Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Max on January 18, 2009, 08:55:57 AM
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I'm thinking about replacing my Fujifilm Finepix 3800 3.2 megapix with a newer camera. Any suggestions?
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I'm thinking about replacing my Fujifilm Finepix 3800 3.2 megapix with a newer camera. Any suggestions?
Canon EOS1000D, cheap entry point to DSLR:s.. A kit will give you 1-2 basic lenses and if/when you want to get more serious about pictures you can upgrade with a huge variety of optics.
Contrary to what marketing bs claims, digital photography is equally dependant on quality optics - megapixels are for fools.
Only thing that really matters is a fast and low noise chip combined with high quality optics.
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An upgradable camera would be useful. Consumer Reports gives high marks to the Canon Rebel XS (EOS100D) ($500) and even higher marks to the Rebel XSi ($650) Is the extra $150 worth the extra $$?
I hadn't planned on spending that much money but would consider such a purchase.
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Anyone using a Canon PowerShot SX10? Reviews all rave about this camera and price is under $400.
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Anyone using a Canon PowerShot SX10? Reviews all rave about this camera and price is under $400.
nope, but I do use a Canon Powershot S2 IS.....I also have interchangeable optical lens ( telephoto , wideangle and zoom) along with the reg optic it came with.
this version/model is no longer available, but they do have a newer version of it out there....the Canon Powershot S3 IS.with a few new features.last time I looked..... what I like most about it is I can set my desired ISO and can also do/take macro snapshots
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If you're just going to use the camera occasionally / don't have much ambition about your photography the powershot is a great basic camera.
But if you have any ambition regarding to photography, a 1000D or 450D or even a 40D is highly recommended for a starter camera.
I'm planning to get the 5D for my next DSLR.
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I'm not an avid photographer...just looking for clear, crisp pics with a range of zoom.
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The XSi has great noise quality. I was about to get one but got a D90 for a bit more, and even that one was only better for my purposes because it too had very good noise quality. I would recommend the XSi, if that's the price point you're aiming for. Can you say what sort of use it would see? It'd help narrow down on what your best choices are.
dpreview.com has some detailed articles comparing cameras.
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The XSi has great noise quality. I was about to get one but got a D90 for a bit more, and even that one was only better for my purposes because it too had very good noise quality. I would recommend the XSi, if that's the price point you're aiming for. Can you say what sort of use it would see? It'd help narrow down on what your best choices are.
dpreview.com has some detailed articles comparing cameras.
The XSi is replaced by the XS now. What is worth nothing is that using any 'compact' camera such as powershots, the quality of the lense limits the conditions in which you can shoot photos. In practise it means that using compact cameras you're not going to get successful photos indoors or in dark without resorting to the use of flash. When you use the built in flash you get a bag of problems with it, the pictures will not look natural anymore.
With a high power optics you can take non-flash photos indoors and in weaker lit conditions and have them look natural.
But as I said if you're just an occasional photographer with no interest in the art itself, a powershot is a great and very simple to use camera for the purpose.
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You should check also panasonic DMC-FZ28K
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Cameras-Camcorders/Digital-Cameras/Lumix-Digital-Cameras/model.DMC-FZ28K_11002_7000000000000005702
Review http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/default.asp?newsID=3744
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I thought the XSi replaced the XS, oops.
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You should check also panasonic DMC-FZ28K
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Cameras-Camcorders/Digital-Cameras/Lumix-Digital-Cameras/model.DMC-FZ28K_11002_7000000000000005702
Review http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/default.asp?newsID=3744
I looked at that camera before I bought my Fuji Finepix s8000fd (now discontinued). I stuck with the Fuji because it used a non-proprietary battery system. Though the Panasonic does enable RAW mode, while mine doesn't. However, if I was in to photography more than an occasional hobby, I would have gone with an entry-level DSLR. The Panasonic's rechargeable Li-ion is fairly uncommon (CGA-S006) and if you're in a bind, good luck trying to find it locally since the CGA-S006 is really carried across only Panasonic cameras.
The Fuji and Canon S3 use the advantage of AA's. I can get about 200-300 mixed shots off of just Alkaline AA's (mine does not take lithium do to their higher initial voltage). I'm a fairly big stickler on battery type because when I was in college working at Batteries Plus, if I had a nickel for every time someone that came into the store and had an important event, but forgot their camera battery/battery was dead/charger, I wouldn't have any college loans yet.
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Thanks for the tip and advice :salute
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well my beginner/entry level Canon S2 IS has been replaced by 2 more current models the S3 & the S5
but if you google you will find multiple MIXED reviews on all camera types regardless of the brand...... so I guess it really is a good thing to go to the local reseller and test the cameras out before you buy one........
you should be able to have the chance to take test pics and then print them to see how well they turn out
as for my S2 with no flash and in the night time, if you know your camera you can get some great detail pics at night, and they are crystal clear
as well as with my 2 Gig memory card, I can take a 1.75 to 2.o hr video at 30fps and in full 44khz steroe sound........
it took me almost a solid year to really learn everything my S2 IS is capable of.....and I have been a happy camper with it from day 1
Good Luck, Maxie ~S~
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Budget yourself accordingly. If you're not big into photography and don't shoot in Manual mode a whole lot, I'd stick with one of the DSLR-lookalikes like we've been mentioning. I'm actually using my DSLR-lookalike to gauge my need for a entry-level DSLR, a stepping stone if you will. I'm glad I didn't fork over the money for a real DSLR when I bought mine 15 months ago since the amount of times I've gone out and taken artistic photographs (other than family occasion stuff etc) can all be counted on my right thumb.
The DSLR-lookalikes have good optical lenses with many having 12-18X optical zoom. Don't waste your time with Digital Zoom specs. If you do like photoediting with Photoshop and the likes, a camera that shoots in RAW mode can be a nice benefit.
Otherwise, if you're not super serious in photography, but want a good camera that's not a tiny point and shoot, I recommend the DSLR-lookalines.
Also, the best camera (most thorough) site I've come across in year is:
www.dpreview.com
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You have to decide what YOU want out of your new camera. What are you going to use it for most? outdoors under bright light? portraits? low-light? random snapshots of people? travel? Decide what qualities you want. Its all very well getting a DSLR for the image qaulity, but if its too big to carry with you every time you go out - you may end up missing those magic photo opportunities. Do you want a movie mode? If so at what qaulity? HD? VGA? Do you have an HD TV with DVI?? Most DSLRs wont do movies (Nikon D90 excepted). Do you want/know how to use full manual modes? shutter or aperture priorities? What sort of budget are you looking at? How wide and how much zoom are you really going to use? Lens speed for low-light performance?? What matters most?
Think about what you want from it, how you will use it most, and why you want it. And let that decide what form of camera you want, then get the best one of that form. More mega pixels does not equal better image. In fact the more pixels you pack into a sensor the bigger the signal-to-noise ratio, and often a camera with less pixels provides better image quality and per-pixel-sharpness and less noise - Cannon EOS 40D vs EOS 50D come to mind here (one has 50% more pixels but worse image quality).
Do you your homework - www.dpreview.com is THE site for this.
Personally, i wanted something small and pocketable, with good image qaulity, a 28-100mm (in 35mm parlance), HD video capability, good low-light performance, good build quality etc. I choose the Panasonic Fx37 which Leica re-badge and sell as their C-LUX 3. For better images with full manual control, where portability isnt an issue, i have a good SLR anyway.
If you want the best pocket camera on the market with manual control, the best lens (for a pocketable camera), the best low-light performance with a massive 25mm wide-angle, with HD video and dont mind not having much of a zoom then the panasonic Lx3 is the best camera out there. If HD video is not on your shopping list for a pocketable camera the Fujifilm F100 is the best out there. For a bigger non-SLR camera, i would go with a cannon G10 - brilliant everything, no HD video tho.
For an entry-level DSLR, personally i think the cannon EOS 450, or if you have some more cash, an alpha A700 or EOS 40D, or a nikkon D300 are all very nice. If price is no object, then IMO the Sony Alpha A900 with a Zeiss lens is THE ticket!!!
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Heres some light reading for ya.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q109superzoomgroup/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q408enthusiastgroup/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q408premiumgroup/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q408slimgroup/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q408budgetgroup/
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Thankees Spat
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My wife loves her Pentax K100 (now discontinued and supplanted by the K200 series) that I bought her a couple of years ago. It also took the SLR lenses that she had for her Pentax 35mm film camera with no trouble. It shoots in RAW format and does a great job. I think we spent around $500 (shipping and all) or so (been a couple of years and I don't really remember) but we ended up getting it through Amazon.com since they had a great deal on it at the time.
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Canon 1000D here, good camera, comes with the EF-S 18-55 IS lens, I also picked up the EF-S 55-250 IS for more lenght.
hard to go wrong with.. if you like taking pics..
if you just want something to have to take an occasional pic with, dont get a DSLR, waste of money and too big.
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Casio Exislim here, for a pocket point and click it produces great images.