Digital cameras

[Loppan Torkel]

I'm thinking of buying one.. It will probably be a compact camera with a reasonable zoom and other functions. I'll probably spend 3-500$ and I hope to get a fairly good one for taking everyday photos. Although one could always spend a bit more a buy a system camera, but otoh, would it be used as much?


Do you have any experience or suggestions when it comes to digital cameras?

 

[warpus]

I am actually looking to upgrade my Fujifilm finepix S1000fd (bought it for $180 2 years ago) to something SLR-like maybe. How much do I have to spend to go full-out SLR (American and/or Canadian prices are fine) ? Is it worth it? The finepix is 10mp and has a 12x optical zoom, which I really really like

Hope you don't mind me doing this Loppan, I figured you'd get some useful info if someone answers me anyway

 

[Loppan Torkel]

Not at all, but I'd like to hear if you're using "SLR" (Single-Lens Reflex) synonymously to "system cameras".

 

[Narz]

I would love to be able to get a camera I could take rapid-fire pictures with (instead of waiting 2-5 seconds between shots). Mid-range ($100-$200) cameras have seemingly made very little progress in this regard. Good luck.

 

[Zelig]

I would love to be able to get a camera I could take rapid-fire pictures with (instead of waiting 2-5 seconds between shots). Mid-range ($100-$200) cameras have seemingly made very little progress in this regard. Good luck.

This doesn't seem right... my camera was released in August 2007 for a bit under $200 at the time, and at maximum quality settings takes about 1 second per shot in continuous mode.

 

[Adria]

I'm thinking of buying one.. It will probably be a compact camera with a reasonable zoom and other functions. I'll probably spend 3-500$ and I hope to get a fairly good one for taking everyday photos. Although one could always spend a bit more a buy a system camera, but otoh, would it be used as much?

Do you have any experience or suggestions when it comes to digital cameras?

I use my DSLR a lot. I still have my compact though, and it lives in my purse so I always have a camera with me. I take my DSLR on outings where I know I'll want a camera, while my compact is kept for spur-of-the-moment "man I wish I had a camera" moments.

A couple general tips for camera shopping:

- Don't worry about how many pixels the camera has unless you intend to blow the images up to huge sizes. I think it's 6 MP that's more than sufficient for 8x10 prints.

- Ignore digital zoom. That's the equivalent of cropping the image on your computer. If you want good zoom capabilities, focus on the optical zoom number.

For some reviews on digital cameras of all kinds, check out http://www.cameralabs.com/buyers_guide/best_digital_cameras.shtml. There's even a handy "should you buy a DSLR" article that might be helpful.

I am actually looking to upgrade my Fujifilm finepix S1000fd (bought it for $180 2 years ago) to something SLR-like maybe. How much do I have to spend to go full-out SLR (American and/or Canadian prices are fine) ? Is it worth it? The finepix is 10mp and has a 12x optical zoom, which I really really like

In addition to the site I linked above, I also found this one helpful when I was looking into DSLRs:

how to pick a DSLR

If you don't know much about DSLRs yet, I'd suggest starting with this site and then moving to the cameralabs site. This one is a bit more reader-friendly (not so technical) so I found it a good starting point. They have a "compare price" option which lets you compare cameras in a few different price ranges. It looks like those prices are without lenses.

 

[warpus]

Not at all, but I'd like to hear if you're using "SLR" (Single-Lens Reflex) synonymously to "system cameras".

I'm not sure what you mean by system cameras.. I am talking about DSLR cameras.. you know, the ones that take the pretty pictures?

 

[Loppan Torkel]

Thanks Adria!


@warpus: I think it's the same meaning.. we divide the cameras into compact and system cameras. I assumed SLR was the latter, but then I saw that Sony had DSLR in their names and that Leica, Olympus and some other manufacturers used a different - four thirds (?) - system and that no one bothered to tell what kind of system they used in their specifications....

 

[Adria]

LT:

The four-thirds system refers to the camera's sensor. Most cameras have a sensor with an aspect ratio of 3:2, but a few - those you mentioned - have an aspect ratio of 4:3. It just means the unedited images have different dimensions.

The 3:2 would give you a 4x6 print exactly as the image comes out of the camera. But to get a standard 5x7 or 8x10, there would be a significant amount of cropping needed (for example, 8x12 -> 8x10). Using a 4:3 sensor, you'd have to crop some to get a 4x6 print, but the cropping to get an 8x10 would be less. For large prints, the 4:3 sensor is a better fit.

read more here, with pictures to illustrate the crops

 

[Loppan Torkel]

I finally decided to go with Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7/ZS3. It's last year's model so it was a bit reduced in price. I think it will suit my needs and I'll probably use it a lot more than I would a larger camera.


Thanks for your help!

 

[Adria]

I suppose we'll see you in the Photography Thread soon then.