What camera should I buy?

I am waiting fro my new Pentax to arrive. I bought a Nikon D40 last fall and found it was more weight than I wanted to carry. I passed it along to my daughter who is very happy. Pentax Optio x70 megazoom is what I ended up purchasing. It is very light, approx 13.8oz. here’s what Steve’s Digicams website has to say “PENTAX X70 is a true bridge between compact digital cameras and digital SLRs. The X70 is the ideal camera for the intermediate to advanced shooter who wants to step up in form and function from digital compact offerings without the size, weight, and expense of a true DSLR camera”

Having read many reviews and looked at shots taken with this camera, I’m going to give it a go. I’ll let you know how it works out after it arrives.

cathy

You seem to know your stuff. I have bought and used a Nikon D80 for the last couple of years. And as I really don’t know my stuff, continue to learn, I’m sure you will do it more than justice. It has always given me great photo’s. Even when I don’t deserve them.
I took a course for D80 and D90’s. The instructor there did not recommend the D90 as the the video used up the battery to much. And most don’t want to use their DSLR for video.
Well that’s my recommendation.
Have fun no matter what camera you choose.

Nikon D700 is the best..:)

For point & shoot, I like the rugged durability of the Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 – Waterproof, shockproof & well constructed & takes nice pictures. It has decent optical zoom & also wide angle. Good luck!

Question for jrfoto.
I am considering upgrading and I am looking into either the D300 or D700, what is the difference b/w the 2 they look prety much the same, but D300 is almost 1/2 the price of the D700…

Nikon D300 & D700 is the way to go

I don’t think anyone has recommended this model, but the canon sx10. not the 110- the 10. It’s a 10 megapixel, 20x optical zoom. There are other super zooms out there with more range, but the canon consistently bests them in optical quality and color accuracy and vividness. SX10 is an upgrade to the S5, which I have, and which many pictures of mine on my website (http://moorephotography.jalbum.net) were taken with.

Advantages:
-Impressive zoom range
-Takes AA batteries. Easy to get more if you run out on the road.
-Takes great movies. Can zoom and autofocus silently while recording a movie. Has two microphones for cd quality audio, something many other compacts don’t have and most other dslr’s that shoot video- yet.
-Has a hotshoe for an external canon flash, highly highly recommend one

Disadvantages:
-Small sensor cameras are limited in low light, most indoor shots will require the external flash or will be overly grainy
-More pixels than S5 means pictures are even noisier
-When fully zoomed the camera “stops down”, meaning the hole that lets in light gets tighter. Cann’t be avoided, and can affect how well lit shots.

There is a Canon SX1, a twin of the SX10, (same body, same zoom) but it has a CMOS sensor instead of CCD, so it can take more frames per second, shoot HD video, and shoot in raw. But the sensor is still too small for the pictures so it has the same problems at higher ISO’s as smaller sensor cameras do.

About the Nikons: I’ve shot with a D60, and the pictures were incredibly noisy at ISO 1600, almost as bad as my point and shoot. The lenses were so so. I recommend the canon rebel, not because of brand loyalty (which I am) but because it’s better. My dad’s Canon Rebel XTI is much better at ISO 1600 than this nikon was. The new Rebel T1i is the fasted auto focusing camera in all entry level dslrs, it has more mega pixels (circa 15) and can record HD video, if that’s what you want. And the pop photo magazine where all this info came from said the nikon lenses on the d60 or 80 or whatever are 10 yrs old.

there are basically two kinds of cameras, the digital point & shoot (P&S) and the DSLR. P&S used to be referred at the “idiot” camera’ but guess the marketing gurus have avoided this term coz this will obviously mean that the man behind it is an idiot, lol. Ooppps, there is now what we call an “in between” kind now referred as the Pro-sumers or the Pro-comsumer camera which is, yes, having features of both the P%S and DSLR, but cant be classified as either. I have always been a NIKON slr diehard but when it comes to P&S or Pro-sumer cameras, I have had some Canon and Olympus models, pretty much acceptable in the past though. recently i tried the Panasonic Lumix LX3 and wow, guess its going to be my next gift for myself. Go ahead, surf the reviews, its cool …

I bought 6 months ago a D90 from Nikon I never regretted my choice. In all functions you get a crisp image with his 12.5 mega pixels . The advantage of a this type of camera is you ca buy any type of lenses depending what you want to do. One other good think with this camera it can also make small movie . Either Canon or Nikon the best picture is always depending of the person who hold the camera. If you learn how your camera is working you will get THE picture you are looking for.

There is a lot of good advice from all these answers. I can agree with much of what is said, but let me “bottom line” it for you, based on 50 years of experience.

1.
The shutter delay is caused by a number of factors. ANY SLR solves this problem. If you want a snap shot capability for people, this is the only answer.

2.
The “flat dull and out of focus” is the actual result of the digital sensor. The “out of focus’ is due to the apparent softness of the actual image. Of course the auto focus could be out of service – or just you have a different choice of the focus point. The “flat dull” is also the actual image. So what does an SLR do that can solve these for YOU?

a. All cameras process the image according to the “style” chosen, resulting in a JPEG file. Most of us today use the RAW file (the actual image) to gain the most info to modify and tweak to our choices. If you are serious, as you say, use a program like Adobe Lightroom to manage your files and tweak them easily. There is a learning curve, but it is well worth the effort.

b. Any SLR has easy to use preset “styles” for JPEG files. They allow you to set your own preferences as well. You want a sharp, saturated image like a Canon point and shoot, you can set it up do process this way automatically. Again, some effort with the Manual, but well worth it.

c. Any SLR shows you in the finder what point the auto focus has chosen, allowing you to force the focus on what you want. I happen to preset the distance for candids and seldom rely on the autofocus. You should know that very experienced photographers tend to MANUALLY set focus, aperture, and shutter speed. In other words, different techniques for different circumstances. Your call, including automatic choices if they suit you.

3.
Okay, which camera/manufacturer? The truth is, ANY new digital SLR has all the features I have mentioned. You can shop any manufacturer; Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Olympus. Realize that you are buying into a manufacturer’s line of lenses. So you pick size, fit to your hands, and features that seem significant to you. Any SLR choice will get the job done. The real money comes in upgrading to high quality (cost) lenses, now or later, one at a time. The kit lenses are OK, but give consideration to a really good lens (or lenses)

4.
Finally, if you think you’re really serious about action photos, the auto repeating shutter speed is desirable, but is only on the more expensive SLRs. The entry cost SLRs to semi-pro range from 3.0 frames per second to 6.0.

So, go forth with an SLR, consider lens choices, and remember that rest is size, weight, features. Do you need any? Not likely, so just upgrade your lens later. Do NOT get an expensive camera that is too heavy, too large, or awkward for YOU.

Have fun. This is a great hobby and avocation.

Al Eynon

Canon 50D, the reason, a huge assortment of accesories and lenses to buy (old and new) so you can get a bargain every now and then to enlarge your collection.

Now quality wise it’s all you need, has all the functions and whatever you’d expect and need from a camera.

Ok..it doesn’t have video buuuut..if you wanna shoot HD vid, get a videocamera right?

And..it’s a Canon

I have been through that phase and the answer is simple, go DSLR, you are a technology man, read the camera testings, understand and like it, enjoy taking good photos, and need a camera that goes a long way with you on this, the Optics is without a doubt the must important factor, followed by the ease of handling and the availability of options to add to your camera (lenses and gadgets in general) that improve your fun time with the camera, the final product will be great photos without limit to your creativity.
I own a Canon 30D, I would advise you to go for a 50D, but the must important point is to get 2.8 / Image stabilized lenses, they may be expensive but you do not have to buy them all at once, depending on your photography aplications you have to define the range of zoom you need, I own 3 lenses and cover 99% of my wishes with them.
I hope this helps

i have a sony a200 and i just love it!
takes amazingly crisp clear photos and with a large enough mamory card, i don’t experience the lag when shooting continuously..
you can usually find a good package deal, including camera body and 2 lenses for a reasonable price.

If you are looking for an easy to use small camera, I have to tell you about mine. I have a Casio EX850 which I dearly love! In auto it has plenty of scene sets to choose from and you can make your own adjustments in manual. It has a nice sized screen to view your shots, and takes fantastic pictures! I carry mine on my motorcycle on a lanyard around my neck so I am always ready to shoot!! I have an SLR (Sony) which I also love, but the Casio is so handy!

The decision comes down to two brands. Either Canon or Nikon are your best bets in the digital market for still photography. Although Nikon has a better relation in the film arena, Canon has done amazing work on the digitizers. Both carry an excellent array of lenses. I’m a Canon zealot, so I won’t make any excuses about what or why. I’ve been shooting with Canon cameras all over the world for over 40 years. You’ll find the same type of favoritism for Nikon equipment as well.

Next, how serious are you about photography. I’m assuming that if you’ve invested in Photoshop that you aren’t afraid of spending a little money, so I’d recommend a DSLR for your needs. I have two with common lenses and a film camera that can also provide lenses to the digital cameras (but not the other way around).

Now the hard part. Go to a couple of stores and handle the carmeras. If it doesn’t balance and feel right you’ll never feel right shooting with it. I will never purchase a pocket camera for that reason. On the other hand, I’ll never let my wife touch a DSLR but she does well with the pocket and phone cameras. It’s going to get personal.

As mentioned before, Canon has the upper edge on digitizers and (subsequently) on the color correctness. That said, it’s nothing that can’t be handled when importing the images into Photoshop automatically, so don’t let that throw you.

FEATURES, Features, features. You need to look at the ones you do and will use. It’s senseless to pay a forture for features you’ll never play with, let alone use. This is often the decision maker. I rely heavily on a remote shutter release, so not having one available on a camera as an automatic disqualification for my choice. You may never use one.

So, I probably gave you more to think about than what to buy. The reality is that it’s your camera and your choice. If someone is pushing a specific camera and model, it’s only because they bought it themselves. This is YOUR camera and your choice. Make it a good one by knowing yourself and your photo needs before you put your money down. This is not an inexpensive choice, so make it a smart one.

I currently have 2 Nikons – the D70 and the D40. The D70 is a workhorse and always reliable, and the D40 captures the most incredible colors – I never have to post process colors from the D40. I am also in the process of purchasing a Nikon D90 from a friend who got it as a gift and has only taken 25 photos with it – what a waste I could go on and on about how much I love my cameras, but I think my 750,000 photos would vouch for that – yes – three quarters of a million photos between my D70 & D40 and still going strong!

I won a Nikon D300 and was impressed by the first shots I took with it. This was also purchased with a 18-200 Nikkor lens. I have added other lenses since then, but this is still a greta all around lens. This camaera does a good job in low light situations. This being said, the main idea behind purchasing a camera is your immediate needs and future desires. You can go with Nikon D90 also, which is a great camera in its own right. You also have to consider what you have in lenses now and are you willing to make an investment in a whole new family.

I needed a new camera for the very same reason you stated.
I have a granddaughter and lag cameras no longer even come close to filling the bill. With a lot of research and asking a few pros I ended up with a D-80 Nikon. Very very satisified. I’m sure the new D-90 is even better. Get the kit with the 18 to 135 zoom lens. If you can, add the Nikon 12 to 24 wide angle lens (incredible). You can’t imagine what all you can do with this combo. My D-80 does 3 frames per second, I think the D-90 does 5 !!

Have fun
P.S. Your gonna need a new external hard drive cause your gonna be taking a lot more photos than you ever have.