Opinions on possible Purchase..

[Anonymous]

Alright, I've been saving my pennies, I've returned all gifts for cash (everyone knew that I'm hot for a decent digital camera), and my birthday is coming up in two weeks.

So, I've read lots of reviews, reviewed lots of cameras, but want to put it out for those who might have an opinion.

I'm vascillating between 3MP+ and 4MP cameras. I can't afford much, so I'm finding that I can get an overall better camera if I go for 3MP as opposed to 4MP. Because of this, I can't follow the philosophy of 'shoot wide and crop down', plus, I think I take better pictures if it's framed as I see it from the get-go. Right now, I'm finding that I really like the features offered and use-ability of the Olympus C-740. A couple of downsides - 16MB memory, however, most all cameras I'm comparing with have just that. Then, I need something that's supported in Linux.

The C-750 (a $500 camera) IS supported, the C-740 doesn't appear to be so. However, as I understand it, if I get a camera that's IIDE compatible (being taken as an industry standard), and uses USB and/or PTP protocols, I should be able to essentially "plug and play" (of course, I'll likely have to find particular drivers, as I know for a fact my RH9 doesn't come with the Olympus C-740 listed).

Right now I can buy this camera for just over $300 online. I can try a refurbished camera (do NOT like that idea, honestly), but the price is within $20 of new, and I feel it's not worth it. This would be just the camera and what the manufacturer sells with it:

16MB memory card
Battery
Carrying Strap
Flash
Recording Media
USB Cable

I can get what BuyDig.com calls its "Executive Kit", which would add $38 to the price, it would include:

64MB memory card
Carrying case
Sakar Lens Cleaning Kit

For $58 more I could get the "Upgrade Executive Kit":

128MB memory card
Carrying case
Sakar Lens Cleaning Kit

 

[hdtran]

I can't help you with the Linux bit, but I have used the Olympus C-xxx line of camras before (3070, I think), which is a 3 MP model, and very nice. Watch out for the batteries. The then model I used came standard with Lithium non-rechargeables. But you'll absolutely love the lens!

16 MB memory card is nearly useless (stores maybe 20 photos at 3 MP). I don't remember which format of flash the Olympus uses nowadays, whether it's SD, CF, or something else, but you should be able to find a 64, 128, or 256 memory card at local computer stores when they're having a sale.

I bought my case at Walmart, along with the lens cleaner.

Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

It's an xD format memory card. The prices I'm finding are showing the package to be a better deal than I'd expected, though. Biggest issue at this point is finding the right Linux app/driver for this particular model. I'm wondering, though, since the "chassis" is essentially exactly the same as the C-750, if I can't adapt the module..

Thanks!

 

[hdtran]

Hmm...

My personal digital camera is a Casio (btw, on a $/pixel basis, Casio is a better buy than most of the bigger names, and the higher-end Casios have a Canon lens). I can put its CF card into a PCMCIA adapter and plug it into my laptop's PCMCIA slot (I think I'm supposed to call it a PC slot, but that's getting wayyyyy too overloaded for me). Even without Casio-specific drivers, my laptop recognizes the CF card as a "removable disk drive", and I can locate the pictures in the directory structure. I don't get the fancy HTML and thumbnails without the software, but I can definitely get the pictures.

I wonder if that might be a viable alternative for you (no software, just have Linux recognize the memory card as a removable disk).

I see you changed your signature back!

 

[Anonymous]

I looked at the Casios, and studied the reviews (ad nauseum, I swear). I've finally decided on the Olympus, as there is only one other digi cam with the 10x optical zoom. Also, the fact that there were many more manual features means that, as with Linux, I can make my own decisions. I've found that it is indeed supported, though I'll likely simply be mounting the USB port as another "drive", just as you mention. The only issue will be what commands/syntax I will use (this camera uses the xD and not SD cards, so I may not be able to mount it as, say mount /dev/sdb1or /mnt/digicam).

I have a feeling that your laptop is a Windows OS, yes? While all digicam software is devised for the Windows/MacOS platforms, and there is something so sweet about plug and play, I want even more flexibility. I'll be able to mount this camera on either OS drive in my partition.

I went ahead and got it in a package with a 128MB card, carrying case, and lens cleaning kit, and for less than $20 got a 3 year extended warranty.