Good compact

[fuse04]

I am looking for a good compact to take around WDW for our visit in May. Would like a dslr and wife says we can have one but not convinced I actaully need one! As we live in the UK I can hardly pop back to have another go if I get the settings wrong on the dslr!

Looking for something which has a very good zoom as we are staying at AKL and would also like to take closer shots of some of the shows. Must have IS as our Nikon 5200 does not and it is a real pain at times.


any advice appreciated

Fuse04

 

[jann1033]

just a thought some entry level dslr (at least the canon rebel line) have auto settings also..so if you really want to learn to use a dslr, you can use the auto settings side till you are comfortable with the "set your on" side of the dial. that way you have a camera that can cover both p&s and dslr capabilites rather than having to buy 2

 

[ukcatfan]

Could you give us the reasons that you are considering a DSLR and we can help you decide.

Kevin

 

[fuse04]

Could you give us the reasons that you are considering a DSLR and we can help you decide.

Kevin

Hi Kevin. Currently have a Nikon 5200 (take everwhere) and as my interest in photgraphy is increasing the more the current model seems not to do what I want! The two big areas of disapointment are I often want to take pictures without a flash in lower light levels but it does not have IS and pictures are blurred. The other is that with only 3 x optical zoom, this is far too small.

We are of to WDW in May and need a better camera to take stills, want some closer shots when at AKL.

I am torn between a DSLR which will allow me to increase my knowledge (big and expensive and assuming the interest continues!) and a good compact to take round the parks (along with camcorder) maybe Canon S3.

The pictures I like taking best (excluding family stuff) low light level/night shots, animals, static displays such as aircraft, and atmospheris landscape.

Any advice woudl eb appreciated....it sorta feels I need both

Rob

 

[Jeanne B]

it sorta feels I need both

I have both the S3 and the Pentax K100D.

My one tip would be, whatever you decide to get for a camera, get it a month or two in advance so you have plenty of time to practice beforehand. The auto settings often work okay but it's really helpful to get familiar with the manual settings.

 

[fuse04]

I have both the S3 and the Pentax K100D.

My one tip would be, whatever you decide to get for a camera, get it a month or two in advance so you have plenty of time to practice beforehand. The auto settings often work okay but it's really helpful to get familiar with the manual settings.

thanks for the advice thats a good idea. Which would you take to the parks for a day or would you take both?

Rob

 

[Pixeldust Fairy]

I have a similar but different problem. I do have a dslr, and I LOVE it. The only draw back is that it is large, I have several lenses, plus extra batteries, lense cleaner, tissue, extra memory etc. etc. etc. I would like a good PS camera to keep in my purse so that when I am out I dont miss any photo op. I have been places where I wanted my camera, and I dont have it and it is too big to tote everywhere I go. I have looked at PS and I am just not impressed. I start at the lower line, look around.... move up a little....look around.... move up a little until I am right back where I started. with a dslr.

 

[alsipd]

My wife has a Sony T5 and loves it. Great photos, very small size and extremely easy to use. Check them out you will be surprised.

 

[Pixeldust Fairy]

My wife has a Sony T5 and loves it. Great photos, very small size and extremely easy to use. Check them out you will be surprised.

Cool, thanks I will have to look at that one.

 

[ukcatfan]

Hi Kevin. Currently have a Nikon 5200 (take everwhere) and as my interest in photgraphy is increasing the more the current model seems not to do what I want! The two big areas of disapointment are I often want to take pictures without a flash in lower light levels but it does not have IS and pictures are blurred. The other is that with only 3 x optical zoom, this is far too small.

We are of to WDW in May and need a better camera to take stills, want some closer shots when at AKL.

I am torn between a DSLR which will allow me to increase my knowledge (big and expensive and assuming the interest continues!) and a good compact to take round the parks (along with camcorder) maybe Canon S3.

The pictures I like taking best (excluding family stuff) low light level/night shots, animals, static displays such as aircraft, and atmospheris landscape.

Any advice woudl eb appreciated....it sorta feels I need both

Rob

If your low light needs include moving subjects, then you need a good high ISO, which means DSLR. I have the Pentax K100D w/ IS and I am very happy with it. If they are more static subjects, then the S2/S3 and a tripod would be enough. Traveling from outside the US, you would probably want a small tabletop tripod or similar instead of a full size.

Kevin

 

[fuse04]

If your low light needs include moving subjects, then you need a good high ISO, which means DSLR. I have the Pentax K100D w/ IS and I am very happy with it. If they are more static subjects, then the S2/S3 and a tripod would be enough. Traveling from outside the US, you would probably want a small tabletop tripod or similar instead of a full size.

Kevin

Thanks Kevin, why did you go for K100D not the ususal Canon or Nikon?

Rob

 

[ukcatfan]

Thanks Kevin, why did you go for K100D not the ususal Canon or Nikon?

Rob

At the entry level DSLR range, it really comes down to personal preferences. All of them will give good results if used correctly. The Pentax gave me more for the money, felt better in my hands, and has IS in the body.

Specificly, the Rebel XT feels very cheap and too plastic for me. I did not like button placement either. The XTi was out of my price range, but suffers from the same things. Also, the LCD on the XT is tiny. Basically for Canon, I would not consider anything in the current Rebel series. For Nikon, I really liked the D50, but it just did not seem like I was getting as much for my money compared to the Pentax. I did not consider Olympus b/c of the 2X crop factor. The widest I have now is an 18mm (equal to the 14mm on Olympus), but I plan on getting something wider when the $$ is available. Sony and Fuji were out of my price range.

The extras on the Pentax that I like are the 2.5" LCD, IS in body, uses AAs, and a much better kit lens than C or N.

Kevin

 

[Groucho]

I have a similar but different problem. I do have a dslr, and I LOVE it. The only draw back is that it is large, I have several lenses, plus extra batteries, lense cleaner, tissue, extra memory etc. etc. etc. I would like a good PS camera to keep in my purse so that when I am out I dont miss any photo op. I have been places where I wanted my camera, and I dont have it and it is too big to tote everywhere I go. I have looked at PS and I am just not impressed. I start at the lower line, look around.... move up a little....look around.... move up a little until I am right back where I started. with a dslr.

I'm the same way - I can see the appeal of a pocket camera, but I just can't go back in image quality. My wife's Canon SD600 is nice, for a small camera, but the photos just can't compare, especially in anything other than bright sunlight.

fuse04, the Pentax DSLRs have become very popular recently for a few reasons... the first is price, they're the most inexpensive DSLRs available. However, the build quality is great (they're often ranked top in ergonomics, they feel as sturdy or more than the comparable Nikons and much sturdier than the Canons, they probably have the best kit lens), the image quality is terrific (they have the same sensors as the Nikons, DPReview recently declared the K100D to have the best image quality of any 6mp DSLR), and they have image stabilization in the body (well, the K100D and K10D do, the K110D doesn't), which means that every lens you buy will be stabilized. This is a huge advantage especially when you read the Canon and Nikon owners spending $1,000+ for their IS lenses! Pentax also has unbeatable backwards compatibility - every Pentax lens works, it's as simple as that. They also have some of the best viewfinders, which is important for manual focusing, and when manually focusing, they'll let you know when you're in focus, even with a 30+ year-old lens.

All the DSLRs are wonderful, but Pentax is really working hard to give the amateur and advanced amateur a camera that does what they want for an affordable price. (The K100D with IS is currently $491.49 after rebate and the K110D without IS is $412 after rebate, both with kit lens. Prices from Beach Camera.) I'm not sure how the prices weigh out in the UK (or if there's a rebate) but I think it'll probably be roughly similar in comparison to the others.

But, with any DSLR, you're really looking at carrying a few lenses if you want to take full advantage of it... but you'll have the potential to take photos that the PnSs just can't do. Only you can decide if the extra work of carrying it around is worth it to you.

 

[fuse04]

I'm the same way - I can see the appeal of a pocket camera, but I just can't go back in image quality. My wife's Canon SD600 is nice, for a small camera, but the photos just can't compare, especially in anything other than bright sunlight.

fuse04, the Pentax DSLRs have become very popular recently for a few reasons... the first is price, they're the most inexpensive DSLRs available. However, the build quality is great (they're often ranked top in ergonomics, they feel as sturdy or more than the comparable Nikons and much sturdier than the Canons, they probably have the best kit lens), the image quality is terrific (they have the same sensors as the Nikons, DPReview recently declared the K100D to have the best image quality of any 6mp DSLR), and they have image stabilization in the body (well, the K100D and K10D do, the K110D doesn't), which means that every lens you buy will be stabilized. This is a huge advantage especially when you read the Canon and Nikon owners spending $1,000+ for their IS lenses! Pentax also has unbeatable backwards compatibility - every Pentax lens works, it's as simple as that. They also have some of the best viewfinders, which is important for manual focusing, and when manually focusing, they'll let you know when you're in focus, even with a 30+ year-old lens.

All the DSLRs are wonderful, but Pentax is really working hard to give the amateur and advanced amateur a camera that does what they want for an affordable price. (The K100D with IS is currently $491.49 after rebate and the K110D without IS is $412 after rebate, both with kit lens. Prices from Beach Camera.) I'm not sure how the prices weigh out in the UK (or if there's a rebate) but I think it'll probably be roughly similar in comparison to the others.

But, with any DSLR, you're really looking at carrying a few lenses if you want to take full advantage of it... but you'll have the potential to take photos that the PnSs just can't do. Only you can decide if the extra work of carrying it around is worth it to you.

Thanks Groucho, what is the Pentax like a higher ISO, from what I read I will need higher ISO for night time shots in the parks, Fireworks etc?

Fuse04

 

[ukcatfan]

The high ISO performance of the entry level DSLRs is about the same. I believe that Nikon is more aggressive with their noise reduction software resulting in a little less noise at the expense of sharpness. After you run through your PP procedures, I doubt anyone could tell a difference between any of them. On a side note, Olympus has been reviewed to have higher noise than the others.

Kevin

 

[Lachesis00]

If I were to get a P&S I would definately go Sony. You can not beat it for taking photos. I know someone who has an S2 and loves it. I have the 717 and the photos often compare to my DSLR. Honestly. I love that camera. A friend has borrowed it since June LOL and he keeps trying to buy it off me. We bought it back in 1997 and you can not mess up taking photos.

 

[Groucho]

Thanks Groucho, what is the Pentax like a higher ISO, from what I read I will need higher ISO for night time shots in the parks, Fireworks etc?

Like Handicap18 said, it is comparable to the Nikon and Canon. The sensor is the same in the Pentax 6mp cameras as the one in the Nikon D40/D50/D70 and the Pentax K10D has the same as as the Nikon D80, so you get basically the same results. Also like he said, the Nikons tend to be just a touch more heavy-handed with the noise reduction, at the expense of detail. The Canons have may an edge at high ISOs but it's a very slim one, if it does exist.

The recent "Show me: caves" thread has some pictures that I took at 1600 ISO with no noise reduction. I also have a few Spectromagic ones in my trip report that I did use some noise reduction on, and they are pretty sharp IMHO. The 6mp Pentaxes also give you the option of 3200 ISO, which is pretty noisy but you can get a good shot out of it, if the conditions are right. You can probably get similar results with the Nikon and Canon by shooting at 1600, minus one stop (via exposure compensation), and using software to "push" it up.

 

[Spinning]

i just purchased the fuji s6000FD. It has a 10x optical zoom and to my surprise does very well in low light! I was totally amazed with the sharpness and results I got at an indoor pool sitting in the bleacher area. It isn't super small but has a lot of nice features and the price is great.

 

[manning]

Just got back from a month at Disney today. Took a Sony H5 (wife's) and a Panasonic TZ1. Both good cameras.

Panasonic has announced two new TZ series cameras. TZ2 and TZ3. Haven't had a chance to get all the info but one thing interesting is they have changed the zoom range. They are 10x zoom

The zoom on the TZ1 is 35-350mm zoom. The new ones will be 28-280mm zoom.

 

[Jeanne B]

thanks for the advice thats a good idea. Which would you take to the parks for a day or would you take both?

Rob

DD and I went on a Disney cruise in early Dec with a couple of days in WDW after, I found myself using my S3 a lot because the pictures seemed to look better in the LCD but to my surprise when I got home and transferred all the pictures to my computer I was much happier with my K100 pictures, especially the indoor low-light shots, much more crisp and clear but I was still getting used to the camera so I guess I wasn't feeling confident about the picture quality until I saw them full size. So as long as you don't mind carrying the extra weight and you have a lens (or lenses) that gives you a good range I would recommened taking just the dSLR to the parks (but I will still always bring two cameras with me on vacation because a smaller p&s comes in handy at times).