I am in the market for my first digital camera. I am not a photography expert, falling more into the category of 'point and shoot', but I enjoy taking pictures. I am looking for a camera that provides good zoom and rapid sequence photos, in order to photograph my kids at their sports. I also want good enough resolution to allow for printing photo-quality images, but I am not stuck on the idea of having the most megapixels available. Ease of use in taking photos and especially as regards downloading to my computer and the image handling software is also important. Currently, the Nikon CP950, Olympus C2000/C2500, and Sony Mavica D91 are leading my list. Unfortunately, there is no Sony review on this otherwise fantastic website, so I am not sure if the Sony Mavica D91 is actually a viable choice---I love the powerful optical zoom and video capability, but I haven't been able to find out if it can take still photos more frequently than every 10 seconds, which would eliminate it from consideration! It's a difficult decision given the cost and the potential that the camera may become 'obsolete' very quickly. I would appreciate any suggestions about specific cameras to buy. Please help!!

-- Paul Joseph Dickinson (mnpdickn@gte.net), October 08, 1999

Answers

Hello Paul, if you are concerned about image quality, I would forget the Mavica 91 (and others in the Mav line), despite the ease of storage. There is a soft, fuzzy, grainy quality to the images they produce (note the halo effect on the edges of so many shots). They are, simply, short on optics/resolution. But they have their place if this is a secondary issue for you.

-- Marty Reynard (mreynard@home.com), October 23, 1999.