F828

[marlof]

So, ok, out of curiosity. Any DSC-F828 owners around here? Care to exchange tips?

[Macguy59]

So, ok, out of curiosity. Any DSC-F828 owners around here? Care to exchange tips?

Sorry not up to the big boy yet. Just purchased the DSC-P92 though.

[Gary Sheynkman]

does a 717 count? :?: :wink:

[marlof]

Sure they all count. Just wanted to see what Sony users are in here. And it seems we cover the range. ;)

[Gary Sheynkman]

I also have a POS p31 which I dont really like...lol

[igroknful]

I have an F707 and a Canon S400. :)

[Montego]

I've got an F-717 that I love. Also a P32 for point and shoot.

I had thought about upgrading to the 828 this year, but the reviews have not been very good. If anyone owns this camera I would like to hear what they think of it.

[Gary Sheynkman]

I've got an F-717 that I love. Also a P32 for point and shoot.

I had thought about upgrading to the 828 this year, but the reviews have not been very good. If anyone owns this camera I would like to hear what they think of it.

If you have a 717 the only upgrade you should make is dSLR there the 717 is at the peak of fixed lens digicams and the 828 will not make a big enough difference to warrant an exchange

my $.02

[clanggedin]

I have a 717 and was looking at getting the 828, but you are right, there are no big advantages over what I have right now. Hopefully in a month or so I will be getting the Rebel 300D. I wish it had night shot so I could use my IR filters with it.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Hmm, I'm not sure about the Canon EOS 300D, but since the Nikon D70 is out, and is a nicer camera overall, AND does IR decently, why not consider it?

See this: http://www.naturfotograf.com/D70_rev05IR.html

[Gary Sheynkman]

Yes the D70 rules all...anyone care for a $1000 717? :lol:

[phillypocket]

:lol: Actually I just picked one up (thank you newegg). And of course I've been extremely busy and haven't really had time to take many pictures. I'm hoping to get some time this weekend and see how she handles. I did take some low light pictures at a local club (friends and the stage acts... pictures of the moment), but nothing even remotely "photogenic". It does handle low light well, which was one of the reasons I chose this model. I often take pictures of friends at parties, clubs, and bars. And the light there is always low. A friend of mine had the 707 (717?) and alway commented on how well sonys take pictures in the lower light. Unfortunately because of sony's choice of the memory stick, I never took the plunge (and after the 128 meg debacle, I'm very glad I didn't). However once they adopted compact flash, I was there. It's a small tank (my last camera was the casio 3000) but it reminds me of my old Pentax. It feels like a real camera. And that's suprisingly comforting.

The only "tip" I can think of at the moment is that there is a great site which helped in my decision to purchase the camera: Luminous Landscape (http://www.luminous-landscape.com).
Feature-wise, I was sold, but I was a little concerned with the purple fringing (ca) reported around the web. The noise (also reported around the web) didn't concern me. LL had some very thought provoking articles on the issue, 8mp cameras in general, and web reviews. The also have great "understanding" articles, and tutorials.

[marlof]

As for the CA: in those pictures that suffered from it came out pretty good (well, nothing short of amazing to be honest) after using Shay Stephens' CA actions (http://www.shaystephens.com/ca.asp). And the noise is dealt with by Noise Ninja (http://www.picturecode.com). Version 2 (currently in beta) is also available for Mac OS X.

The thing I like best about the 828, and what will make the transition to a DSLR a huge step for me that I'm not sure I'm willing to take, is the swivel body, allowing me to take shots from the hip. I really like not having to look through a viewfinder, and use the LCD for framing, while keeping a complete view of my surroundings. I guess digital photography spoiled me. :)

[Suhit Gupta]

:lol: Actually I just picked one up (thank you newegg).
Did you pick up the F828 or the D70? Or the 717? There are just so many cameras we spoke about in this thread :).

Suhit

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

I'm sure he meant the 828.

[Suhit Gupta]

I'm sure he meant the 828.
Yeah I sort of figured that given the thread topic, but figured I should ask :).

Suhit

[Kursplat]

I, too, have a 717. I heard that the 828 suffers from purple lines along certain edges in photos, as others have mentioned.

I took my CF to CompUSA to try out (as best you can with them tied down) the 828 and Rebel. Sure enough, I two pictures of the same shot and one of them had the purple lines. That turned me off from the 828 right there. I wasn't going to pay $1000 for a "minor" upgrade that actually resulted in worse pictures. And I was looking forward to the better video as well as MS/CF support. I have a 1GB MS and 1GB CF, so that would have worked out nicely.

I also tried the Rebel and several things kept me from taking the plunge. I started out with digital cameras, not SLR film cameras. I like being able to view my shot on the LCD screen that swivels (my old FD91 and the F717 allow the screen to swivel up and down). This allows me to take a picture from down low or up high without crawling on my belly or carrying a step ladder around. That is what I would have to do with the Rebel since you HAVE to you the view finder when taking pictures. I also like the ability to take video shorts with the same device. I still want to purchase a nice camcorder, but video in the digital camera has come in quite handy. The enhanced video capabilities of the 828 was one feature I was looking forward to. It also didn't help that the Rebel corrupted by CF card and I had to reformat it. Going into it, I was really hoping I would like the Rebel. In the end, there were too many disadvantages for my needs to make me part with the $1000.

My brother in law has the Canon D30 with a $1000 lens hanging off the front. I DO like the quality of the pictures, the feel of the camera, the speed of taking pictures, etc. but the same disadvantages still exist. Maybe I just need to own both types and switch between them. :D

Oh yes. I also own a Minolta DiMage Xt that I carry around in my pocket everywhere I go. With PDA in one pocket, Camera in the other, and the cellphone on the belt, I expect to get testicular cancer any day now. 8O

Seeing some of the other posts, it looks like I'm not alone on most points.