Time for a new compact camera??

Hello,

First may I apologise for the following 'C' swear word appearing on here!

My very first Digital camera was a Canon A630 which I used before buying a K10D three years ago. I use the A630 for general photography when out on my Bike and for work related images.

Recently I have noticed a few strange things happening such as the first images appearing as 'Unidentified Images' when viewed. The image appears okay when viewed as a small thumb nail along with other images. However, when I click the preview image to view the full image a message appears stating 'Unidentified Image' another strange happening is that when viewed alongside other images as a thumb nail one image appears correctly exposed but when i click on preview the image appears to be a multi-exposure image with the right hand section of the image appearing on the left hand side and a totally different image appearing across the top of the image!

So my question is this, does my camera have gremlins, is it time to stop using it and if so what Pentax Compact Camera would you advise I get to take out with me whilst riding my Mountain Bike?

It seems reasonable to me to have cameras that suit various purposes, so for mountain biking how about the W90 or WG-1 cameras? Then come rain, hail or sun and regardless of the roughness of the terrain you'll have something tough and compact to make images with.

There's also the Q if the weatherproof and shockproof features are not an issue and you want better quality and more versatility.

Before doing anything, try formatting the memory card! The new WG2 does look excellent though.

The C swear word + G1x looks terrific as well

Let's stay on topic please....which Pentax compact camera?

I was going to suggest a couple but as John wants us to remain firmly on topic unfortunately I can't - TBH as much as I like my K5 I wouldn't buy a Pentax compact

Simon

I was in the same situation and did not decide to go for a Pentax. I love my K20D and I want a K5 but with all the reviews I have seen in dpreview.com, I was not convinced that Pentax is the best choice in the compact market. The WGs were really interesting from the body perspective but image quality is also a really important factor of a camera - isn't it

I don't see why anyone would stay to loyal to Pentax when buying a compact.
They're a company, out to make a profit. End of.
There's no 'tie in' to a compact, no lenses to buy for it.
Take a look at DPreview; they have a few group tests for compacts-superzoom, serious compacts etc.
and if you want a serious compact look at seriouscompacts.com website

It's not really a question of loyalty - people will buy whatever they want, from whichever manufacturer provides it. The only limitation we have here is that it's Pentax User, so other marque discussions are considered off-topic.

As for compacts, I now have the Q in my pocket, or the W90 when the rain comes or the circumstances may need something more resistant to damage.

Picture quality of the Pentax compacts can be very good, especially in the closer range. High-end compacts tend to be anything but compact and don't fit the pocket too well any more. At that point I jump to the DSLRs instead as I reason that if I have to carry a camera bag it might as well have a DSLR in it.

Very compact cameras are much more difficult to take good pictures with, often because they are difficult to hold still. They need a tripod more than a DSLR does, which defeats the purpose. But with care, we have made super A3 prints from various compact cameras, including the Pentax range.

I would love a Pentax Compact Camera but as far as I am aware none of them have a viewfinder - so a few years ago I opted for a 'C' compact which has one.
One reason I would like a Pentax compact is the similarity of the camera software/menus etc.

Cheers...John

That's a fair point about the menus, but you'll be hard pressed to find many truly compact cameras with a viewfinder these days!

Hello,

Thanks to all who replied to my original message I am very grateful for your responses.

I will try another SD card in the camera to see if the fault re-occurs.I didn't think of doing that Doh!

I originally bought the A630 because it had a viewfinder. Coming from a film camera background I prefer looking thorough the viewfinder and I suppose it helps to keep the camera steady as well thus eliminating camera shake.

I will take a look at the W90 / WG range at a local camera store if replacing the SD card doesn't work.

After looking on the net I noticed the Pentax RZ10 range which has shake reduction built in and it has a decent zoom range.

I will also go to the DPREVIEW website and will draw up a short list to look at in a local camera shop.

Best Regards,

Paul