HELP! New Camera Suggestions

[sasha19]

I recently replaced a Nikon 990 that I had for 6 years for a newer model thinking that with all the upgrades in 6 years I was going to easily have better pictures. I really was looking to spend about $500 on a camera but every review kept talking about the Canon 530 and I bought it... I hate it or it hates me but the pictures are not ever remotely in the same category as my 6 year old camera. The pictures are blurry, I cannot shoot continuously and waiting for the camera to warm up and then loading the picture so I can take another is a daunting task.

 

Does anyone have a camera that they absolutely love that is $800 or less? I would like to be able to take pictures in low light and wihtout flash without having it blur. I would like to have a continuous speed... I think I am looking for a beginner SLR type but am afraid to make another mistake.

 

I appreciate any assistance.:)

[Tater1800]

Checkout the Nikon D40. $800 will get the camera and a 18-55mm lens plus a 55-200mm lens. This is the price at Ritz/Wolf Camera. I have no personal knowlege of the D40 but I nearly bought the D50 then she said NO! Something to do with a kid in college.:( The D40 replaced the D50. There is a full review at www.dpreview.com.

[mountainhouse]

The D50 is a digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR - lens is removable, and you look through the same lens you shoot). A good choice given your low light requirement. However, if you're looking for a point and shoot camera (like the 990 and 530) that has the best low light performance, check out the Fuji F30. Buydig.com has it for $200 after rebate. I just bought one. Very nice. You can get a Fuji F20, with fewer bells and whistles for less. Sample photos from the F30 are at:

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/fuji/finepix_f30-review/gallery.shtml

[jeannep]

I would recommend a Nikon D50 or D40 camera because it has a fast download time and no noticeable shutter lag. I have 2 nikon digitals and have not had any problems with either one. The nice part of the Nikon system is that you can use almost every lens the company makes. Check out this website: www.bhphotovideo.com because it is a very reliable store to deal with. They have a 14 day return policy so that if the camera is defective or you don't like it then you can send it back without paying a restocking fee. Just don't fill out any warranty papers until you are sure that you will keep the camera. I am actually Jeanne's husband and if you have any further questions, then e-mail me at joepollock26@aol.com and I'll try to help you out./

[WIT]

sasha19 - I bought a Panasonic Lumix TZ-1 ($300) after reading this review by an amateur photographer who discovered he no longer needed to carry an SLR and 3-4 lenses:

 

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/cat_photography.php

 

It's the 4th item, so scroll down. My discussion of the TZ-1 is on the River Cruise section of Cruise Critic at:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=466411

 

The post also links to 180 recent photos with shots of church interiors and night scenes of Christmas Markets from Budapest to Prague.

 

The camera is instant on, has a 3 shot/sec. burst mode, and a 10X optical Leica lens with folded optics (a prism), so it's about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Good luck with your quest for a camera you will enjoy.

[WIT]

sasha19 - I bought a Panasonic Lumix TZ-1 ($300) after reading this review by an amateur photographer who discovered he no longer needed to carry an SLR and 3-4 lenses:

 

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/cat_photography.php

 

It's the 4th item, so scroll down. My discussion of the TZ-1 is on the River Cruise section of Cruise Critic at:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=466411

 

The post also links to 180 recent photos with shots of church interiors and night scenes of Christmas Markets from Budapest to Prague.

 

The camera is instant on, has a 3 shot/sec. burst mode, and a 10X optical Leica lens with folded optics (a prism), so it's about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Good luck with your quest for a camera you will enjoy.

[WIT]

sasha19 - I bought a Panasonic Lumix TZ-1 ($300) after reading this review by an amateur photographer who discovered he no longer needed to carry an SLR and 3-4 lenses:

 

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/cat_photography.php

 

It's the 4th item, so scroll down. My discussion of the TZ-1 is on the River Cruise section of Cruise Critic at:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=466411

 

The post also links to 180 recent photos with shots of church interiors and night scenes of Christmas Markets from Budapest to Prague.

 

The camera is instant on, has a 3 shot/sec. burst mode, and a 10X optical Leica lens with folded optics (a prism), so it's about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Good luck with your quest for a camera you will enjoy.

[WIT]

Sorry about the triple post. The board froze up & I retried.

[98valkyrie]

I have the Nikon D50 and love it. Almost instant start up. 2.5 frames per second and interchangable lens..

[SheilaSailAway]

The D50 is a digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR - lens is removable, and you look through the same lens you shoot). A good choice given your low light requirement. However, if you're looking for a point and shoot camera (like the 990 and 530) that has the best low light performance, check out the Fuji F30. Buydig.com has it for $200 after rebate. I just bought one. Very nice. You can get a Fuji F20, with fewer bells and whistles for less. Sample photos from the F30 are at:

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/fuji/finepix_f30-review/gallery.shtml

 

 

i have a quickie question about the Fuji F30...what is the approx time between shots? i seem to miss quite a few shots waiting for my fuji to be ready to shoot. thanks for any info you can provide.

to the OP---awesome idea for a post!

[mountainhouse]

i have a quickie question about the Fuji F30...what is the approx time between shots? i seem to miss quite a few shots waiting for my fuji to be ready to shoot. thanks for any info you can provide.

 

Just did a quick 4 shots, and it seems like it takes about 1 sec to write when I can't reshoot. That's with everything set to default. I don't know if there's an alternative shooting mode. I'm using an Olympus 1Gb card in it.

[SheilaSailAway]

gotcha! Thanks!!!

[jerseyjk]

Can't believe no one has mentioned the canon SLR's. The EOS 350D (8MP) is around $550 including a lens. A little over $400 body only. Canon Rebels are some of the most popular digital SLR's out there. The older EOS Digital Rebel with 6.3MP can still be found for under $500 including a lens.

 

I'm also a fan of the Nikon D40 and D50 but thought the Canon deserved a mention.

 

I look to sites like http://www.imaging-resource.com/ for independent reviews.

[mountainhouse]

I think there's a lot of good DSLR options. Sony, Pentax and Olympus all have nice offerings. Reading various photo forums would lead one to think there are huge differences between them, but I think which you choose is more just a matter of personal taste. I really like it when someone says that they held the camera in their hand and it just felt right. :)

[flyingandcruising]

I also vote the NIkon D50, I just bought it, I LOVE IT my very first SLR and its very easy to use. takes great pics with a 18-55mm and a 55-200mm i think will be under 800 USD

[GoBucks47]

Just got this a couple of weeks ago. DSLR and comes with 2 lenses. Most places have it for 799 but I found it for 599. With the Sandisk Extreme III CF card I can shoot at 2.7 fps and went up to 10 frames and never did have to wait for the buffer to clear.

[ghsmith178613]

hate it or it hates me but the pictures are not ever remotely in the same category as my 6 year old camera. The pictures are blurry, I cannot shoot continuously and waiting for the camera to warm up and then loading the picture so I can take another is a daunting task.

 

Sasha,

I wonder if you bought from a camera store or somewhere else. Have you been back to the store with your concerns? When the camera sales person asks what you are going to "do" with the photo, they're not being nosy. They're trying to help. Good camera sales people can be as helpful as advice on Cruise Critics. They might have offered another suggestion. And that camera might have internal problems.

 

I would like to be able to take pictures in low light and wihtout flash without having it blur. I would like to have a continuous speed... I think I am looking for a beginner SLR type but am afraid to make another mistake.

 

Part of what you are looking for involves the physics of the lens and the ASA/ISO combinations. The other part involves the computer storing a file (your photo). Since Newton "discovered" physics, we haven't been able to excape it. We haven't been escaped digital zero and one since Eniac.

 

To over simplify the photo side -

The "faster" the lens and the higher the ASA/ISO, the lower the light level you can use. So the shutter run faster, and stop motion. This subject gets really involved, but if you will specify a lens aperture of f/2.8 or faster, and an ASA/ISO up to 1600 or faster. The camera sales person be very impressed and will know what you mean. And, be better able to help.

 

To over simplify the file writing side -

A typical JPG image file is only about 1.2 mb. (tiny), while the newer (film quality) Camera RAW image files are over 6 mb.

 

JPG photos are great for the WWW and small prints. The higher resolution (RAW) images "stand up" well above 8x10. You can put more more JPG files on a smaller card faster, than you can a bigger RAW file on a bigger device. That bigger image is going to take longer to write.

 

When the camera sales person asks what you are going to "do" with the photo, they're not being nosy. They're trying to help.

 

My suggestion -

 

Find a camera store (in Raliegh?) that the professionals use. They will have great resources and a huge selection of cameras. Pick their brains. Tell them what you are trying to do, be clear about it.

 

Before you cruise, take a "hobby photo" course at a college near you. Your travel photos will improve exponentially. You will learn to delete less of what you shoot.

 

shoot often, edit later, share lots

 

oh...

George Smith

Assoc. Prof. Photo.

Best Darned Photo Program in Texas.

[pierces]

Click on the "Other Stuff" image in my signature and read the articles I've posted there, or go directly HERE.

 

The Canon A530 is a great, inexpensive, point and shoot compact camera. That being said, it's an inexpensive, point and shoot compact camera. I'm in no way being disparaging, I use an old 5MP Minolta G500 with slow start up, bad low light performance, shutter lag and limited flash. I have also gotten great photos with it...when I use it within it's capabilities.

 

Here's a shortened version of my article referenced above:

 

As ghsmith178613 said, what you plan to "do" with your photos is a valid question. if you plan to make 4x6 prints or view your photos on a monitor ot TV, a 5MP image will more than suffice, I have printed photos from the G500 at 8x10 with great results. What kind of shooting you plan to do is also a valid question. If you plan to take snapshots at family gatherings and while traveling, it doesn't make much sense to spend a fortune on a DSLR and a bag full of lenses. If you want to take pictures of sports in low light and make breathtaking enlargements of scenery, a point and shoot will be a disappointment.

 

My answer was to get both, but I don't know your needs.

 

Please take time to read the articles, they answer a lot of the questions I get asked on the subject of what camera to get, image quality and resolution.

 

Happy shooting!

 

Dave

[Arubalisa]

Just got this a couple of weeks ago. DSLR and comes with 2 lenses. Most places have it for 799 but I found it for 599. With the Sandisk Extreme III CF card I can shoot at 2.7 fps and went up to 10 frames and never did have to wait for the buffer to clear.

I too have this camera. With the Sandisk above and a Olympus XD 2 gb in the camera at the same time, set at SHQ (3264 x 2448) I can get about 628 photos on the camera at once. Good for travel :cool: , but bad when you take a total of 4000 :eek: photos on a 12 day cruise. Can you tell I love my camera? :D

[cruisin4life1993]

A great camera is the Sony DSC- W70 or the W50