Shopping for new digi

DesertRoux · Joined: 10 Jul 2004 Posts: 397 Location: Scottsdale

My old Olympus C-3020 is no longer working. It keeps corupting its memmory cards and erroring out. So needless to say I'm shopping for a new camera. I know there are many photo people here, so I was looking for some recomendations and feedback. Here are a couple cameras I'm looking at.

http://www.butterflyphoto.com/shop/productn.aspx?sku=dscw7

http://www.butterflyphoto.com/shop/productn.aspx?sku=sd500

I'm leaning towards the canon. Thanks for the feedback!

Daddee · Posted: 1/13/2006, 11:40 am Post subject:

I'm a Canon man, so I'll lean that direction.

One thing very few people mention is the memory card format. Only Sony uses their Memory Stick format - but Canon uses the Compact Flash format which is more widely used (and also has the highest memory capability - currently).

Most reviews put Canon and Kodak at the top of the pack for point-and-shoot cameras. Once you get into SLR cameras Nikon and Canon hold the edge.

Peruse the some of the posts here - we've had the discussion of which camera people prefer a number of times and there are some passionate viewpoints.
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fairweather8588 · Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Posts: 716

You might wanna ask Rodney also. I think he's got a canon powershot too
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DesertRoux · Joined: 10 Jul 2004 Posts: 397 Location: Scottsdale

I did look in the past posts, problem in being, technology moves fast. Most of the cameras mentioned in previous posts are lesser models then I was interested in. Another Canon pro for myself is I have a Canon PIXMA iP 6600D photoprinter.
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Daddee · Posted: 1/13/2006, 12:50 pm Post subject:

One reason I mention prior posts is that they are an excellent source of review sites. Links to places that do keep up to date reviews going that can give you a much better sense of what you want than anything we could give you.

Steves Digicams is a favorite site of mine.
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"Only small minds want always to be right."
- Louis XIV

"...haven't you lived long enough to know that two men may honestly differ about a question and both be right?"
- Abraham Lincoln

BoyNhisDog · Posted: 1/13/2006, 1:09 pm Post subject:

I like the impressive amount of info at DPreview

You can see sample images, check all stats and get on the forums to see about any of it. If it were me, and I was going after a Point & Shoot, I would look at the Canon S70 for its nice wide end lens. The S80 is the newer version but it does not have a RAW format so if you don't want RAW files the S80 is the way to go. The Canon G6 is the next step up (a bit bulkier and heavier but nice images!) and it does not go quite as wide. The wider views are excellent for landscape. You can get a good forground object in close but have a nice sweeping background that is still in focus as well, a must for our canyons and vast southwest vistas imo.

Just to add, that little Canon Elph you link in your first post uses SD cards instead of the more normal Compact Flash cards. I would go with something that uses CF cards like the S80 or G6. A lot of the other Canons use CF as well.
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Daddee · Posted: 1/13/2006, 1:15 pm Post subject:

Yes, the SD cards are a little on the small side for my taste - but they are durable and fairly inexpensive.

I prefer CF cards - especially if you get a camera that has the CF2 interface (slightly thicker to support mini-hard drives with monster capacity).
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"Only small minds want always to be right."
- Louis XIV

"...haven't you lived long enough to know that two men may honestly differ about a question and both be right?"
- Abraham Lincoln

long ago · Joined: 17 Sep 2004 Posts: 20 Location: scottsdale

stay away from the kodak easy share cameras... bad luck with both that i own Crying or Very sad

thesuperstitions · Guest

I have to agree about the Canon. I use a G5 and am very happy with it. Bulkier than the smaller models, but more versatile. I have a couple of lenses now that attach to an extension tube. Filters screw on too. They're very much like SLRs in that respect. Lots of manual and auto functions built in. Uses CF, which is one reason I bought it.

There are CF cards out now that are screamers when it comes to writing. I picked up a 2GB Kingston Elite Pro that's rated at 50X for about $80.00 after rebates from Buy.com. I can tell you first-hand that this CF card is FAST! Mean time between shots is shorter and download times are miniscule compared to my previous CF card. Corsair makes an 80X card, which I picked up when I got a new PDA at work. Haven't tried it in the camera yet though. Lots of great options when you go with Canon and CF.

Daryl · Posted: 1/16/2006, 11:37 am Post subject:

SD cards are actually much better then CF, just not as popular yet. In the next few years expect to see the SLRs make the switch or accept both. The big advantage SD has is battery use. A CF card eats battery juice because it has to be capable to run the CF microdrives, which are now all but extinct. also, the SD card does not require the pins on the camera which often get bent and/or break off.

As for camera, Canon is the best in my opinion. If you can swing $500, the S2 is probably the best all around P&S camera for the money. The Sony H1 is nearly the same camera and is also very good. The Nikon 8800 and Canon Pro1 are tops if you have $700. I have a SLR and a bunch of lens, but still take my S2 on most hikes. If you can find an S1, it's only 3mp but it's an amazing camera and should only be about $200. I'd at least stay in the Canon Powershot line, the A610 and A620 are both good cameras.
Panasonic has some great cameras out there now too in the $300-500 range, but I've heard of a lot of people that need to send them back for repairs. if you want to take a risk they produce great images and are cheaper then Canon.

Stay away from consumer only cameras. If the camera does not have manual modes like aperture and shutter priority, you will out grow it quickly if you have any interest in photography as you will have no control of the camera other then where you point it.

As for MP, most people have this belief that more is better. If you do nothing with your photos except post them on the internet and print 8x10 or smaller, there is no need to go over 3MP. 5MP will allow you to print 11x14 and maybe 16x20. Thus, if you are not printing big or going for pro quality, you are just wasting a lot of memory space and paying more with a big MP camera. One of the best cameras ever made and still used by a lot of pro shooters is only 4mp.
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Davis2001R6 · Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 5591 Location: Italy

I have the Canon SD400 myself. I like it, the only dislike I have is when I take a picture in dark lighting the picture on the LCD screen looks real good. But then when I get home and upload it, the picture is pretty dark and I always have to go in and photoshop it.

I know a few others who have something in the SD series and they both like theirs as well.

I seen a picture of mine (taken with the SD400 5MP camera) printed 11''x14'' and it turned out pretty awesome. Just as Hikngrl, she probably has it hanging on a wall. I wouldn't be surprised if it could print an 16x20'' picture

BoyNhisDog · Posted: 1/16/2006, 6:07 pm Post subject:

Interesting fact on the SD cards. When I was looking at them, they didn't have near the capacity of the CF cards and they were more expensive. I see that has changed a lot since though. Since I have 4 1gig CF cards, I wont be changing soon but it looks like the SD will be the up and coming media.

Some of the 1 series Canon cameras do take both CF and SD IIRC.
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Seize from every moment its unique novelty and do not prepare your joys
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IGO · Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 4144 Location: Las Vegas

If a lightweight point and shot is what you are looking for, I'd suggest a close examination of the optics. Two things to keep in mind: 1) digital zooms (as opposed to optical) are worthless and 2) better glass/better lens will translate into a better capture.
Another point is megapixel. We are entering an era of saturation level. 7 megapixels will make a poster but will do nothing for internet display. Also, 7 megapixels will tax all but the latest and greatest computers when a bunch of photo editing is being done. Megapixels ain't the ticket, glass is.
All the scanned images on my web site were shot with Pentax SLRs. All the first generation digital images on my site are shot with the Pentax dSLR *ist DS. I also have a couple Kodak 5 MP point and shoots that sometimes surprise the heck out of me though I only use them for work.
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Hikngrl · Posted: 1/17/2006, 7:42 pm Post subject:

Hey IGO, if this has already been answered I apologize for not seeing it but what is your work?If you son't mind sharing that information with us....
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IGO · Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 4144 Location: Las Vegas

My base education and background is in Industrial Maintenance. I'm blue collar. Right now that is shifting. I'm the first from my company in Dallas here in Vegas. My job has been liaison between phase one/corporate Dallas and construction contractors here in Vegas and is now shifting to liaison between Engineering in Dallas and machine/equipment installation here in Vegas. I'm a late bloomer as my ship is just now coming in. LOL. I just a dirty hands working man and I love what I do. When the plant opens, I'll be head of Facilities, that is if I'm not traveling between here and South Carolina building an East Coast plant. What do you do lady?
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"Surely all God's people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play. Whales and elephants, dancing, humming gnats, and invisibly small mischievous microbes - all are warm with divine radium and must have lots of fun in them." John Muir