[lug] OT: Digital cameras

[John Dollison]

I have a Kodak DX3600 camera (2 Megapixels).  I've had it for just over a
year, and I'm pleased with it overall, though it's not without its faults.
It's one of the least expensive 2MP cameras available (or was when I bought
it).  At one point the cheap plastic battery cover broke off, but it was
fixed for free (under warranty) in about two weeks, which I think is pretty
good customer service.  Even so, I'd suggest keeping a piece of tape over
the cover so it doesn't pop open unexpectedly.  Also, the unit is fairly
large compared to some of the more expensive cameras, but there are always
trade-offs, aren't there?

I find the picture quality to be just fine for my purposes, which is really
the most important consideration, to my mind.  I take mostly family photos
and running club photos, but it can also do macro-shots and self-timer
shots.  I can print out 5x7's that look terrific, and 8x10's are good too,
if you hold them at arm's length.  (Slight jaggies are visible if you look
closely; that's why 3-MP cameras are recommended for 8x10 prints.)  However,
I'm frustrated by the delay between the time you click the shutter release
button and when the camera actually takes the shot. (It seems like about 1 -
4 seconds, depending on lighting and such, so fast-action sports shots are
out.)  I also find the low-light performance a little lacking, which may be
an important consideration for some people.  For example, dance clubs,
sunset weddings, etc. may not get good results.  To see examples of my
indoor and outdoor photos, check out
http://community.webshots.com/user/johndollison

It can use either standard NiMH "AA" rechargeables or expensive "AA" lithium
photo batteries.  I use the NiMH's, which are good for about 50 - 80 photos
(depending on flash).  I always carry a spare set of batteries, just in
case.  Some other cameras use proprietary battery packs, which can be very
expensive.  (A friend of mine has a Canon, and that's his chief complaint,
with the second complaint being the heat it generates.)

I believe it can take up to a 192MB Compact Flash card, but I have two 128
MB CF cards instead, plus a pocket-sized USB reader (it's more convienient
to use when on the road, so I don't have to ask friends to load my camera
drivers on their computers).

Although I use Kodak's USB driver, I don't use their transfer software or
picture-viewing software, I think it sucks (and it changes all the date-time
stamps on your photos).

Well, I hope that helps.

John D.


.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ed Hill" <ed at eh3.com>
To: "Boulder LUG" <lug at lug.boulder.co.us>
Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2002 12:49 PM
Subject: Re: [lug] OT: Digital cameras

I concur with Jeff.  USB camera support is becoming quite good on Linux
provided that you use recent kernels and USB user-space tools (that is,
libusb).   For further references, see:

  http://gphoto.sourceforge.net/

which has an excellent list of camera compatibilities:

  http://www.teaser.fr/~hfiguiere/linux/digicam.html

I've used a half-dozen Kodak cameras (DC-260,265,290,4800, DX-3600,3900)
and, though all of them work with Linux, I can't recommend any of the
new DX series.  They have crappy firmware, expensive and short-lived
batteries, and are generally of cheap construction.  If you can find a
used DC-4800 in good condition then thats a nice camera.  Or at least
the best Kodak has sold to date, IMNSHO.

good luck,
Ed

--
Edward H. Hill III, PhD
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