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Digital Cameras
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sacred_datura





Joined: 18 Apr 2007
Posts: 138
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 9:11 am    Post subject: Digital Cameras Reply to topic Reply with quote

On my last stay at Phantom Ranch I fell and smashed my camera on the Clear Creek Trail. I really need a new camera but I want to keep the price under $200. I've heard positive things about Sony and Canon. What would be your pick?
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DesertRoux





Joined: 10 Jul 2004
Posts: 397
Location: Scottsdale

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 9:36 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Im a Cannon fan myself. I have a SD450. More than $200 though. There are quite a few photo guru's here that can help out.
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sacred_datura





Joined: 18 Apr 2007
Posts: 138
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 9:48 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I just might have to wait for my bonus check and splurge a little! I'm going to the Canyon next week and all I have is an ancient digicam that holds 10 pictures max. Crying or Very sad I might have to borrow one from a friend.
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Davis2001R6





Joined: 12 Dec 2003
Posts: 5591
Location: Italy

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 11:09 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I am a Canon fan as well, even though I have broke 2 of them. For the money these are great camera's.
Canon A550

I bought a Casio Exilm camera and haven't been very happy with it yet.
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Daryl





Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1168
Location: Everett, Washington

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 11:22 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Keep in mind that after buying a camera you'll also spend money on a memory card, unless you have one. So factor that into the budget.

My $.02 on digital cameras: the best all around camera on the market today would be the Canon S3 and the competitions versions of it. It runs about $350 though. However, for that you get a 6mp camera with amazing macro capability (it can focus on a dust spec on the lens!) has great zoom range (36-412mm I believe), is image stabalized, and can actually be used at higher ISO setings. Image quality is not far off DSLR's that cost much more as well. Not to mention the interesting photo color modes and it takes DVD quality stereo video.

On a budget you can find the Canon S1 or S2 used. Both great cameras as well, just older versions of the S3. I've had all 3 versions at one time or another and I didn't/don't feel lacking when I take it with me and leave my SLR stuff at home.
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sacred_datura





Joined: 18 Apr 2007
Posts: 138
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 11:26 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Thanks! I'm not a great photographer but it helps to have good tools. I've been perusing Ebay for cameras but the selection is overwhelming and I don't want to get stuck with something that won't suit my needs.
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DAB





Joined: 04 Apr 2007
Posts: 152
Location: Surpise, AZ

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Sacred - you will be hard pressed to be the Canon series. I would look at the ones mentioned here. The only downside is the zoom is usually under 4x, but for scenic and wide landscapes that is perfect. Wildlife... not so.

Check Costco - they have a great return policy and decent prices and you can touch and feel.

A word of warning - stay away from "special batteries" aka funny shapes. NiCad is fine, so long as they will also use AA or AAA standards in a pinch.

I have an Olympus C-765, great camera but when the battery goes - you are done.
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Davis2001R6





Joined: 12 Dec 2003
Posts: 5591
Location: Italy

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

You can buy about any battery pack now days for about $10-20 and they last longer than the stock ones and cost 1/4 of the manufactures price.

Checkout out this site:
http://www.sterlingtek.com/

With my last 3 camera's and taking well over 100 pictures and viewing them/deleting them I have only run the battery out in the small camera's once and that was in 15 degree winter weather in the canyon. I'm sure some of the bigger camera's use a bit more juice, but still your talking about 1 or 2 battery packs for a weeks worth of shooting.
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thesuperstitions
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PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

For memory cards... Buy.com has unbelievable specials. Sign up for the daily specials email and watch for them to be on sale. I've purchased cards from them for as little as $3.95 after rebate. Name brands that I've had no problems with.

I'm another Canon devotee. Great performance (even after getting wet at West Clear Creek!). Tim's right about batteries. My G5 will shoot for days on a single charge, unless it's cold.
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mick





Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 40

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Canon fan also -I also fell on my ear on a trail and broke the LCD on my Cannon A70. Rest of the camera worked fine so I got another LCD off cannon for $25. Camera was as good as new. Does your camera still take pictures? You maybe able to still use it minus the display.
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cakewalk





Joined: 03 Jan 2003
Posts: 512

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 6:02 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I have a Vivitar vivicam. About $199 IT takes awesome pictures. In fact it takes better pics in full auto mode then I was ever able to get with my slr's.
Dont get trapped in the mega-pixels thing. Unless your printing larger than 8x10, 5 megapixels is really all you will need.
I agree with the batteries warning too... I can snap all day long with 2 AA's I didnt have much luck with rechargables and such, they dont seem to last very long. I used to have a Kodak easy share, Hated it.

Camera technology is crazy advanced compared to just a few years ago.
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Trishness
The Snake Charmer




Joined: 21 Sep 2003
Posts: 2530
Location: Apache Jct, AZ

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

DAB wrote:

I have an Olympus C-765, great camera but when the battery goes - you are done.


I have this same camera. It takes awesome pictures and has a 10X zoom but what DAB said is correct about the battery. I also have to carry two extra batteries on multi-day trips. The zoom feature just EATS the battery life.

Mr. Green
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~~~Trish~~~

"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings.
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DesertRoux





Joined: 10 Jul 2004
Posts: 397
Location: Scottsdale

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Memory cards are getting cheaper by the day. Don't let a cheaper card steer you towards a sub=par camera. I picked up a 2GB card for less than $30. Small price to pay for that many pics at the cameras performance level.

As far as battery life goes, when in the backcountry I turn off my LCD display and use the viewfinder. Alot of new cameras do not even have a viewfinder. LCD sucks up juice like no other. I can easily pull off a 3 day backpack with a single charge. Although I shoot and turn off. I'll sift through the pics later.
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PageRob





Joined: 03 Mar 2005
Posts: 859
Location: Page, Az.

PostPosted: 4/19/2007, 9:13 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I've recently gotten a Kodak Z610, and am very pleased with it. It's 6.1 MP, 12x optical zoom, manual controls (should you so wish to use), video, a bunch of neat "scene" settings, etc. It uses a special battery pack, but I've been real pleased with its life. I'll go a week at work taking pictures every day without recharging the battery. Its also got a viewfinder in addition to the LCD screen, and an actual lens-cap. Hiking in desert dusty conditions, I cannot recommend a camera with a real lens cap enough! One of those sliding lens covers was the eventual downfall of my previous digital camera.
All this for $199.99 earlier this month at BestBuy in St. George, Ut.
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RedRoxx44
Queen of the Walkabout




Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 1167

PostPosted: 4/20/2007, 4:53 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I have multiple cameras. You can now get a good digital camera with some "oomph" to it as compared to a few years ago and not that expensive. The web can have some good deals. I like some of the proprietary batteries because they are light and small compared to even AA's. Just get a couple of them at some discount site.
Due to dust I usually carry my camera in a ziplock in a pouch and try to keep it in there until I shoot. It is a lens killer for sure. As is water, have killed one camera that way. And dropping it, make sure is attached to you very well.
I like Canon best, then Panasonic the Lumix, then Fuji, Olympus and Nikon last.
My very first dig camera was a Fujifilm, it is now relagated to caving, and has held up really well in that hard environment.
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