2816 x 2112, how much does it size when printed on a photopaper.

Amp_nut has already given you a good idea of size..ideally 4MP is enough as it gives you the option of an A4 (3MP)after some cropping.


in fact my P&S is 6MP but i only shoot it on 3MP !!! so is an overkill.

it is very wrong to equate Mega pixels with quality..it is like saying that a 24bit DDD recording is better than an old Analogue based recording of a CD

some of the older classic 3MP cameras actually give a more pleasing image than some 10MP cameras as it gives a more realistic colour flow than sharply etched images.

I have handled my cousins Canon S3 and have found it a very good camera as an entry into photography and small enough to carry as well..

abhi.pani schrieb:

They dont have higher optical zoom than 3X..I always wondered why...may be image quality issues as pointed by Doc. I have always found them taking wonderful vivid pictures. Popular models are SD-600, 700, 800..

as you zoom more you need a wider surface area of lenses to ensure enough light to fall on the sensor..since most P&S cameras have small lenses, it is a practical limitation.

Bridge cameras have wider lenses hence able to offer better zoom .

SUNILYO schrieb:

3. subjects - humans, landscapes, birds/animals

these are 3 different Genres

but to get birds you need one with a good zoom and a fast shutter speed..

Landscapes- u need wide angle..try to get a camera with a min focal length of 28 (usual is 36) that will get you a landscape as well as more people into group photographs..especially when you have to take it from nearby.

humans..lighting/composition and mood is more important;) any camera can give amazing pics

SDhawan schrieb:

Well, one has to choose between iPod and serious HiFi. And both have their place.

AMEN to that

have not been very active on flickr these days..plan to catch up soon..my daughter has had me twirling around her teeny-weeny finger the past few months.

Sunil,

Canon Digital Ixus or Nikon Coolpix should be great. Resolution of 5 MP is enough - more is better for larger prints but they also swell the file size so you need larger storage capacity, faster CPU, etc. etc.

You may also consider Panasonic Lumix Cameras which have Leica Lenses - some models are same as Leica cameras but at 2/3rd the price.

Sony cameras with Zeiss lenses should be good also.

For landscape you need wide angle range in the lens, for humans you'd need the normal or short tele and for birds / animals you would need high tele. All the three ranges should not be combined in a single lens. I suggest that to begin with you may drop the tele (birds & animals). So choose a camera which has a lens in the range of 28 to 80 mm (35mm equivalent) and a wide enough maximum aperture say F2.8. I believe Canon has a model in the Ixus series that meets these specs.

Don't worry to much about features and frills - good amplifers do not have tone controls, balance, equilisers, etc.

For image stabilisation - buy a resonable Tripod (you wont regret the money spent in it) - no image stabilisation system can match upto a good Tripod.

BTW for seeing images on the monitor / web - you don't need more than 2-3 MP camera.

Please also buy a good book on photography - that will benefit you more than many of the frilly features offered in many cameras.

So Sunil consider the following equation:

Camera+Storage Media/Card+Tripod+Book =< 17K

And it is very much possible ..... unlike audio !!!!

I have always found Digital cameras to be lacking in picture quality in low-light conditions...Many of the pics that I have taken in not so good lighting conditions (even in day time) seems to have grainy/noisy texture. I have heard that its a typical disease of digicam..low-light is a taboo for them.

Doc, Ani, Amp_nut, Arj is there a technique to select digital cameras which can work well in low-light as well. Is it always that higher the ISO better the low-light capabilities ?

Arj schrieb:

SDhawan schrieb: Well, one has to choose between iPod and serious HiFi. And both have their place. AMEN to that have not been very active on flickr these days..plan to catch up soon..my daughter has had me twirling around her teeny-weeny finger the past few months.

Arjun !

You introduced me to Flickr and now you have run away !!!! Please come back.

Optically speaking all zoom lenses are compromise as with the change in focal lenght almost all the elements have to move which can not be done in a precise manner and also certain elements show their ideal characteristics only in certain position. Add to this the changes in the focussing elements. The more the zoom range the more is the problem. And of course as Arjun pointed out the loss of light. That's why pro quality zoom lenses are very expensive and hardly more than 2x or 3x.

Having one zoom lense to cover all the focal lengths is like having a single driver speaker and expecting it to reproduce frequencies right from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz acurrately !!!!!!!!

abhi.pani schrieb:

I have always found Digital cameras to be lacking in picture quality in low-light conditions...Many of the pics that I have taken in not so good lighting conditions (even in day time) seems to have grainy/noisy texture. I have heard that its a typical disease of digicam..low-light is a taboo for them. Doc, Ani, Amp_nut, Arj is there a technique to select digital cameras which can work well in low-light as well. Is it always that higher the ISO better the low-light capabilities ?

You are talking about high ISO noise. Set your camera to low ISO between 100 to 400. Set auto ISO to OFF. Mount the camera on a tripod and then click some low light shots and see the difference.

Even high ISO films cause a lot of grain.

SDhawan schrieb:

[ You are talking about high ISO noise. Set your camera to low ISO between 100 to 400. Set auto ISO to OFF. Mount the camera on a tripod and then click some low light shots and see the difference. Even high ISO films cause a lot of grain.

ill add to the masters atatement

as mentioned typically 400ISO onwards starts showing some grain. if you dont want to play around with ISOs just put in in the low light mode, if you can adjust the White Balance, change it to low light too and use a tripod..no other option

SDhawan schrieb:

Optically speaking all zoom lenses are compromise as with the change in focal lenght almost all the elements have to move which can not be done in a precise manner and also certain elements show their ideal characteristics only in certain position. Add to this the changes in the focussing elements. The more the zoom range the more is the problem. And of course as Arjun pointed out the loss of light. That's why pro quality zoom lenses are very expensive and hardly more than 2x or 3x. Having one zoom lense to cover all the focal lengths is like having a single driver speaker and expecting it to reproduce frequencies right from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz acurrately !!!!!!!!

till now i thought only digital zoom was a compromise and optical zoom is the best. but seems like optical zoom also has its cons.

SDhawan schrieb:

So Sunil consider the following equation: Camera+Storage Media/Card+Tripod+Book =< 17K And it is very much possible ..... unlike audio !!!!

So sir,

which one can u suggest

- Camera(with a wide angle).
- card - will a 512 mb be enough ??
- tripod - good option, but wont it be cumbersome to carry it around with you all the time? is it model/brand specific or any tripod can go with any camera.
- book - which one do u suggest? i was going thru some books lately at a book shop but didnt know what to look for. i am taking admission into kindergarden photography .

Arj schrieb:

SDhawan schrieb: [ You are talking about high ISO noise. Set your camera to low ISO between 100 to 400. Set auto ISO to OFF. Mount the camera on a tripod and then click some low light shots and see the difference. Even high ISO films cause a lot of grain. ill add to the masters atatement as mentioned typically 400ISO onwards starts showing some grain. if you dont want to play around with ISOs just put in in the low light mode, if you can adjust the White Balance, change it to low light too and use a tripod..no other option

I thought the "Auto" setting would take care of all these things..

abhi.pani schrieb:

I thought the "Auto" setting would take care of all these things.. :.

well Auto chooses the ISO but in dark areas it can go up to 800 and in some cameras up to 1600 which puts a lot of noise in the picture.

BTW if you can config the camera that the max range of Auto ISO is 400 (Some cameras do that) then you are safer..

But i personally dont like an ISO higher than 300 and prefer a longer exposure on a tripod at ISO 200/300 for landscapes.. although for family photographs you need a good flash (Which I dont have as the built in ones are not able to give the naturalness to the picture)

exposure is directly related to the aperture ?

very simply put,

time of expoure is dependent on aperture + shutter speed.

Aperture and shutter speed are inversly proportional to each other hence the combination is important.

for static objects world small apperture and slow shutter speed gives you excellent pictures, however not posible for moving obnjects.

in a Point and shoot you need not worry about it, but those folks who use Non Digital SLRs would have the combinations possible for each scenario burnt into their brains !

funnlly this must be the longest Non-Audio (AND non flaming ) thread in this forum

Arj schrieb:

funnlly this must be the longest Non-Audio (AND non flaming ) thread in this forum

Hmm...maybe that shows how popular digicams have become. I am sure this thread wouldnt have been as long with as many participants if you were talking about analog photography (though decent mass-market analog cameras are cheaper than mass-market digital cameras...unlike Audio )

SUNILYO schrieb:

- book - which one do u suggest? i was going thru some books lately at a book shop but didnt know what to look for. i am taking admission into kindergarden photography .

hi,

you can get very good info @ http://www.kenrockwell.com/

cheers!

Voodoo have suggested a nice web site for Nikon lens and body reviews. But like any thing on web you have to get a second view before coming to a conclusion. Mr Kenrockwell has toned down a lot of issues by giving all importance to convinience, good for advice for those who take pics of family functions and gatherings.

Check out Photonet www.photo.net this forum contains a lot of useful information. You have to hang around the forum for some tine to exactly understand what each and every guys says, just like in our forum

Regards
Anil

SUNILYO schrieb:

SDhawan schrieb: So Sunil consider the following equation: Camera+Storage Media/Card+Tripod+Book =< 17K And it is very much possible ..... unlike audio !!!!images/smilies/insane.gif So sir, which one can u suggest - Camera(with a wide angle). - card - will a 512 mb be enough ?? - tripod - good option, but wont it be cumbersome to carry it around with you all the time? is it model/brand specific or any tripod can go with any camera. - book - which one do u suggest? i was going thru some books lately at a book shop but didnt know what to look for. i am taking admission into kindergarden photography .

Dear Sunil,

-Check out Canon Digital Ixus 800 IS or 850 IS (not 900)
-At least 1 MB card
-Entry level pro tripods start from 5 K. But you may go for a small but heavy / stable / sturdy tripod. Try some good Indian options
-I can reccomend a lot of film photography books but for digital photography, please request someone else or do your own research. See if you can find a title in "Teach Yourself" series or if John Hedgecoe has written any book on Digital Photography

Feel free to come over for some basic tips from me. Also join Flickr.com and start exploring.

what r these ISO 400/500/800......

I have seen one image shot at various ISO rates in the review section on dpreview.com. the only that i saw was the image was more granier as the iso number was increased.

well..originally they meant the "Granularity" of the film. hence those using old film cameras would use ISO 100 fofr bright light etc etc.

in digital cameras it means the size of the "Pixels" in the Image sensor. so in ISO 400 the size of the pixels is more so that more light can fall to give a clearer view..and hence the minor subsequent loss of resoltuion ..

Of course there being no standards ISO 100 for Canon, Nikon Olympus, Fuji etc etc are all different so ISO 400 in Canon need not mean the same as ISO400 in Nikon.

as the ISO increases youimage details are more in low ligh scenario. hence in a room with a regular bulb (not tube) you would get a clearer umage with a ISO300..while ISO 100 would give a darker image.

personally i prefer playing around with the white balance rather than ISO..but in some cases it is unavoidable.

How much will the IXUS 800IS & a 1GB SD card cost in Delhi.

Sunil,

You may speak to Ajay Garg of FabFoto, Khan Market at 9810030512 regarding the prices and availability of various photo equipment.

Hi dr. saab,

I spoke with Mr. Ajay Garg this afternoon, and he gave me the following quote for the models.

Canon
IXUS 800IS - Rs. 21000
S3IS - Rs. 25000

I think this is quite expensive. Becoz for the S3 sifymall.com is quoting rs. 15820 (including shipping charges and a 01 year warranty).

The EOS 350D is costing: 28720 (includes 18 - 55 mm lens)

regards - Sunil

Sunilyo I haven't read all the posts so forgive me if this has already been recommended.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ range is outstanding...a superb option for all round excellence. They also use Lieca lenses which are superb. 12X optical zoom, image stabilisation etc etc.

oops maybe bit more than 17k.

Sunil, check out the Canon range-great digicams.
I think an A range camera in Canon ( a 5xx or even a 6xx) should fit your budget easily).
Check out Computer Empire,102, Meghdoot bldg, 94, Nehru place-Ph 26235021,41395319, who are auth dealers of Canon, in Nehru place- you wont get lower prices.
As far as digital photography is concerned,check out
http://www.morguefile.com/archive/classroom.php
very basic lessons to get you started off.
Become a member of steves forum,will give you a wealth of info/tutorials.

Sunil,

Don't wreck your brains too much. Just use the formula I have mentioned earlier. Canon or Nikon are safe bets. Panasonic Lumix with Leica lens or Sony with Carl Zeiss lens should be good - but I have no personal experience. Panasonic India website doesn't talk about still cameras so support by be doubtful.

Remember:

17 K should get you Camera+Memory+Tripod+Book

Start exploring Flickr.com. See my photostream I have even posted some pictures taken with my phone camera - which may give you an idea that how you use the equipment is more important than the price you paid for it.

Another question - the MEGAPIXEL game, what is it?

I mean does it really improve the quality/detail of the image being taken or is a marketing stunt that just eats up the space on the mem-card.

As far as my knowledge the higher megapixels only increase the size of the image and nothing else, rest remains same. am i correct in thinking so???

Hi Sunil,

I was going to reply in detail but I got lazy ...

Just Google " Magapixel Myth" and you will have a lot of reading.

As a starter I would like to recommend :

http://www.thetechlounge.com/articles.php?id=121


My view is that Mega Pixels CERTAINLY matter, but they are not the sole yardstick for photo quality.

Unfortunately the marketing guys have found ways to max the pixel count without increasing costs... the casualty is the picture quality.

The Pixel count indicates the numer of pixels, not the quality of pixels ( Quality = Contrast ratio, Colour Saturation, Noise... and DEAD pixels, amongst other factors)

The Image sensor has the pixels, but manufacturing inmperfections mean that some of these 8 million light sensors do not work. ( Ditto for Flat Panel TVs too )

Some manuafacturers simply ignore the dead pixels.

Others test each sensor panel and interpolate for the dead pixels... that is a more expensive solution.... gives a better picture but the megapixel count remains the same.

Read the camera specs.... it typically says EFFECTIVE 8 Megapixels...

I am sure others will also add to the above