Thinking about Sony F828

By Jian Shuo Wang on 2004-12-02 20:06 · Hi-Tech Toys

To make the U.S. trip more memorable, I am going to buy a more professional camera than my Sony P8. Sony F-828 appeared on my landscope. I sells at 6800 RMB (or 829 USD), including tax. It is all the money I need to pay to get a full package of F828. Good deal, isn’t it? It is cheaper than any of the online store I can find.

The most attacting features of F828 are:

28 - 200 mm lens. I am especially interested in the 200 mm long lens, so I can capture something far away - it is nice to short the buildings of New York from far away.
170 mins of battery time.
Similarity of Sony F707. I used F707 for a long time.

BTW, I cannot find out a reason why my page My New Camera - Sony DSC-P8 is still within the top two results in Google for search term Sony P8. Google seems like my pages very much. It makes sense if people are search Pudong Airport since it is a relatively less mentioned topic in the cyber world. But Sony P8 is a popular product selling around the world. Wired…

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20 Comments

for that price, i would prefer a Nikon Coolpix 8800

— James · 2004-12-02 20:15

or perhaps a canon EOS 300D, but I understand that you like Sony perhaps, especially if you had already bought those expensive memorystick.

— speedyop · 2004-12-02 20:58

I'd have a look at the Canons EOS. I suggest you check out dpreview.com before you make a decision, they test all sorts of digital camers in depth. Good luck!

— Jens Leo Malmqvist · 2004-12-03 02:03

how about the google search term "Shanghai"? i can not find your site in first 10 pages. According to google your site has more than 1400 "Shanghai" keywords, but your site has only 800 entries. May be google take your site off from "Shanghai" keyword coz u r spaming... :p

— unnamed · 2004-12-03 06:15

I had Canon EOS rebel (6.3 mp) for a year. It still remains at almost same price as last year. I added tamron lens 28 to 300 mm with $ 300. You can buy here if you want it. Remember, we don't pay sale's tax. The camera is $899,00 now.

jsw

— jsw · 2004-12-03 12:45

I recently bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20, and have been very pleased with it. If you see one in a store here, you may want to compare it to the Sony. It's only 5MP, but it has a very sharp 432mm equivalent lens, and goes for about 4000RMB. However, if I was going to spend in the 7000RMB range, I'd probably go for the Canon 300D instead.

— Brad · 2004-12-03 13:43

The best thing in Sony F828 is, it offer lens up to 200 mm. It is rare. Canon 300D is a good option too. I didn't check it carefully yet. The 55mm lens stopped me.

— Jian Shuo Wang · 2004-12-03 16:53

DMC-FZ20 doesn't have the manual zoom control, which prevents you from getting the accurate picture composition. But F828's lens is a bit too long because of this feature :-)

I always thought those Japenese electronics including digital cameras are sold cheapest in US. Now it looks like that their best prices can be also found in China. JS, where did you see this price in Shanghai? does it come with a true SONY warranty?

You can get a free 512MB memory stick pro with the purchase of this camera:

http://images.pricegrabber.com/rebates/12551.pdf

— JH · 2004-12-03 18:59

i would not buy the lens included in the package of EOS 300D. U can buy a good one to combine with the body.

— claire · 2004-12-03 19:09

If you are considering the Canon EOS300D, you should definitely look at the Nikon D70. The usual kit lens that comes with the D70 has a zoom range of 18-70mm which is equivalent to 27-105mm. This lens is better quality than the Canon EOS300D kit lens. Whilst the zoom is not as high as the Sony F828, the lenses can be changed on the EOS300D and D70 as they are both digital SLRs.

— LH · 2004-12-03 19:31

It appears the best price for jap electronics is in JP, if lucky enough you can get an international model there with great price. I don't know why I don't like Sony, just can't tell, but Canon and Nikon looks better for me. I am also planning to look at Fuji...

— Fransova · 2004-12-04 10:10

Jianshuo - I don't think a US guarantee will cover in China, same as a chinese guarantee don't cover outside China !

How about the new Sony P150, extremely light (828 is just TOO big and clumsy for me),

7 MPix, additional lenses including tele-lenses and wide-angles can be snapped on, see the commercials on (National Geographic TV), and an underwater housing too ! This housing is very very good, if you plan to go to pool centers or in sandy/dusty environments !

The P150 have video, capable of 640x480, 30fr/sec !

Take a look at http://www.steves-digicams.com/pr/sony_07212004_p150_pr.html

This guy have a terrific homepage for digicams.

Good luck with any camera you choose, Jianshuo !

— carsten · 2004-12-04 21:29

I think Jianshuo is looking for a prosumer digital camera, in this field size does matter. The P150 is a good camera indeed, but when you start thinking about getting serious with photo, you can't just get a compact.

— speedyop · 2004-12-05 00:59

Mr. Wang,

Should you think of SLR camera with 6-7 mp, always look into Nikon or Canon, please refer to consumer report, Nov issue and you see why! If not available on your side, I can email you the page.

The best place to buy is Japan, since you are omitting Japan, or you can buy it from Washinton State, mind you Washington has 8 percent sales tax in place, according the consumer report, Sony 828 is selling at $819 which is more money than Nikon/Canon.

Never mind the warrenty, when do you even see a repair during the warrenty period?

Stephen

— Stephen · 2004-12-06 22:54

Hi Jianshuo

If money matters for you, the 828 is for sale at the electronic centre at Huaihailu/Huangpinanlu for 6900RMB, the P150 for 3900RMB.

Underwater box for P150 : 1700RMB.

— carsten · 2004-12-07 08:10

Thanks for everyone's suggestion. It is very practical. Here are my requires and based on the requires, I can choose a camera.

1. I actually don't need a 8 mega pixel camera. For my Sony P8, I always use the 1.2M mode, which produce 1024x768 picture. I seldom print the pictures out.

2. I do need a 800 mm and 26 mm lens. Thus I can produce better images.

3. I care price because I am not a geek on photography. More importantly, the practices I learnt from my univsersity photography classes and the New York Institue of Photography text book is, equipment is not the most important factor for photographing.

4. Digitally perfect is better than optically perfect for me.

So, what is your suggestion based on this requirement?

— Jian Shuo Wang · 2004-12-07 14:38

perhaps you don't have to invest in an expensive and complex camera like Sony 828, a more cheaper and easier to use camera of Sony is the new Sony V3. I think it's a good choice as a second digital camera. With your first one, you've discover the use of a digital camera, with this one you will practice more and not only use manual setting. Compared with the older version Sony V1 this one get a better grip, but is bigger. And it takes both memrystick and compact flash type I.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0412/04120205sonydscv3review.asp

— speedyop · 2004-12-09 03:20

Keith said:

You are right, people take good pictures not camera's and that is where it has always been.

After one has learned to take good pictures then we have to search through all this comercial garbage, how many pixels, how much zoom etc. etc. Is the Sony f828 a good digital camera? you bet, they (Sony) won gold from DIWA for their f828.

Anyway, it is up to you, if you have taken photography courses at university or correspondence you should be asking them for help.

The Sony "Smart digital zoom" has little or no degradation of picture quality "but" their "precision setting" (dig zoom) does.

Why are you not asking one of your Professors or fellow students? Go take a visit either in person or soft/hardwire to your school.

Hope everything goes well. By the way a short coming of the f828 is all the learning. But then again maybe its just me.

Keith

— Keith · 2004-12-14 08:17

Although some digicam sites review f-828 as a flaw, I'm happy with my f-828. If you are a sony fan, there is no choice rather than f 828. Its qualtity is not as bad as in the reviews. You can check the photo sites of the real owner of f-828.

-you don't need to change lens

-you don't worry about the dust on lens

-you can tilt the lens for extra views

-you can use both m stick & cf cards & icro drive

-you can record mpeg video in 640-480 unlimited

-you will get well body design & strength

— ThaKhinGyi · 2004-12-26 14:31

Hello,

I want this item for my twin in Nigeria.I've posted alots for them for their birthday and projects.

I will also pay for the shipping fee to Nigeria.

Kindly send the price list and the payment information to my mail box katekay101@yahoo.com

Kate Cares.

— Kate Kay · 2006-05-25 09:07