Camera ????

[Jodi Frye]

Someone tell me why I shouldn't by
this <http://www.dealtime.com/GS2/GS2StatReDirect/?sourceid=00402619058423532801&Operator=2&linkin_i d=3032000&keyword=epson%203100z&bNewUser=1> camera. I do own the Epson 785epx photo printer to go with it.

[Chuck Snyder]

Jodi: One reason would be that you can get a Canon G3 with true 4 megapixel
(not 3.3 MP interpolated) images for the same money....and probably a few
others.

I also feel like you the companies that have been in the camera business for
decades know the most about making cameras....(e.g., Nikon, Canon, Olympus,
Minolta) but that's just an impression.

What does Steve's Digicam say about the Epson?

Chuck

[Leen Koper]

Jodi, Chuck is right.
Stick to the brands mentioned; they know how to build a camera, because a camera isn't just a bundle of specs.

Moreover, AFAIK this camera has been introduced about 18 months ago. The lifecycle of digital cameras at the moment is about 3 years. After these 3 years there have been so many serious improvements (like improved exposure latitude), you definitely want to buy a new one.

Leen

[Jodi Frye]

Leen . ya you are right. been out for a while, I'll wait for the next version. No rush

[Chuck Snyder]

Jodi, what's your interest in an Epson camera? Compatibility with the
printer? You know that it's highly unlikely that you'd ever take an image
directly from camera to printer without some form of touch-up... Once you
make the decision to edit before printing, the camera-printer relationship
is pretty much out the window...

Chuck

[Jodi Frye]

Chuck, I don't edit all of my photographs. I barely ever edit my photographs...unless i just want to play with filters. I understand the PIM will no longer be of value once the picture is marked in any way. Personally, I just liked the camera. I also like the fuji FinePix S602. ' Fuji' ...another name in Photography that rarely gets mentioned...and should ! So, honestly though, if I were rich i'd have quite the camera collection.

[Leen Koper]

Jodi, would you buy a car made by Epson or Casio?
Such a car would come from the same folks that produce Toyota and Honda.

I don't buy a Big Mac either because its origin is the same as Coca Cola and Adobe.
(BTW, I don't buy Big Macs at all, I prefer food)

Leen

[Chuck Snyder]

Jodi, I agree - Fuji has made the 'hit parade' with their digital SLR's and
602; put them on the short list.

I edit virtually every picture I take, because they all can stand a little
contrast and brightness adjustment because of the way I underexpose them to
avoid blowing out highlights. Now if a digicam ever comes out with very
high exposure latitude, maybe I could change my ways. But for now, the very
least any of my images get is Auto Contrast.

Chuck

[Leen Koper]

Chuck, the new Fuji chip with the wider exposure latitude is excellent. I'm eagerly waiting for a S3 with the same chip.
Just like you, I always underexpose my images about half a stop. Even the images from these new Fuji cameras benefit from this.

Jodi, this a little technical discussion about the merits of equipment isn't just like "mens talk" about "the latest cars, football and big boobs" at birthday parties.
This is serious!

Leen

[Jodi Frye]

Either way, you have already talked me out of it due to the amount of time it's already been on the market. Although I would have no problems with purchasing the next version. Judging by the reviews it is in deed a good camera...despite it's non-name brand.

<http://www.steves-digicams.com/2001_reviews/3100z.html>

If i dig deep enough i could probably find out the identity of the true maker...give me some time.

[Jodi Frye]

Epson America Inc. is clearly one of the leading companies in the digital photography marketplace, thanks to its longstanding position as the number one color inkjet printer manufacturer. While Epson's digital cameras hold a less dominant position than its color printers, they have consistently delivered the same high-quality performance that the printer line is known for, and this latest addition to the PhotoPC digital line clearly demonstrates the technical excellence and ingenuity that is synonymous with the Epson name.

Over the years, Epson digital cameras have evolved from simple point-and-shoot digicams, intended for the pure consumer market, to increasingly sophisticated models offering exposure and creative controls designed for the high-end prosumer and serious amateur markets. The PhotoPC 3100Z not only offers maximum versatility, but it also marks the first generation camera to actually bridge the image quality standards between Epson digital cameras and printers, by incorporating Epson's recently announced PRINT Image Matching Technology (February 2001). According to Epson, this new technology ensures optimum print reproduction by establishing critical image-specific printing parameters, such as gamma level, color space, contrast, sharpness, saturation, and highlight and shadow detail, right in the camera. The ultimate goal being to perfectly balance the two sides of the pixel-to-print workflow. While it isn't really possible to show the results in a web-based review, we discovered that PRINT Image Matching produced significant improvements in flesh tones and certain highly-saturated colors. - Definitely a step forward for digicam printing.

[Ray]

On the other hand, a company that has a name like Epson would not put its
brand on a bad product, I don't think so.

[Chuck Snyder]

Jodi, you wrote that so beautifully!!

;-)

Chuck

[Jodi Frye]

Chuck, please. ;)

I've been on for the last hour digging up as much as I could on Epson digital cameras. It's amazing how much is out there.

[Chuck Snyder]

Jodi, what do they say about the next generation of Epson cameras? If
they're going to replace the ones they put out two to three years ago, that
would be good; if not, that would be of concern....

Chuck

[Jodi Frye]

The only one still on the 'new' market is the 3100z. All others are in the archives although all accessories are still available. I suspect the newer version will be around the corner.

[Chuck Snyder]

Jodi, you may be right, although I wonder if the digicam market is poised
for a shakeout; too many models chasing the customer base. Will be
interesting to see whether the non-traditional camera companies continue as
players.

Chuck

[Chuck Snyder]

Jodi, then the answer is simple: buy a non-Epson camera that's PIM
compatible!

:-)

Chuck

[Susan S.]

They obviously have a longer product cycle than the average camera maker! - Canon went from the G3 to the G5 in not much over six months - and other manufacturers seem to do sinilar things. Do Epson actually make their own cameras? -even the well known manufacurers use other people's sensors and a lot f the peripheral camera manufacturers (Samsung, Panasonic etc) use bought in lenses. It looks a little underfeatured for the price - only a three x optical zoom and 3MPixel- i don't call interpolation higher resolution! . If you can get it a a better price as it's an old model it would be OK assuming it has a decent lens. It does have some attractive features - hot shoe, adaptor included for filters (most brands you need to pay extra) fast lens: but it is a bit old. (might actually be worth looking around for one second hand if you like the feature set and want something that will tie in to your printer). Pesonally, having used a camera with a flip out screen, I would not now settle for anything else!
SusanS

[Jodi Frye]

Goodmorning Susan, yes you've made some clever points. I'm waiting. Just needed some feedback to help me clear my mind.