digital cameras
polycounter lvl 18
I'm in the market for a digital camera. This is going to be my first, surprising i know 
. Some say Canon is better, others like sony. What camera do you have and why do you like it?
. Some say Canon is better, others like sony. What camera do you have and why do you like it?
Replies
Its the sure fire way to make sure you get what you want.
Personally, I've got an Olympus Stylus 300 Digital. I like it.
Now, how much do you want to spend, and what will you be using it for. If it's just for snapshots, there are lots of good options. If you want to shoot sports stuff, a good zoom and manual control over shutter speeds is important. If its for textures, good control over aperture/light levels is key.
There are lots of good cameras out there from various manufacturers. I'm a little bit partial to Canon and Nikon cameras.
i'd go there, great reviews and samples
If you just want a little pocket thingy, i can't really help you.
Other than, if you plan on using it a bit for source images or just want better quality than the meh-average, then good lens are just as important or more than the megacalifragilisticpixels.
i've always been a fan of the Sony DSC series, they're basically in the normal pricerange as your small cameras but usually have great lens... which means that they're bigger too, close to SLR cameras.
If you want to go SLR (exchangeable high quality lens, more expensive, more features, more robust, more pro, better for anything, heavier etc) then, you could go all out for a Cannon 5D which is plain overkill if you're not making a living out of your photography, or save half of that money and get a Nikon D200.
Half the price, comparable features, awesome camera... we have one at work, and i bought one for myself too.
The only thing with SLRs is that you have to know which lenses to buy, you'll usually only get the body without lenses, and then depending on what you want and need, there's 5000 different lenses. Although as with everything, there's some great and cheap allrounders.
take pictures, capture textures, video capture (optional)
I've always been a huge fan of the Fuji Finepix series. Amazing quality, sturdy camera, sexy design, and an affordable price. I haven't done any recent research on them, but my old Finepix was the best camera I had ever owned...until my old roommate stole it...awesome guy.
things i want to do with a camera:
take pictures, capture textures, video capture (optional)
[/ QUOTE ]Something you *don't* want... a 'box' (compact) camera with and in/out zoom lens, they eat batteries like a crack whore on a suger high.
Get the largest storage media card you can.
Make sure the camera can be powered from the USB port when downloading images otherwise camera needs to power itself and thus use batteries again.
Depending on what you *are* doing (as a couple of the chaps pointed out) look to see if you can get a cam with RAW image support; that's uncompressed none shitty jpg but they eat storage space like the aforementioned lady of the night.
Get a package deal if you can that include rechargable batteries, you'll want to get the ones that you can charge as and when as opposed to the ones that need to be fully discharged before they can be recharged.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasoniclx2/
10.2 mp, image stabilization, 16:10 ratio, huge lcd, full manual controls, raw, bracketed exposure shots for doing HDR, and it's 7.2 oz, fits in your pocket. I'm never without mine. I got mine for 400 USD in black.
All the recent images on my website were taken with the LX2
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/pics/france_07_01/index.html
If you want to use it for textures then i'd stay away from plain pocket cameras, you don't need an SLR but you do want good beefy lens.
I've had several cameras from different brands over the years and i've used other peoples pocket cameras and they're all still worse then my old Sony DSC 707 that's 4-5 years old.
Resolution is not as high, but the crispness and detail clarity you get from the lens still beats the higher resolution of newer pocket cams.
I haven't looked into the newr models, but they still sport the better lens and mine records video too so i assume the newer ones do too.
If you want to make the jump and go SLR then the Nikon D200 is awesome.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7581606@N08/sets/72157600046434545/ that was all shot with the Nikon. YOu can go into all sizes and see the original fullres imiages there too.
I'd read up on the dpreview site, the last page of the reviews 'conclussion' sums the review up. See if the pros/cons bother you and make sure your pick is 'highly recommended' there at the bottom and you're good imo.
Use that site listed a few posts above as a filter, buying guide, features search. Then put in your prices and features you want.
Canons are good but have a tendency towards a lot of options you may/may not want. Olympus tends to be a solid brand, but i don't know how many of them do video.
I currently have a Pentax, and I really like the brand. It is a nice 6 megapixel point and shoot. Takes nice video/sound. And as a bonus is dust/water resistant and rather durable in general. OptioWPI
I wouldn't recommend a SLR for a first camera for him either, but they are there as an option. He did ask about our cameras.
...It is heavy, try having it a around your neck for a whole day, either your neck or shoulder are gonna be really sore at the end of the day
Thegodzero, i do use it all the time, the d200 or the old Sony (lighter) are always with me.
I wouldn't recommend a SLR for a first camera for him either, but they are there as an option. He did ask about our cameras.
...It is heavy, try having it a around your neck for a whole day, either your neck or shoulder are gonna be really sore at the end of the day
[/ QUOTE ]Try sticking your head/one shoulder thru the strap, like you'd do with a couriers bag. / instead of | works for me and you can push the camera tight against the strap (take the slack out of it) to get a semiregid tripod type thing.
It also accepts SDHC Cards (High Capacity), I got a 4gig SD card for around $30 bux off newegg
the best part - I got it for $230 at Best Buy (worst buy) but Circuit City has it for $200
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Casio-EX-...roductDetail.do
let us know what you end up getting!
The Pentax WP series of cameras are also cool. They're waterproof, which is awesome if you're active outdoors. No worries when it rains. The cameras are small, easy to carry, and there is 3x zoom without a retracting lense. In general, Pentax makes durable cameras. They're cheaper, and the professional SLR series is compatible with a large selection of lenses.
Canon's and Nikon's cameras are great for professional photos. I owned a Canon Powershot, but it felt fragile. I wasn't happy with it. Too bulky and slow for a point and shoot, too simple and user friendly for a professional. In my opinion, Canon takes the best quality photos, but their hardware and features should be improved. Nikon's SLRs are great cameras for quality at a good price.
It seems like 2 Megapixel camera's would be dirty cheap now, but no one seems to carry them anymore (5MP or up these days). I've been doing my best to find a great deal on some of the $100 camera's out there, but can't seem to find anything that takes it down to a decent price.