More qs for new camera

[Christine43]

Hi, I really appreciate the answers to my q's last time and I have done some research into cameras I can actually afford. I have a few more q's and I really thank you for the help. Anyway, I've found six cameras I can basically afford, one is Fuji, one is Olympus, one is Nikon and the others are all Canon. So, my first q is has anyone got an opinion on the best manufacturer?

Q 2. shutter speed - I've found 1/4000 sec, as the fastest and the others seem to be in the 1/2000 area. Will this make a big difference in taking moving shots? The Olympus has two special image stabilizers while the others have them too but they don't seem as complex.

Q 3. MPs range from 6.1 to 12.1. Again, my biggest concern is dark pics without a flash and action shots, will this make a big difference?

Q.4 ISO The highest on a few of these is 1600 although the fujis goes up to 6400. What do you think?

Most of them have shutter priority and aperture priority settings for exposure.

Ok, so any help is GREATLY appreciated as I am camera illiterate but trying to learn. From your educated advice I'm going to make a decision from these cameras. Thanks again, Christine

If you'd like to know the cameras I'm looking at they are: Nikon 6.1 MP SLR, Fujifilm 8MP S8000fd, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT SLR, Canon 8 MP Powershot SX100 IS, Canon 12.1 MP Poweshot A650 IS and Olympus E510.

 

[AndrewWG]

That is a big difference in cameras. The best you are going to get from that list is the Canon XT, Nikon SLR and Olympus SLR. However, this comes with a price. Lenses for these cameras can be quite costly and the learning curve on a DSLR can be time consuming. Of course, this will have the auto mode and "P" mode that you can use until you get used to it. For fast action or low light, you can't beat a DSLR. Of course, there are better DSLR's than those you mention (there always are!) but these are great starting cameras and would serve you well if you are willing to put in the extra money for better lenses.

To answer your questions in order:

Q1: Nope there isn't a "best" manufacturer. Everyone on here will have a different opinion. As far as point and shoot cameras, I think the fuji is the better option due to it's larger sensor size. I may be wrong about that.

Q2: You should get the fastest shutter speed you can although it is somewhat unlikely you will need anything above 1/2000 for most shots

Q3: Stick with the lesser MP's, especially for the point and shoot cameras. More MP's will give you more "noise" (dots) in your photos. When dealing with SLR's, ISO is usually much better at the higher numbers.

Q4: High ISO is nice, but the increase in ISO wil lalso increase "noise" as mentioned above. I would guess that Fuji's ISO 6400 is pretty poor.


This is my 2 cents on your questions. I think many others will chime in with theirs and it may be that they see things totally differently. That is usually the case. That is why I tried to be non-brand specific with my answers.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

has anyone got an opinion on the best manufacturer?

Boy, that's a loaded question. I'm sure everyone has an opinion. Mine is that they're all reputable. Some are "more popular" than others - namely the big two, Canon and Nikon.

I'm not an expert but in doing my own research recently I'm fairly certain that using a high speed memory card influences how fast data is recorded and therefore helps things move along quickly when you're shooting.

In shooting at high ISO on a point and shoot and shooting high ISO on an SLR you will see a difference. And in following posts from the serious dSLR users here, it seems to me that high ISOs are always a challenge, even on the better dSLRs. Make sure you fully understand which cameras are point and shoot and which are dSLRs - you have both on your list and there are big differences between them.

Since you asked about the Olympus, I'll tell you what I know about it. I just bought the E-510 w/ 2 lens kit. It's an excellent value for the money IMO. I also looked at the other dSLRs you mentioned and to me, this had the most modern features such as Live View, in body IS, two excellent kit lenses, dust reduction, 10MP, shooting modes, made for digital engineering, etc. It's also more compact and light than many dSLRs which was important to me. I've never used an SLR before so I don't have old lenses to use - this will only take 4:3 compatible lenses but at least every lens is an IS one (since it's in-body), unlike even the new Canon XSi coming out next month (which was my second choice).

Beyond that, I like being a little different.

I'd also like to be able to take decent shots in low light but my experience is that technique has a lot to do with it. I am able to get some decent low light shots out of my Canon S3 IS so I'm sure I'll be able to do even better with my Evolt (since one is a pns and one is an SLR). I'm planning to buy an additional lens which will help with low light shots, something done by most dSLR users regardless of brand.

I think it's wise to research, research, and then do a little more research. It took me months (and a lot of soul searching) to feel fully confident with my purchase. I looked into the history of Olympus, read dozens of camera reviews, looked at hundreds of sample shots, hung out on other photography forums (many of which have dedicated Olympus and/or 4:3 sections), held the cameras, talked to users, talked to others, bounced ideas of many, considered buying used, etc.

The big thing is to know what you're getting into before you buy. Find out what really suits you. You'd hate to buy a system (which is really what a dSLR is) and then realize you wished you'd bought something different. If you know you want the type of pictures that you can really only get with a dSLR and the system you want is out of your price range, wait and save a little longer. Sell some stuff on Craigslist. Work extra hours. Watch sale prices, etc. Because there's nothing worse than spending lots of money and time on something only to realize you're still unhappy.

My 2 cents. Good luck with your decision. PS I have an Olympus thread going here if you care to join in.

 

[Gdad]

Again, my biggest concern is dark pics without a flash and action shots,

Any of the dslr's will do best with this concern. All the brands have good entry level models- just be sure to include a fast prime lens in your kit. As important if not more so than the highest ISO the camera may have.

 

[Christine43]

Thanks a lot for all the responses, they were a big help. I've decided to go with a dSLR and I'm going to do some more research before I purchase one. I appreciate the feedback! Christine