digital camera recommendations

[Richard Craver]

just what the subject line says.

i'm not a 'picture' person but am in the market for a digital camera but there are so many out there. :fucked:

what are people using for 'home' use and 'professional' use these days?

[TheLegacy]

http://www.digitalreview.ca/cams/Nik...html#Advantage

I use a canon rebel XT

[Lee]

Im in the same boat as you right now, early last year i bought a Panasonic Lumix but im finding more and more than the quality of the pictures being taken is far to grainy for what i actually want to be able to use them for (print use, stock photography, etc) and im currently looking at both the Canon Rebel range and also the Nikon D70 (based on a friends reccomendation).

I actually think im going to be going with the Nikon D70 right now although that could change between now and next week when i actually go out to buy it and some additional lenses.

Regards,

Lee

[ace-case]

if its for professional photography use those SLR cameras. I personally like the Nikon brand b/c it offers pretty good features, easier to use, and lens lets in a lot of good light. Picks up the colors well.

For a daily, I would recommend getting a camera with a rechargeable battery only b/c its response time is quicker than the cameras using AA batteries. Typically the AA run cameras run around $200 or less. One level up and you pay around $300-500 for a decent camera and I would look at this price range.

Canon, in particular the Canon PowerShot A620, can offer you more bang for your buck.

[TheLegacy]

Canon PowerShot A620, can offer you more bang for your buck.

and that is why I always recommend DonMike - more bang for my buck

[gaybucks_chip]

There is a noticeable quality difference between the SLR cameras and the point-and-shoot variety. The quality of the optics in the SLRs is better, and in most cases the CCD (imaging sensor) is larger and of somewhat better quality.

The type of battery the camera uses has no effect on response or recycle time; the rebel XT has an external battery pack that can use AAs (either alkaline or rechargeable) and will cycle equally quickly regardless of which type of batteries are used. However, the amount of on-board flash RAM, and how long it takes to write images from RAM to the memory card does vary, with the more expensive cameras have more on-board RAM and the ability to write to memory cards faster than the less expensive cameras.

[IdolKnights]

I love my Nikons. Both, SLR 8008 and DSLR d70s but I also LOVE my little 4mp Sony Cyber-shot.

Nikon:



cybershot:

[Lee]

I love my Nikons. Both, SLR 8008 and DSLR d70s but I also LOVE my little 4mp Sony Cyber-shot.

Nikon:



cybershot:

I wish i could could get images of that quality with my Cybershot :eek:

Dont forget im gonna be hitting you up when i get this new camera so you can tell me what the settings are on yours LOL

Regards,

Lee

[basschick]

don mike, you have good taste as always! the canon a620 takes impressive pics -close to the best i've seen for a digicam. and it can shoot in lower light than other digicams, particularly the video. it was the camera that really got me back into photography, and if you can find one, i'd recommend you buy it. it has an optical viewfinder, which is a real plus, too. and it has full manual controls as well as shutter and aperture priority. the 2 issues - no image stabilization and only 4 times zoom - are worth putting up with. and if you use a shutter speed of 250 or so, you shouldn't see many blurred images even without stabilization.

i just got the fujifilm S9100. the reasons i went with it over a DSLR are that i wanted video, i wanted an LCD monitor to show what i was shooting part of the time and i wanted a camera that i didn't have to remove lenses from at this time. it's got a very steep learning curve, but reading the manual and doing lots of test shots has paid off pretty well so far.

i almost got the fujifilm S6000fd. it has the best low light performance of any digicam due to a larger sensor - it's pics at ISO 400 look like pretty much all other digicam's pics at ISO 200. both fuji's shoot great video - nicer than a lot of cheaper camcorders. the main difference with the S600fd is it has a somewhat friendlier AUTO and the pics are a little higher quality. both fuji's offer full manual plus aperture and shutter priority and have lots more goodies to play with.

if you're ready for the responsibility and expense of a DSLR, the pics and the lower light performance are handy, but remember DSLR's don't shoot video. if you have the money, i'd go with the 20D rather than the rebel xt or xti. i have been researching that as i'd like to get a DSLR in the near future for when i don't mind messing with lenses and want to go lower light. the rebel's controls aren't as friendly, the camera itself is smaller - a plus for some, a minus for others - it doesn't shoot quite as fast (although faster than most digicams) and the pic quality on both the rebel and the 20d are beautiful. the 20d has been replaced by the 30d but i didn't find the 30d had any advantages - at least, not for me.

interesting reading if you're deciding between a 20D and a rebel:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_...belxt_pg7.html
http://www.completedigitalphotograph...ndex.php?p=333

currently the best all-around camera is probably the canon S3-IS. every reviewer, while recognizing the drawbacks of this not being a DSLR, still say it's fun and give it a high score. image quality isn't *quite* as good as the fujis or the a620, but they're good enough to create some beatiful stuff as long as you can in ISO 200 or 100. this camera also allows full manual controls or variations thereof and shoot video that looks like my camcorder, and even better - it uses sd cards! and it's the only camera in this post that has image stabilization, which is important if you're planning to often use full AUTO as it tends to drop you into slower shutter speeds in darker locations.

geez - did i write all that? well, i really have been researching the hell out of cameras for the last month. hope this helps someone!

[ponyboy]

I love my D-70 and when i use film I use my F-2 both are nikons

[Richard Craver]

wow. those are some gorgeous pics. makes me wish i had talent!

about the learning curve..... how steep is it for the various options?

[basschick]

with the A620, that those pics are from, the options are mostly menu-based, and a couple sessions of experimenting do the job. if you shoot in very well lit locations, shutter priority does the job - or even auto. if you use a tripod, you can work with slower shutter speeds, too. this was a very easy camera to learn if you want to work with some manual settings but start out with auto.

the S3-IS has a great auto and, like the A620, it's menu based and not too difficult to work with. it has more zoom and looks like a small DSLR.

with the 20D the auto is very weird - i wouldn't recommend using it. if you don't have SDL or DSLR experience, you may have to study this camera but the results are spectacular. lots of buttons, less menus. this camera gives the user the most control of these.

the S9100, along with the 20D, is one that takes some getting used to. it has a lot of external buttons rather than burying everything in the menu. and those extra buttons make a big difference on both the 20d and this one once you get used to them - they make life great! but learning them takes time.

i hear the S6000fd has better auto than the S9100, and like the S3-IS and the A620, you can use this one pretty much straight out of the box but it does have more buttons for those who want more manual control.

wow. those are some gorgeous pics. makes me wish i had talent!

about the learning curve..... how steep is it for the various options?

[krunnch]

I use a Digital Rebel Xt.

Sure I could go for the D5 but once you go to an SLR, I don't think the camera makes as much difference as the lense. I just got some Canon "L" series glass and the results are wonderful - very clear and an extra couple of f stops.

And no equipment matters as much as your eye for something different...

[deanb]

I use the Digital Rebel XT as well. I have the external battery pack on it, so it lasts forever once it is charged up. Also have a 4gb card, so when taking pictures for personal use, I can go a month without ever charging it or taking pictures off of the card.

[krunnch]

Oh yes, the 4GB CF rocks ! I shoot only in RAW now and I still never have capacity issues.