[thechat] Digital Camera Time - printing, zoomage, accessories?

[Quackamoe]

After seeing the results from the disposable cameras
we
used on our recent trip to Monterey - San Francisco -
Yosemite I've decided it's time for a digital cameras.

A friend was visiting recently and had an Olympus
C-700. When he emailed me some snapshots I realized
that digitals had reached the poing of being good
enough for my simple needs. So we've been emailing
back
and forth and I've pretty much gotten all the answers
I'm going to get from him. Now it's time to check in
with the BigKids.

One question he couldn't answer was about printing
photos taken with a digital camera. Here's all he had
to say on the matter:

> Alrighty, then: here's the digicam scoop: I printed
> out an Irfanview-modified picture on the HP Deskjet
> 895c, on special photo paper, and the result sucked.

> There are several possibilities: I may need new
> cartridges on the printer (the print heads can get
> dirty); OR I took the picture on next-to-lowest
> setting (this is a fact, just not sure its the
reason
> the print sucked); OR this printer doesn't handle
> photos well; OR the C-700 doesn't take photos
> that print well; OR I'm an ignoranus; OR its a combo
> of any or all of the above.

> Perhaps megapixels is the problem with my prints.
> This might take us back to the setting I had the
> camera on when I took the photo, or might be a
> warning to you not to settle for a 2+ like I did.

I've pretty well narrowed my field down to:

  Olympus C-700
  Olympus C-3000
  Olympus C-3020

The 3000s have more megapixllage the the 700, but the
700 has more zoomage. Printing is more important to me

than to my friend, so I wonder if 2.1mp vs 3.34 is
going to make a big difference in printing. (I have an

Epson Stylus 880, I think.)

Also, the 3000s' widest angle equates to 32mm whereas
the 700's widest angle is 38mm. I'm going to compare
them tonight at Fry's or Best Buy or some such, but
not
sure an in-store test will tell me much. Waddaya
think,
will the 4mm make much of a difference? BTW, I've
always wanted a 28mm lense, but the only digitals I
can
find that have that are in the $1000 range. Hmph.

Oh, and I'm interested in any tips on batteries and
chargers. And a good case. Any other options I should
be looking at?

This post made possible by the United States Internal
Revenue Service. ;)

Terry


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