Digital Cameras buying advice

[SkooterG]

Hey folks, I could use some advice from anybody in the know on buying a digital camera.

It's time to replace my venerable Olympus C-765 4MP 10X zoom from 2004. I have been happy with the quality of photos it has taken but I have not been kind to it over the years. So I am shopping anew. I am interested in a decent zoom, a larger LED screen, and excellent image quality. I am not yet ready for the cost and bulk of a DSLR. That is for someday in the future.

When I first began looking recently I found out about these Ultra-zooms they have nowadays and have been concentrating on those.

I like my Olympus and since I have all manner of Xd cards, I was at first leaning towards the Olympus SP-565UZ, or the brand new SP590UZ (26x optical zoom for crying out loud!)

However, after doing a bit or research, I now think I have narrowed it down to two other cameras:

Canon SX10 IS - a bit more $$$ and bigger and bulkier, but excellent image quality and features. 20x zoom.

Panasonic DMC-FZ28 - a bit smaller and a great camera with HD video, if not quite the image quality and features of the Canon. 18x zoom.

So what think any of you who are fart smellers when it comes to these types of digi-cams? Anybody have any experience with these cameras? Are there any other models you think I should be looking at?

Any and all advice much appreciated.

 

[madmike2]

Methinks many of us will be watching and learning.......

 

[cadman]

we just picked up an olympus stylus 1010:

https://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/...t=1361&fl=4

very pleased with this unit.

cadman

 

[wfooshee]

I'm rather partial to my Sony, but it's a few years old, and I don't know the current line. Downside is of course, the ridiculous proprietary Memory Stick memory cards, but they're not as expensive as they used to be.

The reasons I liked the camera over some other I looked at: used regular AA batteries rather than special rechargeable unit. Came with NiMh rechargables, but accepts alkalines just fine. Batteries are never a problem.

Its flash was by far the best of any that I tried at the time. It would have good usable pictures where others were either washed out white or nearly black.

We have a newer Sony camera at work which has the same attributes as well as a larger LCD screen. Newer ones seem to be LCD only, though, no actual viewfinder, and I rather like to use the viewfinder for taking pictures, and the screen for checking them after.

 

[Patriot]

I'm rather partial to my Sony, but it's a few years old, and I don't know the current line. Downside is of course, the ridiculous proprietary Memory Stick memory cards, but they're not as expensive as they used to be.
The reasons I liked the camera over some other I looked at: used regular AA batteries rather than special rechargeable unit. Came with NiMh rechargables, but accepts alkalines just fine. Batteries are never a problem.

Its flash was by far the best of any that I tried at the time. It would have good usable pictures where others were either washed out white or nearly black.

We have a newer Sony camera at work which has the same attributes as well as a larger LCD screen. Newer ones seem to be LCD only, though, no actual viewfinder, and I rather like to use the viewfinder for taking pictures, and the screen for checking them after.

I like my Sony Cybershot, too

Nice smallish size for the quality of pics and big bang for the buck; AA batteries, comes with rechargables and I purchase spare rechargables, but those lithium dry cells from Walmart work good and long in a pinch; alkalines too, but not as long

I have in mine a SanDisk Memory Stick Duo Adapter which can take a Sandisk Memory Card and use it in the Sony

I also have a bigger Kodak camera with a bigger lense and better zoom, but I can just carry the Sony in my tank bag for easy availability. It's the camera I just grab, even while in flight, and shoot some action pictures of my riding buddys or of myself in the mirrors.

Hope this helps some,

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[C&C]

My only experience is with the S1 1S and currently the S3 1S from Canon. Both took/take very good pictures and Canon stood by the S1 1S when the CCD went out and they replaced my camera with the S3 1S. The S10 1S is an upgraded model with a higher pixel count and larger zoom. There may be better models out there but the Canon series you are interested in are pretty close to the top of the heap.

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

Methinks many of us will be watching and learning.......

I'll be watching.

I've been using the point and shoot variety for years. They take really crappy pictures and I've always missed the real camera I had in my late teens. I've wanted a digital SLR for a while now. At first glance, the cameras on SkooterG's short list look like SLRs, but after checking into it I see they are in a class of camera refereed to as "SLR-Like" or Megazoom. <CNET comparo>

Skooter, do you think you might want to be able to change lenses?

 

[vroompuppy]

Canon SX10 IS - a bit more $$$ and bigger and bulkier, but excellent image quality and features. 20x zoom.

Skooter, this one gets my vote.....and my money as I just purchased one about a month ago to update an old Canon G1 I've had for many years.

I also have 2 dSLRs (both Canon) and have a fair amount of pic savy so here's my early take on this camera:

Pros: 1) Great pixel count, 2) Neat video feature (albeit .mov codec) @ 640x480 res, 3) decent size foldout/swivel LCD (I like foldout/foldin for protection), 4)uses SD cards and is SDHC compatible...easy to find & prices dropping rapidly, 5) uses 4AA batts, get 2700mAH rechargeables and it'll last forever, 6) that 20x zoom is AWESOME, although it won't zoom 20X for video, 7) multi-mode shooting including manual and a macrofocus capability, and 8) although not fully tested yet, the IS (image stabilizer) feature should help us "older" photographers still get tack sharp images.

Cons: 1) it is definitely a little awkward to handle and to find a friggin' case for, but not unmanageable, 2) pricey as you mentioned, but hey it's only money!!

I'm sure you've looked some, but you can't go wrong looking at comments and comparisons on CNET.com and checking out other photo comp sites and forums,

Good Luck,

VPup

 

[Grumpy]

Agree on the Canon. I have an earlier version that has worked extreemly well on both a Russia by bus trip and a Pacific Rim cruise. On the Russian bus trip I was able to sit 1/2 way back in the bus and still shoot pictures thru the front windshield with the bus on the move.

 

[JamesRW]

Photography is my other hobby/passion. Another Canon vote here, I've had Canon since the film days. The SX10 would be a good choice.

James

 

[Dudewado]

Did you try searching the digital camera forums?

 

[user 6393]

I have narrowed my search to a Canon G10, just won out over the Nikon P6000

check this site:

www.dpreview.com

There is a set of reviews frm Holiday 2008 that separate the cameras from budget all the way through to premium/enthuisiast cameras. Best of's for each level of compacts. Tons of info

 

[mdisher]

www.dpreview.com

What he said... This unfortunately is very similar to the Tire and Oil question.

That being said:

I have a Canon SX10 IS and it sure is nice. It's too bulky (and is quite heavy) though really for Moto stuff. I could take it on a leisure trip in my tank bag. It also has a lens cap which is a pain to deal with. I wouldn't consider using it for rally photos.

I am making the assumption here that you will use this camera for that.

We (read my wife) has the PowerShot SX110 IS

This is a much nicer compact camera. Uses only 2 AA's instead of four. Can easily be one-handed while on the bike. (not so much for the SX10)

I took this on my trip out west last year and am very happy with the photos.

Sony makes nice stuff too, but I almost always rule them out because of proprietary shit. Like their memory cards.

My advice (especially for Rally use)

+ Get one that uses AA's and not a proprietary battery. As you know you can get them anywhere.

+ Get one that uses a Standard SD card, I've had issues with Sony memory gate products in the past. Some rally bubba's might not have a card reader for these.

I also have an SD800IS, which takes amazingly good photos for what it is. It breaks the proprietary battery rule though, so to use it I also have to pack a charger and remember to charge them every night when we stop.

And that's all I have to say on the matter

 

[johnny80s]

Skooter,

I have always had good luck with Canon. I like the digital ELPH series. They are small and easy to use. They also take movies and fit in a pocket. I am currently using the Powershot 750 which I bought a year and a half ago when the twins were born.

Good luck

 

[SkooterG]

Thanks for the help everybody!

Skooter, do you think you might want to be able to change lenses?

No. Most of my photography is when on the road on the bike, or otherwise traveling. As much as I would like a good digital SLR camera, a) I can't afford it right now, and B) I don't want the extra bulk of the camera itself, and also having to carry extra lenses. (Which of course I would have to get if I got an DSLR)

I'm sure you've looked some, but you can't go wrong looking at comments and comparisons on CNET.com and checking out other photo comp sites and forums,

Thanks for your review! I haven't been to CNET.com yet, and will check it out.

Did you try searching the digital camera forums?

:****:

Don't know of any. Can you pass some 'search welfare' on to a brudda and post a link.........

www.dpreview.com
There is a set of reviews frm Holiday 2008 that separate the cameras from budget all the way through to premium/enthuisiast cameras. Best of's for each level of compacts. Tons of info

Hey Barb, I have been to dpreview but haven't found that article. Got a link?

I did find this article there which has been very helpful: SuperZoom comparo at dpreview

I've also been to steves-digicams.com which has been helpful.

I have a Canon SX10 IS and it sure is nice. It's too bulky (and is quite heavy) though really for Moto stuff. I could take it on a leisure trip in my tank bag. It also has a lens cap which is a pain to deal with. I wouldn't consider using it for rally photos.
I am making the assumption here that you will use this camera for that.

We (read my wife) has the PowerShot SX110 IS

This is a much nicer compact camera. Uses only 2 AA's instead of four. Can easily be one-handed while on the bike. (not so much for the SX10)

I took this on my trip out west last year and am very happy with the photos.

My advice (especially for Rally use)

+ Get one that uses AA's and not a proprietary battery. As you know you can get them anywhere.

+ Get one that uses a Standard SD card, I've had issues with Sony memory gate products in the past. Some rally bubba's might not have a card reader for these.

Thanks for all the good info! This camera that I buy will NOT be for rally use. The REST of the story: Since my old Olympus is getting in bad shape and most of my photography is moto-related I recently bought an Olympus 1050SW. This is a water-proof, shock-proof, nearly indestructible camera that I got for a good deal at about $250. The problem is, after using it a few times I am NOT impressed with the image quality so I plan on selling it off on ebay.

So then I went looking for another used Olympus C-765 on ebay since I am all set up for that (Xd cards, extra proprietary batteries ect.). Crap! This camera has been discontinued and is pretty old tech - (Only 10x zoom(class leading in 2004) and LCD screen is only 1.8' and not visible in direct sunlight And NO image stabilization.) So I was hoping to score a decent used one for $40-$50 bucks. NOT!!! These things *used* are going for $70-$120!!!!! WTF?!?! I mean, for a 4.0MP camera it does take pretty nice image quality pics, but still! Well, I was patient (NOT my best quality) and finally scored a used one for about $65. These two identical Olympus cameras will be my rally cameras. A primary, and a back-up.

So now I want a new camera that will serve me for several years to come that I can 'play' with a bit more. As in more features and better image quality. I figure for image quality, there's no substitute for a bigger lens. Period. Still, most of my photography is will be moto-related, so the bulk of the camera is a concern. And I would still like a camera I can use to take the occasional photo with while riding down the road one-handed. I really like these superzooms, but they ain't small. I'll need to take a closer look at that SX110IS.

I appreciate the help everybody. I have spent some time researching on some of those excellent websites above, but wanted to get some 'real world' advice from real peeps.

 

[user 6393]

www.dpreview.com
There is a set of reviews frm Holiday 2008 that separate the cameras from budget all the way through to premium/enthuisiast cameras. Best of's for each level of compacts. Tons of info

Hey Barb, I have been to dpreview but haven't found that article. Got a link?

Budget Compact

Ultra Compact

Premium Compact

Enthusiast Compact

There ya be Scupper...

Canon G10 Review

I am looking for something non-DSLR and packable for trips on the bike. Ability to still shoot on the fly etc, but have RAW capability to play with stuff in Photochop. This camera also gives full choice for mode selection and apeture/shutter priority etc etc...

Check out the big ass lens attachment and waterproof case on page 3.

It's not an ultrazoom. When I want/need that, I will buy a DSLR.

 

[dcarver]

Did you try searching the digital camera forums?

:rofl: That's good, Dudewado... Excellent even! LOL, telling the Admin to 'go search'.. phooking funny! :rofl:

Skoot, I just picked up a new digie from Costco, really happy with it... will post us details when I get home. It's big enough I can left hand hold and shoot while riding with throttle hand twisting the loud handle. Prop battery though.. overall, it works great, is easy to adjust settings one handed, has nice big lcd screen and fast shutter speed.

Oh, and bought it at Costco. 3 months no question return policy for whatever reason. Hard to beat.

 

[Mooseonagoose]

For the bucks spent, I have so far been very happy with my Fujifilm FinePix S5700.

 

[Fastfar]

In general I prefer Canon either P&S or DSLR for several reasons:

Excellent battery life

CF cards care huge, up to 16 GB, fast to load, in excess of 80x and cheap

CMOS sensor in Canons is quiet at higher ISO settings

Good warranty and service from Canon in case of issues

Many qualified repair centers if there is an issue after the warranty expires

If you are a discriminating user, look for a Canon Point and Shoot with a red stripe in the lens...it means a better quality of glass, which is the real factor that separates many digi-cams, some cheaper ones have plastic lenses, Canon glass is among the best...

There is a reason Canon makes about 90% of the digi-cams sold in the world...

I've been using a Canon Powershot Pro 1 for several years, it's still going strong and makes excellent pics...