buying new digital camera

[andmar]

Whats the best bang for the buck?

[Newt]

Whats the best bang for the buck?
That answer depends on the size of your buck:smile:

[Cutter]

what are your primary needs or situations?
people/family?
is size important?
how much zoom? (wildlife?)
any special desires? (eg IR photographs will need the ability for filters)
whats your biggest print requirement? (8x10?, 16x20?, bigger?)

[TXPalerider]

The Canon S1IS is a great camera for a beginner that wants to do more than just point and shoot. I would really like to try some of the things Cutter has shown on here. I guess, in due time. Here's a pic of a Uvalde sunrise I took this deer season with mine. It's not the greatest. But, pretty cool. It is pretty neat when you can adjust shutter speeds etc.

If you have any questions about the camera, feel free to PM me. Although, Cutter is probably a better resource.

[IseeSpots]

Too cool. I'm glad to hear you like your Canon S1 IS. I'm getting that exact camera for my 40th b-day in March. I checked out all the reviews on different cameras and decided that it was the one for me. I wasn't as interested in more pixils as I was with ZOOM.

I think X10 with the image stabilizer will be great! I was looking at the Olympus C-750UZ, but alot of the reviews mentioned ..."would be nice if it had an image stabilizer"......So I decided maybe that was a good idea to get a camera with one.

Most of my pictures are of the beach, fish, my dog, sunsets and stuff. I didn't want to have the zoom capability, but have to worry with fuzzy photos if I didn't use a tripod! I'm NOT carrying a tripod around. I've got enough other **** as it is.......fishing poles, ice chests, surf-rod holders, dogs, lanterns, chairs,........you get my drift. Not to mention, how spontanious can you be if you have to put it on a tripod before you can shoot a zoomed in shot!

I also liked the fact that it has a movie mode.

Palerider.........does the movie mode work pretty well in your opinion? Also how do you like the electronic viewfinder?

Overall, it sounds like a good camera with great features for the money. And the 3.2 megapixils don't bother me at all. It will be a vast improvement over what I've got now. Which is an HP315 with 1.9 mp's. It was my first digital. But for what it is.....it's been a good camera. Almost indestructable! It was in my camera bag, (the cheap cloth kind) laying in a chair up on the beach.........I was down there the afternoon before the last Tropical storm came through.....(the one that detroyed the San luis pass pier).....I was down there riding my wave board in the storm surge....(too cool by the way...and kinda scary)...........when the water surged a little farther up than what it had been, and washed my camera out of the chair. I had to run and catch it. Of course it wasn't as wet as it could have been if it weren't in the bag, but it was wet none the less. Dried it off and kept taking pictures, and have never had a problem with it. I've also left it out in snowy 20 degree weather overnight, and it still worked fine. I've dropped it, and half the time it hangs out in the bottom of my tackle box, but it takes a lickin and keeps on tickin!

I realize this one is probably not going to take that kind of abuse, but I'm going to attempt to be more careful with it........

(wow, I was rather chatty there..........?)

Take it easy.........Kelly

[andmar]

We use an old Mavica that we got as promotional item from OMC prior to their demise (but that is another story). We use the camera mostly here in the store to take pic's of boats that we are going to list for sale and warranty concerns. Some of the work is close up like hull numbers, model and serial number from outboards. The Mavica uses a 3.5 floppy which is handy for loading onto the PC, but the picture quality s**ks. With so many different cameras out there I was just looking for one that could be bought in the 3-4 hundred dollar range that had decent quality. Thanks for all the help and input.

Jim

[Salty Dog]

Jim,
I have a Sony Cybershot 4.1 megapixel and it is great. It'll do what you want to do. I think it was in the $350 range if I remember right.

[TXPalerider]

I don't really use the movie mode, becuse it uses so much storage space. And I have a video camera. The quality is OK.

I like the electronic viewfinder. However, it is very difficult to use in extreme low light conditions. Overall, I love the camera though. Shoot me an email if you have any specific questions.

[Cutter]

andmar,
it sounds like many of your shots will be indoor. probably THE biggest issue that you will face with a sub $500 camera is going to be slow shutter speeds. The camera will want to leave the shutter open longer to expose the photo. The problem with this is that you may have blurry photos.

What you need to look for:
You need to look for a camera that has a "fast lens" as well as high quality lens. Some of the point and shoots have plastic lenses, these probably wont cut it for you. Look for a camera with a glass lens, and no slower than f2.4. (f1.4-f2.4 is considered fast for a non-pro cam)

I consider this to be probably your biggest requirement. If you get a camera with good glass, the other requirements (eg pic quality) will be onboard with it.

I havent looked at recent cams so I cant suggest one. I know sony's use Zeiss glass, so that is a step in the right direction (i have a 707, it's an f2.0 lens)

I cant recommend one, but I think the above information is what you should consider when looking.

[Ledge]

http://www.dpreview.com/

Hands down this the best website for camera reviews.

[Cutter]

I don't know if my above post was obvious or not, but indoor shots typically do not have good lighting, where as outdoors shots have plenty of light (unless early/late wildlife situations).

Indoor shots may require a good (bounce) flash and or a tripod. As Kelly indicated above, tripods are an inconvenience.. although if you are doing a product shoot, it is probably worth it.

Some of my best indoor static shots are without a flash and from a tripod. usually my shutter is around 1/30secs or even slower (fyi, that is way to slow to hand hold for a non blurred shot)

[andmar]

Cutter, SaltyDog,

Thanks for the input. I think anything thats out there today will probably do a better job than what I have.

Thanks,
Jim(andmar)

[MT Stringer]

Cutter makes a good point about the flash. Shooting inside a big building or showroom will eat up your flash in a hurry. I think you should consider a camera that has the hot shoe option so you can add a flash instead of the flip up onboard flash. I've included a pic from the warehouse jam and you can see that my flash needs to be stronger because the vastness of the building just eats up the light.

I use the Olympus C-740 with the 10x optical zoom and have been pretty pleased with it. I like the zoom (always been a zoom fan). The second pic is a shot taken on the counter in my bathroom using the existing lighting (no flash) and the closeup mode.

Good luck in your search.

Mike

[Newt]

Be carefull what flash you buy for a digital camera. I thought I could use my Vivitar 283. Ha, wrong again. The hot shoe voltage is too high. It can damage some (all?) digital cameras. Check the forums on dpreview. This is mentioned.

[fishphoto]

If you go with a D-SLR, there are many good flashes out there. This is a shot from a Nikon D100 wish SB800 flash. I bounced straight off a 20' ceiling and used the built-in bounce card and still got plenty of light.

http://www.maxqstudios.com/smalls/DSC_0323.jpg

[andmar]

I think I have settled on the Cannon S1 IS. I have checked on EBay and it gets really confusing really quick when you start looking at some of the packages some of the sellers put together. Also there has been some discussion on EBay about USA cameras and warranties.

I am soooooo confused.
I hate to comparison shop. It is much more fun just to buy sumthin'.

[GetEmGot]

I'd be glad to help ya, but what is your price range and what characteristics are you looking for, e.g. portability, quality, expandability....

Thanks,

I wanted a portable digital for my trip to Europe this summer, and Kayak trip so I got a Canon 4.1 Digital Rebel Elph they are great:)

[fishphoto]

Cannon and Nikon both offer "USA" and "Imported/grey market" versions of each product. My stuff is Nikon and I know their USA models (made in Japan) come with a five-year warranty. The grey market, or "imported" models are made the same, but at alternate facilities (taiwan) and only come with a one year warranty. Cannon's policies are probably similar. Personally, I would rather pay a little more and get the extra four years' coverage.

[jazzyj]

I'm looking at buying a camera. I'm looking at the Canon Rebel. Can anyone tell me a good place to find one. I'v been looking at them on Ebay but is there any place in the Houston area that will be compatible in price.

Thanks, James

[fishphoto]

Try Houston Camera Exchange on Richmond near Fountainview. They have just about everything in stock and can help you decide what is best suited for you.