George,
own a minolta dimage 7hi and i love it for a point and shoot type of digital camera. i have made many 8×10’s and loved them, i have also done 16x 20’s with pretty good results. i got mine from UBID, manufactured refurbished w/6 month warranty, but saved lots of $$$.
wade
Purchased a C750 Olympus recently from NYC online and for $450 is has 4megs and does everything you could want and more. 11x14s are no problem. Use it for taking pictures from the air. Check out my website @ oceancountyaerialpictures.com
Wait 2-3 months if you can. Lots of new and exciting stuff will be rolled out at CES and PMA.
Just to confuse you, I’d suggest looking at the Sony F828. I have a F717 and it’s excellent.
I would shy away from exchangeable lens cameras, as you don’t really need this and they do have problems [expose a CCD to air and you’re in trouble!].
"I would shy away from exchangeable lens cameras, as you don’t really need this and they do have problems [expose a
CCD to air and you’re in trouble!]. "
Never heard of such a thing, sounds like an old wives tale to me.
Air by itself will not damage the CCD. Airborne debris and dust can, however, deposit on the CCD and be seen in the subsequent images. This can be avoided with proper care, though. Cleaning the CCD is not easy (can be damaged quite easily), but special tools are available to do it (very soft brushes).
If you are a pro, or a very serious amateur with already a good collection of lenses, digital SLR is the way to go.
Rafael
My point entirely. I have a friend who has spent a fortune having his camera cleaned every few weeks. It’s amazing how much dust there os in the air.
I simply propose that a purchaser considers what they really need. With modern zoom lenses, the range can be very wide. Some of the fixed zoom digitals have very fast lenses too – the F828 delivers f2.8 at the equivalent of 200mm!
Well, here is my story.
I have had a digital camera dating back the Olympus C300L. Up until recently Olympus is the only brand I would touch. However, after hating my 2000, 2020 and 3030 I decided I had had enough of Olympus. The problem was I didn’t think any of these took really good pictures and especially not the type that I needed to take. Which is indoor shots with no flash. These are product shots I use on my 3 web sites as well as for other clients.
So, I started testing friends cameras and discovered that the Sony CD writer cameras took the quality pictures that I wanted and without flash. So, I started shopping around. I ended up with a Sony MVC-CD250 which is a 2.x MP camera. I love this sucker. Not only does it take great pictures indoors with no flash, I love the use of the mini CD and CD-RW discs it uses to store the images.
I don’t do a lot of printing when it comes to digital camera images, but the 6 that I have printed have come out better than anything I printed from the higher resolution 3030. The prints were 8×10 and 11×17.
Best of all I got this camera new for $90. It was a display model and the last one the had and they didn’t have the box for it. So they sold me what they had which was the camera, battery, power supply, USB cabel and software for $90.
Robert
Robert: you got a bargain!
I was put off of Olympus when I went to a presentation and their rep gave us a load of BS about how good digital zoom was. He was either dishonest or ignorant – I suspect the latter.
I was attracted to Sony after I borrowed a friend’s and used it without glancing at the manual and got great results.
Thanks, all, for very interesting inputs. I would still like to hear from users of the Canon and Nikon models I cited.
Colin: Sony F828—Hmm—I had passed on Sony’s cameras because of memory sticks, but this model includes a compact flash option. Adding a fourth color filter ought to degrade resolution (about 33%??) but, with 8 MP to start with, there is resolution to spare. I don’t understand the alleged color enhancement of a fourth (emerald) filter, and it troubles me that the "firmware" does not support Adobe RGB and that the aspect ratio is 3:2 rather than the more common 4:3. The F828 street price range ($919-$999) is much narrower than the G5, 5700, and A1 models, any of which can be had for under $700.
George,
I use the Nikon CP5700 and have been mostly happy with it. I’ve printed up to 18×26 with excellent results, but that was shooting in RAW format which uses a lot of memory, meaning the expense of a large card. I only use the ISO 100 setting because even the 200 has too much noise. You might not get that with the Rebel, but I’m not sure on that. I did get some interesting shots of bull riding at a rodeo, night time, with the ISO at 1000. They were sharp, but way too much noise for my taste. I’d recommend looking closer at that Rebel, or what I have my eye on, the Canon 10D. I think I’ll be holding my breath until after the new releases come out though. Definitely check out that dpreview, there’s a wealth of information there to help you decide what will work best for you.
~Cindy
Cindy,
Thanks for that first-hand account. You (and James Dodge) are right on in citing dpreview—a great source of camera info.
Thanks, George
I routinely use ISO 1600 and a 50mm 1.4 lens sans flash with my Canon 10D for low light indoor photos (concerts, mostly).
Canon has earned a reputation for low image noise, especially on their DSLRs.
I also own a Nikon Coolpix 995, and have been using it for product shots. It´s macro abilities are handy for this kind of work, although you´d need ~ISO 800 on this camera to operate in mediocre light (your mileage may vary), and thus you get a lot of noise on this camera. If you only need low-res web images, it´ll still work nicely, except there´s the issue of barrel distortion to work out also..
(sorry I related this post to the product shot poster, not the original post – I´m sure both these cameras will do well for memorabilia)
Mathias
More confusion: look into the Sony Cybershot DSC-V1. Loads of special effects, small, great lens, 5MP and around $500. I have one and think it is the "schnitz".
The Sony Cybershot DSC-V1 is a nice spec, except that it’s lens is rather slow [compared with 717/828].
Wait 2-3 months if you can, especially if you are considering an 8MP-class camera (e.g., the Sony F828).
Sorry I can’t say more.
That was another thing that killed me about Olympus and that was they never did anything high resolution with a higher than 3X zoom. That is until recently. But, then the new camera doesn’t look all that swift.
Robert
Don’t go the CoolPix 5700. It would have been a great camera if it wasn’t so slow at focusing and it had a focus assist lamp. Two little things that killed it. Otherwise a nice camera.
Robert
What you get if you pay for a SLR digital as opposed to consumer built in lens cameras: more accurate colour in the pixels, much faster focusing, more frames/sec, ability to use better lenses (including image stabilized), more rugged body, faster download systems to the computer, ability to have computer control shooting, RAW file format with greater colour depth, generally more pixels. The problem with any current cameras is that they will be out of date in six months with technology advancing so fast.
Here is advice from a friend I thought might be of general interest:
"…
1. Make sure that you can view your scene through an optical viewfinder NOT a LCD viewfinder.
2. Try to find a camera that uses either microdrive or CF cards.
3. Look for a camera that has a wide ISO range – something in the neighborhood of 100 or 200 to >1000+.
4. Make sure that the camera offers RAW, TIFF, and a couple of levels of JPG file format extensions for versatility
5. Ensure that you get a camera with a least 5+ megapixel resolution.
6. A camera with a built in TTL flash is a real advantage – useful for lightening shadows and for punching up images in general.
7. Look for a camera that has a self-timer. This may not sound important but it helps to minimize shake if you are using a tripod or want to include yourself in family pics.
8. Look for a camera with a ‘bright’, high pixel count, and large LCD preview finder.
9. Check the reviews for allowable number of RAW images before battery failure as most cameras take custom batteries and you don’t want power failure when out in the field. The Nikon D100 with the accessory power grip allows use of standard AA cells if needed and with two batteries allows over 1600 images with a 50% flash duty cycle.
10. Check that the camera tripod socket screw is centered under the lens – necessary for panorama images.
11. See if you can find a camera that allows for either an electronic or manual cable release accessory.
12. Disregard the comments posted about dust on the CCD sensor – the tradeoff is that you can use interchangeable lens – most of which are quite inexpensive new (like the ‘G’ series from Nikon or the promotional Canon lenses) and are even cheaper used.
On balance if you don’t already have a a bunch of older lenses I would suggest that you consider the Canon Rebel. At $900 it’s a bargain and for an extra $100 you can get a decent wide-angle to moderate focal length lens as part of the package.
My thinking is that the cameras that you are considering are in the $600-$800 range – why not spend a few bucks more and get a whole lot more versatility…
….You would be graduating from "point & shoot" to a more versatile camera type. BTW there is nothing wrong with a P&S camera – it just depends on the level of flexibility that you are anticipating.
….
Philo,
"…The problem with any current cameras is that they will be out of date in six months with technology advancing so fast…"
Yeh, I have been waiting to see if the Foveon technology would catch on. Do you have any feelings about its future? Dispensing with color-filtered detector cells and associated interpolated color values, and using all of the incident light is conceptually ideal. Why hasn’t Sigma’s SD9 caught on? Are other camera producers interested in the Foveon ?
George
George
The advice from your friend is all good stuff for a specific kind of camera user. If he’s your friend, I am sure his advice was well-informed. Otherwise, I’d be querying some points – 1-4 for starters.
I think the SLR arguments will run and run. My last film SLR was used for about 5 years. When I started, I used to constantly swap between 2 lenses: 28-70 and 70-300. Then I got a 28-200, which then got upgraded to 28-300. The lens never got swapped at all for the last 2 years. It seemed to me that I was paying a high price [$ and complexity/weight] for some versatility that I didn’t need [any more].
However, one of the fun things about photography is the activity can be as different as we are. So all I can really say is what works for me. My photography has improved a lot in the last year since I "went digital". This is partly because I take shots that I previously would not have "wasted" film on [grabs and extra angles]. It’s also because I need to carry less kit and I’m more likely to have it with me when a picture presents itself.
Congratulations on a fine choice in cameras! I too have used the Kodak DC4800 for around 3 years. In my experience, it takes excellent pictures.
I just purchased a Minolta Dimage A1 to replace the DC4800. You will probably want to crop images from this camera, as well. Yes, the IS really does work as advertised – read the wording in their brochures carefully. The IS will not substitute for a tripod. It does allow you to stop-down "a bit" more, shoot in slightly lower light levels and at longer focal lengths. After the Kodak you will find the quantity of menu selections and user controls a bit intimidating. You probably won’t notice an improvement in image quality at the size prints you are producing. However, that 7x zoom (200mm equivalent) sure expands your opportunities when compared to the 3x on the DC4800, and the IS really helps at 200mm. I have only played with the Minolta for a couple of weeks, and so far I am (mostly) happy with this camera. Minolta could do some work on the A1’s ability to auto-focus in less than ideal lighting conditions, though it works well in "normal" lighting. Actually, I think the DC4800 does a better job with it’s autofocus at short focal lengths. The A1’s manual focus is painful to use – poorly implemented in several ways.
I have started experimenting with the RAW mode. In RAW I can put around 56 images on a 512Mb Compact Flash. Minolta supplies a viewer/editing program that handles their RAW images, but it is painfully slow. I tried Photoshop CS, which claims to handle all RAW formats, but I found it to be really buggy. Only the left half of the editing menu is visible while working with my A1’s RAW images, no matter what screen resolution I use. This is a "show stopper". I can look at a RAW image, but I can’t edit it at all. I have yet to resolve this problem.
Think about whether you really want to give up the ease and convenience of a light weight point-and-shoot camera for the types of images you mainly go after. The Minolta is BIG and heavy – compared to the DC4800 you have. Three megapixels really is enough. If you are hooked on long focal lengths (12x optical) and image stabilization, take a look at the Panasonic Lumix cameras. I don’t know much about their operation, but the feature-set looks interesting.
Whatever you purchase, make sure you buy from a dealer that allows convenient AFFORDABLE returns within a reasonable period of time – just in case.
Good luck in your hunt!
The advice that has been given is all valid for the particular use to which a camera will be put. I still have my old Canon A1/f1.4 50mm combination but no longer take it anywhere. The bag is too bulky what with the extra lens flash etc. I now have a couple of digicams, a Fuji S602 which is great for the zoom and the ISO but the pics leave something to be desired but OK for snaps, and a Canon A70 which is marvelous considering what it cost, and the quality of the prints. The huge benefit of the Canon is that you can take it out with you without looking a geek. The controls are all you could want and it has a reasonable 3x zoom.
So my advice is if you are new to digicams go cheap, but read the review on DPReview first. ( sorry if this is irellevant , my mail reader isn’t displaying the root of the thread, only the RE:DigitalCamera Choices ) Its only then that you will find out what you really NEED.
Regards
Hywel Harris
sorry if this is irellevant , my mail reader isn’t displaying the root of the thread
that’s the main reason for using the browser interface on this forum.
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http://www.adobeforums.com>
I used a Nikon 990 for 3 years before I got the Canon 10D. Once you’ve used a DSLR, there’s no going back. You’ll be absolutely amazed at the speed of auto-focus, and I can tell you from my experience with Canon’s 28-135 IS and 100-400 IS that IS is not only *not* a gimic, it’s absolutely incredible! Go for the Rebel. Then if/when you decide to move up, you’ll have lots of Canon choices and already have your lenses.
Linda in Virginia
Dave,
I have always used the browser exclusively and have not fooled with the mail reader. If the mail reader does not include the original post and some responses, just what are its groundrules for inclusion? And, oh yeah, once again, why might one be interested in using the mail reader?
George
Hi Linda in Virginia
I’m a west-coaster but have offspring in Alexandria VA. For all I know, you could be their neighbor. 🙂
"…IS is not only *not* a gimic, it’s absolutely incredible!…"
As your former neighbor, Bill, would say, it depends on the definition of "IS". I understand that Minolta is the first to apply IS to the sensor rather than to the lens. That leaves the question whether the two techniques are equally effective—anyone for tennIS?
George
I remember we discussed the possibility of internal IS a year ago or so on this list.. Somebody is listening!
