Posted: 11/6/2008 6:42:05 AM EDT
I'm in need of a good quality camera but I'm having a hard time choosing which one. I'm kinda looking for a point and shoot digital version but then I get carried away and before long the camera I pick is way out of my league I love taking pictures, in fact it's the main thing I look for in a cell phone these days. But liking to take pics and being knowledgeable at taking pics is two different beasts. So I thought I would list my goals and hope someone else could recommend something for me.
1= quality construction, easy to carry. I want to keep it near me on motorcycle rides, hiking/rock climbing, etc. It will be with me as much as a cell phone would be on the weekends. 2= picture quality. I don't mind paying for quality but I'd like to keep my costs as low as possible, best pics for the money. 3= AA batteries or other type of easily replaceable batteries preferred. I often just get on my motorcycle and ride till the sun sets and then camp, I sometimes spend 2-3 weeks in the mountains so a camera that requires a charger or special batteries won't work for me as well. 4= decent zoom/ focus capability's I'll go ahead and apologize for asking such a newbie question. Truth is I've researched and found more than enough useful information here to logically make a good decision. I'm just so indecisive about this, and been stagnant on the purchase for about 2 months. Thanks for your time with this, Mike |
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1= quality construction, easy to carry. I want to keep it near me on motorcycle rides, hiking/rock climbing, etc. It will be with me as much as a cell phone would be on the weekends. 2= picture quality. I don't mind paying for quality but I'd like to keep my costs as low as possible, best pics for the money. 3= AA batteries or other type of easily replaceable batteries preferred. I often just get on my motorcycle and ride till the sun sets and then camp, I sometimes spend 2-3 weeks in the mountains so a camera that requires a charger or special batteries won't work for me as well. 4= decent zoom/ focus capability's You are in better position than most people I used to sell cameras to because you know what you need. I can offer a little bit of feedback, but won't get into models because I have kind of gotten behind lately. 1. I used to think the clam-shell (sliding cover on the front) models were the most rugged, but personal experience pushed me away after an otherwise great Olympus died because the switch on that cover wasn't very rugged. That camera was always in a padded case, but DID go on every roller coaster that many amusement parks owned. 2. Cost means nothing to picture quality. Sometimes it is tough to distinguish a DSLR shot from an inexpensive P&S. I also have been in situations where the P&S hasn't been nearly enough camera. Read reviews at epinions.com, or even at some of the electronics stores who have CONSUMER model reviews online. Pro reviews probably won't give you the right perspective at times. 3. I think this is actually a wash, for MOST people. The AA cameras tend to eat batteries, but have replacements readily available. The specialized batteries tend to last a lot longer. A battery and a spare here will go a LONG way. However, the universal availability of AAs may be pretty important to you. My wifes P&S uses AA's, which she likes because I am always carrying a bunch for my flash. 4. The standard seems to be 3x optical, though many go more than that. Ignore the digital zoom specs because, despite improvements, digital zoom still wrecks otherwise good photos MUCH more often than it improves them. What my wife and I did a couple years ago was buy an inexpensive Panasonic P&S to go with my DSLR. It has been a GREAT camera, and several other family members have them now as a result. I think we paid about $200 for it, and they are less expensive now than they used to be. It has 4x zoom (I think), and takes 2 AA batteries. The flash is pretty pitiful, but it has exceeded expectations in all other ways. I LOVE Nikon SLRs, but I think Canon, Panasonic, and a host of others actually make superior P&S cameras. Good luck, shooter |
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I'm just being lazy but it sounds like you know the features you want...Canon has anounced a few new models (tis the season so to speak) that are AA powered & have some of what you want.Canon Powershot POS digital cameras
But as another way of sorting out through the multitudes of POS digital cameras try dpreivew's buyers guide. You can select the features you want & their system will sort through all the choices & viola more choices  .
7mm |
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Quoted:
I'm just being lazy but it sounds like you know the features you want...Canon has anounced a few new models (tis the season so to speak) that are AA powered & have some of what you want.Canon Powershot POS digital cameras But as another way of sorting out through the multitudes of POS digital cameras try dpreivew's buyers guide. You can select the features you want & their system will sort through all the choices & viola more choices .
7mm thanks for the link, I'm searching there now
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Lets see some shots w/o all the crap between the lens and the subject. It's impossible to tell IQ thru a screen and window glass. -Mark. I can do that, been waiting for better weather. Those pics were taken at at my computer desk with max zoom cause I was too lazy to put a jacket on. I'll perform some around the yard shots today and post here.
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Finally got a few minutes to mess with the camera. Unfortunately no wildlife out and about so I picked a yard ornament, globe to test with.
About 40-45yrds from subject with no zoom 
Here at full standard zoom 
and now full zoom and digital 1.4x 
I think I left the settings on kid/pets instead of switching to landscape. Heres one of the bird feeder but no seed equals no birdies  . I put some out so they will be back out soon.
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