I am trying to decide which camera to buy the KODAK 290 or the NIKON 950. Any thoughts on the zoom features, they both have 3x optical zoom but I read the KODAK is equal to a 30 -60mm in 35mm camera and the NIKON is 38 - 115mm. Does the zoom feature matter that much or can you manipulate the picture on you computer to make up for that difference. The ISO Equiv. are extreme for the two cameras also, the KODAK is only 100 and the NIKON is 80, 160 or 320. Which software package is better? And most important which has better picture quality?

-- Curt Conover (conover@pdq.net), June 11, 2000

Answers

Buy nikon 950, great camera, superb lens and sharpness, only had mine a week, now wonderd why I waited so long, is every bit as good as my 35mm nikon 601 -- Hubert

-- Hubert (hlj10@cam.ac.uk), June 12, 2000.

Both are excellent cameras. Any one persons opinion on either camera, or anything for that matter, may be totally different from yours. Hubert likes the Nikon, I like the Kodak. The Kodak does have a 3x optical zoom equivalent to 38-115mm. The ISO rating on the Kodak is 100. Variable ISO ratings aren't necessarily better. It's an electronic circuit to which you are increasing the gain. Like any amplifier, "noise" is also increased. The Kodak allows uncompressed saving at 3 resolutions. The Nikon only allows uncompressed saving at the highest resolution. The best thing to do is to go and look at them for yourself. You may not like the wierd swivel lens of the Nikon, or the larger size of the Kodak. Either is a good choice. It really depends on your tastes.

-- Phil (pmerutka@malkoelectric.com), June 16, 2000.