I've noticed that some of you take really great pictures, and I know alot of it is experience with regards to how to take a picture, but the camera plays a big part as well. I'm currently in the market for a digital camera. I've narrowed it down to these models (but am still open to suggestions):
Being the novice that I am, I don't quite understand terms such as aperture, etc. Can some of you guys give me some feedback on these cams? Also, what cams are you all using (be it digi or 35mm, SLR, etc.) and why?
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I'll watch this thread too. I have to return the 'company camera' I have been using as Friday is my last day. I have been using a Canon Powershot and it is very reliable and user-friendly. I would definitely get another one. I also like the Sony you note, but would probably pass on the Kodak.
just bought a canon sd300 powershot. it's the smallest canon with 3x optical zoom. it's 4mp which is more than enough. they retail for 399 but i got it from dell.com for 340 out the door. check www.techbargains.com for daily updates on dell coupons. i love it so far. and for a little camera, it has a huge 2" lcd. you really can't go wrong with any canon. i think dell is selling the poweshot s410 for less than 300 out the door. plus it arrives in like 2 days. good luck.
I have a canon EOS 10D and 20D. Both are excellent, but I imagine that they are pricier than you were planning on. The digital rebel is also very good for a bit less cash. If photography is something that you plan on getting serious about you absolutely want to start with a SLR. They are far more diverse because of the interchangeable lenses, but they are also far more expensive.
Aperture is basically the physical size that the iris in the camera will open up to. In this case smaller numbers = larger openings which mean that your camera can capture more light.
For example say that you had 2 cameras one that could open up to a f2.8 and one that opened to a f5.6. The f2.8 camera can capture 4 times as much light than the f5.6. This means that in a low light situation the f2.8 is far more valuable to you because basically it can see in the dark better which means that you have a better chance at getting the shot that you want without blurring it because you had to increase your shutter speed.
Shutter speed is basically the amount of time, usually expressed as a fraction of a second, that the curtains in front of the sensor will open to expose your photo. Many point and shoot cameras do not have a physical shutter which somewhat limits what you can do with them. They will simply turn the sensor on and off electronically, which is fine unless you want to use a very fast shutter speed for stop action photos like at a sporting event or auto race etc.
Another factor is depth of field. Most compact cameras lack good DoF because the lenses just aren't designed for it. That's a little advanced though and I don't want to ramble on too much, but if you have any questions feel free to ask.
For a point and shoot I would recommend a Powershot S70. It has a decent lens, decent aperature range and can shot all the way down to 1/2000 of a second. It has a 7 megapixel sensor and is packaged well. I particularly like the fact that the door slides closed across the front protecting the lens when not in use. It will keep it safe if you stuff it in your pocket. It also uses compact flash cards fo memory which means that you can get some pretty good sized cards for it at a decent price.
s70 is a sweet camera with lots of fxns but a bit bulky...i needed something very small. as for the hills in the background, it's fremont. i took that pic at coyote hills.
It has 3.2 mega pixel, 10x optical zoom and a 4.0 digital zoom. Has tons of settings for shutter speeds and light. I like the camera a lot especially for the zoom. I believe it is expandable with different lens or add on lens. Looks a lot like the old 35mm cameras with a lot of the same settings. I think the price was around $460 when I bought it.
I actually think they have a newer model out now with up to 4.0 mega pixel since I got this last Christmas.
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It has 3.2 mega pixel, 10x optical zoom and a 4.0 digital zoom. Has tons of settings for shutter speeds and light. I like the camera a lot especially for the zoom. I believe it is expandable with different lens or add on lens. Looks a lot like the old 35mm cameras with a lot of the same settings. I think the price was around $460 when I bought it.
I actually think they have a newer model out now with up to 4.0 mega pixel since I got this last Christmas.
Roneski & AZ, thanks for the in-depth post. I'm considering the Minolta Dimage or this Panasonic Limux:
What do you guys think about the Panasonic. If I get this one, I'll probably get the silver. It seems to run neck & neck w/ the Minolta in terms of price. Suggestions or feedback with regards to these two cams?
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Just remember with the Rebel you also have to buy lenses. They do sell combo packages, but I just want to make sure that you don't buy the body only thinking that it comes with a lens.
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First I say get something with atleast 4 or 5 megapixels. Its more than what ya might need right now but it'll come in handy when you wanna start blowing pics up or editing them heavily.
stay away from kodak ... they're not reliable or good quality.
no to the olympus just because it doesn't have a raw format option which isnt very important to most people but if you decide to get into photography you'll want something that takes raw pics
i don't know a person that has had a panasonic and did not junk it after a month. kills batteries fast and subpar quality for the price.
the Minolta is a good choice but I have a loyalty to Canon when it comes to digital. They're digic chip takes great pictures. The Canon S70 is a great camera with a lot of features in a relatively small package. If you want something a bit simpler for just pointing and shooting then go with the Canon S500 is good. The Canon G5 is a great camera but too bulky for a point and shoot camera in my opinion. If you're looking into SLR its a harder choice. Canon IMO makes the best digital technology but Nikon IMO makes the best lenses. Digital SLR cameras are freaking expensive so unless you're really serious about taking pics day in and day out I'd stay away from them.
IMHO - Canon all the way. I use to have the 3.2 MP Powershot S30 (bought it about 4 years ago). I passed it to my lil brother and I was gonna buy the Powershot S60. I was also considering Powershot G5. The G5 seemed pretty good, but I thought it's kinda bulky for my point and shoot needs. While trying to decide between S60 and G5, the new Powershot S70 and G6 came out. I finally got the Powershot S70 from buydig.com . Great camera. I saw much improvement over my old S30. Got a spare battery (NB-2LH) from amazon.com , 1GB CF card (Sandisk Ultra II) from zipzoomfly.com and a Samsonite camera bag for my belt. Now I'm all set - just my G35 is not here yet
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hey bobtex ... the S70 has the ability to use microdrives right? Have you tried using one of them? I want to get a new digital camera in the next couple months and I'm stuck between the Canon S500, Canon S60 and Sony DSC-T1
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I use to have the 3.2 MP Powershot S30 (bought it about 4 years ago). I passed it to my lil brother and I was gonna buy the Powershot S60. I was also considering Powershot G5. The G5 seemed pretty good, but I thought it's kinda bulky for my point and shoot needs. While trying to decide between S60 and G5, the new Powershot S70 and G6 came out. I finally got the Powershot S70 from buydig.com . Great camera. I saw much improvement over my old S30. Got a spare battery (NB-2LH) from amazon.com , 1GB CF card (Sandisk Ultra II) from zipzoomfly.com and a Samsonite camera bag for my belt. Now I'm all set 
- just my G35 is not here yet 
