What Camera to buy?

Is it hard to use these serious digital cameras? I'm looking for an easy point/shoot camera that you can get great pictures from. I hear too much about SLRs. I've looked into the Canon S500 and some of the Sony DSC cameras. Any ideas? :nixweiss
 
Sorta looking into the Canon/Sony since I've heard good reviews about em. Anything else? Thanks!:D
 
If you decide to go with a DSLR, I would take a hard look at the lenses you can get for the camera and afford. It's actually something that can make or brake a photo.



Since you are going to be making photos of cars I would invest in a wide angle lens, that's the major reason why I'm leaning towards Nikon since they have a bigger range of wideangle lenses then Canon. The last time I've looked at Canon range of wideangle lenses iis very small and the prices for a decent lense are quiet high.



By the way, I own Canon G3 for digital photography and Nikon F100 for film photography. I still have not found a digital camera which could replace my F100.
 
IMHO regardless of which camera you choose the way to turn your pics into great images is to learn to use digital imaging software. Personally, I think Photoshop Elements is a good choice that is feature rich but easy to use. Eventually you might want to step up to Photoshop. Also, look seriously at the new Canon Powershot A95 camera before investing in one of the more expensive models.
 
I haven't seen anyone mention the Pentax *istD Digital SLR. I have it as well as the Canon S50. You can check out the Pentax at DP Review Forum The Pentax *istD (Don't get put off by the name) is an awesome camera at 6MP
 
that is an awesome website, dpreview.com. I used it to buy my camera recently, thanks to you guys recomendation of the site. I searched all the options and costs etc. and made a decision on a Nikon 5700 camera. Its 5 megapixel. It has an excellent 8X optical zoom, and 4X digital zoom which is something I just always want to have. It also uses CF cards, so I bought a 1GB card for it, but plan on getting the IBM Microdrive card which is a miniature hard disk. The camera is awesome, has endless aftermarket add ons, and I got it for $400 even though most places were selling it for over 800$. Its more than adequate for posting car pics on the internet, it also serves as my personal camera for vacations. Just took it to cancun with success. Anyways its hard to make a final decision on a camera anymore, but this was my latest.
 
I like Canon. I've owned two, both have impressed me. Both haven't been the top of the line, but they do very well. I'm happy.



This was taken with my A75 last night through my sunroof. My friend took it and she had it set on auto, so there was no science to the photo.

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cool picture it looks like part of a video game screenshot. Night shots are hard to do, you usually get blown out pixels that have to be touched up. After learning for an hour how to remove them- manually by taking two pics at a time at night and taking the second pic with the lens cover on, then in photoshop the one with the lens cover on you have to invert the colors so only the pixels are showing, then make the pixels turn black, and then layer the black pixels on top of all the blown out ones in the original picture, and finally u have a perfect picture with no extra "stars". BUT after I did all that I saw that if you press this button over here..... bam the camera does it for you and you dont even know it. As it appears your camera does it automatically as well. My moms canon is the same, it takes excellent night shots with no distortion.
 
I just put in an order for a Nikon D70 Digital SLR Body. I'll post again with my opinion. I already have the N80 35mm SLR, so I should just be able to use my lenses off that. I believe the cost for just a body is around $1000, or $1200 with a lens. I got my body much cheaper than that, but only because of the distributor I work for and the discount offered to me. Just couldn't pass it up!
 
googledude said:
I just put in an order for a Nikon D70 Digital SLR Body. I'll post again with my opinion. I already have the N80 35mm SLR, so I should just be able to use my lenses off that...
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That's a good reason to go with Nikon, just as it would be a good reason to go with [whatever] if you already had *their* lenses.



Just be sure to check out the D70's autofocus accuracy- make sure you didn't get one of the ones with it out of whack and send it back pronto if you did. I can't remember if the bad D70s near focus or far focus, but run a few tests and make sure you got a good one.



And let us know about the viewfinder size/image, inquiring minds want to know before they go shopping ;)
 
Accumulator said:
That's a good reason to go with Nikon, just as it would be a good reason to go with [whatever] if you already had *their* lenses.



Just be sure to check out the D70's autofocus accuracy- make sure you didn't get one of the ones with it out of whack and send it back pronto if you did. I can't remember if the bad D70s near focus or far focus, but run a few tests and make sure you got a good one.



And let us know about the viewfinder size/image, inquiring minds want to know before they go shopping ;)
Click to expand...



I'll def. post my review. I'll have to give that Auto Focus a shot; I've only used it once or twice on my 35mm body. I almost always focus manualy. That's another reason for going with an SLR. I have a canon EOS Elan II E 35MM SLR also. I persoanlly think the AF is a bit better on that camera than the Nikon N80; although the N80 has 5 focus zones versus the three with the Canon. BUT-> the canon has Eye controlled AF, which is neat as hell.
 
If you really want to get the best shots, decide to buy a digital slr, and don't want to blow a ton of cash on lenses, then the first lens you want is a Canon 50mm f1.8 or the Nikon equivalent. They're usually cheap and fantastically sharp.



No zoom at under $1000 is going to match the quality of that small lens, and the large aperture allows you to take many night shots without flash (especially given the Canon Rebel's low noise at ASA 400).



I'm still with film because I think the market is changing so rapidly, I figure something like the Canon 20D will soon be available in a cheaper, smaller package (Or at least I hope.) I also like the way the older, non-autofocus cameras feel in the hand.
 
I have a Nikon D70 and am thinking about getting a Nikon 50mm F1.8. Like the Canon lens, it's very nice. HOWEVER...



I would not recommend it for car shots. With the Nikor or Canon DSLR, the 50mm essentially has the field of view of a 75mm (actually about 78-80 mm with the Canon) lens on a 35mm film SLR. That is very nice for portraits, but I think it's a bit long for car shots.



The problem with car shots is that many times you are in a position where it is difficult to get the whole car in the shot. Cars are parked, in garages, in car shows, etc. The problem is that, many times, you can't beck up far enough.



Many times I shoot car shots in the 18-40mm range. The Nikon kit lens is 18-70 and is perfect for this. It equates to what you would get with about 28-105mm lens on a 35mm film camera. For the cost, it's a great buy.



Another issue with car shots is depth of field. Digital (and film) SLRs have shallow depth of field. You need to stop them down to get a whole car in focus if you're taking an angle shot. For car shots alone,I'd suggest one of the Canon, Nikon or Sony digicams. They take nice images and have GREAT depth of field.



Regarding the top-of-the-line prosumer Digital SLRs, the Canon 20D and the Nikon D70 are pretty much the best right now. I'd give the nod to the 20D for higher resolution, better color, less noise at high ISOs (1600-3200) and slightly faster focusing. The D70 gets the nod for better metering ("3D Matrix") and a top-notch flash system. Overall, it's easier to take perfectly exposed shots with the Nikon than it is the Canon. With a bit of practice, you can take great shots with either camera.



Regarding lenses, both companies make great lenses. If the usage is wildlife, I'd go with the Canon system because they have a better array of tele lenses with image stabilization. For taking car shots and scenics, I'd go with the Nikon lenses because they have a better array lenses at the wide end. The 18-70 D70 kit lens is quite good, and the 12-24 and 24-120 lenses are very nice. Also, the conversion factor for Nikon is 1.5 and for Canon is 1.6. I.e., the same lens on a Nikon will have a wider field of view than a Canon. For a given lens, Nikon is better for wide angle shots and Canon is better for birdie shots.



If the 20D had been out when I bought my Nikon D70, I might have opted for the 20D. At the time, the only Canon I considered was the 10D. While it's a decent DSLR, I didn't like the Canon 10D anywhere near as much as the D70.



About price, I'd say that the D70 and 20D will stay at about the same price. However, I suspect that the D70 will come down faster than the 20D. The 20D is new and hot, and in short supply in some places. I wouldn't hold my breath on a short term price drop. In any case, you'll probably won't save much by waiting six months or so.



If you want to go DSLR, I'd suggest just going for it and getting one of these two puppys. If you want a great cam for car shots, look at the P&S digicams too.



Anyway, that's my opinion and as they say... YMMV.



Regards,



Dan.
 
hey, i was reading this thread, and i was wondering, what type of camera would you use for a vacation? im thinking about going to california over summer, and i wanted to get a new camera. i was thinking of getting the digital rebel, but i was wondering, exactly how large is the digital rebel?



thanks
 
Assuming that you just want to take a few snapshot pics over a short vacation (two weeks or so) and you'll be moving around, NO DSLR is a good choice. The Digital Rebel is about the same size as a smaller film SLR. With the kit lens, I believe that it weighs 1.8 lbs. The Nikon D70 is about the same size but about 1/2" taller and an ounce or two heavier.



That's size and weight are not the problem. The problem with DSLRs is two fold - the extra stuff that you buy and the commitment necessary.



First, you really need a case or day pack to carry them around and that you start buying all of the extra doo-dads for them. Extras include more lenses, tripod, battery grip, external flash, etc. Pretty soon you're carrying around 20 lbs and 3 cubic feet of "stuff". I like my Nikon D70 and don't mind carrying around the stuff. But for a short vacation, it can be a pain.



Second, any DSLR's is a commitment. People in camera forums argue about which brand or model is best. But ALL photographers agree that you have to spend the time necessary got understand your brand/model's quirks. They require time and effort to master.



The D70 is a full function camera like the Canon 10D and 20D. The Canon DR is essentially a limited function 10D. I.e., they reduced the features on the camera to reach a price point. And, some of the marketing implies that it's as easy to use as a P&S.



So that makes the DR easier to use. Yes? No, not really. The Digital Rebel IS a DSLR. And, the limitations (compared to the 10D) force you to figure out more ways to work around them. And the DR is MUCH slower than the D70. For example, when you shoot a shot with the DR, you have wait for a few seconds to review the image in the LCD. That doesn't sound like much, but it's a real pain when you use the camera's histogram to review exposure. With the D70, the LCD image is available almost instantly. And the D70's 3D matrix metering will give the correct exposure in more situations than the DR, which has a tendency to blow highlights. But...



The D70 has it's own set of ideosyncracies. For example, it's programmable. You can download custom color curves from your PC. And to get the best color, you should shoot RAW format, not JPEG. Bad? Not really, but it does take work to understand how to use these.



One thing that bothers me is that you are asking about the size. This means that you haven't handled a DR. You MUST try out the camera before you buy. Even with my smaller hands, the DR was way too short for me. My pinkie finger hung out in space off the bottom of the camera. (The D70's grip is much better for me.) You may like the DR's size and hate the D70, but only you can decide. TRY OUT THE CAMERAS!



If your vacation is longer, you don't mind the "stuff", and you want to commit to the camera, go for a DSLR. Otherwise, I'd suggest a good P&S. Canon and Sony make some very good ones. Nikon and other brands are also good, but not quite up to the Canon and Sony, IMO.



Check out these sites for more information:



http://www.dpreview.com/

http://www.imaging-resource.com

http://www.dcresource.com



Regards,



Dan.
 
If you want a professional portfolio, hire a professional photographer. There is much, much more to getting truely professional looking results than just the camera. There is the lighting aspect for one, and just to properly light something as large as a vehicle takes a pretty good lighting setup. There is the processing of the photo, whether it be digital or film. There is also the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the photographer, which is the biggest part of the equasion.
 
Pondscum said:
If you want a professional portfolio, hire a professional photographer. There is much, much more to getting truely professional looking results than just the camera. There is the lighting aspect for one, and just to properly light something as large as a vehicle takes a pretty good lighting setup. There is the processing of the photo, whether it be digital or film. There is also the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the photographer, which is the biggest part of the equasion.
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I agree completely....



Some people think that the key to a great image is the lens attached to the front of the camera. Actually, what is attached to the back of the camera is far more important.
 
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