Digital cameras 101

[pete]

I have no idea what camera to go for. I want one that does as good as videos as the sony dsc t77. A friend has that camera but i cant afford to pay that much. I figure the touchscreen is what pushes up the price.

I have been looking at several fuji film as they are resonably priced and have not dissapointed me in the past.

Whats the difference between mpeg-1 and mpeg-4 and avi formats. Will these have an effect on the overall quality of the videos?

I have been looking at these models so far- Fine pix f50fd, fine pix z200fd, sony cybershot w130 are they any good? Or is there a better overall camera for pictures and videos for the money? I really am not that bothered about aesthetics just the image and video quality.

Whats the best iso range to look for? I wouldnt mind be able to take decent pictures in low level lighting.

[ShutterbugGail]

Hi Pete and welcome to the Q&A Forum!

We really don't deal that much with the video aspects of digital cameras, so I suggestion you do some research in these forums.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/


We do have some basic information video formats, which you can find here:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/buying-guide/camera-types/camcorder.php

Using higher ISO numbers in low light can be challenging to say the least. If any of the FujiFilm digital cameras have the Super CCD sensor that may be your best bet. It's a very highly regarded sensor for its low light capabilities:

http://dev.digicamhelp.coms/cool-stuff/superccd.php

[bdery]

Hi,

just to add to what Gail wrote, most current cameras (and certainly Sony models) will give you good videos. What you want exactly might determine which camera suits you better. Do you want to be able to zoom during movies, do you want HD resolution, are you confortable with longer, more strongly compressed files, etc?

[pete]

Zooming durring movies would be nice! Does compressing it not affect the video quality? I am pretty much decided on the finepix f50d but im still having a look around.

[pete]

Done and dusted. I decided on and bought the f45fd. Thanks for all your help.

I looked at the f40fd as linked above but couldnt find it for sale anywhere, gutted! Then i discovered the f45fd was exactly the same model just a different color and made for argos, found it on ebay for £50!

Well happy!