Some opinions please

[Brad]

G'Day Ladies and Gents.

The name's Brad, just joined up as I was after some advice on a camera purchase.

Recently my digital camera broke, I'd had it for nearly 18 months and it'd cost a bit to repair, so I thought "Ah bugger it, why not just buy a new one".

Anyways, in my searches I came across this little gem

Not a bad little camera from what I've read..

So I was wondering..

a) Is it a good camera for the price ($750ish USD)
b) If not, what are some other cameras with similar features that this one has? I'm definitelyl ooking for a decent optical zoom like that one, and a megapixel standard of above 6.0

Oh and in case you're wondering, at the moment photography is just a casual passtime when I'm on holidays, but after my recent holiday to the Whitsundays and all the photo opportunities there, I might consider taking this hobby further.

Thanks for your time!

- Brad

[Brad]

I should also probably add what I'd use it for.

Well primarily I'd use it for holidays etc, but would also like to use it to take a lot of action shots, i.e. lots of photos in a small amount of time of a moving object, and also landscape pics etc. etc.

[JSPhoto]

Hi Brad, and Welcome!

Hmmm, it sounds good, it looks good, and some reviews I saw were good as well. The only concern I'd have is that you want to do action. According to the things I read on it it has a fast mode of 2.5 fps at 8mb and then an ultra fast 10fps but limited to 1mb. At 1mb it can't be using the full sensor, or it is, either way it's not getting the max out of the sensor at 10fps. If you can live with that great, you certainly won't find much better at that price range though, and you won't find any other digital shooting faster. Even the Canon 1D MKII N pro body is 8.5fps, alas that is an 8mb file.

The lens sounds interesting as well...28-420mm...WOW! That would suit any traveler...even me

JS

[Brad]

Hey, thanks for the reply, JS!

Well if it's on of the best within the price bracket then that's a good thing, as I wasn't looking at going too much higher. And yeah reviews I've read are only saying good things about it!

Thanks again for the reply!

- Brad

[Photo-John]

I've been trying to get my hands on one of those so that we can do a pro review. It's an interesting camera - especially from Samsung. Usually, Samsung cameras are positioned to offer more features for the money. The compromise is usually a sacrifice in image quality or some performance in order to achieve a better price point.

I'm curious about what kind of moving objects you want to take pictures of. There are lots of moving objects in the world and they require all kinds of photographic techniques. It may be that this camera will work fine. But maybe not. Knowing what you want to shoot and what you expect will help us give you better advice.

If you're looking at the Samsung Pro 815, I'd recommend you also take a look at the Konica Minolta A200, the Panasonic Lumix FZ30, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1. Here's a link to our Konica Minolta A200 pro review: http://www.photographyreview.com/cat...x.aspx?TABID=2

And since you're looking at the high end of compact digitals, you might also look at the entry level digital SLRs, the Canon Digital Rebel XT (350D) and the Nikon D50: http://www.photographyreview.com/cat...S_3127crx.aspx

[Brad]

Hey thanks for the reply, Photo-John.

By action, I don't mean anything as fast as a car down a highway or stuff like that. I'm really into surfing and outdoor activities, so probably action shots of someone riding a wave, or going over a jump on a snowboard, stuff like that.

Thanks again for your help! I'll be sure to check out those other suggested cameras.

[Brad]

Well I just got a job at Hamilton Island, a gorgeous tropical resort right by the Great Barrier Reef in Australia! 12 months contract! I shall be buying a camera very soon and I'll make sure I take some good pics to share!