Help! what digital camera do you use?

clanderson · 08-03-2005, 07:38 AM

I have a Nikon CoolPix 4100. I like this camera ok, but my greatest frustration is the fact that I lose so many great shots because there is a pause between taking the picture and having it record to the memory card. So, I end up with pictures that are "after the fact" if you know what I mean.....I don't know the correct termonology, but here is what I mean....
We went rafting one day and were coming up to a bridge. A bunch of kids were jumping off this really high bridge into the water and I wanted to get a picture of it. I waited till one kid started to jump and took the picture. I wanted him in mid air. What I got is a picture of a bridge. No kid, no splash. It took too long for the pic to get to the memory card....I guess.

Is there a digital camera out there that will get action shots, or any shot without that stupid delay thing going on? Someone said they thought maybe Canon might have something like this....but didn't know model etc.

I am expecting our first grandchild in December! I don't want to miss any pictures that were planned for my 1st scrapbook attempt!

jbalcer · 08-03-2005, 07:48 AM

Check out this thread:
Forums at Splitcoaststampers

I love my Canon EOS Digital Rebel - I love taking 35mm pics, and this was suuuuchhhh an awesome purchase. I have no regrets, and love that my lenses and accessories are interchangeable with the Rebel stuff I already had. Pricey, but *so* worth it!

RubberStampingFun · 08-03-2005, 08:28 AM

The Canon Digital Rebel is certainly and awesome digital camera but can be a little pricey if you're just looking for a "good" non slr camera (you don't want to remove the lenses...) I use a Samsung Digimax A7. You can buy it at Sam's for $299 or shop online and find it for around $260. This 7 mega-pixel camera takes beautiful photos. The neatest thing about it is all of it's manual features. Something you'd expect from a higher end camera...like the Canon Digital Rebel. (Without the $$$$ price tag)

Kathy Williams
www.rubberstampingfun.com

Moosekrazy · 08-03-2005, 08:33 AM

Another vote for the Rebel!! It is pricey but its so easy to use and the pictures are just great.

patcreates · 08-03-2005, 08:53 AM

I love my Kodak Easyshare DX7630. I paid $210 on clearance at Target last month. It is considered the Easyshare top of the line camera for 2004. It may be hard to find now but I am sure there are comparable Easyshare models out right now. It has so many different automatic scene options, one of them being for sports/action. It also has another feature that takes 4 quick burst shots in a row which is recommended if you are anticipating an action/event. I have attached an action shot. I caught a beach ball in mid air while the kids were playing. I was thrilled because I have tried that type of shot so many times and been unsuccessful.

row4d · 08-03-2005, 08:54 AM

I have the Kodak CX7530 Easyshare camera. It has what's called a "burst" mode, where you can take several shots in quick succession just by holding down the capture button. I haven't tried this feature yet, but I haven't had any trouble with the file writing speed. It also has a setting for subjects in motion. I got it on sale at Best Buy back in May as a birthday gift to myself before my studio class went to NYC. Kodak cameras are very wallet-friendly -- mine was only $180 and it's a 5 megapixel!

gurlzrok · 08-03-2005, 08:54 AM

I have the Canon A85 and love it. The A95 has a screen that flips out like the video cameras so. The A85 is easy to carry around and takes EXCELLENT pictures. Now, for more serious photos (I'm working on becoming a semi-pro) I have the Nikon D70 and I love it also, but it is much bigger and I wouldn't take it on vacation, etc.

Nate's Ma · 08-03-2005, 09:08 AM

Another vote for the Rebel, but if you are looking for a point and shoot, its a lot of camera. I'm a Canon loyalist. I use the Rebel here at work. My DH bought me the Canon Powershot Pro. Its 8.1 magapixels. I love it, its got a 28-200 mm equivallent lens. But its still a lot of camera. I just figured out how to lower the resolution. There is a bit of a lag time with the save time.
BTW, the photos on my avatar were all taken with the Powershot.

Good luck, its overwhelming looking for a camera.

anniem888 · 08-03-2005, 09:15 AM

we have a new baby so we did a LOT of research on digital cameras it came down to Canon and Kodak for best pictures w/ease of use. we got the Canon power shot A85 and love it. easy to use, great pictures, easy to download to computer. We have a Mac. and sometimes we have to buy extras to use the computer the canon has been great.

mg · 08-03-2005, 09:23 AM

Had it a couple of months. It's a new one. Has the burst etc. Very easy to use and easy to download on computer and burn CD's. Definitely for any one who might be hesitant about digital cameras.

AGMommyof2 · 08-03-2005, 09:48 AM

Wow, that burst feature sounds awesome. We have a Cannon s30, which has a sports setting, but I've found that the pictures tend to be a bit fuzzy. I've been wanting to check out a new camera & retiring my old one to kids usage, so I'll be wanting to look at those Kodak ones...

clanderson · 08-03-2005, 04:08 PM

Thanks everyone for the info! I am leaning towards one of the canon digitals...
don't know if I can justify the canon digital rebel or not. I looked online and read about lots of different cameras.... I think my hesitation is not so much the money, but rather that I know I do not have a very good handle on the camera I already own. I got it for Chirstmas and was excited about getting it. I even took some ok pictures of fireworks on New Years with it that weren't too blury. I have been taking pics of some of my neighbor's kids playing, running and jumping for practice but wasn't thrilled with outcome as much as I wanted to be.
Sometimes, I tend to want to buy something better and bigger without really putting any serious time into learning everything on what I already have... LOL

Oh well, I sure appreciate all the input!

AlysonRR · 08-03-2005, 04:16 PM

I love my little digital Canon Elph. It's tiny enough to take with me everywhere and takes excellent photos. It's not great at distant wide landscape shots or really close up shots, but most of my photos are of people or objects 10-100 feet away. My husband takes most of our landscape and close up shots with his Canon SLR (not sure of the model). He'll probably get a Rebel sometime, though. He is envious that I can just download my photos and he has to take his to the store! A Rebel would be too large for me - I'd never carry it and I'd worry about losing it when I did take it places.

Alyson

gigraham · 08-03-2005, 05:26 PM

Here's another vote for the Canon EOS Digi Rebel . . . love it, love it, love it! It was so nice during football season to actually get my ds in action. Same with baseball! I love my camera!

Melanwee1 · 08-03-2005, 05:41 PM

I have a Kodak Easyshare DX6440 and I LOVE IT! Not only does it take AWESOME pictures, but the battery life is AWESOME! Mine came with the charging dock which is awesome that I can use rechargeable batteries, I can also use camera batteries (can't remember what they are called, sorry, brain fog!) and regular AA Cad NiK batteries which are available ANYWHERE! I love having so many options. But a good battery charge on the charger lasts FOREVER! Keep in mind that I am a gal that takes literally 100's of pictures of one event, leaving it on, using the large viewfinder screen (all of the battery suckers). This camera has paid for itself MANY times over and I have never regretted it.

I also have a 512mb SD card and on the highest quality setting, I can get over 500 pictures on it. Talk about CONVENIENT!

Another thing I like is that with the change of a setting (which is SIMPLE) I can go from color, to B&W to Sepia toned pictures within literally seconds!

If you do get the Kodak Easyshare, make sure you get the charging dock! It will save you TONS of money in batteries. (You can even buy a car charger from Kodak for like $20! How cool is THAT?!).

Good Luck on your purchase!
~Melanie

lishee · 08-03-2005, 06:16 PM

How about zoom?

I would need a camera with a good zoom. My husband is a football coach and I want to be able to zoom in better from the stands. I can't afford the Rebel or a high end camera. But I think I need more than 3x optical zoom.

Cat · 08-03-2005, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clanderson

...my greatest frustration is the fact that I lose so many great shots because there is a pause between taking the picture and having it record to the memory card. So, I end up with pictures that are "after the fact" if you know what I mean...

Is there a digital camera out there that will get action shots, or any shot without that stupid delay thing going on? Someone said they thought maybe Canon might have something like this....but didn't know model etc.

Connie - I don't know much about your camera or some of the others in the answering posts, but I know that the problem you note is common in many digital cameras.

When I bought my camera last year (a Casio QV-R51), one of the major selling factors was a 0.01-second release time lag. You need to research cameras and check the specs. It is among the industry-leading digital cameras, for quick response, ensuring you never miss a moment. If the camera you're considering doesn't include the time lag, then it's probably not good.

Additionally, it's ranked one of the best in power consumption... so it doesn't use up a lot of battery! I can recharge the two AAs, and use it ALL day and not run out of battery power.

I love my camera. It's sugg.retail is in the mid $300, but we bought ours at Costco and paid a lot less. I LOVE my camera.

JJBrooks · 08-03-2005, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbalcer

Check out this thread:
Forums at Splitcoaststampers

I love my Canon EOS Digital Rebel - I love taking 35mm pics, and this was suuuuchhhh an awesome purchase. I have no regrets, and love that my lenses and accessories are interchangeable with the Rebel stuff I already had. Pricey, but *so* worth it!

Everything Jenn said! Plus I have a Kodak Easy share DX6490 and I love it! It's smaller and I can tote it around easier. There is no delay and I get great action shots!

MnM · 08-03-2005, 08:46 PM

The digital rebel was on my wish list for two years before I finally broke down and bought it. It is the best $$$ I have ever spent. Anyone who owns it will tell you this. But what they don't tell you is that once you learn how to really use it......I mean all the stuff you read in the manual, and they teach you in class..... You'll NEED more lenses $$$ a top of the line printer $$$ more CDs, photopaper, ink,......then a new computer.......and now since I did go out and get all that stuff...............
I just had to have the Canon EOS 20D. Now this is the King of cameras!
be careful Digital photography is as addicting as rubberstamping when you learn all the cool techniques !!!!
MnM

kelwil · 08-03-2005, 10:16 PM

Don't even get me started...

Read your manual. If your memory card is full, the camera will be slower, if you have the flash one, slower, if you have it set to higher pixels, slower too. Batteries must camera quality, they will say on the package. You would not believe the power these things suck. Just reading my manual and testing the buttons for less than 3 hours, turning the camera on and off, etc. used up 4 AA batteries that were not for high energy draining things.

I begged and pleaded and just got a Canon S2 IS digital camera. 5 mp and 12x optical zoom, which is far more important than digital zoom. I can zoom in so much better than our 3x zoom camera. It was a Sony and it's a good camera but I wanted better zoom. We paid more than $300(CAN) for it a few years ago. I sold it and my bandsaw to pay for 1/2 the new camera which cost just under $800. Yes, I paid $800 for a camera, case, memory card, and batteries. It's been a dream of mine to own a GOOD camera.

I don't need new lenses either because I have the zoom and it's all I will ever need. I looked at SLRs but for the money, this was a better deal.I have an old printer, Canon BJC-2100, and I am not getting a new one. With a proper program, you won't need a new printer. I don't print my pics at home, too pricey. Walmart is cheap, they use Kodak paper and good ink. It's cheaper for them to do it than it is for me to. I save the pics on the computer, take my memory card in instead of saving to disk. Disks are cheap though.

Another camera to look at is the Konica Minolta DiMage line. Costco in Canada carries a couple for a decent price. The Canon Posershot is supposed to be decent too for under $200.
Kelli

clanderson · 08-03-2005, 11:36 PM

Soooo, what are you doing with the "old" digital rebel??? ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MnM

The digital rebel was on my wish list for two years before I finally broke down and bought it. It is the best $$$ I have ever spent. Anyone who owns it will tell you this. But what they don't tell you is that once you learn how to really use it......I mean all the stuff you read in the manual, and they teach you in class..... You'll NEED more lenses $$$ a top of the line printer $$$ more CDs, photopaper, ink,......then a new computer.......and now since I did go out and get all that stuff...............
I just had to have the Canon EOS 20D. Now this is the King of cameras!
be careful Digital photography is as addicting as rubberstamping when you learn all the cool techniques !!!!
MnM

MnM · 08-04-2005, 04:56 AM

sorry...... i donated it to the local animal shelter.
M

jen9853 · 08-04-2005, 05:10 AM

I have a Fuji FinePix S1Pro, it's built off of the Nikon N90 body, but digital. LOVE IT! I also have a Nikon D1X, splurged on it last year with my boyfriend. We shoot weddings and pet portraits and the like, so after a few weddings it paid for itself.

I would highly recomend getting a Digital Single Lens Reflex (SLF)if at all possible. They work JUST like a film 35mm camera, but no film! They take photos the same way though, reflected off of one mirror, yada yada yada instead of just a flat digital image. You can usually get decent prices on Ebay for used ones. Just check feedback first. I bought my D1X new off of the bay, and had a fine experience (and it was a $5000 camera!) and got a great deal.

Here's a couple of action shots that I took at the zoo on Saturday with the FinePix S1Pro. Not the best photos, but you can see how well it stopped the movement of the tigers and the water.

Stampingpat · 08-04-2005, 05:19 AM

I have a Cannon EOS D30 it is a DSLR and I love it. Gets a bit much carrying around all the lenses for it, but I do love having the options of how close I can get to something. Wish I had waited for the D60 though is my only regret. It has more pixels per inch than mine. Oh well. But then again if I had waited I would have not had as many photos.LOL Thinking of getting a smaller one that I can just keep in my purse to take with everyday.
Pat

RedMolly · 08-04-2005, 09:28 AM

We have a Panasonic DMC-FX7... 5 megapixels, which is plenty for most stuff, plus a Leica lens--they just don't get any sharper! Almost no shutter lag (what had prevented us from going digital before), 3x optical zoom, and it's TINY! I can fold it right up in my hand! But maybe the biggest selling point is the enormous LCD screen... 2.5" across, and designed so it's visible in any lighting condition... doesn't wash out in sunlight.

My DH is a pro photographer and has no plans to give up his Leica Ms anytime soon... but tell you what, I've barely touched my film camera (a Canon Rebel Ti with a whole family of lenses) since getting the Panasonic. Can you tell I love it?!

degrffn · 08-04-2005, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jen9853

I have a Fuji FinePix S1Pro, it's built off of the Nikon N90 body, but digital. LOVE IT! I also have a Nikon D1X, splurged on it last year with my boyfriend. We shoot weddings and pet portraits and the like, so after a few weddings it paid for itself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jen9853

I would highly recomend getting a Digital Single Lens Reflex (SLF)if at all possible. They work JUST like a film 35mm camera, but no film! They take photos the same way though, reflected off of one mirror, yada yada yada instead of just a flat digital image. You can usually get decent prices on Ebay for used ones. Just check feedback first. I bought my D1X new off of the bay, and had a fine experience (and it was a $5000 camera!) and got a great deal.

Here's a couple of action shots that I took at the zoo on Saturday with the FinePix S1Pro. Not the best photos, but you can see how well it stopped the movement of the tigers and the water.

Connie - I have your same frustration over "lost" shots because of delay. So, I am so happy to see this thread. I really want to get a new digital camera. I was soooo hesitant to go digital b/c I hate it when the photos "look digital" if you know what I mean. So I always use the highest quality setting - which probably slows me down - in case I get that one fabulous photo that you want to enlarge! I currently have an Olympus - it was/is a nice camera, but it's only a 3 megapixel, so I think it's definitely time to upgrade!

I saw a commercial on tv for the new Fugi cameras, and it sounded interesting. Glad to hear someone has one and likes it. I'm definitely gonna have to do some research on this one! Thanks for all the info ladies!

ljwil · 08-04-2005, 10:04 AM

I have an old Canon Powershot (having taken photography way back in high school, I'm a bit biased towards the tried and true camera makers of Canon and Kodak). I also hate the lag time in picture taking. My BIL bought the Digi Rebel before we all went back to Ireland in the spring, and I swore if he turned his back for long enough I would steal it! LOL...

It's on my wish list now... (and I'd be closer to getting it if I wasn't in love with so many of the new stamp sets!)

Born to be a millionaire, but no closer now than I ever was...

Les

clanderson · 08-07-2005, 08:45 AM

Having read all your great "reviews" on your cameras of choice, It's become clear that my next purchase will have to be an SLR type camera. I decided that rather than buy 3 or more lower priced cameras trying to get what I want without the big price tag was just plain silly since I would end up paying the bigger price (and more) over a long period of time without the benefits of the nicer camera.... so why go through all that? So.... I'll just bite the bullet and fork it out now and get a camera that will do what I want without all that added frustration!
Now the only question is which SLR type camera? I am leaning more towards the Digi Rebel since so many of you swear by it. BUT the Digi Rebel XT is out and I am wondering how much difference there really is in the two cameras. From what I can see right off the bat, besides the price difference,the digi rebel is 6.3 megapixels while the newer XT is 8.something.... Can anyone tell me what that actually means in laymens terms? I know picture quality and being able to print larger prints is part of it.... however, my at home printer (Epson stylus Photo 300M) won't print larger than 81/2 x 11 and I am not planning on having any pictures printed larger than that.....am I?

I am not what I consider photographer...I just want to take some nice pictures without being frustrated all the time....
For those of you who attached photos....Wow! Thanks so much! It was really helpful to see samples! And of course, thanks to everyone else who responded! Way big help in my decision making process!!!

clanderson · 08-07-2005, 08:59 AM

Are you kidding??? These are great photos! I would love to capture pictures of this quality! Don't have 5 grand to spend on your other camera but I certainly do understand the concept of buying the best you can afford no matter what the purchase is!
(Many people thought I was waaaay nuts when they found out how much I paid for my Bernina 200E sewing machine! But I do sell some of the quilts and home decor that I make on that maching so it will pay off in the long run, and I LOVE sewing on it!)
I will have to look at this camera as well!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jen9853

I have a Fuji FinePix S1Pro, it's built off of the Nikon N90 body, but digital. LOVE IT! I also have a Nikon D1X, splurged on it last year with my boyfriend. We shoot weddings and pet portraits and the like, so after a few weddings it paid for itself.

I would highly recomend getting a Digital Single Lens Reflex (SLF)if at all possible. They work JUST like a film 35mm camera, but no film! They take photos the same way though, reflected off of one mirror, yada yada yada instead of just a flat digital image. You can usually get decent prices on Ebay for used ones. Just check feedback first. I bought my D1X new off of the bay, and had a fine experience (and it was a $5000 camera!) and got a great deal.

Here's a couple of action shots that I took at the zoo on Saturday with the FinePix S1Pro. Not the best photos, but you can see how well it stopped the movement of the tigers and the water.

AlysonRR · 08-07-2005, 09:36 AM

I'm getting excellent quality photos from my digital Elph and it's only 4MP. I don't print at home, but the photos from the printer are really good. So I would imagine you could get the lower MP Rebel used or on sale and still be in pretty good shape.

Alyson

MnM · 08-07-2005, 10:09 AM

The introduction of the XT has helped to bring the price down on the D.Rebel.
There really is not much difference between the two if you are not going to be "playing"with all the features.
I think for what you say you will be using your camera for you should get the Digital Rebel You'll never regret it.

MnM

EleeK · 08-07-2005, 10:30 AM

My daughter and I both purchase this camera. It has tons of features and yet is no heavier than our old automatic everything 35mm. We figured it would be a great way to save money on film, development and reprints. In the long run they will pay for themselves.

So far we both really like them. Hers seems to work better on zooming which does not make sense to me, but we get great pictures!

We actually have incorporated quite a few pictures into cards lately and this let's us take tons of pictures without worry about wasting film.

GarnetJ · 08-07-2005, 09:28 PM

I have that "lag time" problem with my camera too. It's a complaint I hear often from other digital camera users. My friends tell me to hold the button halfway down and then click it at the last second. I still can't seem to get the hang of it.

2littleboys · 08-07-2005, 10:25 PM

With all the love being given to the Canons I wanted to give a shout out to the Nikon D70 digital SLR. Check that one out too. I bought mine last year and haven't regretted the $1000 price tag one bit.

clanderson · 08-09-2005, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2littleboys

With all the love being given to the Canons I wanted to give a shout out to the Nikon D70 digital SLR. Check that one out too. I bought mine last year and haven't regretted the $1000 price tag one bit.

So what exactly do you love about it? I am really interested in specifics. I am not well versed in the use of high end cameras so I am worried that after buying one of the SLR type cameras I will not be able to figure out how to use all that it can do.

How easy was the learning curve on this camera? (Any of you Rebel owners can answer this question too!)

I am going to buy one of these types (SLR) of cameras but haven't decided on which one yet. I have been leaning towards the Canon Rebel but would love to have some " this is what I love about my camera..." kind of input!

This thread has gotten me to the point of knowing what kind of camera I am going to buy, I just need to figure out which BRAND I am going to be happiest with. I really want something that is not hard to use initially, but wll give me the opportunity to learn about photography, and how to take manual pictures as well as the point and shoot kind of pictures. I know I will be spending money on extra lens etc. so I want to be sure I get the best (and easiest) bang for my buck so to speak.

Thanks for all info!

MnM · 08-09-2005, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clanderson

How easy was the learning curve on this camera? (Any of you Rebel owners can answer this question too!)

I am going to buy one of these types (SLR) of cameras but haven't decided on which one yet. I have been leaning towards the Canon Rebel but would love to have some " this is what I love about my camera..." kind of input!

Thanks for all info!

Check with Ritz Camera. I saw they are only $699 this week (with rebate)They often offer free classes to customers who purchase the pricey cameras. The Rebel owners manual is very easy to understand. Also there is a Rebel Users Yahoo Group. Also check photoghraphy magazines. Canon Rebel consistantly gets high marks in the rankings. Nikon does too. But I am most familiar with the Canons.
I am not sure if a DSLRs come with software, but both my Canons did and it was so easy learning how to use it.
MnM

clanderson · 08-23-2005, 02:37 PM

After all the wonderful input from all of you and searching online, I finally made my decision and bought the Canon Digital Rebel XT! I also bought a zoom lens, two uv filters, (one for each lens) the faster memory card and a case. YIKES!
But I know that this is one purchase that I will not regret! I am excited about learning how to use it and am looking forward to some great pics! I am sure this will take me awhile to learn as I know nothing about camera settings etc, but at least I can set this to autofocus until I figure things out!

Thanks everyone for making this a much easier decision. I appreciate all of your comments, pictures, thoughts and insights. I LOVE SCS!

Gotta go play with my new camera now....

SOS · 09-21-2005, 08:30 PM

I'm just curious where everyone buys their cameras from. I've been looking for quite some time and plan to purchase the Rebel XT as I've currently got a Canon Elan and several lenses which would convert.

Thanks

clanderson · 09-21-2005, 09:08 PM

After much deliberation, I finally decided to buy my camera at a local camera shop instead of online or from Staples or Walmart or other box stores. My reasoning was this:

1- the camera store is a Canon dealer. Which means if I need to get my camera repaired for any reason or cleaned, they take care of it at the store rather than having to ship it out....less hassle and time.

2 - the price was a little higher than the lowest price I found on line. However, they made me a better deal than the ticket price listed on the camera because they recognize the benefit in quality customer service.... and I was making a considerable purchase in there store...not just the camera but accessories too. Also, I did not have to pay S&H which I figure into the total cost of online shoping...

3- three weeks after my purchase, I realized the camera bag I bought was not going to work. It was just too small. I took it back and they gave me full purchase price for it and took off another 30 dollars on the bag I should have bought in the first place. So I ended up with only paying 110 dollars for a $179.00 camera bag that day and ended up with what I needed and wanted... a big plus for me

4 - the owners spent a lot of time with me and answered all my questions. I like that since I know virtually nothing about digital SLR cameras and am starting from scratch on the learning curve.

5 -All in all, I am happy to support our local businesses and don't mind paying a little extra to do that.... but when you add up all the little things you won't and don't get when buying online or in box stores, well I think it tips the scale balance in favour of your local camera shops.

Hope this helps. Btw, I absolutely love, love, love, this camera. I do not regret the purchace in the least. Knowing nothing at all, I managed to take some pretty good pictures the other day! Mostly the camera did all the work, I just had fun pointing the thing!

lesliemommy · 09-21-2005, 09:59 PM

wow, lots of info on here.

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