What Digital Camera Should I GET?

[brkofdon]

hey guys! been wanting to get a digital camera for a long long time now. and im getting real close to getting one. the thing is im not sure what to get. i definetly want something that can take easy point and shoot, but also want manual control for more artistic images! now as for price i could possibly afford something in the 500 n lower area..

any suggestions on what to get? o and if you all can tell what digtal cams you have that would be cool.

thank you!

[andres_pad]

my best suggestion for this is to write out a list of what you actually need. for example, my list (6 months ago when i got mine) was;

small
digital
usb or similar data tansfer
high level of expandable memory
prescision lens
decent zoom
some sort of carry case.

now i would also reccomend going with a well trusted brand (for example olympus), this way you know that you will be buynig a quality camera, and not just some mass produced chinese sweatshop camera. Decide wether you want to get something that has a changeable lens or not. When it comes down to it, you can basically buy two sorts of digital camera. the yuppi small pocket sized camera (there is nothing wrong with these) but you cannot normally change the lens on these. The other sort is the several thousand dollar digital camera with changeable lenses (a friend of mine has a several thousand dollar one that is 12 mega pixel or something (FUCK)). <<-EDIT: BAAAHAHAHA, that seemed so outrageous back then!

My biggest reccomendation is to write a list of what you want and need and then go and talk to a sales assistant in a well known camera shop.

finally, good luck

i ended up with a olympus mju: 400 and it has been the most awesome camera ever. i would highly reccomend it to anyone

[brkofdon]

andres_pad - thanks buddy!!!!

[Hillartsympho]

there are less expensive digital s.l.r.'s with manual controls, i use a fujifilm finepix s5000, works alot like a modern 35mm slr (ie: minolta maxxum 5) as far as having Programmed, Aperture metering, Shutterspeed metering and Manual controls, also has additional features that a 35mm slr does not have, like flouerescent light compensation, and what not, ...

[RUFKE]

I bought an olympus D-575
small, cheap and good quality!
I love it!

[krispee]

i also have a fuji finepix but the s602 with the hard drive in it....
does for me.....

krispee

[gent]

there are less expensive digital s.l.r.'s with manual controls, i use a fujifilm finepix s5000, works alot like a modern 35mm slr (ie: minolta maxxum 5) as far as having Programmed, Aperture metering, Shutterspeed metering and Manual controls, also has additional features that a 35mm slr does not have, like flouerescent light compensation, and what not, ...
:hmm: You can't really compare a consumer digital like that with a 35mm SLR. It is not an SLR actually. You can't change lenses. Image quality is worse. Speed is worse. Viewfinder is worse. Pretty much anything is worse.
And if you want fluorescent light compensation (white balance you think of I guess)... you can use either a filter or Tungsten film with your 35mm.

[brkofdon]

thanks for your input guys!!! researched a bit further...might get a nikon coolpix 4300, it has pretty much everything that i want...pretty much. and the price is affordable being in the 300-400 area. has manual controls along with the normal automatic settings....plus ive had a photography class before and my instructor had a coolpix and it took really nice photographic type images...

...ill research a little bit more...thanks a bunch! :cyclops:

[SylkX]

I personally got the Kodak easyshare dx7440, it was rated the best in its price range(350 - 450) by a digital camera magazine. I found it for 295 at buydig.com with free shipping. Its pretty simple to use and takes nice pictures with room for options.

[Anemos the Storm]

I have the Fuji Finepix s5000 and I love it. It has all the settings you need (basics) as well as 10x Optical zoom and decen macro capabilites for a great price.

[Hillartsympho]

I found it for 295 at buydig.com with free shipping.

I ordered mine from buydig.com also. I was very pleased with their service and pricing.

[BadMange]

Check out the features comparison guide at Digital Photography Review\ (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp) before you commit to the Fuji Finepix.

Btw, anyone know of a similar guide for Mini DV cams?

-Bad Mange

[Morbid]

What about the Canon Powershot A80? Im thinking of getting that one, it has got some good reviews. Also it has a swivel screen which makes it easier to take shots high up or close to the ground, without putting your cheek in the dust.

[brkofdon]

great! thanks for all your input on your digicams! looked up some of your guys's cams and they are all pretty good...Morbid that swivel screen does sound handy for those extreme angled shots! hmmmmm... BadMange thanx for the link! i also found a link that helps guide you through a bunch of questions/specifications you want in a camera and at the end it shows you all the cameras that fit your answers...but as im looking through my favorites i cannot seem to find the freaking link! so as soon as i find it ill post it up...sorry hehehe

[Fog_cartoons]

New problems for you.

I want to take up photography as a hobby or maybe even a job after a while but, I have no clue what so ever on digital cameras. I could really do with some help from whoever can give it. I don't understand any jargon either, so you would have to help me out there as well.

Specifications would be:

<£400 not $
Any weight
Must be durable
Have no idea about pixels, as long as its a decent amount
Must have USB function


All in all, as long as its good but not too good

[acuna_read]

Assuming you havent already got one then the main thing to consider is what sort of photo your taking.

Ive got an Olympus C-720, which is a great camera with good adjutability for my photo's. I just arse around etc...

My one problem is that I've started taking alot of pictures at motoring (mainly motorbikes) events and obviously they travel at high speed. My camera would be perfect for what I do if I only took pictures of flora and fauna etc (which i do alot of too). But theres a slight delay when taking pictures from me pressing the button to a picture being captured. I therefore have to work out when to press my button to get a good shot.
This happens with all cameras, but this one is particularly slow. So if you want fast moving pictures then get something that has a small time delay.

Use that photo comparison website shown as its the best one around(to my knowledge).

My camera cost about £240 (equivalent to $450-US) that was about a year+ ago. Camera prices change so rapidly it's unbelievable. could probably pick my camera up for nearer $350-us now, probably less.

Make sure its got 3.0 mega pixel capability at the minimum, most in the price range your talking have now.

[Fog_cartoons]

Thanks!

To be honest, there wouldn't be problems with a delay because it really wouln't affect me at all. I'm not going to leap into buying it just yet, I want to read some other peoples advice first. Although, the C-720 seems to match everything I want.

[Johannes]

Hi
The thing thats always talked about are megapixels. But in fact many (and I agree) claim that 2 megapixels are enough.
It is especially true if you (like me) want to use it for thumbnailing and inspirational images to draw/paint from. :D

So if you want to go cheap, find a camera with a good 2 megapixelchip, a quality lens (zoom or not) and a good signal processing chip. You see many cameras have many pixels, but perhaps bad lenses or mess things up by coding the info bad or then just mess all up when they compress the files to jpg.

Im biased towards nikon (this is because I have an "analog" F90 since 10 years and some lenses and friends with more lenses...), my brother has an "old" coolpix 2100 that i find very attractive and extremely easy too use. :)
Im thinking of trying to save for a Nikon D70, which seems really good and in the right pricerange (which for me is "just within reach" ;) ).

Some links:
http://www.fotosidan.se (sorry itys in swedish, but like me theres a lotta swedes here ;) )
http://www.dpreview.com
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_d70.asp

GL :)

[Fog_cartoons]

Great, thanks

[bear]

I'm happy with my canon powershot a80. Somtimes I wish I could zoom in more but that's not something you get (at least not with some trade-offs) wihout going up in price.

Before I got it (in the last quarter of 2003) I did pretty much research on cameras that offered a number of manual controls but didn't cost too much, my impression then was that most cameras in the same pricerange were pretty equal in terms of image quality and features and the swivel screen was pretty much what tiped my decision over in the a80's favour.

Now there are probably several new models out on the market though and prices will be different so I don't know what I'd choose today without looking around at sites like http://www.dpreview.com

All the photos I've posted here on CA are taken with my a80.

[Morbid]

There is a tele/wide lens converter thingie for the A80... dont know how much it is but if you want more zoom you could check it out Bear! :confident

[Fog_cartoons]

I don't think I would ever need an extreme zoom and my budget probably wouldn't cover it, even though fate usualy makes me need one as soon as I start snapping away.

[lordarka]

there are less expensive digital s.l.r.'s with manual controls, i use a fujifilm finepix s5000, works alot like a modern 35mm slr (ie: minolta maxxum 5) as far as having Programmed, Aperture metering, Shutterspeed metering and Manual controls, also has additional features that a 35mm slr does not have, like flouerescent light compensation, and what not, ...

The S5000 is not an SLR in any respect. As a camera, it's a decent unit for the price, but you can't compare it to an SLR, because it does not have a Single Lens Reflex setup, or any of the attendant optics. There do exist true digital SLRs, and at this time, all of them price out at around $1000. The key advantage to such systems is easy access to manual controls, and a TRUE OPTICAL VIEWFINDER that sees THROUGH THE LENS. This is a very important thing to many photographers; All digital cameras that are not SLR, rangefinder, or medium format back use an LCD in the back to preview the image. Additionally, many of these cameras have a separate small LCD in the viewfinder. These LCDs can't refresh or update changes in the scene as quickly as a true optical viewfinder can, so that's an important difference to consider. Also, the ability to change lenses, and buy different lenses for different purposes, is another hallmark of SLRs. Also, ALL digital SLRs can compensate for lighting temperature changes (It's the white balance setting.) Film SLRs need not do this because the analog medium does not require such correction.

The prices of digital SLRs, and in fact, all digital cameras, should be seeing an adjustment around September, when Photokina in Germany gets started. Expect a flood oa new cameras announced, and price drops on all updated or discontinued model. It would be to your advantage to wait a few more months and see what kinds of models are announced at Photokina this year, as the compeition between the digital big boys (Canon, Nikon, and Fuji) is starting to heat up.

Hope that helps!

Arka C.

[alithenake]

It is a good site indeed, but have you tried Http://www.steves-digicams.com ? In my opinion is one of the best in camera reviews.

Also IR is another good one: http://www.imaging-resource.com

Consider these before buying any camera :)

Regards,
Ali the Nake
===============
My Portofolio (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27476)

[brkofdon]

alithenake - fantastic links! especially image resource they do such a detailed review of cameras its insane! thanks for the links!!! much appreciated!!!

[Fog_cartoons]

Right, thanks for all the help. I've decided to get an Olympus C-720 UZ

[brkofdon]

well i finally ordered a nikon coolpix 4300! will hopefully getting it this weekend!!!

this thread has started to become a very informational thread...i dig it!!! thanks for all your input and sharing your digicams!!!! <3

keep takin pictures everybody!

[Ideaspark]

I sell cameras quite a bit....don't buy a Kodak or a Fuji or a Panasonic or a Sony ...

Basically stick with Olympus/Canon/Nikon seriously those brand's cameras are FAR beyond the quality of other cameras.

I'll post more to this thread later, a helpful site is www.dpreview.com

[Fog_cartoons]

Ach, C-720 turned out to be in New york rather than England, even though it directly said, "Item Location - England"

Im going to consider the Fujifilm FinePix S602Z, anyone got any pro's or con's about this?

Ach, again! I could really do with a decent SLR like camera bundle because I have no idea what kind of extras I would need to get.

:ah: :ae: :ae: :ae: :al: :ap: please :bashful:

[Ideaspark]

as far as Fuji's go the 602 isn't bad...

the really lame thing about Fuji's (and Olympus cameras) is that they use the XD memory card, which is just a smaller version of the poorly designed smart media card...more on this when i get back from the wedding i'm shooting...

[jamtob]

hey guys! been wanting to get a digital camera for a long long time now. and im getting real close to getting one. the thing is im not sure what to get. i definetly want something that can take easy point and shoot, but also want manual control for more artistic images! now as for price i could possibly afford something in the 500 n lower area..

any suggestions on what to get? o and if you all can tell what digtal cams you have that would be cool.

thank you!


Hello friends,

well I've just become a member and this my first ever post, so be patient with me lol.

Hi brkofdon,

for the digital camera question i take u re looking for a cam u can carry easily and lets say could just hide in even ur best suit's pocket to be capable to take pics whenever a chance comes along.

well lucky you lol this has been my intention half a year ago, when i was in a similar situation and i found a camera that matches my needs perfect.
its a Kyocera Finecam SL300R Finecam SL300R (http://www.kyoceraimaging.com/product.asp?itemnum=300238).

The cameras features are great, the fast shots ability works great with a Secure Digital memory card model ScanDisk Ultra II, if you go for lets say 256MB card (a 16MB is incl.) its also possible to capture videos in good quality and lenght.
I am just crazy over the twist-able lens part, its so easy to shoot a quick self portrait for e.g. a grimase study - yeah I do use this option frenquently lol.

The package also includes software, a USB cable, a pocket and wrist-strap (not sure if I translate this right, sorry).
Now for the price it was back in December at around 400 Euros in store, but I got mine via Ebay (all new, warranty and so on) for less that 350.
Although I'd recommend to have a look around some shops and online stores before you buy, prices really vary here.

Well, I hope I could provide a little help and shopping advice,

greets Tobs

[Anemos the Storm]

Im sorry to disagree with you on the Fuji camera. I have had no problem with my s5000. The Xd card is cheaper than most other media cards and the camera runs forever on AAA batteries. I have 2 sets of rechargebles and have pracitially no downtime. At the time I researched, it had one of the longest battery times out there. I have the ablility to change my exposure and shutter speed and take continuous shots. I agree that no, its not the beat all camera, but for the 300 bucks it costs it is very comparible to any out there. The 10x optical zoom is a plus.
Example of the multishot
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Anemos/Clearwater/firebreather2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Anemos/Clearwater/firebreather.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Anemos/Clearwater/firebreather3.jpg

[brkofdon]

looks like a good camera Anemos the Storm s5000 what brand is that?

jamtob - hey thanks for your suggestion but i already ordered and have my nikon coolpix 4300 and im super satisfied with my purchase..only 320 bucks for the camera. i also got 128mb mem card a carrying case and lens cleaner..not bad! um the close up shots are incredibly close. it also has continuous shots, the res for this camera can get really large. its fully automatic as well as fully manual. the scene modes are an xtra plus! its a 3x zoom and 4 megapixel and thats fine with me. its pretty compact, but the battery life isn't as long as i thought..well maybe because i haven't actually fully charged it hehe..i got impatient and wanted to take pics.

here are some close up shots...to test it
http://www.oraclewoods.com/donflores/temp/DSCN0005b.jpg
http://www.oraclewoods.com/donflores/temp/DSCN0010.jpg

[Fog_cartoons]

Aha! A Olympus C-725UZ came through in the post today, which is strange seeing as we haven't had any confirmation for it in an e-mail. Anyway, its really good! I'll go out some time soon and do a bit of snaping and post the results here

[Ideaspark]

4300 is a much better camera technically than s5000, not to be overly harsh but the fire shots you posted are a good reason not to get that camera, the fire breather is out of focus and overexposed even though he's the subject. Plus Fuji tends to blow the colour saturation through the roof, and once it's done that you can't get it back.

If anyone is really serious about digital photography but don't want to spend HUGE amounts of money get either the Nikon D70 1800 CDN, Canon 300d (i think it's 1500 CDN) (both SLRs) or the Olympus 5060 if you want something with a load of features and a realy high quality flip out screen.

On the low end the Canon S50 is quite nice at 5 megapixels.
Basically don'y buy Fuji, Kodak or any of the "electronics" manufacturers. Some of these companies have a few decent models (the Fuji s602 was ok) but for the most part they don't have the raw guts and solid bodies of the big 3.

[Ideaspark]

oh and i'm shooting a Canon 300d

http://photos.imageevent.com/pipmoo/stripshit/musashi/huck.jpg

[Anemos the Storm]

I think it may be overly harsh to say "Don't buy Fuji's" The fire breather being out of focus is my doing not the camera's. It is on a setting of "Chrome" to exagerate those colors, but yes the colors on the do tend to be on the bright side, but not 'through the roof'.
I guess not a lot of money to you and me are 2 different things. :)300......1800...... :nohope:

The s50 is comparible in price, but it only comes with 3x zoom to the 10(optical) of the Fuji, its movies are 15fps to the 30fps of mine. Plus, I don't like the feel of little squares for taking pictures. And I can buy macro, tele, and wide angle lenses to go onto the camera where the s50 cannot.

Are there better cameras out there, heaven's yes. Would i take an 1800 dollar camera over this one, you better believe it! I am not saying this is the ONLY camera. However I still make my stand on this camera being one of the best in a truly reasonable price range and should not be so generally cast aside. I guess it all depends on what you want. For me, an ameteur, I wanted a 300-400 dollar camera that had a nice zoom, good feel, easy to use settings, but still some freedom in manual. This camera has exceeded my expectations. And I hate proprietary batteries. My rechargeable AA batteries, last forever.

Oh and here are some more of my pics just in case:
The World of Anemos (http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=28664)

Nice pic btw! Good lighting, aperature setting for the background, nice contrasting elements, and most of all nice timing :) The flowers really draw my eye

[Ideaspark]

in the end it's not so much the camera that takes the picture but the person. And it comes down to how much post work you want to do. I like to start with a very neutral image with maximum image information, I'm not sure if the Fuji can shoot raw but if it can that's where I personally would start, from there you have the maximum range of editing possibilities, it's like starting from a negative as opposed to a print.

The s50 does take extension lenses though they are 3rd party. ANd if you mean little squares for the CCD well the Fuji ccd is mostly hype, the edges don't come off any smoother. If you want a super smooth image you have to go with the CMOS sensor. I'm not just saying this as a Canon owner, there are plenty of cameras from other manufacturers that are very well constructed and will give you a fine image...and when i'm shooting film i only shoot Fuji, i'm certainly not a brand by any means :) but I have sold cameras for over 5 years and for the models i've seen the Fujis just don't measure up. Those are pretty good prices, are they american ? the 1800 i mentioned is canadian, i'm not sure what the U.S. conversion is right now.

Those other shots you've posted are a much better selection of what the camera can do (i like the soft coloured frosty morning shots), and don't get me wrong, depending on the kind of photography you want to do the s5000 will get you by, all i'm saying is that if I was doing any sort of pro shoot I wouldn't take that along (mind you other pros would say that about my camera too and i shoot weddings with it all the time).

[Anemos the Storm]

Sure, if I was shooting pro, I definately would have a better equipment. I was just following the original post of "500 or less".

Yes, I can shoot RAW, I don't usually, not sure why :) never played with it i guess.
My little square comment was directed at the shape of the camera body itself. I like the "slr feel" of the Fuji body for my big hands.
I think the 1800 converts to around 1300 but not sure.
Wasn't trying to start anything, just wanted to say that it isn't a bad camera and should be given a chance. If anyone couldn't tell, I really like it :) But I understand where you are coming from.
Thanks for the comments on my pics too.

[dancyr89]

i use a 300d --see my pics (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=29547)

[chalcosoma]

I used to use a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F707 (5 Megapixel). Check out my website to see my work; www.InsectaCulture.com

I have since upgraded to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828 (8 Megapixel).

Best regards,

Robert Coral
www.InsectaCulture.com
www.ReptiCulture.com

[threelegged_chicken]

How do the Canon Rebel 300D and the Nikon D70 compare in y'all's experiences or opinion? this will be my first digital camera. im taking photography at school using a canon rebelx. 35mm.

[brkofdon]

threelegged_chicken - well im not the most knowledgable photographer, but from my own experience, one of my photography classes the instructor was using a nikon coolpix for demonstrations/excersizes which worked just fine, and i just recently got a nikon coolpix 4300 which works awesome..its fully manual when you want it to be. but you might want to buy an extra battery. anyways ive always never had issues with the nikon brands. i dont know much about canon rebel 300d.. my dad has a canon a-1 which is an awesome camera. your picking the right brands at least.

hope that helped..i dont think it did. peace. :tihi:

[threelegged_chicken]

yeah well... i haven't gone through and looke at each individual feature side by side. i figure they're pretty close together.

[Katsushiro]

Well, some background first....My name is David, I am a professional Photographer, I also work on the side at Best buy for just this reason, to help people figure out what would be good for them. There are several things to consider when you begin looking. The size you want to be able to print at. The extent of zoom you would like, the cost of the memory, the life of the batteries, and obviously the overall size of the camera itself.

As far as megapixels are concerned, the average person doesn't need to go over 5mp...at that resolution you can get a perfect 8X10 print with very little if any noise. The benefit of going higher though is that you have more room to crop anything you feel like cropping and still can pull a decent print.

Next is the zoom factor, there are 2 types of zoom...optical and digital. For those of you that don't know the differece here it is. Optical utilizes the lenses to get you closer to your subject without losing any quality. Digital takes the image you have, crops it down and enlarges the result, effectivley lowering the resolution of your new toy. Be weary though, at 10X optical zoom on a point-and-shoot camera you almost have to have a tripod in order to get a decent shot, these camera simply don't have the shutter speeds or aperatures to compensate for less than adequate light and shaky hands.

Canon uses the least expensive memory cards around (Compact Flash) while Nikon and Kodak run a close second (SD cards). Sony uses their own proprietary cards which will cost you over twice as much as the Compact flash Cards. Then there's Olympus, and Fuji using the most expensive memory out there (XD cards). Speaking from the standpoint of convience and financial ease, camera that use Compact Flash cards are going to be the best for you. The cameras are a little more expensive but after the cost of the memory you end up paying less for everything you'll need along with the camera in the first place. Plus if you decide to upgrade to and SLR later, most all of them use the same Compact Flash cards, so you save there too.

Battery life is a big thing here as well. A lot of cameras use AA batteries, try to stay away from those, the batteries don't last long and if you go on vacation you'll need a seperate bag jst dedicated to carrying your batteries with you. The lithium-ion batteries last longer on a charge and provide constant power until they run dry. The only downside to them is that after a year to two years they need to be replaced. That's a small price to pay though for the convience they provide.

Overall size strictly a personal thing, you have to decide that for yourself.

If you are looking into getting an SLR then most of what I've said may be old news, but if you new to those then the Digital Rebel (300D) from canon is a great entry-level camera. You can get the camera and still be able to afford some nice lenses (those are very important after all) Also look at the new 20-D, for the price it's at, it's the best camera on the market.

So far the best camera I've seen that combines the size of a point-and-shoot with the features of and SLR is the Canon G6.

Personally I shoot with the 20-d and the older 10-d. Both of them are great and you can easily get wonderful shots.

here are some examples straight out of the 20-D no editing
http://thumbs.deviantart.com/300W/fs5.deviantart.com/i/2004/287/b/2/After_the_Breeze_by__katsushiro_.jpg
http://thumbs.deviantart.com/300W/fs5.deviantart.com/i/2004/292/2/e/Arboretum_falls_3_by__katsushiro_.jpg
http://thumbs.deviantart.com/300W/images3.deviantart.com/i/2004/161/1/b/rainy_day_macro_1.jpg

Hope I was able to help a little bit, if you have any other questions feel free to ask.

David

[Shaz666]

Hi my name is shaz666,

I am new to the forum and have been reading all the threads on the above subject.

I have an Olympus stylus 300 all weather proof digital camera

My 15 year old daughters has aNisis pocket DV4 digital video camera

My 9 and 11 year old boys are getting for Christmas Nikon digital Coolpix 3700 camera

:teeth:

[moo]

power shot g3 im kinda new.

psg3 is a very nice camera.
http://www.wideopenwest.com/~mav8989/1.JPG

[darth massacre]

Well, Moo....that's a rather, errr, huge picture innit? If it was reduced in photoshop it'd be more web friendly for most. It's a nice picture though....I'm a sucker for sunsets myself.

anyway....

I play around with photography myself, not as a serious photographer, just enjoy picture composition. I think Photography helps in drawing and painting in a very large way.

I guess no budget camera can compare to the higer end ones.....you really get what you pay for. If someone is half serious, a 'cheap' digital SLR like the Nikon D70 and the Canon Rebel EOS 300D will still set you back a few grand....if you include the whole list of items you will need besides just the body and lens setup.

Prosumer camera models...or the higher end setups for each of the brands out there....actually gives the best of both worlds. Its not exactly digital SLR but they come with many of the SLR type functions. It will, in no way, outperform a digital SLR of the same generation.

Just to clear something up.
Sony uses their own proprietary cards which will cost you over twice as much as the Compact flash Cards. Then there's Olympus, and Fuji using the most expensive memory out there (XD cards)
Sony's newest camera the F-828 has slots for both Memory stick and Compact Flash. Olympus C8080 and C5060 has slots for both Compact Flash and XD. As far as I know, its the higher end prosumer models that have options for different storage media....XD cards are more costly due to the size....its so darn small. I'd take Compactflash anyday.

I operate the Nikon Coolpix 5700. Old piece of technology, but still one heck of a camera. Man I gotta earn some bucks and get myself that Coolpix 8800.....


If anyone's interested, Canon's introducing a fully black Rebel 300D Digital SLR for a limited period only......which they probably should've done when they released it. The fully black Nikon D70 swayed a lot of buyers just by the color alone.

[TANDRUM_6996]

If you are planning on becoming a professional photographer I would recomend Cannon's Digital Rebel. It has the capabilities of a SLR(single lense reflex) and the capabilities of a digital camera. You can get a wide array of lenses, various sized memory cards, and the mega pixels are just right. The camera should last you for a while.

[djfournr]

Which digital camera to buy? Thats a can opener. I really liked andres_pad's comment to make a list of what you want and then go looking for it. Its really easy to get caught up in the debate about which camera is best and brand and all that. I know of a lot of people who buy high end equipment because they are techno geeks who feel they need the best even though they rarely take photographs and seldom use more than 10% of the technology available to them. At least they support the industry though right!

I think Katsushiro's comments were quite helpful, especially in regards to batteries and explanation of optical/digital zoom. About the memory cards though I think his comments might be a little dated as almost all camera manufacturers are using multiple types of cards now, I know my Nikon uses Compact Flash.

Anyway, I'm just rambling and giving props to whats been said before. Figure out what you want to do and then figure out what you need to do it. I highly recommend the DPREVIEW.COM (http://dpreview.com) as the source for reviews, forums, etc. related to digital cameras.

[ScRaMbLe]

I've got a fuji s5000 and it rocks! 10x optical zoom for under $500 australian and that was 3 months ago, but then again, i'd say anything rocks after my kodak dc215!

[fadedoak]

My little Canon A75,under 200 works like a dream, it gets great Macro imaging, I got a great picture of my little leo geckos face, with no blur. Sorry not much to say, computer has lots of things wrong with it and likes to shut down.

[Legato]

i know that this thread is basically over, but for anybody who is still interested, i got a cannon a95 for 350$ and it is beyond amazing. its 5mp, 3x optical zoom, swivel screen, the ability to change lenses, full manual control as well as tons of presets and a small and compact design yet not too small make this camera spot on. got a 50$ 256mb card for it and it works like a dream. other than using 4 aa batteries (which i got rechargeable) i have nothing but praise for this. it gets colors great, has the ability to set the white balance off of a picture, the ability to stitch picture together w/o an external editor, simple gui and a great audio note system also make this camera better than most.

im no professional, but i wanted something that could take artistic photos and this is it for me

[Banshax]

brkofdon,
Im a bit ahead of you camera wise, but it looks like you'll walk the same path.
start of with a digicam on a budget a budget. youll likely end up increasing the budget as u do more research. The curve of improvement is steep but so is the price.

What it boils down to:
500 should be plenty for your demands. Pay more, and ulll get a load more flexibility, better autofocus in dark places, less noise, better lenses etc etc etc. Its kinda impossible to stick to 500 unless u start shooting pics and stop bothering with the technical part. <- i suggest you reread that, so far its been more than true for me.

Eventually, what it boils down to (again) is:
Be able to shoot what u want, and be as little limited in what u wanna do. Pretty much most cams with a good review will do just that. "that" being able to shoot pictures u want to shoot. There is some excellent advice what to look for in here already. Keywords like size, batterylife, lense quality, etc etc are very valid options to look into. But keep in mind, stretching ur budget is very tempting.

How tempting?
Two years ago I started with a budget of 250,- increased it to 340 to get a better lense / diafragm options. Lateron went for a DSLR i was dieing to have, never looked back. but sure hurts the wallet. Now im on an on switching lenses and the original budget of 250 is now more then easily tenfolded. Can't complain, i mean ive completely grown into photography in the process, its however, very, very easy to get more green. Still in most cases, a decent digicam wud've done the job reasonably good, to excellent.
Its not so much the camera, its the photographer and his skills / experience. Why else would there be pro photographers making money, even now with digital camera's that allow everyone with a large stack of cash to buy and not bother with film / printing etc.

Good luck with your choice

[ambient-whisper]

brkofdon,
How tempting?
Two years ago I started with a budget of 250,- increased it to 340 to get a better lense / diafragm options. Lateron went for a DSLR i was dieing to have, never looked back. but sure hurts the wallet. Now im on an on switching lenses and the original budget of 250 is now more then easily tenfolded. Can't complain, i mean ive completely grown into photography in the process, its however, very, very easy to get more green. Still in most cases, a decent digicam wud've done the job reasonably good, to excellent.
Its not so much the camera, its the photographer and his skills / experience. Why else would there be pro photographers making money, even now with digital camera's that allow everyone with a large stack of cash to buy and not bother with film / printing etc.

Good luck with your choice

agreed. you shouldnt blow your wallet right away. learn some photography with lower end models first. get a feel for taking decent pictures. then when you feel that your being limited by the camera and want to do more photography, get something better.

in my case. i got a coolpix 2500 a few years ago and it was a fun little camera ( well still is. ) but when travelling around and wanting to do higher quality photography it limits me. so my answer to this was to get a nikon D70. its been great so far :)

[-sideshowbob-]

get one mirror reflex..

and get one with changable lenses... u got more possibilatys thru this.. static lense not that good

i got canon eos 300D ;>

try get this one

[Bacchus]

I might be a bit late on this thread and it might have already been said.....

An important things to look for in a small digital camera is that you get one with an Optical zoom and not a digital zoom, the quality is always much better and you really need to look for one that has at least 3.5 mega pixels.

My other half has just bought a Canon PowerShot A85 and its spot on. As well as having all the usual "fire and forget" settings on it, it also has Manual focus, shutter and aperture control. Plus it has the option of limited interchangeable lenses. I've had a play with it and it's hard to knock.

Personally I use a Nikon D1x (Soon to be a D2x) with 17-35mm f2.8, 35-70mm f2.8 & 70-200mm f2.8 lenses along with 2 SB80DX flash guns.......but fortunately my company pays for them ;).

I hope this helps

Bacchus :^^:

[AXK]

if u could raise the bar a bit further, i would recommend OLYMPUS C8080,its a porper SLR style camera with everyting u will possibly need packed in the box, and , it has a superb razor sharp lens, i brought one just before X'mas as a back up/take anywhere camera and im very happy with it.
but there is one thing i must say which is , the reviewing is a bit slow, it will take around 5 sec for each RAW file to be loaded. but if u r happy with just taking JPEG format, then everything will be just fine. :^^:

[skankatie]

What about the Canon Powershot A80? Im thinking of getting that one, it has got some good reviews. Also it has a swivel screen which makes it easier to take shots high up or close to the ground, without putting your cheek in the dust.

I have the Powershot A75, its very similar to the A80 but it lacks the swivel screen. I wouln't recomend the swivel screen, it will break with one drop or with a srong amount of pressure. I love my A75 and wouldn't mind putting my cheek in the dust once in a while. :)

[skankatie]

What about the Canon Powershot A80? Im thinking of getting that one, it has got some good reviews. Also it has a swivel screen which makes it easier to take shots high up or close to the ground, without putting your cheek in the dust.

I have the Powershot A75, its very similar to the A80 but it lacks the swivel screen. I wouln't recomend the swivel screen, it will break with one drop or with a srong amount of pressure. I love my A75 and wouldn't mind putting my cheek in the dust once in a while. :)

[newbies13]

Beware of any site that sells the canon digital rebel for less then 700 with the lens kit, or less then 600 for just the body. There are 3-4 sites out there that are advertising it for DIRT cheap, and as always you get what you pay for. Your best bet is one of the auction sites honestly, I got my canon digital rebel with a lens 512 meg memory card and spare battery for $650 bucks an AWESOME deal.

Love the camera too it's hard to take a bad shot with it, and at max resolution you have some seriously large photo's to work with.

[wazzup]

what kinda cameras good for landscapes and nature like under 500 us $ good zoom like 10x and good picture quality and not to many buttons :^^;:

[scott_ewen]

I have the Minolta Dimage A1 and I love it. It's an SLR type camera with a ton of options. Huge lens is great for detailed landscape pics and really capturing the light.

They've come way down in price. pricegrabber has them listed for around 530

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=1229859&search=dimage+a1

[Wes Mordine]

For an affordable yet very high quality digital camera, consider the Sony DSC-P93!

3x optical zoom, 5.1 megapixels, LCD monitor, plenty of options for exposure and apperture, and many other goods.

Highly recommend it if you have about $350.

I should probably post a couple of pics to sell the idea...

[blueeyedfairyinpink]

You should get the Nikon D70. It's the best camera ever and it's both Digital and Film ready. I love that camera and wouldn't change it for anything. You can get it for about $400.00 at Amazon.com You just have to look and find your self a great deal. They also have the Cannon SLR and you can get that at Wal-Mart.

I'm new here and still learning my way around so if you have any advice please let me know. I still haven't figured how to post pictures in my page yet. So please feel free to help me. Blueeyedfairyinpink!

[Boyd]

Im gonna guess that you dont want to spend a bucket of money on this, so I'd recommend any of the Nikon Coolpix line. Reliable as hell and decent enough image quality for a point and shoot. As D-SLR's go, I agree with blueeyedfairyinpink on the D70, but also check out the Rebel XT. The only thing that it lacks is the 20fps of the D70. The Xt's got 12. But other than that, its comprable in every aspect. But not as costly :wink: .

I'm picking up one next week.
Digital or Die! :dead: :dead: :dead:

[Himtim]

You should get the Nikon D70. It's the best camera ever and it's both Digital and Film ready. I love that camera and wouldn't change it for anything. You can get it for about $400.00 at Amazon.com You just have to look and find your self a great deal. They also have the Cannon SLR and you can get that at Wal-Mart.

I'm new here and still learning my way around so if you have any advice please let me know. I still haven't figured how to post pictures in my page yet. So please feel free to help me. Blueeyedfairyinpink!


Hi! what do you mean when you say its film ready?

[DragonGX]

You should get the Nikon D70. It's the best camera ever and it's both Digital and Film ready. I love that camera and wouldn't change it for anything. You can get it for about $400.00 at Amazon.com You just have to look and find your self a great deal. They also have the Cannon SLR and you can get that at Wal-Mart.

I'm new here and still learning my way around so if you have any advice please let me know. I still haven't figured how to post pictures in my page yet. So please feel free to help me. Blueeyedfairyinpink!


Eh, a D70 costs at around $1000 (more or less depending on the store and rebates) and is NOT film ready. There aren't ANY DSLR cameras that are "film ready". There are some film cameras (mostly extremely expensive medium format) that can accept a digital back, but non of the 35mm based DSLRs can take film...


You might want to check your facts before giving them to other people.. :P

[Johannes]

Im a nikon guy since my first camera...
Ive practiced at a sportphotographer the last 6 months, so this is what i found out so far:

Ive tested the D1h, which as not to my liking, but may be cheap. Beware of the expensive rechargeble batteries though - dont get one with a halfdead battery. It does however have a peculiar rgb sensor which make it difficult to handle in PS.

D1x which is ok, but still too few pixels, but good rgb sensor, good colors, a fine camera, but "old"

D2H, expensive and fast, but to few pixels and a bit "noisy" on the image. also its totally too expensive

D2X - only tested this on a fair, looked and felt good, many pixels, Id like the firm to get this one.

D70 - this i like, while its not as fast as the others, it have good amount of pixels and a steady rgb sensor and not much noise. Good battery price on this one too. It has all the features I would need and more right now at least, except an flashcable adapter which for some reason it has not - i have to put an 800 flash on it and stick the cable into the flashs flashcable thing...

D100 - only tested this a little, felt good, but had a noisy image.

coolpix 2100, my brother have this one, few pixels but fast, good alrounf "partycamera" that still kicks the butt of many other brands in its pricerange. Good starting camera (thinking of buying my brothers when he gets the newer model).


Also on a DSLR (the kind you can change lens on) its important to get a lens with a large F, like 2.8 or better. This is expensive, but its worth it. The 50mm F1.8 is a great startlens (but perhaps a bit boring).
Also get at least a 512mb card for the camera, preferably from some well known manufacturer, we use sandisk mostly.

gl with the choices :D

[Himtim]

Im a nikon guy since my first camera...
Ive practiced at a sportphotographer the last 6 months, so this is what i found out so far:

Ive tested the D1h, which as not to my liking, but may be cheap. Beware of the expensive rechargeble batteries though - dont get one with a halfdead battery. It does however have a peculiar rgb sensor which make it difficult to handle in PS.

D1x which is ok, but still too few pixels, but good rgb sensor, good colors, a fine camera, but "old"

D2H, expensive and fast, but to few pixels and a bit "noisy" on the image. also its totally too expensive

D2X - only tested this on a fair, looked and felt good, many pixels, Id like the firm to get this one.

D70 - this i like, while its not as fast as the others, it have good amount of pixels and a steady rgb sensor and not much noise. Good battery price on this one too. It has all the features I would need and more right now at least, except an flashcable adapter which for some reason it has not - i have to put an 800 flash on it and stick the cable into the flashs flashcable thing...

D100 - only tested this a little, felt good, but had a noisy image.

coolpix 2100, my brother have this one, few pixels but fast, good alrounf "partycamera" that still kicks the butt of many other brands in its pricerange. Good starting camera (thinking of buying my brothers when he gets the newer model).


Also on a DSLR (the kind you can change lens on) its important to get a lens with a large F, like 2.8 or better. This is expensive, but its worth it. The 50mm F1.8 is a great startlens (but perhaps a bit boring).
Also get at least a 512mb card for the camera, preferably from some well known manufacturer, we use sandisk mostly.

gl with the choices :D

The number of pixel doesnt mather, its the quality of the pixel that mathers, 4mp resulotion is OK for newspaper/magprint. but it is noisy wich is a problem for a sportphotographer like yourself...

D70 is a good cam, but not for pro-sportphoto, it doesnt have the speed, also the build is not fit for a proshooter, it dont take bumps and rain and so on like a pro-house does. it doesnt even have usb 2,0 which is important for a profesional user, it doesnt have a vert grip, also something most pros would use.

D100 does not have that noisy images, d70 is better but on lower iso you cant see any differens. Also it would be a good idea to wait and see how Nikon d90 turns out (follow up to D100)

You recomend "large f stops" but you dont explain why. large f numbers let more light in to the sensor and that means you can shoot in places with low light without crankin up the ISO or using flash, this is good for sportphotographers like you, if you shoot sport you need a good tele lens, 400 and over(take a bank loan;)..).

Also large f stops give you the chans to make very creative photography, you can play around with the dof on a whole different level...you mention the 50mm 1,8( 75mm on a 1,5x crop digital sensor), what is boring about it?????? its the best normal lens you can get for that money. perfect portrait lens for face and halfbody shoots.

Just some thoughts from me/T

[Johannes]

Himtim - Good thoughts, I agree.
I didnt elaborate because I dont the average user needs to know so much - it just confuses things on the early stages. Plus I was certain it would spark someones interest and they be writing an clarifying, and that "someone" was you. :D
The D70 is not a good sportscamera, but its an excellent allround camera, something that could fit a member here on CA.
The usb have not been an issue to me, as i load the cards in via a cardreader.
Perhaps somewhere we could discuss lenses that are good and cheap, Id be interested in that. :)

[Banshax]

Gotta agree, the sony p-series is doing very well.
the p10, p93 etc etc handle autofocus in dark places very well,
flash pretty balanced, resolution isnt a problem with any cam anyway,
dono bout batterylife but its worth checking out

[Wes Mordine]

The Sony P-93 has quite an impressive battery life! It comes with two rechargeable Nickel-Metal batteries, which are good for about 400 shots. The charger is included, of course.

The resolution of a 5.1 megapixels is basically ridiculous (in a good way, that is)! Anything more than 5.1 most be intended for the purpose of giving the owner bragging rights.

I was reading the reviews of expert sites on digital cameras, and they all hold the P-93 in very high esteem. They say it's among the finest non-proffesional digital camera.

And that makes me happy.

[Frogbeast]

Hey. One of the better things that I've found useful is to check out Consumer Reports magazine or thier website (which is a paysite unfort.) they do really nice comparison's of price vs. options and quality. PS watch out for digital zoom=no good

[Iliou]

before I bought my camera, i spent a month researching which would be best for me. What I realized through all the reviews and all the forums is that a camera is individual to the persons needs and wants.

I have a Nikon D70s, and I love it. It's versitile, good priced, and great quailty. I reccomend it to any and all.

[siphis]

I'm looking to buy a digital camera in the price range of $150-250. I'm intersted in the Sony Cybershot DSCS40 4.1 MP more than any other camera so far. Does anyone know about this camera?

[DavePalumbo]

cybershots aren't that great from what I hear. I second the earlier comment to stick to canon/olympus/nikon

I myself have been using the Canon digital rebel for a couple years and it has not once let me down. Full manual control, easy to understand the controls, superb quality, the batteries even seem to last forever. It also goes up to ISO 1600. Try finding a point and shoot that can do that! Of course it's a bit pricey and it's a bit big. You can find cheaper ones online, but they're often "grey market" and not covered by any sort of manufacturers waranty.

I wanted a camera that I could carry in my pocket (sort of a camera sketchbook) for when I'm out and wishing I had one. Nothing fancy, no need for super high megapixels or anything. Just something tiny, reliable, with good quality and at least some manual control. I shopped around plenty and ended up with the Canon SD200. It only has 3.2 megapixels, but they also make higher resolution models (SD300/SD500). All in all it fits my purpose beautifully. It's one of the smallest of the mini digital cameras, but it has a canon lense and I can adjust settings instead of being forced to use the "preset modes". My mom has a Fuji that's similar and I can't stand it. No manual control at all! I hear that Canon makes the best lenses on compact cameras and from what I've seen, this is absolutely true.

[Artschmart]

Been thinking about getting a Canon Digital Rebel SLR @ 8 megapixels. Are they good? I just want a point and click camera but a high end one.

[DavePalumbo]

the Digital Rebels do give the option of being highly automated, being essentially a point and shoot. Personally I think if you want a point and shoot, it's a bit of overkill. Like swatting a fly with a mallet, you know? They're also fairly bulky for what I think of as a point and shoot, which should be portable and lightweight enough to carry around in your jacket pocket in my opinion.

I think it'd be a waste of potential to use one as just a point and shoot, unless you plan to learn more about how to use the manual controls in the future.

[Layil]

What about the Canon Powershot A80? Im thinking of getting that one, it has got some good reviews. Also it has a swivel screen which makes it easier to take shots high up or close to the ground, without putting your cheek in the dust.


my dad has that camera (its the one i took to prague) and it drove me crazy the whole trip. it takes nice pics but the button layout is annoying and the small swivel screen is SO small you cant see that your pics are blurry until its too late. I guess you could get used to it, but i had the A75 and i liked it alot better because it had a bigger screen. Also, these cameras tend to cool the color of the pics alot, so accurate color is a problem. Theyre a bit big and heavy too and theres at least a two second lag in shooting at the bigger resolutions, which bugged me. otherwise, they work great and have a nice battery life to them. I also agree that Canon makes the best lenses on smaller cameras, and ill probably look into getting another one, just a different model.

just my two cents. im in the market for a new digi as well since mine got stolen, and i wont be buying another one of the Canon A75 or A80s...

[magenta]

Pixels, resolution, quality , memory size and Zoom length are some of the things to consider before getting a new Camera.
nikon, Canon and Olympus are some good brands..

[Barret_wallace]

Been thinking about getting a Canon Digital Rebel SLR @ 8 megapixels. Are they good? I just want a point and click camera but a high end one.

i got the canon 350D it wery similar to the rebel.
if you just are going to point and shoot it's a waste to spend
that mutch money. the powers of a SLR is that it got a
mutch bether ligth strenkt and you can affekt the depth of the image aso...

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/barret_wallace/CA01.jpg
if you study the backround you wil se that it's blury.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/barret_wallace/CA02.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/barret_wallace/CA04.jpg
a SLR lens is stronger that what on ordinary cameras.
alowes you to take pictures of great distances whitout it geting dark

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/barret_wallace/CA03.jpg
(Picture taken by Slash)
masive collor and details, also the lens.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/barret_wallace/CA05.jpg
when using a fockal length smaler than 24mm (?)
you are using a broad angel objektive (not sure how to write this in english)
the front weel of this bike apears larger than it realy is

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/barret_wallace/CA06.jpg
white ballance and aperture let's you chose what's white and how brith the image sould be. this image is however an faliure. but look at the one to the right, it the cutest of them all Slash =)



the megapixels of a camera is actualy not that interesting.
the lens is the most important to a camera.
and if you are considuring an SLR, remember that
it's not a point and shoot camera, but a powerful camera that
you need practise to master.

[Delight]

Beware of any site that sells the canon digital rebel for less then 700 with the lens kit, or less then 600 for just the body. There are 3-4 sites out there that are advertising it for DIRT cheap, and as always you get what you pay for. Your best bet is one of the auction sites honestly, I got my canon digital rebel with a lens 512 meg memory card and spare battery for $650 bucks an AWESOME deal.

Love the camera too it's hard to take a bad shot with it, and at max resolution you have some seriously large photo's to work with.
Daaamn, I ended up paying a grand for mine. But it's probably worth it, because it came with a lifetime warrenty.

[Slash]

Such an expencive camera, and all he ever does is stand outside my window, taking pictures of me in my underwear.. :nohope:

Welcome to conceptart.org barret!

[c-thru]

Until recently, I've been using my grandfather's Olympus OM-2, which I found satisfactory. I'm hoping to move away from film since I recently discovered that film and photo paper is usually based in gelatin (possibly derives from cow bone/hide). I'd like to find a dSLR which can replace it. I've noticed that both the Canon EOS 300D and the Nikon D70 have been discontinued, both of which I was seriously considering.

Can anyone tell me what they're being replaced by, and whether such cameras would be suitable instead of the old OM-2?

It seems that some models are quickly replaced by others, e.g. the D70 replaced by the D70S, with new gadgetry attached. How safe is it to buy one of these dSLR cameras at the present, given that the model may soon become outdated? Would suitable spare parts, lens and memory-cards still be available?

Thanks.

[Barret_wallace]

as the dealer said to me, it dos realy not mather what dSLR
you chose, you wil be equaly satisfied any way.

nikon's D70s got å mutch beter kit lens than canon's 350d kit

canons 350d hous got 8mp and nikon d70s got 6mp
that is the only real diference.

you cannot go thinking aboute what new will come when bying a camera.
no mather what you buy it wil get out dated.

all nikon lenses can be used on all nikon slr cameras i think, (bout dSLR and SLR)
canon lenses can't be exchanged betven SLR and dSLR,
canon got two types of lenses EF and EF-S,
the EF-S type can only be used by the cameras 350d 40d and 20d
the EF lenses can be used by all canon dSLR's.

i would advise you to buy the d70s, whit this camera you get the
most out of your money.

[Gamerhomie]

A photographer came to our school today to take pictures of our clubs for the yearbook. I started to get into a conversation about cameras with him because I was interested, and i asked about his camera. Here's the problem.

I'm pretty sure it was the Nikon D100, as he said he would recommend me that camera to get. What I don't remember is if he said D100, or F100. He did say that the 200 version is coming out this week. I tihnk D200. Is that what he was talking about? I'll look into it.

[infinitemonkey]

I have Canon T-70 (not digital) with a set of Tamron lenses. I'm thinking of going digital in the near future and I want to use the lenses. I'm told it's possible, probably just have to get a chip upgrade in the lenses themselves. Anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?

[madpencil]

I bought the Canon Digital Rebel 350D a month ago, It's fantastic, I got a telephoto/macro lens wih it, I'm very happy with this camera. I recommend it to anyone whether it's your primary or back up camera.

[Barret_wallace]

the 350d is the best camera in it's price class :)
i got it myself and it will be many years before i need a
camera of more power

[Gamerhomie]

Really? Because that was the first camera I was interested in. 350d eh? I'll check it out once more.

[forum803]

The olympus C-575 is good....but i am a fan of the lumix...AWSOME lense.and some manual setting available...most the powershots are good as well

[SplendidArt]

Im going to suggest my camera it is very nice, and takes sharp photos its the NikonD70

[claudeEGYPT]

Canon Rebel XT 350 ... end of story..

http://www.canon.com.au/images/image_library_low_res/eos%20350d%20slv%20front%20front.jpg

[Barret_wallace]

There is only one dSLR of interest in the amateur class
http://www.ixbt.com/digimage/canon350d_ixim/canon350fl.jpg

:)

[samsite999]

Can i add my 2 peneys? I have had a Kodak DX6490, great starter camera, but only 4MP, takes some great pics, quick and easy to learn, nice LCD display, robust, mine took a few nocks, its just a great camera it has 10X optical zoom and this can be added with additional lenses, and it also accepts filters for the more creative user and it also has all the manual settings a starter would need. I have now got a nion coolpix 8700 which is 8.1mp i think, again great camera, but a difficult and challenging learning curve to get the best out of it! basically, pays ur money take ur choice, personally i wouldn’t go for a digital SLR if your just coming in to things

[Bill Beaton]

I'm afraid that I'll blow my savings on a prosumer digital camera and then be left in the dirt of some newer, cheaper more effective model.

[Barret_wallace]

I'm afraid that I'll blow my savings on a prosumer digital camera and then be left in the dirt of some newer, cheaper more effective model.


if you buy a prosumer model like nikon D50 or D70(s) or
Canon 20D or 350D you will be satisfied.
in some years all prosumer models will contain a fullframe sensor.
my tip to you is to buy a camera now.

[Bill Beaton]

Now, RIGHT NOW? k brb

[samsite999]

If im looking at somthing on he original price range of the Nikon Coolpix 8700 what do you think i should be looking at, i realy liked the camera untill i fell in a rock pool with it. Its a discontinuewd modle now. I would like nikon again so any idears?

[Barret_wallace]

If im looking at somthing on he original price range of the Nikon Coolpix 8700 what do you think i should be looking at, i realy liked the camera untill i fell in a rock pool with it. Its a discontinuewd modle now. I would like nikon again so any idears?


buy yourself a dSLR! Nikon D70s is a good camera

[Fingers]

I recommend Canon as well. One thing that's cool about them is their digital SLR's and point&shoot cameras both use the same "Digic II" processor that's really good... I've got a tiny "digital ixus" and a $2000+ D20 setup and they're both great (in their own way of course :) )

[Bill Beaton]

I can afford a D70S, but is it a vast improvement over a D50?

[Barret_wallace]

then you should rater buy the Canon 350d digital rebel
you get mor out of your money

[ShadeOfDawn]

I'd reccomend the Canaon 20D. It recently dropped in price with the release of the Canon 30D (which is a minor improvement over the 20D - it has the same sensor and same megapixels. There are differences but they arent that major)

The 20D has a larger and sturdier body than the Rebel XT, and it has some more pro features. I'd reccomend the 20D for better longevity.

[Bill Beaton]

ajaja, I love the pictures you've taken with the Canon20d, but it's pushing my budget a little. Most sites seem to be 1000-1300 dollars, without a lens, wheras I can get the d70s for that price including a lens.

With this review in mind i'm leaning towards the d70s again
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/20dd70.htm

It's very tricky.

[Bill Beaton]

I went for the d70s. I got it today, and took a few test pictures. I'm very impressed so far!

http://www.nudnik-headache.net/foto/DSC_00181.JPG

http://www.nudnik-headache.net/foto/DSC_0023.JPG

[ukanfoff]

yea mines with a 20d.. i poured so much money for my gear.. i got 2 L lenses.. about a grand each.. i wont be buyin a nikon cam soon
sometimes i think im in the wrong camp.
im more of a color guy... after takin thousands of shots, u do notice the suttle differences with nikon and canon. even with post processing.. theres a difference.

but its all up to u what do u want out of your shots. more color?.. less noise?..


http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b70/ukanfoff/ZERO00002481.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b70/ukanfoff/ZERO00002475.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b70/ukanfoff/ZERO00002473.jpg


http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b70/ukanfoff/ZERO00002469.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b70/ukanfoff/ZERO00002472.jpg


http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b70/ukanfoff/ZERO00002179.jpg

[Fingers]

The 20d is a great camera but it may be total overkill unless you're either wealthy or very serious about photography. A lot of its potential is wasted if you don't spend a couple grand more for great lenses. One of those sub-$1K cameras with a built in 12x zoom lens and image stabilizer will be just as good for most people if not better as it'll be easier to use and carry around.

[ukanfoff]

u can afford any cam u want.as long u find a way to pay for it thats all.

i aint rich.. nor serious about photography,,,
its more of a hobby really..

but i sell enough pictures to pay for my cred card bills.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/superslloyd/REX1567.jpg

so its a go go..
did this person buy a cam yet?

[DarkMuse]

Hello! Camera wise, for companies I recommend Cannon or Nikon
For you a simple point and shoot with usb trans and can do photo effects Nikon coolpix 7600, I actually have one of these and am very pleased with it, mine is a 7.1 megapix with 7.8-23.4mm zoom, I baught extra memory, so I have a gig mem card (trigger crazy). Other then that go for something small, you can get a good deal on some of the 5-7 megapix cams, good luck!!!

[Heat]

i think this link is interesting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Georgia_Aquarium_-_Cuttlefish_Jan_2006.jpg

the photographer had this to say

"Taken by myself with a Canon 5D and 24-105mm f/4L IS lens at ISO1600"

id love that camera to have for checking out HDR in PS

[Le Gab]

So i decided to give up my A75. Sad day today, but i somehow did it.

No I get to choose one of the following:
-Olympus SP500
-Finepix S5600
-Hp 945

Pls Help. 10x

[samsite999]

If you can get a DSLR > I know i am not going back on what i said before, after having one now there is so much more you can do with them. Stupid things that used to drive me crazy like shutter lag, and power on time are no longer a issue. Also just the way the camera feels. to go back here, i found the most anoying thing on Pro sumer, i think thats what there called... 1) ISO even the new fuiji that clames its the closest to a DSLR you can get the amount of noice produces at 1600 makes it unusable. (ISO is basicly the gain on the CCD) the higher the ISO the more light that will be regesterd so this help in dark conditions + you can increes the shutter speed with a high ISO so your less likely to get camera shake, 2) Power on, because the lence is allready there and attached there is no power on time, i flick the power butten and can take a picture in less than a second 3) Finaly shutter lag, there was nothing more that upset me than going to take a picture that was on the moment like my dog doing somthing stupid and actual getting a image whcih occurd a second after i wanted to take a shot...thats my 2p...

[Le Gab]

Well, I guess that rules out the 945?:zzz:

What do you think of the SP500? Thats my first pick

[samsite999]

Le Gab > what kind of money are you looking at spending, or are you like me, as little as possable

[Le Gab]

As little as possible! :^^:

[Thomas Dickinson]

I wonder if this digital back can produce a better image than Kodak T-Max 100 (120 film). I'll appreciate all inputs!

[Morbid]

I wonder if this digital back can produce a better image than Kodak T-Max 100 (120 film). I'll appreciate all inputs!
It should, at that price!! ;)
Sorry I dont know, but I know that digital backs cant reproduce the same contrast range yet. The whitest whites and darkest blacks always have more detail with film. (so far)

[Thomas Dickinson]

It should, at that price!! ;)
Sorry I dont know, but I know that digital backs cant reproduce the same contrast range yet. The whitest whites and darkest blacks always have more detail with film. (so far)

Thanks for the input. I'm planning to purchase the 503CW but haven't decided which film back to buy. I'm very familiar with black and white films so I prefer to use films rather than the digital one. However, since I live in a small town and have no access to a well equipped darkroom at this moment, I thought I might be better off with a digital camera. But as you suggested, the quality of the digital camera is still not as good as that of a film camera, even if you pay thousands of dollars for it.

I wonder why the contrast range of a digital camera is still not wide enough.

[Morbid]

When the digital pixels reach white it just cant go any further, there is a finer graduation in film. But then digital has so many advantages. You can control the white balance and its much much more convinient.

There is a great site on the issue here:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/filmdig.htm

[Thomas Dickinson]

When the digital pixels reach white it just cant go any further, there is a finer graduation in film. But then digital has so many advantages. You can control the white balance and its much much more convinient.

There is a great site on the issue here:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/filmdig.htm

Thanks for the link to the article.

Do you know if today's top class portrait photographers use digital cameras when they shoot black and white? I wonder if such photographers as Helmut Newton and Patrick Demarchelier use digital cameras.

[Morbid]

I can't say for sure. I have seen a few professional portrait photographers who use digital backs, but film is still superioir in quality. My guess would be they use film.

[Thomas Dickinson]

I guess I should purchase a 120 film back instead of a digital one. If I had enough money to buy a digital back, I'ｄ buy strobes and an enlarger.

By the way, what does "SSGXVI - The Unseen Sixteen" mean?

[Morbid]

Thats my sketchgroup. See http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=871773&highlight=sketchgroup#post871773.
Basically a group of people watching and commenting on each others sketchbook threads.

[kikikoman]

Hi guys I'm new here I just need some help because I'm torn between 2 DSLR cameras.

Firstly I'm pretty new to photography.( Yes I'm a newbie but I'm picking up since I'm learning photgraphy in the upcoming weeks and I need to do photography on my school project etc. heehee :bashful: )

Secondly, I'm currently looking for a camera that would most probably last me for quite some time as you know I'm not rich or whatever. So I've kind of decided to invest on SLR which would probably so.

my two choices: Nikon D70S or Canon Eos 350D (you guys can suggest better ones if the prices ranges around this 2 cameras and I would appreciate if someone could briefly elaborate the difference because I've read the specs but I'm not really sure about it. )

Lastly, I've always wanted to ask.

Can someone tell me how long have these 3 cameras in production? Which of it is easier to handle? and roughly the cost of it back then.

Canon EOS 500
Nikon F55
Nikon FE10

I would greatly appreciate if anyone can help. Thank you!

[ukanfoff]

Hi guys I'm new here I just need some help because I'm torn between 2 DSLR cameras.

Firstly I'm pretty new to photography.( Yes I'm a newbie but I'm picking since I've to do abit of photography for my school project etc. and you know I want good grades. heehee :bashful: )

Secondly, I'm currently looking for a camera that would most probably last me for quite some time as you know I'm not rich or whatever. So I've kind of decided to invest on SLR which would probably so.

my two choices: Nikon D70S or Canon Eos 350D (you guys can suggest better ones if the prices ranges around this 2 cameras and I would appreciate if someone could briefly elaborate the difference because I've read the specs but I'm not really sure about it. )

Lastly, I've always wanted to ask.

Can someone tell me how long have these 3 cameras in production? Which of it is easier to handle? and roughly the cost of it back then.

Canon EOS 500
Nikon F55
Nikon FE10

I would greatly appreciate if anyone can help. Thank you!


I could tackle the dslr question..
ok.. im no pro but i have seen a lot out on what these camera can produce.
ill just point out what i think is important ,well to me anyway.

first nikon.. i really like nikons way of producing colors, its like a national geographic type quality,its can produce really rich colors. good focusing in low light, but its so-so with the high noise . its get grainy but its all on taste.for skin tones ,nikon is awesome.

ok now canon ... photos come out a lil bit sharper,due to the lenses, but u gotta know which to buy. uhm as for colors, colors arent outstanding ,thier ok. skin tones, eh thier ok i guess. for high iso, it does a better job than nikon. price for canons gear is a lil cheaper than nikon.

with those things said. invest in photoshop- elements even


depends on what u want out of your picture, really.
if u want color go with nikon, if u want sharpness go with canon.

i used to have rebel xt but sold it .
i do have a canon 20d , its just im not satisfied with the colors, im planning to get a nikon d70s in the future. its pretty cheap and price is lowering everytime i check on it.



go to www.dpreview.com go between the brands and hang around the forums.

sony just came out with a dslr. 10mp for less than $999 . consumer use.
just wait on the reviews

[kikikoman]

Thanks a lot! you really save me!

[vinc]

well, what i ve read/heard so far the nikon D50 is equal to the D70s. and both are a real competion to the EOS 350D.
Like the others say, the 350D has damn good sharpness, its fast but small (with big hands like mine its dificult to handle sometimes), Nikon is great (from what i heard) with color, cause it has graduation-tools on cam etc. But with his high res and low MP (against 350D) it has problems with moire effects. also it doenst have ISO 100 only 200-1600, this is a point that scares me much.
The price line is D50 - EOS 350D - D70, in germany they cost with kit ca 580-950€. But there are more costs comming, like different objectives, SD/CF Cards, case, and and and.

I borrowed a EOS 350D and i like it very much, maybe i can try a Nikon too, we will see.
If so, i ll post my thoughts for you.

[vinc]

allright, maybe its a damn fault, but i will buy a Nikon D50. I went to the service point today and told them about the offer from some other stores, they gave me a great offer!!! The big Kit (Case/18-55/55-200/1GB Hyper card) for 690€ (round about 930$)

Edit:
Changed my mind ^^ EOS is so much better after all and it costs 900$ in the kit now. Lucky me, that i was waiting.

[kikikoman]

Alright guys! I just got my D50 instead of D70s because i find there isnt much difference btw those 2 and it is much lighter. Now I'm wondering is there any suggetive lens that a beginner can use? The kit gave me a 18-55mm lens. Lastly I'm wondering is there anyway to prevent the lcd from scratches? Furthermore what else do i need? I don't have a drybox( i'm keeping it in the bag they gave me but I was wondering will it be safe?), lens filter(my friends told me to get 1 and I dont really know what is it for.) etc. ( I'm saving for those though) Thanks a lot I really like the camera a lot even though i'm still improving on my shots so I really hope someone would tell me what necessary tools i should get to keep the camera in tip top condition! :yayca:

[Fingers]

The filter you'll want to get is known as a "UV filter". Its nominal function is to keep ultraviolet light out so it doesn't cause purple artifacts in pictures taken in bright daylight. In practice, you use it to protect the front of your lens from scratches and dirt as it's a lot cheaper to get a new filter than a new lens. Plus it just might help the picture quality.

The 18-55mm lens is good for general picture-taking... Kit lenses usually aren't the best quality, but unless you're printing things out at A3 it won't matter too much. At some point you'll want to get a telephoto zoom lens (like a 70-200) and a tripod to expand your range.

Affordable "Super-zoom" lenses like Sigma 18-200 or 28-300 also exist and might be a good option for you as you won't have to swap out the lens in the field and get a good range. Again, their image quality won't be the best, but it'll be plenty good for a beginner especially if you're showing the pictures digitally in a small size like here on the forum. Composition, lighting and colors are what's most important and those are up to you, not the lens...

[Cat]

What do you guys think about the lumix fz7??

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz7/

i'm a total newb when it comes to cameras but i am looking for one that i can use to take pictures of sculptures.. busts aswell as close-ups of wrinkles and pores.
I kinda fell in love with the lumix when i first saw/read about it :bashful:

[ukanfoff]

What do you guys think about the lumix fz7??

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz7/

i'm a total newb when it comes to cameras but i am looking for one that i can use to take pictures of sculptures.. busts aswell as close-ups of wrinkles and pores.
I kinda fell in love with the lumix when i first saw/read about it :bashful:


i would say keep looking around. and not judge so much on the bells and whistles on the camera, take a look on how the photos are.


dpreview is a great site and heres another for ya.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html

[Arp]

At the moment I have some avant low-price camera, and I'd like to have something more spicy, but as Im new to cameras I don't really know what I should go for,

Canon PowerShot S3-IS, Canon PowerShot S2-IS or any other camera for max 750$, and for that price I want rechargeble batteries, atleast 512mb memory and.

[ukanfoff]

At the moment I have some avant low-price camera, and I'd like to have something more spicy, but as Im new to cameras I don't really know what I should go for,

Canon PowerShot S3-IS, Canon PowerShot S2-IS or any other camera for max 750$, and for that price I want rechargeble batteries, atleast 512mb memory and.


y not shoot for a dslr? nikon d50 $680 and $780 FOR A CANON REBEL XT on amazon.com and 1 gig cards are like $30-$50 each these days..

[XXXJanitorman]

I believe I posted a topic in this forum a few months ago. I have an old canon SLR with 2 lenses. I had been trying to decide if I should get a dSLR or stick to film. Since I already had a film camera then I stuck to using film. After using it for several months, I have found out what I like and what I don't like. I don't like taking many pictures of portraits, or animals. I love landscapes and buildings though and I like to take some candid shots. Lugging around the SLR is getting to be a burden too. I keep it in my car, but I cannot take it everywhere. I have been trying out the idea of getting compact digital camera. I think it would suit my needs a bit more. I'd like to find one reasonably priced, with 6-8megapixels, I don't need a swivel screen (I think I would just break it off by accident), and it would have to be good at landscape pictures (Strong blues and greens are what I like best :) )

I've already started doing some research but if you guys have any recommendations, please post them.

[Arp]

y not shoot for a dslr? nikon d50 $680 and $780 FOR A CANON REBEL XT on amazon.com and 1 gig cards are like $30-$50 each these days..

Oh, thanks for the help, I haven't even checked amazon.com yet, and I found a package offer that offered Nikon D50 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with 28-80mm f3.3-5.6G AF Nikkor Zoom Lens+1gig card for $646.44.
And about the lens, is 28-80mm fairly good and is 18-55mm that much better?

EDIT: now I saw "Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S."

[Smeagol71]

Sony Cybershots are pretty good, might want to check them out as well. The colors are RICH!

[ukanfoff]

Oh, thanks for the help, I haven't even checked amazon.com yet, and I found a package offer that offered Nikon D50 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with 28-80mm f3.3-5.6G AF Nikkor Zoom Lens+1gig card for $646.44.
And about the lens, is 28-80mm fairly good and is 18-55mm that much better?

EDIT: now I saw "Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S."

18-55mm kit lens? i would always try to avoid using the kit lens..... i would go with the 28-80..

[Le Gab]

Sooo, i need help. Been here before but i need help again.

I need your oppinion on this cam i wanna buy.

The article can be found here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/accessories/B000B4FVK4/ref=hl_ac_03/202-5199607-3727839?ie=UTF8

The ideea is that this is the best price i could find fitting my pocket at this moment. :)

10x!

[Y-S]

I think I'm about to get canon EOS 30D......and I'm kind of new at photography...

[ayame]

I work at Best Buy in Delaware, as a "technology educator" with Digital Imaging.

We have two DSLRs on Display. One is the Nikon D50 and one is the Canon Rebel XT.

6/8 MP.

I think I remember the main difference with the D50 and D70 was just megapixels.

I played with both the rebel and the d50 and I have to say I prefer the Nikon over Canon. The canons screen was small, and harder to use. The nikon was easy to use (as usual) and very responsive. After playing with it/selling it/ I have to say I'm a huge fan. I wouldn't mind owning it. Even though I already have a 35mm Minolta.

699 this week. :)

[Lauren Short]

tsk tsk shameful plug for best buy, quit fueling the fire! (also a best buy employee, except i install car audio stuff :bashful: )

if you're going to drop 700 bucks on a camera, either get something of the d70(nikon)/ 20d(canon) range or go for the 1200+ models like a d200 on up, much better than the "pro-sumer" models like the rebel xt and the d50.

though the differences are few in the d50 to d70 they are pretty big differences.

but yea, just a quick tip

[Cypher]

I'm Planning on buying a Nikon D50
is this a good investment? : O

I would like to hear some Nikon users about the camera,

And i DO believe that its not really about the body with a SLR but its about the lens, so thats why im not saving money up for a more expensive body because I want to invest in lenses,

BUT... plz correct me if i´m wrong, because this is going to be a great investment for myself.

I saw an ad for a new camera on the Nikon global website, said to have 10.2 mp and such... not much is known about it but it will be released within 5 days.
I´m very curious about that camera, IF it has the same chip as the Sony Alpha then i won´t buy it in a million years
(that chip sucks quite a bit )

[DrKilljoy]

God...if my dad had a digital camera (or even a scanner) he'd be able to put some rather amazing photos on here. Some of his black & white ones are beautiful from the Kansas City plaza.

[Banshax]

Cypher, you`re refering to the nikon D80, which uses the same chip as the higher end nikon d200. quite a nice chip, nothing wrong with it. The body is half the job. So a D50 is an excellent choice.Yes, the glas in front of it makes all the difference.

[Cypher]

Thx for the advice ^^

I liked the Nikon from the start... now to put it to the test,
that d80 is way the expensive for my budget, I COULD buy it.. but it would really be penny work :( .. would not leave any room for acces.

I'm gonna buy myself a sweet lens and batterygrip if I like the D50 :D

[emmillius]

Hello There!

I have a Nikon D70 SLR and I think it is the best camera in the world. I've had it for 2 years and when I bought it it was around $1200. I'm sure now you could get one for a lot less. Here are a few photos I have taken with it. http://www.icecoldawesome.com/ppage

Since the D70 is a rather large camera I now often use my b/f's Fuji F10. As far as a 'point and shoot' camera goes I have to say that it is the best I've ever used. Response time is quick and image quality is awesome. The price is somewhere around $300, but well worth it. It also has a nice macro feature and a few advanced options.

If you are looking for more advanced options in a 'point and shoot' I suggest the Fuji F11, I would have gotten it instead of the F10, but it wasn't available when i was buying last year. =)

[drewpac]

i'm pretty much in the same boat. if i were to able to save up some money, i would definitely go for a nikon d2x... but in the real world, i wouldn't be able to afford something half that.

so, right now, i am having a dilemma. will i get a canon a620 or a canon a700. they are pretty much the same except for the swivel screen, a megapixel difference, more optical zoom an the 720, 4 AA batteries on 620 as opposed to 2... the dilemma goes on. they say that there will be a replacement for the a620 right about this time... i'm holding on to my hard earned moolah for that one... i have no idea what it's going to be, but maybe that is the thing that i will be getting soon. hope this helps ^_^

[Cypher]

Sounds like a difficult situation indeed, i would get the new Fuji F11 or the Fuji S9600, they seem to handle ISO speeds very well!

I got my D50 this week = D
OW MAN i love it ! What a great cam indeed, the speed, relialibility and such are just to good to be true.

I'm using my fathers old Nikkor lens from 1975 the most and it works perfectly ^^ bot thumbs up for this cam!

[euphoriafish]

What I don't think has been mentioned yet, but I wish I knew when I was buying my camera:

Decide on batteries and memory options first. Check whether the camera has a special kind of battery and whether its battery will be hard to find if you can't recharge it anymore. Think about what the daily reality will be of charging the batteries and getting the pictures off the camera.

I love SD cards because, A) I don't trust Sony's trendy data formats, B) I have a card reader that fits in my purse, C) I don't have to worry about shorting out the whole camera by removing the usb cable improperly, and D) I can take cards to the camera store, take lots of pictures with the demo cameras, and then compare them on my computer at home.

That said, when I actually bought my current digital camera, I chose it mostly based on the written specs (I was in Japan, my old camera broke, and I forgot to take cards with me to Bic Camera but wasn't sure if I'd be able to come back). I got a Nikon Coolpix P4, and for the most part I'm really happy with it.

I can't afford a DSLR yet, but this camera gives more manual control than most point and shoot cameras, the colors are great and it performs well in low light. I also need the vibration reduction because I physically have a poor sense of balance and have trouble carrying a tripod around unless I absolutely have to. And it's 8 megapixels, OMG. If I take a picture of my hand, I can see every wrinkle, pore, and bit of chewed cuticle. The one thing I don't like about it is that the zoom is rather fast and it is hard to get exactly where I want it. But as far as lighting and color are concerned it is great. I think it has a pretty good meter, and I leave the flash off most of the time (holding my breath and using vibration reduction to avoid blurring). I also like all the menus that give me lots of data on the aperture and shutter speed of my shots.

[samsite999]

Fuji S9600 > i have sceen the results of this camera and hi ISO settings, trust me it does not handle hi ISO settings at all well. It realy does try to look like a DSLR, but trust me ur better off with the real thing.

there is a lot of wisdome to what euphoriafish has said, and i thank him for taking the time to type all of that.
I read a good artical about buying a camera earlyer on. The main point the righter was trying to make was deside what you want to do with a camera first, how you want to use it. Are you taking pictures of your kids, are you looking at taking it up as a hobbey, ect. Because invaribly you will need a differnt type of camera. Diside what memory format you want to use, and then how many mega pixals you think you will need based on how your going to use the camera, i.e photos for a web page or on the flip side printing because that will requre more. What size do you want to print at? if A3+ then your going to need a min of 6-7MP. Do you want a point and shoot, or do you want manual controle over apture, ISO, shutter speed?
only then can you start to actual look at cameras. and only then are u realisticly going to be able to diside howmuch you need to spend. Anything less and your going to be dissapointed.

things i would recomend, use SD or Compact flash, there cheeper then other brand formats like sony.
look who makes the lense for your camera, is it a well known company, with out a good lence your camera is a large expensive paper weight.
how much zoom do you need

hope this helps

[Sleep_Eden_sleep]

Hey guys, new to photography here. I just wanted to ask for advice on which camera I should get. I'm not necessarily new, per se, but I just haven't used an actual high-tech digital camera before. I just use my phone camera (I know, cheap) and used Photoshop (when I had it) to create something out of it. I really loved capturing moments, as much as I would like to deny it due to the fact that they're disposable unlike memories, but anyway, getting a little off-track here.

I just have a couple of criterias: Cheap as possible (I don't mind whatever the price is, just cheap as possible - working student here, lol), but very, very good quality. I'm not after a professional camera (yet), maybe just a day-to-day camera, but at the same time I do want it to be durable (I've heard of cameras that break easily) and since I don't have Photoshop anymore, I'm going to have to depend on the camera for vivid imagery, so maybe beyond 6 MP? I'm not sure though, but I'd rather hear what you guys would recommend.

PS - Maybe waterproof would be nice too, but I don't necessarily need it. I'm just gonna be around lots of water is all.

[Fingers]

There are no "cheap" digital cameras that are durable or water-resistant (weatherproof). Sometimes they have waterproof enclosures you can buy separately and use on the beach or whatever. They're basically watertight transparent plastic cases with buttons that let you operate the camera while it's in the case. It'll protect the camera from impacts too... But obviously the image quality will suffer from shooting through an extra sheet of plastic. These enclosures are most likely only made for point-and-shoot cameras without interchangeable lenses.

[Sleep_Eden_sleep]

Well, I didn't necessarily meant it to be cheap, by looking around various sites I understand that digital cameras are very expensive, but I meant just as cheap as possible, so there's a difference. And as far as water-resistant, I don't really need it; it was just an "if possible, then that would be nice too", but it's definitely not something I really need.

[Fingers]

Well, the cheapest Canon digital SLR cameras that could be described as durable (metal body) are the 20D and 30D, around $1300 for the body. The Nikon D200 may be the cheapest weather-sealed body at $1600 or so. But if you're looking for your first digital camera, all of these are total overkill. A reasonably good $500-or-less fixed-lens camera will do everything you'll need for a long time. Just make sure it has manual controls for things like aperture and shutter speed (e.g. shooting modes called "aperture priority" and "shutter priority") and it lets you turn off the flash... An image stabilizer is always nice to have too.

[incolorinred]

I have just started using the Nikon D50 and I like it a lot. Reasonable price ($669). I think Nikon is going to replace is shortly with a new model for this pricepoint. Not sure when it will happen. But the current D50 is great with a good amount of features. You could get the D80 but it is more expensive and probably unnecessary for a beginner.

[Crimson Dark]

I am currently looking at buying a new camera the 2 that I am looking at are the fuji finepix 5200
and the Pentax ist DL
my dad says I should get the fuji cause its a lot more auto and it can do video:\
I personally like the pentax due to that I can switch lenses and my uncle has an old k-1000 and I was told that you could use those lenses and he has a few wide angles macro's and a telephoto.
Which one would you guys say to get I really like the whole manual control on the pentax plus its not super expensive versus a canon which would cost me over a thousand.
Any help would be great thanks.

[Atlantis_Drift]

At the moment I have some avant low-price camera, and I'd like to have something more spicy, but as Im new to cameras I don't really know what I should go for,

Canon PowerShot S3-IS, Canon PowerShot S2-IS or any other camera for max 750$, and for that price I want rechargeble batteries, atleast 512mb memory and.

I too am in need of a camera. I have been looking at and am interested in the Canon PowerShot S3 IS.

-Does anybody own or have used this camera before?
-What is your opinion on it? Advantages/Disadvantages?
-Is it the best pick, or is there a much better camera out there for approximately the same price?

From what i have seen, and what people at the electronics store have told me, this camera would be my best bet. Any advice/help/etc... would be much appreciated!

My main focus for the camera is not insanely high resolution (I believe 6MP is plenty for my uses). I am, though, looking for good optical zoom, relatively quick shutter speeds for action/motion shots. I also heard this camera has the new DIGI2 processor, which makes the camera operate and process information much faster than the old processors. What are your takes on this new technology?

let me know what you guys think!!!


SPECS LINK: http://www.dpreview.com/REVIEWS/SPECS/CANON/CANON_s3is.asp

[klips]

I got myself a Pentax *istDL and it is perfect for what I want. It has a lot of preset modes, but you can also go fully manual, shutter priority or aperture priority. As it is now discontinued I got the camera + 18-50mm kit lens, 1GB card, 5 year warranty and a shiny red bag for $869 Australian (US$652). I'd recommend it for a beginner (as that's that I am and I like it) but my experience is very low so keep that in mind.

Other good stuff:
manual or auto focus
SD memory
Uses AA batteries (not proprietary ones)
Comfy grip for extended shooting sessions :D

[Apfe]

I am not sure, if this is the right place, but I would really appreciate your opinion on this. The thing is, that I've just sold my former camera, but I'm not sure wether the replacement should be a Canon 350d or the new 400d.

I am living in Denmark, where unfortunately almost everything is a bit more expensive than elsewhere. The cheapest 350d available at the moment, including lens, is at about 850$ whereas the 400d costs 990$ (including lens aswell)

So what do you think is the best buy? Does the 400d really add improvements worth 140$ extra?

thank you in advance :)

[claudeEGYPT]

no, not really.
It is lighter in weight, has a 10 mega pixel instead of an 8.. but other than that.. no difference..

[Apfe]

Ok, thanks for the reply. I might consider getting the 350d then :)

Does anyone else have some thoughts on it?

[Morbid]

It has a dust protection system, which is nice but not essential. The 400d has a bigger LCD but has lost the separate status screen. It also has a bigger image buffer.

Either you get the 400d or you get the 350d and put the money into buying a better lens. (the lens is more important than the camera in terms of image quality)

[samsite999]

im looking at getting a imitation DSLR for my girlfrend, bit of a half assed post, ill update you on my choises when i get back from the pub...

[Apfe]

thanks for the input. After having searched around the net, I decided to order the 350d due to the lower price. Looking at comparisons photos of the two cameras, I realized that the image quality really isn't that much different.

But this leads me to my next question: Which lense would you recommend for the 350d, when I sometime will be able to afford a new one?

[ukanfoff]

thanks for the input. After having searched around the net, I decided to order the 350d due to the lower price. Looking at comparisons photos of the two cameras, I realized that the image quality really isn't that much different.

But this leads me to my next question: Which lense would you recommend for the 350d, when I sometime will be able to afford a new one?


what will u be shooting mostly?
heres a start with lenses.. get the 50mm 1.8 its cheap.. and its a good lens.
i know i got 2..

[T.Luu]

But this leads me to my next question: Which lense would you recommend for the 350d, when I sometime will be able to afford a new one?

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Is said to be a good walkaround lens. It has a nice broad (can I say broad?) focal length, has an image stabilizer, handles quite well in dim lighting and isn't very expensive. In all, a good quality lens with a reasonable price tag :)

EDIT: Also worth a look is Tamron's 24-135mm lens ;)

[homey69]

i suggest u get this kit for a start

Canon 400D or Nikon D70's

[Norwin]

i suggest u get this kit for a start

Canon 400D or Nikon D70's

Or the new pentax reflex-cameras. Pentax rockz!!! (If you want to see examples just check my photos here @ ca)