Best choice for me? ?'s about S1050 vs ??

[photonut2008]

Hello all!

This is my first post here, but I have been an owner of one or the other digital cameras for years. I have just purchased a Samsung S1050($179). I think it is awesome, takes good pics and has lots of features... BUT it is awfully slow between shots, and I would like to know if there is anything better in my pricerange(<$250).

The main things that are important to me are image quality, low light performance, zoom(at least 5x optical would be nice), and time between shots. I prefer to stay in the 10MP-up class, but wonder if actually there are some 7-8MP models out there giving the same detail quality as mine(because of compression).

Also, I tried and returned a Kodak Z1275- the JPEG compression it uses results in horrible pictures. From what I hear this is a common problem among new Kodaks, which is a shame. I LOVED the panorama mode, though. It would be nice if one of the better cameras (that I can get anyhow) had this.

I am open to any suggestions/ opinions before time runs out and I can't return this camera.. I hate finding something better that I could have had when I purchased something else lol. My S1050 is great in my opinion, but I have seen plenty of reviews griping about image quality. I want the best detailed pic I can get out of 10MP or higher.

Thanks in advance!!

[mn shutterbug]

What are you printing, 30" X 40" posters? Most cameras do an excellent job at 6 mp and up. Most dslr's won't even give you that high of a resolution. There are a few cameras in the $250 - $300 range that will do a good job under most conditions. Many of them sport up to a 12X optical. However, if you want minimal lag time, you will need to go to a dslr. All point and shoots have a fair amount of lag time. Some are worse than others. Panasonics are some of the best in this dept. With my Panny, the shot to shot lag time is 1.3 sec. I've seen specs from many that are well over 2 seconds. The Panasonic will also shoot 3 frames per second in burst mode. Check out dpreview. This site has reviews and specs for just about any camera out there.

[photonut2008]

Thanks for the quick reply! Most of my pictures stay in the computer. Sometimes I go for an 8x10 print, which I know I can get perfect with the Samsung, enen with probably a 6MP. My reason for wanting higher MP is that I tend to take pictures, and zoom them for detail in the computer(things that the naked eye cannot see). I'll check some reviews on the Panasonics. Thanks again!

[photonut2008]

Just in case, any recommendations for a 10MP or higher camera?

[Photo-John]

I think Canon's compacts have the best image quality. The last two I've tested, the SD950 IS and the G9, have almost digital SLR quality at the lowest ISO settings. I think the newer Samsungs are pretty good but they apply too much in-camera processing. Try turning the in-camera sharpening and contrast to the minimum and see if that doesn't improve things.