Digital BW, The Print

> >
> >How about 1600ei without noticable noise in an aluminum bodied 6.3MP
> >P&S with superior optics?  Or .1 second shutter delay? 
> >
> >Sayonara $1900 Leica Digilux 2: $400. 
> >
> >http://www.pbase.com/image/41762986   1600ei

> The Fuji S3 isn't as competitive to the Canon DSLRs  
 
Have you seen/made a direct comparison between S3 and any Canon?

I don't actually think Fuji's going to be a player in camera
sales..I'd assume they're going to continue to sell CCDs to other
camera brands (eg to Olympus). But the F10 suggests they may
revolutionize the market that way, either with 4/3 or some other
advanced system. 

  If 
> signal to noise was the only thing that's needed for a nice picture
then 
> we could use digital cameras with 3 pixels :-)

Right...there's optics, color, RAW, speed, viewfinder etc...BUT the
high noise above 200ei with all other digicams is a huge limitation.

Some 2005 P&S are already dealing with that using cheap image
stabalization, which allows low noise settings such as 200ei to be
effective in low light at slow shutter speeds.

SOMETHING, perhaps Fuji technology, will soon make low noise at 800 or
1600 manditory, terminating today's 8mp digicams.  

When 35 was king, no serious amateur would have felt limited in low
light situations...he'd just use Tri X, perhaps pushing it gently to
1200. At 1200 he wouldn't have produced significant "noise" (grain) if
he used conventionally accepted chems, such as Accufine. 
 
Ernst, your bad experience with Fuji zoom probably reflects Fuji's
limited ability to do good ergonomic design, the same kind of thing
that hurts S3 in the market. 

IMO for P&S cameras Leica has the best concept...not "zoom" but
multi-focus, clicking from 35 to 70 or whatever. Makes for better
optics and faster response.