Digital Camera Suggestions

Drew · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 214

my camera got stolen it was a Canon ZR25 MC, I need to get a new one, for about $900-$1100. Any suggestions? I want something with good optical zoom. I want one that has video and still imaging.
Thanks

Dragonlady8 · Guest

Check out dpreview.com

Mike Isler · Moderator Joined: 11 Jan 2003 Posts: 718 City: New York

how about a Sony TRV80?

Drew · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 214

Mike, why do you suggest that one?

franknbeans · Soul Rider Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 272 City: Ft. Worth

www.cnet.com has really good in-depth reviews. It also has prices too (i think it even tells where you can get it the cheapest)

Mike Isler · Moderator Joined: 11 Jan 2003 Posts: 718 City: New York

Well, if you shop around, you'll find that it's right on the upper end of your budget.,...maybe just a hair higher. It's pretty much the best non 3-chip camcorder you can get from Sony. Good zoom on it... 2.1 megapixel still shots...I've seen 8x10 prints from still shots on that camcorder, and they're pretty damn good. It also has Bluetooth, which means it can talk wirelessly to laptops and desktops and stuff....maybe even other cameras.

Not a bad camera for the money, at all! Perhaps I'm biased since I sell still and video cameras at a store...but we sell both Sony and Canon. Oh well.

bordinaustin · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 147 City: Austin

Mike, have you had any time to check out the Canon A70? I am really looking for something that I can use for pictures on websites, but don't want to spend more than $400 on it.

George · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 552 City: Chattanooga

Hey mike i have seen where you have the Nikon D100. How do you like it? I want to get a Digital SLR so i dont have to waste money develping bad pictures. I want to be able to blow them up to a 16x20 or maybe even bigger. Would you suggest spending $1600 for the body then another $300-$500 for a 300mm lens?

Mike Isler · Moderator Joined: 11 Jan 2003 Posts: 718 City: New York

Bordinaustin,

In regards to the Canon A70, I haven't spent much time using it. If you have a little more change to spend, I would check out the Canon S45. I think that runs about $450-$500. That's a pretty good 4-megapixel camera.

George,

I actually use the Nikon D1x. Another photographer whose work has been on this site, Jacob Bocanegra (Bok), uses the Nikon D100. They're both very good cameras, and I've used both quite a bit though I only own the D1x. I've had two page spreads in magazines from my D1x files. The D100 files are pretty much equivalent (technically a little bigger...but not much). 16x20 is not too much of a problem. I've printed 13x19 from things I've shot, on my Epson 2200 and they look beautiful. In my opinion, better than film, if the files are post-processed properly.

In regards to your second question Would you suggest spending $1600 for the body then another $300-$500 for a 300mm lens? I must say heck no I wouldn't suggest that. I don't want to offend here anyone, but in my opinion it is very silly to spend a lot of money on a very good camera, and put a mediocre lens on it. When you're using film, it becomes even more silly: when you take a picture and the camera's shutter opens, there is nothing in the camera that affects the picture. The only thing in front of the film is the lens. Sure, a more expensive camera may be better when using auto-exposure, or for auto-focus or motordrive speed...but to get the sharpest, most contrasty, most colorful and vivid photos out of your equipment the LENS is the most important piece of hardware.

I've personally spent much more on my lenses than I have on my camera bodies. Plus, as cameras become outdated and obsolete, you keep your same lenses. So, why spend $1,500 on something that'll last you a year or two, and $500 on a lens that you'll have for much longer? In all honesty, the technology with digital cameras is changing so fast that to stay on top of the game you will not be shooting with the same camera for more than two years. However, you will keep the same lens for a long time. Do things right and spend the money on the lens. Instead of getting a 75-300mm zoom lens, or even worse, a 28-300mm type lens for under $500, spend a bit more. Wait to make your purchase if you need to. Get yourself a 70-200mm/2.8 lens. If you need to reach out to 300mm, get a 1.4x teleconverter and put it on that lens.

Something that makes me laugh is when people either come into the camera store I work at, or I see shooting, is when someone buys a Nikon D100 or Nikon F5 (both very good cameras, one digital and one film), and they put a cheap-azz lens on it. It doesn't make sense. If you need to, get a high-end lens and purchase an inexpensive or used camera body now, and upgrade that later. Buy as many professional ( f2.8 or faster) lenses as you can. Don't skimp on that, if you want to do it right.

Mike

George · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 552 City: Chattanooga

I wasn't saying get a cheap lens i just wasn't really sure of the cost but now i think of it a 200mm with f2.8 is around 800-1200. My Uncle is a Professional photographer and he also told me to get a 180 or 200mm lens with f/2.8. Right now i use my dads Minolta 7000i and i got a Sigma 75-300mm lens i know its cheap and has a f/5.8 which stinks. Which lens would you recomend getting to use with the D100. Would you stick with Nikon lens or another brand?

Garrett Cortese · Moderator Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 300 City: Orlando

ummm, yeah...what Mike said Wink

If you want pound-for-pound the best results, I'd stick with Nikon glass on a Nikon body. I've heard good things about the Sigma lenses, but I've also heard it's always better to stay with a brand (Nikon on Nikon, Canon on Canon). The most versatile lens by far is the 70-200mm f2.8. Use that on a D100 and you'll be a happy man. If you're on the shore at a competiton and it can't reach, throw on a 1.4x converter, you should be good.

Dragonlady8 · Guest

George~ I own a NikonD100 I think you'll like it. Just a little advise. If the sales person tries to sell you the portable recharger DON'T DO IT!!! It's a piece of garbage and not worth the time and money.
I use Vivitar series 1 and Tameron Lenses

George · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 552 City: Chattanooga

thanks guys now all i have to do is find the money. would you consider buy something like this off e-bay if you can find it and the person has all good feedback?

Drew · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 214

Is 10x optical zoom enough?

George · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 552 City: Chattanooga

somewhere i read that 8x optical is like 280mm zoom but i could be wrong.

Drew · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 214

does anybody know about Bluetooth? What exactally does it do/

Drew · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 214

oh, and is the Sony TRV70 the same as the TRV80 just with a smaller screen?

Drew · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 214

oh, and is the Sony TRV70 the same as the TRV80 just with a smaller screen?

Premier135Chick · Guest

I currently have the Canon ZR25MC. Did you have any problems with it when you had it? Last summer, I would constantly get a message saying "Remove the tape" whenever I would tape for long periods of time. It was so annoying. The camera would always be warm when it would do that. So I would have to take the tape out, blow on it and then put it back in the camera. Sometimes it would work and sometimes all it would do was give me that message over and over again. Now so far this year, it hasn't given me much trouble. I think the next camera I get will be a Sony....

bordinaustin · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 147 City: Austin

man, I just bought the Canon A70 and now I went to work and they said that we are getting a bonus this week so I am going to take it back to Best Buy and get a descent digital SLR. Probably a Canon D60. I haven't used a SLR in about 9 years, but I am sure I'll get used to it again. Mostly what I use cameras for is for content on websites. ( www.hostuonline.com ) but I want something that I can use for everything.

If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know.

Drew · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 214

nope, no problems with my Canon, I did notice the camera got hot after using it for a while, but no, I never got that message...

Garrett Cortese · Moderator Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 300 City: Orlando

Boardinaustin--
Don't waste your money on a D60. If you're gonna spend that kind of money get Canon's new D10, it's way better and only $1500, which I think is just a little more than a D60.

BIGMAC · Posted: Apr 12, 2003 8:52 pm Post subject:

G. Cortese is right the 10D is a upgraded D60 and it's cheaper. The Fugifilm S2 is also nice and so id the Canon 1d (8fps) if you can fork out the 3k.

bordinaustin · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 147 City: Austin

thanks for the help Garret. I'll look into it...

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

Since you guys are all camera knowledgable, maybe you can help me out with this....

I just bought a Canon S230 and really am happy - been taking pictures of everything for no reason at all!

My problem: When I download (upload?) the images from the camera to the computer and then save them to the hard drive, the image is HUGE. I then take the image and resize it in MS Paint, but that takes forever when you have 20+ shots to resize.

My question: Is there a way that I can set the Canon software, or the camera itself, so that the images will come out a more reasonable size and I don't have to resize every one?

Josh R · Posted: Apr 15, 2003 5:49 am Post subject:

Canon 1D.... Crying or Very sad

One day... Maybe when I win the lottery...

Garrett Cortese · Moderator Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 300 City: Orlando

jt09 --

there should be a way to change the size of the images you are capturing on the camera itself. It's usually under the menu somewhere and called "file size." You can change it to be smaller if you want.

Josh--

The 1D is a sick camera. I've been using one since October as the photo editor of the student newspaper at the University of Colorado. Now that I'm leaving the staff, though, I just put down the cash for my own....I'm a little scared I just dropped that much dough, but I'm super excited to have my own 1D. We'll see what some of the mags in the industry think...

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

Thanks Garrett - I took the "resolution" and went from L to S (2048x1536 to 640x480) and the "compression" from superfine to normal and that made a MUCH smaller image.

How much quality am I sacrificing by being lazy on my end? Would I get better quality pictures with L resolution and superfine compression?

BTW - I'll be in Boulder in a month or so for my little sister's graduation. I have only visited once or twice and I think it is a pretty cool college town!

Garrett Cortese · Moderator Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 300 City: Orlando

jt09--

If you're only keeping the images on your computer then you're not really sacrificing any quality at all. If you want to print the images out then you're sacrificing a lot of quality. So if you're gonna take pictures you plan on turning into prints then I would shoot at the largest file size.

Boulder is a cool college town. I love being here. In a month I'll actually be back in Cali for summer break, though. CU is done around May 8 and I'm heading back to Cali to do some wakeboarding photography. If you're around before then give me a holler.

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

Garrett - I mostly want the pics for the computer...being able to post them here or email them to my friends and family, but I will want to print some, so your info is very helpful. Thanks!

Drew · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 214

its down to the canon zr 65 and the JVC GR-DV500US. I havent heard much about JVC though. The only reason I want the JVC is because of the megapixels compared to the canon, (1.33 - 0.35) Does anybody know anything about JVC and this camcorder?
thankks

Josh R · Posted: Apr 21, 2003 4:05 am Post subject:

Garrett, I hate you... Mr. Green

Can't wait to see the pictures.

It sucks having to decide whether I want to pour my money into photo cameras or video cameras... Sad

Especially when I don't really have a job...