Information / Opinions Requested

12/06/2004 | reg45

[reg45]

I am thinking of upgrading my older digital camera, and I would like some comments from other digital photographers.

1. What camera (make/model) do you use?

2. If you were buying a new camera today, what makes/models would you consider and why?

3. What features do you consider important?

4. What features do you consider less useful?

Thanks!

[BrooklynGOP]

Thanks! You too! Since its slow at work and I am bored, I'll post some photos I took. Here's one:

[Eric in the Ozarks]

There are still plenty of those old K-1000 Pentax cameras around, too. You can't break em.

[Budge]

Price Range: I'd like to keep it under $500.

Unless you can find a good SLR digital used (I have my doubts of that though), then look for something with a minimum of 5 megapix.

I just bought a little Kodak Easyshare DX4530 (5 MP) with 256K SD card for right around $250.00 total new at Wal-Mart! So far it seems to be a good little digital. Very good resolution for a little thing.

I use it to supplement my Contax 35mm systems.

[Roses0508]

What are you going to do with the camera? I'm on my third Fuji because the price point is good for a good macro feature. The macro feature is important because I mostly photograph my roses. The 3000 series allows color filters - also useful. The auto focus is reliable for the most part. Bit by bit I learn to use the more advanced features, but mostly I set to macro, set to auto focus and take pictures.

I'm on my third one, because I've given the older versions to one of my children and purchased the newest several times. More megapixels!

[reg45]

That's excellent proof that your camera has a good macro capability.

[BrooklynGOP]

Thanks. A 7 megapixel mage to crop from also helped :) Here's another

[NautiNurse]

You have made it abundantly clear that you HATE the Sony memory stick, and you enjoy taking photos of bugs to microscopic detail.

Hey, whatever floats your boat...

[BrooklynGOP]

You have made it abundantly clear that you HATE the Sony memory stick

Really? I do? Quote me. As for bugs, heh.. I didn't think you would want to see family photos.

[reg45]

bump

[NautiNurse]

Thanks for the update on the F828. A pic I took in Pompeii last month with the PC-330:

[abner]

You went to Pompeii??????

I'm so jealous and happy for you at the same time!

[abner]

Ok, so I was looking for a picture I took of a 4 leaf clover that I found in the grass to post. I couldn't find that. So, I found my next best subject. Trouble. Trouble my orange tabby was laying behind my chair on his back in the dark. I took this photo with about a 5x zoom, from about 2 feet from me. The whole photo is about 45" x 35". Here is a 6"x6" portion of that photo. Macro setting was on, and again, it is dark in this room at the moment except for my computer monitor.

This is from the 828.

[abner]

Here is the entire photo:

[NautiNurse]

Great clarity with the megapixels. Those orange eyes are amazing
...getting misty eyed by how fast the kitties grow up...

;o)

[abner]

His eyes are pumpkin colored.

He looks like a man now. I'm amazed that he is only a year old now. He is my biggest cat now. Even bigger than Fidget(the gray one).

[potlatch]

I have the Canon A75 and love it!

[reg45]

bump

[reg45]

bump

[goldstategop]

I'd go digital and keep a 35 mm point and shoot film camera for backup. But digital is the way to go.

Today, digital cameras go up to 12 megapixels. Beware that small cameras have a noise problem in that if you shoot over 200 ISO or low light situations, its likely to show up in pictures and to subdue or remove it, you'll have to do considerable post-processing in Photoshop.

With that caveat in mind, compact cameras are great and people prefer them to SLR's since you don't have to change lenses and can put them in a pocket. There are lots of brands to choose from but Canon, Fuji, Kodak, Leica, Panasonic, Olympus and Sony are the top brands. Decide what camera meets your needs and buy it. And get the biggest SD or CF card to write to so you don't use up all your digicam's memory.

Most important: have fun shooting!

[reg45]

Thanks for the info.

Back in June 2005 I got a Canon Powershot S2-IS. It works great.

I replaced my older Kodak DX3600 which I thought had been stolen. I found the Kodak about six months later. So it has become the backup camera.