Which camera will give me great nigth parade shots?

[Jozymouse]

Hello!

I have a few questions since I LOVE taking pictures at Disney. I have Nikon Coolpix (3-4 years old) which I really like but am looking into getting a new/better camera....I am willing to spend $500-600. What I would like to improve is that when I use the flash, it takes forever for me to be able to take another pic. I missed so many great shots in the Spectro Magic night parade since it seemed that I was always waiting to take a pic. Another thing I would like to improve in buying a new camera is getting better night pictures when theirs not that much light. My worse pictures from my Feb 2007 Disney trip were taken during the Pirate and Princess Party Parade since it is a night parade but with very little light. Same thing for the Boo to you Parade picture from my Sept 2006 trip. Can anyone recommand a brand and model in my price range that could help me with my 2 small problems? Thanks alot!!

 

[Master Mason]

Well,

Your first issue/problem is you shouldn't be using a flash during spectromagic. I believe they even tell you that before the parade starts. You want to use a low appeture, high ISO, and get the fastest shutter speed you can out of the camera.

As for the camera you looking for, I would look at the Canon S3, the sony H5 or possibly the entry level dSLRs Nikon d50, canon XT, pentax D100 or D110, all of those should fit your price zone, the dSLR's would be the better camera, but would be at the higher end, and most likely you'll end up wanting more lenses which will cost more as well.

 

[ukcatfan]

I will first offer a little advice and then ask a question of you. Those shots are some of the most difficult around.

For the light parades, it is best to not use a flash. It tends to give it an un-natural look. Being as close as possible help a lot, but a better camera may be needed. An external flash with a diffuser is possible, but likely out of your price range. For low light shots when the subject is stationary, a tripod and manual mode works wonders. If the subject is moving and in low light, then you need a better camera.

Are you willing and/or interested in a DSLR or do you want to keep it to the p&s models? You can get a DSLR for your price range, but it would be limited to probably one lens and the selection is limited. You also do not want to spend all that much if it will only help a small percentage of your shots. You need to think about your shooting habits to determine if it is worth it.

Let us know a little bit more and we can give some suggestions.

Kevin

 

[handicap18]

Any of the dSLR's set to ISO 1600 with either a 28mm or 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 lens set at the widest aperture (which would be f/1.8 or f/1.4). However, the lens alone will run anywhere from $80 to $250 or more depending on the brand and dSLR you'd get.

So with that in mind, I'll defer to Kevin's post above. Give us some more info and we'll go from there.

 

[tinksdad]

This one will work pretty well, but you will need to add a zero to the end of the budget amount!!

The Canon EOS-1D Mark III has 100 - 3200 in 1/3 stops, plus 50 and 6400 ISO, which is pretty amazing.....

Seriously, you need something with high ISO, fast lens (f/2.8 or lower) and a low noise rating. That's a tough bill to fit into something that costs $500-$600 dollars. Have you looked at some of the low light video cameras??

 

[Gdad]

I would get an entry level DSLR like the Nikon D40 with the kit lens. You should be able to get that for well within the price range and it will give you a lot more flexibility in your shooting options. Then for about $100 more you can pick up the 50mm 1.8 lens and have a blast shooting night shots without a flash.

 

[YEKCIM]

Like Gdad, I'm a Nikon driver, and would second his recommendation that you consider the D40. I would also look into one of the low-end Pentax dSLR's as well, given your budget, or perhaps a higher-end "bridge" camera.

~YEKCIM

 

[ukcatfan]

I would get an entry level DSLR like the Nikon D40 with the kit lens. You should be able to get that for well within the price range and it will give you a lot more flexibility in your shooting options. Then for about $100 more you can pick up the 50mm 1.8 lens and have a blast shooting night shots without a flash.

I could be wrong, but I thought that the 50mm was not compatible with the D40.

Kevin

 

[handicap18]

I could be wrong, but I thought that the 50mm was not compatible with the D40.

Kevin

It only will not Auto Focus. You can still use it in Manual Focus. There is no focus motor drive in the D40/D40x body. Only AF-S lenses will auto focus with these 2 camera's. All other AF lenses become manual focus.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

If taking low-light photos is the *most* important feature for you, and you don't want to get into DSLRs, probably the best P&S camera for you is almost certainly the Fuji F30 (click for a great review). And, you should be able to get one for less than $250!

It's a small camera, not much zoom, but it does high ISO *very* well for a P&S.

I love my Canon S3, but high ISO night shots is not its forté....

 

[YEKCIM]

If taking low-light photos is the *most* important feature for you, and you don't want to get into DSLRs, probably the best P&S camera for you is almost certainly the Fuji F30 (click for a great review). And, you should be able to get one for less than $250!

It's a small camera, not much zoom, but it does high ISO *very* well for a P&S.

I love my Canon S3, but high ISO night shots is not its forté....

If you want a Fuji with more zoom, look at the S9100 or S6000fd. Both have good high-ISO performance for P&S cameras, but will *not* equal dslr performance.

~YEKCIM

 

[Jozymouse]

Hi again, everyone. Thank you for all your answers. Some are way to technical for me so please bare with me. I want something that is still easy to operate and something that I can take the picture by seing it on the screen. I went to the store and inquired about the Nikon D40 and Canon Rebel and the fact that you dont see the picture on the screen before taking it will not work for me. I apologize for my lack of technical terms but I hope what i'm saying still makes sense! Also, with my Nikon coolpix i could never imagine taking Spectro Magic pictures without my flash on? With my lack of knowledge on that subject, I would say that my pictures would come out totally dark? Am I crazy to think that? So, overall, I guess my better options would be Canon S3 or Fuji F30? Thanks alot everyone (again and again!!!)!

 

[YEKCIM]

I went to the store and inquired about the Nikon D40 and Canon Rebel and the fact that you dont see the picture on the screen before taking it will not work for me. )

No DSLR (afaik) offers live preview, so that eliminates that type of camera from consideration. I'm not sure why you feel you could not use a camera that offers only a viewfinder shooting option, but you know your own needs and preferences.

Be aware that the Canon S3 and the Fuji S30 are *radically* different in terms of the zoom range, among other things. The S3 also offers IS, which the Fuji's do not. Fuji does offer some "superzoom" models that are similar to the S3's and, in fact, a couple go *much* wider than the S3's lens, but do not offer IS.

~YEKCIM

 

[Jozymouse]

I'm sorry but what is IS?

thanks

 

[Gdad]

I'm sorry but what is IS?

thanks

Image Stabalization- Nikon calls it VR for Vibration Reduction. It's an internal anti-shake feature built into a camera or lens.

 

[ukcatfan]

I'm sorry but what is IS?

thanks

It is very helpful on all low light shots where the subject is stationary like a landscape, building, sign, etc. It is also very helpful with telephoto shots(zoomed more) where any camera motion is exaggerated due to that high focal length. It is not helpful with low light shots where the subject is moving because it fixes motion caused by you not holding the camera still, not motion caused from a subject moving. You simply must get a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action. By the time you have done that, you are typically already at a fast enough shutter speed that IS will not help. It might help a little for Spectro, but I think usable high ISO is better in that situation.

Kevin

 

[fitzperry]

I went to the store and inquired about the Nikon D40 and Canon Rebel and the fact that you dont see the picture on the screen before taking it will not work for me.

Since people have mentioned IS, I thought I would also point out that holding the camera at arm's length to snap a picture using the lcd contributes to camera shake. It's easier for most people to hold the camera steady when using the viewfinder.

 

[ukcatfan]

Since people have mentioned IS, I thought I would also point out that holding the camera at arm's length to snap a picture using the lcd contributes to camera shake. It's easier for most people to hold the camera steady when using the viewfinder.

To add to this a little concerning p&s vs. DSLR, I do not think anyone has mentioned focus. When low light is involved, a p&s can often miss a shot due to poor focus reliability and speed. The p&s cameras are getting better at the speed thing, but I still find that the DSLR is much more reliable at capturing the correct focus. Even when my DSLR hunts, it still almost always gets an accurate lock.

Kevin

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

To add to this a little concerning p&s vs. DSLR, I do not think anyone has mentioned focus. When low light is involved, a p&s can often miss a shot due to poor focus reliability and speed. The p&s cameras are getting better at the speed thing, but I still find that the DSLR is much more reliable at capturing the correct focus. Even when my DSLR hunts, it still almost always gets an accurate lock.

This brings up a technical question I've had for a while. How does the *camera* (or the lens, in the case of some DSLRs) know when it's in focus?

Does anyone have a link explaining how it works? I looked it up on Wikipedia, but I was hoping for something a little more in-depth....

 

[Jozymouse]

Hi, I pretty much decided on going with the Fuji F31FD but I do have another question for you wonderful people. When we will be going back to Disney in October, how will I know which ISO to use for Spectro, Boo to you, Fantasmic and rides(i.e. Pooh, Splash , pirate rides) in order to get good results? Also, must I avoid using the flash for all the above shows/parades/rides or only for Spectro? I did read a few articles about the way ISO works but when they say to use a high ISO, is it high ISO1600 or high ISO3200? (Considering that I will be making 4X6 prints only). Thanks a zillion, Jozy