Digital Cameras - Need Advise!

[cichlid-dave]

OMG camera talk opinion is like everyone's bellyhole. We had a club expert in www.theokaa.org a few months ago give a talk and his big advice was not the megapixels but the size of the image sensor. This is where the bigger is better.

Richard you need to speak up here as he is member here also

 

[BallisticBiker]

Uh oh....
Failed to mention that I'd like to be able to shoot video as well.

Was all set to buy the Canon Rebel XTi / 400D 10.1 MP and as I was perusing the specs, I noticed that under the description for "microphone" it said "none." Oops.... I was foolishly running under the impression that ALL modern cameras shot video! What a buffoon, huh? I hang my head in photog-newbie shame....

 

[OkieGentleman]

Personally, I would never buy used off of the internet. It's too darn easy for one to get one that has been dropped and damaged.

Things like that are the reason E-Bay set up their eBay Buyer Protection plan, if it is not as described when you unpack it, you go back to eBay and they make it right and then go after the seller.

Anyone who is making extra money or a living using eBay does not want to get a lifetime ban and lose their lively hood. I just got an e-mail that an item I had bid on was pulled because of something the seller did not describe correctly or they caught him cheating the buyer and they shut him down.

 

[NightShade]

Things like that are the reason E-Bay set up their eBay Buyer Protection plan, if it is not as described when you unpack it, you go back to eBay and they make it right and then go after the seller.

Anyone who is making extra money or a living using eBay does not want to get a lifetime ban and lose their lively hood. I just got an e-mail that an item I had bid on was pulled because of something the seller did not describe correctly or they caught him cheating the buyer and they shut him down.

Sadly the same person who was banned can be back on the site within a few minutes of being banned especially if they have a Dynamic IP address. It takes a second bank account and maybe putting an address down the street since you are selling it won't matter anyway as if nothing is shipped to you you could put the white house down as your address.

I understand that it is there to help and the people who get scammed generally get their money back but it's not a perfect 100% catch all and if the seller does put in the description that an item is used with no guarantee you can loose a lot of options.

 

[Sanford]

Well ... I'm going to go a different direction. In SLR format, digital or not, it's all about the glass. A great camera with an average lens will not take as good pictures as an average camera with a great lens. Beyond that the biggest difference between less expensive and more expensive cameras is the feature set - and there's no reason to pay for a lot of "cool" features you'll never need or use.

There's really not a lot of difference in imagers these days, it's more about finding one you like the "look" of. Some have more saturated colors, some less. Some are more contrasty, some aren't. You can spend a lot of time tweaking to get the look you like, or you can get one that you like to start with and spend more time taking pictures.

The real advantage to SLR's is the ability to "tweak" all the many settings - aperture, speed, depth of field, etc. etc. etc. But the fact is that "most" people that buy SLR's end up leaving most of the settings on "auto" most of the time just because the cameras are smart enough that they'll usually make a good picture without having to go through all the various settings and menus for each different scene. The thing is - and here's the heresy - many of the simple point-and-shoot cameras are also smart enough to usually make a good picture, and they're a whole lot easier to carry around.

To copy a phrase that should sound really familiar, the best camera is the one you have with you when you need to take a picture. I've still got my ancient Nikkormat EL (one of the first electronic cameras) and lenses in a bag on the top shelf of the closet - it works fine, but I'd wager that I took a lot more pictures - and probably more good pictures as well - with a little instamatic that I carried in my pocket just because I had it when the opportunity for the picture presented itself.

My experience with digital cameras has been much the same, so I now lean toward the easiest ones to fit in my pocket. I'm especially fond of those that you just point and shoot without having to wait for a lens to extend, such as models by Olympus, Sony, and Panasonic.

So there's a bunch of opinion ... since you've already been to DPReview I guess I can skip suggesting it again ... but be sure to check out the various sample images and reviews of the cameras you're considering, as well as the Buying Guide that can help get you pointed in the direction of the type of feature set you're looking for.

Oh ... and you can also find some rather nice small video cameras that just by the way also take some pretty decent still photos, so don't forget to look at things from that angle too - especially if you think you may want to shoot very much video.

 

[Jace]

A decent quality (used) DSLR that produces great looking photos today will still be taking great looking photos in several years no matter how obsolete it might become. The tech advances we are seeing in photography recently are pretty cool, but certainly aren't making anybody a better photographer--they are only producing better looking crummy photos. Read books and magazines (photo), take a class, give yourself "assignments", and just have fun making lots of photos!

 

[SoonerP226]

Was all set to buy the Canon Rebel XTi / 400D 10.1 MP and as I was perusing the specs, I noticed that under the description for "microphone" it said "none." Oops.... I was foolishly running under the impression that ALL modern cameras shot video!

The XTi is an ancient design, relatively speaking--it came out in '06. I think the T2i (550D, introduced in '10) was the first camera in that line to record video (1080p, 30fps), but it could've been the T1i.

 

[TerryMiller]

The 1D is a professional's camera--if you're using a camera to put food on your plate, that price doesn't seem so bad. If you really want an eye-opener, try pricing the lenses for that bad boy.

What I did when I was shopping for digital cameras was to check reviews on multiple sites, looking for consensus winners. CNet is a good place to look (they have a very good editorial staff for cameras/digital photography), and I found a few others recommended (like http://www.dpreview.com/ ) by people I trust.

Of course, since I switched to a DSLR, I don't particularly look for reviews unless I'm buying for someone else. When you go DSLR, you pretty much get locked into one manufacturer (Canon, in my case), because you quickly end up having more money in lenses and accessories than in the camera itself...

FWIW, in the price range you mentioned, I'd buy a Canon; I've bought several Canons and Nikons in that price range, and the Canons have been more robust and produced better results, IMHO.

To add to the "tools" for shopping for a camera, allow me to recommend a website called "Pbase." It is one of the largest (if not the largest) websites for sharing photos. The beauty of Pbase is that they provide a "Cameras" link where one can choose the brand and model of a camera that piques one's interest. Once one reaches the series of photos made with that camera (or lens), one can then see examples of photos taken with those brands/models that are taken by both professional and amateur photographers. If one is only looking at manufacturer's websites and the sample images there, one only gets to see a few photos taken by professionals.

I've used Pbase to help others choose a camera/lens as well as when I was choosing two different cameras for myself. Here is a link to the home page for Pbase:

Pbase Home Page

Under the Welcome to Pbase message is a series of links with "Cameras" shown at the far right. Here is where one ends up using that link:

Pbase Cameras Page

When you get to the particular camera series of thumbnails, click on each thumbnail of interest to see a larger image. Then, clicking on the larger image will allow you to see any other photos that are in the same "folder" with the one chosen. Not all photos in a folder will be taken with the same camera/lens. A lot of times, one can look under the image and see if they have listed the camera and lens used for that image.

Good luck with the search and research.

 

[okietom]

So, I read this through and learned things about digital cameras I will never need. It wasn't a waste of time. I love to learn stuff.

Thanks

 

[BallisticBiker]

You only live once....

Said "screw it!" and bought this: Canon EOS Rebel T1i

More than I wanted to spend, but as y'all always say - "gotta pay to play."

Bought it off of eBay for $390 shipped. Like I said, more than I wanted to spend, but by crying once - I'm getting just about everything I wanted in my camera purchase. Seller has superb feedback, so that's cool... Here's the sellers description:
"You are bidding on a Canon EOS Rebel T1i / 500D 15.1 MP Digital SLR Camera - (Kit w/ EF-S IS 18-55mm Lens).
The camera and lens are in great working condition. I am selling because I do not have time to use it anymore. (see photos).
I am the original owner of this camera and it has helped me capture great moments of my life, and now I am trying to find it a new home.

The lens have on a protective filter since day 1 to protect against scratches and dust; the filter is removable.
The camera LCD screen has on a protective screen.
Everything comes from a smoke free and pet free home.

The camera comes with the following:
-Original Box
-Original Instruction Manuals
-Original CD's
-Original battery pack and charger

My feedback and ratings speak for itself, so you can bid with confidence."

Gave me a good vibe. That, or I'm just tired and sick to death of researching and shopping! lol
The next cheapest one with the kit I found with a Buy It Now price was $378.99 shipped and dude only had a handful of feedback.
Hope I did alright...

Thanks again for all of the tips, advice and information!
-B