CoolPix 3700

[possmann]

OK - I was looking at the SD100 (canon) and someone suggested this model - which looks very promising, but is at least $50 more expensive than the SD100.

Can anyone speak to the pros and cons of this camera - I'll assume you own one and haven't just read the reviews on it - I've been all over and it seems to get a solid user backing.

How fast is the lag - in waiting until you can take the next picture?

[possmann]

OK - I was looking at the SD100 (canon) and someone suggested this model - which looks very promising, but is at least $50 more expensive than the SD100.

Can anyone speak to the pros and cons of this camera - I'll assume you own one and haven't just read the reviews on it - I've been all over and it seems to get a solid user backing.

How fast is the lag - in waiting until you can take the next picture?

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Hi, I'm the chap who recommended the camera. I don't own the Nikon, but I've used it enough to know.

Major cons are:
- Auto ISO (200 is a bit noisy)
- Lack of a really slow shutter speed option like the Canon. Only a factor if you're into night landscapes.

Minor cons are:
- No spot metering
- No flash exposure lock. But maybe that's because after all these years Canon still can't get flash exposure right, :lol: (my bad =P)
- No orientation sensor; note that you have to use Canon's software to do the rotation. It won't be done in camera.
- Missing some fancy image adjustments which can be performed easily in Photoshop or any decent image editor.

Major pros are:
- Faster AF and shutter lag. Oh yea, totally smokes my own IXUS V2, gf hates the Canon already.
- Best Shot Select. I experienced this first in the 995, and found it pretty handy, and it'll be more so with a small and light camera like the 3700.
- 3x zoom to 2x zoom lens; a little bit more reach.
- Much better macro ability.

Minor pros are:
- Ability to select AF area (5 points, centre, top, bottom, left and right). Canon's 9 point AiAF is well, not very intelligent at times. The option to select which of the 5 points in the frame you want the camera to focus can be quite handy, and certainly less annoying compared to the camera deciding to go do its own thing. Note that you can turn off AiAF, but that leaves you with the central focusing point. For me it's not a big issue (not many things are), but people tend to get lazy.. =P
- Nicer and longer movie mode. Quality is pretty good.

Hope that helps.

[Gary Sheynkman]

hearsay tells me this...the Nikor lens is the best one out there for consumer digicams

[possmann]

thanks guys - I'll pick up the Nikon within the next monthy then. I'll let you know how I like it later on then

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Originally Posted by Gary Sheynkman

hearsay tells me this...the Nikor lens is the best one out there for consumer digicams

And it's just that, hearsay. They're good, but the other manufacturers have similarly good lenses. Also different cameras come with different lenses, so the quality is certainly not uniform throught the range, and will have different characteristics.

possmann: I just noticed from your post that the Nikon's more expensive. Here it's the reverse. The Nikon is about US$310 here. How much is it going for at where you are?

[possmann]

right around 300-ish as well - depends on where you look.

yup it is more expensive, but I've always admired the nikon line over the canon line - even in SLR's way back when.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

So you mean a Canon IXUS II is about US$250ish? 8O