Calling All Gurus

[I0's]

hello
I am just making my transition from film cameras to digital cameras, therefore i need help with selecting a digi cam. i am not very literate when it comes to digi cam, all i know is optical zoom is the zoom to look at when buying not digital zoom.
i will be using this digi cam for regular use such as family photos, get togethers, vacation pics, the occasional scenery pics.
also i would like video/audio rec. feature too.
my budget is approx. $500-$800.

can u suggest me a digi cam with the above requirement, please.
also at what megapixel does the quality of photo start not to matter?

personally, i am looking at the Sony DSCT1, DSC828, Nikon D70, what do u think? is SLR a good direction to go?

Thank you, your input will be greatly appreciated.

[Jason Dunn]

Welcome to the site. :-)

The first question is what kind of film camera are you using now? i.e.: is it an SLR camera? If so, and that's the kind of photography you want to do, you'll probaby be unhappy with anything other than a DSLR (digital SLR). The Nikon D70 looks like a great camera - do you have Nikon lenses that you'd like to use on the D70? If you don't, another great DSLR is the Canon Digital Rebel (it's what many of us here have).

Or are you looking for a smaller, more portable camera?

[Gary Sheynkman]

personally, i am looking at the Sony DSCT1, DSC828, Nikon D70, what do u think? is SLR a good direction to go?

Thank you, your input will be greatly appreciated.


You choices are spread far and wide across the convinience spectrum.

As they stand they are arranged in reverse quality order, but in a correct convinience order. With that said I dont think the 828 is a great camera.

A bit more detailed:

The t1 is a great little camera and will serve you well as a point and shoot, but dont expect to do too much artsy stuff

I have a 717 ($800 and its yours with a bag/filters/128mb stick :wink: ) and love it. The 828 I find ugly and not too comfortable. Plus, it didnt get good reviews when compared to similar cameras such as the Canon Pro 1 (good choice here: quality+good size+tons of features)

The D70. If I have the $$$ to buy one RIGHT now...I would. Really...the camera is perfect, but a bit costly. I say buy the kit because you get a great lens with it that would cost an arm and a leg to get stand alone. BUT...if you dont like to lug stuff around this might not be the best choise unless you also buy a t1 to carry around when you are too lazy to tote the d70

good luck!

[I0's]

Welcome to the site. :-)

The first question is what kind of film camera are you using now? i.e.: is it an SLR camera? If so, and that's the kind of photography you want to do, you'll probaby be unhappy with anything other than a DSLR (digital SLR). The Nikon D70 looks like a great camera - do you have Nikon lenses that you'd like to use on the D70? If you don't, another great DSLR is the Canon Digital Rebel (it's what many of us here have).

Or are you looking for a smaller, more portable camera?

Thx for the welcome, btw, found about about you guys thru pocketpcthoughts, GREAT siteS.

the current film camera i using is not a SLR its a Samsung :oops: brand camera, about 5 years old.
i am not much of a photographer, its just for casual use get togethers, on vacations, the occasional scenic picture.
I dont have any brand lenses. btw, i have never had a SLR the reason why i choose some SLR cameras are caz some one recommened them, thats y i am here to know if its the right choice.
also i was leaning more toward the Sony DSCT1.

thx guys

[Jason Dunn]

If you're coming out of a point and shoot 35mm camera, I'd say it makes sense to get into something similar in the digital world. Going digital is enough of an adjustment, going DSLR is an even bigger change. So I'd suggest a mid-range point and shoot to get your feet wet, nothing too expensive. Have you considered Canon? The S50 is nice:

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=144&modelid=8778

[Littleshmee]

If you like the size of the T1, take a look at the Canon ELPH line (S410, S500, even SD110 if megapixels aren't an issue). While I haven't actually seen any pictures from the T1, I have a hard time believing that the tiny little lens (F3.5 max aperture) can compete with Canon's quality. The tiny flash also seems to be way too close to the lens... Go into a store and play around for a while. You might not even need to spend as much as you think.

[I0's]

oh man, buying a digi cam is harder than i thought :D

till what megapixel, does pixels stop improing the picture??

[Jason Dunn]

oh man, buying a digi cam is harder than i thought :D till what megapixel, does pixels stop improing the picture??

If you have a 4 or 5 MP camera, you can print up to 8.5 x 11" without any problems, and a bit bigger. Beyond that you're not going to gain any additional quality based on megapixels alone.

[Bob12]

Increasing the number of pixels will never stop improving the resulting picture. However, the size you print the pictures may impact your ability to see much difference. If you only plan to print "album" size (3x5 or 4x6), pretty much any digital camera on the market will produce good results. But, if you're into larger prints, you'll definitely want more pixels. The cameras that have been suggested so far will easily handle 5x7 prints and, depending on content and printer, as much as 8x10.

[Gary Sheynkman]

oh man, buying a digi cam is harder than i thought :D till what megapixel, does pixels stop improing the picture??

If you have a 4 or 5 MP camera, you can print up to 8.5 x 11" without any problems, and a bit bigger. Beyond that you're not going to gain any additional quality based on megapixels alone.

yup...you heard it on DMT first: THE LENS ACTUALLY MATTERS! :lol:


As for the canon elph suggestion: its a good call.

[Suhit Gupta]

I agree with all of what people have said here already. Ultimately it also comes down to how much you are willing to spend. The D70 looks like the best choice among the cameras you have listed. One thing I will mention though is that if you are planning to go for an SLR, (the D70 conveniently comes with a lens) and need to buy a lens, if you don't have the money to buy a good lens now then wait it out until you do. Don't compromise and pay a smaller sum of money and get a crappy lens because you will not only be spending a chunk of money that you could in the future utilize towards a good lens, but will also be frustrated rather quickly by the limitations and the mediocre pictures that a low end lens would take.

Suhit

[I0's]

thx guys for the overwhelming responses

i think i am going to stay away from SLR for now.
i did some research and found that Canon seems to be domination in digital camera. so i guess canon wouldn't be a bad choice.
btw, i live in canada, i noticed that the canadian website had some models that u.s. sites doesn't, what up with that?
also i noticed the canons use CF card for storage, i was wondering if CF card's life is coming to an end caz of their size? the CF card takes almost 40% of the camera and they are bigger than other memory storage medias.
also do u think getting a high speed memory stick storage (CF card if i get a canon) is worth it??

Thanks

[Suhit Gupta]

Usually you need a high speed card if you are doing high speed photography, and if you aren't going with an SLR then this may be less of an issue. Having said this, there are some point and shoot cameras available now that can shoot several images per second so it depends on the functions of the camera you settle on.

Suhit

[Bob12]

Carrying on with the CF card question. I won't go out on a limb and say that CF cards are here to stay sut they do have an extensive user base so I don't think we'll see them phased out too soon, if at all.

That being said, unless you are concerned with cross-device usage of your storage medium (such as using it in a camera and a PDA) and already have the other device, the camera's storage medium is not really much of an issue. Handled properly, any of them have an extensive life span.

So, I'd say the bottom line is to find the camera you like based on the other features and don't let the storage medium weigh too heavily on your decision.

[Gary Sheynkman]

good call Bob12,

Unrelated:

I was a bit of a skeptic of the 8mp bunch but I gotta tell you I like the Pro 1 the most out of all of them....how is it working out for you? Ya think its worth upgrading to from a 717?

thanks

[Bob12]

I certainly like mine. I used it to take some night pictures at a lake recently and was quite pleased with the results using the included remote control. I don't use it as much as the Mark II but then, I never expected to. I'd recommend it highly for anyone looking at that range.

[Jason Kravitz]

I had a Canon S45 (now S60) and it was a great point and shoot camera for casual photography. You can shoot in many different manual modes as well as a bunch of decent auto modes.

Since I got my Digital Rebel last November, I have not been watching the latest trends in point and shoot digital cameras although it seems like they are getting a lot more advanced with built in image stabalization, more optical zoom etc. I think if I were to get a new digi cam a model like the S60 might be part of the old generation of cameras, especially if you can spend up to $800.

Guess that doesn't help much :)

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Don't look only at Canon cameras. That's all I have to say.

[Bob12]

There's nothing wrong with Canon cameras, any more than there is with Nikon. IO's looking for constructive advice, not personal favorites.

[Suhit Gupta]

Don't look only at Canon cameras. That's all I have to say.
Any particular reason for this blanket disapproval on Canon cameras? I agree with Bob12 here.

Suhit

[Gary Sheynkman]

I think what Lee is saying is that he should not limit himself only to one brand that most users of DMT prefer

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Heh, Gary's right. Don't limit yourself to one brand. You have the power of choice, don't deprive yourself of it!

[I0's]

Heh, Gary's right. Don't limit yourself to one brand. You have the power of choice, don't deprive yourself of it!

can u suggest any other model # or brand??
i am open to all suggest, the reason why i chose canon was caz every review site i went to had canon right on top and some specific models Canon Powershot S60, Canon Powershot G5, Canon S500 Digital ELPH.
i guess these 3 are rite now my options, but if u have anything else, please do let me know

thanks

[I0's]

Heh, Gary's right. Don't limit yourself to one brand. You have the power of choice, don't deprive yourself of it!

hey Lee, please dont leave me hanging
your suggestion are welcomed, please do post
thanks

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Well, firstly I think you should decide on what kind of camera you want.. The 3 Canons you listed cover a very wide range.

Once you decide the kind of camera you want (high end consumer, high end compact, super compact, etc), look at the other cameras that fufill the needs you want, then select the one whose looks and/or feature set you like best. If you can handle the shortlisted cameras before buying, it's even better, as it'll reveal any flaws a camera has in its UI and egronomics.

[ale_ers]

I'll 2nd Jason recommendation of the Cannon S50. I have the 4 meg version of this camera and it has been great. It takes wonderful pictures, CF cards are cheap and is easy enough for anyone to use, while at the same time having enough advanced features to let you play around.

Not to mention it is durable: The camera has been dropped twice (not by me) and although it has 2 good sized dents...still works wonderfully.

[I0's]

Canon G6 looks very tempting, does anyone know by when it will be available in canada and for how much (preferably canadian $)?

also same with S70, any idea when the canadian realease date it and $$?

thanks