good digital cameras - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

G-Benz · #16 12-09-2006, 07:32 AM

I'm on the hunt myself, and from the info gathered from my digital "shutterbug" friends, I've been steered towards the Canon lines.

I am now price shopping for the best deal on a Canon S3 IS. at 6 MP, Retails for around $399. I'm looking at taking good family-type shots, not pro SLR magazine shoots.

From what I've gathered, the lens is really the deal on getting quality shots. Hence, an 8MP camera with a good lens will blow the 10MP camera with a basic lens out of the water. Kinda explains why you can get a 6MP camera for $150 up to $899. Features and flexibility dictates the price as well.

If you don't plan on turning your shots into billboard-sized posters, you can save some money and scale back on your pixel resolution requirements...

POS · #17 12-09-2006, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G-Benz

I am now price shopping for the best deal on a Canon S3 IS.

That's what I bought - the optical zoom is unbelievable.

sfloriII · #18 12-09-2006, 01:30 PM

I picked up the new Fuji F-30 Finepix a couple weeks ago. You can find one for a bit north of $225. It was recommended to me by several people in the industry as a good point and shoot camera. One of the best features is that it has an ISO rating as low as 3200, so you can dispense of the flash in most instances.

I've been using it for a few weeks and am VERY happy with it. I also bought one for my fiancee!

Here's a description from Fuji's website:

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital/lineup/f30/index.html

Botnst · #19 12-29-2006, 11:50 PM

The Nikon D-70 is a big hit where I work. Four field scientists have bought them in the past year or so. None of them have had any problems and the photos are very, very good and the cameras have an amazing light response. If my budget wasn't bare-bones I'd buy one. As it is, I still have a perfectly good Nikon and Minolta film cameras that I can use until film is no longer manufactured and a more modest Fuji FinePix a couple of years old, but still good enough. Maybe next FY.

So I borrow a Nikon digitals when I need that quality.

B

CSchmidt · #20 12-30-2006, 09:50 AM

In the past these 2 sites had good info and comparisons.

http://www.dpreview.com/

http://www.dcresource.com/

Matt L · #21 12-30-2006, 10:56 AM

For SLR bodies (film or digital), I'd have to recommend nothing but Nikon. They don't change their lens design as often as other makes. I have an old Canon film body for which I can no longer buy new lenses. Had I considered this twenty years ago, I would have got a Nikon instead and I'd be a lot happier today.

It is true that the lens matters most for any camera. I plan to get a cheap digital camera for garage work (sub $100) and perhaps a decent SLR body in the future. There's little reason to have anything in the middle, in my opinion.

Bill Wood · #22 12-30-2006, 01:47 PM

This is the website I use for digital camera reviews:

Steve's Digicams

kknudson · #23 12-30-2006, 03:53 PM

I don't have the link, but got an article recently about digi's.

For the vast majority, once you get into the 6 to 8 mega pixel range. Don't worry about pixels anymore.

Even me, a once serious shutterbug, my 4 is fine quality wise. But a lacks a number of features below (Recharge time/Start time are number one missing).

Start looking at features and USABLE options.
ie Digital zoom is NOT a usable option.

Look for things like:
Lense Quality, there is significant difference here.
Recharge time, how quickly it can shoot again.
Start time, how long between hitting the button and the photo.
Viewfinder, many new one's don't have one.
I use mine a lot to save batteries.
Rapid take, my wife's new camera can take ?? pics at once.
Then you chose which to keep.
Size, weight and convienence.
...

I wish I had the article, it was a pretty good review of "features".