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I'm tired of trying to get by with what I have so I'm shopping for a new camera. I think Kurt is using a Canon 30D, a nice SLR camera. I'd love one, but I'm trying to decide if I need to save a bit more and get something on that level, or maybe take an interim step up with something like the Canon Powershot 850

What are you folks using? SLR, upper end point and shoot? I've put up a survey, but I'd be even more interested in hearing what you think, especially those of you that have sorted this out and are happy with your pics. I need much better detail and more accurate color than I'm getting, but don't have a ton of money.

Hi Scott,

I'm using a Sony Cyber Shot 5.1 Mega Pixels MPEGmovieVX DSC-W5. Whether all of that is part of the name, I don't know. I just copied what's on the top of the camera.

It was $300something a couple of years ago at Best Buy.

Rad

RadDavis wrote:I'm using a Sony Cyber Shot 5.1 Mega Pixels MPEGmovieVX DSC-W5. Whether all of that is part of the name, I don't know. I just copied what's on the top of the camera.

It was $300something a couple of years ago at Best Buy.

Thanks Rad! That's great to hear. Your pictures look great, and what I'm looking at should be very much along those lines. It's amazing what these little cameras are capable of these days!

Scott, I have the Sony DSC T200 and it will take a much better picture than I allow it too

The "magnifying glass" macro setting is fun and I find the color (on the proper settings) to be a really great match with few if any changes necessary.

I recently bought an Olympus SP-510UZ on Ebay for around $150 from Olympus's official ebay store.

Supposedly it was refurbished, but it looked brand new and came with all the peripherals, including a warranty.

It's not the greatest camera on earth, or anything, but it was pretty hard to pass up at that price.

Before you purchase anything, make sure you check out Steve's Digicams for a review. Steve hasn't led me astray yet.

Thanks a bunch, guys! This has been very helpful. You're all taking very nice shots with mid to high range point and shoots. I wanted a couple of features, and my wife also wanted a couple. I'm going with the Canon Powershot 850. In terms of overall specs it's along the lines of what you guys are using with good results. Wow, Bob, you got a heck of a deal on that Olympus, and it takes very nice pics! Thanks for the tip on Steve's. That was helpful too.

Hopefully I'll be getting some better pics next week!

sethile wrote:I think Kurt is using a Canon 30D, a nice SLR camera. I'd love one, but I'm trying to decide if I need to save a bit more and get something on that level, or maybe take an interim step up with something like the Canon Powershot 850

I wish!!

I'd love a 30D, but only due to the slightly higher pixel count, and the DIGIC-II processor (fast in-camera processing). I have a Canon 300D, which is the first generation of "prosumer" (as opposed to consumer) digital SLRs from Canon. I got mine on sale from Broadway Photo, just as the 350D was coming out (second generation) so I got a good deal on it. The 30D, and 20D before it, are in the "professional" line of cameras, and really can't be beat for excellent picture quality - though Nikon fans will have something to say to me, I'm sure.

My 300D is most excellent, and I've loaded it with alternative firmware that is based on the 30D, so I get 3200 ISO, as well as mirror hold and a bunch of other nice features that the prosumer camera line don't come with. The next gen, the 350D and 400D don't have this option from what I recall.

If you can find a 300D in good condition, it will be worth the effort to find it. It's a wonderful camera, and takes standard EOS EF format lenses, as well as it's own EFS format lenses. Between the two lens formats, there are literally hundreds of lenses to choose from. The 18-55mm that came with my camera is the one I use in my photos, and I have a Tamron 75-200 that is very nice.

My mother actually bought a 350D after an afternoon of playing with my camera. The only obvious difference is in size - the 350D is smaller and lighter than the 300D. It also uses the small format batteries, which are compatible with Canon high-end camcorders (nice if you already have a Mini-DV camcorder from Canon), while the 300D uses the larger batteries. The 350D also uses the DIGIC-II processor, so it's a little faster saving to the flash card, and applying in-camera effects - which is nice, but not something that would be a deal killer for me unless it was obscenely slow. With the 350 and 400D you're limited to a max ISO of 1600, which is too slow for unguided astronomical photography, or dark interior spaces like theaters or performance halls - but if you do tat type of photography, i might be worth it ot get the 30D or 40D instead of loading alternative firmware on your 300D.

I based all my decisions on info from this site:
http://www.dpreview.com/
It was a toss-up between the Nikons and Canons, but the Canons won me over in terms image quality at higher ISOs, the RAW image quality, and color balance. They're not without their failings, though there are few.

If you have any questions about the Canon cameras, give me a shout. I'm happy to help any way I can.

I have the Canon 30D and my biggest regret is not taking more pictures. I bought it when my baby girl was born and it has captured priceless moments, so the cost is forgettable. If you are taking portrait type pictures and trying to capture a fleeting moment, then a SLR is a must. The point and shoots are never sure of the subject and will often focus on the wrong subject... and the moment is gone. For pipe portraits, a point and shoot should be fine, but you won't regret purchasing a SLR with all the versatility. The EOS Rebel is affordable with most of the goodies you'll find in the 30D.

Scott, if you are considering getting into creative photography seriously,get the 30D Canon or a 300D or the Nikon equivalents. You will really appreciate the infinite possibilities. However, I find traveling with mine is cumbersome. When we travel we use my Son's Canon S5is.

Scott, if you buy a camera online, be very careful who you buy from. The NJ shops are notorious for ripping off customers with bait & switch, etc. Do an online "scam check" before choosing a seller.

Thanks to all of you who responded with the great camera info! I ended up with the Canon Powershot 850. It seemed to be the best bang for the buck that included everything my wife wanted, as well as everything I wanted to get decent pics. I think I'll want an SLR eventually, but my wife did not want to have to deal with one for our main family camera, nor would my budget allow for one this time. Ideally it would be great to have both.

I have yet to optimize settings etc.. but here are a few shots right out of the box of a Freehand Horn (#47) I finished a couple of weeks ago. All I did was read how to set Macro, white balance, and image quality. I did some very minor editing in Picasa, but with the white balance set on the camera, it really didn't need much other than cropping, a one click fix for lightning, and some benefited from sharpening. BTW, Picasa seems to be a great free program that is supper easy and quick for photo edits.