I hate to buy a Digital Camera now - What's ahead this year?

Question

I have a Minolta Maxxum 7000 SLR that I've had since they first came out and I love it. Most of the time when people show me the "great" pix their new digital took I think they are terrible! I do need to learn digital though. Help! -. I use the 70-210mm lens alot, so I need more than 3X optical, I take pix of dogs, horses and my son, so I need quick focusing, as little shuter lag as possible, and short time between shots to capture the right expression when I see it. Image stabilization is a must! I want SHARP clear pictures. I want to see every whisker on that dog! I thought about a Canon S3 IS, but then I thought maybe I should just get an entry level digital SLR (hope to use the Maxxum lenses I've got) until I read an article about the dust on the sensors. Animals and kids love dust - my camera would be full of dust. I saw CES report - Kodak 10MP for $250, not right camera for me, but it seems like digital is getting better for less. So - now or later? Which camera to learn with?

Answer 1

Because you're already using an SLR, moving to a digital point and shooter is sure to be a big let down. And don't let the dust thing get you off track. I've had a Canon Rebel 300D for almost 2 years now. It's been to numerous horse shows, inside and out; dusty arenas; the beach; the bush. You name it, we've been there with our Rebel and it's still banging out great shots.

You've got a few choices as far as moving to digital is concerned:

1. a P shooter is going to leave you wanting more
2. trade your Minolta on a new DSLR
3. keep the Minolta going and get a new DSLR

Personally, I'd go for #3. I still use a lot of film even though we own a DSLR and a P shooter. I still enjoy the film and it has lots of life left in it yet.

As far as brand, I was a die hard Minolta fan, but ... as far as the DSLR market is concerned Canon owns it. Sony (aka Minolta) is barely a blip on the radar screen along with Nikon. There are a lot of reasons to go Canon, but market ownership and dominance means quality at lower prices, and Canon is the company driving the price point down on DSLR's.

Answer 2

Thank you, Vintage Music!

I also believe you won't be satisfied with less than a decent dSLR. You can get started on learning the digital workflow with a lesser camera, but be prepared for some frustration.

Cleaning the sensor is not so bad once you do it the first time and get over that rookie fear!

I shoot with a Canon Powershot G6, and am happy with it, BUT for "real" shots, I always use my film SLRs. There's really no comparison, and although the Powershot is good, there are things it cannot do because of its limitations. That will be true of any digicam from any manufacturer. My next camera purchase will be a dSLR, probably a Nikon D200 or D80.

If you decide on a dSlr, remember the lens on most of them will be longer than stated because of the "crop" factor. So even though you like long focal lengths, you might need to get an ultra wide angle zoom as well.

And one more thing, there is always the latest greatest thing coming out in high tech whatevers, cameras included! As soon as you buy, there will be the newest thing with more features and blah blah. Just go ahead when you're ready and don't fret that you might miss out on something better next month. Instead of waiting, you'll be taking fabulous pictures!

Good luck!

Answer 3

Vintage Music, Dr. Sam and I thank you kindly, if you know what I mean.

Jessie, with your experience and with your performance requirements, you will not be satisfied with anything less than a DSLR. If you want to see every whisker on the dog, you probably want a 10 MP camera. If you want to eliminate shutter lag and problems with slow autofocus, you need an SLR.

I appreciate your concern for dust on the sensor, but I think this is not the overwhelming issue that you fear. Just be quick about lens changes. If you think about it, you are not going to be swapping lenses back and forth in the middle of taking pictures of your dogs anyhow. You will put the right lens on the camera in the security of your den or bedroom and then start taking pictures of the dusty dogs.

Jeez, I hate to say this, but if you own a few Minolta lenses, it might make sense for you to investigate the Sony Alpha-A100. Please check lens compatibility before you make a purchase based on this recommendation, but the camera uses the Minolta A-type lens mount. Perhaps you already have a few of these lenses. One advantage of the Sony Alpha, since you require it, is that image stabilization is integral to the camera body, so you will not have to look for IS lenses.

My hesitation is that, for the same dollar, I generally lean towards the Nikon DSLR's, especially if you want SHARP pictures. See the noise level in the Sony at this page:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond80/page27.asp This is not so much of a problem in daylight or when using the flash, but in low light the Sony is at a real disadvantage.

If we can ignore the budget and if you don't have a drawer full of compatible lenses (don't forget to investigate this with your dealer), I think you would be thrilled with the Nikon D80, 10.2 Megapixel, SLR Digital Camera with the Nikon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto AF Zoom Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Autofocus Lens. I see this set up selling for $1,415 out of New York. (Yahoo! does not like us to reference specific retail sites, but you can find it.) You will need a decent memory card and I'd suggest a 1 GB or 2 GB Sandisk Ultra II SD card, which you can get for $40 or $65.

Go here http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/nikond80_samples/ and look at the 3rd image. See the spider web on the berries? I think this is even finer than a dog's whisker. (Although, this was probably taken with a macro lens.)

The 24-120 focal length translates into a 35 mm equivalent of 36-180, so it's in your prefered range. If you decide you don't need VR (vibration reduction), you can save a bit on the lens and buy the 18-135 lens (36-202 mm) without VR for about $100 less and gain a bit of zoom.

Now... If you can't swing the $1,300 needed for the camera, lens and card, look for a Nikon D50. The package would be about $450 less.

I wish I could really recommend a cheaper camera for you, but knowing your background tells me that you just won't find what you are looking for for less.

As far as learning, you could teach most people here a thing or two, due to your extensive 35 mm experience. You would have no trouble at all making the transition to digital SLR photography.

Answer 4

It looks ok... perchance somewhat low-priced although. the picture high quality could be fairly good, the zoom's fairly susceptible... length of the digital camera itself is helpful... you wont have the capacity to get % up with a 3x zoom. it will be a discomfort. it truly is 10.a million MP, it really is staggering, in spite of the undeniable fact that my wager is that with this digital camera, in case you or your concern is shifting, it wont finally end up. im no longer too particular on that one although... extremely, kodak's no longer the suitable call for digital cameras as we communicate. nikon and cannon are extremely good... and there are a pair extremely helpful Panasonics. i dont imagine identity get this. in case you are able to spend somewhat more effective money, the suitable digital camera accessible without going SLR is probable this. it truly is no longer some thing below outstanding. extremely staggering images. examine it out. it truly is referred to as PANASONIC LUMIX DMT TZ5. somewhat more effective money, yet completely invaluable. besides good success.

Answer 5

There are several experts on cameras. NAB is not one of them. She has same writing for many questions. Some I've left out because I couldn't remember their names but pay attention to:
Alan M, ARA57, Petra au and Dr.Sam. Your right thinking of terms of Canon S3 IS, and even camera I own Sony CyberShot
DSC-H2 would be a starting point. The experts might even rec a digital slr.

Answer 6

Try the new Panasonic FZ50. It has all the bells and whistles and is fairly simple to use. It has a 35-420 lens. 12X zoom and 10.1 megapixels. Great for sporting events, light shows and everyday stuff. It is a little pricey but I think you get your bang for you buck.

Answer 7

You sound like a pro and not looking for a compact digital camera. Mine is not exactly the sleek, slim model, but it does does so much. I've read that many pro photographers like this camera as a back up to their larger, more powerful digi cameras. Here's what I have...

I LOVE my Canon PowerShot A620. It's a 7.1 mp camera which takes awesome still shots, and just as awesome video. Great for home and everyday use. Easy to take on vacations and you can take some really artistic/creative photos too. A great all-around camera. My 35mm cameras are Canon too, and I still love and use it. .

I had a Sony, and I gave that to my daughter, and purchased the Canon PowerShot A610 for my teenage son. The Canon A610 is exactly like my A620, but is a 5 mp digital camera. They both take GREAT pictures, but my favorite thing about the camera, is the vari-angle LCD screen. You can even hook it up to your tv and see your pictures/video on whatever size screen you have. It's pretty neat on the big screens! (The necessary cables come with it). It is very easy to use, and a camera you can grow with. Has additional lenses (optional) that you can add/switch for those with more experience in photography.
http://www.usa.canon.com
Go to 'products' to 'consumer products' to lead you to the cameras.

Our A610/A620 has a setting, call "kids&pets". Typically you use these on the subjects that usually has a hard time keeping still. But I also use this setting when taking pictures of my soccer team during game play. I've also taken pictures of my kids, nieces and nephews jumping in the air, a la cheerleader jumps, with great results. Lag time is very, very, very minimal. This is just one of the many settings the camera has to offer and you can also manually set and program your own settings.

For ease of point and shoot, just choose the setting in which you're taking pictures of, (i.e. indoor, outdoor, nighttime, portrait, fireworks, snow, beach, and 'auto' [automatic]), and it'll adjust accordingly the proper exposure/settings. And it even has an 'underwater' mode to use, but that's if you purchase the special housing for the camera. (I don't have the housing. I'll wait to save up or find it for very inexpensive). If you get more experience or for the experienced, you can manually choose exposure and settings like the old 35 mm.

I'm a bargain hunter. I purchased both NEW Canon this late spring 2006 on line. My son's was under $200 and mine was $204. Just Google (or Froogle) or Yahoo! Search any Canon model, and then see which merchant has the best price with those low price websites and order on-line. The price is waaaay better than going physically to the stores. If you need it right away, just upgrade the shipping. It's still cheaper than buying at the stores. No matter what model camera you're searching for, better prices are on-line.

I don't know if you'll find these models (A610, A620) at the stores, but you'll find them online. They have newer models, upgraded models, the A630 (8mp) and the A640 (10mp). They boast more mega-pixels and ISO settings. But 5mp is more than sufficient for most users. What I did was physically touched and feel the camera at the store, then go on-line to purchase. But if you prefer to purchase at the stores, some good places are Best Buy, Wal Mart and Target. Suprisingly enough, they have good selection at Wal-Mart and Target.

Here is the link if you'd like to check out the specs on these models and other Canon cameras: http://www.usa.canon.com
and go to 'products' to 'consumer products' to lead you to the cameras. It tells you what the camera has and what it looks like up close.

While you're searching on-line, you'll also find many reviews on these cameras. All with many positives things to say about the camera and you can also find information on these 4 Canon models if you search in Yahoo! Tech http://tech.yahoo.com/rc/digital-cameras...
They have a links that has reviews from other digicam pros.

Hope this helps...

P.S. Jessie,
I do not claim to be a photo expert. My husband is the expert, he has sold cameras for a living and was a professional photographer before joining the service. He was surprised and impressed with my choice and purchase of my camera. A purchase I made without his advice or knowledge. I found that many have been asking the same questions about compact digitals, and I had the same answer for most. I do not answer any questions I am not sure of answering. If the asker is specific in what there are looking for in a digital camera, I try to compose my answer to try and assist in their question. I am an avid photographer who tries to answer to the casual and recreational picture taker, as I am, who looks for a camera that is user friendly. Thank you for your time! Didn't mean to make this answer into a novel!