Minolta DiMage Z1 or Fuji S5000?? Neither? Both????

So, I'm still trying to work something out with my boss where he buys me a Powerbook, and then I work extra to pay for it. I wanted the 15", but since it is having some Generation A manufacturing problems, it has made me lean towards the 12", which is almost $1000 less. So I figured I could use that extra cash to see if he'll buy me a digital camera for around $500 or less...

Been looking at these two...

The Fuji S5000

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/S5000/S50A.HTM

And the Minolta DiMage Z1

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/Z1/Z1A.HTM





They are both 3 megapixel, both have 10x zoom, and mostly comparable features. They are also basically the same price.

The S5000 has nice action shooting modes, like first five and last five, which would be great for action shots. But it also has some higher than average shutter lag times, which are slower than the Minolta.

Both camera's movie modes are only limited by the memory card's storage capacity, and both capture at 30fps, but the Minolta supports twice the resolution as the S5000. And yes, I will probably use this feature pretty often because I don't have a camcorder.

The Minolta has a flash hotshoe, the S5000 does not.

The max shutter time fo the S5000 is 2 seconds, and 15 or 30 for the Minolta, giving more flexibility for low light shots and stuff.

The S5000 can save files in RAW format, but the Minolta can only save JPEG.

So far I'm leaning towards the Minolta, because of the speed differences, higher quality video, and expansion capabilities with the flash shoe and lenses.

Does anyone have any opinions on which would be better? I like "real looking" cameras, that look like SLRs, not little point and shoot looking things like most of the Canon's, etc., so that is mainly why i am looking at these two. And I really like the 10x zoom on both of them, so I can take pictuers of naked girls without them seeing me. ;)

Based on just the brand names (not the features)...id go with minolta. They just seem to have more professional cameras.

3 megapixel = good
10x zoom = spectacular!! ( i got 10x myself )

but the Minolta supports twice the resolution as the S5000

Be careful with this though....640x480 (im guessing) in some cameras is really a streched out 320x240 full of noise.

hotshoe......and lenses

Good features if your serious about photography

The max shutter time fo the S5000 is 2 seconds, and 15 or 30 for the Minolta, giving more flexibility for low light shots and stuff.

2 seconds?? thats terrible. Minolta wins here!!!! (also whats the max iso?? but still even with like 800 iso.....2 seconds is still really bad)

pictuers of naked girls without them seeing me

God bless 10x zoom. You can zoom right through windows without even being on like the same street hahaha

On the Minolta:

"Light sensitivity is adjustable to ISO values of 50, 100, 200, or 400, with an Auto setting as well."

Yeah I'm really leaning towards the Minolta. I just wish it had a manuall focus ring. But the cheapest one I've seen with that is the Fuji S602, which is still $500 - $600.

50, 100, 200, or 400

Those are good values. Anything more than 400 just generates noise. Also 50 is good for very bright situations (...like sun rise shots)

manuall focus ring

Yeah...my camera is the same way. All features are manual EXCEPT focus :-(. But a nice work around for this is that 10x zoom. Just use that to play with the focus a little bit.