Any digital camera gurus here?

[wolfc70]

I am in th market for a nice "point and shoot" digital camera. I am currently looking at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5k on the high end of my price range, mainly due to the very nice display and the Leica lens. I do not need a digital SLR, as I have a very nice Konica 35mm SLR. I was also looking at the Nikon CoolPix S560 at the lower end. What are things I should look for. My old digital camera was an HP 4 megapixel one that was six years old. So I have very little knowledge on what to look for. I would like at least some form of optical zoom. Are there any other brands to consider (Olympus, Canon, HP)? Any help would be appreciated! My price range is $400 USD and under.

 

[DaveMc]

Not a digital camera guru, but two things top my list: 1) Batteries: do you want to replace batteries or have a battery pack?; and 2) Do I have to install any junky software to use it? I refuse to use anything that the camera maker thinks will dramatically enhance my picture viewing experience on my computer...

Batteries are less important to me now with the "e2" style that lasts a long while.

I've had good luck with the Sony PowerShots. You can get a decent one under $200. Pixels and other techy stats are less important now that most come with WAY more than what a point and shoot should ever need...

Just my $.02

Dave

 

[Wolfman]

Panasonic lumix tz15.small,big viewing screen,leica lense,10mp,no crap!great camera! My 2 cents!:thumbup:

 

[steveindenmark]

I have the Canon Powershot A720IS it has 8 megapixel. First thing I would say is that unless you want a lot of HUGE poster pics then 8 megapixel is great. I have just published a book with double pages 50X20 cm and the photos are pin sharp.

I am a point and push man although I have just bought a DSLR which I do not know how to use.

The enclosed pic was taken with it. If you can take pics like this with a pocket camera, it is worth having.

The Canon Powershot line are great to stick in your pocket on the bike, but I do not know how the price compares.

Steve

 

[Scab]

I'm a big fan of Canon. I have both point-n-shoot and DSLR. If I were to be in the market, I'd be looking for another Canon.

What about something like this?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp;jsessionid=ASRVDG1RWVLIVKC4D3QVAGI?skuId=8800577&type=product&id=1205538350143

 

[GConn]

I own a Canon too, A720IS. Very nice camera, allows a bit of manual shooting too if you're into that. It's 8Mps + a 6x optical zoom =a great combination. Extra/different lenses are also available. If you want something less bulky check the Digital Elph line.

 

[grommit]

My snap happy camera is a Fuji F610, had it a few years now. Will replace with another Fuji next year. :thumbup:

 

[mxgolf]

I have taken thousands of pictures in my time. Most with a 35mm Cannon FTB. But Nikon is the best camera out there. I have an older Nikon Cool-Pix that works great. Very easy to use and so is the software. There are lot of great digital cameras out there now days. Just go to consumer reports . com and that may help narrow it a bit. The one problem with the instamatic types is they aren't the greatest for major scenic shots. When you want to zoom in from long distances. The Panasonic lens is very highly rated. I have a friend who has had some problems with his camera however. Like I said you can't go wrong with Nikon. Good luck and have fun with what ever camera you decide on.:thumbup:

 

[wolfc70]

Ok, so I will look at some Canons. I really liked the Pansonic DMC-tz5, the lens and the high resolution display (460,000 pixels) are out of this world. At 9.1 megpixels it should do pretty much everything I want. I liked the interface (touch screen) of the Nikon S60, but I want some form of optical zoom. I will stop in at my local camera store and check out some Sony and Canon cameras. Thanks for the help, the amount of options out there are simply staggering. When I bought my last Fuji point and shoot 35mm, all you had to choose from was red eye reduction and what type of zoom lens. Now you can get WiFi, image stabilization, and much more.

As for software, the Panasonic comes with PhotoFunStudio, which is what my HP used, just a newer version. I really do not do much home photo printing due to the costs. My local camera store has 4x6 prints for $.12 a print. So getting 36 prints costs about the same as developing a roll of film.

The local store also has packages that include a carrying case, larger memory card, and spare battery if the camera does not use AA batteries. The package is around $50 , which is what I will likely purchase.

 

[thirty_too]

NIKON..... dont go canon... cant go wrong with the cool pix line... but seriously... as long as it is at 5-6 mp then you will be fine... just make sure it functions the way you would like it to... u want it to feel comfortable...

 

[GConn]

..... dont go canon...

Why?? Their point and shoot cameras are considered by many as the best. Nikon and other brands make fine products too, but why NOT canon?

 

[steveindenmark]

Why?? Their point and shoot cameras are considered by many as the best. Nikon and other brands make fine products too, but why NOT canon?

I think he was joking George. Either that or he has not read any camera reviews for a long time. :spank:

Steve

 

[GConn]

Didn't get it the first time...:scared:

 

[necrotimus]

I have a cannon in the elph line (I think 750) and everyone remarks on the quality of pictures it takes. I love it and would recommend mine or one of the models above to everyone.

Besides mega pixels the other things you want to look into is the start-up time, recycle time, and optical zoom.

Start-up time: You see something cool and want to take a picture... 10 seconds later when your camera is ready the picture is worthless

Recycle time: aka time between pictures, "Crap I took a bad shot" 3 seconds can be a looong time

Optical zoom: Digital zoom is great except it isn't... You will find that because when you are in digital zoom you have a greater chance of taking a blurry picture you will always try to stay in optical

 

[mstewar1]

Not a guru but I've been a hack photographer for a number of years.

I'd stay away from the Lumix. While it does have the nice lens, they've consistently gotten poor reviews due to excessive noise in the images. So while the lens is nice, the processor is kinda crap. I haven't researched cameras in at least a year, so they may have fixed some of the issues, but from what I recall, it was not much of a deal in the end.

I have found this site to be useful: steve's digicam reviews I've no connection to the site, I've just used it as a source for info and found it helpful.

As others have mentioned there is more to choosing a camera than just the pixel rating.
- What type of battery does it use?
- What type of memory does it use? -- I ended up with a Sony as it's got a nice Zeiss lens. I uses a proprietary batter and it takes Sony's proprietary memory sticks. Both trade-offs I was ok with as I liked the camera. Though ultimately it is a little small for my hands.

I'd do some research, make a short list and get to a store and handle as many cameras as I could. Take some shots with those you think you might like. See how easy or difficult the camera is to hold, to hold steady and get a focused shot, to shoot quickly with -- sorta stand there and try it out. How long does it take to power on? Does it just feel right in your hand?

Navigate through the menus on the camera. Are they easy enough to use or is stuff hard to find and do? If it's hard to change the settings on the camera in the store, it won't get any easier out in the world...

As for brands, I guess I'd recommend Canon, Nikon, and Sony, though not in any particular order. I own a canon digital slr and sony point-and-shoot. If money is no object you might consider Contax or Lieca proper...um yeah.

- The software thing, i don't find to be that much of an issue. If your pc doesn't have a memory card reader they're easy enough to get, and when the memory cards are installed into a pc, rather than from an attached camera, they're a little easier to manage. And often times the image download process is faster. Most of the image management software I've seen from camera manufacturers is pretty poorly designed. But take into account that I design software interfaces for a living. So ymmv.

 

[greenthumb]

after experience with their and competitors products, i too have become somewhat loyal to canon.
i own a S2, a S5, an old S200 (i found in the mud and being driven over) that i use for diving and a HF100 camcorder. all of which im very happy happy with. i use them mainly for travelling and have abused then quite heavily; my S2 even survived a fall at speed from my motorcycle in thailand.

canon knows how to make a functional/usable camera - something youll find that electronic come camera manufactures fall short on in some aspects. they are by no means flawless, but after a few thousand shots you appreciate details such as button layout, menus and subtle features that in reality are more useful than more megapixels or a longer zoom.

an excellent site that offers very in depth and unbiased reviews of virtually every camera out there is www.dpreview.com

 

[thirty_too]

Why?? Their point and shoot cameras are considered by many as the best. Nikon and other brands make fine products too, but why NOT canon?

i was kidding... sry for the confusion lol... but get what u like... jsut like bikes.. get what fits u and what your needs are... but like i stated earlier i would stick with the 5-6 mp range... no nedd for anything else

 

[Oscar54]

Just to emphisize what Michael above mentioned.

My biggest complaint with my camera is the delay from the time you push the shutter button to the time the camera actually captures the picture. Make sure you get one as close to instantaneous as possible, at least equal to an SLR. Otherwise taking action pictures will be frustrating.

The other is cycle time on the flash. Look for one that recharges the flash quickly, again less frustrating.

 

[Botch]

My biggest complaint with my camera is the delay from the time you push the shutter button to the time the camera actually captures the picture. Make sure you get one as close to instantaneous as possible, at least equal to an SLR. Otherwise taking action pictures will be frustrating.

BINGO BINGO BINGO!!! Shutter lag is my biggest pet peeve about the small point-n-shoots. My "good" cameras include Nikon FM-2, F-4, and D-200; no perceptible shutter lag at all. The only point-n-shoot that was even close (and I needed a small camera for my tankbag) was the Sony Cybershot series, and I tried every camera on the shelf at my local Inkleys/Ritz.
They have a range of them, mine's a 7.1 megapixel and most of the pics I've posted here were taken with it. I'm happy.

 

[mellofelow]

I must disagree with Michael here. Although I have Canon 50D and XSi as SLRs, 2 of their P&S have failed me. I picked up a Panasonic Lumix and been pretty impressed. In fact, the only P&S that produce images comparable to DSLR is the Lumix LX3. Check out this review.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 Review - PhotographyBLOG