Digital Camera recommendations

[RadioNate]

Ok I'm looking for a point and shoot with the speed of a SLR.

I know nothing about photography except that I like pictures. I'm not really interested in learning custom settings, etc. I don't want to take a photography class to use my camera.

That said my Sony DSC-P10 isn't cutting it. My outdoor posed photos turn out well but anyting that isn't in great lighting conditions or at all moving turns out poorly. The shutter lag is so bad that I often miss shots of DS playing etc.

The zoom is also useless.

I'd like to stick until $1000 and in reality the cheaper the better.

I have looked at the digital SLR's (specifically the Canon Rebel XT and the Nikon D50) and I like the speed but I wonder if it is 'too much' camera for me. I also like setting up the shot using the LCD rather than the viewfinder. I know that's "bad" but I have vision problems and it is hard to focus though the viewfinder. It's not a make or break thing but it's something about going SLR that concerns me.

Is anyone like me? What camera do you have?

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

I have the Canon Rebel XT and LOVE it. I mainly use it for sports photography with a large F2.8 zoom, but it's a great camera alone, too. I have had tons of compliments on the clarity and quality of my pictures - and it could not be easier to use.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[ndelaware]

There are many GREAT cameras out there that are not slr types. They take great pictures and have really long zoom lenses on them. And most are in the $500 range. Look here: http://reviews.cnet.com/Digital_cameras/2001-6501_7-0.html?tag=cnetfd.dir , pick out how much you want to spend and how deep you want to get into photography. I use a digital slr and love it, but the learning curve can be quite steep at first and honestly a point and shoot type camera can take better photos than a digital slr used when the slr is used in "auto" mode. If you want creative control and the ability to get all kinds of photographic effects, get a digital slr. If you want just a camera that will do almost anything without alot of input from you and not having to carry a fairly large camera, get a quality point and shot type camera.

BTW, when you buy a digital slr, the $1000 or so you spend on the camera is just the beginning. You will want (need) to get more lenses, add an external flash, get a big camera bag to carry it all in (LOL). Lenses are the most expensive, often more than the camera itself. But with those lenses and some experience you can take pictures that a point and shot can't touch.

 

[RadioNate]

Ok the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H1 and the Canon PowerShot S2 IS both have caught my eye. The Sony is interesting to me because I already have several memory sticks and wouldn't have to invest in more media cards BUT even a 1gig card is less than $100 so it's not a make or break requirement. The rechargeable battery is also appealing rather than the standard AA of the Canon but again not something to make or break the sale.

What is a dealbreaker for me is the shutter lag time. I can not stand the Sony I have now. The delay is frustrating at best! Most of the time I'm ready to throw the camera. It is fine for the stop and smile shot but everything else is missed.

I really want someone to say the "XXXXXX" is the perfect camera to you. The more research I do the more confused I get. I don't understand how the photography terms relate to me. I want to be able to catch photos of my DS playing soccer without blurring or completely missing the shot I wanted because the camera took too long to focus and 'snap.' I want crisp clean indoor and outdoor photos with vibrant colors. I want it to be easy to use and work well without be having to 'fuss' with it.

Am I asking for the impossible?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Check the thread on the CB, RN. The articulated LCD made me chose the Canon over the Sony mentioned. Also, as far as the batteries, rechargeable NmH are great. I have 3 sets of four, plus a super charger, the LaCrosse one here.........

http://www.steves-digicams.com/nimh_batteries.html#chargers

 

[CaptinJackSparrow]

I have an hp photosmart320 good for when it was new

my personal fav is my cannon powershot sd 200 very user friendly excellent in all lite conditions and the price isn't to bad

 

[Lachesis00]

I am 2 steps up from this camera with the 20d but I too love it! I've had no problems and love being able to swap out lens. And learning manual settings has really benefitted me.


I had the Sony 717 which is also a nice camera. I could set manual settings and it still takes beautiful photos... We use it for a back up.

My only regret is I want a pocket digital... Both of my cameras are huge... Not something to stick in your pocket and go.

I have the Canon Rebel XT and LOVE it. I mainly use it for sports photography with a large F2.8 zoom, but it's a great camera alone, too. I have had tons of compliments on the clarity and quality of my pictures - and it could not be easier to use.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[CaptinJackSparrow]

also another plus of the powershot ad 200 it is pocket freindly and has a allwether case optional for sale

 

[keahgirl8]

I, like RadioNate, know nothing about photography except I like taking pictures. I'm told digital is the way to go, but I don't want to spend more than $200 on a camera. Any suggestions?

 

[SJC1984]

Just bought a Kodak Easy Share P850 this week and I LOVE it. I can't say enough good things about it! It takes videos, too!

I, like you, wanted to be able to learn how to use it before our upcoming trip! This was a big debate for me between a Canon SLR and the Kodak p850, but I am totally happy with it because I know I will be able to use it actually, and have saved about $500.00 off a SLR, too!

 

[HarambeGuy]

Nate, I have a 2 year old Canon A75 and love it! By turning off the some of the features I was able to get it to take lag-free pictures in full automatic mode and the quality is good.

My SIL bought one just like it and they are pretty happy. My own sis and her hubby have an A80 and are tickled with it as well.

FWIW

 

[left210]

Just bought a Kodak Easy Share P850 this week and I LOVE it. I can't say enough good things about it! It takes videos, too!

I, like you, wanted to be able to learn how to use it before our upcoming trip! This was a big debate for me between a Canon SLR and the Kodak p850, but I am totally happy with it because I know I will be able to use it actually, and have saved about $500.00 off a SLR, too!

Tell us more about your P850. I have read some reviews that say it is more of a camera that you need to adjust the settings to get a good picture. I have seriously been considering this one but really just want a good point & shoot in auto mode but with a long zoom & IS which this one has. I may use the scene modes but would probably never do any manual settings. How has this been for you? Any comments would help. I am debating between the P850 & Olympus SP500. thanks.

 

[Charade]

Does the Olympus SP500 have IS? I loved my 2100UZ but it's old (and retired now).

ETA. No, it doesn't.

Right now you can get the Kodak 850 for about $424.15 at Dell

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A0516933&cs=19&c=us&l=en

 

[PaulD]

What is a dealbreaker for me is the shutter lag time. I can not stand the Sony I have now. The delay is frustrating at best! Most of the time I'm ready to throw the camera. It is fine for the stop and smile shot but everything else is missed.

If shutter lag is really important then the best solution is to get a digital SLR. The problem with point and shoots is this: the sensor that generates the preview image on the LCD is the same sensor that ultimately takes the picture. This means that the sensor operates in two different modes. One is a high speed low resolution preview mode and the other is the full resolution photo mode. When you press the shutter release the sensor has to change modes which takes time. This results in shutter lag. Add to this the generally poorer performance of the auto-focus systems and you can have quite a difficult time getting that shot that you want.

Digital SLR cameras don't have this problem since their sensors are always in the full resolution photo mode. Since there's no mode switching required and their auto-focus systems are better they have very short lag time.

That said, there are some point and shoot cameras that perform better than others. I would look on www.dpreviews.com and www.steves-digicams.com. These sites review a lot of cameras and generally address shutter lag and how a camera compares to others. Another thing to think about is how long the camera takes to be ready to shoot from power off. This can take several seconds on a lot of cameras and is another reason that good shots are missed.

If you decide on a digital SLR then either the Nikon D50 or the Canon Digital Rebel XT will serve you well. Each have full Auto modes as well as the manual modes if you ever want to go there. I think the Nikon has an easier to use flash system than the Canon. Canon has updated their flash system in this camera (to ETTL II) so it may be a lot better but I know it's a real problem in their earlier SLRs. You can buy new lenses and other accessories if you want to expand the capabilities of your camera but you don't necessarily need any of these things if you don't want them.

Plus, you look cool taking pictures with an SLR .

 

[christinadei]

Thanks for asking. I'm wanting to buy a new camera too (with my yearly bonus). i've been looking at the Cannon Digital Rebels too. I had a minolta maxuum 35mm and loved the pictures. When I switched to my kodak digital camera last year, I loved how small it was compared to teh SLR, but lately, I'm liking the quality less and less. Mainly at night. I can't take nighttime pictures without them being totally blurry, no matter whether i use the night time function and lean on something steady. There isn't a great amoutn of shutter speed, but there is some and I do miss pictures frequently becuase it's not fast enough. I'm hoping to eliminate that with an SLR. However, I don't know if it's too much camera for me either. I only used the auto features on my 35mm SLR and probably never will. I hope to one day take classes, but that will probably be a long time down the road.

 

[MICKEY88]

Thanks for asking. I'm wanting to buy a new camera too (with my yearly bonus). i've been looking at the Cannon Digital Rebels too. I had a minolta maxuum 35mm and loved the pictures. When I switched to my kodak digital camera last year, I loved how small it was compared to teh SLR, but lately, I'm liking the quality less and less. Mainly at night. I can't take nighttime pictures without them being totally blurry, no matter whether i use the night time function and lean on something steady. There isn't a great amoutn of shutter speed, but there is some and I do miss pictures frequently becuase it's not fast enough. I'm hoping to eliminate that with an SLR. However, I don't know if it's too much camera for me either. I only used the auto features on my 35mm SLR and probably never will. I hope to one day take classes, but that will probably be a long time down the road.

if you still have your minolta lenses , you might want to consider the MInolta 5D or 7D, that way you won't have the expense of buying lenses..

 

[sandibeck]

if you still have your minolta lenses , you might want to consider the MInolta 5D or 7D, that way you won't have the expense of buying lenses..

And another good thing about the Minolta D70 (if you already have lenses) is that the stabilization is built into the camera, so you'll still have stability even with the 'old' lenses! That is why we ended up buying the Minolta earlier this year (before the Disney trip in June) - already had a couple of zooms for the non-digi Minolta, so it just made the best sense to buy the Minolta DSLR body & use the lenses we had.
I too only used the auto features on the non-digi SLR, but I haven't had any trouble adapting to the different settings on the D70. Granted, it took quite a bit of 'practicing' different combos to figure them all out - but it's worked out great. And the good thing is - you can see the results of your 'practicing' immediately so you can try something different & not have to wait on the film to be developed to make the adjustments!! Also - the D70 does great as far as 'lag time' - there's virtually none. Our kids both play sports too and I've gotten some great action shots in soccer, swimming, and gymnastics.
Good luck with your decision!

 

[ndelaware]

You do mean 7D not D70, don't you? Cause I was really confused there for a minute. If not, I am still confused. lol

 

[MICKEY88]

You do mean 7D not D70, don't you? Cause I was really confused there for a minute. If not, I am still confused. lol

I was about to ask the same thing I'm unaware of the existance of a D70 in the Minolta line,

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of a 9D, I have heard nothing about one being made, but it only makes sense that they will comeout with a pro model digital SLR..

 

[christinadei]

if you still have your minolta lenses , you might want to consider the MInolta 5D or 7D, that way you won't have the expense of buying lenses..

I don't even want to talk or think about that. I held onto that camera forever waiting for the minolta dslr, but it was so expensive and I finally got rid of them to find out that I could get the minolta for a few hundred more than the cannon. I'm mad beyond belief at that and don't want to think about it. Now it's too late, so I think I'd rather have a Cannon. Thanks for the tip though.