Need advice on Really Nice Digital Camera..

[Dtsnlvrs]

I love airplane photos.

 

Sunrise @ 49000ft over the North Atlantic

 

 

Ali Al Salem AB Kuwait (OKAS)

 

 

49000 ft over the North Atlantic

 

 

Fuji Finepix

[cygnusx1]

We haven't heard from the original poster in a while?

 

Ron, yes my DSLR turns on in less than half a second by tapping the shutter release button no matter what mode it is in. But, I might have to take it out of a protective bag, take off the lens cap, maybe change the lens, double check that I didnt leave it in ISO 1600 or something, and make sure it's in Program mode, is the lens switch set to manual or auto....so all that said, I can still be beat by a credit card sized point and shoot that is in someones front pocket with a 5x optical zoom no brainer.

[Guest Mike]

I'm sure AGUYANDAREDHEAD is composing his list of basic wants for this camera. Once he has this, I'm sure he'll return for more advice. Until he does this, we're just "shooting in the dark" with our posts;)

[Guest 81na ZX]

All the new DSLR's are almost instant on. According to Nikon, to D80 turns on in 0.18s . Thats about 14.72s shorter than any P&S I've played with

 

I got an old pre-war Fuji 6x6 a little while ago (copy of a Ikon-Zeiss folding camera), meterless, and the shutter is stuck, but I can't wait to play with it The negatives are about 4x the size of a 35mm and somewhere around 9x bigger than a DSLR sensor.

[Guest Mike]

AGUYANDAREDHEAD... Which is more important to you... "versatility" or "portability/ease of use"?

[Guest Aguyandaredhead]

Sorry guys, been out of touch for the holiday.. I knew when I came back I would have a plethra of information.

 

Mike to answer your question. Both.. HA I know that I can't have it all but some of each would be nice. The price is not the issue I just dont want to buy features I will never use.

 

I ( read my wife) like the portability of a small camera, however I would like the ability to take more advanced shots.

 

That is why this is such a hard decision for me. I know I could get away with a lesser camera and never look back. But I am not one to waist cash and have to make a second purchase later. It makes no sense, spending twice as much because you have to buy it twice.

 

Thanks again looking forward to a decision.

 

Jeff

[Guest Mike]

AGUYANDAREDHEAD... Sorry... you can't have both in one camera. At least not in my book;) There is no such thing as a "best of both worlds system". If you want versatility, this means interchangeable lenses, flashes, etc. and this means a more cumbersome system. If money is no issue, I suggest you buy both a quicky P&S AND a complete pro-sumer DSLR system.

 

EDIT: What are the "features you'll never use"?

[Guest Aguyandaredhead]

Thats not a bad idea....A P&S for her and a DSLR for me.. I dont supose that the lens's for the non digital cameras fit the new DSLR bodies?

 

OK its gona be the 10.1mp SLR for me and a 5mp P&S for her. Thanks for the replies.

 

 

Jeff

[Sparky]

Thats not a bad idea....A P&S for her and a DSLR for me.. I dont supose that the lens's for the non digital cameras fit the new DSLR bodies?

 

OK its gona be the 10.1mp SLR for me and a 5mp P&S for her. Thanks for the replies.

 

 

Jeff

 

 

The lenses wont be interchangable but the filters can be, if you get a P&S that can accept and adapter...not all of them do.

[cygnusx1]

Umm, just to clarify. All Canon lenses will fit any Canon DSLR. As should Nikons. The DSLR and the SLR mounts are the same for each brand. I suggested getting both types waaay up in the beginning of this thread.

 

You can do a Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP for $550, a nice Sigma 18-125mm lens for $350 or a 18-200mm for $500, and a real good point and shoot for $250. Then you need some memory. I also suggest picking up a f/1.8 50mm Prime Lens for about $100 great for portrait shooting indoors.

[Guest Mike]

I think he means using older lenses made for 135 size film cameras. Yes, some do. Historically Nikon has been the champion of their new camera bodies accepting older lenses. Just keep in mind that, since the imaging chips are much smaller than 135 film, those lenses are much larger/heavier than necessary to cover the smaller digital format. Too, they are effective longer. Typically, a 24-28mm lens, which is short (wide-angle) on a 135 camera, is about normal for a digital camera. In order to achieve the same field of view of a 135 camera using a 24mm lens, one would require a 12-14mm lens on the digital camera, which can be very pricey. Lastly, as technology marches forward, the older lenses do not. Just because an older lens fits and will work with the newer cameras, doesn't mean it has full functionality. You're better off buying lenses designed specifically for the current system.

 

The major camera makers did the public a real disservice by creating their DSLR cameras without coincidentally creating an entirely dedicated line of optics to go with them. Backward compatibility is great but a complete lack of lenses designed for the new systems was cheesy design. I haven't shopped for DSLR's in years but I can only assume that they have corrected this design oversight. Did they?

[veritech-z]

Olympus DSLR lenses have computer chips in them (they advertise this system as being the first slr DESIGNED TO BE DIGITAL, instead of beinga modified 35mm). They won't work with the older olympus lenses, and if the camera is not powered, you can't even get them to focus manually (wtf is that, I said to the guy at the store...he had no answer so I bought a D80 Nikon instead of an E500 olympus). Nikon is suppesedly compatible so long as your old lens will support autofocus. my old 35mm was an olympus, and I was very happy with it, so I kind of had some brand loyalty coming into my dslr purchase. The olympus lenses felt cheaper than the nikon, and the one they had available to demo was all jacked up which made it hard to test. supposedly olympus has the best chip cleaning vibrator deal going right now, but if you don't like the other features, so what, right?

[RTz]

Ron, yes my DSLR turns on in less than half a second by tapping the shutter release button no matter what mode it is in. But, I might have to take it out of a protective bag, take off the lens cap, maybe change the lens, double check that I didnt leave it in ISO 1600 or something, and make sure it's in Program mode, is the lens switch set to manual or auto....so all that said, I can still be beat by a credit card sized point and shoot that is in someones front pocket with a 5x optical zoom no brainer.

 

Hi Dave,

 

Probably irrelevant at this stage but I thought I'd mention it. I see some difference in our habits. I'm lazy. You're probably more of a perfectionist. I don't like fuss. I own a tripod, but hate using it... too much trouble. I don't use a camera bag... never found one that didn't require 'energy'. My camera is dusty. I don't mind, it still works well I own only two lenses... a fair, versatile zoom for everyday use and a long lens for that 'special' occasion. That said, my 'appropriate' lens is always mounted. See what I mean? I'm lazy. On the other hand, my camera is always 'ready to go'. My habits, however unimpressive they may be, allow me to have fun, focus on the moment, and quickly release the shutter

[RTz]

I haven't shopped for DSLR's in years but I can only assume that they have corrected this design oversight. Did they?

 

Mike,

 

Yes, they are addressing that problem, albeit a little expensively (and slowly). Google Nikor 12-24 and 18-200. Expensive but impressive.

[Guest Mike]

As MAX said... buy what best fits your needs. Unfortunately pretty much everything is being made so cheaply that most things are throw away commodities.

 

Think about inexpensive ink jet printers. They cost about $60 and new ink cartridges are $45. WTF is that? Just throw the printer away and buy the newer model. They claim that the ink cartridges (or laser toner cartridges) that come with new printers are only 25-50 percent full. Maybe some are but all the ones I've bought lasted as long as the replacements.

 

So anyway... yes, many new cameras are just plain junk. Just be careful and don't get caught up in features without considering quality. If you buy an inexpensive camera with lots of features, just remember that you're likely to be throwing it away in a year or two... and all the goodies you bought with it... the entire system will be junk. Keep in mind that, as new systems come out, older ones will become obsolete. I just hate how big business takes advantage of Joe Public.

[Guest Mike]

RON... If those lenses designed for DSLR's are truly impressive performers and well-built, they're probably worth their asking price. OTOH, they're likely geared toward professionals and serious hobbyists.

 

Perhaps AGUYANDAREDHEAD should opt for the Nikon system. I don't know because, as I said, I haven't shopped for DSLR's for years. However, it doesn't surprise me since Nikon has lead the way in SLR camera systems for the last 40+ years.

[Sparky]

Umm, just to clarify. All Canon lenses will fit any Canon DSLR. As should Nikons. The DSLR and the SLR mounts are the same for each brand. I suggested getting both types waaay up in the beginning of this thread.

.

 

I think he means using older lenses made for 135 size film cameras. Yes, some do.

 

 

Yeah sorry, I misread the earlier post as lenses from P&S digitals to DSLR cameras.

 

So yeah, thats a consideration of mine as well because I used to shoot everything on an older Canon A1 until it broke. So now I have five lenses that I would like to be able to use with the DSLR that I buy. It would be nice if the different brands of lenses could be used on different manufactures bodies...bummer about that.

[cygnusx1]

Hi Dave,

 

Probably irrelevant at this stage but I thought I'd mention it. I see some difference in our habits. I'm lazy. You're probably more of a perfectionist. I don't like fuss. I own a tripod, but hate using it... too much trouble. I don't use a camera bag... never found one that didn't require 'energy'. My camera is dusty. I don't mind, it still works well I own only two lenses... a fair, versatile zoom for everyday use and a long lens for that 'special' occasion. That said, my 'appropriate' lens is always mounted. See what I mean? I'm lazy. On the other hand, my camera is always 'ready to go'. My habits, however unimpressive they may be, allow me to have fun, focus on the moment, and quickly release the shutter

 

Actually, I am playing devil's advocate because I want him to see that the point and shoot is not all evil. I hate tripods and I hate carrying lenses and I beat the crap out of my gear. I do however like to put it away clean so I do spend time after a trip cleaning the outside and the sensor. Personally, I like the challenge of shooting an DSLR and I try to outdo myself with each session.

 

I guess what I mean to say here is that if you have an interest in SLR cameras and classic film cameras, like me, you probably want to go the same route with your digital life. However, if the "significant other" will need to use it, the kids will need to use it, and you want to drag it everywhere you go without fear; a rugged point and shoot fits the bill. Image quality in a $300 Digital PnS is comparable to a $2000 DSLR rig for shooting pics of car parts and funny photos that will be emailed to relatives at relatively low resolutions anyhow.

 

Here is a photo by one of my favorite nature photographers, Miguel Lasa

Sometimes it's not even the camera, but you are probably not going to get that shot with a point and shoot!

[Guest Mike]

SPARKY... Actually, some aftermarket lenses are made (or used to be) with adapters so they could be swapped between differing camera brands. This was prior to autofocus though;) I don't know if this is possible with today's high-tech lenses. I haven't looked.

[Guest Mike]

CYGNUSX1... I think AGUYANDAREDHEAD decided to buy both a P&S and a DSLR. Now he just needs to choose which ones. I've used Nikon SLR's for decades and DSLR's for several years. All I can say is, if I was in the market for a new DSLR, I would give serious consideration to the Sigmas (only because of the Foveon chip), Nikons and Canons. For a P&S... I've been so pleased with this little Coolpix that I'd probably just buy a later model of this one.