Digital cameras...any recommendations?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Greater Aldergrove
Age: 52
Posts: 851
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Digital cameras...any recommendations?
Folks,
Not strictly aviation based, but related as I like taking pictures of planes!
I want to buy a decent digital camera and am thinking about either a Panasonic FZ22 or a Minolta Dimage A2 (or the new A200).
The Panasonic has a 12x optical zoom, with 4x digital and is a 5 Mpixel camera. The Minolta has a 7x optical and 4x digital zoom, but an 8 Mpixel resolution. Both have image stabilising.
Anyone any experience of these cameras or anything similar?
Thanks!
Not strictly aviation based, but related as I like taking pictures of planes!
I want to buy a decent digital camera and am thinking about either a Panasonic FZ22 or a Minolta Dimage A2 (or the new A200).
The Panasonic has a 12x optical zoom, with 4x digital and is a 5 Mpixel camera. The Minolta has a 7x optical and 4x digital zoom, but an 8 Mpixel resolution. Both have image stabilising.
Anyone any experience of these cameras or anything similar?
Thanks!
Last edited by NWSRG; 2nd Nov 2004 at 22:56.
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Finding Out on 121.50
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have been looking at the Panasonic.
It is image stabilised and has a Carl Zeiss lens.
It is excellent value for money and I will buy one in the next couple of weeks.
I have had a play with one in a decent shop where you could actually take it outside and use it and was impressed.
Have you considered the Canon EOS300D?
More money buy for photographing aircraft you can fit a nice big lens and a polarising filter as well as a grad grey filter.
It is image stabilised and has a Carl Zeiss lens.
It is excellent value for money and I will buy one in the next couple of weeks.
I have had a play with one in a decent shop where you could actually take it outside and use it and was impressed.
Have you considered the Canon EOS300D?
More money buy for photographing aircraft you can fit a nice big lens and a polarising filter as well as a grad grey filter.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Greater Aldergrove
Age: 52
Posts: 851
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yep, I looked at the Canon. It's a lovely camera, but to get the sort of zoom that I want would take big money...the other cameras seem to offer more capability for less.
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Seattle
Posts: 3,195
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Disregard any "digital zoom" figures. Digital zoom will only degrade the picture. You will be better off using max optical zoom and cropping/editing/enhancing the resulting pic in Photoshop or similar.
If that tips the balance in favor of one of your picks, go for it.
If that tips the balance in favor of one of your picks, go for it.
Tabs please !
Just picked up a Canon EOS 300D and I'm well chuffed. Don't be mugged into buying tax free at LHR as you will get a better deal in the back of the camera mags
Have yet to download any shots as I'm on my hols at the moment but the previews look fantastic.
happy snapping !
Have yet to download any shots as I'm on my hols at the moment but the previews look fantastic.
happy snapping !
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Edinburgh, UK
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sheesh, it's a Panasonic FZ20, not 22. And it's a Leica lens, not bloody Carl Zeiss!
And I think we can say the 300D is in a completely different price league!
I've got a FZ20 and am very happy with it - a wonderfully fast lens:
http://pbase.com/wangi
I'd recommend asking this question on a more appropriate site, and spelling out exactly what you want out of the camera, what you're going to use it for:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1033
And I think we can say the 300D is in a completely different price league!
I've got a FZ20 and am very happy with it - a wonderfully fast lens:
http://pbase.com/wangi
I'd recommend asking this question on a more appropriate site, and spelling out exactly what you want out of the camera, what you're going to use it for:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1033
Plaything of fine moderators everywhere
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: On the beach
Posts: 383
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Depends on your budget, really. I did a lot of research and then bought a Nikon D70 when it came out back in the summer. Got the 18-70 and 70-200 lenses and I'm delighted with the results.
Image stabilisation is of dubious value and often loses definition.
I am not familiar with the units you refer to, but support the reference to dpreview.
First thing is to define what sort of photography you want to do and suit a camera to that.
Coolpix 8700 is good.
EOS 300D, D/R etc. Forget it the D70 is far superior.
I use Canon 10D and Nikon D70, oh and a Mamiya 645 with Lightphase back.
I am not familiar with the units you refer to, but support the reference to dpreview.
First thing is to define what sort of photography you want to do and suit a camera to that.
Coolpix 8700 is good.
EOS 300D, D/R etc. Forget it the D70 is far superior.
I use Canon 10D and Nikon D70, oh and a Mamiya 645 with Lightphase back.
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: CYYC
Posts: 410
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Image stabilisation is of dubious value and often loses definition.
My Canon PowerShot S1 IS works very well when taking pictures at full zoom while being hand held. It does have trouble at night where a tripod would help, but for situations where setting up a tripod isn't practical, the IS works very well.
I don't think the Canon S1 IS is powerful enough for what NWSRG wants though.
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am also looking to buy and was torn between the Canon EOS300D and Nikon D70. However on holding them both the Nikon seemed much easier in the hand. So with that in mind along with your comments I think it is the D70 for me.
I also need a camera which is fairly rugged (for jungle use) and I think the Nikon is superior in this regard.
Biggles, did you get yours as a package or did you have to buy the lenses separately?
aa
I also need a camera which is fairly rugged (for jungle use) and I think the Nikon is superior in this regard.
Biggles, did you get yours as a package or did you have to buy the lenses separately?
aa
Plaything of fine moderators everywhere
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: On the beach
Posts: 383
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
aaaaa I bought them separately, but only because the dealer didn't have the longer lens in stock when my D70 finally turned up. Having said that, I got the lens a week later while I was in Jersey and saved about £20!
Something about the D70 that continues to impress me is the speed with which it's ready to go - switch on and by the time you have the camera to your eye, it's ready to shoot.
Just a small point in case anyone didn't know - the vast majority of digital SLR's have an 'equivalence' of about 1.6 in focal length when compared to a non-digital one, so a digital with a 200mm lens is the equivalent to about a 320mm non-digital one.
Something about the D70 that continues to impress me is the speed with which it's ready to go - switch on and by the time you have the camera to your eye, it's ready to shoot.
Just a small point in case anyone didn't know - the vast majority of digital SLR's have an 'equivalence' of about 1.6 in focal length when compared to a non-digital one, so a digital with a 200mm lens is the equivalent to about a 320mm non-digital one.
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Edinburgh, UK
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
nwsrg, there's really no way around it - you've got to do the legwork and look into all the options. As I said before dpreview.com is an excellent site for reviews and forums. For example:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz20/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/konicaminoltaa2/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons1is/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikoncp8700/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilms5000/
are the reviews for the prosumer cameras mentioned in this thread. Naturally dSLRs are a different league, and if you can afford the $$$ then... But I don't think that's what you're after, but other folk recommend them regardless!
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz20/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/konicaminoltaa2/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons1is/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikoncp8700/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilms5000/
are the reviews for the prosumer cameras mentioned in this thread. Naturally dSLRs are a different league, and if you can afford the $$$ then... But I don't think that's what you're after, but other folk recommend them regardless!
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Biggles
Thanks, I didn't know about the focal length. I am in Guernsey so will probably get mine here, however, there is a waiting list. Can't wait to get it and get good practice before it goes travelling.
The speed sounds just what I need, nothing worse than missing that shot while things warm up.
Maybe this is what is required for the Gatbash to get all those compromising shots of kilts etc, on second thoughts perhaps not, it is too good a camera to get covered with beer!!
aa
Thanks, I didn't know about the focal length. I am in Guernsey so will probably get mine here, however, there is a waiting list. Can't wait to get it and get good practice before it goes travelling.
The speed sounds just what I need, nothing worse than missing that shot while things warm up.
Maybe this is what is required for the Gatbash to get all those compromising shots of kilts etc, on second thoughts perhaps not, it is too good a camera to get covered with beer!!
aa
Plaything of fine moderators everywhere
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: On the beach
Posts: 383
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ha! What you need for the GatBash is one of those Kodak pocket size jobbies with pictbridge and its own little printer - think of the fun you could have at breakfast!
I bought my D70 from Jessops, who do 'price match' on the mainland. You order the camera then trawl the internet for the best UK price which they then match when the camera turns up. I don't know if they do they same thing in CI, but Jessops in St Helier was cheaper than the best mainland price anyway.
I bought my D70 from Jessops, who do 'price match' on the mainland. You order the camera then trawl the internet for the best UK price which they then match when the camera turns up. I don't know if they do they same thing in CI, but Jessops in St Helier was cheaper than the best mainland price anyway.
Plaything of fine moderators everywhere
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: On the beach
Posts: 383
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not as good as my old Canon AT1, Speechless - but that tends to be a feature of the low-end (i.e. under £5K!) digital SLRs.
It requires a slightly different technique but after half an hour or so at the Goodwood Revival meeting in September I had the panning pretty well sorted.
It requires a slightly different technique but after half an hour or so at the Goodwood Revival meeting in September I had the panning pretty well sorted.
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Near Stalyvegas
Age: 78
Posts: 2,022
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have to agree with Big Flys. Had a Fuji4900, then a Fuji5000 [Fantastic lens, ALL the zoom is useable] but like all Digitals, the "response" is chuffin' slow, so I bought a Nikkon D70kit, [£9995] and a 70-300 lens [£99] and all I can say is WOW!!
watp,iktch
watp,iktch