>I have a Sony F717 at a mere 5 MP and I'm not sure this camera is
>still available--perhaps the F828 has taken over.  The Leitz optics
>are fantastic and with printing capability up to 20 x 30 with
>excellent results I'm having a hard time justifying replacing this
>camera with a "real" digital SLR.  I use this camera for my part time
>job as the webmaster for our public radio stations at the University
>of Iowa and find myself counting flecks of color in the eyes of some
>of my subjects. Stray nosehairs, even.  Good in low light also.
>Digital display in both eyepiece and camera back but both are kind of
>small.  Eyepiece has adjustable diopter for those slowly going blind
>due to middling age.

I ALMOST bought an F828. I was waiting for it to be released. However
once it became available (I never looked at an actual xample) I read
the reviews and the purple hazing around the edges of the images it
takes were judged a major flaw. Also the jointed body seemed peculiar
and unnecessary... and having since seen one, am glad  avoided it due
to its large size and the layout.

I wish I had bought a Nikon SLR... I think Nikon is a pretentious
company, but my boss' satisfaction with his plus the fact that it
uses the same lenses as its photographic equivalent is a major
plus... though the prices of those lenses certainly isn't a plus!

I need a true macro lens for taking images of small specimens.
Unfortunately the so-called "macro" functions of nonSLR lenses is no
such thing... nor on SLR zooms. Only a dedicated macro lens will do
macro work... but I have found that holding a large (5-7cm diameter)
magnifying lens against the camera lens is one way around this,
though it is a bit awkward... the Mavica FD-88 was a lot better than
the DiMage A2. Make sure the glass won't touch the camera's lens
element!
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut