Digital camera advice

Post by **Illuminati** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 6:35 pm

My fiance and I are in the market to purchase a nice camera... we are willing to spend less than $300... and want the best quality we can get.

Couple of things we are thinking on...
1. We would like to have a manual focus but don't know of a digital camera in our price range that has this ability

2. if we go with an automatic focus, it will have to be on a camera that is known to not have trouble focusing on what we point it at (i.e. does not focus on the background when we are trying to take a shot at a given object)

I know canon makes pretty good cameras, but just wanted to get some advice from our wonderful forum members to help my decision along.

Thanks for the help!

A10Pilot3 · Post by **A10Pilot3** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 9:56 pm

Well, my dad bought a digital camera a year or two ago, but I've been the only one that uses it

It's a Nikon Coolpix 4300, but I'm not sure on the price without looking. But if it is in ("if it is in" <-- weird) your price range, it's a great camera. It takes really good pictures and focuses really well. It takes pictures up to whatever 2272 x 3/4(2272) is. Takes normal pictures on Automatic that are up to like 1.1Mb in the standard format, JPG? and on Manual can take pictures up to 11Mb, in some other format. The Manual setting isn't manual focus, it's different than Auto somehow though. Zooms pretty good, I took a picture of a house a half mile away, it wasn't clear, but you could see each panel of the siding, the doors and windows, etc. and that wasn't on the 11Mb setting.

I don't have any complaints except (and this may be user error) that if you turn off the flash, everything turns orange on Manual, and it's blurry. I'm sure this can be adjusted with the settings, but I have just been leaving it on and putting a 4pk Energizer battery box in front of the flash for taking pictures of computer parts.

If you want any more information let me know.

Post by **Illuminati** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:15 am

Thanks for the reply A10, That is exactly what I'm looking for... anyone else want to tell me about their digital camera experiences?

Thanks again for the help!

A10Pilot3 · Post by **A10Pilot3** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:18 am

Well I looked on Pricewatch and there was only one Coolpix 4300 and it was $377.11. I'm sure there are newer models of it out now. Sorry I can't help you.

Wolfgang70 · Post by **Wolfgang70** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 2:34 pm

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control ... o_itemInfo

You can probably get it for less and if you want to buy some extra memory you'll want to go with the A75 to stay under the $300 mark.

I own an A70 and I couldn't be happier. It's an easy enough point and shoot that my wife can handle it while at the same time it has multiple manual functions that allow me to adjust exposure, white balance, focus and almost anything else that can be adjusted on an SLR. You can go with auto focus with the 9 point system in which the camera will choose which focal point to concentrate on, you can use the auto focus in which you choose one of the 9 points or you can go with a manual focus.

All in all a great camera.

T-Shirt · Post by **T-Shirt** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 4:27 pm

depends on what your skills are and what sort of pictures you wish to take.
Is $300 absolute max/never spend another dollar on it?
The Olympus Camedia C5000
Camedia 5 MegaPixel Digital Camera. 3x optical 4x digital zoom. 1.5-in. color LCD. 6 scene modes, TruePic image, 32MB xD memory card, rechargeable LiLon battery. Compact all-metal body. Auto & manual modes is $304.99 at circuit city this week (about $100 in rebates) though you'll probably want to add more xD cards(flash Ram) and an extra battery within a couple months (only comes with 32 megs)
Very highly rated.
the Cannon A80 (4 megapixel)is about the same price
slightly older but a decent camera is the A75 (3.2 MP) $250 with a extra 128 meg stick of (CF?) at compUSA

The Olympus Camedia C5000 will be expandable and useful for many years but is slightly larger than the canons (small SLR size rather than shirt pocket sized)http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_secti ... roduct=934

Post by **Illuminati** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 9:04 pm

I think with us toying the idea of going with an SLR, size is not a huge concern... I like how we have the option of adding on extra lenses (wide angle, telephoto) on the C5000. This could be a very possible option for us.... as is the A80.

The $300 is more of a ballpark price than a "not a dollar more" number.

This is all great information... please keep it coming guys!

T-Shirt · Post by **T-Shirt** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:01 pm

The A80 is on sale at Amazon.com for $280 which includes $25 GC at Ofoto plus a $50 Amazon GC

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... X0DER&st=*

Wolfgang70 · Post by **Wolfgang70** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:15 am

Just about all of the manufacturers have lense attachments for their digital cameras that will allow for wide angle shots and some telephoto. The difference with Canon's is that they are known for their lenses as much as their camera bodies. Not so much for Olympus cameras. Canon and Nikon are the camera/lense leaders.

If you're looking at buying a digital SLR then you'll be spending a lot more than $300. You're looking at $800 for just the body and $850 for a kit which usually includes the body and one lense plus some extra stuff.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control ... =search&Q=

The big advantage with having an SLR is the interchangable lenses. But keep in mind that those lenses will cost an additional $150-$1200+ per lense.

The Sony line of point and shoot digitals is also really good. One advantage of the Sonys is that you're not limited to how long of a video clip you can take where with the Canons you can only go 3 minutes at a time. The major disadvantage is that you don't have as much control over the functions of the camera with the Sony line.

Post by **Illuminati** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:21 am

We were thinking a film SLR... not a digital SLR. I'm trying to convince my fiance that we need to stick to digital if we are going to spend any amount of money on a camera.

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:45 am

Definity buy digital unles you or she plan on having your own dark room. Its a sign of the times when a company like Kodac stops selling comercial Film. Keep that in mind.

T-Shirt · Post by **T-Shirt** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 3:26 pm

That's why I recommended the Olympus Camedia C5000 at 5MP is about the same as the grain density of iso 100/125 film.
while not a SLR it does allow some add-on lenses, a hot-shoe for an 'intelligent flash, and based on or olypus cameras I have used incrdible pictures, (better than any SLR you can get at that price) since you can get 1 hour prints from digital at almost any large drug/grocery store or by mail or print your self with a $250+ printer that meet or exceed prints from film, film is really no longer a good option.
the typical casual hobbyist will save enough in the first year on not printing bad pics to pay for the extra MEMory cards and rechargable batteries.
And that's one of the things that make digital better than film, you're not burning film and developing like crazy so you can take an extra 2-3,10 pics until you're sure you got what you want. If you're looking for higher quality,more control than these cameras offer you better plan on spend more, maybe alot more.

You and the GF should go down to officeMax, bestbuy, circuit city (OM has a good selection, and lazy sales people who will go away if asked(sometimes just wander off anyway) and let you play/get a feel for the cameras)
SLR's have a different feel and purpose than the compact a super- compacts but the big body size/weight is helpful in tracking moving or distant subjects.
compacts are easy to take with (and so are more likely to get used frequently) the sub-compact/pocket-size may alway go with you but take more snapshot type pics (hard to do more "serious" photography)

here's a couple good review sites
http://www.steves-digicams.com/default.htm
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.photographyreview.com/reviewscrx.aspx

Wolfgang70 · Post by **Wolfgang70** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 5:26 pm

Agreed. Stick to digital unless you're planning on either going pro or doing a lot of blow-ups. I have a couple of SLRs and I don't use either of them unless I know exactly what it is I want and I think there will be a call to blow it up to 8x10 or larger. Also I wouldn't go below a 3MP camera but the average hobbyist doesn't need a 5MP or 6MP camera either. It all boils down to what you want to use it for.

Post by **Illuminati** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 10:11 pm

Well, just decided to make the purchase tonight.

Went to Best Buy and picked up the Canon Powershot S1 IS for $400...

Has a manual focus feature, 10x optical zoom, up to 32x optical + digital zoom, ability to swap lenses, Image stabilizer technology, and a million other features that I'll have to read the manual in order to learn to use.

I held it at BB and just had that feeling... "this is the one!"

Thanks for all the input, I'll update after the honeymoon... and when I get moved back up to school... on how I like it.

So I won't be steadily online again for about 1.5-2 weeks.

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 8:08 am

We understand, or at least i do, seeing as i still do not have internet access at my new apt.

Post by **Illuminati** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 9:35 am

Well, I have finally got somewhat settled in at the apt.

The honeymoon was great and the camera is awesome... I'm incredibly happy with it.

I still have to figure out how to use some of the minor bells and whistles, but I've got quite a bit of the thing figured out and it has taken some amazing pics.

Here's a Mayan ruin at the ancient city of Coba for you to enjoy.

Post by **Apoptosis** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 9:37 am

nice pic... glad to have you back ;)

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 9:50 am

Hope you had fun, i loved central america. I hope you also got to go to some of the realy cool ruins, like Palenque and Tikal.

Post by **Illuminati** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 9:53 am

We just went to Coba... the only other Mayan cities around the Cancun area that I knew of were Tulum and Chitchen Itza.

Tulum was the Mayan's only port ... and highly comercialized, and Chitchen itza was about 3 hours away.

We chose Coba because it has the highest pyramid in the Yucatan area... and only 1.5 hours away from Playa Del Carmen.

Bio-Hazard · Post by **Bio-Hazard** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 1:03 pm

So ok, the camera works and you know how to use it, where's the pics of the new wife................