5060 vs. 7070 vs. 8080. Quick Comparison

[bsvihrajr]

I'm looking to get a new camera. I have a Canon S230 and it's too small and doesn't have the manual control I want to learn. My next camera is probably a test to see if I want dSLR. So I'm thinking just stick with getting a 5060 vs. 7070/8080 so the price isn't that much. I basically want the new camera to be a learning tool probably for years before I can afford SLR. Is there any major reason why I would want to consider getting a 7070 or 8080 over the 5060?

When does the 7070 come out? I saw it on www.adorama.com, but it may have just been an ad and not available.

TIA.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I heard February for the C7070, www.17photo.com shows it on backorder? I'm looking to replace my drowned 5060 with my tax return, and I'm looking into possibly getting the 7070 but I'm not entirely sure when Ikelite will have a housing for it(apparently it won't work with the 5060s PT020 housing, so I'm assuming Ike's 5060 housing won't work with the 7070 either - not sure why they look to be housed in the same camera body?).

 

[scubanimal]

I've been told that they are all basically the same internals. The obvious difference is the stored image size. If you have trouble getting close to your subject and need to crop frequently, then the larger image size is useful. I've used a C8080 and the shutter lags seems a bit less, but that could be the particular shots. The housing you prefer is probably more of a factor. Light and Motion has one for the 5050 but not the others. The Ikelite for the 8080 seemed ok as well. The TTL feature on the L&M series (aka ROC) is my preference due to the abilty to quickly adjust off the initial setting. And the metal housing is a nice bonus. A buddie's Ikelite housing imploded when a shark smacked it. But the cost delta is significant. Having the ability to add a wet WAL is a feature I would highly recommend. Close up WA shots are very rewarding. The Wet macro lens is not needed the C-series does just as well.

 

[slowhands]

I'm looking to get a new camera. ..... Is there any major reason why I would want to consider getting a 7070 or 8080 over the 5060?

TIA.

I would vote "none of the above". I still believe the older 5050 is better for my use than the newer editions. I prefer it because it uses commonly available batteries (4-AA), it is smaller, and the lens is faster (but not as wide angle). The 5050 is supposedly getting to be a dinosaur, I know, but it still seems to me a better camera for my use. I use mine in a PT-015 case with a Sea & Sea YS-90DX on a "custom" tray.

I use SHQ mode and get very high quality images, suitable for 8x10s. The big negative is slow shutter response, common with non-professional cameras. Often the subject has moved out of the scene, grrrr....

 

[Reefyboy]

I'm looking to get a new camera. I have a Canon S230 and it's too small and doesn't have the manual control I want to learn. My next camera is probably a test to see if I want dSLR. So I'm thinking just stick with getting a 5060 vs. 7070/8080 so the price isn't that much. I basically want the new camera to be a learning tool probably for years before I can afford SLR. Is there any major reason why I would want to consider getting a 7070 or 8080 over the 5060?

When does the 7070 come out? I saw it on www.adorama.com, but it may have just been an ad and not available.

TIA.

You might also consider the Fuji 810/E550... No shutter lag, fast focus very high resolution and negligable noise. Produces better quality images than most of the low end DSLR's too, especially at the 12 mp and RAW settings. Better colour dynamics too.
See enc.