I'm in a similar situation. I've been using a Pentax Optio S4 which, despite
being a matchbox-sized camera, is capable of some quite serious photography.
I have all sorts of accessories which fit various Pentax models, so I have a
powerful incentive to stay with the brand.
Just before going on a trip abroad recently, the camera developed a fault.
As John notes, technology has moved on, prices have dropped, etc., so I
planned to buy a new one rather than pay repair charges. Problem: None of
the later models have an eye-level viewfinder!
I used a borrowed Pentax S5 on holiday and found that it was practically
useless in bright sunlight. It is impossible to compose a picture and I
found myself pointing the camera in the vague direction of the subject, and
hoping. Result: about a quarter of my pictures will have to be deleted.
The moral of this story is: think carefully before buying a new pocket
camera. It may be capable of many megapixels, but you might have limited
control over what you capture.
Chris.
On 03/11/2007, john lewis <johnlewis@???> wrote:
>
> A few weeks back I mentioned that my Olympus C-990 had ceased to
> function properly. A local camera shop told me I could get a better
> camera for less than their minimum repair cost and Steven Davies
> suggested I prise off the sliding lens cover to see if this would
> reveal the cause of the problem
>
> I eventually removed the cover and found that it was supposed to
> rotate the on /off switch as it moved from closed to open
> position. I think that the end stop on a plastic groove is worn
> so failing to operate the switch. I considered several ways of fixing
> this but in the end decided a replacement camera was the answer
>
> I browsed several local shops for a replacement candidate including a
> look at the Fuji S5700 in Jessops yesterday. Their price for that
> model was £135.
>
> This afternoon I went to Fuji's online shop and found I could get a
> S5600 for just over £86. The S5600 looks on paper to be better than
> its replacement in some respects so I have ordered one.
>
> So the lady in Castle Cameras was right when she said I could get a
> better camera for less than the cost of repairing the Olympus.
>
> Hopefully my camera requirements will now be covered for a few more
> years and it will be simple enough for my wife to use. She quite
> likes the tiny camera I got from a LUG member a couple of months back
> for a tenner but it does have its limitations.
>
> --
> John Lewis
> Debian (Sid) with the GeneWeb genealogy package
>
> --
> Please post to: Hampshire@???
> Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire
> LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk
> --------------------------------------------------------------
>
