CP995 or 990...is there much of a difference?

[papasula]

Just wondering...It seems they made a few improvements on the 995 but do they make much difference in the digiscoping world?

[Andy Bright]

Many would say that the cp995 wasn't an improvement for digiscoping over the cp990. The 4x optical zoom of the cp995 seemed to produce slightly inferior results for a number of people (encouraging too much magnification with resulting problems).

Built quality was reduced in the cp995 and it feels more toy-like than cp950/990/4500... though that has nothing to do with digiscoping results and I haven't heard of cp995's falling apart with heavy use.
The cp995 produces images with less noise in them, which could account for perceived lack of sharpness vs the cp990. ISO 200 on the cp995 is far better than ISO200 on the cp990.

Many didn't like the fact that the cp995 used a Li-ion rechargeable battery instead of AA's... modern Nimh AA's can power a cp990 for an amazing length of time, and you can buy AA's from practically anywhere.

Two points that may be of interest. One is that secondhand prices for the cp990 are generally higher than that of a cp995 (build quality?) and that many of the best digiscopers around are still using the cp990... and that's not because they can't afford the newer cameras.

I've seen some amazingly good shots with the cp995, so it's certainly one of the best digiscoping cameras ever made.
Regards,
Andy

[papasula]

I have a chance to pick up a used 990 with a flash setup for $325 USD. Would this be a good deal? And what about refurbished? Anyone have good, bad, indifferent experiences with refurbed cameras?

Andy...thanks for the info.

[christineredgate]

papasula,for what it is worth,i picked up from a dealer a Fujie Fine pix s602,at a remarkable discount,it was 9 mths old but I received a 12mths warranty,a whole load of extras at discount,battery charger,carrying case etc.Often the dealers are only too pleased to do a deal with you as they want to make way for new models due to the constant update in technology.I trawled through a camera mag,rang several dealers until I found a suitable deal.Don't forget that if you pay buy credit card,you have some come back if not happy with the goods.
Good Luck Christine.