Camera Shopping

Skunks · 12-28-2003, 03:51 AM

I have a digital camera. It's something to the effect of a Digimax 220. I hate it, because it makes a lot of noise (beeps constantly & doesn't save 'don't beep, damnit' setting) and uses a USB connection.

I have some christmas gift-money, and I'd like a better camera. My price range is roughly $300 US, but I'm open to spending more if I can rationalize it with something to the effect of, 'if I spend more now I won't want a new camera in a few years.' The big features I'm interested in are a nice user interface/menu system (that beeping thing really bugs me) and a Firewire connection, because my Powerbook is cool. Also, my grandfather had a Nikon Coolpix 905, and I really loved whatever you call the thing where the LCD can pivot relative to the lense, but that's just sort of icing on the cake. I have a number of NiMH AA's and a nice charger for them, but that's also just some extra sugar. I'm not too concerned about pixel count, because my current camera wasn't exceptional a year or two ago, and I figure things are probably better now. My end medium is most likely web, because my printer is nothing special.

In the event that y'all don't want to do my shopping for me, are there any broad tips, such as things that I should keep in mind, good URLs to check out, or horror stories that are only vaguely related? (I'm up for specific recommendations, too.)

xoxoxoBruce · 12-28-2003, 04:06 AM

Skunks, I have an Olympus C-4000 and find it difficult to hold comfortably, using the eye piece. That makes it hard to hold steady. Using the screen is even harder to hold steady. When there's plenty of light it's OK but that's not always the case.

That Guy · 12-28-2003, 11:20 AM

Digital Photography Review - It's the best damn site out there for what you'll be researching.

And CR is always infallable.

zippyt · 12-28-2003, 01:18 PM

I have always been a fan of Fujifilm . I had a 110 camera years ago and figuered out that fujifilm had the best , most vivid color .
I would always look for their one time use cams.
A few years back i bought a Fujifilm mx1200 1.3 mega pix, flash card ( get a flash card reader , VERRRRRRRRY good investment ).
It is a decent little cam .
Those links above are good , so it this one ,
http://www.imaging-resource.com/INDEX.HTM

mbpark · 12-28-2003, 02:28 PM

I use one of these with my Powerbook. Granted, it's a 2MP model, but iPhoto loves it. I plugged it in and it worked. It's USB, but it works just fine.

It's small, has a good UI, and takes CF media. There's a lot to like here with this.

That, and it gives excellent (read: They can be expanded to 8.5*11 full-page pictures) quality.

Mitch

SteveDallas · 12-28-2003, 04:32 PM

Skunks, I love my Coolpix 995. If you find one of those or the newer (but already discontinued) Coolpix 4500 used or refurbed, give it a try. (I have had good luck buying used stuff from www.bhphoto.com.)

The other camera I had my eye on was a Fuji Finepix 3800... out of my price range at the time. A 6x optical zoom (I'm a big fan of at least 4x because you have very few lens options unless you're going with a digital SLR which is obviously out of your price range... and digital zoom is useless IMO, so you can discount it in your comparisons) plus a very compact, well-designed package ... definitely worth a look.

I agree with That Guy, dpreview.com is great. stevesdigicams.com is also worth a look. For more general photography advice, but still with some camera discussion, check out photo.net.

My advice would be to not worry about the firewire connection for the camera. I don't think they're very common, at least not at the low end of the price range, and you're better off going for photography features that are important. You can certainly get a firewire memory card reader to match whatever card format your camera uses.

Torrere · 12-28-2003, 05:52 PM

I'm currently looking for a new digital camera. Inertia will probably lead me to get another Olympus camera.

I've always used <a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com">Imaging-Resource.com</a>.

I think that the most fundamental criteria are:
1. pixel count
2. memory type

Does anyone know where I could find comparisons of the various different flash memory types?

SteveDallas · 12-28-2003, 08:23 PM

I'm actually wanting an external flash for my 995. I'm currently held up by my desire to not pay $40 for the cable, so I'm waiting for one to come up on ebay that I can snag.

DPReview has an exhaustive examination of different Compact Flash cards. I don't know of similar resources for other formats, but I'm sure they're out there.

Torrere · 12-28-2003, 08:40 PM

Yes, I found the dpreview compactflash comparison, but I want to find something that compares all of the types of formats.

The most important thing for me is: which type of memory is most likely to be used in the camera I buy after this one?

Undertoad · 12-28-2003, 09:32 PM

A different one from the one used in this one.

H T H

hot_pastrami · 12-29-2003, 03:16 PM

My photos in the CELLAR MEMBER ART GALLERY thread were taken with my Olympus C-700 and it's newer descendant, the C-730. They're both excellent cameras, and if I were to buy a new one today, I might go with the latest of that series, the 4.0 Megapixel C-750. The thing I don't like about that C-750 is that it only takes xD type memory, which is not my favorite (my C-730 takes SmartMedia and xD). The 10x zoom kicks ass, and the picture quality on this line is very good. It is improved with the C-740 and better, because they switched to an all-glass lens system.

If I had a little higher budget, though I'd go with the very cool 5 MP Nikon Coolpix 5700. It has 8x zoom, and lots of features. My mom got one on my recommendation, and though it is complex, once you figure it out, it's pretty powerful. With a budget even bigger than that, the Canon 300D Digital Rebel, and a 28-200mm lens, would be way too damn cool. Alas, too expensive for now.

Undertoad · 12-29-2003, 03:26 PM

That 5700 is just "pro-sumer" enough for me.

$646 + shipping after rebate at newegg.com, hmmm.

The business writes it off on tax, but still! If it makes it under 5 bills, I'm in.

hot_pastrami · 12-29-2003, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Undertoad
That 5700 is just "pro-sumer" enough for me.

$646 + shipping after rebate at newegg.com, hmmm.

The business writes it off on tax, but still! If it makes it under 5 bills, I'm in.

Two more items of note on the 5700... it can use an IBM Microdrive, which is kinda spiffy... and the LCD screen pivots freely, so you can shoot from the hip, along the ground, over the head, etc without problems.

I really want one of those.

Skunks · 12-29-2003, 05:08 PM

Yeah, "prosumer" is tempting. I can easily justify spending a few times more than the "300" I mentioned earlier if it's a really cool camera.

I started looking at the <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Sigma/sigma_sd9.asp">Sigma SD9</a> because that Foveon thing looks pretty sweet. But it's about a year old and somewhat expensive.

So then I went back to looking at a <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_cp4500.asp">Coolpix 4500</a>, but it's discontinued.

I talked to my dad about it, and he's a huge proponent of a good optical zoom. Enter the Coolpix 5700.

Further poking brings up the <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Minolta/minolta_dimagea1.asp">Minolta DiMAGE A1</a>, which is my current "top option". I went to a local store (well, I'm in Phoenix for a bit) and played with it for a few minutes. The viewfinders are cool, though the LCD isn't as flexibly awesome as it could be (-20-90°, one axis). A1 + extra battery + 1gb Microdrive + USB2.0 microdrive connector-to-computer-thing seems to be about $1040 from brief online checking, which is acceptable enough given the "it'll last a long time!" excuse. And it's just so cool.

hot_pastrami · 12-29-2003, 06:12 PM

Take a look at the top 10 digital cameras on epinions.com... the site uses consumer ratings, so it's a pretty good, unbiased gauge. However, it is an "all things considered" ranking, so an item's placement will depend not only on how good the camera is, but also it's price, etc.

Top ranked is the Canon Powershot S400, followed by the Minolta Dimage Z1, and then the Nikon Coolpix 5700.

12-28-2003, 03:51 AM	#1
Skunks I thought I changed this. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: western nowhere, ny Posts: 412	Camera Shopping I have a digital camera. It's something to the effect of a Digimax 220. I hate it, because it makes a lot of noise (beeps constantly & doesn't save 'don't beep, damnit' setting) and uses a USB connection. I have some christmas gift-money, and I'd like a better camera. My price range is roughly $300 US, but I'm open to spending more if I can rationalize it with something to the effect of, 'if I spend more now I won't want a new camera in a few years.' The big features I'm interested in are a nice user interface/menu system (that beeping thing really bugs me) and a Firewire connection, because my Powerbook is cool. Also, my grandfather had a Nikon Coolpix 905, and I really loved whatever you call the thing where the LCD can pivot relative to the lense, but that's just sort of icing on the cake. I have a number of NiMH AA's and a nice charger for them, but that's also just some extra sugar. I'm not too concerned about pixel count, because my current camera wasn't exceptional a year or two ago, and I figure things are probably better now. My end medium is most likely web, because my printer is nothing special. In the event that y'all don't want to do my shopping for me, are there any broad tips, such as things that I should keep in mind, good URLs to check out, or horror stories that are only vaguely related? (I'm up for specific recommendations, too.)

12-28-2003, 01:18 PM	#4
zippyt LONG LIVE KING ZIPPY! per Feetz Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Arkansas Posts: 7,661	I have always been a fan of Fujifilm . I had a 110 camera years ago and figuered out that fujifilm had the best , most vivid color . I would always look for their one time use cams. A few years back i bought a Fujifilm mx1200 1.3 mega pix, flash card ( get a flash card reader , VERRRRRRRRY good investment ). It is a decent little cam . Those links above are good , so it this one , http://www.imaging-resource.com/INDEX.HTM __________________ "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. " Brother Dave Gardner

12-28-2003, 02:28 PM	#5
mbpark Lecturer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Carmel, Indiana Posts: 761	Canon Powershot I use one of these with my Powerbook. Granted, it's a 2MP model, but iPhoto loves it. I plugged it in and it worked. It's USB, but it works just fine. It's small, has a good UI, and takes CF media. There's a lot to like here with this. That, and it gives excellent (read: They can be expanded to 8.5*11 full-page pictures) quality. Mitch

12-28-2003, 08:23 PM	#8
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	I'm actually wanting an external flash for my 995. I'm currently held up by my desire to not pay $40 for the cable, so I'm waiting for one to come up on ebay that I can snag. DPReview has an exhaustive examination of different Compact Flash cards. I don't know of similar resources for other formats, but I'm sure they're out there. Last edited by SteveDallas; 12-28-2003 at 08:30 PM.

12-29-2003, 03:16 PM	#11
hot_pastrami I am meaty Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,119	My photos in the CELLAR MEMBER ART GALLERY thread were taken with my Olympus C-700 and it's newer descendant, the C-730. They're both excellent cameras, and if I were to buy a new one today, I might go with the latest of that series, the 4.0 Megapixel C-750. The thing I don't like about that C-750 is that it only takes xD type memory, which is not my favorite (my C-730 takes SmartMedia and xD). The 10x zoom kicks ass, and the picture quality on this line is very good. It is improved with the C-740 and better, because they switched to an all-glass lens system. If I had a little higher budget, though I'd go with the very cool 5 MP Nikon Coolpix 5700. It has 8x zoom, and lots of features. My mom got one on my recommendation, and though it is complex, once you figure it out, it's pretty powerful. With a budget even bigger than that, the Canon 300D Digital Rebel, and a 28-200mm lens, would be way too damn cool. Alas, too expensive for now. __________________ Hot Pastrami!

12-28-2003, 04:06 AM	#2
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Skunks, I have an Olympus C-4000 and find it difficult to hold comfortably, using the eye piece. That makes it hard to hold steady. Using the screen is even harder to hold steady. When there's plenty of light it's OK but that's not always the case.

12-28-2003, 11:20 AM	#3
That Guy He who reads, sometimes writes. Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: at the keyboard Posts: 791	Digital Photography Review - It's the best damn site out there for what you'll be researching. And CR is always infallable.

12-28-2003, 04:32 PM	#6
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Skunks, I love my Coolpix 995. If you find one of those or the newer (but already discontinued) Coolpix 4500 used or refurbed, give it a try. (I have had good luck buying used stuff from www.bhphoto.com.) The other camera I had my eye on was a Fuji Finepix 3800... out of my price range at the time. A 6x optical zoom (I'm a big fan of at least 4x because you have very few lens options unless you're going with a digital SLR which is obviously out of your price range... and digital zoom is useless IMO, so you can discount it in your comparisons) plus a very compact, well-designed package ... definitely worth a look. I agree with That Guy, dpreview.com is great. stevesdigicams.com is also worth a look. For more general photography advice, but still with some camera discussion, check out photo.net. My advice would be to not worry about the firewire connection for the camera. I don't think they're very common, at least not at the low end of the price range, and you're better off going for photography features that are important. You can certainly get a firewire memory card reader to match whatever card format your camera uses.

12-28-2003, 05:52 PM	#7
Torrere a real smartass Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 1,121	I'm currently looking for a new digital camera. Inertia will probably lead me to get another Olympus camera. I've always used <a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com">Imaging-Resource.com</a>. I think that the most fundamental criteria are: 1. pixel count 2. memory type Does anyone know where I could find comparisons of the various different flash memory types?

12-28-2003, 08:40 PM	#9
Torrere a real smartass Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 1,121	Yes, I found the dpreview compactflash comparison, but I want to find something that compares all of the types of formats. The most important thing for me is: which type of memory is most likely to be used in the camera I buy after this one?

12-28-2003, 09:32 PM	#10
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	A different one from the one used in this one. H T H

12-29-2003, 03:26 PM	#12
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	That 5700 is just "pro-sumer" enough for me. $646 + shipping after rebate at newegg.com, hmmm. The business writes it off on tax, but still! If it makes it under 5 bills, I'm in.

12-29-2003, 05:08 PM	#14
Skunks I thought I changed this. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: western nowhere, ny Posts: 412	Yeah, "prosumer" is tempting. I can easily justify spending a few times more than the "300" I mentioned earlier if it's a really cool camera. I started looking at the <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Sigma/sigma_sd9.asp">Sigma SD9</a> because that Foveon thing looks pretty sweet. But it's about a year old and somewhat expensive. So then I went back to looking at a <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_cp4500.asp">Coolpix 4500</a>, but it's discontinued. I talked to my dad about it, and he's a huge proponent of a good optical zoom. Enter the Coolpix 5700. Further poking brings up the <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Minolta/minolta_dimagea1.asp">Minolta DiMAGE A1</a>, which is my current "top option". I went to a local store (well, I'm in Phoenix for a bit) and played with it for a few minutes. The viewfinders are cool, though the LCD isn't as flexibly awesome as it could be (-20-90°, one axis). A1 + extra battery + 1gb Microdrive + USB2.0 microdrive connector-to-computer-thing seems to be about $1040 from brief online checking, which is acceptable enough given the "it'll last a long time!" excuse. And it's just so cool.

12-29-2003, 06:12 PM	#15
hot_pastrami I am meaty Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,119	Take a look at the top 10 digital cameras on epinions.com... the site uses consumer ratings, so it's a pretty good, unbiased gauge. However, it is an "all things considered" ranking, so an item's placement will depend not only on how good the camera is, but also it's price, etc. Top ranked is the Canon Powershot S400, followed by the Minolta Dimage Z1, and then the Nikon Coolpix 5700. __________________ Hot Pastrami!

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